LMAO!

Re: food
Roasted chickens are generally a bargain. Also, chicken with skin and bones still on it is about half the price of boneless skinless flavorless.

Many leftover vegetables, meats and cheeses work great in scrambled eggs on a Saturday morning… not to mention being cheap and delicious.

Some other tricks that help me stretch…
divide up the leftovers before you start eating the original meal. Cut meat portions in half… esp oversized chicken breasts and steaks. If its on my plate i tend to go for the clean plate… often long after I’m satiated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootleg_recording

I was interested in your outlook on a meal when you described a meat (ex. chicken, fish, etc.) as the main part of the meal. I tend to think of things such as rice or pasta as the main component of the meal, which can then be combined with a meat or veggies to complete it. The way I see it, if I look at it as rice with chicken, I tend to use more rice and less chicken, if I look at it as chicken and rice I fill my plate with more chicken.

Here is another tip for reducing costs while eating ‘real’ food (if you eat chicken) — buy whole chickens (or poultry in general). This is an excellent way to obtain your meat at a better price for pound *and* a great way to stretch out your purchases and reduce the waste that is associated with purchasing parts of birds. With a whole bird, you can roast it, then use the leftovers in a ragout, use the leftover ragout for a topping on another dish, and then turn the carcass in to a stock for making soups and braises later on. In addition, you can turn the innards and the drippings form the roast into a gravy that will work great as a base for further dishes. It is actually quite easy to eat off of a single chicken for over a week.

Another way to reduce costs is, of course, to reduce meat consumption, but that is pretty obvious.

One last comment. It is interesting that you mention eating fresh fruit like bananas. I feel like bananas are pretty symbolic of most things that are wrong with the American supermarket (and approach to food). Did you know that bananas are the most eaten fruit in the country? Well, if you live in America, here is something fun to try: next time you are outside, look around you and count the number of banana trees you see. Then think about the number of bananas you eat. Then think about how those bananas got to you. Then think about the fuel cost that was necessary to get this fruit (that wasn’t even ripe when picked!) to your mouth. Then, just think about if it is worth it to you to support such practices. The answer may be ‘yes’, but at least you will have considered it.

Something I was thinking about, and don’t know if you ever touched on….

The relationship of saving money and losing weight.

I’m overweight. And after assessing my budget and using some of the many great tips you offer on your site, I’ve realized one main thing:

I spend wayyyyy too much on food…..

By cutting back my ‘over’ spending on food (eating out, wasting money on snacks, etc) I’ve found that I can also lose weight very easily. I’m eating more home cooked meals, taking them with me to work, not stopping off at fast food places on the way home….I’m feeling satisfied (not hungry) and have actually found that I’m eating less calories, thus LOSING WEIGHT!!!!

I’d even really like to see a “cost per calorie” topic. Something like, Following a 2000 calorie diet should cost $x.xx per calorie……

I was also surprised by your comment on frozen fruit. I have no trouble finding just plain, frozen fruit in my grocery store. I don’t know what I would do without it! Frozen fruit and spinach or kale have been lifesavers for me – I start every morning with a smoothie made of bananas, spinach/kale, whatever frozen fruit I choose, and vanilla soymilk. It’s a hugely easy and tasty way to get a good serving of greens in, and you don’t even taste them!

I’ve read that your kids are usually pretty good about getting vegetables in, but if you haven’t before, I highly suggest serving a smoothie like this to them along with maybe a small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Super easy, and you can really never get enough greens in a child’s diet! It’s the only way I can get my younger brother to eat them.

I have a hard time drinking water plain or with lemon with dinner, but I have found one way that I really enjoy. Fill a pitcher with water, and add some lemon, lime, cucumber, and mint. Let it chill and the next day you barely know you’re drinking water! It’s one of the most refreshing drinks I know of.