Tip: if your kids are going to eat sweets anyway, make a 9 X 13 cake, brownies, or banana bread rather than wrapped individual sweet snacks and cookies. That will do for snacks for several days.
That's what I do - even if you use a box mix, it's still cheaper than buying all the pre-made sweets. Making them yourself is cheaper and makes you think a bit more about whether you really want them and how fast you eat them.
I get brownie mix from dollar tree and my kids love it. Cheaper than the same thing at the supermarket like two bucks cheaper. Also chocolate chip muffins from scratch.
My kids adore whenever I make her no knead crusty bread! It uses barely any ingredients, takes little effort (just time to let the dough sit), and tastes so fantastic you can actually eat it without butter!?!
Julia Pacheco also makes videos such as "How to eat for $1 a day" Thankfully I can afford more than that, but the recipes look so good that I am wanting to try them
We are a family of 7 and I can make dinner for us all for $15 or less and we usually have leftovers. Not always exciting but we are well fed and happy.
You can have treats on a budget. Make muffins, cookies, popcorn. I follow Christine ( and I’m plant based ) she offers good ideas and has a good personality.
Great video! One thing we do is buy ground chicken, pork, and turkey in bulk and cook it before freezing it. We divide it into zipper bags by the pound. This saves so much time when we are cooking!
I actually scored 95% ground beef in the butchers clearance @ $1.99 per pound each (they needed to be sold by that day)!! I bought 15 of them and went home and put most in the freezer! Some of it I browned ahead and vacu-sealed them for convenience. Never would have looked in that section if it weren't for @frugalfitmom!
Great moves! I think cooking and then freezing is a fantastic tactic. Put cooked pounds of taco meat in quart freezer bags and flatten them so you can stack them. Label with contents and a date. You can freeze smaller amounts and combine them with black beans or mushrooms when you heat them up to stretch the batch, save money, and amp up the nutrition.
Basic cooking skills are essential but the most important factor is making time to cook at home. A lot of people eat out or order food delivery simply because they're "too busy" to cook. Learning how to food prep like a chef makes it possible to just throw together a quick meal and it's a good skill to teach your kids!
I bulk prep once in 2 weeks Usually btw 9pm -12 midnight Then I have a meal plan for the week The only meal we eat that's not cooked is bread and cereals
The irony is between driving each way to pick up food and wairing for it to be done, it's often not even faster to get takeout than to cook a simple meal at home!
I meal prep my lunches & dinners on Sunday night. Cheaper, easy, and I know what's in my food. It's a couple hours of work one night so all I have to do is re-heat throughout the week.
We went to McDonalds the other day because someone gave us a giftcard (we haven't been in YEARS). I was shocked in feeding my family of 5 it cost us $50. Thank you for this video. We are on baby step 2 and this was so helpful.
We drink a moderate amount of homemade tea. I can keep an eye on sugar intake and also tea bags aren't that expensive. You don't have to make it as strong as the box tells you to. For 6 people we go through one family size box of tea (quart size tea bags) every 3 weeks. A whole lot cheaper than pop.😊
It depends on where you go and what you get. I don't eat fast food often, but when I go to McDonalds I can get a full meal for $6.44 including tax. I use the app which gets me a free medium fry just by spending $2, a McDouble which is a double cheeseburger but with 1 slice of cheese instead of two and is 30cents cheaper, and then a medium drink. I can sometimes save even more money depending on the deals available
Thanks so much to you both. One thing I struggle with though is I don’t like to support the factory farms by buying cheap meat and eggs. The local farms are being out out of business so I will pay more for better meat and eggs.
I watch you both all the time!! Love seeing you together!! Side note: not all beef is grass fed. We raise beef, as do many of our neighbors and friends. Some steers are totally corn and grain fed. 🤷♀️ Keep all the money saving tips coming!! Thank you!!
Interesting! In my area (tons of family owned ranchers) let their cows graze in fields for the first 12 months of their life before supplementing with grain and corn.
I couldn’t agree more! I am watching your show from Poland (here the food to income ratio is much higher than in USA!) and all the stuff you are telling about is like "normal life stuff" here for most of the ppl and it is so true! We do not have any coupons unfortunately because I know 95% of all polish moms would just take advantage of it and the system would shortly collapse 😂😂😂 but for sure you can find HEALTHY food on sales or in regular low prices in small discount shops. And for the record: although I can - I hate to cook at home. Therefore, most of the dinners are being cooked by my husband. But only in this way we are 100% sure what we eat, and we can control it. I can't imagine ordering food 6 days/week. For us it would be insane! I am sure that everyone can do that. If you are busy, JUST PLAN FOR NEXT DAYS, WEEKS! great episode, thank you and greetings from Poland!
This is awesome, it can be done. We have been doing it for years. You have to change your habits and planning really helps. Sales, marked down items and even shopping for noodles at the dollar tree saves money.
I only drink water - I hate soda - my hubby normally drinks water or iced tea (that we now brew at home) with the rare diet soda. I LOVE Christine - I follow both her channels and try to put some of her ideas into play in our life. Thank goodness for her cooking / shopping tips - they totally work!!
Love Frugal Fit Mom! She’s hilarious 😆! Her shows are so interesting and fun…. She’s one of my very favorites! Along with you Rachel and Dave and George! 😂 You guys are helping so many people…. ❤
when my kids were still at home, I planned out our menu for the month each month. I'd buy 20lbs of chicken when it was on sale and freeze it. The key is to have a freezer and plan ahead. If you don't know what is for dinner tonight when it's already 6pm, you'll do the quick/easy option instead of the inexpensive and healthy.
I have another tip. Find out when things get reduced and shop then. For example, the 30% and 40% off stickers appear on the meats on Saturday morning, so I am there at 8 am. Another store, they reduce produce by 9 am, so I go there afterwards.
I stopped drinking pop a few years ago and randomly saw a 24 pack at Walmart the other day for $13 and I almost fell over. So expensive and not even good for us
Great tips! I love stocking up fruits & veggies (in season) from my local farmer’s market & freeze them. I recently got 2 packages of strawberries (the average size 1lb) for $1 each! I’ll be racking up on more berries & fruit this season.
I just found Frugal Fit Mom and Mindy Mom. It’s just my husband and I at home now but I definitely listened to all the tips and got great menu and recipe ideas.
Loved it! All cows aren’t grass fed though. There is a difference between grass fed and grass finished, but those are both different categories than cows that are given feed.
Talk to a farmer or rancher, please. Nursing calves and weaned calves graze on grass alongside their mamas. During the winter our cattle are fed cut/baled hay. Depending on the situation, steers are sent to a local family feedlot for finishing. They are fed a ration (mixture of hay, straw, corn, and maybe sileage). Even that ration is only about 25-30% ground corn. Finishing takes about 60 days. The corn in the ration gives meat and steaks marbling. Calves can either be grass finished or grain finished.
I am a truck driver and I have picked up grocery items and delivered to stores. Your major brands also make the store brands for Walmart and major grocery stores.
It's unbelievable to me just how many people cannot cook! I'm talking, just the basics. My 35 year old son lives with me, and I'm 70. We lived in a Central Florida suburb for 10 years, even then, we rarely ate out, and groceries were less expensive, but I grew a $1,000 sq ft garden and kept a backyard flock of 4 laying hens. The more you can grow yourself, buy on sale, or forage to put up and stock for later, the better you can feed your family. Buy a canner and a good dehydrator and USE them. I worked full time back then, but just buying a 25 lb case of tomatoes when they were on sale and either canning them or making sauce and canning that, puts you ahead. No preservatives, no God only knows what else in there, either! I planted pineapples that I started in the front and back yard, grew berries, went to U-Pick farms and foraged wild fruits, but you don't have to go quite that far if you don't need to. At the very least, you can buy the big, industrial size cans of fruit, and re-can it into smaller, more family friendly jars. I also buy meat in large pieces (an entire sirloin, for instance), grind it at home with my Kitchenaid metal meat grinder attachment, vacu-seal it into one-pound packs and freeze it. Back then, we were hit with several hurricanes that would take the electric down for weeks - I've always had a gas stove (and a propane buner), so instead of losing all my stored meats,, I'd can it as it thawed. Gonna be hot anyways - might as well pressure can and save my frozen food. Now for that dehydrator - Every week, without fail, remove every green pepper, celery stalk or hot pepper; check you pantry for onions that won't last very long, and other things that can be dehydrated. That bunch of basil, celantro, or other fresh herbs that's only going to mold in the crisper, and dehydrate them and store them in jars - You'd be surprised at how much money you'll save. Got mixed veg, peas or corn in the freezer that's going to freezer burn? Dehydrate it! Potatoes, cabbage or carrots that won't last more than another week? Thing slice and dehydrate them, and learn how to cook with them! Bottom line, so much food is wasted and so much can be done (even if you're a single parent and work full time!!) to save it and save you money!
Wow, I love everything you mentioned. The hurricane situation is a fantastic example of how to save your food. I was very concerned when things went downhill and stocked up my freezer in my garage, 2020/21. However. I didn't realize after it was finally filled and organized that the plug loosened when I ran a cart over the cord. I didn't see this and didn't check for awhile bc my home freezer/frig was full. I was DEVASTATED to see all that food go to waste! 😮😢😢And to rebuild with this economy is outrageous and will take me a while to replace. ( Job insecurities, single) Losing that meat, poultry and all the food reminded me of a blogger speaking of dehydrating & canning because she lost food from outages in her state. So I bought ALL the things. Canner/ water-bath and dehydrator. I love dehydrating foods but I do believe one needs to learn how to cook with these foods because they are not the same in taste to me. Not bad but different. Btw, my first attempt at canning was a failure. The lids were fine initially but lifted within a week. It really threw me . I now have a fear of messing up. Even watching videos. I need to try again. I stock up but really need to get back into canning. I had a small garden and it turned out great. This year I'm going to go bigger. I don't have land but a small lot to work with and I can't wait to see what happens this year. Thanks again for the motivation 😊 After all that.... Question: How do you go about your frozen fruits to dehydrate? Thaw them to room temperature? Thank you in advance
In our home i love making ice tea (no sugar). 48 count tea bags($5.48 walmart brand), i use 3 bags per 1/2 gallon. It comes to .34 cents per 1/2 gallon. Plus the antioxidants from the tea. And oh so yummy refreshing. If you find herbal teas on sale replace a couple herbal bags in with the black tea. Oh super yummy and brings diversity and no calories ❤🎉🎉
I’ve actually been able to get more convenience foods in my life due to shopping with her method! I get them half off at Aldi or on clearance at H‑E‑B and it has been a game changer! We hardly ever go out to eat now because we always have something we can make quick if needed. I love frugal fit mom! By convenience I mean quick easy meals like the frozen lasagnas, not junk food haha.
Just made salad with two very small hand fulls of grape tomatoes from Alid $1.49 for container and didn't all of them. A green onion from the garden was put in too. Then I had one green pepper needing used from Aldi .99. A little mayo was put in there too. One cucumber for .65 cents was added. Also, had small pieces of celery 1.69 Aldi needing used. This filled an entire bowl! Inexpensive, filling and nutritious. Making pork chops 1.89 lb.for four of them. Close to 10 bucks because we only used some of it. Love fresh onions from garden. Inions, hreen beans, cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes so easy to grow.
And this can be a lunch too if you add mayo and chicken or tuna and mix it all up. The mayo and meat makes it stretch ❤Serve it on bread for sandwiches 🥪 or with pasta 🍲 or rice🍚 ❤.
i think the issue is people don't want to be frugal and/or they don't want to put the work in to save money, i.e. clip coupons, buy when only on sale, buy in bulk etc. I am guilty of this once in a while, but my wife is really really good at being frugal.
My homemade lunches I make for work cost me only $39 every 2 weeks. I don’t eat out at all and I make a lot of great lunches like cold cut sandwiches and veal parm sandwiches 🙂
I love that these two are friends. It’s such a good RUclips collab, and then to be actual friends is my dream come true lol 🤩 now I just need to know that Dave Ramsey and my pastor are friends and I’ll believe all is right in the world 🎉
To improve your cooking skills when you are a busy mom on a tight budget and not much time is tough. But the more you do something, the easier it gets. It is best to work on one thing at a time, and when trying something new, do it on a day where you have more time and not have to try to get supper on the table after a stressful day. One thing I have found that even today's prices, basic ingredients are far cheaper than more processed foods. But you can pre-make foods in a batch or just double receipe and freeze half. FOr example, if you are making a cassarole, it really doesn't take hardly any time to make two, cook one now and freeze one. You can use dispable aluminum pans or just line a baking dish with a few layers of foil, vreeze, then pop out of the dish and wrap up and pop in a freezer bag. Of course, you will have to allow for more cooking time if you dont have time to thaw before heating, but at least you don't have to deal with the prep and cleanup but once. It will be cheaper and better quality and more healthy because of less food additives than the ready made option at the store.
Ice tea in a pitcher…maybe a splash of lemon or orange….the only beverage ( other than h2o) at my house, coffee made via drip for no waste for me in the morning with no sugar or milk…just black. Hot tea ,clear, in cold weather are my families beverages. Learn to make salad dressing…oatmeal can have cheap spices ( cinnamon) add a peanut butter toast from marked down or frozen leftover bread. chili and curry can have so many leftovers added and served on rice. Home made corn bread &white bread can stretch a meal. Eggs for dinner…egg salad, deviled eggs and omelette….baked potato, onion soup…this is the sort of dinner my family lives on…of course basic cooking skills are needed..but I can feed a family of 3 for 50$ or less a week with ideas like this.
I went to McDonald's and purchased 1, ONE deluxe meal medium fries and drink for $11.53 ! OH MY WORD ! I savored those fries at that price. I can not imagine taking a family to eat out. And yes, that $11.53 would be at least 2 separate meals with around 4 portions so I would be able to have food for several days. Thanks to Christine my first stop at the grocery store is the clearance area.
We love our Pampered Chef shelf-style air fryer. The oven-looking shelf-style is so versatile. Also, look for one with rotisserie option. PC's has that last I knew.
Love frugal fit moms budget meals and grocery haul videos! Eating out is so expensive! Looking reduce drive thru as I go through receipts for taxes and budget purposes. I love soups and crockpot meals. Chicken and hamburger go along way!
I'm committed to buying small farm proteins as much as possible. It is a cost I am willing and proud to support. If I had a large family, perhaps I would change and buy more of the national commercial brands for pricing sakes; but I am not sure --- I could also just make meat 1 or 2x a week instead (e.g. a local/organic chicken soup on a Sunday one week, hamburger or steaks the following Sunday, etc.).
I like make your own version of restaurant food for these reasons 1) we can involve kids in the process 2) we can make subtle changes, to add different flavors 3) it is super healthy because I know what is going in 4) it is very cheap 10-20 % percentage of what it would cost in a restaurant. We still like to eat in the restaurants but over the last 6 months we started liking the home made version much more(both my kids love the home made vesion). Basically by doing both the kids are able to see the difference between home-made vs restaurant-made. To me this is the most important thing, we are teaching kids that best versions are the home made versions. We have a small farm, what is even better is to grow some of our vegetables on our own.
Our tv news ran a story when extra SNAP benefits were being cut. The mom was complaining but they showed her family eating dinner and they were having adult size lunchables. Those things are $5-6 each!!! People really need to learn to cook. We’re missing the mark in schools by not teaching life skills.
I love this! This is EXACTLY how I shop! (Even at Fred Meyer) I used to work for Costco, and my coworkers were appalled that I didn't buy many groceries thee.
Great show! I'll have to check out the frugal fit mom! I always use the Fred Meyer/Kroger digital coupons when shopping, and when I combine with the senior discount once a month, I save even more!
I am hypersensitive to dehydration and electrolyte deficiency, so during the summer I drink coconut water and lemonade. Other than that, it's water and tea for us. A month's worth of tea is about $5.
Vons recently had 10 cans for $5, with a $5 cupón with any purchase. And another week they had 5 for $10, on PB, Mayo, Tuna, Frozen bags of veggies, sour cream, and cottage cheese. And the same $5 off any purchase. I stocked up on my pantry items!
My issue with shopping at Walmart, besides supporting a not-great company, is their Great Value brand usually sneaks all kinds of preservatives into their food. Look at the labels and compare them against name brands or even other store brands. It's shocking! Yeah, it's cheaper, but at what cost to your body and health? Thanks, I'll pass. Agreed, though, that you can feed people on far less by preparing your food at home and having leftovers versus a dinner out. This method applies to singles too, who often complain it's cheaper to eat out. Yeah, right. I've been single for decades and can make countless more meals for the price of one dinner out, even excluding alcohol or regular drinks. Plus, my food is far healthier.
I had to start out even MORE basic than BASIC cooking skills lol. Fresh fruits and veggies that don't need cooked but do need washed and chopped. Fresh salads with fixings. Etc. All still can be done on the cheap. Cheeses and deli meats on sale.
Some foods are already frozen and then defrosted when put on the shelves, so just be knowledgeable of what already was frozen before saving it for later at home!
I eat mostly plant-based because it keeps me healthy - I'm a 70 y.o. former migraine sufferer. If I eat meat now - which I did as an experiment, I get a headache and feel queasy the next day. But having said all that, I can eat for $40-60 over 2 weeks if I shop at either Grocery Outlet or Trader Joe's and make my meals from scratch.
Another thing that will keep you out of restaurants and away from junk food is lots of food sensitivities. It's just safer and easier to fix it yourself and not have to look at every ingredient list to make sure it's something I can have. (my friends are amazed at some of the things I've made)
A happy medium between cooking & eating out is the deli/ grab & go areas of most major grocery stores. While it is more expensive than cooking it is usually still cheaper than eating out. A nice option for "those days" that are bound to happen.
What can break the bank is how many neighbor kids hang out at your house! I just finished keeping my grands in their house while their parents were on a trip and there are two of them, but three neighbor kids hang out at their house - they were like locusts! It's also obvious that these two charming women don't yet have teenage boys - LOL!
I only buy most chips when they are on super discount at Shaw's which is Albertsons in some areas or known as other stores in other areas. I get them for as low as $1.77 or $1.47 a bag. Like you though, I stick up on the sale meats when they are at a super low price. I definitely shops several stores based on prices, but I can do that since they are all pretty close to each other.
Yes, it’s definitely more affordable to eat at home, but some people are working double and triple shifts to pay off debt and is time consuming. It’s great to stick to a budget though. Also, it’s nice to go out to dinner a couple times a week for a break here and there. Find the right restaurants and their nightly specials. We have a place around here that every Monday night is all you can eat pasta for $1.99 . Add a meatball and a sausage and it’s $5.00 for the meal. Also We have a taco place , buy 2 tacos get one free. $16.00 for 2 of us to eat. Another place has fresh chicken , rice , etc. $11.00 can feed one person 2 to 3 times. Yes I believe in cooking at home but life does get busy in reality and I’m never home
Pick 2 or 3 grocery stores download the apps to clip coupons and note the sales, download cash back apps like Ibotta and Fetch and stack the savings. I do the homework while I’m in bed or watching TV so it doesn’t feel like a chore, and then I allow myself $50 budget for the grocery store in a week, for family of 3. Costco is a treat!!! So I set $100 plus any leftover from the regular grocery budget to splurge a bit. Cook around the sales, buy meat on sale and freeze the leftover meat for future. For example, we make Carnitas and homemade salsa and tortillas and 3 pounds of meat will last for a week when rehashed with other items in the freezer and pantry to make up for extra sides. I will freeze the tortillas and carnitas when we get tired of it to eat for a future time. Fruits can be frozen to make into compote and smoothies if purchased in bulk on sale. Also make a visual inventory of your freezer and pantry and you will be amazed at so many items that have been forgotten. Get in the habit and rotating those items out.
Air fryer is so with it. Not the basket type, get the trays with Rotisserie, etc. Some also have convection with them. We use it simultaneously with another dish. We all love having it. Reheat pizza etc and out tastes so fresh. Delicious!
@carlaritchie331 I use it along with the oven. Or if I actually want it crispy without drying in oil and can't get that in the oven. I do have a double oven and it cuts my meal time prep in half. Same with my pressure cooker. Example, I did ribs in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes, already seasoned. Broiled in the oven to char the bbq sauce, plantains roasted with butter in the air fryer and boiled eggs for deviled eggs in the pressure for 4 minutes add a salad. On the table in less than 40 minutes. Chicken wings in the air fryer, toss in butter and sauce in a bowl, 5 more mins in the air fryer.... delish. It saves time when you really don't have it, it doesn't heat the big oven for a medium portion of food, etc etc. We love having it.
Tip: if your kids are going to eat sweets anyway, make a 9 X 13 cake, brownies, or banana bread rather than wrapped individual sweet snacks and cookies. That will do for snacks for several days.
That's what I do - even if you use a box mix, it's still cheaper than buying all the pre-made sweets. Making them yourself is cheaper and makes you think a bit more about whether you really want them and how fast you eat them.
And they taste better
I get brownie mix from dollar tree and my kids love it. Cheaper than the same thing at the supermarket like two bucks cheaper. Also chocolate chip muffins from scratch.
@@anastasiya8314watch the outdate at dollar tree
Throw the minimal mom in and you have my three favourite ladies on RUclips!
absolutely!
🎉yes! Same here!!!❤
Yesss ❤
She has a few videos with her! I love her too!
AGREED!
Thank you so much for having me on the show, Rachel! I love chatting with you. :)
I enjoyed your interview with Rachel! Thank you for sharing how you make it all work for your family.
I absolutely love your channel!!
My mom was frugal but not intentionally
Love this episode and I'm excited to check out your channel now!
You’re the reason I’m watching. You rock!
Denial is not just a river in Egypt! Those who say that eating out costs less that feeding a family at home have clearly never done so consistently xx
I think part of peoples surprise is also they arent used to a normal portion size.
I love frugal fit mom! I swear her videos saved my husband and I when we were barely scrapping by financially. ❤
Same! Love her!!! I watch her video's all the time.
My kids adore whenever I make her no knead crusty bread! It uses barely any ingredients, takes little effort (just time to let the dough sit), and tastes so fantastic you can actually eat it without butter!?!
Julia Pacheco also makes videos such as "How to eat for $1 a day"
Thankfully I can afford more than that, but the recipes look so good that I am wanting to try them
Her videos are amazing. She has kept so many struggling families from going hungry. ❤
We are a family of 7 and I can make dinner for us all for $15 or less and we usually have leftovers. Not always exciting but we are well fed and happy.
Fill me in...family of 7 here too. Sometimes the meat is $10-15 alone (CDN)
@@emilydeboer3121 sales and the digital coupons help and I try to go to the grocery store mid morning for meat clearance deals.
You can have treats on a budget. Make muffins, cookies, popcorn. I follow Christine ( and I’m plant based ) she offers good ideas and has a good personality.
You would love under the median. They are vegetarians and frugal.
@Nisa-gm5wg thanks for the suggestion🙂 I’ll check it out.
Oyster crackers graham crackers or saltines and peanut butter
I’m vegan and love her too! Well love both of them. Although, I wish she’d include “beans, tofu,etc.” as proteins in her language. ;-)
Plant based here too ❤
Great video! One thing we do is buy ground chicken, pork, and turkey in bulk and cook it before freezing it. We divide it into zipper bags by the pound. This saves so much time when we are cooking!
I actually scored 95% ground beef in the butchers clearance @ $1.99 per pound each (they needed to be sold by that day)!! I bought 15 of them and went home and put most in the freezer! Some of it I browned ahead and vacu-sealed them for convenience. Never would have looked in that section if it weren't for @frugalfitmom!
Great moves! I think cooking and then freezing is a fantastic tactic. Put cooked pounds of taco meat in quart freezer bags and flatten them so you can stack them. Label with contents and a date. You can freeze smaller amounts and combine them with black beans or mushrooms when you heat them up to stretch the batch, save money, and amp up the nutrition.
Wonderful job!! I’m cheering for you because I’m a dork like that lol this genuinely made me happy!
Me too!! Similar scenarios!! I've saved so much and average $450 a month for a family of 6 groceries.
My public library offers free cooking classes!
That's awesome
Basic cooking skills are essential but the most important factor is making time to cook at home. A lot of people eat out or order food delivery simply because they're "too busy" to cook. Learning how to food prep like a chef makes it possible to just throw together a quick meal and it's a good skill to teach your kids!
See Mindy Mom has so many quick recipes too❤
I bulk prep once in 2 weeks
Usually btw 9pm -12 midnight
Then I have a meal plan for the week
The only meal we eat that's not cooked is bread and cereals
The irony is between driving each way to pick up food and wairing for it to be done, it's often not even faster to get takeout than to cook a simple meal at home!
I meal prep my lunches & dinners on Sunday night. Cheaper, easy, and I know what's in my food. It's a couple hours of work one night so all I have to do is re-heat throughout the week.
Real estate investors losing money is music to my ears. They are a major reason why the real estate market is the way that it is now.
Thanks for the efforts you put in these. I found her and i leave her a message i await a response
I love frugalfitmom!
She really uses her creativity and cooking to good use
We went to McDonalds the other day because someone gave us a giftcard (we haven't been in YEARS). I was shocked in feeding my family of 5 it cost us $50. Thank you for this video. We are on baby step 2 and this was so helpful.
We drink a moderate amount of homemade tea. I can keep an eye on sugar intake and also tea bags aren't that expensive. You don't have to make it as strong as the box tells you to. For 6 people we go through one family size box of tea (quart size tea bags) every 3 weeks. A whole lot cheaper than pop.😊
We enjoy sun tea in warm weather months. I stopped buying soda for family gatherings, serve tea, water, lemonade, sometimes coffee. No one complains.
Being friends with Christine from Frugal Fit Mom has to be the biggest flex ever
Big time
Beans make a great source of protein along with other vegetables!
We make our own burger patties out of oats. You can also use lentils.
It used to be $5 for a fast food meal, then it went up to $10, and now it's closer to $15 for one person!
It depends on where you go and what you get. I don't eat fast food often, but when I go to McDonalds I can get a full meal for $6.44 including tax. I use the app which gets me a free medium fry just by spending $2, a McDouble which is a double cheeseburger but with 1 slice of cheese instead of two and is 30cents cheaper, and then a medium drink. I can sometimes save even more money depending on the deals available
One person order the meal one order just burger. Or order off kids menu much cheaper. If a senior always ask of they have a senior discount
I absolutely just love Christine! Down to earth, and wonderful videos that are so helpful and blessful😊!
At my house we drink only water. Adults drink cofee or tea as well.
Thanks so much to you both. One thing I struggle with though is I don’t like to support the factory farms by buying cheap meat and eggs. The local farms are being out out of business so I will pay more for better meat and eggs.
I watch you both all the time!! Love seeing you together!! Side note: not all beef is grass fed. We raise beef, as do many of our neighbors and friends. Some steers are totally corn and grain fed. 🤷♀️ Keep all the money saving tips coming!! Thank you!!
Interesting! In my area (tons of family owned ranchers) let their cows graze in fields for the first 12 months of their life before supplementing with grain and corn.
I couldn’t agree more! I am watching your show from Poland (here the food to income ratio is much higher than in USA!) and all the stuff you are telling about is like "normal life stuff" here for most of the ppl and it is so true! We do not have any coupons unfortunately because I know 95% of all polish moms would just take advantage of it and the system would shortly collapse 😂😂😂 but for sure you can find HEALTHY food on sales or in regular low prices in small discount shops. And for the record: although I can - I hate to cook at home. Therefore, most of the dinners are being cooked by my husband. But only in this way we are 100% sure what we eat, and we can control it. I can't imagine ordering food 6 days/week. For us it would be insane! I am sure that everyone can do that. If you are busy, JUST PLAN FOR NEXT DAYS, WEEKS! great episode, thank you and greetings from Poland!
Love these two! My Fred Meyer store had chicken on sale for 89 cents/lb last week. Always watch for sales 🙂
This is awesome, it can be done. We have been doing it for years. You have to change your habits and planning really helps. Sales, marked down items and even shopping for noodles at the dollar tree saves money.
I only drink water - I hate soda - my hubby normally drinks water or iced tea (that we now brew at home) with the rare diet soda. I LOVE Christine - I follow both her channels and try to put some of her ideas into play in our life. Thank goodness for her cooking / shopping tips - they totally work!!
There are two channels. Ok I need to see what I'm missing. 😢
Love Frugal Fit Mom! She’s hilarious 😆! Her shows are so interesting and fun…. She’s one of my very favorites!
Along with you Rachel and Dave and George! 😂 You guys are helping so many people…. ❤
when my kids were still at home, I planned out our menu for the month each month. I'd buy 20lbs of chicken when it was on sale and freeze it. The key is to have a freezer and plan ahead. If you don't know what is for dinner tonight when it's already 6pm, you'll do the quick/easy option instead of the inexpensive and healthy.
I have another tip. Find out when things get reduced and shop then. For example, the 30% and 40% off stickers appear on the meats on Saturday morning, so I am there at 8 am. Another store, they reduce produce by 9 am, so I go there afterwards.
Yes! I've been trying to figure that out for my local stores, but that's definitely the best time to buy things like meat.
Thank you! All I drink is water, even in restaurants and people think I am depriving myself, but no.
So, no coffee? Just clarifying.
Leaving cokes has left me rich! I use to drink about a gallon of coke a day. Best thing I ever did was to stop that habit.
It is a bad habit. I will also stop drinking coke. When I did the math I found I am spending more money on coke then food.
I stopped drinking pop a few years ago and randomly saw a 24 pack at Walmart the other day for $13 and I almost fell over. So expensive and not even good for us
Great tips! I love stocking up fruits & veggies (in season) from my local farmer’s market & freeze them. I recently got 2 packages of strawberries (the average size 1lb) for $1 each! I’ll be racking up on more berries & fruit this season.
Yes! I used to get a CSA from a local farm that lasted 20 weeks and then freeze 50-75% of my produce to eat throughout the year.
I just found Frugal Fit Mom and Mindy Mom. It’s just my husband and I at home now but I definitely listened to all the tips and got great menu and recipe ideas.
See Mindy Mom is so great and so consistent. She's very clever, too. Especially using up what you have. Love her.
I'm not horrible at shopping on a budget but I'm always excited for more videos like this!!❤❤❤❤
Loved it!
All cows aren’t grass fed though. There is a difference between grass fed and grass finished, but those are both different categories than cows that are given feed.
I was thinking the same thing. Most cows are fed corn
Talk to a farmer or rancher, please. Nursing calves and weaned calves graze on grass alongside their mamas. During the winter our cattle are fed cut/baled hay. Depending on the situation, steers are sent to a local family feedlot for finishing. They are fed a ration (mixture of hay, straw, corn, and maybe sileage). Even that ration is only about 25-30% ground corn. Finishing takes about 60 days. The corn in the ration gives meat and steaks marbling. Calves can either be grass finished or grain finished.
Ahhhh! This is the collab I have been waiting for!!!!
Popcorn popped in a popper is fun for kids and you can dress it up sweet or salty and it is just as satisfying and waaaayyy cheaper (and healthier.)
I love Christine! I watch her all time, its so cool to see her on here!!!
Soups are a great money saver. Same with pasta,
I am a truck driver and I have picked up grocery items and delivered to stores. Your major brands also make the store brands for Walmart and major grocery stores.
It's unbelievable to me just how many people cannot cook! I'm talking, just the basics. My 35 year old son lives with me, and I'm 70. We lived in a Central Florida suburb for 10 years, even then, we rarely ate out, and groceries were less expensive, but I grew a $1,000 sq ft garden and kept a backyard flock of 4 laying hens. The more you can grow yourself, buy on sale, or forage to put up and stock for later, the better you can feed your family. Buy a canner and a good dehydrator and USE them. I worked full time back then, but just buying a 25 lb case of tomatoes when they were on sale and either canning them or making sauce and canning that, puts you ahead. No preservatives, no God only knows what else in there, either! I planted pineapples that I started in the front and back yard, grew berries, went to U-Pick farms and foraged wild fruits, but you don't have to go quite that far if you don't need to. At the very least, you can buy the big, industrial size cans of fruit, and re-can it into smaller, more family friendly jars. I also buy meat in large pieces (an entire sirloin, for instance), grind it at home with my Kitchenaid metal meat grinder attachment, vacu-seal it into one-pound packs and freeze it. Back then, we were hit with several hurricanes that would take the electric down for weeks - I've always had a gas stove (and a propane buner), so instead of losing all my stored meats,, I'd can it as it thawed. Gonna be hot anyways - might as well pressure can and save my frozen food. Now for that dehydrator - Every week, without fail, remove every green pepper, celery stalk or hot pepper; check you pantry for onions that won't last very long, and other things that can be dehydrated. That bunch of basil, celantro, or other fresh herbs that's only going to mold in the crisper, and dehydrate them and store them in jars - You'd be surprised at how much money you'll save. Got mixed veg, peas or corn in the freezer that's going to freezer burn? Dehydrate it! Potatoes, cabbage or carrots that won't last more than another week? Thing slice and dehydrate them, and learn how to cook with them! Bottom line, so much food is wasted and so much can be done (even if you're a single parent and work full time!!) to save it and save you money!
Wow, I love everything you mentioned. The hurricane situation is a fantastic example of how to save your food. I was very concerned when things went downhill and stocked up my freezer in my garage, 2020/21. However. I didn't realize after it was finally filled and organized that the plug loosened when I ran a cart over the cord. I didn't see this and didn't check for awhile bc my home freezer/frig was full. I was DEVASTATED to see all that food go to waste! 😮😢😢And to rebuild with this economy is outrageous and will take me a while to replace. ( Job insecurities, single) Losing that meat, poultry and all the food reminded me of a blogger speaking of dehydrating & canning because she lost food from outages in her state. So I bought ALL the things. Canner/ water-bath and dehydrator. I love dehydrating foods but I do believe one needs to learn how to cook with these foods because they are not the same in taste to me. Not bad but different. Btw, my first attempt at canning was a failure. The lids were fine initially but lifted within a week. It really threw me . I now have a fear of messing up. Even watching videos. I need to try again. I stock up but really need to get back into canning. I had a small garden and it turned out great. This year I'm going to go bigger. I don't have land but a small lot to work with and I can't wait to see what happens this year. Thanks again for the motivation 😊
After all that.... Question: How do you go about your frozen fruits to dehydrate? Thaw them to room temperature? Thank you in advance
This is incredible!! What great experience you have! I've got some work to do. I can always do more.
Thank you so much! Nice to meet you Christine! I am subscribed and following you!! Great advice!!
LOVE this!!! I have only drank water for over 35 years and my kids are fine with it.
In our home i love making ice tea (no sugar). 48 count tea bags($5.48 walmart brand), i use 3 bags per 1/2 gallon. It comes to .34 cents per 1/2 gallon. Plus the antioxidants from the tea. And oh so yummy refreshing. If you find herbal teas on sale replace a couple herbal bags in with the black tea. Oh super yummy and brings diversity and no calories ❤🎉🎉
I hate Kroger because I hate coupons. It's too complicated. I like Aldi because it's simple.
I love Frugal Fit Mom! It is possible! No convenience foods!
I’ve actually been able to get more convenience foods in my life due to shopping with her method! I get them half off at Aldi or on clearance at H‑E‑B and it has been a game changer! We hardly ever go out to eat now because we always have something we can make quick if needed. I love frugal fit mom!
By convenience I mean quick easy meals like the frozen lasagnas, not junk food haha.
Just made salad with two very small hand fulls of grape tomatoes from Alid $1.49 for container and didn't all of them. A green onion from the garden was put in too. Then I had one green pepper needing used from Aldi .99. A little mayo was put in there too. One cucumber for .65 cents was added. Also, had small pieces of celery 1.69 Aldi needing used. This filled an entire bowl! Inexpensive, filling and nutritious. Making pork chops 1.89 lb.for four of them. Close to 10 bucks because we only used some of it. Love fresh onions from garden. Inions, hreen beans, cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes so easy to grow.
And this can be a lunch too if you add mayo and chicken or tuna and mix it all up. The mayo and meat makes it stretch ❤Serve it on bread for sandwiches 🥪 or with pasta 🍲 or rice🍚 ❤.
Watermelon is cheap now.. I freeze mine and make smoothies all winter
Smartttttt🤩
Rachel and Christine 👏👏👏👏👏👏😊
2 of my favorite ladies💗💗💗💗
i think the issue is people don't want to be frugal and/or they don't want to put the work in to save money, i.e. clip coupons, buy when only on sale, buy in bulk etc. I am guilty of this once in a while, but my wife is really really good at being frugal.
I watch all her videos and have learned so much. And I started watching all of yours since Minimal Mom on.
My homemade lunches I make for work cost me only $39 every 2 weeks. I don’t eat out at all and I make a lot of great lunches like cold cut sandwiches and veal parm sandwiches 🙂
We only drink water and iced tea. I can make a big jug of iced tea with four tea bags from the Dollar Store.
I love that these two are friends. It’s such a good RUclips collab, and then to be actual friends is my dream come true lol 🤩 now I just need to know that Dave Ramsey and my pastor are friends and I’ll believe all is right in the world 🎉
To improve your cooking skills when you are a busy mom on a tight budget and not much time is tough. But the more you do something, the easier it gets. It is best to work on one thing at a time, and when trying something new, do it on a day where you have more time and not have to try to get supper on the table after a stressful day.
One thing I have found that even today's prices, basic ingredients are far cheaper than more processed foods. But you can pre-make foods in a batch or just double receipe and freeze half. FOr example, if you are making a cassarole, it really doesn't take hardly any time to make two, cook one now and freeze one. You can use dispable aluminum pans or just line a baking dish with a few layers of foil, vreeze, then pop out of the dish and wrap up and pop in a freezer bag. Of course, you will have to allow for more cooking time if you dont have time to thaw before heating, but at least you don't have to deal with the prep and cleanup but once. It will be cheaper and better quality and more healthy because of less food additives than the ready made option at the store.
Beans and rice, rice and beans, throw some tuna fish, red bell pepper and spring onions in the mix and you have a restaurant style Mediterranean dish
Ice tea in a pitcher…maybe a splash of lemon or orange….the only beverage ( other than h2o) at my house, coffee made via drip for no waste for me in the morning with no sugar or milk…just black. Hot tea ,clear, in cold weather are my families beverages. Learn to make salad dressing…oatmeal can have cheap spices ( cinnamon) add a peanut butter toast from marked down or frozen leftover bread. chili and curry can have so many leftovers added and served on rice. Home made corn bread &white bread can stretch a meal. Eggs for dinner…egg salad, deviled eggs and omelette….baked potato, onion soup…this is the sort of dinner my family lives on…of course basic cooking skills are needed..but I can feed a family of 3 for 50$ or less a week with ideas like this.
I went to McDonald's and purchased 1, ONE deluxe meal medium fries and drink for $11.53 ! OH MY WORD ! I savored those fries at that price. I can not imagine taking a family to eat out. And yes, that $11.53 would be at least 2 separate meals with around 4 portions so I would be able to have food for several days. Thanks to Christine my first stop at the grocery store is the clearance area.
We love our Pampered Chef shelf-style air fryer. The oven-looking shelf-style is so versatile. Also, look for one with rotisserie option. PC's has that last I knew.
Love frugal fit moms budget meals and grocery haul videos! Eating out is so expensive! Looking reduce drive thru as I go through receipts for taxes and budget purposes. I love soups and crockpot meals. Chicken and hamburger go along way!
I'm committed to buying small farm proteins as much as possible. It is a cost I am willing and proud to support. If I had a large family, perhaps I would change and buy more of the national commercial brands for pricing sakes; but I am not sure --- I could also just make meat 1 or 2x a week instead (e.g. a local/organic chicken soup on a Sunday one week, hamburger or steaks the following Sunday, etc.).
That's me - I try to support the local farms for my meat & dairy, even if that means eating less of it. Meatless Mondays for the win 😂
I like make your own version of restaurant food for these reasons 1) we can involve kids in the process 2) we can make subtle changes, to add different flavors 3) it is super healthy because I know what is going in 4) it is very cheap 10-20 % percentage of what it would cost in a restaurant. We still like to eat in the restaurants but over the last 6 months we started liking the home made version much more(both my kids love the home made vesion). Basically by doing both the kids are able to see the difference between home-made vs restaurant-made. To me this is the most important thing, we are teaching kids that best versions are the home made versions. We have a small farm, what is even better is to grow some of our vegetables on our own.
Our tv news ran a story when extra SNAP benefits were being cut. The mom was complaining but they showed her family eating dinner and they were having adult size lunchables. Those things are $5-6 each!!! People really need to learn to cook. We’re missing the mark in schools by not teaching life skills.
I love this! This is EXACTLY how I shop! (Even at Fred Meyer) I used to work for Costco, and my coworkers were appalled that I didn't buy many groceries thee.
Excellent advice. Thank you!
My two favorites! I love Rachel & Christine. Just finished watching one of Christine’s videos before this one! Love this collab!
I love frugal fit mom. Her channel was a game changer for me!
Great show! I'll have to check out the frugal fit mom! I always use the Fred Meyer/Kroger digital coupons when shopping, and when I combine with the senior discount once a month, I save even more!
I am hypersensitive to dehydration and electrolyte deficiency, so during the summer I drink coconut water and lemonade. Other than that, it's water and tea for us. A month's worth of tea is about $5.
Two of my favorite RUclipsrs!
WOW!!! That is such good point about enjoying time in the kitchen
Costco is not the most expensive for organic chicken. It is also a good place to get organic ground beef. Aldi’s is a great store for both too!!!
I can recommend Frugal money saver & under the median. Two RUclipsr with great ideas and knowledge.
I follow Christine. She has given me loads of great ideas. Thanks for this blog!
Love Fugal Fit Mom, and Rachel. What a good combo. Thanks gals!!😊
Vons recently had 10 cans for $5, with a $5 cupón with any purchase. And another week they had 5 for $10, on PB, Mayo, Tuna, Frozen bags of veggies, sour cream, and cottage cheese. And the same $5 off any purchase. I stocked up on my pantry items!
I love @frugalfitmom. I've been watching her for a while now even her back episodes are still relevant.
Not all cows are grass fed. Most in the US are corn fed.
Yeah, there's a difference.
Where do they get the Canadian grass in winter?
@@kjw79hay❤
My issue with shopping at Walmart, besides supporting a not-great company, is their Great Value brand usually sneaks all kinds of preservatives into their food. Look at the labels and compare them against name brands or even other store brands. It's shocking! Yeah, it's cheaper, but at what cost to your body and health? Thanks, I'll pass.
Agreed, though, that you can feed people on far less by preparing your food at home and having leftovers versus a dinner out. This method applies to singles too, who often complain it's cheaper to eat out. Yeah, right. I've been single for decades and can make countless more meals for the price of one dinner out, even excluding alcohol or regular drinks. Plus, my food is far healthier.
Then, don’t shop at Walmart but guess what all stores have food that’s not good for you. You choose what you eat. Don’t blame the store.
Im excited to try this.
I had to start out even MORE basic than BASIC cooking skills lol. Fresh fruits and veggies that don't need cooked but do need washed and chopped. Fresh salads with fixings. Etc. All still can be done on the cheap. Cheeses and deli meats on sale.
Love following ideas from Christine!
Omgggggg this crossover is everything !!!!
Some foods are already frozen and then defrosted when put on the shelves, so just be knowledgeable of what already was frozen before saving it for later at home!
I eat mostly plant-based because it keeps me healthy - I'm a 70 y.o. former migraine sufferer. If I eat meat now - which I did as an experiment, I get a headache and feel queasy the next day. But having said all that, I can eat for $40-60 over 2 weeks if I shop at either Grocery Outlet or Trader Joe's and make my meals from scratch.
Yes Rachel! Get an air fryer! It’s awesome 👏 😊👍🙌
Another thing that will keep you out of restaurants and away from junk food is lots of food sensitivities. It's just safer and easier to fix it yourself and not have to look at every ingredient list to make sure it's something I can have. (my friends are amazed at some of the things I've made)
A happy medium between cooking & eating out is the deli/ grab & go areas of most major grocery stores. While it is more expensive than cooking it is usually still cheaper than eating out. A nice option for "those days" that are bound to happen.
What can break the bank is how many neighbor kids hang out at your house! I just finished keeping my grands in their house while their parents were on a trip and there are two of them, but three neighbor kids hang out at their house - they were like locusts! It's also obvious that these two charming women don't yet have teenage boys - LOL!
Two of my favorite RUclipsrs! Yay!
Inexpensive food is really healthy.
I only buy most chips when they are on super discount at Shaw's which is Albertsons in some areas or known as other stores in other areas. I get them for as low as $1.77 or $1.47 a bag. Like you though, I stick up on the sale meats when they are at a super low price. I definitely shops several stores based on prices, but I can do that since they are all pretty close to each other.
Great Video and Thank you so much for introducing FrugalFitMom, going to check out her page now...
Yes, it’s definitely more affordable to eat at home, but some people are working double and triple shifts to pay off debt and is time consuming. It’s great to stick to a budget though. Also, it’s nice to go out to dinner a couple times a week for a break here and there. Find the right restaurants and their nightly specials. We have a place around here that every Monday night is all you can eat pasta for $1.99 . Add a meatball and a sausage and it’s $5.00 for the meal. Also We have a taco place , buy 2 tacos get one free. $16.00 for 2 of us to eat. Another place has fresh chicken , rice , etc. $11.00 can feed one person 2 to 3 times. Yes I believe in cooking at home but life does get busy in reality and I’m never home
Pick 2 or 3 grocery stores download the apps to clip coupons and note the sales, download cash back apps like Ibotta and Fetch and stack the savings. I do the homework while I’m in bed or watching TV so it doesn’t feel like a chore, and then I allow myself $50 budget for the grocery store in a week, for family of 3. Costco is a treat!!! So I set $100 plus any leftover from the regular grocery budget to splurge a bit. Cook around the sales, buy meat on sale and freeze the leftover meat for future. For example, we make Carnitas and homemade salsa and tortillas and 3 pounds of meat will last for a week when rehashed with other items in the freezer and pantry to make up for extra sides. I will freeze the tortillas and carnitas when we get tired of it to eat for a future time. Fruits can be frozen to make into compote and smoothies if purchased in bulk on sale. Also make a visual inventory of your freezer and pantry and you will be amazed at so many items that have been forgotten. Get in the habit and rotating those items out.
I love frugal fit momma. I use all these tips to feed my family. I love saving and couponing.
Air fryer is so with it. Not the basket type, get the trays with Rotisserie, etc. Some also have convection with them. We use it simultaneously with another dish. We all love having it. Reheat pizza etc and out tastes so fresh. Delicious!
How is it better than using the oven that all kitchens usually have?
@carlaritchie331 I use it along with the oven. Or if I actually want it crispy without drying in oil and can't get that in the oven. I do have a double oven and it cuts my meal time prep in half. Same with my pressure cooker. Example, I did ribs in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes, already seasoned. Broiled in the oven to char the bbq sauce, plantains roasted with butter in the air fryer and boiled eggs for deviled eggs in the pressure for 4 minutes add a salad. On the table in less than 40 minutes.
Chicken wings in the air fryer, toss in butter and sauce in a bowl, 5 more mins in the air fryer.... delish. It saves time when you really don't have it, it doesn't heat the big oven for a medium portion of food, etc etc. We love having it.
Two of my absolute favorites!!! I love both of you and I’m so grateful for the content you share!