Resourceful to the bone - making the most of your leftovers and stretching your food budget

Everyone is feeling the cost of food rising. If you want to save or cut down on food waste, maximizing your food is the best place to start. Packaged, processed, and convenience food might seem easier, but it is absolutely not cheaper and it is 100% not more environmentally friendly. Individually packaged shit is yikes. With the cost of everything up, now is the time to make the food go further, and resourcefulness and leftovers are the best way to win this battle. 

People have a hard time finding the time to cook from scratch. This is not surprising given that most households are running 24/7. Here's an oldie but still relevant from me: my meal prep tips for an easier life. When we do have the opportunity to cook, we've got to make sure that those meals go further - cook once, eat twice or three times. Leftovers are an absolute treasure trove of opportunities. 

Redefine “Leftovers” As “Ingredients”

What you make the first time is not how you have to consume it the second or third time. When we have a bunch of leftover vegetables, this doesn't just have to be a side dish but can be the foundation for something else completely. For example, cooked vegetables and a can of tomatoes instantly create a healthy pasta sauce. You can blend your vegetables into an amazing soup or add vegetables to a frying pan with a few beaten eggs and you've got yourself a very healthy frittata. 

Ditch the Recipe and Use What You Have

You don't need to follow recipes exactly. Substitute with what you have in your fridge/freezer/pantry and wing it. It will be edible 90% of the time, I promise. 

Make Your Dinner Your Lunch

Another amazing way to save time and money with your leftovers is to leave a bit of your main meal aside so you've got some lunch for the next day. It only requires a little bit of extra planning and you can create a week's worth of healthy lunches for work or school. Even if you've got only a tiny bit left after your main meal, cook and add more vegetables, rice, quinoa, or pasta to bulk it out. 

Have a Leftovers Night

If you have a fridge stocked with bits and bobs of leftover foods, this is a money saving opportunity. Putting all those ingredients together may seem like a recipe for something particularly nasty, but creativity is the road to deliciousness. If you've got leftover ham, rather than slapping it in a sandwich with some mustard, turn it into a delicious bean soup. There are two ways to make 15 bean soup, including a crock pot. If you're short on time, take the easier route. All you need to do is put it on in the morning before you start your day and when you're done, it's done! 

Storing Your Leftovers Better

Food lasts longer if it's packaged to store correctly. Be savvy with how you store your leftovers. Freezing any leftover vegetables in airtight containers or ziploc bags is a simple way to ensure that you are storing everything and not wasting a signal morsel of food. Certain foods don't store in the freezer very well, but when it comes to vegetables, make sure that you label and date the contents so you can take them out and cook them up before they get that horrible freezer taste. 

Make Stock and Broth With Any Scraps

Bone broth is a very trendy food item these days, but rather than paying through the nose for it from a  store, make it yourself. Because bone broth is just something that everybody's grandparents made to ensure they ate nose to tail but is also an amazing way to ensure there's more flavor in your food. It's such a simple thing to do: all you need to do is keep any leftover bones and freeze them. When you have enough, take them out of the freezer and put them in a slow cooker for 24-hours with a bit of apple cider vinegar and a few herbs and you've got an amazing broth that can be a stock for soups and can even add flavor to your scrambled eggs. Let me know if you want to talk bone broth making.

Don't Throw Your Bread Away! 

If you buy high-quality bread it can lose its freshness after a couple of days. You can freeze it, or  salvage it as a side dish. Cut the loaf in half, drizzle some olive oil onto it, rub the side with half a ripe tomato, season it with some salt and pepper, and bake it in the oven until it's warm. Enjoy with soup or by itself.

It's the little things that add up to savings. What are some ways you're stretching your grocery budget right now?

5 Practical Methods for Saving Money in 2020

Mid-week, my friends! Handing it over to Dan Cormac today. Dan knows how to make his money go further. A freelance financial journalist, he is passionate about personal finance. Whether you hope to escape the chains of debt, to save for a house, or to retire within a decade, Dan explores the most effective ways you can achieve your financial goals.
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Planning a vacation? Looking to avoid living month-to-month? Want to get on the property ladder? There are many reasons why you could be in search of ways to save money. Thankfully, there are also many methods available when it comes to retaining your hard-earned cash.

With that in mind, the following list highlights five practical tips for you to start saving money in 2020: 

1. Reduce prices with coupons

Before you make any purchase, you should always check to see if a coupon is available to reduce the price. From JCPenney coupons to voucher codes reducing transport costs, there are coupons present for most major retailers. Plus with many typically residing on the internet, it’s effortless to search for any available coupons within seconds. 

2. Shop around for the best deal

When possible, you should always be looking for ways to reduce those regular monthly bills. If you have been with an electricity or gas supplier for an extended period of time, you could make a serious saving by switching to another company. Alternatively, simply mention the idea you plan to leave. 

This could give providers the incentive to offer you a better deal than you’re currently receiving. 

This also goes for other purchases. If you see something you want to buy in a shop, don’t be too impulsive. Have a quick check on your smartphone to see if it can be found cheaper at a different retailer. 

3. Reduce your food bill 

If you regularly dine out or have local takeaways on speed dial, cutting these out is an easy start to reducing your food bill. 

In addition, your weekly shop at the supermarket can also be altered to save money. Rather than opting for your favorite food or drink brands, switch to own brands. In most cases, the taste difference will be negligible – whereas the money you save is the opposite. 

4. Don’t simply go with the cheapest option 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only going with the cheapest choice on the market. While this might work in certain situations, it can also backfire in others. Remember: it’s important that you plan for the long-term when making purchases. 

For instance, you could purchase a cheap pair of shoes that fall to pieces within a matter of weeks. Then you will need to buy another pair, and then another, and another… In the long run, all of these purchases will end up being more expensive than acquiring some good quality shoes from the start. 

5. Sell any unwanted possessions

Do you have a video game console sitting under your television gathering dust? Perhaps there are pieces of clothing in your wardrobe that have yet to lose their price tags? Or maybe you’ve fully adopted digital music and have no need for your CD’s and vinyl records? Whatever the situation, everyone owns possessions they no longer need. 

Instead of hoarding these items, sell them for extra cash. It’s easy to do this with eBay, but there are other online outlets and local listings available to shift your unwanted possessions. 

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Anything to add? 

Financial preparedness

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Money is probably the biggest source of anxiety for the vast majority of people and that's pretty understandable given that most of us simply wouldn't be able to function without it. Even when everything in life is normal and going fine, your finances will often be a little niggling worry that sits at the back of your head most of the time. But what happens when things go wrong? What about when the worst possible things happen and you're suddenly in a position when your finances have taken a really serious blow? The best thing that you can do is to try to be prepared for the unexpected. You can't always predict when something is going to go wrong, but here are a few of the most common blows to finances and how to put yourself in a better position to weather them.

Accidents

Not only can a car accident have some serious financial ramifications, but the physical and psychological consequences can be incredibly damaging and long lasting. Many of us use our cars to get to work, pick up our kids from school, see friends, run errands, get in the weekend fun, and do just about everything else in as well. That means that if you’re in a position where you're left without a car it can cause your entire life to grind to a halt. Even worse than that is the chance that you could suffer an injury from the accident. Physical injury can stop you from working as well as making everyday tasks difficult to deal with. It's a good idea to have a lawyer in mind should you need one that you can trust to help you deal with the financial problems that can result from a car accident or injury. From the guidance in how to pursue compensation to providing personalized legal representation to injury victims, there are plenty of options for getting the compensation that you need to protect your finances after an accident. Just make sure that you do your research and ask around. 

Losing your job

Losing your job can be one of the most serious financial disasters that a person can face. Ending up without your main source of income can have extremely long lasting effects on your financial situation. If you're in a position where you have a partner who can support you, that's fantastic, but by and large it would be very disruptive to the majority of households. The best thing that you can do to protect yourself from this situation is to make sure that you're putting a portion of your income every month into a savings account. I know this isn't always possible - most people I know are paycheck to paycheck or close to it, but every little bit helps. That way, in the event that you find yourself without an income for any length of time, your financial burden will be a bit easier than if you have no savings. Of course, you won't be able to live off your savings forever but at the very least it can help you to feel a bit less anxious and rushed while you're looking for a new job.

House Problems

In an ideal world, your home is your sanctuary. It should be the place where you feel the safest and most secure. That's what makes it all the more horrible if something happens to your house to disrupt that safety and security. Whether it's a robbery, flood, fire, or anything else, a household disaster can throw your entire life into total disarray. Of course the first and most important thing that you should do to protect yourself are to make sure that you have insurance that covers you in the event of any of these things, which will help mitigate the dollars leaving your wallet if something does happen. Really know and understand what policy covers what - pick up the phone and talk to your agent.You should also make sure that you get your electrical supply, pipes, heating and appliances all checked out regularly so that you don't end up with any nasty surprises. Make sure that you have somewhere that you and your family can go while any repairs are being done on your home and after that, the best thing that you can do is to try to get life back to normal as quickly as possible. The last thing you want is to let this problem have any long term effects on you or your family's quality of life.

Life is always going to throw curve balls at you, that's just the way the world works. But if you're prepared and you know how to deal with them, you can manage to get by with just a few scrapes instead of letting them knock you down fort the count. 

Tips to add?

Happy birthday to MFD, Debbie, AJ, and Griffin today! Lots of important people in my life are March 1 babies. 

How to Start Saving Money

Hello and happy Friday friends. I'm working from the shore today which is by far my favorite way to work on a Friday even though I don't do it too often. 

Since I don't regularly do finance stuff, here are some tips from James Daniels, a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.

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A few little lifestyle changes can make a dramatic difference to your bank balance over time. You simply need to look for opportunities to cut back expenditure so that you can enjoy more financial security. If you’re unsure where to start, read our tips on how to start saving money.

Buy Discounted Products

Instead of buying all your groceries at the same store, visit different smaller stores to take advantage of the many different offers and savings. You could save a considerable amount of money on products each week, which can result in big savings over the course of a year. Also, consider shopping online, so you aren’t tempted to invest in food or items you don’t really want or need.

Prepare Your Meals

Don’t be tempted to order a takeout after a long day, and instead prepare your meals in advance to ensure you return home to a delicious, affordable, home-cooked meal each day. Not only will it prevent you from wasting cash on unhealthy food, but you won’t waste food unnecessarily, which is the biggest way households can lose money.

Turn Off Household Appliances

Stop wasting money today by turning off any appliances that are not in use. It’s an effective way to reduce your electricity bills while improving your carbon footprint. So, stop filling the kettle to the top when making one cup of coffee, and only run a dishwasher once it’s fully-loaded. Turn off your phone chargers, TVs and lighting, and enjoy smaller bills and a bigger bank balance.

Buy a Used Car

Why waste money on a brand-new car when you could buy a second-hand vehicle that is just as reliable? Make a smaller down payment or invest in a lease option to reduce your expenditure and monthly repayments. There are many stylish used cars available on the market, such as the Mercedes-Benz C Class.

Browse the Market for a Better Deal

The internet has made it easier than ever before to browse the market for the best deal online for a mortgage, car insurance provider or bank. You should therefore shop around online to discover the best deal for your budget. There are many great comparison websites available online to help you compare providers. Your existing provider might also be willing to offer a better deal once you show them the better quotations you’ve discovered online.

Use Promo CodesA few little lifestyle changes can make a dramatic difference to your bank balance over time. You simply need to look for opportunities to cut back expenditure so that you can enjoy more financial security. If you’re unsure where to start, read our tips on how to start saving money.

Buy Discounted Products

Instead of buying all your groceries at the same store, visit different smaller stores to take advantage of the many different offers and savings. You could save a considerable amount of money on products each week, which can result in big savings over the course of a year. Also, consider shopping online, so you aren’t tempted to invest in food or items you don’t really want or need.

Prepare Your Meals

Don’t be tempted to order a takeout after a long day, and instead prepare your meals in advance to ensure you return home to a delicious, affordable, home-cooked meal each day. Not only will it prevent you from wasting cash on unhealthy food, but you won’t waste food unnecessarily, which is the biggest way households can lose money.

Turn Off Household Appliances

Stop wasting money today by turning off any appliances that are not in use. It’s an effective way to reduce your electricity bills while improving your carbon footprint. So, stop filling the kettle to the top when making one cup of coffee, and only run a dishwasher once it’s fully-loaded. Turn off your phone chargers, TVs and lighting, and enjoy smaller bills and a bigger bank balance.

Buy a Used Car

Why waste money on a brand-new car when you could buy a second-hand vehicle that is just as reliable? Make a smaller down payment or invest in a lease option to reduce your expenditure and monthly repayments. There are many stylish used cars available on the market, such as the Mercedes-Benz C Class.

Browse the Market for a Better Deal

The internet has made it easier than ever before to browse the market for the best deal online for a mortgage, car insurance provider or bank. You should therefore shop around online to discover the best deal for your budget. There are many great comparison websites available online to help you compare providers. Your existing provider might also be willing to offer a better deal once you show them the better quotations you’ve discovered online.

Use Promo Codes

Another benefit of the world wide web is easy access to the plethora of promo codes available. Browse Google to discover the best websites for great discount codes that could help you shave a significant amount off a product or service’s RRP. You can then add the money saved directly into your savings account, which can be used towards a rainy-day fund, home improvement project, wedding or a dream holiday.

Have you made any changes to reduce your outgoings? Know any top tips to saving money? Feel free to share your helpful advice and stories in the comment section below.

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And there you have it. Tips from you? 

About that Dollar Shave Club

My mom brought me this Chi-Chi's sombrero from  her attic last night. RIP Chi-Chi's.

Update 11/13/17 - We no longer use the Dollar Shave Club monthly service because they are advertising on Sean Hannity's program and we do not support programs who provide shelter to pedophiles like Roy Moore. I placed an order with Dorco and that's how we'll go forward. 

Let me start by saying Tuesday sucks. And also that I was not compensated for this post or given a free product to try and review. I'm just passing what I consider to be a good deal on to you, dear readers.

I saw a blog post on a 'lil hoohaa about the Dollar Shave Club in December. What a genius idea for a stocking stuffer! I promptly signed MFD up. Mail fail - it came, I didn't squirrel it away, and I am into instant gratification so I said open it now! He's been using the razor blades for a month and likes them better than his former razors. Can I take a minute to say that I love that I have a husband who will play along with my desired blog photos?

Anyway...I typically buy Venus to the tune of $12+ per package and MFD uses Schick for $14+ per package. Buying razors always makes me mad because that's freaking highway robbery but if one does not want to walk around like a hairy Sasquatch it's a necessary expense. Could I use cheaper ones? I could. I could also shave my legs with a cheese grater. As I was saying...

Dollar Shave Club offers packages for $1/month, $6/month, or $9 for month. I chose the $6/month package for MFD. The initial package includes the razor and four blades, and four new blades arrive via mail every month. It's marketed towards men, but it's a great deal for women too. I thought let me get in on that, and bought a one off razor and pack of cartridges for myself. I'll just steal one of his or order another set to arrive with his monthly order whenever I'm running out. The razors are good and do what razors should do.

MFD's razor expenses went from $14/month down to $6/month, a savings of $96/year. I only buy cartridges every other month, so I went from $72/year to $36/year for an overall razor savings of $132/year. I love cutting costs like a boss wherever I can, especially if the product performs well at the lower price point.

If you want to save some cash, give Dollar Shave Club a try. I also learned that you can buy blades direct from Dorco USA, which supplies Dollar Shave Club, and if you buy in bulk you can save more - 6 packs of four blade razors for $28, free shipping over $25. So you can save $8 more over a period of six months if you choose. I will never remember when we're out, so I'm sticking with a monthly delivery from Dollar Shave Club that requires no thought or action from me.

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Haikuesday:

Razors. You need them.

Dollar Shave Club saves you cash.

Use it to buy shoes.

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I thought this was a good savings opportunity to pass on - every little bit counts, right?