I get a little chuckle when it's pointed out you don't buy meat and that's why your budget is so low. It may be partially true but it's mainly because you don't fill your pantry with junk like chips, pudding cups and soft drinks - all empty useless calories and expensive. Humans have been vegetarians and vegans for thousands of years, this is not a scary new concept. Even during the depression people had very little meat. Katie, I love all of your common sense ideas that we can all use no matter our diet preference or finances you are fab in my book! We also have a vegan soup cooked once per week and eat on it for two days! Cook once eat at least twice is something we always do, also cuts down on electric use.
I'm a Australian who flexitarian...we eat a lot of vegetarian and vegan meals, however we also consume meat. When we eat meat, I look for quality and value, a 1.5 kilo of blade beef can last a family of four 3 days. Roast it (the Australian way) slice a 3rd of it thinly and serve with the roast veggies and all the trimmings. Slice the next 3rd thinly and serve it cold with salad ( pasta salad goes great with this) Chop the final 3rd into cubes and add to your favourite curry recipe..😊
I never bothered about all the research and effort that you have put in,I just halved the meat in almost everything I cooked and replaced it with,lentils,beans and/or vegetables.Even meatballs are half cabbage or some other veg chopped up small.I lost a lot of weight because I was always full and had no room for junk food.Your meal planning is brilliant nutritious and clearly tastes great AND it’s incredibly cheap!Why not give it a try?
I try to make soup once a week. It's a great way to use up leftovers and bits of veg, and an easy way to incorporate legumes. During times when I was on a very tight budget, I ate mostly bean/vegetable soups and homemade whole wheat bread -- a very nutritious and inexpensive combination that still satisfies.
I just love all of your videos and I have learned so much watching them…regrading the topic of intermittent fasting….I am a little older than you😬but I developed terrible stomach issues….to make a long and painful story short….after many test…scopes down my throat….ultrasounds… over two years with no answers I came across an article about intermittent fasting… it has worked like a miracle for me. Turns out my body was just tired and needs more time to digest. I start eating around 11 and not another thing in my mouth after 7 o’clock at night no pain in my stomach no bloating, no reflux. It really is amazing how our bodies just trying to tell us something, wishing you a very happy holiday to you and yours
Don't do strickt mealplanning , rather buy ingredients you can interchange to create a menu. And cut out the snacking , eat a handfull of nuts when you want to snack on something.
Great tips!!! Very motivating for me as I need to work on meal planning and budgeting. Despite inflation, you have shown it is possible to save even with a family of five! And you helped me figure out a meal for this week:split pea soup!! 😂
When I was just starting to cook every meal from scratch to save money, I did meal plan - but it often didn’t work. I had two under 2, and hadn’t figured out how to work in the cooking with the child care (I was a SAHM). Or I was trying new recipes that were more involved than I thought. If it got too late, we’d end up eating out. I felt so defeated. I was trying to save money and ended up spending more! The solution (and the point of this post) is to plan for failure, especially if you’re new to all this. I started keeping “emergency” meals on hand (fish sticks, box Mac and cheese, jar of spaghetti sauce and pasta …) and always had bag salad or carrot sticks and apples on hand.) Then I learned a couple meals that took shelf stable ingredients or always on hand fresh things (like onions or celery) that I knew I could put together in 30 minutes. And I made sure we kept those things on hand, too. With those two steps, if my meal plan failed for whatever reason, I could always abort it and still feed us without resorting to the expense of eating out. Hope it helps. It worth the effort to learn to cook from scratch!
This is great advice! I remember when my teens were little and I was a way-too-busy single mom, those backup meals were a life saver. We had a lot of Totino pizzas, nuggets, Mac n cheese, potato fries, and fruit in those days 😆 Cooking is a learning process and failure WILL happen. I failed a lot at first too. For me, that also meant I was sometimes just too tired to cook. Planning realistically for your season of life is important. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
Another great video!! We have switched to eating 2 meals a day sometimes like on weekends just one, I also drink a lot of water as I am not wasting money on drinks, I will have tea at dinner and lunch if I eat both or coffee in morning, but mostly just drink water, might I just say I love how well spoken you are and I can tell you say things with caution like anything someone would try to turn against you, I just think your family is so interesting, thank you for sharing your ride with us ❤❤
We are are currently moving and while I am trying to use up what we have because the move is out of state, I have noticed how many things I have purchased that really didn't have more than one purpose and so many things have gone to waste. Definitely an eye opener on how I need to be even more intentional about what I buy, which I thought I was doing, but clearly there is room for improvement. 🤔😀 Another great video, thanks for sharing.
I hoard food , due to leftover eating disorder mentality, but I will never throw out food. Everything gets eaten, past-due-dates mean nothing, mostly it's fine still. I should go through my pantry, and see if I can cut back on hoarding, because I already have it etc.
The other thing not known is does that budget include everything like pet food, toiletries and laundry supplies? I budget that as my total grocery bill
It's amazing to me how much money people spend on food and how much food people waste. We are not vegan, and we are still able to spend well below the government's thrifty plan amount by following may of the principles you mention. We aim for zero food waste including we save scraps of veggies for broth and compost some scraps and peels along with egg shells and coffee grounds. Thank you for mentioning "best by" dates because I always tell people "best by" does not mean "bad by". I've used canned and dried goods well past these dates with no noticeable taste difference. We store rice, beans, oats, etc. in free food grade buckets obtained from the bakery department of a local grocery store.
Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I will say, if we didn't have a toddler eating the soup, I would leave the skins on lol. Lots of nutrients in there!
I made a roaster full of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and had a large amount of potato skins left. I rinsed them well, dried them and tossed them in butter and spices. Then, I dry canned them. Talk about a convenient side!
I love the Happy Baby Carrier. It's pricy, but you can find used ones on FB Marketplace. Barely used ones ... the people who use Happy Baby are obsessed and collect them in all colors and only use them a few times before selling and getting the latest color lol. One carrier will work from newborn to preschooler, so you can get a lot of use out of it :)
That was my thought also. We buy meat from a friend who has a processing business so we get it cheaper than a grocery store but it's still a big part of our grocery budget. You can't compare what this family spends to what those of us that buy meat spend.
I spend roughly 3,000 to 3,200 for my teen and I yearly. We don't get convenience food unless on serious markdown/clearance. We buy discounted meat but mostly eat a vegetarian diet. I work from home and homeschool my teen. So we can eat up leftovers from the night before for lunch etc. I also garden so that helps with the budget as well. I cook from scratch daily. I'm always looking for ways to save a little more. We no longer buy bread so I'm starting to make our own now. Great tips!
I get a little chuckle when it's pointed out you don't buy meat and that's why your budget is so low. It may be partially true but it's mainly because you don't fill your pantry with junk like chips, pudding cups and soft drinks - all empty useless calories and expensive. Humans have been vegetarians and vegans for thousands of years, this is not a scary new concept. Even during the depression people had very little meat. Katie, I love all of your common sense ideas that we can all use no matter our diet preference or finances you are fab in my book! We also have a vegan soup cooked once per week and eat on it for two days! Cook once eat at least twice is something we always do, also cuts down on electric use.
❤
I'm a Australian who flexitarian...we eat a lot of vegetarian and vegan meals, however we also consume meat.
When we eat meat, I look for quality and value, a 1.5 kilo of blade beef can last a family of four 3 days.
Roast it (the Australian way) slice a 3rd of it thinly and serve with the roast veggies and all the trimmings.
Slice the next 3rd thinly and serve it cold with salad ( pasta salad goes great with this)
Chop the final 3rd into cubes and add to your favourite curry recipe..😊
I never bothered about all the research and effort that you have put in,I just halved the meat in almost everything I cooked and replaced it with,lentils,beans and/or vegetables.Even meatballs are half cabbage or some other veg chopped up small.I lost a lot of weight because I was always full and had no room for junk food.Your meal planning is brilliant nutritious and clearly tastes great AND it’s incredibly cheap!Why not give it a try?
We have a “clean out the fridge night “ every week and get rid of the leftovers.
Two whole food nutritious meals is all that we need as adults daily!!
I enjoy watching you cook! Thanks for this video.
I try to make soup once a week. It's a great way to use up leftovers and bits of veg, and an easy way to incorporate legumes. During times when I was on a very tight budget, I ate mostly bean/vegetable soups and homemade whole wheat bread -- a very nutritious and inexpensive combination that still satisfies.
Soup is really one of my favorite meals 😋
Loved this video! Thank you!
These type of videos are my favorite ones that you do! Good advice, thank you!
Enjoyed your video, love seeing a young person be so responsible... keep teaching your peers.
Great tips, thanks ❤
I just love all of your videos and I have learned so much watching them…regrading the topic of intermittent fasting….I am a little older than you😬but I developed terrible stomach issues….to make a long and painful story short….after many test…scopes down my throat….ultrasounds… over two years with no answers I came across an article about intermittent fasting… it has worked like a miracle for me. Turns out my body was just tired and needs more time to digest. I start eating around 11 and not another thing in my mouth after 7 o’clock at night no pain in my stomach no bloating, no reflux. It really is amazing how our bodies just trying to tell us something, wishing you a very happy holiday to you and yours
I think I’ll try this but stop eating after 6pm. I older too LOL 😆
Don't do strickt mealplanning , rather buy ingredients you can interchange to create a menu. And cut out the snacking , eat a handfull of nuts when you want to snack on something.
Great tips!!! Very motivating for me as I need to work on meal planning and budgeting. Despite inflation, you have shown it is possible to save even with a family of five! And you helped me figure out a meal for this week:split pea soup!! 😂
When I was just starting to cook every meal from scratch to save money, I did meal plan - but it often didn’t work. I had two under 2, and hadn’t figured out how to work in the cooking with the child care (I was a SAHM). Or I was trying new recipes that were more involved than I thought. If it got too late, we’d end up eating out. I felt so defeated. I was trying to save money and ended up spending more!
The solution (and the point of this post) is to plan for failure, especially if you’re new to all this. I started keeping “emergency” meals on hand (fish sticks, box Mac and cheese, jar of spaghetti sauce and pasta …) and always had bag salad or carrot sticks and apples on hand.) Then I learned a couple meals that took shelf stable ingredients or always on hand fresh things (like onions or celery) that I knew I could put together in 30 minutes. And I made sure we kept those things on hand, too. With those two steps, if my meal plan failed for whatever reason, I could always abort it and still feed us without resorting to the expense of eating out.
Hope it helps. It worth the effort to learn to cook from scratch!
This is great advice! I remember when my teens were little and I was a way-too-busy single mom, those backup meals were a life saver. We had a lot of Totino pizzas, nuggets, Mac n cheese, potato fries, and fruit in those days 😆 Cooking is a learning process and failure WILL happen. I failed a lot at first too. For me, that also meant I was sometimes just too tired to cook. Planning realistically for your season of life is important. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
Another great video!! We have switched to eating 2 meals a day sometimes like on weekends just one, I also drink a lot of water as I am not wasting money on drinks, I will have tea at dinner and lunch if I eat both or coffee in morning, but mostly just drink water, might I just say I love how well spoken you are and I can tell you say things with caution like anything someone would try to turn against you, I just think your family is so interesting, thank you for sharing your ride with us ❤❤
Thank you! I really do try to not offend anyone, but I usually do anyway 😅
We are are currently moving and while I am trying to use up what we have because the move is out of state, I have noticed how many things I have purchased that really didn't have more than one purpose and so many things have gone to waste. Definitely an eye opener on how I need to be even more intentional about what I buy, which I thought I was doing, but clearly there is room for improvement. 🤔😀 Another great video, thanks for sharing.
I hoard food , due to leftover eating disorder mentality, but I will never throw out food. Everything gets eaten, past-due-dates mean nothing, mostly it's fine still. I should go through my pantry, and see if I can cut back on hoarding, because I already have it etc.
The other thing not known is does that budget include everything like pet food, toiletries and laundry supplies? I budget that as my total grocery bill
No, this is just food cost.
You or the study?
Both
USDA numbers include food only, and assume all food is prepared at home (no restaurant meals).
Here is the source. www.fns.usda.gov/research/cnpp/usda-food-plans/cost-food-monthly-reports
Love love love you and your family! You are all so very amazing! Would like more of your recipes because you maximize nutrition!
It's amazing to me how much money people spend on food and how much food people waste. We are not vegan, and we are still able to spend well below the government's thrifty plan amount by following may of the principles you mention. We aim for zero food waste including we save scraps of veggies for broth and compost some scraps and peels along with egg shells and coffee grounds.
Thank you for mentioning "best by" dates because I always tell people "best by" does not mean "bad by". I've used canned and dried goods well past these dates with no noticeable taste difference. We store rice, beans, oats, etc. in free food grade buckets obtained from the bakery department of a local grocery store.
I have to cook in bulk. It's just the only way I will do it. Great episode
You are suggesting ideas for people, I don’t know why people always criticise, they can use some of your tips or none.
Hey Katie n Family 🌻
Hi! ❤️
I am in australia, I spent $2600 in the last 12 mths for groceries
Not bad at all. ❤
Are you utilizing any food from food banks etc great if you do but needs to be included towards food costs
We do not use food banks or anything like that.
I just love your channel ❤
Do you make fried potato skins with the peels? I found a recipe for it on a zero food waste site… they were good!
Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I will say, if we didn't have a toddler eating the soup, I would leave the skins on lol. Lots of nutrients in there!
I made a roaster full of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and had a large amount of potato skins left. I rinsed them well, dried them and tossed them in butter and spices. Then, I dry canned them. Talk about a convenient side!
Great tips, thank you from across the pond 🙂
What baby carrier do you recommend?
I love the Happy Baby Carrier. It's pricy, but you can find used ones on FB Marketplace. Barely used ones ... the people who use Happy Baby are obsessed and collect them in all colors and only use them a few times before selling and getting the latest color lol. One carrier will work from newborn to preschooler, so you can get a lot of use out of it :)
Not the video bring the meat 🥩 controversy 😅😂 I love reading the comments 😂
😅
You do not buy meat so this is why your groceries are so low.
That is one of the reasons why they saved so much money, because they don't buy meat, we buy chicken and ground turkey which is still pricey.
That was my thought also. We buy meat from a friend who has a processing business so we get it cheaper than a grocery store but it's still a big part of our grocery budget.
You can't compare what this family spends to what those of us that buy meat spend.
You could reduce your meat consumption if that is your pricey purchase.
@@MammaMiaworld True, but I won't😀
@@PegsGarden I won't either.
I spend roughly 3,000 to 3,200 for my teen and I yearly. We don't get convenience food unless on serious markdown/clearance. We buy discounted meat but mostly eat a vegetarian diet. I work from home and homeschool my teen. So we can eat up leftovers from the night before for lunch etc. I also garden so that helps with the budget as well. I cook from scratch daily. I'm always looking for ways to save a little more. We no longer buy bread so I'm starting to make our own now. Great tips!
😊
Just to add to the comments i want to say i glad you didnt forget to plug crock pot in cuz i sometimes do lol
🤣 I have also done this!