Let’s not sugarcoat things… times are tough for a lot of people right now with prices increasing on everyday items. If you’re familiar with the phrase “more month than money” you know how hard it can be to stretch a dollar when you’re waiting for your next paycheck. Or worse, there is no next paycheck coming.
Most of us actually have plenty of food, it’s just not delivered by Uber Eats or microwavable in 2 minutes or less.
Today’s challenge – no matter your financial reality – is to shop your freezer for meals this week.
For example, I bought a pound of ground beef back in May and froze it before it could go off. This week I defrosted it, cooked it up and have used it for taco salad and, soon, tacos. This not only opened up some room in my freezer (homemade ice cream is coming soon) but saved me $8-10 at the grocery store this week.
Instead of following some needlessly complex TikTok recipe with ingredients you’ll never use again, go simple.
One favorite quick meal of mine (quick in terms of prep, not cook time) is chicken soup. I’ll pull out frozen chicken breasts and put them in the bottom of a crockpot with water. Then the canned goods I have: garbanzo beans, black beans, peas, corn, diced tomatoes. I usually have fresh green peppers and onions to add in and season with salt and pepper. That cooks on low for hours, usually overnight and then I tear up corn tortillas and add at the end to thicken it up.
| Tip: If you’ve got a little bit of a lot of things, consider a Mishmash Meal Monday. Kids might love that last frozen waffle while you defrost soup and who says you can’t use frozen naan bread instead of croutons? |
As you evaluate what’s in the freezer and how to use it up, note anything that has been lingering way too long. You might not want to actively buy things which your family won’t eat in a timely manner. Or, realize that overbuying when there’s a sale really isn’t working out for you.
Don’t forget you can also shop your pantry for that random box of mac n’ cheese, canned soup, tuna to go on crackers, a bag of rice you forgot about, even ready to eat meals like canned ravioli or chili.
Give it a try this week or next and see if you can use the food you’ve already bought and paid for and stored.
And for those whose pantry and freezer are literally bare, please find and visit a local food bank. There’s no shame in getting support to feed your family and many people donate with folks like you in mind.
Every Little Step 