For the Carnivor Family

We eat meat!  I cant imagine and dont want to imagine life without it.  But unfortunately the grocery bills for our family is every increasing unless I am very careful, so I try to make our meat last as long as possible.  I have mentioned before that I am a fan of buying at a discount and my local butcher sells better meat at least half the price of the supermarkets.  Every few weeks I plan a vague list of meals and then armed with my cash make my purchases.

Two weeks ago, I spent $40 on the following: 1.2kg chicken breasts, 1.5kg mince, 2 osso bucco, 2 porterhouse steaks, 3 oyster blade steaks and 4 rashers of bacon.  We have had meat every weeknight and I still have another week's worth to go.  There are only 3 of us to feed, but I have managed to have 2 days worth of osso bucco, 2 days with lemon chicken pasta, 3 days of chow mein, 2 days of spaghetti bolognaise, 3 days of beef stew, 2 days of chicken curry, 1 day of egg souffle with bacon which we call 'cheese pud'. 

I stretched out most of the meals by adding heaps of vegetables, and used different sides such as pasta or rice, or even made some of the stew into pies.  And I have to admit that my meal portions have been occassionally smaller as I still feel a little queasy as a result of being pregnant, but there is always still some of my meals that are wasted because we have had our fill.  I feel really thrifty and proud of myself when I see how far I can make the meat stretch. 

I have done an inventory of my freezer today and this week's grocery bill will still not require any meat and very few vegetables.  That means more money that we can put towards paying off our investment property. 

The $21 Challenge completed

I will count as a success, my challenge for last week, as I only spent $19 on extra food items, except for milk.  We actually drink 12-15 litres of milk each week, and while I cut down by not having cups of milo, I would not cut down for my toddler, and its my husband's drink of choice, so I wouldn't deprive him of that.  Most of his workmates go home and have a few beers, some of them smoke too, so that is an expense we dont have to worry about. 

This week's meals were tasty and different, things that I had forgotten about cooking, we had chilli con carne, bbq chops, chicken kiev with roast vegies, beef stew, lamb shank soup, and I baked some Anzac cookies and some brownies.  It was amazing to realise that I had so many ingredients already stocked up in the pantry and freezer.  Also, a couple of the meals, I was actually able to make enough for additional meals to freeze.

This week, I am back to stocking up the pantry again, but rather than spending my usual budget of $200 I am aiming to spend $150.  I'm sure it can be done, even with a few of my supplies running low.  I need more meat, so will shop around for the best deals.  I will also cook a satisfying vegetarian meal that will save some cash.  I just have to use my imagination.

Tips:
*  Butchers are often cheaper than the meat section of the supermarket
*  If you shop at the supermarket, go in the afternoon when the price of meats are marked down to move stock.

Cheap Chicken Meal

Today the weather is a bit cooler, very pleasant in fact, so I dont have a problem in cooking inside. Another trip to explore my options at the supermarket, and I found chicken breast on special. Its only a saving of $2 a kilo, but better than nothing, and considering I am not using a whole lot of chicken, I decided that it was an acceptable price. What is it with the price of meats in supermarkets these days?!

So tonight I am making chicken kebabs. I know I'm cheating, but I bought a tube of Morroccan herbs & spices for $3. I added diced chicken breast to some olive oil and the herbs & spices, and left it to marinate for the day. On the skewers, I will put the chicken, onion, red & green capsicum, then BBQ (could grill) it. I'll serve with some rice.


Tips:
- Check meat section of the supermarket in the afternoons, as they are usually marked down in price at that time to make more room for fresh meat.
- Compare the price of chicken breast pre-packed in the meat section and then at the supermarket deli, most of the time the deli is cheaper, and you can choose the quantity of meat you want.
- If possible, buy your meat from the market, it is much much cheaper there.
- If you have the room, buy a 10kg bag of rice to use as a base to a lot of your meals, its healthy and much cheaper in bulk.
- If you can make metal skewers they can be washed and reused, rather than buying wooden disposable ones. Alternatively, look out for them in kitchen stores, if you eat kebabs etc a lot, it would be worth your while.