February's Challenge

I'm starting this blog a bit late, but here is the first month's challenge anyway. 

Do not eat out (that includes sodas and coffee too). 

 All food/drink products must come from the grocery store (and I don't mean the prepared stuff from the deli). As a side challenge let's see how low we can get our grocery bills by eating the food we already have in our pantry/fridge/freezer as often as possible and only going to the store when we run out of toilet paper or milk.

If you are already coming up with excuses let me quiet your complainypants with a few helpful tips about  MENU PLANNING:

• This WILL require some preparation in advance.  Meaning get out a calendar and plan each weeks menu at the beginning of the week.  (You should be doing this anyway, whether your participating in the challenge or not)  This eliminates the "Ahh! It's 5:30 and I have no idea what we are having for dinner" syndrome. This isn't difficult.  In fact, it's so easy I don't know why more people don't do it.  Not to mention the time and money it saves as well. 
• The first week will be pretty easy: search your pantry/fridge/freezer high and low and create meals out of what you already have adding a few items here and there to create a well balanced diet.
• Don't forget to plan at least one day of leftovers
• Don't plan elaborate meals on nights when your schedule is jam packed
• Get the whole family involved.  Let each person chose at least one meal (with veto powers from dad and mom of course. Ice Cream and cookies are not a meal).  This helps stop the battle of picky eaters at least one night a week.
• This is not a restaurant!  Don't make individual meals for every person because they don't like what's on the menu.  Dietary restrictions are acceptable, picky eaters are not!  Lay down the law, if they don't like what's for dinner, they can have a few crackers and wait for breakfast.  If you are diligent your kids won't skip too many meals.  Don't fall for the myth that you are starving your kids.  Remember you are providing them with a decent meal, they are just choosing not to eat it.
• Prior planning prevents poor performance: make sure to plan for extended outings.  Take sandwiches, snacks, or whatever to prevent yourself from stopping for fast food.
• Cook double batches and freeze half, now you have precooked meals for next month or next week.
• Use a cookbook to find tasty and easy meals to make.  Don't forget the library has cookbooks, too.  If you are getting tired of the same meals month after month, consider checking one out to mix things up.  Just make sure to photo copy those you enjoyed.
• Keep tabs on your perishables.  If they look like they will spoil soon, eat them or freeze them.  40% of food in the US goes uneaten. 
• Use an app to help with meal planning
• Check out this site for more tips 

Ideas for the more advanced:

• Once you've mastered the weekly menu planning.  Try a two-week plan or a monthly plan. 
• Buy all your groceries at the beginning of the month, with the occasional trip to the store for perishables.

Our Plan:
We have recently decided to do a monthly menu and buy our groceries once a month.  We go to the store together the first week.  Then Jack stops by the store on his way home from work once a week in weeks 2-4 to buy produce and milk.  Two fold savings: 1/4 of the gas used to get to the grocery store and more efficient menu planning means lower grocery bill.  Here's a sample of the next four weeks meals at our house (this is actually for the end of February/beginning of March):

 

I use a whiteboard with grid lines drawn with a permanent marker and use an erasable marker for dates and meals.  You can see where I make a double batch to freeze and then reuse it (26th make double batch of jambalaya then reuse it on the 12th).  I put a checkmark next to each meal once that day's supplies have been added to the grocery list to ensure I don't forget anything.  I also put the cookbook and accompanying page number for new recipes in the grid as well. 

 

 

Good luck and get cooking!