Shalom brothers and sisters,

I have started this topic to get some ideas about living on a tight budget. I know you have some great ideas, so please, share! We could also share recipes.

I have one:

Make menus for the week ahead.
Plan out what you are going to make each day for the meals, and then make a list of what you need. That way you can get everything you need to make the meals in one visit to the grocery store. You don't have to go back over and over again.

I also make more than we will eat, so I have leftovers.

Todah,

angeL

I've started making all our bread which is a real savings, and actually not a lot of work. I start it the night before. Still working on getting the 100% whole wheat 'light and fluffy' but already saving money. Yogurt is also easy to make.



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"Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy Name. The righteous shall compass me about, for thou shalt deal bountifully with me."

Bread is so expensive, especially good bread. So you're not only saving money Laura you're giving your family healthier food! A friend told me to buy my yeast in bulk and keep it in the fridge, and that will make the bread even cheaper.

I like the idea of planning meals out a week ahead, I really need to start doing that. They say, when you go to the store, each time you end up buying a lot of things you don't really need, so the less times you go, the better. Staying home more also saves on Gas, which as we all know, is outrageous now.

I have also started making my own mixes, like pancake, bisquick type mixes, hot chocolate...and putting them in a big container.

We almost always buy the store brand instead of a name brand. We also buy marked down meat and bakery stuff.

Nancy

Shalom Angel:
I agree with your post however, I struggle because of some health issues and my schedule changes day to day and week to week. Also, my husband Yochanan has been having to stay home instead of going with me when I go to work because there is no bathroom available for him to use because of remodeling. It is very hard for him to stand very long to prepare any left overs and it is more dificult for him to carry a full plate of food. We try really hard as far as a budget to plan according to my schedule, but some weeks we don't have enough to budget so we do as we can. I would be more than happy to share some recipes with others. One thing that usually lasts for at least 2 servings for us is egg rools. I usually find some inexpensive meat, usually chicken or turkey and cook it with onions and some kind of marinate. The package of egg roll wraps we get usually contains 20 so we have enough for a couple of meals. Thanks again and Yahweh bless.
Tahar

We like egg rolls too Tahar. I usually brown up some chicken or ground turkey, then add chopped celery, carrots, and cabbage, wrap it all up and eat it. The kids love them. And they are a treat and not too expensive. Do you fry yours or bake them?

I probably already said this in another thread, but one of the best books on saving money is "The Complete Tightwad Gazette." It's a big, thick book of unbelievable ideas on how to save money. I need to get mine back out and go through it again.

The Complete Tightwad gazette is where I got my yogurt making instructions from years ago. One thing I remember is her idea to make jumpropes out of bread bags! This must have been written before decluttering became so popular!

On the subject of bread, the method I'm using uses way less yeast too, which is good for my health and tastes better. If anyone's interested, I'll posted instructions.

I don't plan meals because I don't really make anything interesting! We buy whatever meats the cheapest (and still decent looking) and go with that. I'm also cutting down a little on the amount of meat at dinner, not going with meatless meals, but just a smaller 'chunk' of meat. I know lentils would be cheaper and would be closer to how people ate in Israel, but I don't feel up to trying to get my kids to eat them right now. I'll be glad when my husband gets a fishing license and we can afford to eat fish, and know where it's coming from. We were at Walmart (!) and they had Tilapia really cheap, then I looked at the package and it was from China and packaged with carbon monoxide. I just couldn't buy it.
Nice to chat with y'all. Laura





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"Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy Name. The righteous shall compass me about, for thou shalt deal bountifully with me."

Shalom everyone,

Thanks for your ideas. We have some really great ones already.

I also make my own bread, I use a bread machine and haven't bought any bread from the store in a while. I use king arthur flour all natural white whole wheat flour, I mix it with the whole wheat flour (1 1/2c white, 1 3/4c whole wheat) and I have found that makes the bread alot "lighter." I also tried to make my own pizza dough, although I have trouble getting it rolled out! Got any hints about that?

Can you get that book, "the complete tightwad gazzette", on amazon?

I re-use our plastic grocery store bags as garbage bags, and just to carry things if I have a load of stuff, like for a picnic. When my daughter was in summer day camp I used to use those bags for her to put her swim suits in so the rest of her stuff wouldn't get wet in the backpack. I have even read an article about using grocery store bags for cheap kites, just tie the string on the handles and let it fly!

I have bought those string bags from health food stores to carry my groceries to and from the car. More and more stores are now selling re-usable heavy duty plastic bags (they look like plastic versions of the paper bags) with the store logo on them, you can re-use those, too. I think it is a tov idea to take care of the environment and being a tov steward of YAHUAH's creation is to "re-cycle" as much as possible. They have been using them in europe for years. They really hold alot and you can use them for almost anything that you would use a plastic grocery bag for.

Here are a couple of links:

http://www.freesetbags.com/

http://www.ecobags.com/Our_Products/Our-Classic-String-ECOBAG

Shalom,

angeL

Justfreestuff.com From this link you can sign up for tons of free things. I have done this for about a year now and the free things you can receive in the mail is endless. Wal-Mart also has a site for free samples of different things that they will mail you.
In the year that I have been receiving these from different companies, I have filled a big box with all kinds of samples they send. Shampoos, toothpastes, shaving creams, medicines, foods, cook books, coffee, teas. The list goes on and on. Plus, I receive coupons for lots of free things, or 2-3 dollars off.
My dog and cats receive all different kinds of samples too.
From this one link that I posted, you can find all different sites that have free things to send.
The cashiers at the store where I shop, have all ask me where do I get all the coupons I come in with. And I give them the links also.
My biggest savings that I can think of was 18.00 by using the coupons I printed from these sites.
I spend about 30 minutes every morning looking at these sites, checking over the list of free things that will be mailed to you free of cost.
There is hardly a day goes by that I don't receive something free in the mail.
The mail man told me he has a special crate for me, to put all my free stuff in that he delivers.
My husband has stopped buying razors, cause I get them free all the time.
I send free things to my daughters and grandchildren all the time. The childrens section in some of the sites are really cool.
Have fun on these sites.
Oh by the way, if you have a e-mail account that you use for junk, then I would advise you to use it, cause these sites ask for a e-mail address, and then they mail you all kinds of things. If you don't have a "junk e-mail account" start one. If not, you'll see what I mean.... : )

Wow, those are some really good ideas.

There's always the obvious stuff...buying things at yard sales or thrift stores instead of buying new. If someone says they have some things to get rid of, and would I be interested, I almost never say no...I figure I can always bring it to goodwill if it's nothing I can use.

We have chickens, and they are great garbage disposals. We don't waste ANY food here. If the dogs won't eat it, the chickens will. Sometimes the sheep will too! And we can always throw it into the compost pile.

Nancy

Shalom all

My favorites:

http://www.freecycle.org/
in most major cities.
It is a site for free stuff to give away. I have given a few things and it is such a blessing to find someone who needs things I don't need but are still in good condition.

and
http://www.debtproofliving.com/
wonderful tips for saving money, living on a budget and just about everything else for everday living

shalom ladies!

Thanks Angel for the "living on a budget" post.

Nancy B your absolutely correct...I also find tov things at the Goodwill, thrift shops and yard sales. Just recently I've been on the hunt for linen...I usually find large dresses that are linen and cut them into a skirt or find linen table cloths and make something with that. Linen is just to expensive to buy. If I had a shopping partner I'd have a blast of a time girl shopping. smiles

Thanks for all your ideas, there great. On shabbats, I do also make egg rolls they have been part of our weekly food for years. I find it best on shabbats to make bean dip, salsa dip, cold sandwiches, cut fruits, some, raw veggies cuts. I'm still trying to search for more cold foods that you don't have to heat up.

shabbats are our favorite time of the week! So thanks again ladies for the inputs
there a blessing.

shalom and love
hanna

Does anyone have any good recipes for zucchini bread ? We have zucchini's coming out of our ears lol and so I thought we'd turn them into bread and sell some.
These zucchini's are different then the normal small size. They are very big, and dark green and very good. Every day I include them in our meals, and have came up with some interesting ideas. Today I made stuffed zucchini's and I amazed myself, how good they was, and as big as they are, one half will feed my husband and I.

Shalom everyone!

We have some really great ideas, thanks!

Yahs Lamb, could you share the recipe for the stuffed zuch with us, please?
I would like to make that!

I am a big thrift store and yard sale shopper! I have brought up my child to accept clothing from there. I know many people whose children wouldn't consider stepping foot in a thrift store, let alone wearing clothes from one. I have bought most of our clothes from thrift stores and yard sales, you can always find the most amazing stuff (many things besides clothes, too)!

Hanna, have you tried tuna salad or chicken salad?

Thanks for the links, too!

Have a blessed shabbat!

angeL

I would be happy to share that recipe for stuffed zucchini with you.
Please remember, the zucchini's I used are not the normal small size. They are large zucchini's. You may have to adjust to the size of your zucchini's.

2- chicken flavored bouillon cubes boiled in 2 cups of water.
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon of ground sage
1 cup of seasoned croutons
1 medium tomato chopped
1/2 onion chopped
4 teaspoons of butter
insides of zucchini, chopped

wash zucchini and slice length ways in half. Hollow out the zucchini, leaving only
a small amount of zucchini.
Cook all the above except for the croutons and butter.
Once the onion, zucchini, and tomato, have softened, (about 3-5 minutes) turn stove off.
Add croutons and stir in and let set for about 2 minutes
In the bottom of hollowed zucchini, cut butter into small chunks, then add your crouton mixture. Save one teaspoon of the butter to lay on top of the crouton mixture. Press it lightly on top, and your ready for the oven.
Place your stuffed zucchini's in a cake pan and fill with 1/2 inch of boiling water on bottom Cook at 400 for 10 minutes, or until the top of mixture is brown. Cover with foil and cook another 5 minutes, to allow the zucchini to cook as well.

I did not add any salt because of the bouillon cubes is salty enough for our taste. You may want to adjust this if you like more of a salty taste.