Christine, thank you so much for having us on your channel and for your advice! This is definitely the most awkward thing I've ever done on the internet 😂, but if it helps us save money and encourages other families in a similar situation, I'm glad we did it! It's already helped me to pay more attention to what we are buying. I'm excited to try these tips and I will definitely let you know how we're doing in a few months 😊
I also recommend making some high-protein breakfast casseroles (egg-based, with ground beef/sausage and some veggies) that you can precook, then freeze in single servings. Quick, easy , healthy, filling and way cheaper than boxed cereal, frozen waffles or sweets. Edit to add: Congrats on taking the public exposure and congrats on baby #2.
@@gamingwithfrodoI make breakfast burritos and regular burritos for quick breakfasts and snacks. Roll up in tin foil to freeze and when you want one(or2) unwrap, nuke 2-3 minutes, done!
It doesn't matter what she was doing, what mistakes she was making, she was willing to ask for help and openly and honestly share what she was doing in the hopes of fixing it. So many people never even get that far (admitting they have a problem, and then asking for help).
Lots of people don’t even realise they have a problem with food choices and continue oblivious to how much money they could be saving with better options!
Hey Siel! This is Caitlyn from the last video. Can I just say that I am SO proud of you for reaching out to Christine and putting yourself out there! It's been only a month and Christine's advice and tips has already made a huge difference for me and I hope the same for you. At the end of the day, I just hope you feel a flood of encouragement and compassion from the comment section like I did. Wishing you and your family all the best!
Love the idea of a follow up video for both of these brave and wonderful women!!!❤ Kudos to you both!! I’ve watched Christine’s channel for the past 3-4 years and seriously she helped me a great deal just in becoming more disciplined (hate that word actually but no other word is spot on😊) also really enjoy FFM podcast as well! Thank you to all for your inspiration and also your deep love for your families to find better ways forward not only financially but nutritiously…KUDOS❤
Yes!! I’d watch that, and that would totally help their budget to eat through some of this things they already have and/or make some freezer meals for when the baby comes to not fall back on takeout/convince foods
I realized my husband was not getting full off of his frozen breakfast sandwich so I started making him breakfast burritos. I just batch make eggs and sausage and make 15+ at a time and we are good for 3 weeks. He gets better calories and more satiated. These are great tips that can give her a place to see massive improvement. I loved this video.
I was stunnnned. It’s slightly more than we spend on groceries+household consumables for a family of 5+dog (including teens). Way to go on looking for ways to save Siel!!!
We spend less than $800/mo for a family of 9, and I'm still trying to cut it back by going to grocery outlet and the local farmers market for deep discounts...
Tip for shopping at Aldi: I am the only person in my household, so I bring one bag with me. I skip the cart and shop right into my bag. If it doesn’t fit in the bag, it stays at Aldi lol. I keep my shopping list on my phone. I only add something when I run out or I’m very close to it.
Been in her place with the pregnancy situation. Lived on milk and saltines for over 7 months. Was still nauseous until 6 weeks after birth. But lets get down to the difficulties. Processed foods will kill you budget. I learned this week how to make corn tortillas and make my own chips. Also how to make pretzels at home. Refuse to buy things I can make myself. Blessed and grateful that I actually have the time to shop, plan and prepare meals etc. Does she have a crockpot? Crockpot meals are so easy and true convenience meals. I premake and freeze breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and hamburgers. So much cheaper than processed stuff. Homemade pancakes and waffles freeze very well. Making meatloaf, bake two and freeze one for another time. I use left overs to make homemade individual frozen dinners. This works great at holiday times. So much food and what to do with it? Right. Anyway the program is great and kudos to the new Mom for reaching out.
Another suggestion from an experienced meal planner is for Siel to write down an inventory list of what she actually has in her freezers already (throwing out the food she finds with freezer burn) - number one, to know what she already has, & number two, know what to utilize for her first attempt at meal planning. Then, as she uses items up/replenishes them, update that list until it is finally small enough to have a visual control of her inventory. I just know this works for us. We also keep a running grocery list on our fridge so that anyone who uses the last of something and wants more of it, can write it on the list right away - takes out the guesswork.
@jgheart3018 - I so agree, with the freezer list and the running grocery list! I have a list taped to the lid of my chest freezer, so know exactly what is in there. When I open, for example, a bag of frozen veggies, I move the bag to the freezer atop my fridge which is small enough that I can see everything at a glance. Same with loaves of bread, ice cream and so on. I cannot abide food waste, so nothing gets thrown out or is allowed to spoil.
I have a dry erase board right across from the stand up freezer we have at my eye level (so kids can't erase it) so that I write down what we have in it (under categories: meat, dairy, produce, bread, and other) and take a photo of it then save it as a favorite so I can reference it when grocery shopping. It has helped me not buy more clearance foods when we actually have that in the freezer.
Thank you Seil for sharing. Kroger stores are great places to shop and meal plan. They also rotate their sales items. That means in 6 weeks those chicken legs will be on sale for 99 cents. You did not need them this time, but you plan to buy them the next time. Example we have a Foodland every 6 weeks they put Jimmy Dean bacon on sale for $2.99. We buy 3 each time. It's the only time we buy bacon. Good luck.
One tip I learned is it can be helpful to pre make your own mixes from scratch (pancake, brownie, oatmeal bake) and have them in ball jars with labels saying what to add and how long to bake. This makes it very convenient and cheap 😊 love all the tips Christine!
Great idea!!! I was thinking, I hate cooking and sometimes just don’t have the time. But if that part is already done, that helps! Thanks for that tip!!
I had a recipe for homemade pancake mix. It called for powdered milk so I only added eggs and water. Never told family about powdered milk, they never guessed.
I had pre measured 2, 4 and 8 oz of flour and sugar ready in zip lock bags ready for pancakes, add some 4 oz sugar for cakes. I had 1/4 and 1 tsp of baking pwder in tiny jewellery ziplocks. I knew some basic recepies off by heart and where the batter should be in the mixing jug so I didn't have to measure the milk. I ended up stopping doing the prep for cakes and biscuits coz we'd just steal it for pancakes.
Another suggestion for people who over purchase is to do an online order. Then you are not walking the aisles and grabbing things that tempt you. Walmart is best for this as there's no price increases or fees for ordering online. 1. Plan your meals. What do you already have that you can use? What ingredients do you need to make those meals? 2. Write a detailed grocery list. 3. If you can, do an online order for pick up. 4. Allow yourself one treat. Those are my suggestions
This! It allows you to see your total at all times. And if you have a budget you can easily take things out that aren’t a necessity that week to stay as close to budget as possible.
That’s how I cut down on my grocery bill. Online ordering while looking through my pantry. Less likely to buy temptation foods & extra food that I didn’t need.
She was just the sweetest 🥹. It’s so nice to see them reach out for some help. We’ve all needed help ar some point . Christine, you were lovely and kind to her.😊
She should give herself a pregnancy craving budget. I remember those and grocery shopping was a nightmare. Maybe $5-10 for it, guilt free. But then otherwise stick to her list.
I have so many food allergies in our family, including wheat, corn, eggs, and msg and nitrites. Looking at your substitutions, i wouldn't be able to follow a bunch of them--like switching to boullion powder, cheaper pastas. That said, i do flyer shop, and make as much as i can from scratch. A whole chicken can make 2meals for a family of 4, then i simmer the carcass in the slow cooker for 4 litres of broth
Same here. We have lactose and gluten intolerance and a whey allergy, plus grapes and legumes are not physically tolerated (they come back up). I cook almost everything from scratch with whole foods. Admittedly I buy organic produce often, and free range eggs. Living in Canada, most food is so much more expensive (like double the price) I have a veggie garden and still spend about $300 per week ($1200 per month). I do buy some dairy free granola bars for my son’s lunches and tortilla chips for my husband…and occasional gluten free/dairy free ice cream on sale (for about $8 dollars for a tiny tub, which is still highway robbery). There is room for improvement but that’s the scene here.
I'm only 2 minutes in, but you made me realize something that I never knew about myself. I grew up in poverty as well, so I also have the tendency to over buy groceries. However the last few years I have been stocking up on lots of shelf-stable items because of that and the trauma from the pandemic combined. I have been fighting my city council for chickens or quail to no avail and I just realized why it makes me so fired up. Great insight, thank you 🙏🏻
1. Know what you have on hand. 2. Consider apples as a seasonal snack; I just paid $12 for. a half bushel. 3. Plan your meals and record. 4. Always have a list. 5. You pay dearly for convenience foods. 5. I love Walmart's online order and delivery service! ( I'm w/c bound.). About 100 per year PLUS tip. 6. Don't shop hungry! 7. I could go on.. but thanks for opening up! !'m 74 and remember raising 4 kids and being broke! I used to love going to church dinners and sampling the variety! Hang in there; it will get better!
OMG! I absolutely love her kitchen floors! That is stunning tile! Thanks for being brave enough to share your kitchen, groceries, and budget struggles with us! We can all learn from each other!
Siel: Christine has over half a million subscribers, many of us have made missteps and are coming back to her channel to get re enforcement for the good habits it took us awhile to develop. So don’t beat yourself up. We’ve been where you are. I hope you’ll check back with Christine and let her (and us) know how you are doing. You put so much thought into what you feed your family, I am confident you can change a couple of habits and get to a place you are comfortable.
Opening yourself up for criticism (even constructive) takes courage! Way to go!! I was also one of those mamas that spent the first 12-16 weeks of pregnancy barely functioning. If I wasn't sick, I felt like I was going to be sick. It's survival mode at that stage... BUT, survival is only for a season. We eventually move out of survival mode and into thrive mode. With a few new skills and self-discipline muscles YOU can also thrive!! I wholeheartedly second everything Christine said (household of 8 spending $800 a month here)!! I would add - 1. Set a budget (spending limit) for food each week. 2. Make a meal plan for the week. 3. Have a savings goal. If you are saving for a specific thing (medical expenses, a getaway with just your husband before Baby #2 comes, paying off debt, whatever it is for you) then it is easier to choose to spend less on food. For example, Fridays are pizza night for my family. I can make it from scratch for really cheap, buy frozen, or order take-out. I motivate myself to make it from scratch by thinking of the $25 I saved as $25 I just put into our "Future RV Trailer" fund.
I totally agree about the money management aspect of this comment! We started cash stuffing using envelopes and a small binder at the beginning of 2022. I don't have envelopes for the things that are automatically paid, like utilities, but allot money for groceries, eating out, pet expenses, golf, prescription copays, and personal allowances for each of us. We have sinking funds for vacation and home improvement expenses. This has helped so much. We no longer use our debit cards on a day to day basis. It makes you aware of how much you are spending. When the envelope is empty, you can t spend any more until next week. I really wish I had learned to do this 20 years ago.
My God parents were both little kids during the the depression & were poor. As adults they are pretty successful so my godmother would over shop & just buy what she wanted but Pop was very frugal! Groceries were her "job" but they set the budget together, she'd often add from her monthly spend money to buy things that weren't necessary but she wanted. Their story definitely affected me & I got my grocery shopping habits from both of them. My pantry & freezer is literally over flowing but only like 10% was purchased full price. I love my chips, snacks & convince foods but only buy them on sale. It can feel like a lot of work getting started but you really don't need to give up fun treats! I'm so happy this family reached out to you so you & all of us in the comments can support & give advice 💖
This really got me too. So many of us can relate to the difficult childhood and how it affects us forever. I love these personalized grocery coaching videos you're doing.
My husband is diabetic and we have discovered the chickpea pasta does not mess with his blood sugar like regular pasta. It has been amazing for us and allowed us to have pasta as a family again. 😊
I have found certain types of pasta trigger a BS rise more than others. It's weird what effects us and everyone has different triggers. My tip is eat protein with your carbs. It really does help balance it so you don't get those spikes. I can have a small amount of regular pasta if I combine it with a lean protein, like chicken. So my pasta salad now includes chicken..lol.
@@gleaner8177 The one they showed was the Aldi brand. The name brand one is Banza. Target has a knock off and then the Aldi one. Not sure about other stores.
@nesanesa9547 Not as regular pasta-true. For myself, it doesn't spike sky high, but it does push mine a little too much. We're all different. I use Banza, but only once evert 6-8 weeks.Each person will find what works for their body.
She's going to figure it out with your help! Once she masters meal planning, utilizing the pick-up option at Walmart helps stick to a budget and items on the list. No roaming aisles means less money spent on impulse items. She and/or her husband could also make the breakfast sandwiches a week in advance and pop in the freezer, make a big batch of pancakes and waffles for the freezer. Baked oatmeal with add-ins is a good breakfast to make once and eat for several days.
I think it's deeper than just childhood. This is literally our biology. Remember the story of the ants and the grasshopper. When you live in a place where crops grow seasonally hoarding food is survival.
Personally, I'm not going to stop putting food back. Not when the govt. Is clearly lieing about the economy. I'm just spending more. The best you can do is cut out luxuries, and convience foods sweet lady with her heart in the right place but there is very little in their pantry.
If you fall, you haven’t failed, you’ve gained wisdom! Get up, do what’s right and move on!! You’re a family warrior! Very impressed with what you’re doing!
Best wishes to you, Siel. Good for you to be humble enough to ask for help. Remember, you can make adjustments gradually, and feel good about each change. Right now, having over-prepped, we're not spending, but eating stockpiled food and learning what's really good after three years. It's very educational; we're recovering some space; and it's helping us retire some debts with our food money. Christine, your hair looks pretty!
I had to be creative some years ago with a small budget for two adults. I started by writing out a menu list to cover the number of days in the month. I listed what I had on hand. I would make at least one maybe two special meals in that list and a treat. I would list my meats i would need (carefully pared down) and allowed for a change in my menus if i ran across an exceptional deal! Found an amazing ham once. Then i got my staples to fit. I left some money for end of month perishables - because i shoped once a month!!!! The secret of a controlled food budget!
Siel, The 1st step is you are trying to get help. I live in Olathe. I recognized where you lived. Where you live can be expensive. Aldi is not as less always as less than Walmart. You can buy a whole chicken from Aldi for around $6.95, put it in your crockpot, fill it with water, use seasoning if you have it, cook all day and the broth at the end is your chicken broth. Plus you have chicken for about 3 meals. The chicken is good for casseroles, soups or pizza. You could make casseroles, freeze them and have ready for the baby being born. That way you don't have to stress over meals around baby time. What Christine said is correct. Another idea is google dinner ideas that are cheap and not very many ingredients. Southern Frugal Momma and Our Tribe of Many are helpful. My suggestion is to learn to cook well. You can make your own granola bars, pizza, yogurt, cream of mushroom soup, cookies, bread and etc. If you have a yard, make a garden. Start slow. You don't have to become a great baker, gardener or cook overnight but anything will help you. Becky, on Acre Homestead is a person to learn how to garden, bake and cook. Christine is amazing and I have been watching her for a longtime. Way to go, trying to change. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!❤
One thing I think that helps me is doing Grocery pick up at Walmart. Not going in a store helps me not over buy on Junk food items. And Yes I was shocked at that amount for 2 adults and 1 toddler- I bet if she stops with the items you told her too stop with and does a list or maybe even Walmart pick up - then boom 💥 she has cut a ton right there!
My kids call me a food hoarder because I am the same way. I joke I died of starvation in my previous life. Realistically, I had six kids and was active duty in the US Navy. I hoarded so I could be secure. Eating out was astronomically expense. Buying on sale, clearance, or discounted enabled me to feed my family for half what this viewer spent. What is challenging now is getting out of the mindset since my kids are all adults and independent.
It's not that I hord, but I grew up in areas that could make you isolated. You'd better have made up a solid emergency food shelf to handle those times. You need 3 to 5 days supplies to cover the number of people to be fed. A diabetic friend learned the hard way. Massive tree fell in a storm totally blocking all road access for 3 1/2 days. And no cell service. They had 1 can tuna, 3 tbsp peanut butter, 1/ 4 serving pack saltine crackers, and one can of soup. Leason learned. Please take this experience to heart!
I helped a hoarder client with this point of view. She also grew up with scarcity and could suddenly become less able and need convenience food and was a prepper. I said she needs a week of food in the fridge, a month of ready foods in the freezer and a year of food in case of emergency. She's a good gardener and has seeds for after that. We compromised a year for her and her immediate family. Separating the categories really helped her stop putting more than she could eat in the fridge.
At the moment I'm spending about £260 a month for 2 adults, buying from an expensive shop and paying for delivery weekly, but we are still saving a lot compared to previously because we are meal planning, eating less takeaways and packing lunches more. Baby steps but my OH is just learning to cook for the first time aged 35 after a lifetime of being uncomfortable in the kitchen and I am so proud 😊
Great job for realizing you could use the advice CL. For putting yourself out there for the help. Takes guts. Yes, I luv your kitchen too! Personally, at 70, I've learned to shop online & with a list. If I go into the store for fresh foods or items I want to be the freshest, i.e., milk... I stay away from the interior of the store! And Great job Christine for explaining the if, and & buts of the why to. ... Glenda
Placing an online order for curbside pickup for most items has worked well for me in maintaining a budget. I still have to go inside for meat sales or for smaller trips.
First - Good for Siel for putting herself out there. Courage - and it will help others. Second - I feel compelled to do the big math. If she can knock $200 a month off the bill, that's $2400 a year that can be used elsewhere or saved. $300 a month = $3600. Getting control of the grocery budget is not insignificant. There's real cash on the table here. That said, I appreciated your advice that she doesn't need to get there all at once. It's a process for sure. I've found it empowering and confidence building to learn to do more from scratch. It doesn't have to be a chore, there's joy in it. Great video, I love this series.
Hey Seil! You know what the is the upside of just starting on becoming more frugal? You’re going to notice SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE!! You’re going to feel so proud of yourself 😊 Congratulations on baby 💕 It’s going to be crazy and wonderful!
Good for you, Siel, you are improving the well being of your family. Do not feel badly. Last month our grocery bill was almost $1800 for a family of four - part of that was Thanksgiving and part of that is living in an expensive area, but most of that is the need to educate ourselves and get A LOT better. Thank you for helping us learn! Good luck to you and your beautiful family. ❤
Thank you, Christine, for doing these grocery audits they are great to watch and really helpful. I second the lady's comment who asked if you could do a follow-up in a few months/year (whatever works for each different family). Good job, Siel!! Asking for the help you need is the best step you can take! Good luck, we are all rooting for you.
Have a tip I would like to share with Siel. If you open up your extra bread and add a paper towel to bottom before freezing it will be moist when you sit it out to thraw.
Really, REALLY great advice in this video!! I would add If she really wants to use credit cards to be utilizing the reward points I would definitely recommend buying her groceries online. I always love taking cash to curb spending, but it can get really stressful trying to add everything up as you go while you're in the store, plus tax, etc. etc. The online shopping is really nice to see your running total and you can add or subtract items once you're ready to check out. Plus, WAY less impulse buying while you wander the isles.
I love that you are doing these play by plays/reviews!!! It helps more obviously translate what you are saying/have been saying to my life. So So SO HELPFUL!!!!!!
Siel.. you got this we had this issue a few years back family of 7 spending around 1500 a month and not eating great. We got that down to 750 once we made a few changes and started cooking more from scratch. You got this 🎉
Siel, if extra effort is too hard rn, id say plan on doing the meal prep, shop your stock and check for specials. Learning how to make eggos from scratch can wait till you and the newborn are settled. Even if it takes a year, just implementing some of Christine's suggestions will move you forward and you have years to continually improve
Meal planning and lists have reduced my monthly food budget a tremendous amount! Sticking to the list takes discipline and using grocery pick ups helped initially. Fast forward a year later and I’m sticking to my list b/c I know it saves money. ❤❤ God bless Siel and HUGE hugs and kisses to her and her husband for sharing their journey!! Keep watching FFM b/c she shows us how living on a budget is rewarding and delicious!!!❤❤
I didn’t catch if Siel worked full time but if she has the time, when she buys proteins in bulk, taking the time to cook them instead of freezing them raw might help her. When I buy ground beef in bulk I divide it up and some becomes burgers, then I cook some as taco filling, or sloppy joes, etc then freeze the cooked items so I can later just pull out a main dish already prepped from the freezer. I also cook bulk chicken breast in my crockpot pot and divide it for different meals. Sometimes the thawing and cooking deters me from using an item stored raw in my freezer. She could do that now with her freezer stockpile.
I LOVED this podcast! Please do more. I am on SS and at my age I can’t eat a lot of stuff. So that would be great. I can figure out what to make with your recipe ideas and you helping me buy my groceries by showing me how that would be great.
Christine! I love your empathetic heart! You had me crying, because you were tearing up! I loved you already , but this! THIS put you on a whole other plain!
I went to Smiths today aka Krogers, the peanut butter does not require a digital dl, you just need to buy at least 5. It is part of a mix and match. I purchased 5 this morning for a food drive. She could mix & match with starkist tuna & frozen veggies.
Thank you, Christine for breaking down the WHY of “this rather than that,” rather than just saying, “You shouldn’t be buying the fancy pasta.” This is constructive criticism that we can all benefit from!
The pasta is not fancy at all, just a healthier option for people that choose to take that route. Cheaper is not healthier. Invest in your health or end up paying what you have saved up in medical bills down the road.
@@diversekakes In general, I agree with you. But having cooked for my gluten-free husband for 20 years and being quite health-conscious when it comes to food, I think it’s inaccurate to put it in strict either/or terms. Part of Christine’s mission is to help us make informed choices that work for us, and that’s what she was doing here. It’s entirely possible to eat a healthy diet on a budget.
When younger, I would totally have agreed with every grocery decision you have espoused, and have done them as well. But now, with SO many dietary restrictions, I do buy that brand or type of pasta, but in lentil pastas (chic pea is off my dietary list as well.) Lentil pasta is gluten free, and although it has a little stronger taste than wheat based, it is totally a good swap out for my diet. I was stoked to find several 'outdated', 2/3 the cost marked down packages of lentil pasta in our local grocery store, and bought every one. It lasted throughout the summer months. I also buy the smart chicken or the 'no antibiotic ever' type upon my doctor's recommendation. It's more expensive, however I have been buying the whole chicken instead of the Styrofoam flats of specific chicken parts because it is so much cheaper per lb to buy whole. Check that out. I cut the whole chicken up into meal sized portions and freeze, and it saves me so much money to spend a little time cutting up chicken. (caveat: a really sharp knife is very beneficial for cutting up chicken). Summer gives us great harvests from the garden, and that is also a way I cut cost a bit, and also know I am getting such fresh, great food, with no pesticides, which I can freeze or can for consumption later on. My tomato harvest was super this year and I have so many quarts of healthy tomato sauce. I try to garden on a budget as well, saving seeds, growing my own seedlings, using LED grow lights. I make my own transferrable grow pots out of newspaper, saving money there as well. As far as the chicken 'stock' bullion, I tend to save the bones from cooking whole chickens to make bone broth which I either use immediately or save for later in the freezer. It is way more flavorful than purchased shelf stable broth, and cheaper since I am using something I already had purchased. I also enjoy making my own protein bars, which is way cheaper than buying individual packages. Plus I know the ingredients in my bars. I have gained so many diet specific recipes first from Pinterest, then from FB Reels that it has been interesting and fulfilling to cook so much from scratch again, something I had gotten away from in my 40's and 50's. I feel healthier for watching ingredients and cooking from scratch. Scarcity hit my mother, and in turn, myself. I continued as she had done all my younger life. But now, after watching so many minimalism videos, have gotten to the point where I have gone to a smaller satellite freezer in addition to the side by side fridge/freezer we have, using plastic baskets as drawers to access back into the deep recesses and use up what I have so that I can fill spaces again with sale meats and other sale items, and put them into the meal rotation. And yes, there's a little frost build up in mine as well. LOL. One of these days I'll get to that.....
The chicken broth is understandable, I usually use the bullion but it’s got MSG in it and makes me feel awful. So sometimes I think the higher price can be worth it.
This was such an amazing video. Getting to see Christine help Siel is so special. I wish I had someone to help me 40+ years ago when I was newly married and starting out. No one teaches these things and is often a hard lesson. Kudos to Siel for reaching out and asking for help. And to Christine for helping her. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I loved that this young lady was so honest in sharing her grocery bills. I like that Christine separated out the non-food items. Saw $7 for paper towels. I hope those last a long time. I use 6 rolls in about a year's time. Use rags or towels instead. They are simple to wash with your other laundry.
I really relate to this. I’ve got a PhD and I never learned how to meal plan because I went from Mom’s house to dorm and now I’m in my early 30s going “what’s meal prep?” 😅 I’m not a picky eater, I just have this mentality that I have better things to do with my time. My instantpot has been a godsend and one pan meals are lifesavers! Anyone with recipes for me, send them my way! (Note: allergic to mushrooms) 😊
A roll of aper towels lasts us for 2-3 months, too. Paper towels are used to wipe out the whirly electric popcorn popper, wipe out cast iron skillets, the very rare indoor dog upchuck mishap and very little else. I have a basket of microfiber cloths right by the sink and we use those instead of paper towels.
I buy the Aldi 6-pack of paper towels and that will last us about 2.5 weeks. I don't like to use them more than twice (drying something that's cleaned already) and then for the counter with a cleaner or to wipe up floor spills, then toss, because it's disgusting and unsanitary to reuse an actual towel for everything. I do use a hand towel for washed-hand drying, but that's it. To each her own for your own uses! (Edit to add: We also have an elderly dog that requires the use of a lot of paper towels and baby wipes, and I can guess that having a 2-year old also requires more sanitary and absorbent clean-ups.)
Siel, pregnancy is SO hard, especially with other kiddo(s) in the home. Your reaching out is both inspiring and amazing. I’ve had to reel in other areas of my life that felt astronomically out of control, and half the battle is just that initial (1) knowing you could benefit from help, and (2) “doing the math.” Go YOU!
YES!! Siel is taking a lot of positive action!! Groceries are so high these days.. some items have almost doubled, so shopping sales is huge savings! One thing I do is write with a sharpie a small list of some meals or snacks that I have ingredients for like zucchini pie, guacamole, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, spinach, strawberries. This list is so I don't forget the hidden items I have to use before they go bad... it's my effort to prevent food from going in the trash vs on my plate. The list is in an obvious place on a "can't miss" kitchen cabinet and has been a good reminder so I don't have to think that much about my next meal!
Great job @Sielleis for asking for help! Christine, your advice was spot on. I have a suggestion for the chip situation that saved me a ton packing my son's lunches. Instead of the individual bags, I bought the big bag and prepackaged them into single servings. I used plastic snack bags, but you could also use small containers. For myself, I took a large bag to the office and kept it in my desk drawer. Can't wait to hear the update!
Thank you for showing us a real person's problem. Thank you for Siel being brave enough and smart enough to know she needed help - and to share with us. Good luck Siel!
Sometimes you need to lay everything out to really grasp the situation and possible changes to make. Some months I way over spend on our food because the deals were so good and I wanted to restock everything. Then the next month it is barely anything and it all even outs. We can only do so much.
I do all my grocery shopping online and then just pull up to the store and they load the car (no charge if over $35 of groceries). SO, I plan our meals for the week (trying to incorporate beans, rice, cheaper meats, and sale items), then make a list of everything needed for every meal, then check my fridge/freezer/pantry and cross off what we already have. The remaining items, I add to my online cart. So there is no going up and down store aisles, NO impulse shopping, NO husband or kids with me, NO hour spent in a crowded store. The grocery budget went way down and we use everything we buy because it's all part of the meal plan for the week. For snacks, we have a couple cake mixes for cupcakes, or pantry items for cookies, but I try to stick with fruit or baby carrots or apple slices dipped in peanut butter. Hopefully online grocery shopping can help others who buy too much when they enter a store!
You're so brave to share Siel. And in many ways, you're in a wonderful place to make changes because it's far easier to find things you can change at your spending level now than if you were starting with a lower amount. We're all rooting for you! You've got this.
Siel you are amazing ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Just reaching out for help is such a big step!! I had a horrible pregnancy with my #2- sick all day everyday. She is 2 now and perfect and the sweetest. HANG IN THERE MAMA!
I cooked about 80 cents worth of dried chickpeas. Turned it into Chana Masala, that divided up to five meals for me. Let's add $1.20 for a large onion, three tomatoes, a bit of green chili, garlic, ginger, coconut oil and spices. One roti made from whole grain flour, maybe 20 cents per meal and homemade yogurt 20 cents per meal. About 80 cents per meal, for a very healthy from scratch meal. So many other healthy meals that can be had for cents per serving. I soaked the chickpeas overnight and cooked in pressure cooker, so not a long cooking time.
I’m sure you’re right it saves money but we go grocery shopping all together and it is the highlight of my week it’s like the only chore we do together
You didn’t mention only cooking from her pantry and freezer for the first month. That’s what I did years back to jumpstart my grocery budgeting journey and it was a real eye opener! I honestly had no idea how much food I really had in my house.
Loved this video so much. But the spouse lunch part. My husband is pickier than a two years old. It would be faster to tell you the things he will eat compared to what he doesn’t.
I’d say she’s in a busy stage of life right now and she’s got a lot going on 😂 my contribution would be to start processing the meat into edible food-thaw three pounds of that ground beef at a time and make something like taco meat, meatloaf, burger patties, etc! Especially with a new baby coming ❤ good luck, Siel!
Add me to the Siel ❤ list! I, also, went thru something similar. My mom could barely put food on the table and my wealthy father wouldn't help even tho he was ordered to (by the judge in the divorce). Ugh. A little bit of hunger made he a CRAZY food hoarder! I didn't want my babies to ever be hungry! And they weren't. Now that I'm a grandma, I'm still a food hoarder! I'm a hoarder for all of my kids STILL! They don't need me to bring groceries but I do. 😂 I'm learning right along with you girl! I've learned to can and dehydrate and food save. I've learned so much but I'm not gonna lie, food is my extravagance. Good luck to YOU mama! ❤❤❤
Going shopping with my spouse actually saves money because he questions everything I’m buying and we end up putting things back. I always go alone so I can buy what I want. 😂
That first step is the hardest, LITERALLY, admitting there is an issue, finding it and facing is huge, I admire the young lady for reaching out for help and thank you Christine for being there to help her and people like her.
