The Homestead Mindset Anywhere: by Donna Miller : budget savings frugal groceries cooking stretching dollars

Stretching Money by looking at everyday objects differently.

Millers Grain House — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:32:00 GMT

We all have them, the weird things that are in the house that we save and get over run with or we simply toss because we see them as not useful. Well, if you look at things just ever so slightly askew....you might find some great uses for 'useless'...(read more)

Weekly Preparation Practice Checklist

Millers Grain House — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

I have come up with a list of items that warrant practicing each week to prepare for an uncertain economical or governmental future. It isn’t being pessimistic to actually WANT to and look forward to being able to be more self-sustaining and out of debt...(read more)

More ramble on that "Thrifty Commercial" topic...Buyer be Aware

Millers Grain House — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:26:00 GMT

It is pretty funny how I had the same reaction as Anne (one of our other bloggers here) to the KFC and Frozen Chicken commercial. Toss in Stouffers and a few others and we have yet another media twisting epidemic. As unsuspecting busy American's just sit back and 'buy it' because it 'makes sense'. Well, digging deeper does result in clarity of thought. Let's look at the things the KFC commercial especially leaves out:

Nutritional Content (especially fat)
Buying the spices may be expensive but you wouldn't use more than 1/25 of each jar of spice to make one meal - so figure that as less than $1 and you would have more for other meals left....
Hormone Free Chicken on sale. I got 24 drumsticks the other day for $3 and 24 thighs for $4 (that's less than $8, but for almost 2 -3 meals) so let's say = approx $3 per meal now stashed in my freezer.
Mashed potatoes and green beans - free - from our garden.

I mean, do the math....dig deeper....no KFC meal can touch that! Plus, forgive the crudeness, but that KFC stuff can really tear up your insides for a few days after! Oh you know what I'm talking about.....

Sadly - the ad 'sounds' right but it is only because it is so far from the mark by what it omits. We have to be more thoughtful in this economic time. Of course the companies in the food industry (mostly convenience and take-out/restaurants) are sweating. Back in 'The Day' - people didn't RELY on them as much as our society does now...and...Heaven forbid, we learn not to rely on them anymore!!

To attest to this ad being a false hood both on time and $$. My youngest child (daughter) is in charge of dinners on Thurs nights. She came home from classes at 5:30 and by 6:30 had a meal of: Oven baked chicken strips that cost less than $5 this week, Mashed potatoes (real ones with skins) and green beans both from the garden. Then she made a healthy whole grain dessert for less than $1 (No bake choc oatmeal cookies). This meal cost us only $6.50 (if you count the tea and spices)!!! She fed a family of 5 (big eaters) a healthy, lower fat, not from a greasy bucket, or with processed potatoes, or who-knows-what kitchen cleanliness ranking - all within the hour. Top THAT KFC! You can't!! And now she has the skills and feels accomplished that she can one day make that same meal for her own family! THAT is priceless!!

Buyer be Aware.

Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!

Donna Miller

http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store

Fun New Game: "Let's see how long before I have to get groceries again!"

Millers Grain House — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:23:00 GMT

Part of the homesteading mentality is making deprivation creatively FUN ~

So after I got groceries this past week - I thought it would be fun to see how long before I have to get ANY again...so the game is ON!

Drinks always consist of mostly water between meals, and milk, OJ, coffee or tea with a meal.

So for the meals yesterday (the day after grocery shopping) here is how I fed my family of 5 adults - all three meals:

Breakfast - Multigrain Waffles (made with a little fresh milled flour and left over grits and oatmeal) w/ Agave Nectar and banana
Lunch - Left-over Homemade Friday Night Pizza and apple
Dinner - Pinto Beans and pan fried cubed potato browns, green beans.
Dessert - Lemon Amish Friendship Bread (pound cake) with berries.

Today's three meals for 5 adults consisted of:

Breakfast - Cheese omelette with Turkey Bacon and apple
Lunch - Homemade Hummus and pita chips, homemade cherry yogurt, carrots and snap peas.
Dinner - Butternut squash Mac and Cheese (ssshhhh...they don't know squash is in there), tomato soup and salad.
Dessert - Lemon Amish Friendship Bread (pound cake) with berries (yep again, I baked 3 loaves!).

Thursday night our family goes out to dinner so...we'll just see tomorrow or Friday what the next two days' meals look like...

The point I guess I am getting at is not that I think I'm so 'good' at stretching my grocery dollars - it's more that making it a game or FUN helps me be more creative.

My goal is to buy nothing aside from MAYBE milk. eggs or fresh produce for the next 2 weeks - (and I'd like to avoid those too if possible) that is until October 3rd (our son turns 22 so we'll HAVE to buy some special foods then!) Stay tuned to see if I can pull it off! It's my own personal challenge to see if I can do it! To see if $105 will last two weeks for a family of five grownups!

Have fun playing YOUR game that helps you stretch those dollars!

Best Blessings!

Donna Miller

New Videos each week on stretching grocery dollars: Tried and True Tips and tricks http://www.youtube.com/user/thewheatguy