If you had an extra money for food wwyd

[Bluemoonjo]

If you had an extra $100 a month for food. How would you spend it?
We are 2 adults, 9y old, 5 yr old, and baby. My normal food budget is $50 a week.

I'd like everyone to start eating better, and food it fairly expensive here....

I saw someone post meat prices where they live and bout fell out of the computer chair LOL ... hamburger is $2.49 a pound, cube steak $3.49 a pound, ...... most the time I try not to spend more than $4.00 on a package of meat it gets close to a pound sometimes less...

I was thinking ....Use it for a monthly trip and buy all staples ...noodles, rice, canned goods, other things that last. Then just buy fresh things weekly ...meat, milk, fruit, veggies.

I'm thinking this way I can buy meat that is on sale, and more fruit/veggies.

[terramama]

Umm!! An extra 100 per month? I would do a stock up of all my staples. Like buy grains, beans, canned goods or frozen fruits and veggies. If you eat meat, try going to a meat market. I know when I lived in NO, I could buy: 1 cs chicken leg 1/4 for 8.99, turkey wings 8.99/cs. I stocked up at WM for my frozen fruit and veggies. WM has chicken legs for 4.00 a bag or less. Thighs too.

Something else, since Easter will be here soon, stock up on eggs and freeze them. During the holidays, I try to stock up on whatever is on sale that I use during the year. Christmas: butter, flour, spices, sugar. Also look up bread stores in your area. I buy 6 loaves at a time and keep them in my fridge. When I get to the breadstore, I buy more and freeze.

Invest in a good freezer. I bought one for 199.99 full price, from Circut City. It was 5 cubic feet. It held about 100lbs of meat.

[rhonda]

Just a silly question here, how do you freeze eggs?

I have never heard of that.

TIA

[freedomlover]

I might save some money for a future need of food and I might get something which is a fabulous deal and yummy too......but

we can't keep up with our fruits and veggies (I try to buy as many as I can but the kids gobble them up and we always could use more!)

[emilytoys]

I would finish switching over to organics.

[IBelieveInFae]

I too would stock up on non-parishable staples.

[erm2170]

I have been lokoing into the local food co-op.. check out yours!

[mamabear]

I would buy tons more fresh organic veggies and fruits.

[terramama]

Originally posted by rhonda
Just a silly question here, how do you freeze eggs?

I have never heard of that.

TIA

Here is the info that I have. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

This is from an old cookbook from my grandmother. "Freezing and Canning Cookbook" form the editors of Farm Journal
A disclaimer: This was only a suggestion.

1. Wash eggs in warm water. Dry quickly.

2. Break eggs, one at a time, into a cup before adding to the bowl.

3. Stir whole eggs with a fork to mix whites and yolks, but do not beat. To 1 c. eggs (about 12 eggs) add 1 tablespoon sugar or light corn syurp. or 1/2 teaspoon salt, depending on how you want to use them.

4. Freeze and package egg whites in recipe amounts-for an angel food cake or meringue shells. Be careful not to get any egg yolks in the whites.

5. Break egg yolks by stirring with a fork, but do not beat them. Into 1 c. yolks, mix 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how you want to use them.

6. Package small amounts or measured-recipe amounts, leaving 1/2" head space, in moisture-proof containers. Leave 1/2" head space in half-pint and pint containers. Lable every package so you will know the quantity and whether eggs contain salt or sweetener. Use the sweetened eggs for desserts; those with salt for omlets, scrabling, etc.

To use them, thaw in the refrigerator, or under cold water running water. Stir them before using. Do not let them wait longer then 24 hours in the frige before using and do not refreeze.

Recommended storage time: 6 to 8 months.

Measurements for Frozen eggs

1 to 11/2 tablespoon frozen yolks equal 1 egg yolk
2 tblsp. whites equal 1 egg white
3 tblsp. yolks and whites equal 1 whole egg
1 cup equals 5 whole eggs, 12 yolks, or 8 whites

Hope this helps anyone who may have had questions.

love and blessings
angie

[Stargazer441]

Thanks for the info on freezing eggs - too cool!

If I had an extra $100 a month, first I'd have to figure out whether it's just this month, or permanently.

If it's just an extra $100 this month, I'd put some into savings just to have it safely there. Then I'd take the rest and stock up on the cheap staples I use a lot of so that I would have them. For us, that would be lots of dried beans (pinto, navy, lentil, split peas, kidney, etc), rice, potatoes, flour, tomato sauce, some soups ingredients, spaghetti & noodles, frozen veggies, etc. I'd focus on stuff that I could store for a while.

Now if it were an extra $100 every month, wahoooo! *lol* I'd plan my grocery shopping a little differently and fit in a few extras I usually skip like healthy snacks (granola bars and things through the coop). I'd buy more fresh fruit and veggies, definitely.

I grocery shop every two weeks right now, and it's working pretty well for us. But I also get a coop order once a month.

HTH and have fun spending that money!