Frugal Living Today

The term ‘Food Miles‘ refers to the number of miles your food has to travel from its point of origin (or production) to your table.  It is one of several variables that can affect the overall cost of the food we eat, but the impact is larger than that.  Food Miles also have a direct impact on the ecological stability of our communities and the world in which we live.

This is precisely the reason why the catchphrase “Buy Local!” has been gaining momentum in recent years, and if you are looking for a way to not only save money on food but do just a little more to save the environment that sustains us at the same time, I strongly encourage you to look into local sources for your food.

Farmer’s Markets are a great place to start, but take it a few steps further as well by contacting local butcher shops about buying local meat.  Sides of beef are quite cost effective even though they cost more up front and take a great deal of storage.  You will find as I did that the cost of a chest freezer will be more than covered by your first purchase or two, at most.

Of course the best way to reduce food miles bar none is to grow it yourself, so if that is at all possible - even if it is one or two vegetable plants - you need to do it.  How many times have I said that here already?  Are you paying attention?

A last minute trip to the local farmer’s market yesterday got me to thinking.

I have advocated farmer’s markets as a frugal method for finding seasonal veggies and fruits and I still  do, but yesterday’s trip was an experience that had my mind running on overdrive for a couple of hours.

This particular market isn’t exactly what you might think of when you have such things in mind – at least that was the case for me.  It was the one farmer’s market in the area that is open year-round and many of the vendors are selling fruit and veggies out of boxes they bought in Florida or other such locales. 

Don’t get me wrong, those Florida tomatoes are still a far cry from the salmonella-riddled anemic looking Romas at the supermarket and yet they just aren’t what I consider farmer’s market quality fruit.

I didn’t buy a single tomato, though I did get some gorgeous limes, peaches (from Georgia, thank you very much), a cantaloupe and some freaking INCREDIBLE locally grown blueberries.  Yet as I have said many times, nothing beats what is grown at home.

I pulled and ate the first cucumbers from my own vines last night and the flavor was so light and intense that I cannot fully describe in herein.  My home grown Italian parsley graced the top of last night’s dinner (simple chicken and rice – recipe to follow one of these days) and it was one of the best meals I’ve prepared in months.

I’ve said all that to say this – farmer’s markets should be local farmers selling the wares that they have produced in their own local gardens, not purchased by the case from some hothouse somewhere 400 miles away.

I’m going to write about food miles soon, so you can understand a little better exactly why the food we buy costs so much more than just the price on the store receipt.

What if I told you that you could get enough food to feed two people for nearly a month without spending more than $30? You’d probably tell me I was crazy and while you’d be right, so is what I just said.

It really is possible to get plenty of meat, veggies and a wide variety of other foods for about a dollar a day, thanks to a program that has been in place for several years known as Angel Food Ministries.

Now before you get the impression that I am talking about any form of government assistance, allow me to assure you that Angel Food is not welfare. Started by a family who just wanted to help people who couldn’t easily afford to eat well, Angel Food has since spread nationwide and programs are run (most often by church groups) all across the country every month.

There is no qualifying whatsoever, and no limit to how many packages you can purchase. The content of the packages varies each month, but a list of items for the upcoming month is always available. In addition, there are specialty packages available ranging from steak to chicken and even more variety during the holidays.

To give you an idea of what the standard boxes contain, here’s the content of the package for June 2008:

1.5 lb. Rib Eye Steaks (4 x 6 oz)

1.5 lb. Hamburger Patties (4 x 6 oz)

2 lb. Pork Riblets

4 lb. Individually Quick Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters

2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders

20 oz. Supreme Pizza

1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage

2 lb. French Fries

16 oz. Sliced Carrots

16 oz. Mixed Vegetables

32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk

6 oz. Pancake Mix

15 oz. Pork and Beans

14 oz. Ketchup

7.5 oz. Macaroni & Cheese

Dozen Eggs

Dessert Item

Think you can get all that for $30? Me either.

To find a local Angel Food Ministries distributing partner, visit the website at www.angelfoodministries.com.

You’ll need to excuse me for a minute here while I go off on a slight rant.

I just can’t seem to understand why people think that plants exist only for their looks.  No folks, that’s what supermodels exist for.  Plants on the other hand, can be made to help earn their keep.

I’d be you have at least a few plants around your home.  The kitchen window is usually a great place for them to flourish, but don’t waste your valuable space and time on the same old tired plants that everyone else in the neighborhood has – get a few small herb plants!

Fresh herbs can cost as much as two or three bucks for a tiny packet at the supermarket, or you could pay the same amount for a live plant and have no need to purchase your parsley, basil, oregano, marjoram, chives or mint again.

If you have space on your porch for a hanging planter why not consider one of the hybrid cherry tomato plants (Sweet 100 comes to mind) that grow well in that environment?  Trust me, you’ll appreciate it when you make your summer salads.

Now get out there and make your houseplants do something for you!

Probably the single most important money saving practice I know is one with which I was raised.  If you think about it, it is common sense and it took me several years into my adulthood to realize that it wasn’t something that everyone already does.

Make-ahead meals are a huge time saver, provided you are already accustomed to menu planning and shopping for the upcoming week (or month) accordingly.  The only real alteration is that instead of preparing one meal, you prepare two.  Of course, this only works with items that will freeze well.

The next time you are planning to cook spaghetti, lasagna, chili, or chicken pot pie, make two.  The addition to  your prep time will be minimal and it can often mean the difference between having something homemade, healthy and nutritious on-hand that can just be heated, or stopping at the drive thru on the way home from work.

Would you rather have a home cooked meal or a tasteless, greasy ‘value meal’?

Here are three additional make-ahead tips for you, that I employ every chance I get:

• Brown hamburger meat with chopped onions and peppers and freeze them in 1-pound portions.  The next time I want to make chili or spaghetti I take it out, thaw and add it right to my sauce on the stove.
• When I bake poultry, I shred the leftovers and freeze them in containers.  They hold up well and are quick to thaw for a barbeque chicken sandwich, chicken salad, or great tacos or burritos.
• Make a big batch of pancakes and/or waffles (the recipe is basically the same) and freeze them.  They will thaw in a flash in the microwave (pancakes) or toaster (waffles), ready for a quick and hearty breakfast anytime.

Quick note:  If I ever mention a recipe that you would like me to post here, please just leave me a comment.  I’d be more than happy to share!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’d rather wear jeans (or shorts) and a t-shirt on any given day, but that is one of the benefits of being a freelance writer who works from home most of the time. I could work in my underwear if I wanted to.

Even still, I realize that not everyone has the luxury of wearing whatever is clean and comfortable at the time. In fact I would go so far as to say that a lot of people actually want to look their best at all times, though this is a foreign idea to me (just keeping it real, yo).

So how is it that you can be frugal and still look great? I’m glad you asked!

There are two blogs that I strongly recommend for you fashion-conscious frugal folk:

Wardrobe Refashion
http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/
I came across this website a few months back while doing some research on a writing project and the idea seemed so uber-cool that I just had to bookmark it. Refashion is the concept of turning an existing article of (ugly, outdated or otherwise unusable) clothing into something new, cool and best of all - FREE!

Frugal Fashionista
http://frugal-fashionista.blogspot.com/
Want the celebrity look without the price tag? Look no further than this great site. You don’t have to scour the stores to find the look you want, this site does it for you and even lists the items by store and price!

If there is one thing I absolutely hate during the summer months – especially here in the south – it has to be mosquitoes. To put it bluntly, mosquitoes suck!

Mosquito bites can lead to illness and infections, and no one with deny that they are just plain annoying.
For years, the OFF brand name has been as recognizable in the insect repellant industry as Band-Aid is to adhesive bandages. Now the folks at OFF want to introduce their brand into the lives of more people by offering a Buy One, Get One Free coupon for their popular OFF Power Pad Lamp mosquito repellant.

The Power Pad Lamps have more repelling power than 15 citronella candles or buckets combined! I’ve used them and they are amazing, even in the humid, sweltering summers in Alabama where mosquitoes are more common than celebrity scandals in the tabloids.

To get your coupon, visit http://www.offprotects.com/mosquito-repeller/ . Once there, look at the upper right hand side of the page where you will find a link to get your coupon.