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A trip to the grocery store set off an alarm.
An average day of shopping shocked me into reality, more so than before.
The total was $294.00 when I planned on spending no more than $100.00. $60.00 would have been grand. Those days are long gone. Grocery costs have doubled.
$294.00 may not be a large amount to some. I'm cooking for one at the most two.
I can do better or at least make that money work. What do I mean by that? Make good food that will not have me craving takeout or fast food.
When the cashier rang me up and I saw the total, I wanted to exit, return and start all over again.
The sad thing is, it wasn't a lot of food. My freezer wasn't full of meat, and my cabinets weren't stocked to the brim after I put the food away.
I made a conscious decision that all of this food would be cooked, with no waste.
I decided that I would TRY to avoid eating out and cook instead.
My "eating out" habit is mostly due to not feeling in the mood to cook. I enjoy cooking and prefer it to chain restaurants. I rarely frequent the chains. The food is frozen for the most part. (Another reason to cook, daahlings.)
I find good eats at my local Diner, Burger joint, Italian & Chinese restaurants, etc...Throw in Longhorns and a few of the usual fast food places.
My plan was to go day by day. I shopped on Friday, Jan 13th. The weekends are prime time for fast food or expensive take-out.
Since I was stocked I was going to cook.
Before I knew it, it was the following Saturday, which meant 9 days had passed without eating fast food or takeout.
What really helped was deciding to cook whatever it was during my work hours.
I work from home. I can use my lunch break and additional breaks to sneak and cook during work.
I've been taking my lunch break and getting the cooking done in small increments throughout the day.
I.E., chopped veggies, and back to work. Later cook the meat, spaghetti, or whatever, and back to work. I just can't spend long stretches of time in the kitchen.
I always do this for holiday meals.
The main goal was to have everything made by the time I clocked out.
All I wanted to do was heat it up when I was ready for dinner.
Who wants to cook after work even if you work from home? NOBODY!!!
Once I'm off from work, it's my time and relaxing is my favorite. It's just me, I don't have any must-dos after work as families do.
This is why planning and prepping are good for families. You can reclaim your time and save money.
Getting off work and having to cook is what makes us choose the easy and convenient way out....fast food or ordering from restaurants.
Wow! before I could bat my eyes it was January 28th. I'd gone 15 days without eating fast food or takeout.
The first time I shopped I did not have a deliberate plan.
I did buy "meats" with a side in mind but I did not think out the order of cooking to ease LABOR!
Labor is the key, the less the better.
One of the most important things was to make sure I used my fresh produce.
Fresh produce does not have the shelf life it used to. Fresh veggies seem to go bad in 3 days. The same with bread.
This is where I have a problem. I can be wasteful and throw money away because I've allowed something to spoil.
I hate throwing out a tomato or something that went bad too quickly because of poor meal planning.
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I made an effort to buy just enough fresh veggies for a few meals. I purchased frozen and canned veggies too.
Since I shopped Friday and I had a treat meal planned. The steakhouse clone dinner I was craving.
I made sure it included fresh veggies.
Mushrooms, fresh garlic, onions, asparagus, and russet potatoes, and fresh shrimp.
Being that Saturday, my favorite day to eat out, was the next day...I knew I would not be motivated to cook an elaborate steak dinner.
I planned a "Quick Meal" for Saturday.
I made 3 baked potatoes, Friday.
Saturday I would have another baked potato with frozen breaded shrimp. The shrimp was on sale at Kroger and I bought it. It was a big bag and seemed like a great deal.
This was something easy for the AIR FRYER. The air fryer mocks fast food fare.
My Saturday meal would take minutes and mimic take-out places, "Red Lobster", Fridays, etc.
I had the garlic cheese biscuit mix but did not feel like making them.
No rush it's in a box and can be paired with something else at any time.
32 oz bag of shrimp. $10.99
Reg. cost $16.99.
I couldn't bypass that deal.
I did not know it came with 2 sealed pouches, perfect. This is a lot of shrimp. I could get at least 6 meals out of this.
For a family of four one bag is one meal, not bad for $10.99. That is less than one meal at a chain restaurant.
Do you see the SAVINGS? Not small at all.
My NINJA DUAL Air Fryer is KING!
I was an Air Fryer hater from the sidelines until I discovered its versatility and its ability to cook amazing food.
I've made everything from donuts, fried wontons, to a better-than-Outback Steakhouse, Bloomin' Onion.
Let's talk about it.
Leftover baked potato.
Frozen shrimp in the air fryer.
Salad w/ 4 pieces of fresh shrimp.
On Sundays, I like to make enough food for Monday too. Who wants to cook on a Monday?
Monday is another day I make an excuse to eat out. Why? because it's Monday.
Number One: Make it easy ( I sleep late on the weekends)
Number Two: Incorporate leftovers and fresh veggies.
Number Three: Make enough for dreaded Monday.
I'm keeping this food journal to hold myself accountable for saving money.
The next goal is to make healthy food choices. Supplement a meal with a protein shake. A protein shake would do me good, regardless.
I only eat two meals a day. I am not a breakfast person. Just give me coffee.
I must make healthy snack choices.
I need to quit a few favorites. It's the snacking and sedentary lifestyle that is most concerning.
Exercise must happen!
Take the damn vitamins regularly!
GO TO BED!!
Writing down these goals will help me get to where I want to be.
Let's wrap it up.
I'm giving myself a pat on the back. Today is day 17 without eating out.
Dinner is ready for tomorrow, so day 18 is in the bag.
I bought four Lean Cuisines for lunch. Onsale 4 for $10.00. Lunch will be a breeze, big time savings, and low-calorie. That's a bonus.
$10.00 is ONE fast food order if you are lucky.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
How did I do?
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