Katy from The Non-Consumer Advocate was featured on a breakfast TV show recently (Sunrise) and since then I have been reading along in earnest. I am always looking for ways to reduce our usage and wastage.
Katy has proposed this week to be a SNAP (American welfare system food stamps) challenge - basically you need to use a budget of $4 per person, per day for food expenses. Being American I am not really sure how the cost of living compares to Australia, but seeing as in May last year I undertook a $100 grocery challenge I decided I would try to repeat that again for this week - that sounds fair for a family of 4.
For the purpose of this challenge, I am not using it as a shopping challenge but rather a consumption challenge. The way I shop is usually based on what is on special - in particular, what is non-perishable. For example, last week I got 700mL jars of Tomato Passata on special for 99c ea - so I bought a case of 12. This will likely last us 2 months, but I was able to get it at half the regular price so why wouldn't you stock up while you can? So for this week, I will be noting what we use and calculating the cost of replacement (or where I know I got it on special, the price I paid for it). I think this makes the most sense to me - why would I go and buy another bag of flour, butter, oil, spices, etc when I have them all in my pantry/fridge and will only be replacing them when they run out? There are also things that I only buy on special that I already have on hand - like rice and pasta so I have plentiful stocks of these and will only buy more when they are on special again.
I have drafted my main-meal plan for the week to look something like this:
Monday - Taco Wraps
Tuesday - Fettuccine Carbonara
Wednesday - Asian Chicken Soup
Thursday - Rice Paper Rolls
Friday - Beef Stroganoff
Saturday - Chicken Risotto (+2 extra adults)
Sunday - Pizza (+ 4 extra adults)
Breakfasts are generally either WeetBix or Toast, and lunch is sandwiches or leftovers and a few snacks so they require less planning.
I find that it is best for me to see if any ingredients are on special that week and base my meals around that if possible. I also consider what I already have or what needs to be used up and add to that to make a meal - for example, I already have the tortillas and taco seasoning, and have lettuce, tomato and avocado that need to be used up so it makes sense to make these into soft tacos as a meal early in the week.
Saturday and Sunday we will be having guests over for dinner so I hope to be able to stretch the budget to include these too.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, December 9, 2011
Our new little Haus-mate
Introducing...
This is our newest addition to the family. As I mentioned in the month in review, we had been talking about a puppy/dog for a while. We came across the ad for Cooper and made some inquires. The owner/breeder was located in regional Victoria and he was the last one left in his litter. We asked for some photos of the parents (they owned both parents) and were happy to oblige with any information we wanted. We fell in love with him at first sight so we agreed and picked him up. He travelled well in the car the 1.5hrs drive home - in his carrier on the back seat between the girls - and slept most of the way. He seemed to fit right in when he got home despite us having him inside most of the time, whereas he had been raised outside with his parents and litter. We are using his carrier as his crate, which is where he sleeps when we are out or at night.
He has only had a few accidents inside but we are learning his signals better and with the weather warm we are leaving the sliding door open a bit so he can roam in and out as he pleases.
His favourite spot is on someone's lap.
He has had a few trips in the car - the first after coming home was to the vets to get his last vaccination and microchip which wasn't a very pleasant experience so we are trying to show him that the car can be fun.
He is a typical puppy and loves playing in the backyard...
And who could resist a face like this?
Cooper.
This is our newest addition to the family. As I mentioned in the month in review, we had been talking about a puppy/dog for a while. We came across the ad for Cooper and made some inquires. The owner/breeder was located in regional Victoria and he was the last one left in his litter. We asked for some photos of the parents (they owned both parents) and were happy to oblige with any information we wanted. We fell in love with him at first sight so we agreed and picked him up. He travelled well in the car the 1.5hrs drive home - in his carrier on the back seat between the girls - and slept most of the way. He seemed to fit right in when he got home despite us having him inside most of the time, whereas he had been raised outside with his parents and litter. We are using his carrier as his crate, which is where he sleeps when we are out or at night.
He has only had a few accidents inside but we are learning his signals better and with the weather warm we are leaving the sliding door open a bit so he can roam in and out as he pleases.
His favourite spot is on someone's lap.
He has had a few trips in the car - the first after coming home was to the vets to get his last vaccination and microchip which wasn't a very pleasant experience so we are trying to show him that the car can be fun.
He is a typical puppy and loves playing in the backyard...
And who could resist a face like this?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
A MONTH IN REVIEW - November 2011
A MONTH IN REVIEW - November 2011
What books and/or magazines did I read this month?On my Kindle I have been reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austin for what feels like for-ev-errrrrr. In reality I did start it about 2 months ago. Not being a hard copy I had no idea exactly how long it was... my lovely husband informs me that he saw a hard copy and it was some 500 pages, which might explain it. Thank goodness I'm somewhere in the chapter 40's and passing the 80% mark. My aim was to have it finished by the end of the month. I think there are 8 chapters left and only 4 more days... close, but I don't think I'll do it.
The girls and I also made a trip to the library where they borrowed 4 picture story books each, while I borrowed a slow-cooker cookbook (because I don't use it enough and wanted some new ideas), a idiots guide to sewing (with some cool projects I want to make), and a book on cupcakes to get some ideas for an upcoming High Tea I will be hosting.
What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?
To be honest, not a lot. I like Parenthood but that seems to have finished it's season now. House is a continual favourite but I need to catch up on the last 3 episodes. I also have a bunch of Amazing Race episodes to watch when I get a chance. We downloaded a rental of Cars 2 that we watched at our friends' house in their home theatre.
What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
At the start of the month Emily had 2 weeks of swimming with her class, walking to the pool everyday. The second weekend this month was spent at our friends' house. We even had an impromptu visit to Ikea (when is that ever a bad thing). The weekend after (as well as numerous afternoons) was spent staining and constructing my sisters' side fence. This weekend is being spent doing family things - playing games, reading, etc.
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Hmmm, does my time count? I purchased some chocolates in readiness to give to Emily's teacher for the end of the year. I also gave a box of chocolates to some friends who had us over for dinner. The girls received some gifts from 2 ladies at our church for being such well behaved girls - which was a very nice compliment.
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
At the aforementioned Ikea trip I managed to buy sheer curtains and rods to hang in the front 2 windows - to block the UV rays and stop it fading our couch as well as us being able to see out but others not being able to see in. I also purchased 2 stainless steel lanterns to hold a tealight candle each that will be nice for outdoor barbeques this Summer. I also visited a local nursery where I purchased a Crimson Seedless grape vine to go in our backyard.
I also bought some dog related paraphernalia including a pet carrier (more on that later).
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
We heard from a few people that there is Chicken Pox doing the rounds at the moment. At some stage this month we have all managed to come up in one or more itchy red spots but nothing developed beyond that so perhaps it was just a coincidence. Emily was a bit off-colour the weekend we spent at our friends' but we put that down to a full week of swimming and exhaustion. Emily has a very wobbly top tooth - front right - so much so that it is starting to stick out as the new tooth is pushing it out of the way.
What were my accomplishments this month?
Consistently walking at 10:30am to the pool and returning home at 12:00pm each day for 10 days (with Sophie). Setting up a reward chart to encourage Sophie with her toilet training. I planted out the grape vine, some pansies, some strawberry plants and trimmed the apricot that was beginning to get overgrown looking (despite it not being the "right" time to prune). The grass is looking awesome and is proof that my watering efforts (while we had the exemption to water) are paying off.
What were my disappointments this month?
I'm a bit disappointed that Sophie hasn't really gained any ground on the toilet training front. She doesn't alert us she is needing to go. Despite going a few hours dry, and sitting on the toilet regularly, it always ends in wet pants.
How did I do on my goals for the month? (Or any current short or long term goals)
Craft-wise, I made the invitations to the High Tea. I managed to do no scrapbooking and not much photo taking. Something to improve for next month.
Anything else noteworthy to include?
We (well, me at least) have been looking for a dog recently. I normally do a search online while I'm waiting for Emily to finish school. I found a 3yr old King Charles Cavalier advertised as free to a good home, which I enquired about and we all went to meet. We found he was a gentle natured dog (very happy to see us and no barking at all) but he was quite boisterous jumping up on the girls and unintentionally scratching them. We are looking for a dog with a quieter nature that will happily let us and the girls pat him/her without getting too excited and are definitely looking for a small dog. I have always liked the Cavaliers but they can have some health problems common to the breed as well as being anywhere from $600 - $1000+ to buy a puppy. As mentioned above, I purchased some equipment in readiness should we have adopted the dog (bowl, toys, food and hard plastic pet carrier) which didn't happen, but we are pretty set on the idea that we will get a dog (or puppy) some time soon, so the equipment will be useful anyway and I'll just get a refund on the food for now.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Starting From Scratch
No, we are not selling, although we did very seriously contemplate it.
Back at the time I posted about my shopping challenge I decided I could no longer ignore the fact that we were spending more money than we were bringing in. Credit cards had become our reliance when we didn't quite have enough to buy something (or pay for such and such bill) and they just began to grow out of control. Trust me, I'm glad we had them when we needed them, but I will gladly take scissors to them. The point was we couldn't continue the way we were going - we already were digging our hole deeper each month without paying much more than the minimum balances. Something had to change.
Hubby and I decided that one option - which also seemed the easiest - was to sell our house, pay out all outstanding debts and buy another (lesser) house we could pay off in 10-15 years and build a "rainy day" savings fund in the process.
We decided that we should get our house appraised by a local real estate agent and look around for a "renovators delight" that we could buy cheap, do a fair bit of work on it ourselves and fix-er-up. We were satisfied with the price they advised, but to make it worthwhile selling we would have to buy back in at a much lower rate to account for all the costs involved in selling and buying houses. We looked through about 8 houses in a period of 2 weeks and decided that the ones in our target price range (the cheapest of $270,000 to about $320,000) all had so much work to do on them we could easily spend another $100,000 and be back where we started. Don't get me started on the house we saw that had a dead rat on the patio and a dead cockroach in the meals area, or the house that had a squeaky floor like you wouldn't believe - you could not take a step anywhere without a huge creak, which meant goodness knows what was wrong with it under the flooring.
In the mean time we spoke to the "olds" (parents) and they tried to talk us into a way to stay put - even offering to help us out financially (which, of course, is the equivalent of selling your soul to the devil). Everyone else that we told thought we were mad wanting to swap a 3 year old home for one 30 - 50 years old that could potentially be a money-sucking monster of it's own. I still had the reasoning in the back of my mind "you can't eat a house; it's just a roof over your head" - trying to talk up the idea.
After our fruitless search we decided that we should talk to our bank and see if we could refinance to annihilate the credit card monster, and at the same time fix our interest rate for the next 3 years - let's be honest, who expects things to get cheaper? So, after our negotiations we have signed up and are staying put for another 3 years at least.
Hopefully Friday we will be taking scissors to the creditmonsters cards and closing the accounts, so we will be starting with a clean slate so to speak. We have drafted both a yearly and monthly budget and intend to stick to it, meaning we will still be creating that "rainy day" savings fund too. I have been, and intend to, stick as closely as possible to my grocery challenge - I have been averaging about $130/week for food for our family of 4.
It truly is a weight off our minds.
Oh, and there is still a lot to be done around the house and I will post our progress as it happens.
Back at the time I posted about my shopping challenge I decided I could no longer ignore the fact that we were spending more money than we were bringing in. Credit cards had become our reliance when we didn't quite have enough to buy something (or pay for such and such bill) and they just began to grow out of control. Trust me, I'm glad we had them when we needed them, but I will gladly take scissors to them. The point was we couldn't continue the way we were going - we already were digging our hole deeper each month without paying much more than the minimum balances. Something had to change.
Hubby and I decided that one option - which also seemed the easiest - was to sell our house, pay out all outstanding debts and buy another (lesser) house we could pay off in 10-15 years and build a "rainy day" savings fund in the process.
We decided that we should get our house appraised by a local real estate agent and look around for a "renovators delight" that we could buy cheap, do a fair bit of work on it ourselves and fix-er-up. We were satisfied with the price they advised, but to make it worthwhile selling we would have to buy back in at a much lower rate to account for all the costs involved in selling and buying houses. We looked through about 8 houses in a period of 2 weeks and decided that the ones in our target price range (the cheapest of $270,000 to about $320,000) all had so much work to do on them we could easily spend another $100,000 and be back where we started. Don't get me started on the house we saw that had a dead rat on the patio and a dead cockroach in the meals area, or the house that had a squeaky floor like you wouldn't believe - you could not take a step anywhere without a huge creak, which meant goodness knows what was wrong with it under the flooring.
In the mean time we spoke to the "olds" (parents) and they tried to talk us into a way to stay put - even offering to help us out financially (which, of course, is the equivalent of selling your soul to the devil). Everyone else that we told thought we were mad wanting to swap a 3 year old home for one 30 - 50 years old that could potentially be a money-sucking monster of it's own. I still had the reasoning in the back of my mind "you can't eat a house; it's just a roof over your head" - trying to talk up the idea.
After our fruitless search we decided that we should talk to our bank and see if we could refinance to annihilate the credit card monster, and at the same time fix our interest rate for the next 3 years - let's be honest, who expects things to get cheaper? So, after our negotiations we have signed up and are staying put for another 3 years at least.
Hopefully Friday we will be taking scissors to the credit
It truly is a weight off our minds.
Oh, and there is still a lot to be done around the house and I will post our progress as it happens.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My $100 Grocery Challenge
In my last post I mentioned that we had trialled cutting back on our weekly food/grocery bills. Tough times call for tough measures. I am totally guilty of normally wandering the grocery store and placing whatever items take my fancy into the trolley and at the cash register handing over my credit card as I stare at the (what seems like) 4 bags of groceries and wonder where the $250 is going - every week! ... but I'm happy to say I think those days are over.
Since I posted about my mock up Great Australian $100 Grocery Challenge I have tried to put it into practice. I have now kept my records for the last month and on average we have spent $133.40 per week at the supermarket/greengrocer (a total of $533.57 over the last month). This includes $45 worth of baby nappy supplies, household items like toilet paper and cleaning products and even the occasional indulgence item, so it comes pretty close to the $100 per week for food only.
I have had to scour the fliers and choose meals based on what meat/vegetables/items are on special that week and I have had to visit 3 different supermarkets plus the greengrocers each week to make the most of the specials they have on offer, but seeing as at some point in the week I am already driving past them I am not making special trips - it's more of a time assigning issue (e.g. calling in after swimming to the supermarket near there). I would definitely say that rearranging my schedule and spending some time planning my shopping and meals is worth the $500 saving for just one month.
The bonus is that we have a home-cooked meal each night without me staring into the freezer and pantry mid afternoon and not having a clue what to cook, the kids have been loving the food, we have less wasted produce because I only buy what I have planned to cook, and the hubby has nothing but praise for my shopping/cooking efforts, so for me that's a win-win all around.
Have you tried something similar or are thinking about how to cut back but aren't sure how? Leave a comment :)
Since I posted about my mock up Great Australian $100 Grocery Challenge I have tried to put it into practice. I have now kept my records for the last month and on average we have spent $133.40 per week at the supermarket/greengrocer (a total of $533.57 over the last month). This includes $45 worth of baby nappy supplies, household items like toilet paper and cleaning products and even the occasional indulgence item, so it comes pretty close to the $100 per week for food only.
I have had to scour the fliers and choose meals based on what meat/vegetables/items are on special that week and I have had to visit 3 different supermarkets plus the greengrocers each week to make the most of the specials they have on offer, but seeing as at some point in the week I am already driving past them I am not making special trips - it's more of a time assigning issue (e.g. calling in after swimming to the supermarket near there). I would definitely say that rearranging my schedule and spending some time planning my shopping and meals is worth the $500 saving for just one month.
The bonus is that we have a home-cooked meal each night without me staring into the freezer and pantry mid afternoon and not having a clue what to cook, the kids have been loving the food, we have less wasted produce because I only buy what I have planned to cook, and the hubby has nothing but praise for my shopping/cooking efforts, so for me that's a win-win all around.
Have you tried something similar or are thinking about how to cut back but aren't sure how? Leave a comment :)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
What's been happening around the haus
*We tried picking 2 of our corn cobs last week, but they were not quite ready - mostly still white kernels with a few yellow ones. I'm not sure if they will ripen or if it is now too cold and wet.
*The main project of the concrete patio was achieved last month with mixed results - more to come on that. Let's just say it's done.
*We hosted a farewell party for our friends who are moving, which included having 21 (25 if you count the kids) people over for dinner. Everything went surprisingly well.
*I promptly fell in a heap after the previously mentioned farewell and spent the next week battling a throat infection. The girls are now sick with colds - presumably with the same virus I had.
*We helped my sister build her side fence (read: Matt helped, I watched and held up the occasional piece of timber).
*We are trying to stay warm because winter has certainly hit. With the wind chill at the moment the outside temperatures feel like 0 degrees Celsius even though the actual readings are more like 8 degrees (still freezing to me).
*Oh, and I have been trying my challenge of $100 per week in groceries and surprisingly I am making it work - more on that to come too.
*The main project of the concrete patio was achieved last month with mixed results - more to come on that. Let's just say it's done.
*We hosted a farewell party for our friends who are moving, which included having 21 (25 if you count the kids) people over for dinner. Everything went surprisingly well.
*I promptly fell in a heap after the previously mentioned farewell and spent the next week battling a throat infection. The girls are now sick with colds - presumably with the same virus I had.
*We helped my sister build her side fence (read: Matt helped, I watched and held up the occasional piece of timber).
*We are trying to stay warm because winter has certainly hit. With the wind chill at the moment the outside temperatures feel like 0 degrees Celsius even though the actual readings are more like 8 degrees (still freezing to me).
*Oh, and I have been trying my challenge of $100 per week in groceries and surprisingly I am making it work - more on that to come too.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Great Australian $100 Grocery Challenge
Recently we have been working though our budget and looking for areas that we can cut back on without it hurting too much. One area that I noticed perhaps I could cut back (even though I have already) was in our weekly grocery shopping. I've already mentioned that every time I visit the supermarket the bill seems to be larger than the time before and I seem to be leaving with less and less...
So I thought what better way to test this than to do a mock shopping trip in the convenience of my own lounge room.
I started with what I consider the most expensive part of the shopping trip - the meat section. Our family of 4 has definitely cut back on the amount of meat we consume - going from around 200g each to more like 100g each for Matt and I and 50g each for the girls. Instead of 500g for dinner I am now using more like 300g.
So, to start the trip I thought about the cuts that are cheap and can be used in numerous ways. I came up with:
*Mince beef - a regular in our house for meals like spaghetti bolognese, soft tacos, and hamburgers.
*Chicken thighs (bone in) - can be used in casserole, pasta bake, and soup.
*Beef chuck steak - can be used in casseroles and curries.
*Fish - there was a while when we were eating no fish at all, but the kids seem to like having fish and I know it is good for our bodies so I decided once a week would be a good aim.
*Bacon - we use bacon in lots of things and while it's not technically a 'meat' it can be used in quiche or soups, on pizza or in hamburgers to add a bit of flavour and extra protein - and if there are any bacon and eggs left you could fry up the ultimate indulgent breakfast.
I then added in the dairy part of the menu. This is where things start to get tricky. Some weeks we use more milk than others. Butter and yoghurt generally last longer than a week - more like 2. Eggs get used at different rates depending on what dishes (or baking) is being done. Basically I stuck to a fairly minimal list of one of each, with 4 litres of milk.
Then came specific items for dishes I would be cooking - as mentioned spaghetti bolognese, another pasta dish, rice with curry, wraps and seasoning for tacos and pizza, any other ingredients that were 'must have' like stock powder (which worked out cheaper than cubes and way cheaper than the liquid stuff) and bread and crispbreads that get used for lunches and snacks.
My only 'indulgences' were the 3L orange juice and the 2L Lemonade. The juice isn't so much of an indulgence but some can go without, while the lemonade (at $2 for 2L) could be swapped for sweet biscuits or a chocolate treat instead.
By the time I finished the 'grocery' items my total was $101.55 - $1.55 over my aim of $100 for a weeks food for a family of 4 with 2 small children.
I'm sure like any shopping trip there are bits I have forgotten but with the addition of the fresh produce I'm sure I could make at least 7 breakfasts, lunches and dinners out of this list.
If I alter it and make it actual costs for what would be used (half the fish, half the yoghurt, half the rice, 1/4 the tomato paste and curry paste, and 1/4 the 'wheat biscuits' AKA breakfast cereal) the price for the above list should be $86.35. Add to that my estimate based on last weeks spend of $18 for fruit and veg = $104.35. Not too shabby.
Examples of meals using the above items:
1. Spaghetti Bolognese - 1/2 the mince, pasta sauce, spaghetti + portion of tomato paste, carrot, celery and onion ($5.94 excluding paste and vegies)
2. Chicken pasta bake - 1/2 the thigh cutlets, can of diced tomatoes, penne pasta + cheese, milk, onion, and any seasonal vegetables taste ($3.70 + portion of milk, cheese and any vegetables used)
3. Tacos - 1/2 the mince, taco seasoning, pitta bread + cheese, tomato and lettuce ($6.53 + portion of cheese and veggies)
4. Indian curry (could easily be made without meat) - Chuck steak, red lentils, curry paste + portion of vegetable stock, portion of rice and potatoes, carrot, pumpkin, etc. ($6.73 + extras)
5. Quiche or egg based bake - 1/2 the eggs, 1/2 the bacon + portion of cheese and various vegetables ($4.07 + extras)
6. Fish and chips - Fish, one egg + flour (to make batter), oil, potatoes and any vegetables to accompany ($5.77 + extras)
7. Chicken and Vegetable soup - 1/2 chicken thighs, 1/2 the bacon, packet of soup mix (lentils and beans), can of diced tomatoes + portion of chicken stock and lots of various vegetables cut finely ($7.35 + extras)
8. Pitta Pizzas - pitta bread + portion of tomato paste, portion of cheese, various vegetables and if excluded the bacon from previous soup you could use it on the pizzas if you prefer meat too. ($2.39 + extras)
Breakfasts - 'wheat biscuits' (Weetbix), toast and/or eggs.
Lunches - sandwiches with spreads (jam, vegemite, etc) or salad fillings, leftovers - esp. soup, crispbreads with cheese, and the choice of one meal above to be used as a lunch instead - e.g. chicken pasta bake.
Obviously this is a food only experiment and any household or personal items would need to be added.
I am kind of surprised that I could succeed with a figure of about $100 for a whole week. Now the true test will be to put this into practice!
So I thought what better way to test this than to do a mock shopping trip in the convenience of my own lounge room.
I started with what I consider the most expensive part of the shopping trip - the meat section. Our family of 4 has definitely cut back on the amount of meat we consume - going from around 200g each to more like 100g each for Matt and I and 50g each for the girls. Instead of 500g for dinner I am now using more like 300g.
So, to start the trip I thought about the cuts that are cheap and can be used in numerous ways. I came up with:
*Mince beef - a regular in our house for meals like spaghetti bolognese, soft tacos, and hamburgers.
*Chicken thighs (bone in) - can be used in casserole, pasta bake, and soup.
*Beef chuck steak - can be used in casseroles and curries.
*Fish - there was a while when we were eating no fish at all, but the kids seem to like having fish and I know it is good for our bodies so I decided once a week would be a good aim.
*Bacon - we use bacon in lots of things and while it's not technically a 'meat' it can be used in quiche or soups, on pizza or in hamburgers to add a bit of flavour and extra protein - and if there are any bacon and eggs left you could fry up the ultimate indulgent breakfast.
I then added in the dairy part of the menu. This is where things start to get tricky. Some weeks we use more milk than others. Butter and yoghurt generally last longer than a week - more like 2. Eggs get used at different rates depending on what dishes (or baking) is being done. Basically I stuck to a fairly minimal list of one of each, with 4 litres of milk.
Then came specific items for dishes I would be cooking - as mentioned spaghetti bolognese, another pasta dish, rice with curry, wraps and seasoning for tacos and pizza, any other ingredients that were 'must have' like stock powder (which worked out cheaper than cubes and way cheaper than the liquid stuff) and bread and crispbreads that get used for lunches and snacks.
My only 'indulgences' were the 3L orange juice and the 2L Lemonade. The juice isn't so much of an indulgence but some can go without, while the lemonade (at $2 for 2L) could be swapped for sweet biscuits or a chocolate treat instead.
By the time I finished the 'grocery' items my total was $101.55 - $1.55 over my aim of $100 for a weeks food for a family of 4 with 2 small children.
I'm sure like any shopping trip there are bits I have forgotten but with the addition of the fresh produce I'm sure I could make at least 7 breakfasts, lunches and dinners out of this list.
If I alter it and make it actual costs for what would be used (half the fish, half the yoghurt, half the rice, 1/4 the tomato paste and curry paste, and 1/4 the 'wheat biscuits' AKA breakfast cereal) the price for the above list should be $86.35. Add to that my estimate based on last weeks spend of $18 for fruit and veg = $104.35. Not too shabby.
Examples of meals using the above items:
1. Spaghetti Bolognese - 1/2 the mince, pasta sauce, spaghetti + portion of tomato paste, carrot, celery and onion ($5.94 excluding paste and vegies)
2. Chicken pasta bake - 1/2 the thigh cutlets, can of diced tomatoes, penne pasta + cheese, milk, onion, and any seasonal vegetables taste ($3.70 + portion of milk, cheese and any vegetables used)
3. Tacos - 1/2 the mince, taco seasoning, pitta bread + cheese, tomato and lettuce ($6.53 + portion of cheese and veggies)
4. Indian curry (could easily be made without meat) - Chuck steak, red lentils, curry paste + portion of vegetable stock, portion of rice and potatoes, carrot, pumpkin, etc. ($6.73 + extras)
5. Quiche or egg based bake - 1/2 the eggs, 1/2 the bacon + portion of cheese and various vegetables ($4.07 + extras)
6. Fish and chips - Fish, one egg + flour (to make batter), oil, potatoes and any vegetables to accompany ($5.77 + extras)
7. Chicken and Vegetable soup - 1/2 chicken thighs, 1/2 the bacon, packet of soup mix (lentils and beans), can of diced tomatoes + portion of chicken stock and lots of various vegetables cut finely ($7.35 + extras)
8. Pitta Pizzas - pitta bread + portion of tomato paste, portion of cheese, various vegetables and if excluded the bacon from previous soup you could use it on the pizzas if you prefer meat too. ($2.39 + extras)
Breakfasts - 'wheat biscuits' (Weetbix), toast and/or eggs.
Lunches - sandwiches with spreads (jam, vegemite, etc) or salad fillings, leftovers - esp. soup, crispbreads with cheese, and the choice of one meal above to be used as a lunch instead - e.g. chicken pasta bake.
Obviously this is a food only experiment and any household or personal items would need to be added.
I am kind of surprised that I could succeed with a figure of about $100 for a whole week. Now the true test will be to put this into practice!
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