Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 73
October 6, 2015
Day 6: Get into Freezer Cooking
This is the sixth day of our 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. Start with Day One here.
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It’s no secret that I am a big fan of freezer cooking, especially easy-to-make “cheater” freezer meals. Not only are they great timesavers, they’re also great money savers. Just imagine … you open your freezer to find an array of delicious options that are all ready to heat up. Unlike typical store-bought convenience meals, you know exactly what’s in them. Why? Because you made them yourself!
If you’re as busy as I am (which I’m sure you are!), you already know there are some nights when making dinner seems like an insurmountable task. For many of us, that means takeout, fast food, or less-than-healthy options. (Fish sticks and tater tots, anyone?) Freezer meals help you plan ahead and take the stress out of dinner on those busy weeknights.
It’s so hard to find the time for cooking dinner between working from home, changing diapers, and housework. This is going to make meal planning so much easier! —Allison
The other advantage of freezer meals is that you can stretch your ingredients by using them in multiple recipes. Have you ever had a recipe call for half a can of something? What the heck can you do with half a can? Making freezer meals means you can use up the whole can and enjoy your favorite meals whenever you want.
Even though we’re Living Well and Spending Zero, I always use the following criteria to ensure these meals make the cut.
In my house, each freezer meal must be:
Deemed delicious by both my kids and my husband (plus additional testers!)
Require no precooking (aside from browning ground beef)
Freezer friendly (needless to say!)
Easy to cook
Budget friendly: made with inexpensive ingredients and pantry staples (just one reason these recipes are perfect for the Living Well and Spending Zero challenge!)
Freezer Cooking 101
Freezer cooking uses the principle of mass assembly. Your kitchen becomes a production line, where a week’s (or even a month’s) worth of meals can be created from start to finish and assembled in just an afternoon. In fact, I’ve come up with several plans that contain go-to foolproof recipes that can be used to create ten freezer meals in about an hour (see recipes below).
If you’re new to freezer cooking, you’re going to want to take it slow and do a little planning. The good news is you’re on a zero spending challenge right now, so most of your “shopping” should come from your own pantry, keeping your costs to the barest minimum. Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients or get creative when necessary!
Go through your list of ingredients from your pantry and freezer (from Day 2) and your list of meal and recipe ideas (from Day 3). Are there a few recipes on your list that can be made ahead and might freeze well? Pick four or five meal ideas to start, and double each recipe so you end up with about ten meals.
I’ve got seven kids, and I am right on the brink of my busy season with baseball x2, swim team x2, swimming lessons x2, and marching band x3, all of which happen over the dinner hour. This is the time of year when I stock my freezer with meals. Thanks for getting me off to a great start all in the same place! —Jennifer
Once you have your meal list ready, create a prep sheet and action plan for assembling your recipes. Include cooking instructions and times as well. Be sure your kitchen is ready to go: dishes should be clean and ready to cook. Pots, pans, and counter space should be at the ready.
Always note common ingredients across multiple recipes and prepare them all at once. For example, if several recipes require chopped onions or browned ground beef, take care of all your chopping or browning in one fell swoop. Open all your cans and boxes at the same time, lay out all your ingredients, and go!
Most of the freezer recipes at LivingWellSpendingLess.com are “cheater” recipes—ones that require little to no cooking—so you can just toss all your ingredients in a Ziploc bag, slap on a label, and stick them in the freezer. Mix and match the recipes below or make them all, depending on what you have on hand. To cook, you simply dump your recipe of choice in the crockpot, heat, and eat. It is literally that simple.
If you’re still nervous, check out our 7 Easy Tips for Freezer Cooking Like a Pro. You’ll be freezer cooking like it’s no sweat in no time!
I’m reading this, and it’s all doable! No fancy ingredients, and yes, these are all pantry items I actually do have in my pantry! —Susie
35 FREEZER MEAL IDEAS
Tackle one set of freezer meals (choose one part to start), or use this list as a jumping-off point for your own freezer meal plan ideas. Each set of five recipes is designed so that you can assemble ten freezer meals in only one hour!
Part 1: The Original
Get the complete Part 1 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 2: Summer Favorites
Get the complete Part 2 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 3: Easy Comfort Foods
Get the complete Part 3 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 4: Easy Winter Classics
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Easy Freezer Ham and Bean Soup
Sweet and Spicy Chinese Chicken
Get the complete Part 4 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 5: Flavorful Favorites
Freezer-to-Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage
Get the complete Part 5 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 6: Global Flavors
Easy Freezer Bacon and Blue Cheese Burgers
Get the complete Part 6 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Part 7: Fresh Flavors
Simple Summer Chicken Sandwich
Get the complete Part 7 freezer cooking meal plan here.
Again, be sure to consider what you have on hand when you create your freezer meal menu for today’s challenge. If you have meat on hand, try a few of my meat recipes.
Love these recipes and you give great steps to make it easier to follow along. Freezer meals have become a staple in my household, and I love finding new recipes. —Suzanne
Freezer cooking is a great way to save money, time, and sanity. After today’s challenge, you’ll feel like you have a handle on what to eat for the month, and you’ll know exactly how to use up all those pantry ingredients you just discovered on Day 1. Freezer meals help you stretch your staples and keep your family happy and full!
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Throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
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The post Day 6: Get into Freezer Cooking appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.
October 5, 2015
Day 5: Eat “Out” at Home
This is the fifth day of our 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. Start with Day One here.
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Raise your hand if you and your family love going out to eat! My family really loves going to restaurants, so eating out has always been our biggest nonessential expenditure (and money waster!). I know I’m not alone; many of you have shared the very same struggle. Thus, for those of us who enjoy dining out, one of the most difficult parts of the Living Well Spending Zero challenge is resisting that urge to go out to restaurants, order takeout, pick up fast food, run into a coffee shop, or otherwise “treat” yourself with food.
This is exactly what I needed! We eat out way too much, but if we could copy our favorite meals we could save a lot of money. —Michelle
Honestly, it’s not that I even mind cooking. I actually enjoy working in the kitchen. But some nights there’s nothing more satisfying than sitting down and being served a meal that someone else cooked.
But here’s the good news: You can recreate lots of your favorite fabulous restaurant dishes at home (from appetizers to dinners to desserts)!
You don’t have to be much of an Internet sleuth to find out that many chain restaurant recipes taste so good because, well, they aren’t exactly health food … and that’s okay sometimes. We don’t always have to be perfectly healthy, and sometimes you just need some Olive Garden breadsticks! Still, recreating restaurant recipes at home is not only less expensive, but there’s always a chance to sneak in some extra veggies, a little less butter, or to bake instead of fry.
Making ribs, mac and cheese, grilled veggies, and biscuits, and we’re “eating out” at home from everything I already had in the freezer and pantry! —Bee
To find your favorite restaurant recipes, there are several websites that specialize in “knockoffs.” CopyKat Recipes is a great resource. You can also simply try searching on Yummly and Pinterest. If a local favorite can’t be found online, think about the components and get creative.
For instance, a friend of mine is obsessed with the fried pickles at a local restaurant. She couldn’t find their recipe online, but after considering what it was about that recipe that she loved, she realized it was the spicy little kick to the batter and the Dijon-mayonnaise dipping sauce. She then found a basic recipe online, kicked up the batter with a little black pepper and cayenne, made a DIY version of the sauce—and voila! She was one happy camper!
You can do it too. Just think about your favorite dish and what makes it so wonderful.
To help you get started, I’ve included a list of 21 restaurant favorites you can make from home. Check it out and see if your favorite recipe made the list!
21 RESTAURANT COPYCAT RECIPES
Starters
Homemade Olive Garden Bread Sticks (from Full Bellies, Happy Kids)
Chili’s Southwest Eggrolls (from CopyKat Recipes)
TGI Friday’s Baked Potato Skins (from CopyKat Recipes)
PF. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps (from Living Well Spending Less)
Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter (from Fly Through Our Window)
Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread (from com)
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits (from ABC News)
Main Courses
Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken (from Fabulously Creative)
Panera Broccoli-Cheddar Soup (from Food Network)
PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef (from Food.com)
Applebee’s Bourbon Street Steak (from Food.com)
Bennigan’s Meatloaf (from Cajun Cooking Recipes)
Olive Garden Pasta Alfredo (from Budget Savvy Diva)
Sides
Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice (from Skinnytaste)
Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole (from Restaurant Recipes Network
Desserts
Applebee’s Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce (from Just Get Off Your Butt and BAKE)
Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake (from Moms Who Think)
Other Treats
Starbucks Frappuccinos (from Savory Sweet Life)
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (from Beauty and Bedlam)
IHOP Cinnastack Pancakes (from Not So Homemade)
Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars (from Living Well Spending Less)
On Friday nights we have “fast food home-cooked style”—pizza, tacos/burritos, or burgers! I also make our own bread and rolls, which saves heaps and has none of the nasty additives most store-bought bread has. —Jayne
For today’s challenge, try to recreate a restaurant favorite at home! You might be surprised at the amazing savings in food cost alone. Often restaurant recipes cost pennies on the dollar to make. Break out the fancy dishes and cloth napkins if you really want to get the ambiance right, and have a restaurant meal right in the comfort of your own home!
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Throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
The post Day 5: Eat “Out” at Home appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.
October 4, 2015
Day 4: Organize a Meal Swap
This is the fourth day of our 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. Start with Day One here.
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Now that we’ve worked on assessing our ingredients and planning out our meals, we have (hopefully) awakened our inner creative chefs and are now practically bursting with meal ideas! This means it is time to do a little proactive meal preparation. The fact is, it is both cheaper and easier to double, triple, or quadruple the same recipe than it is to make four different meals. We are going to take advantage of this fact!
Today your assignment is to call, text, email, or message friends and family and make a plan to swap meals this month.
Get your printable meal swap invitation here.
Here’s how it works: each of you makes multiples of a few easy, freezer-friendly meals, like taco casserole or veggie chili mentioned in Day 3. Send out an APB to your friends and family on Facebook or through email and see who’s on board. Usually just a few friends are more than enough to get an exchange going. Be sure to mention any dietary restrictions or other concerns.
I had a great group of friends who got together to cook each month. We would make forty pizzas, and we each had ten 9″ x13″ pans for a variety of hot dishes for the freezer. It was awesome. We each came away with four or five pizzas and eight to ten pans ready for slapping into the oven. Great memories. Great food. Great friendships. — Carol
Once you’ve got some friends on board, you just whip up some freezer-friendly meals and swap! You can also agree to deliver meals on a specific day (if freezer meals aren’t your thing), or you can even host a meal-making party with friends.
Meal swapping is a simple way to save yourself some nights of cooking, mix up your menu a little, and add variety to your meals. You may also end up expanding your repertoire and developing your family’s tastes. Who knew your children liked curry? Or maybe you’ve never been one to cook mushrooms, but your husband loves them. It’s exciting to try new dishes while at the same time giving yourself a break in the kitchen.
I have been doing this for over five years. My parents did it when I was a kid in the seventies. I cook a meal for my family plus two others once a week and deliver it hot to their door at dinnertime. Twice a week, a hot, home-cooked meal arrives at my door at dinnertime … so that covers three nights. Yes, it is wonderful. — Heidi
Consider whether your swap group wants to cook up only main dishes or if you would like to include sides or desserts. It’s also nice to stipulate any of your family’s dietary preferences or restrictions. The meal swap can be as simple or as complicated as your group sees fit. The idea is to mix things up and have some fun. For more tips and tricks on meal swapping, check out the resources below.
Our group participated in an ingredient swap towards the end of the month long spending freeze because we were all out of that “one” ingredient that would make the meal complete. It was a great way to swap out those canned vegetables or other items that you thought you would use (but didn’t) before they expire and go to waste. —Sally
11 MEAL SWAP RESOURCES
5 Steps to a Successful Meal Swap (from Real Simple)
Organizing Your Freezer Meal Swap (from Frugal Living)
How to Set Up a Meal Swap (from Bargain Babe)
How to Start a Meal Exchange (from The Simple Dollar)
Kitchen Sisters Club (from Beauty and Bedlam)
How to Start a Freezer Meal Exchange Club (from Remodelaholic)
Freezer Meal Exchange Groups (from Freezer Dinner)
Start a Freezer Meal Exchange Group (from Meal Planning Magic)
How to Organize a Freezer Meal Swap (from Dollar Store Mom)
Start a Meal Exchange Group to Save Money (from Lifehacker)
Freezer Meal Swap Sample Guidelines (from Freezer Meal Swap)
If all else fails and you can’t find anyone to swap with, try a “family cooking night” or get your husband on board for a “spouse job swap.” Offer to do something that he doesn’t love to do around the house, and in exchange let him work some kitchen magic. My kids love breakfast for dinner, and sometimes just changing out the order of things can help break up the monotony. Try a savory oatmeal bowl for breakfast or turn leftovers into a breakfast burrito. For lunch, use some dinner leftovers, and then have PB&J for dinnertime!
Mix things up, break out of the rut, and give yourself a break! Spending zero doesn’t mean giving up enjoyment of meal times or creating more work for yourself. Get your friends and family on board and get creative!
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By the way, throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Be sure to follow @RuthSoukup on Instagram and post your own photos using hashtag #31daysLWSZ for a chance to win daily prizes. (Get more information about our Instagram giveaway HERE.) Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
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The post Day 4: Organize a Meal Swap appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.
October 3, 2015
Day 3: Plan Your Meals
This is the third day of our 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. Start with Day One here.
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Welcome to Day 3! Were you at least a little excited this morning when you woke up and thought of your organized pantry and freezer? (Or am I the only one who wakes up excited about organization?)
With a freshly organized freezer and pantry, the load on your shoulders is hopefully just a little bit lighter and you are feeling good about the days to come. When it comes to food, at least now you know what you have; but now you have to figure out how to use it!
Thus, today’s assignment is to brainstorm as many meal ideas as possible!
First, as fast as you can, make a list of your family’s favorite meals or your favorite recipes. Don’t worry if you have the right ingredients; just start writing things down. If your kids are old enough, they can help you with this task. Keep writing until you can’t think of any more.
Next, read through your inventory lists and try to think of one dish that corresponds to each different food item. For instance, if canned corn is on your list, you could write down “corn chowder” or “corn casserole” or “goulash.” If you are really stumped for an item, keep moving. For items such as ready-to-eat canned soup, it is okay to just jot down “soup.”
Print our meal idea worksheet and list your favorite meal ideas from all the brainstorming you’ve just done. Be sure to cite the source of the recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to make something for a second time and can’t find the recipe again (especially online recipes).
Consider your family’s tastes. Hopefully the majority of your pantry items fit in with meals your family enjoys. (Otherwise, you may have to really hunker down for a long month.) If there are a few favorite meals, jot them down and assess if you have the ingredients or at least most of the ingredients on hand. Pasta can be substituted for rice or try putting saucy items over toast or baked potatoes if you run out of starches.
Pinterest, Yummly, MyFridgeFood, and other online resources can be really helpful. Check the blogs you follow for recipe ideas as well. There are several lists and recipes at LivingWellSpendingLess.com. To get you started, here is a list of my favorite recipes which can be made from pantry staples.
30 EASY PANTRY STAPLE RECIPES:
Breakfast
Freezer Breakfast Cupcakes
Homemade Yogurt
Cinnamon Roll Waffles
Breakfast Casserole
Soups and Chili
Taco Soup
Beef Stew
Corn and Black Bean Chili (vegetarian)
Ham and Bean Soup
Sides, Starters, and Snacks
Bloomin’ Olive Bread
Easy Asian Chop Salad
Pizza Muffins (vegetarian)
Caramel and Cream Cheese Apple Dip
No-Fuss Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Main Course Meals
Grilled Steak Tacos
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Freezer Beef Burritos
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Honey Sesame Chicken
Spaghetti and Meatball Pie
Grandma’s Sloppy Joes (optional vegetarian)
Easy American Goulash
Taco Casserole (optional vegetarian)
Taco Bites (optional vegetarian)
Easy Pesto Chicken
Dessert
One-Bowl Brownies
White Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats
Five-Minute Ice Cream Cake
Maggie and Annie’s Everything Cookies
Chocolate Insanity Cookies (gluten free)
A few of my favorite dishes are very simple ones, like vegetarian chili made with mostly canned or frozen items; pasta with a simple sauce of olive oil, cracked pepper, and Parmesan; or grilled or baked protein with greens or veggies. Sometimes the most satisfying meals are the easiest. Eggs can stretch your meals quite a bit. Try quiche or a frittata and use up the veggies, protein, and condiments you have on hand.
Hopefully your pantry contains some tortillas, bread, rice, grains, or pasta. I find that these items really help round out our meals, plus they can be used in multiple ways. For tortillas, you can make wraps, tacos, quesadillas, pizzas, or even enjoy them with a little cinnamon and sugar as a dessert. Get creative and explore new uses for items you might normally think of as one-trick ponies.
Yesterday I had finally run out of fresh options and started digging around in the freezer. I found some cooked hamburger and corn. I added them to rice, salsa, seasoning, chicken bouillon, and onions and voila—Hamburger Surprise was born! Pretty good stuff. I did rinse the ice crystals off the meat before I added it to the rice cooker though! Keep those good ideas coming! — Steffanie
I’m a vegetarian, but my family eats meat and I fix it for them pretty regularly. You may find that using a small amount of meat in items like tacos, then adding quinoa or beans, helps to stretch the recipe, while still giving your family a “meaty meal.” Mushrooms are another meaty substitute, as are many types of zucchini and squash. Using sausage or bacon (meat with a lot of flavor and oomph) can help make a mostly vegetable meal feel more filled out.
I’ve had some readers inquire as to how to best create a no-spend meal plan while on a specialty diet. For my family, our pantry and freezer contain items we regularly eat. Hopefully yours does too, and if you follow any specific diet, it should be fine to continue with what you have on hand. If you’re gluten-free, you probably have gluten-free pasta or rice flour on hand, and if you’re a vegan, you probably have some shelf-stable tofu or almond milk in your storage. Having a month of no spending is no reason to assume you have to eat pasta or cereal at every meal (unless, of course, that’s all you had on hand and you’re committed to spending absolutely zero).
If you grow flowers or food, you can trade what you have with a neighbor or at the farmers market. — Jonathan
Another good point raised by readers is that many of us have our own gardens. Now, you may be doing a zero spending month in the winter, or perhaps you have a black thumb and just don’t like gardening. However, if you do happen to enjoy gardening, planting and harvesting some staple ingredients like lettuce, herbs, zucchini, or beans can really stretch out your food supply. You don’t have to be a farmer to plant a head of lettuce, and you can even grow romaine from the base or “heart” of a used head. Just place in water and put it in a windowsill! How’s that for thrifty? You can also try the same process with green onions.
Get your printable brainstorming meal ideas worksheet HERE.
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By the way, throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Be sure to follow @RuthSoukup on Instagram and post your own photos using hashtag #31daysLWSZ for a chance to win daily prizes. (Get more information about our Instagram giveaway HERE.) Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST, but a little earlier this morning!). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
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The post Day 3: Plan Your Meals appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.
October 2, 2015
Day 2: Organize Your Pantry
This is our second day of the 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero Challenge . Read Day 1 HERE .
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I should probably warn you from the start: we are going to be doing a lot of cleaning, organizing, and taking inventory this month! (I never said it was going to be easy!) One of our main goals for the month is to get into the habit of using what we have, rather than buying more. Another goal is to realize and appreciate all that we do have, which is easier to do when our things are cleaned, organized, and inventoried. Sometimes all you need is a fresh look.
If I had known you were going to put us to work I never would have signed up for this challenge! Just kidding! My pantry is a mess but you make it doable. — Zoey
We will be starting off our challenge for the next few days by planning our food strategy. I don’t know about you, but the second I start to think about trying to cook with only the food in my pantry and freezer for a whole month, I start to panic. My brain shuts down, and although my cupboards may in fact be brimming, all I see is “Nothing to eat.” Worse, I have found that when I am hungry I make my worst financial decisions. I am willing to spend more when I just want to get food in my belly as quickly as possible!
Our first day of our no-spend, month long challenge involved setting some ground rules and assessing where we were at. Today, we are going to channel that energy and momentum into organizing our pantries.
This particular task might be a little different than pantry cleanups you have done in the past. This time, we’ll be treating our pantries (and freezers) more like a store. It’s time to go through everything, assess what we have on hand, figure out what we need to use up (I’m looking at you, can of beets), and get a general handle on everything.
The first time I posted this guide, several readers posted panicked responses about if it was cheating to buy things like toilet paper, for example. I am in no way advocating that you should start collecting leaves from the backyard! However, this isn’t the time to stockpile and hoard either. Yesterday you should have given yourself an allotment for a few needed items. (For example, my family can’t go an entire month without bananas, and even the best bunch doesn’t last a whole 31 days.)
My husband and I decided not to buy any food except fruits, veggies, and dairy. After three weeks I had $200 left over. What an awesome feeling. — Stacy
When you go through your pantry and freezer, try to think creatively. Think of new ways to use up what you have on hand or ways you can stretch their use. You can make a great pasta dinner with some frozen broccoli, olive oil, and pasta. A big pot of rice, a few cans of corn and beans, and some taco seasoning can make a satisfying Mexican rice bowl that will keep your family sustained for at least a meal or two.
Think simple. And follow these easy steps to bring order to your pantry.
6 STEPS TO ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY
1. Clear out a large space to work on. If you plan to do your cupboards or if your pantry is in your kitchen, you may want to clear off a counter. If your pantry is in another area of the house, like the basement, set up a card table, and be ready to set things out, assess, and put back.
2. Remove everything from each pantry shelf, one at a time. Check expiration dates and watch for anything that may have spoiled or is beyond salvaging. Canned items should not be bulging or leaking. Place open items in a cupboard or separate section. I like to keep my unopened items in the pantry, then place items in my cupboards once I’ve opened them or once they’re in use (like baking soda, flour, pasta, and so on).
3. As you clear each shelf, wipe it down thoroughly. You can use a multisurface spray, or try a few tablespoons of vinegar diluted in three cups of water. Add a little dish soap and a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and you’ve got a spray that will freshen and clean without chemicals.
4. Write down each item as you go. Use our handy-dandy Pantry Inventory Worksheet to keep track of all your items. This will become your go-to list when you’re meal planning. Plus, it’ll save you from running back and forth to the pantry for every ingredient. 
Get your printable pantry inventory worksheet here.
Are you surprised to discover items you weren’t expecting to find? Didn’t realize you had seven cans of corn on hand or an unopened box of cereal that was hiding in the back? Great! Write it down and remember. You may be getting creative with these treasures in the next few weeks.
5. Put back your pantry items in a clean, logical order. You’re going to want to do it just like the grocery store: each item should be faced towards you, stacked in a way that’s easily accessible, and the most popular items should be placed at eye level. If you have several of the same item, check expiration dates and put the oldest item to the front.
6. Sit back and bask in the beauty of your clean, organized pantry! Don’t you feel calmer now? If you’re still feeling ambitious, try tackling the freezer! Use the same process and see what you have stored up.
Get your printable freezer inventory worksheet here.
I did this last night and I was so proud this morning when I opened my pantry and everything was organized. Doing this one day at a time makes it seem possible to spend nothing this month! —Angie
If you’ve found you’re missing a few staples and you know you can’t substitute or make it through the month without (or your family might mutiny and boycott the whole process), some folks use this time to pick up these limited items (which you should have allotted for on your worksheet yesterday).
Others like a challenge. If you feel it’s better to take an all-or-nothing approach: go for it! Ramen for the month? Hooray! When we did the plan we ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, and I was definitely craving something different by the end of the month!
But you know what? We made it through—and I just know you can do it too!
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By the way, throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Be sure to follow @RuthSoukup on Instagram and post your own photos using hashtag #31daysLWSZ for a chance to win daily prizes. (Get more information about our Instagram giveaway HERE.) Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
The post Day 2: Organize Your Pantry appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.
October 1, 2015
Day 1: The Ground Rules
The first time my husband suggested a month of no spending, back in 2012, I thought he was crazy. After all, by that point we had been married six years, and if he knew only one thing about me, it was that I liked to shop. Like many families, we were caught in a pattern of unhealthy spending habits.
It wasn’t that we were constantly out spending wildly on big-ticket items, but our little daily habits were killing us. With two small kids at home, I’d often go to Target just to get out of the house. Of course a trip to Target also meant a stop at Starbucks and lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and then, because I was tired from a day of running around, it often meant ordering pizza or grabbing Chinese takeout on the way home.
While we weren’t in debt, we weren’t making any headway either. Every penny that came in, we spent. Something had to give.
We decided that we would challenge ourselves to an entire month of no spending. No eating out. No Starbucks. No Amazon.com. And definitely no Target. Furthermore, we would have to eat the food we already had stored up in our pantry and freezer. After all, I was really great at grocery shopping, but not always so great at actually using the food I had on hand. We would still pay our regular bills and our mortgage, but anything we could cut out, we would. For an entire month.
It was life changing.
I would have never guessed that 31 days of no spending could make such a significant difference in the way I viewed my finances, but it did. In the years since, we have continued to commit regularly to no-spend months, usually about twice a year.
In that time, I’ve gathered quite a few tips and tricks along the way to make things a little easier, not only from my own experiences but also from many wonderful LWSL readers (just like you!).
Get Ready to Commit
I have discovered that once you decide to embark on a no-spend month, there is a very important first step: to commit.
This is the day we will change the way we look at spending. This is the day we will stop making excuses and stop justifying yet one more purchase. This is the day we will, for one whole month, commit to spending nothing.
Are you ready?
Right here, right now, I want you to fully commit to this month of living well and spending zero. Say the words out loud, preferably to your spouse and to your kids. Make it real.
Is it hard?
I’m not going to lie—at first it might be tough. But there is a secret to success. You have to be in—fully in, going head first and full force! (If you’re married, be sure your spouse is on board too.) You can’t go into this challenge half-heartedly or you will fail.
Get your printable commitment page here.
Once you’ve signed your commitment sheet snap a picture and tweet it or share it on Instagram with the hashtag #31daysLWSZ!
SIDEBAR: Even if you are not an Instagrammer, I highly, highly, highly recommend that you give it a try for the month (it’s free to join!), as we will be giving away daily prizes! To participate, all you have to do is follow @RuthSoukup and use the hashtag #31daysLWSZ. Get more information about the contest HERE.
In my family’s very first round of this experiment we definitely longed for a few luxury items. By the third day I really, really regretted that I didn’t stock up on a few bottles of wine, and about halfway through the month I might have traded both my children for just one double -tall-one-and-a-half-pump-cinnamon-dolce latte. We ate more than a few very random—and not in a good way—meals, and we sometimes found ourselves talking longingly about all the favorite restaurants we used to frequent. My oldest daughter Maggie literally counted down the days until we could go back to the Golden Corral. (Yep, we really know how to live!)
But in the end, I was amazed to find we saved over $1,000. We found resources we had long since forgotten. We found items in the pantry we’d overlooked. We found toys that had been discarded. We certainly found creativity that we had stifled.
I did a spending freeze last year and it was fabulous! So empowering to have the ability to just say no to buying the inessentials! —Laurie
I wish I could say we didn’t fight about money that whole time, but in a strange twist, we actually had a doozy of a fight when my husband wanted to spend a few dollars on something and I said no, that it wasn’t “essential.” (Let me tell you, having had all our previous money fights originate from my poor spending habits, it was practically like The Twilight Zone to have it go the other way.) But we lived!
And when someone asked, at the end of the month, would we do it again, our answer was an emphatic yes! In fact, we’ve now gone through a handful of rounds of spending zero, and every time we do it, we gain new insights and greater appreciation for everything we already have. We have a life rich with faith, family, friends, and creativity. We’ve learned to be secure in the idea that a life well lived has nothing to do with what we have, but instead is made of who we are and what we do with what’s been given to us.
Establishing GROUND rules:
Once you’ve signed your commitment, it’s time to set up the ground rules for your month. For us it was pretty simple: no spending on anything that wasn’t absolutely essential.
For our family that meant giving money to church, paying our regular bills and utilities, and some essentials (like a can’t-wait car repair). The only food we allowed ourselves to purchase over the month included bread, milk, eggs, and cheese. The rest of our food came from our pantry and freezer. (Yes, it was a challenge.)
Of course, I think one of the things that holds people back from actually committing is the fear that there is never a “good” month to make it happen. Every month, it seems, has some sort of special circumstance—a vacation, a birthday, a holiday. How do you work around those?
The key is accounting for those special circumstances and planning for them ahead of time. I’ve included a worksheet at the end of this chapter that can help you do just that.
For those essentials like milk, and the essential items I get weekly, I’m going to load up my grocery budget on a gift card so I won’t be tempted to go over. — Kim
Some of our readers have mentioned that they have been tempted to stockpile items before starting the challenge. If you have genuine concerns about essentials (yes, you can still buy toilet paper), you can start with a very limited trip to the store or allow yourself a minimal allotment for the basics ($25 or so should keep you covered). Assess what you have on hand, and remember: even if you’re spending the whole month eating mostly pasta or rice, you can make it.
Don’t procrastinate and wait for the “perfect month” to begin, because there will never be a perfect month! If you have commitments like a big family event coming up, view the event as a challenge in your plan, get creative, and move on. A friend of mine made a sock monkey for a birthday gift, homemade valentines and an eggless cake, and still managed to make it through February just fine without spending a thing. The perfect month will never happen, so rather than putting it off, take the plunge!
We have a birthday (my son’s) this month, but we’ve already bought his gift. We have a very small party planned (going to a local farm), but the money was set aside for that already. — Liz
Create your own ground rules that account for your circumstances, and find the best ways to make your no-spend month work for you and your family. If you have an empty freezer and pantry, yes, you might have to do a little shopping beforehand, but keep it frugal and plan for the month.
There are a few expenses you can definitely cut out for the month:
Eating out at restaurants
Coffee from coffee shops
Clothing
Hobbies—crafts, golf, classes, etc.
Entertainment
Toys
Cosmetics and sundries
Alcohol and other vices
Lottery tickets
Furniture and home décor
Get your printable ground rules worksheet here.
What else can you add to this list right now?
The closer it got to starting our month of no spending, the more nervous I got, but now that it is finally here, I am excited! We have gotten very careless with our spending lately and I am ready to get back on track! —Dawn
Throughout this challenge, there will be many different worksheets and printables for you to use. I suggest you print them out and organize them together in a binder or folder so you can journal as you go. Remember, I will be broadcasting LIVE each day on Periscope (usually between 10am and 11am EST). You can find and follow me at @RuthSoukup. Finally, be sure to check out our BLOG TOUR page, where you can find all sorts of additional ideas and inspiration from other bloggers who are taking the #31dayLWSZ challenge this month too!
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So are you ready? Let’s do this!
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Show Us Your #31daysLWSZ! (Instagram Giveaway)
A month of no-spending doesn’t have to be painful! Join our #31dayLWSZ party on Instagram for a chance to win some AWESOME daily prizes! To be automatically entered, just make sure you are following @RuthSoukup, then snap a pic and share it on Instagram using hashtag #31daysLWSZ. That’s it! (Seriously!) Get more details in the widget below!
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September 30, 2015
Easy Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup
Fall is officially here, which brings two very important things–cooler temperatures and FOOTBALL! Of course it also means busier days, with more activities and obligations and less time to spend in the kitchen. Luckily for all of us, today’s easy slow-cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup is pretty much the ideal fall recipe–hearty, delicious, and so ridiculously easy, it can barely even be considered cooking.
In other words? It’s practically perfect in every way.
With just a few budget-friendly easy ingredients, it comes together in minutes, then freezes beautifully until you’re ready to throw it in the crockpot, no pre-cooking, pre-soaking, or thawing required. Seriously, it couldn’t be any easier!
Of course the easiest recipe in the world doesn’t help much if your family won’t eat it, but luckily this one is almost guaranteed to be a hit! My husband and oldest daughter both declared it the best soup they’ve ever had. (My youngest daughter thought it was a tad bit spicy, but still really liked it, especially with more blue cheese.) By the way–if your family doesn’t do spicy food, you can always use mild buffalo sauce to cut down on the heat!
Also, be sure to use the Ham-Beens brand beans, as they include a flavor packet that helps season the soup. They can be found at most major grocery stores!
Here is what you need:
1 package Hurst’s HamBeens 15 BEAN SOUP®
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup buffalo sauce (for cooking day, found in grocery aisle with BBQ and ketchup)
1 container blue cheese crumbles (for cooking day, as a topping)
Step 1: Open Ham-Beens package and set aside flavor packet. Rinse beans. Check for any unwanted debris.
Step 2: Chop onion, carrot and celery.
Step 3: In large bowl, combine beans, carrots, celery, onion, Ham-Beens flavor packet and broth or water. Stir until packet contents are dissolved.
Step 4: Divide chicken into two gallon size freezer bags (be sure to label bags first!) Divide soup mixture into bags over top of chicken. Freeze until needed.
Step 5: Cook in a 4-6 quart slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Remove and shred the chicken with fork and add back to the crock pot.
Step 6: Pour in 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (or more to taste); stir to combine. Serve with Blue Cheese crumbles.
Print This!
Recipe: Easy Buffalo Chicken Soup
Summary: This budget friendly recipe is packed with buffalo wing flavor, but in a tasty & satisfying bowl of soup!
Ingredients
1 package Hurst’s HamBeens 15 BEAN SOUP®
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup buffalo sauce (for cooking day)
1 container blue cheese crumbles (for cooking day)
Instructions
Open Ham-Beens package and set aside flavor packet. Rinse beans. Check for any unwanted debris.
Chop onion, carrot and celery.
In large bowl, combine beans, carrots, celery, onion, Ham-Beens flavor packet and broth or water. Stir until packet contents are dissolved.
Divide chicken into two gallon size freezer bags (be sure to label bags first!) Divide soup mixture into bags over top of chicken. Freeze until needed.
Cook in a 4-6 quart slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Remove and shred the chicken with fork and add back to the crock pot.
Pour in 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (or more to taste); stir to combine. Serve with Blue Cheese crumbles.
Preparation time: 5-7 minutes
Cooking time: 4 to 8 hours in slow-cooker.
Number of servings (yield): 12
This post was underwritten by Hurst Beans. All opinions are mine. Established in 1938, the N.K. Hurst Co. is a 4th generation family business based in Indianapolis, IN. Hurst’s HamBeens® are the nations #1 selling dry bean brand and can be found in grocery stores nationwide. For more info, please visit www.hurstbeans.com.
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September 29, 2015
Get Ready for #31daysLWSZ! (Last Minute Challenge Details)
The 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge starts in just TWO days, and if you are anything like me, you are probably feeling a combination of nervous, excited, and terrified! Thus, I wanted to write one final post to help alleviate any fears and assure you that YES, you really can do this!
I promise it is not as scary as it sounds! (Really!)
For one whole month, we’ll focus on practical ways to rethink our spending habits and discover new ways to use the things we have. We’ll start by planning what we’ll eat, since it is hard to think about anything else when you’re hungry! We’ll then focus on getting our homes in order, creating a soothing space where we enjoy spending our time. From there we will look at ways to creatively use the things we already have on hand, as well as fun ways to get the things we need for free and even make more money. We’ll finish our challenge by looking ahead to the future, since the whole point is to set ourselves up for long-term success.
If you’re nervous about joining because you’ve already made commitments for October, or because you have a birthday or special event planned, or because you don’t have enough food on hand to last a whole month, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! On Day 1 we account (and budget) for any of those special circumstances, so you can still participate in the challenge without any guilt about “cheating.”
Here are just a few last minute tips to make the most of your month:
1. INVITE YOUR FRIENDS
This challenge is pretty fun on your own, but it can be an absolute BLAST when you do it with friends! Do yourself a favor and give yourself a built-in, local support system. You’ll be able to swap meals, trade ideas, and even pinch-hit for babysitting when necessary.
2. FOLLOW @RUTHSOUKUP ON INSTAGRAM
Just trust me on this one—even if you’re not an “Instagrammer,” it is worth joining Instagram JUST for this month. (Don’t worry—it’s free!) Throughout the month, we’ll be using hashtag #31DaysLWSZ to share tips, thoughts, & ideas regarding the challenge, and every time you share your own photo using that hashtag (as long as you are also following @RuthSoukup) you’ll be automatically entered to win one of our FUN daily prizes!
3. FOLLOW @RUTHSOUKUP ON PERISCOPE
While you’re downloading new apps, be sure to install Periscope (it’s free too!), then search for and follow @RuthSoukup. I’ll be broadcasting live every morning to talk about the day’s challenge, answer questions, and share tips and ideas. (If you’re not familiar with Periscope, be sure to check out this post.)
4. CHECK YOUR INK SUPPLY
I don’t really recommend stocking up before the challenge—that does sort-of defeat the purpose—but it IS a good idea to make sure you have ink in your printer, so that you will be able to print and use the great printables we’ll be providing throughout the month.
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In the end, the worst that can happen is that you mess up, spend some money, and have to start over the next day. But the BEST that could happen is that you save a TON of money, get your budget in order, and take back control of your finances. Doesn’t the risk seem worth the reward?
( And—dare I say it—it might even be FUN!)
To join the challenge and receive the FREE daily emails, simply sign up below:
First Name *
Email *
As soon as you sign up & confirm your email, you’ll get our free PDF preparation guide sent straight to your inbox, which will help you know exactly what to do (and not to do) to prepare for your month of no-spending. Then, beginning October 1st, you’ll receive 31 practical and easy to implement daily ideas for planning your meals, getting your home in order, and becoming more creative—all without spending a dime.
Also, be sure to check your spam or, if you use Gmail, your “promotions” folder for an email from me (Ruth Soukup), and if you don’t see the email within fifteen minutes, please email us at admin@livingwellspendingless.com!
Alternatively, if you’d prefer not to have your inbox flooded with daily emails, you can follow along daily here at LivingWellSpendingLess.com, or purchase the challenge in its entirety in Paperback or Kindle format.
Whichever way you decide to join, be sure to share your progress on social media–especially on Instagram, but also on Facebook or Twitter–using hashtag #31daysLWSZ!
Believe me, I know all too well how stressful it can be to feel like your budget is spinning out of control, and I’ve learned that sometimes hitting the reset button through a month of no-spending is the only way to get a handle on things once again. Over the course of thirty-one simple but powerful daily assignments, this 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge will empower and inspire all of us to get our finances back on track.
So are you ready? Let’s do this!
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September 28, 2015
How to Love Your Mom Body (Even When You Don’t)
Today I am happy to welcome back to LWSL my friend Emily Wierenga. I first met Emily at a conference a few years ago, and in the years since I have been so blessed and inspired by her writing about faith, parenting, and life after anorexia. Her brand new memoir, Making It Home: Finding My Way To Peace, Identity and Purpose is her best work yet, exploring the questions that we, as moms, as struggle with sometimes: What does it mean to be a woman and to make a home? Ultimately she takes readers on an unconventional journey through marriage, miscarriage, foster parenting and the daily struggle of longing to be known, inviting them into a quest for identity in the midst of life’s daily interruptions, and it is a great read! Be sure to get your copy HERE!
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This is a guest post from Emily Wierenga.
“Mommy?”
My three-year-old son stands before me on the rocky mountain path. We’re in Jasper and we’re hiking.
“Yes, sweetie?”
He looks solemn beneath his sideways ball cap. “You’re beautiful.”
Then he turns and skips away, leaving me breathless.
I know my husband told him to tell me that.
I know, because I’ve been struggling with postpartum body image.
Later my five-year-old son tells me the same thing.
“Mommy? You’re beautiful,” he says. I’m sitting and nursing my three-month-old daughter, wondering if my stomach will ever return to “normal.”
There’s something about a child’s voice. There’s something innocent and powerful, something that reaches past the varicose veins and the stretch marks and the bags. It ministers to a place so often neglected, the soul.
A child’s voice is louder than the world’s, the one telling me I need to lose weight, the one saying I should put on makeup or dye my or wear brand-name clothes. The one glancing enviously at other women instead of compassionately, the one that nearly killed me when I was an anorexic teenager.
A child’s voice is the voice of The Velveteen Rabbit. One of my favorite books, and now one of my kids’, it’s the story of a rabbit who’s all plush and new, who longs to be real. Who eventually gets to be real because of the love of a little boy. A boy who squeezes the rabbit tight each night and plays with him each day. As time passes the rabbit doesn’t notice his fur getting faded and ratty, his stuffing coming loose and his buttons falling off, because he finally feels loved. And this love declares him beautiful. This love declares him real.
I’m 34 and I’ve got three children and they’ve loved the plush right off me. I’m not shiny and new. My eyes are lined and weary from late-night nursings and rising to hug away the nightmares. On days when I do get to shower, I often don’t have time to comb my hair because the baby starts to cry or the boys are covered in mud and they’re tramping it across the floor. Makeup is reserved for Sundays on the way to church when I have a few minutes in the car to smear it on, and even when I put on nice clothes they soon have spit-up on them.
I’ve got stuffing that bunches in weird places: I’m flat where I used to be curvy and curvy where I used to be flat. But when I look in my children’s eyes, I see love. I see a love that hugs me tight each morning and begs me to sing song after song at night, a love that never tires of me in spite of me tiring of them. A love that eats burnt toast and quietly swallows when I yell over spilled milk. A love that wipes up spilled milk and says, “I’m sorry Mommy,” and then, “I forgive you, Mommy,” when I say I’m sorry.
And I’m learning three tips for how to love this post-partum self on those days when my body seems extra-frayed.
1. Receive Compliments with Grace
When someone compliments me, I’m tempted to argue or protest. My hubby will tell me I’m looking beautiful and suddenly I’ll wonder why he didn’t tell me the same thing yesterday—was I NOT looking beautiful yesterday? Instead, I’m learning to just say “Thank you;” to receive, instead of immediately repelling the affirmation.
2. Show Gratitude to Your Body
One of my favorite authors is Anne Lamott, who makes a habit of saying “Thank You” to her own body—to her arms, for carrying groceries, to her legs for carrying her body, to her feet for guiding her home, even as she lovingly spreads lotion into her skin. I, too, am learning to say “Thank You” to my body which I so often abuse or take for granted.
3. Praise God, Always
I find when I am feeling low, or discouraged, if I begin to sing a hymn or a worship song my spirits immediately lift. There is something about praise, about exhibiting gratitude to our Maker. It puts everything else into perspective. It reminds us of the gift of life and all we have to be thankful for. Worship is what we were made for.
This is real friends.
All of it.
It is true and good and beautiful. Don’t let the mirror fool you. There are so many reasons to say “Thank You.”
And?
You’ve never looked more stunning.
Emily T. Wierenga is an award-winning journalist, columnist,
artist, author, founder of The Lulu Tree and blogger at www.emilywierenga.com. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Relevant, Charisma, Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Dayspring’s (in)courage and Focus on the Family. She is the author of six books including the travel memoir Atlas Girl and speaks regularly about her journey with anorexia. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband, Trenton, and their children. For more info, please visit www.emilywierenga.com. Find her on Twitter or Facebook.
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