How I Cut Grocery Spending by 50%

To reduce weekly spending on food while continuing to bask in the pleasure of the culinary experience for the sake of a healthy body and satisfied soul.

If I had a mission statement for my project this would be it.

However, if I was writing a dissertation for my PhD the title would be:

On reducing weekly food spending while maintaining proper physical, emotional and mental eudaemonia.

But if I was talking to you as a friend over a cup of freshly brewed homemade chai, I'd tell you:

Shoot girl, my grocery bill is just too dang high. I don't know what has come over me lately? I need a remedy for this situation pronto.

In the beginning it was not easy. In order to keep the spending down I found that I was simply buying less. Normally we would buy five loaves of gluten-free bread per week at $5.49 each. That's over $100 a month in bread alone! To actualize my budget, I stopped buying bread since it was one of the most expensive items on my list. This was a bad idea.

It took me less than three days to realize this model wasn't going to work for my extremely hungry family of five. My oldest son eats as much as his dad, and he's barely out of kindergarten. And the baby, by golly, he's a bottomless pit. The boy knows how to throw it back, friends. He also knows how to throw it on the floor. But enough about my floors.

That was August. Since then, I've found my groove. It feels really good to be living within our means and while still enjoying all the hearty healthy food that puts smiles on the faces sitting around my table. 

My sweet husband continually comments, "Babe, we've never eaten this good in our lives. Whatever you're doing with that blog, keep it up." I'm tickled every time I hear him say that.

I say Yes! to living within our means.

I say Yes! to enjoying delicious healthy food.

I say Yes! to creative expression through the culinary experience.

I say Yes! to healthy kids who no longer have to take daily asthma medication in order to simply breath.

Like I've said before, I don't do coupons. Truly, I'm not that organized. Coupons in my house are more likely to become confetti for the living room dance party than get used in the grocery store check out line.

So here for you now are the simple strategies I've employed over the past three months to reduce my grocery spending by fifty percent.

Judith's Top 23 Shopping Secrets for Happy Pocketbooks
(in no particular order)

1. Get to know each store's unique personality.

Which stores in town have the deepest discounts on your regular list items?

Grocery store chains commonly draw customers to their store through a certain category of items at deep discounts. But if you pay close attention, you'll realize that the same store that drew you in to their inexpensive produce will have relatively high prices on all the packaged food in the store. Alternatively the store that has the cheapest prices on bulk items will have sky high prices on the produce selection. 

Therefore, I go to one store for high quality low-cost produce and large cuts of meat. Another store for bulk items, special gf bread, bulk spices and nitrate-gluten-casein-free lunch meat. And finally the large traditional grocery retailer for name brand boxed, canned, and frozen items.

2. Embrace weekly meal planning.

Meal planning is daunting, I know. Before I got serious about meal planning we were eating eggs for dinner three nights a week. And pancakes the other four. I'm just joking with you... we had waffles.

3. Make a list and stick to it.

This provides a good opportunity to practice the fine quality of "sticktoitiveness", useful in many areas of life, not just grocery shopping. Take for instance building a chicken coop out back, learning to snowboard, or disciplining young children. In the long run sticktoitiveness always pays off.

4. Limit trips to the store. 

The more times I walk into a store, the more money walks out the door. Especially if that store is a big box retailer. Why does it seem that you can't walk into one of those places without dropping one hundred cool ones every time. I don't like that. Instead we improvise with what's in the cupboards. This can be kind of fun. If invited to a poker party and we want to bring a snack to share, we'll cook up a batch of Movie Theater Popcorn for the group. Cheap, fun and tastier than any popcorn we'd otherwise buy at the store.

5. Say goodbye to packaged and prepared. 

Within reason of course. We found out that we couldn't live without bread. I can easily admit my weaknesses. I know my limitations and I know I do not want to make my own gluten-free sandwich bread from scratch. That just might throw me over the edge. So we're buying bread again. Just a less expensive version this time around.

6. Become a recipe screener.

I choose a recipe because it looks delicious and amazing. But it calls for expensive mushrooms, pricey cuts of meat and six spices I currently do not have on my rack. So I put this one in the folder for another day. Instead, I choose a recipe which calls for items that are naturally inexpensive. Take for instance this amazing chicken dinner.

7. Browse the weekly sales flyers.

This way I have plenty of ideas to base inexpensive recipes on. This is the first step in my meal planning process each week. If the chicken is on super sale, go for it. If the fish is on super sale, do it. If the liver is on super sale, think twice.

8. Identify the priciest items in the pantry and explore alternatives.

In our house, this meant that the fluffy artisan baked gluten-free bread got the boot. So did real maple syrup. Now we use agave nectar instead. Cheaper, healthier and just as delicious.

9. Eat lots of protein, healthy fats and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

We don't need to buy all those expensive filler foods (crackers, chips, etc) when we are satisfying our hunger with hearty whole foods.

10. Avoid taking young children into the store if at all possible.

We all know how quickly our sweet cherubs turn into ravenous beasts in that grocery cart. "I want thaaaaat." "Give me one. Give it. Give it." "I'm huuuuungry." Oh boy, it's like walking through the gauntlet when I've got my three young ones with me. I'm never quite sure if I'll come out alive. And if I do come out alive, it is usually at the expense of some unsuspecting elderly shoppers. The looks I get are not very nice most of the time. I'd rather be plucking my eyebrows.

11. But if you do need to bring the munchkins, shop with contentment, not chaos.

We all need to go shopping with children at times. Or in my case, every time. In order to focus on the task at hand, keep the children happy with wholesome snacks as you swoop through the aisles. Or get a balloon when you first walk in. The "Boon" keeps my little man very happy for the duration of my trip. Thank God!

12. Dance down the aisles every once in awhile. (Costume optional.)

Smiling while shopping makes it so much more fun. And funny to watch. This helps with the young ones in the cart.

13. Buy bulk herbs and spices. 

The real reason why my grocery bill has been reduced by 50% is that I stopped buying all those little jars of spices. I'm exaggerating. But really, the pricing on bulk spices will blow your mind.


14. Buy bulk grains and dried beans.

Rice, lentils and quinoa are super inexpensive in the bulk department. And dried beans aren't really that big of a headache with a little prior planning.

15. Buy bulk specialty flours.

Truly so much cheaper than all those cute little packages of specialty gluten-free flours.




16. Buy as much in bulk as possible. Are you sensing a theme here?

It's just plain cheaper that way.

17. Force everyone in the house to fast three days a week.

Doh, I'm just kidding. Wanted to see if you were still with me here.

18. Plan at least two vegetarian meals per week.

Hello, beans and rice. Howdy, lentil soup.

19. Plan at least one really cheap protein meal per week. 

Something eggy usually does the trick.

20. Stop buying boxed cereal.

Boxed cereal is ridiculously expensive for what it offers. Alternatively, oatmeal is quite tasty when doctored up with fruit and cinnamon and brown sugar.

21. And if boxed cereal is a must, stop snacking on it all day long.

I'm talking to myself here. I don't know about you, but one of my favorite quick and easy snacks is a bowl of cereal. This must be hardwired into the kids because it is their favorite snack as well. It's one of the ultimate comfort foods in my book. I'll be honest, it was hard to kick the habit. 

22. Eat smart. 

Get to know your nourishment. Investigate which veggies and grains offer the highest nutritional bang for your buck. This way we require less food to feel full and satisfied. 

23. And when we've done all that, we eat out every once in a while to maintain positive mental health.

Allowing someone else to do the shopping, preparing, cooking and cleaning can be a lifesaver on certain days, that's for sure. But I always remember to stay true to what my budget can realistically accommodate. Fancy dinners out don't taste all that good when I know I can't afford them.

So there you have it. The long and short of how we've reduced our food spending by 50% over the past three months. 

I'd love to hear some of your favorite tricks for reducing food spending around your house. Leave a comment below to share your ideas.

Happy shopping, friends!

25: Time Warp

Minutes turn into hours. Hours turn into days. Days turn into weeks.

Well of course they do.

But there is a strange phenomenon happening over here in The Little White Kitchen. I aim to accomplish a task, a simple task mind you, and hours later find that I'm only halfway through it.

Take yesterday for example: I had a very short list of items to attend to... dishes, laundry, warming leftover soup to feed three hungry munchkins.

Why, I wonder, did it take me from noon until 6pm to complete these duties?

The dishes were not sky high, there were only two loads of laundry that needed to get done and the soup had already been prepared earlier that morning. I may be out in left-field, correct me if I'm wrong, but that does not sound like a six hour project to me.

Did I fly to the moon and back without knowing it? Perhaps I snoozed under my cozy blankets for four hours and let the children mind themselves. Or possibly I was so invested in my trusty old computer blogging away that I was completely sidetracked from my obligations?

Hmmmm. None of those things happened. Although there were times when my hands were elbow deep in the sink that I wished I was flying to the moon.

Example number two: Someone emails me. It is regarding something timely but not super urgent. I think to myself, "Ok, you've read the email and you know it's important, so next time you get a chance to sit down be sure to type out a quick response. Get it taken care of so you don't have to worry about it tomorrow. Better yet, do it now." Ten days later I type a response.

My point is this... I'm feeling slightly confused as to how all this happens.

It has been confirmed that there are 24 hours in a day. I am beginning not to believe it. With one quarter of the day at her disposal, an individual such as myself should be able to accomplish more than a sink full of dishes, two loads of laundry and the reheating of some leftover soup.

I cannot explain it. I shall not try.

Two words: Time Warp.

All this to say, I am posting last week's meal plan here. This was the meal plan leading up to Thanksgiving, which by my watch was a good four days ago. Due to the fact that I am counting down the week's until my hubby graduates from school, each of these numbers is deeply significant for me. I choose not to skip a single one. And so it goes...

Week 25 Meal Plan
Monday - Stellar Tuna Casserole
Tuesday - Mama's Beef Stew
Wednesday - Creamy Lentil Soup
Thursday - Deep South Sweet Potato Casserole, Crisp Green Beans with Toasted Almonds, Old School Gluten-Free Stuffing, Late Fall Apple Crisp, Chai, Burnt Sugar Almonds
Friday - Pot Pie Upcycle Style
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - leftovers

The obvious video choice for tonight's post. I'm sure you saw this coming. Forgive me.

GLEE - Time Warp

26: WE Dance While YOU Cook

The Outlaws

Mama had an Energy Drain on Friday. It was a rather big one. My hand was to my temple for over thirty seconds and the deep resounding "oh" took a few iterations before the wild children remedied their behavior.

(Before I tell the tale of how this unfolded, let me begin by saying that from the picture above, I know you can't even begin to imagine that this small band of brothers - and sis - would be capable of stirring up any commotion. But believe me you, it's possible. It's possible.)

For those without small children, or those who haven't ever heard of Love & Logic parenting classes, the Energy Drain is a simple technique that works in a snap. Every time.

It goes a little something like this:

The children are acting like wild monkeys. Completely out of control. It might be that they are fighting, shouting at each other, running the other direction when I call, or any number of other deviant behaviors that can really get a mother's blood boiling.

Mama recognizes that this behavior must cease immediately. Mama quietly places her fingers on her temple and starts massaging. This is accompanied by a very low moan, something in the range of "oh", "ah" or "uh". Very low pitched. Very drawn out.

Typically the children will stop in their tracks the moment they see me doing this. Then they will ask, "Mama, did you have an Energy Drain on me? Or her?" And then demand, "Who mama? Who gave you the Energy Drain?"

If it was a full-out Energy Drain, which I classify as necessitating more than five seconds of this routine, the children are then in a position of regaining my energy. This might look like spending quite time in their rooms, washing windows, tidying the house, or any other number of special projects that might have otherwise required my energy to complete. Anything to help mama regain her energy so that we can carry on with the day peacefully.

On the way home from school on Friday, I couldn't help but laugh when my oldest had a suggestion for regaining my energy.

He said, "Mom. I have an idea of how to regain your energy. We dance while you cook."

To which I replied, "Well, yeah. Of course, that's what we always do when we cook."

"No," he countered. "WE dance, while YOU cook. That should regain your energy."

I was nearly in tears.

Week 26 Meal Plan

Monday - Five Fold Burrito
Tuesday - Beef Pot Pie
Wednesday - Depression Era Pasta e Fagioli
Thursday - Taco Bowl
Friday - Red Lentil Soup
Saturday - Spiced Chicken with Stubby Vegetables

27: Rock-Out

Looks like someone needed a good cry this morning.

My dear friend sent me this link saying, "Thought you would like this one."

Like it? Like it? I love it!

I'm bawling.

Bawling like get me some kleenex quick because I'm about to be standing in a puddle on the recently cleaned kitchen floor. (Which doesn't happen very often, so somebody come quick.)

Bawling like this man just put words to all the deep truths of movement.

Bawling like sniff, sniff, sniff, hehahehaha, sniff, sniff.

Bawling like this is precisely where the joy of dance resonates with my soul.

Bawling like YES, YES, YES!

If you don't prefer profanity, simply hold your ears shut for the first five seconds. Release and enjoy!

Anis Mojgani - Direct Orders

And now, my meal plan for week 27. Wipe those tears away and read on my friends.

Week 27 Meal Plan

Monday - Hearty Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon Wrapped Fingerling Potatoes

Tuesday - Ten Second Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday - Efo Riro

Thursday - Tuna Casserole

Friday - Beef Roast

Saturday - Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

Sunday - leftovers

28

To celebrate the unusually warm fall weather this week, we brought the whole family out back for a little chicken chasing session. Guess who caught the first one?

Now that we've had our fun, we're moving right along in our countdown to that glorious graduation day in mid-May. The weeks seem to be flying by, which I don't mind at all.

ALERT: The remainder of this message has been lost due to technical errors on my trusty old computer. I must clarify that this was no fault of Apple, my dear friends. Rather not surprisingly it was user error. Although it was a great literary accomplishment I choose not to rewrite it at this late hour. I'm feeling drowsy and ready for sleep and if my memory serves me correctly there is a monstrous pile of socks on my bed that need to be sorted before I retire for the night.

That said, I will summarize the contents: Too much Halloween candy makes people sick. Therefore we are imposing a new law around here. Each child chooses one eerily enticing miniature sugar bomb per day. On Saturday Dada will purchase the entire stash for fair market value. Then this old Marine will pack it up and send it to his comrades serving overseas. The children will take their loot to Target and buy something cheap and plastic and made in China. The end.

Week 28 Meal Plan


Monday - Creamy Lentil Soup (for the Dairy-Free Cream Lover)
Tuesday - Papa's Chili Mac
Wednesday - Spiced Chicken with Stubby Vegetables
Thursday - Efo Riro (Nigerian Vegetable Stew)
Friday - Coconut Curry Comfort
Saturday - Tuna Salad on Green Salad
Sunday - Leftovers

29

There is nothing that makes me happier than watching a dancing baby.

I can hardly stand the faces he's making while he boogies. By the way, I have no idea where he learned that hand in the air, hip shaking thing.

Week 29 Meal Plan

Monday - Red Lentil Soup
Tuesday - Fish Tacos on the Grill
Wednesday - Egyptian Rice and Lentils
Thursday - Five Fold Burrito
Friday - Mama's Beef Stew
Saturday - Tuna Casserole
Sunday - leftovers

30

For years I designed my gluten-free grocery list to include all of the normal favorites that American families have grown to love.

Bagels. Waffles. Pasta. Bread. Cereal. Crackers. Frozen pizza. Cookies. Ice cream.

The cold, hard evidence from my investigation on the cost disparity between normal food and gluten-free food was nothing short of appalling. If the label says "Gluten-Free" you can expect to pay at least three times the amount you were accustomed to paying in the past.

After years of shopping like this, my pocketbook gave me an ultimatum: find a way to eat that doesn't break the bank or spend the next fifteen years paying 27% on your favorite dairy-free ice cream.

I choose the former. And we've found unexpected joy.

Joy in cooking healthy dinner from scratch every night.

Joy in watching my three young monkeys enjoy diverse foods that most of their peers won't touch with a ten foot fork.

Joy in making snacks and sweets in my oven and being able to gracefully pronounce every last ingredient from top to bottom.

Joy from living simply.

We've found this joy by trading in the frozen waffles for our own Praise Worthy Pancakes.

Packaged cereal for oatmeal—every morning.

Pasta dinners for eccentric brown rice dishes.

Ice cream for... well, there is no replacement for ice cream.

We've learned to trade in the bowl of ice cream for one bite of dark chocolate after dinner.

All of this helps us to keep our pocketbooks grounded and our heads level. I couldn't be more pleased with this experiment. And miraculously, three months in, I have the distinct pleasure of hearing from every last member of my clan how much they love oatmeal in the morning. Sweet satisfaction.

Week 30 Meal Plan


Monday - Spiced Chicken with Stubby Vegetables
Tuesday - Hearty Butternut Squash Soup
Wednesday - Crockpot BBQ Chicken with The Slaw
Thursday - Egyptian Rice and Lentils
Friday - Taco Nachos with Guacamole
Saturday - Tuna Casserole
Sunday - leftovers

This song won't leave my head. It keeps playing over and over again. It's a good thing my favorite band sings it otherwise that might be annoying.

Zac Brown Band - As She's Walking Away

31

There are waves of Melatonin wafting through the air this week as the season changes to fall.

The drowsiness that has overcome my week is unparalleled. All I've wanted to do is cozy up in bed with a book and drift into dreamy sleepland for as long as my rowdy children will allow. All I need is one paragraph in a book, any book, and I can assure you that I will be fast asleep within a few short minutes.

Perhaps I'm getting sick.

Or, maybe it's the chill in the air that pushes me under my covers each afternoon at Bubba's naptime.

By chance it may have been those two nights in a row earlier in the week, up until 2am dancing, dancing and dancing the night away.

Surprisingly, this is the first week that I made every single one of my planned meals. And boy were they good. And easy to make in a haze.

Ah ha, I have connected the dots. I have put my finger on the exact reason for the drowsiness - cooking and dancing, dancing and cooking. Appropriate.

Week 31 Meal Plan


Monday - Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Tuesday - Creamy Lentil Soup
Wednesday - Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
Thursday - Chickpea Tagine
Friday - Coconut Curry Chicken
Saturday - Daddy's Steak and Potatoes
Sunday - leftovers

My favorite music for sleepy afternoons in the fall....

Gregory Alan Isakov - The Stable Song

32

In case you were wondering, yes I have been MIA for a few days.

My laundry was wondering the same thing.

No, my rear end has not been parked in the sand of some far away island soaking in the sun. Though this is my dream. Instead I've been working on the release of the updated version of my fourth baby. Yes indeedy-do, we're adding a contraction timer to the fabulous iBirth iPhone App. This has taken quite a bit of time away from my writing.

We still need to eat. So don't worry, I continue to dance while I cook, even when busy with other desk items besides this here bloggy blog.

Here's our meal plan for Week 32:

Monday - Fish Tacos on the Grill
Tuesday - Creamy Lentil Soup
Wednesday - Five Fold Burrito (aka Beans and Rice with BBQ Squash)
Thursday - Daddy's Steak and Potatoes
Friday - Chili Mac
Saturday - Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Sunday - leftovers

I'm starting to notice some trends in my weekly meal plans. This week seems to be quite heavy in the BBQ. Guess you've got to live it up grillside until the weather turns cold.

Moving back to my initial thoughts...

Zac Brown Band - Knee Deep

33

More dancing from Bubba this week. This is proof - we do dance while we cook.

(Note: the whisk in hand as he attempts to play it like a guitar)

Week 33 Meal Plan:

Monday - Crusted Fried Fish with Mango Salsa
Tuesday - Sweet Honey Chicken Salad
Wednesday - Beans & Rice with BBQ Squash
Thursday - Coconut Curry Chicken
Friday - Kusherie (Egyptian Rice and Lentils)
Saturday - Grass Fed Steak and Potatoes
Sunday - leftovers

(Another Note: You may have noticed that Beans and Rice with BBQ Squash has been on the menu for three weeks in a row. No, we are not eating this every week. For some reason this is the meal that goes uncooked each week. So tonight I will make it. I promise.)

And here's the song that gets little Bubba dancing every time. Bubba likes to ROCK!

Jason Aldean - She's Country

34

I dedicate this week's meal plan to Bubba. My dancing inspiration.

Monday - Red Lentil Soup
Tuesday - Fish Tacos on the Grill
Wednesday - Spiced Chicken with Stubby Vegetables
Thursday - Lunchbox Green Salad
Friday - Mama's Beef Stew
Saturday - BBQ Beans & Rice with Grilled Squash
Sunday - leftovers/ out to eat

35

We have 35 more weeks until that glorious day in mid-May, otherwise known as commencement. Seeing as today is Thursday, I suppose it's more like 34.5 weeks, but who's counting?

The meal plan came together sporadically this time around. A long chain of events made it nearly impossible for me to get a grip on my meal planning until yesterday morning. Delayed flight. Walking in the door at 4am. Couple hours of sleep. Sleepwalking through the day. Off to teach class that night. Wake up early the next morning. Repeat.

In the meantime, we improvised:

Monday - taco nachos with guacamole (15-min stovetop/beef)

Tuesday - downhome tuna salad and egg salad sandwiches with homemade sweet potato fries (fish)

Wednesday - melt in your mouth chicken and caramelized butternut squash on the grill (grill/chicken/squash)

Thursday - simple lentil soup (crockpot/lentils)

Friday - BBQ beans and rice with slaw (beans and rice)

Saturday - salad (raw) and leftovers

Sunday - leftovers or out to eat

Here's a the song that got me dancing this morning...

36

36 more weeks until that glorious spring day arrives. When that commencement song starts to play I imagine I'll be dancing wildly in the bleachers with my three babies. One on my shoulders and one on each hip. Keep your eyes on the prize lady. Eyes on the prize.





This week's meal plan started with a bang!

Loud applause were heard all around the table tonight.

My girl was so excited about dinner that she couldn't pack another bite into her overstuffed cheeks.

For twenty minutes straight.

She asked that I make this EVERY night.

Here's to a week filled with more goodness and laughter and full bellies all around!




Dinners
Mon - Fish Tacos with Cabbage Salsa and Refried Beans
Tues - Gazpacho with Garlic Toast
Wed - Orange Lentil Soup with Leafy Salad
Thurs - Spaghetti Squash Saute with Chicken
Fri - Chickpea Tagine with Brown Rice
Sat - Taco Stew with Cornbread
Sun - leftovers

Lunches/Snacks
Egg Salad
Tuna Salad
Potato Salad
Granola Bars

Beverages
Homemade Chai

37

And the countdown begins. Only 37 more weeks until that glorious graduation day for my sweet husband. We're working hard to make this final year's balancing act an enjoyable one.
So I'm gearing up my meal planning in an effort to keep the peace around here. And the plan goes a little something like this:

Basket on the left = Six food categories

Basket on the right = Six preparation methods

Select one item from the right, one from the left. This is Sunday night's dinner.

Repeat six nights in a row.

Seventh night, take a break and eat leftovers or eat out if there's money left.


The categories are this:

FOOD
Chicken
Lentils
Beans & rice
Beef/Pork
Fish
Squash

PREPARATION
Crock-pot
Soup
Bake
Grill
15-minute stove top
Raw


The meal plan actualized looks a little something like this:

Sunday - bbq chicken/ potato salad
Monday - beans and rice
Tuesday - taco nachos/ refried beans
Wednesday - salmon over garlic quinoa/ salad
Thursday - spinach salad with strawberries and glazed walnuts
Friday - white bean and black olive soup/ salad
Saturday - leftovers or out-to-eat

Recipes forthcoming.

And the Countdown Begins...

This weekend I can officially put the wrap on the First Week of the worst thing that's happened to me in the past few years. (And honestly, if this is the worst, life really ain't that bad! I'm not complaining. Just a little tired, that's all.)




It's not reading the textbooks titled Information Technology Management, writing the papers, poring through lifeless case study after lifeless case study, or pointless hours of online commenting that kills me. For it's not me who's toiling this way. It's him.

But I must admit, while he's been doing all of that plus full-time work over the last three years, I've slowly been dug three feet under. Halfway to the grave. The burden has been great back at the homestead with a young family to raise while attending to the special dietary needs of my eldest and my youngest sons.

I couldn't have been more ecstatic this summer when he told me that he planned to finish up school in two more semesters. Albeit by taking three grad level courses per semester.

And so the countdown begins. What in the past has seemed like an endless infinity to that glorious day when I would see my husband more than eight hours a week -- has now turned into small weekly stepping stones approaching mid-May. I'm not sure, but I might be the only woman standing in that auditorium soaking wet in my little commencement dress. Not from perspiration from the terrible early summer heat but instead from the tears of joy streaming down my face landing all over my tired ol' self.

And now.... the point of this blog. The thing that makes my life easier. The thing that makes my kids tolerable to be around. The thing that brings a smile to my husband's face. The thing that helps me get through the day without falling over faint. The thing that makes my bank account happy. And in turn, affords me the opportunity to buy tickets to see my favorite band on a date with my love!

Yes, yes, yes. That dreaded ol' thang that sets women's nerves on end. That dreaded 'ol thang that when neglected leads to many nights in a row of carry-out. That dreaded 'ol thang that sends tired husbands to the store at all odd hours of the day and night.

Meal Planning. Here we go...

School Lunches - Lord Have Mercy

For three days now I've sent my child off to school with food packed neatly in his Star Wars lunchbox. Meat rolls, carrots, dipping sauce, potato chips, apple, nectarine, almonds.






Each day he's come home without a scrap left. "Mom, you've got to pack more. I'm starrrr-ving." Lord Have Mercy, I don't know what else to send with the child. Normally, I would send a thermos with the remains of last night's dinner but each meal I've served this week has been devoured down to the last lick of the bowl.

I had a break down last night. It was bad, very bad. I got sent to my room - by my husband. I'm trying hard to make this week's grocery budget work. But honestly, I think every last soul in this house feels the same way as my first grader. They're all STARRRR-VING. Eliminating the convenience foods from the grocery cart has meant that we've eaten all of the whole foods twice as fast. Now I know why my grocery bill was half the cost, the food only lasted half the week. Dang. There is still food to eat around here - turkey burgers from the freezer and soup materials from the depths of the pantry. But there is little left to snack on and the natives are getting restless.

With a full flight of whine last night at dinner it became clear that the spinach salad with tuna salad on top didn't cut it for my three little monsters. Thirty minutes into the incessant "I'm hungry" from the girl, "I'm starrrr-ving" from the boy, and "ahhhhhh" from the baby, I got an overwhelming urge to locate a bag of bagels and short-stack of pancakes and start shoving them into the short people's mouths. My better judgement kept me from making this gluten-fest a reality, knowing full well that doing so would bring a sleepless night of gut pain and a morning full of diarrhea.

All this to say, I have a few lessons learned for next week's grocery trip:
1) Plan to double and triple the recipes for everything I make.
2) Make at least two batches of homemade snack items that will last the whole week.
3) Get a membership to Costco where I've heard you can get gluten-free snack bars for 1/3 the price.
4) Locate tasty gluten free bread that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
5) Don't forget the rice cakes!

The Challenge Gets Real

Back at home, the day started something like this... awake, brush teeth, shower (ah-ha, I did it, this is bound to be a good day), eat oatmeal, begin sipping a cup of coffee, consider meal planning, stare blankly at my scrap paper, settle two kids at table eating oatmeal, continue staring at my scrap paper...




Despite the early morning bathroom pep talk about reducing our grocery spending and enjoying the challenge, meal planning this week seemed daunting. I am tasked with planning based on what we have in the cabinets. Eat it all (and I mean all) before we spend more at the store. Of course we need some of the basics from the store today - fruit, veggies, meat - but the meals need to come from the depths of lower cabinets. Old lentils, beans and rice. My recipe catalog is intimidating. Not that the recipes are intimidating, for they are glorious, scrumptious and divine. Rather the price of the ingredients can be downright scary. So I took to the internet for inspiration. 7am - My heart was pitter-pattering in my chest.

Ah-ha. Eureka. The Mennonites have come through for me. The influence of coffee in my veins must have stirred sweet memories of our time at the Netherlands L'Abri where delicious food was served morning 'til night, and where I was first introduced to this cookbook. Years ago The More With Less cookbook fascinated me with the simple premise that "There is a way of wasting less, eating less, and spending less which gives not less, but more. The gain is so great that the phrase 'cutting back' doesn't fit at all." Yes. Yes. Yes. This is the kind of inspiration I need this morning.

The grocery trip was a success. I spent half of what I normally do. Tonight was orange lentil soup over quinoa with lettuce salad. Feeling proud.

Let's see how I feel when the morning comes and I need to pack a lunch. No bread. Aghhhh!