Making Veggies Last

One question I get asked about regarding my once a month grocery shopping is, "What do you do about fresh fruits and vegetables?" Here are some tips I have learned along the way to keep your fresh fruits and vegetables lasting a bit longer:

Fruits and Vegetables that will last about 1 month (3-4 weeks) include: 

• carrots -- cut off the green tops before placing them in a paper bag in the veggie drawer of your fridge.
• potatoes -- take out of the bag and store in a wire basket in a cold, dark place.
• onions -- same as potatoes, but in a separate basket. Storing onions with potatoes could make them spoil quickly.
• apples 
• oranges 
• lemons
• limes
• grapefruits

Fruits and Vegetables that will last about 7-10 days include:

• iceburg lettuce -- keep in a plastic bag in the fridge and spray with water every few days. Lettuce likes to be kept cold and wet.
• cucumbers
• celery -- keep in the plastic bag in the fridge. One trick is to place in a shallow dish with water in the fridge.
• green beans 
• tomatoes -- keep on the counter, stem side down, away from sunlight.
• melons

What we do is try to use up the fruits and vegetables that perish quickly during the first week or 2 of the month. I plan the meals accordingly. If something looks like it will spoil before we get a chance to eat it, BEFORE it starts to go bad, I will chop it up and freeze it in zip-lock baggies to use later on during the month. This works well for celery, peppers, onions, carrots, green beans, and broccoli. Frozen celery, onions, and carrots can be added to soups, stews, or frozen peppers can be added to chili.  

Have a tip to make fresh fruit or veggies last longer that I forgot to add? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Free Menu Planner

Here is the worksheet I use to create our weekly menus. It is free for download, and if you post it on your blog, I would really appreciate a link back to Frugal Family Fun Blog. Thanks so much!

It is simple, but it works for us. To get more menu planning ideas, see this post.

Meal Planner

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Menus Cooking & Menus budget save money

Want to be extra frugal? Print out the worksheet and use a sheet protector, write with dry erase markers, and your menu planner is reusable!

The Secrets to Once a Month Grocery Shopping

If you have never tried once a month grocery shopping, February is the perfect month to start!  With just 28 days, if you are already accustomed to shopping every other week, once a month shopping for this month will not feel like much of a stretch.  Here are some tips to get started:

1. Leave the Kids at Home -- Do not attempt to schlep the kids to the grocery store for a once a month trip.  Ask a trusted neighbor, or hire a babysitter for a few hours, if needed. You will save enough money to make it worthwhile to hire a babysitter.
2. Plan Your Menu -- Match sale ads and coupons to plan your monthly menu around those items.  See my related post Frugal Meal Planning 101 for more information.
3. Go Shopping with a List -- Only buy items on your list. If you pick up any items that are not on the list, place them in the front basket of your cart. Before you check out, review the items in the basket, choose one, and put the other items back on the shelf.
4. Buy Meat in Bulk -- Many grocery stores feature "loss leaders" and you may be able to purchase meat in bulk at deeply discounted prices.  Set aside 1 week's worth and freeze the rest in family-meal-sized portions.
5. Stock the Pantry -- Keep a well-stocked pantry with budget-friendly foods purchased at the lowest possible price. Some examples are rice, potatoes, beans, and canned tuna. 
6. Stock the Freezer -- You may find it cheaper to purchase fresh produce (in season) and freeze it yourself.  Keeping meat in the freezer will ensure it will stay good for the entire month.
7. Use Fresh Produce in the Order it Will Perish First -- Some fruits and vegetables stay fresher longer than others.  Try to use up bananas, grapes, cucumbers, and strawberries during the first week or two.  Apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, onions, and even eggs can generally last one month if stored properly.
8. What About Milk? -- Milk is the only exception where I ask my husband to pick some up at the store about half way through the month. However, it may be worth purchasing a few gallons of organic ultra-pasteurized milk since this will last a full month.

Is your family trying once a month grocery shopping for the first time this month? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and share your story with us!

6 Tips for Handling Picky Eaters

Are your kids picky eaters? Are you preparing several dinners each night? Finding ways to handle picky eaters can be a huge help towards keeping a low food budget. Here are some tips that worked with our little picky one (who is not so picky any more!).

1. Do not keep junk food in the house. Avoid overly salty or sugary processed snacks. If there is no junk food available, the kids cannot eat it.
2. Keep snack-sized portions of fruits and vegetables on hand. Kids have small stomachs and need to snack frequently to accommodate growing bodies. Keep a snack tray in your refrigerator filled with pre-washed and pre-cut fruits and veggies. Store in snack-sized zip lock bags for quick snacks on the go.
3. Try not to cater to your kids during mealtime. No child ever starved while being offered food. If the adults are eating it, the kids can too. Under very few circumstances are exceptions allowed: food allergies, spicy foods, dietary restrictions, etc.
4. Introduce new foods several times. I have found that kids need to try the same food several times before deciding if it is good. This could be due to any number of factors, but do not give up on a healthy food the first time.
5. Presentation is everything. For meals you can serve the same food, but make it look a little cuter. Use straws to make fruit kabobs, or cookie cutters for sandwiches. Get creative!
6. Get the kids involved. Kids love helping out in the kitchen, and if they help prepare the meal they are much more likely to eat it!

Our pre-washed, pre-cut, self-serve snack tray filled with carrot and green pepper sticks, orange segments, apples, cheese slices, and low-fat ranch dressing.

Have a tip for handling a picky eater that I forgot to add? Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Frugal Meal Planning 101

For many households, food can be one of the highest monthly expenses (second to rent or mortgage). Fortunately, there are several tricks to slashing your grocery bill while still maintaining a healthy diet.  Meal planning is one technique, and you may find it works well for your family. If you have never tried to reduce your food bill before, this may be a good place to start. You can begin by just planning meals for one week, and try increasing this to two weeks to help limit the number of trips you make to the grocery store.

First, draw up a chart for each day of the week Sunday-Saturday. Next, list a week's worth of breakfasts for your family. Here's an example of one week worth of breakfasts for our household:

Sunday: Banana Nut Waffles

Monday: Scrambled Eggs and Whole Wheat Toast

Tuesday: English Muffins with Peanut Butter

Wednesday: French Toast and Sausage

Thursday: Homemade Granola Cereal

Friday: Breakfast Burritos - scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and sausage wrapped in a whole grain tortilla

Saturday: Pancakes and Low Sodium Bacon

(We usually drink orange juice, water, or hot tea)

Next, draw up the same chart, but list lunch items for one week. Here's an example from our household:

Sunday: Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup

Monday: Tuna Melt on Whole Wheat Bread, Apple, and Fat Free Yogurt

Tuesday: Mini Pizza on Whole Grain Tortilla

Wednesday: Bean Burrito with fat free refried beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Friday: Loaded Baked Potato with leftover chili, cheddar cheese, and low fat sour cream

Saturday: Leftover Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza

(we usually drink seltzer water, juice, or hot tea)

Getting hungry yet?  Another tip -- Do not do the grocery shopping when you are hungry. The best time to go is after you have had a good meal, or at least a snack to tide you over. Why? When you are hungry, you are much more likely to pick up impulse purchases which can wreck havoc on your food budget!

Now it's time to think about dinner.  Here's a one week example from our household:

Sunday: Broiled Salmon, Brown Rice, and Green Beans

Monday: Blackened Cajon Pork Chop, Roasted Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots

Tuesday: London Broil, Baked Potato, and Petite Peas

Wednesday: Beef Fajitas, Spanish Rice, and Fat Free Refried Beans

Thursday: Homemade Chili with Corn Bread

Friday:  Lemon Pepper Chicken, Brown Rice, Broccoli

Saturday: Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza

(we usually drink water, skim milk, or hot tea)

The next step is to the list the ingredients for the week onto a shopping list, and compare your list to the items you already have in your refrigerator, pantry, or freezer. Try to only buy what you need so no food is wasted. Cross off whatever items you already have at home, and the remaining items will become your official shopping list for the week. 

Tip -- Some ingredients can be used for more than one dish. For example, our family rarely finishes a London Broil in one dinner, so the leftover meat is used for Beef Fajitas the next evening. Similarly, we usually have some leftover pizza from dinner, so we will have this for lunch the following afternoon. You may want to try cooking a slightly larger dinner and having leftovers for lunch the next day.

Have you tried meal planning? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

Top 10 Cheap and Healthy Foods

Epicurious has a fabulous article on some of the best money-saving ingredients (complete with recipes). This is a great resource, and you can find the list here.

Do you use brown rice, potatoes, apples, eggs, beans, or any of the other ingredients listed in your everyday cooking? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Related article: 8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget

8 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget

You may be surprised to learn that eating healthy foods can be good for your waistline and your budget! Here are some of our favorite tips for eating healthy without spending a lot of money:

1. Drink Water -- Kick the soda habit. Not only is soda loaded with sugar and calories, it is also not friendly to your wallet. If you do not already have a Brita Filter at home, consider purchasing one and using it on a regular basis. If you must have something carbonated to drink, try flavored seltzer water with a slice of lemon or lime.  
   
2. Avoid Pre-packaged Foods -- Purchasing convenience foods means you are paying for all the packaging, and marketing that goes into those products. Fresh ingredients are often better for you, and are usually much cheaper.
3. Buy Meat in Bulk -- Sometimes super markets offer loss-leader specials on meats. If you have a large freezer, stock up. You will be purchasing meat at its lowest possible price, and avoid going to the store (so you will save money on gas too).
4. Farmers Market -- Your local farmers market may have great deals on fresh vegetables and fruit, particularly at the end of the day. If you get a good deal on tomatoes, for instance, you could make your own sauce or salsa.
5. Bake Your Own Bread -- Often, store bought bread can be expensive, and it usually contains high fructose corn syrup. If you do not already have a bread maker, search at thrift shops or yard sales. I frequently see nearly-new bread machines there for only a few dollars. Baking your own bread can save a lot of money, and you have the satisfaction of being able to pronounce all the ingredients.
6. Grow Your Own -- This spring we plan to start gardening with vegetables that are easy to grow such as: green beans, tomatoes, and green bell peppers. Not only will this save money, the food you grow yourself contains more nutrients since it does not have to travel to reach your dinner table.
7. Buy Only What You Need -- Before you visit the store, make a grocery list and stick to it. If you find yourself picking up impulse purchases, place those in the front basket of the cart. When you are ready to check out, keep just one of those items in the front basket and put the others back on the shelf.
8. Never Waste Food -- Find creative ways to use leftovers. Soups, casseroles, and even fajitas can be made using leftovers and taste great. Don't forget about re-heating last night's dinner for today's lunch.

Photo by Rick McCharles

Related Article: Printable Coupons for Organics

Do you have a great tip for healthy eating on a budget, or does your family plan to start a garden for the first time this year?  I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and share you ideas with us!

Printable Coupons for Organics

Here is a great list of online printable coupons for organic items:

1. Organic Valley -- Save on milk, cheese, soymilk, and butter.  Each coupon can be printed twice.  Also, click here for a printable coupon for $2 off the purchase of any 2 Organic Valley products.
2. Mambo Sprouts -- Many coupons here for green cleaning products, organic peanut butter, organic chocolate chips, and more!
3. Horizon Organic -- Sign up on their website for free printable coupons for organic milk and butter.
4. Earth's Best Organic -- Register to print a coupon good for $1 off 10 jars of organic baby food (You may print the coupon up to three times), and $1 off any two Sesame Street Earth's Best Organic products (You may print once).
5. Stonyfield Farm -- Register for several coupons for organic milk, ice cream, and yogurt.
6. Brown Cow Farm -- Register for several printable coupons for yummy organic yogurt.
7. Earthbound Farm -- Quiz your knowledge on organic farming and you will receive a coupon (via snail mail) for Earthbound Farm's organic products.  They will usually include a newsletter which also contains coupons!

Know of a good printable coupon for organics that I forgot to add?  Leave a comment and share it with us!