Take your lunch to work! Not only is it cheaper, it's generally more healthy for you. If morning time is a rush, then prepare the night before and just grab it on the way out.
10 alternatives to a sandwich and chips...
1. Tortilla wraps with grilled chicken/steak from the night before (toss in some bell peppers and avocado)
2. Greek style yogurt with honey, peanut butter, and mashed banana.
3. Homemade tomato soup with cheese and crackers
4. Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar salad
5. Homemade sushi rolls
6. Veggie burger with sweet potato chips
7. Quiche with shredded potatoes, veggies, and cheese
8. Pasta salad (I like orzo and grilled veggies with a pesto vinaigrette)
9. Hard boiled egg, veggie sticks, and a piece of fruit
10. Fruit with cottage cheese and english muffin with peanut butter
Most lunches could be made for $3 or less. If you go to a fast food joint and select a combo meal, you're looking at about $5-$6 a day. That's $25-$30 a week, $100 - $120 a month, and $1200 - $1440 a year! A $2 - $3 savings a day for a year adds up to $480 - $720!! That's a decent chunk of change! If you go out to eat every day for lunch, try to cut back to 2 days of eating out. Your budget will thank you!
What are your favorite lunches for work?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Good for the environment AND your wallet!
Like most of you, I don't really like the taste of tap water. But, I really didn't want to lug cases of bottled water from the grocery store to the house. I decided to try out the Brita water filter that attaches to your kitchen faucet. Took five minutes to read the instructions and "install" it on the faucet. I went with that instead of the Brita pitcher with the filter because it's a bit bulky for my fridge. I do have a smaller pitcher that I fill and keep in the fridge for when I want cold water.
I bought it about a month ago and the filter is still showing full green which means it's not near to replacement yet.
For on the go water, I have a couple of reusable bottles that I fill.
$19.99 for the filter and system and NO more plastic bottles! Sounds like a good deal to me!
I bought it about a month ago and the filter is still showing full green which means it's not near to replacement yet.
For on the go water, I have a couple of reusable bottles that I fill.
$19.99 for the filter and system and NO more plastic bottles! Sounds like a good deal to me!
Monday, August 10, 2009
The whole or the parts?
I wanted to get some chicken noodle soup for my husband who was sick over the weekend, but the canned variety didn't appeal to me (on a cost or taste level) and I didn't really want to chunk out the money for canned chicken broth (especially with all the sodium). So, I decided to step it up and get a whole chicken.
After a short youtube video on how to quarter a chicken, I set to work. In just a few minutes I had drumsticks, breasts, and a chunk to boil for some stock. The quartered pieces, sliced carrots, and one cubed potato were thrown into a baking dish and roasted. At the same time, the rest of the chicken was thrown into a pot with water to cover, a couple ribs of celery, onion, garlic, and a few old whole carrots.
The chicken in the oven roasted for around 30 minutes and the chicken in the pot a bit longer. I dumped the contents of the chicken in the pot into a strainer over a big bowl. I let all the liquid (my new stock) cool to room temperature and then placed it in the fridge to let the fat harden at the surface so it could be skimmed off.
I used about half of the stock (around 3 1/2 cups) to make the chicken noodle soup and half of the chicken that I roasted. I pulled the chicken apart and plopped it into the same pot I used to make the stock and then added all the roasted veggies.
I was able to freeze four cups of stock, half of the chicken that I roasted (that can be used in a casserole or other dish), and half of the soup (enough for two meals for two people). I had the veggies, garlic, noodles, and spices on hand, so I only paid $5 for the whole chicken.
Total time was about two hours. However, the active time was more like an hour. I know it seems a bit long (especially for those of you that are working all week), but with the items in the freezer, I will save time and money later on future meals using the stock, cooked chicken, and soup.
Sorry Campbells, I'm saving money and adding flavor by doing it myself!
After a short youtube video on how to quarter a chicken, I set to work. In just a few minutes I had drumsticks, breasts, and a chunk to boil for some stock. The quartered pieces, sliced carrots, and one cubed potato were thrown into a baking dish and roasted. At the same time, the rest of the chicken was thrown into a pot with water to cover, a couple ribs of celery, onion, garlic, and a few old whole carrots.
The chicken in the oven roasted for around 30 minutes and the chicken in the pot a bit longer. I dumped the contents of the chicken in the pot into a strainer over a big bowl. I let all the liquid (my new stock) cool to room temperature and then placed it in the fridge to let the fat harden at the surface so it could be skimmed off.
I used about half of the stock (around 3 1/2 cups) to make the chicken noodle soup and half of the chicken that I roasted. I pulled the chicken apart and plopped it into the same pot I used to make the stock and then added all the roasted veggies.
I was able to freeze four cups of stock, half of the chicken that I roasted (that can be used in a casserole or other dish), and half of the soup (enough for two meals for two people). I had the veggies, garlic, noodles, and spices on hand, so I only paid $5 for the whole chicken.
Total time was about two hours. However, the active time was more like an hour. I know it seems a bit long (especially for those of you that are working all week), but with the items in the freezer, I will save time and money later on future meals using the stock, cooked chicken, and soup.
Sorry Campbells, I'm saving money and adding flavor by doing it myself!
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