tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post3634393750126963715..comments2024-03-27T14:18:47.272-04:00Comments on Blue House Journal: Retirement Remedies: Budget Battlesterricheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-75772722553954389342014-11-03T00:06:46.536-05:002014-11-03T00:06:46.536-05:00We just returned from a trip to Paris - a lifelong...We just returned from a trip to Paris - a lifelong dream of mine - so a little belt tightening is in order around here. I also want to use up a fair bit of what is in our freezer to make room for holiday turkeys and hams. <br /><br />You mentioned Aldi's and I'm excited to say that our little town is getting one soon!<br /><br />I made cream of tomato soup today to go with our grilled cheese sandwiches. I've done it with tomato sauce or tomato paste. Today I used paste. I melted a pat of butter in a sauce pan, added dried minced onion, a sprinkle of garlic powder and then an 8 oz box of organic chicken broth. I used about 2/3 of a 6 ounce jar of tomato paste (and the rest was used in homemade pasta sauce, along with a can of diced tomatoes for our dinner tonight) and added about 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar, some basil and dill. I brought this all to a boil, removed from heat and stirred in the last couple of ounces of half and half in the carton. It's especially good with heavy cream but I wanted to use up the other, first. This makes an easy, excellent tomato soup.Deannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17113928043039917799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-17841475410498991042014-10-23T00:38:16.019-04:002014-10-23T00:38:16.019-04:00I really enjoyed this post! I'm always working...I really enjoyed this post! I'm always working on my budget. Thank you for some great ideas!Living on Less Moneyhttp://www.livingonlessmoney.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-9768709347923049572014-10-22T22:15:08.690-04:002014-10-22T22:15:08.690-04:00I have always been a believer in keeping the groce...I have always been a believer in keeping the grocery budget in line. I read a book by a gal named JoAnn York many years ago who had a very tiny grocery budget and along with Amy Daczyn and her books I was really inspired to watch what we eat. I believe it resulted in teaching my children healthy eating habits which they have passed on down to their kids. Recently when I asked my 3 year old granddaughter what she wanted for supper it was cabbage and spinach! Rarely did we have a big beef roast. Generally beef used in soup, hot roast beef sandwiches, etc. Snacks were limited. No big bag of chips that you gobbled down. If there were chips they were portioned out. In season fruit was popular as well as popcorn or popcorn balls or homemade candy or cookies for treats. Even though there are now just two we pretty much eat the same way. Since we are retired we don't eat large meals and neither of us have any weight problems. My Dr. Just laughs and tells me my cholesterol is unbelievable it is so good. We really limit sweets since I am a type 2 diabetic. The only bad gene I seem to have inherited. Leftovers ate put in the freezer for another day, not on the garbage. I bought van inexpensive pork roast and now have a lot of individual portions of pulled pork in my freezer. A roasted chicken from Sam's club was a better buy than the grocery uncooked one. Used the bones and skin for broth, some of the meat and veggies and noodles and put chicken soup in the freezer. Had apples and made apple bread and apple cookies for snacks. It sure helps that gramps is not a fussy eater. If he were still working the grocery bill would be higher but I feel good about my budget. Gramma DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-10909582935672345732014-10-22T17:05:16.742-04:002014-10-22T17:05:16.742-04:00I really appreciate this post at this time. My hu...I really appreciate this post at this time. My husband and I have been retired for years and finally have gotten to a place where we were able to do a little traveling and not be so much on a budget.... until now. the empty nest is no longer empty and while we really enjoy having our son and granddaughter now it is somewhat difficult to keep up with expenses. My son isn't working and a young granddaughter in school has expenses. I thought that I knew how to save money, but some of your ideas are some that I haven't thought of. Thanks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06120446690878795217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-19979815174405664442014-10-22T16:08:57.404-04:002014-10-22T16:08:57.404-04:00What a fun post to read! I laughed when you said h...What a fun post to read! I laughed when you said homemade treats are best. I'd agree ... unless you are making sugar cookies and forget the sugar!! They taste like a biscuit with frosting. Edible but not nearly as good as actual sugar cookies ... oh, but think of the savings!! ; 0)<br /><br />I think keeping a deep pantry is one of the smartest things we can do. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal and then I stock up. <br /><br />Thanks for all the good ideas ... will really look forward to the second post.<br /><br />PamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-45281967233209643652014-10-22T14:26:45.492-04:002014-10-22T14:26:45.492-04:00We are so blessed to live in a time with so many o...We are so blessed to live in a time with so many options for shopping. the dollar stores, the many different grocery chains, drug stores and on and on. Our Mothers did not have so many options. My mother though had some farming family members that would come unannounced to the cellar door with bushels of almost over ripe peaches etc that she and to can NOW! She loved the products she got but not the unexpected interruption to her whole day! lol We had many usual peddlers who came to our streets to sell vegetables aor fruit from the back of their truck. They came calling out from the truck that they are there. The housewives would come out and purchase what they wanted and it would b weighed out on the scale that was attached to a bar on the back of the truck. We were so excited when he would announce his watermelons were picked that week!! Course there was the Cook Coffee man and the Fuller Brush man and on and on... :) After years they were like family. So even though we have so many convinces now for our shopping we have lost that closeness to the source or the friendly sales men coming to our homes. In our small area of out town we had a pastry store, a family grocery store, dry cleaners,a shoe repair and 4 novelty stores. I don't know what to call these stores. They sold lunch lean by the slice to cigarettes and almost everything in between! All again like family to us. As were the firemen in their firehouse. Such sweet memories. SarahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-87011641749034354692014-10-22T14:14:30.323-04:002014-10-22T14:14:30.323-04:00I have been working on our food buying too. Also ...I have been working on our food buying too. Also looking hard in cook books and used magazine and all for recipes using the things I always grow but using them in new ways. Also more spinach salad ideas...last night I found three! We cannot have all spinach or too many salads because of taking blood thinners but I want new ideas for the times we do have them...or have to take one for a pot luck. I went through a stack of used old old Taste Of Home and their light magazine and cut out the things we would honestly try. Many of them could be adapted to use just a snippet of left over or fresh meat in. Yea! Remember when the chicken wings were so cheap? That was before the buffalo wing craze hit then they went sky high. Just like all the other crazes made certain meat cuts go high when they used to be the cheaper cuts. Which one will be next? but then are their any more cheap meats! lol We always have one bowl of fresh fruit a day. It isn't as easy in the winter but apple salad and such can be made. My husband loves to make the artisan no knead bread. He uses the Los angeles Times recipe. One loaf at a time. Some recipes have you make a dough you can use a bit at a time and keep the remaining dough in a big container in the refrigerator.It only takes a few minutes to mix the ingredients then lets it sit for 12 hours. He makes it after dinner then cooks it by lunch the next day. You can check it all out on line....Even a you tube on this recipe Los Angeles Times No Knead Bread.. The dough can even sit longer than the 12 hours if you want. some recipes use more yeast and so less rising time. This recipe he uses is very forgiving. You can add different flours or grains etc in this recipe. Even cherry chocolate version! Cooks in 30 minutes. You cook it in a covered dutch oven or a cooking container that can take 450 degrees. Including the handle. It is GOOD! And yes it will slice for sandwiches. BUT it does not have any preservatives in it to keep it from spoiling so it needs to be in the refrigerator after a day or two. SarahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-6301221689305562352014-10-22T09:40:57.648-04:002014-10-22T09:40:57.648-04:00I use a lot less meat in recipes too. My husband d...I use a lot less meat in recipes too. My husband doesn't seem to notice too much. Some meatless recipes that have been husband approved: eggplant parmesan, lasagna, chili with lots if different veggies, vegetable enchiladas, spaghetti with marinera sauce and garlic bread.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12575251423110138595noreply@blogger.com