Scheduling: Feeding our Families

January 30, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

The cold temperatures and snow have driven us indoors, and I love it! With our grocery shopping done, our family is prepared should we get to stay in for the rest of the week.

In completing the Scheduling 2014 series with the last 4 tasks from the Planning for Success series last year, we are focusing on feeding our families.

From choosing a menu planner to arranging coupon redemption, these tasks will help us save money while using time wisely.

28. Print and Display Menu Planner: Planning for Success – Day 3

When preparing for the Scheduling 2014 series, I wrote this article that included my monthly calendar, menu planner, and water and exercise log. If you do not have a menu planner, then feel free to use my FREE printable.

If you are new to menu planning, then I recommend just writing down what you eat. As you get used to tracking your meals and knowing what you have on hand, then you can start to plan. But for starting out, just record what your family eats.

29. Track your Family’s Favorite Meals: Planning for Success – Day 17

I used to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen often. In the past year, I think I tried 3 new recipes and have repeated one of them.

Whether you like to try new dishes or keep with the tried-and-true, tracking your family’s favorite meals gives you suggestions when life gets busy.

Our family’s favorite meals are written down and kept inside my menu planning notebook. When I need inspiration, I go to the list. To see some of our family’s favorite meals, check out this list of 10 favorites.

30. Design a Quick Meals List: Planning for Success – Day 24

Another great tool for using time wisely is a list of quick meals. These are life-savers when traffic was backed up, homework took longer than expected, or life happened.

Keeping the ingredients for one or two of your quick meals on hand will see you through your busy evening. We used one of these 15 quick meals last night when our plans to meet family fell through due to icy roads.

31. Arrange Coupon Redemption: Planning for Success – Day 31

From daily deals to paper coupons, we keep a stash of coupons handy for family outings. If we find a great deal, I make sure I note the deal on our calendar. This way, I am reminded of the coupon when I schedule or consider an activity around a meal time.

In Scheduling 2014, we are off to a great start. There will be more items added to the calendar throughout the year, but the basics are all covered.

As food is a big part of family life, I find the favorite meals and quick meals lists huge time savers for me. As the masses get hungry and time is short, these meals meet us where we are without a trip through the drive-thru.

As you continue Scheduling 2014 may you find the organization tools you choose a help to using your time wisely. If I have left off any tasks, then please share in the comments. I prefer to have too much on the calendar than not enough. Happy scheduling!

Question: What scheduling tasks have I missed?

Start Saving from Scratch – Part 6 of 6

December 6, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

The end of the series has arrived.

Though not as thorough as my food cycle series, covering my menu planning to grocery shopping to evaluating the savings, this Start Saving from Scratch series condensed that information with links back to the original posts.

As a review, the breakdown of the series is as follows:

Start Saving from Scratch

Part 1: Organizing my food supply

Part 2: Creating a menu

Part 3: Compiling a grocery list

Part 4: Gathering my savings

Part 5: Giving groceries a home

Part 6: Taking a Step Back and Repeat

Part 6: Taking a Step Back and Repeat

To learn from my mistakes and improve saving my family money, I take the time to evaluate my shopping trips. I review my grocery lists, store envelopes, and receipts.

Reviewing grocery lists

As I scan my grocery list, I like to review the shopping trip. If I did not pick up an item, then I take a closer look to see if I missed it or made the right decision. In using time wisely to think through my shopping trip, I have learned to check the price per unit to determine the best deal as well as focusing on the buy one, get one free deals over sale prices when stockpiling.

Reviewing store envelopes

At the end of my shopping trip, my store envelopes get stuffed with receipts, lists, coupons, rain checks, coupon policies, and my notes. Upon reviewing my grocery list, I remove, sort, organize, and insert any needed items back into my envelopes.

Reviewing receipts

Though I review my receipt before leaving the store, I review it again at home to take surveys, document my savings, and then file it away. By taking Bi-Lo surveys, I have received coupons for free hand sanitizer, fruit snacks, tissues, cold medicine, and orange juice. In using time wisely to take surveys, I have reduced our grocery spending with these free items.

By documenting my savings, I can track my savings and my spending. Realizing that I am saving 80% on one purchase and 50% on another purchase, I can evaluate the depth of my savings. The best part of keeping track is looking back at the conclusion of the year to see the total amount saved.

Since I use my credit card for grocery purchases, I file the receipts to reconcile my statement once a month.

In completing this series, reviewing my grocery lists, store envelopes, and receipts helps me learn how to increase my savings. This process works for me. As I continue to follow these steps, I can even send someone else to the store with instructions and get the same result.

I was so proud of Paul as I was busy with the kids and needed to get to the store. Paul asked if he could go to help me out. Of course, I gave him what he needed. He returned bragging about purchasing $70 in retail for under $5 after loyalty card, sales, and coupons discounts.

As you continue using time wisely to save your family money while feeding them, find a routine that works for you. As you practice, you will get more efficient. Happy saving!

Question: How do you evaluate your shopping trips?

Start Saving from Scratch – Part 5 of 6

November 29, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Stocked up on crackers, Sprite, and noodle soup this past week.

Thinking that these supplies are good for a distant rainy day, I barely tucked them away before Paul and the girls needed them.

Just thankful we did not need to make an emergency run to the grocery store and pay full price.

In start saving from scratch, I had interrupted my routine, so I hit the reset button. I organized my food supply (Part 1), created a menu (Part 2), compiled a grocery list (Part 3), and gathered my savings (Part 4). With all the groceries purchased, I’m ready to give those groceries a home.

Part 5: Giving Groceries a Home

In accepting help from my children, we unload the van. Now that my children are a bit older, they help carry lightweight items. My son can take the milk into house which is a big help.

Unload Groceries

Once in the house, I unload the groceries onto my kitchen counters. This way, I can see all the items before putting 3 items away only to find a fourth one tucked in another bag.

Put Away Cold Foods

I then organize my refrigerator and freezer putting the new items behind the existing items. This way, I am using my stockpile in the order it was purchased. Otherwise, the older items get stuffed in the back and spoil before use.

Store Grocery Items

With all the cold items put away, I then concentrate on the dry items. As I adjust my pantry’s contents, I make room for the new items. I continue placing the new items purchased behind any existing products. For example, a new bottle of salad dressing is placed behind the Italian and Ranch dressing currently in the pantry.

Prepare for Next Visit

Though all my items are put away, I’m not done cleaning up and preparing for my next visit. To do so, I return all the reusable bags to the car, remove remaining items (i.e., toothpaste, cleaners, medication, etc.), and wipe down the kitchen counters.

As I prepared and choose the savings for my family, I take care to put the items away for easy accessibility at meal time. In start savings from scratch, I have almost completed the process. In next week’s post, I will complete this series with my evaluation process. Keep on saving while using time wisely. Happy organizing!

Question: How often do you organize your food supply areas?

Start Saving from Scratch – Part 2 of 6

November 8, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Going back to the drawing board provides a fresh start saving from scratch. Beginning with the basics and then working up allows the process to stay manageable. When the foundation crumbles, then one needs to start over.

In starting over, I took last week’s challenge and organized my food supply. This time around, the pantry took longer although I did not defrost my freezer. I stayed inside as much as possible this week with the drop in temperature.

In continuing this series with an organized pantry, freezer, and refrigerator, I move onto creating a menu.

Part 2: Creating a Menu

In discovering a menu plan, I have used a weekly and monthly plan. Though I no longer plan the full month in advance, I prefer to schedule our meals a week in advance on a monthly menu planner. I like the calendar in the kitchen and a place to add meals as I get inspiration.

1. Choose Meals

With my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator organized, I can “shop” from my food supply to create meals that I have in stock.

2. Assign Meals

Once I have a meal decided, I assign that meal to a day on my menu planner.

Sample Menu Plan

Sunday:

B – Egg sandwiches with fruit cups

L – Roast beef in crock pot, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and bread

D – Pancakes and bacon

Monday:

B – Cereal and fruit

L – Pizza at school

D – Baked chicken, rice, and vegetables

3. Partial Meals

After assigning the meals I can make with the ingredients at home, I might have a few days left on my planner for the week. I continue to see what parts of meals I have in my food supply. For example, to make open-faced pork chop sandwiches I might have the pork chops, cream of chicken, and milk, but I lack the hamburger buns.

For these partial meals, I add the meal to my menu planner on a day after I plan to grocery shop. I then add the remaining items needed, in this case the hamburger buns, to my weekly grocery list. I then plan hamburgers or chicken patties for another meal to use the leftover hamburger buns before they spoil.

In using time wisely to prepare for the week and to save money on food items, I use what we have at home and then write down the missing items on my grocery list for pickup during the week.

Shopping your food supply may only generate a meal or two, at first. But as you build your stockpile, you will find more and more meals in your food supply. Start where you are and work from there, and the savings will come. Happy menu planning!

Question: What type of menu planner do you prefer?

Grocery Shopping: Giving Groceries a Home – Part 2a of 3

December 15, 2011 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Bosch Appliances)

Even after eating a cookie while grocery shopping, my children are usually STARVING by the time we walk into the house. Not sure if it is all the food they see, or just the time of day. Whatever it is, they are hungry.

Upon sending them to the pantry for nourishment (ahem) or junk food, I concentrate on the counter full of groceries that I just unloaded. Before giving my pantry items a home (which will be covered in Part 2b), I turn my attention to the cold items which will be placed in the refrigerator or freezer.

Organizing the Refrigerator

Each shelf or drawer in my refrigerator holds certain items. By keeping the same system, I can quickly put items away and retrieve them while preparing meals and snacks. Though there are exceptions to these guideline when hosting parties, holidays, and other events, my refrigerator contains the following items on each shelf or in each drawer:

Shelf #1 – beverages
Shelf #2 – butter, eggs, bread, and sourdough starter
Drawer #1 – cold cuts and bread dough
Shelf #3 – yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese
Shelf #4 – leftovers
Drawer #2 – fruits (apples, oranges), vegetables (potatoes, carrots), and spice (garlic)
Drawer #3 – all cheeses

As I put the cold items away, I will stack new items on the bottom or in the back of existing products. By doing so, the older item gets used prior to the new container being opened. Though this is the goal, I currently have two opened jars of apple sauce on the fourth shelf in my refrigerator.

Organizing the Freezer

If I will be using the frozen item in the next week, then I place it in the freezer side of my side-by-side refrigerator in the house. All the other frozen items are place in our chest freezer housed in the garage. Again, having an organized system helps the “putting away” to go quickly. I have our chest freezer organized as follows:

Left side

Packaged meats (ham, turkey, bacon, chicken, hot dogs, sausage)
Boxed meals

Center basket

Hamburger
Roasts
Steaks

Center bottom

Pizzas
Breads
Desserts
Double batch cooking (For some meals, I make multiple portions to save for busy nights.)

Right side

Vegetables
Pork chops
Breakfast foods

When I put these items away, I place the newer items on the bottom or in back of other existing product. Any meats that need to be cut up or packaged together (i.e., chicken, pork chops, etc.), I put in the refrigerator until after all the groceries are put away. Then during meal preparations, I will divide up the hamburger, pork chops, etc., wrap, and place them in the chest freezer.

With all the cold items placed in the refrigerator or freezer, I can then concentrate on meeting my children’s needs. After addressing their starving situation and refilling their drinks, I then continue giving the other groceries a home which will be covered next week. In using time wisely, I have a designated spot for each type of item. This system works for me. Hope it works for you as well. Happy organizing!

Question: Do you designate shelves and drawers for specific items in your refrigerator and freezer? Please add your answer to the comments.