Our Frugal Journey

In case you’re harboring suspicions that we’re eating cereal every night to pull off our No-Spend Challenge for February, I thought I’d give you an idea of what’s been on the dinner table lately and what’s on the menu for the rest of the week. (If you’re new to the blog, click here to read previous No-Spend Challenge posts.)

Saturday–Open-face hot turkey sandwiches topped with gravy, two percent shredded cheese, tomato and veggie bacon, two veggie sides, mashed potatoes. Since my oldest son stopped in for the day, I decided to make his favorite supper. The turkey was passed along from a friend whose family doesn’t do leftovers. I have great friends!

Sunday–Baked cranberry-apple oatmeal and toast. Having breakfast for dinner is a great way to trim your grocery budget and it’s usually a family favorite. I’ll include the recipe for this delicious, cheap and healthy dish as the bottom of this post. I have six canisters of old-fashioned oats, after using two for this dish, which I purchased for pennies during a recent grocery deal.

Monday–Crockpot barbecue beef sandwiches, side of Parmesan noodles. I used a London Broil cut of meat that I purchased at Harris Teeter. It was reduced and I used a wine-tag coupon so I literally paid pennies.

Tuesday–Cheeseburger pie made with soy meat, veggies, applesauce.

Wednesday–Whole-wheat spaghetti and garlic bread. Pasta was free with Kmart’s “Super Double” coupon promotion.

Thursday–Leftovers. With basketball practice on the calendar, we’ll eat leftovers or a sandwich.

Friday–Sloppy joes, mashed potatoes, side of veggies. My younger son will be coming home from Appalachian State for the weekend so I’ll make his favorite. The ground beef was another reduced meat purchase with a wine tag. It cost me under 25 cents.

Typical breakfasts so far have been: healthy cereals and homemade waffles that I make and freeze.

Lunches typically have been leftovers from supper, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese quesadillas and EasyMac pasta for my noodle-loving 10-year-old. I eat at home. My husband and daughter pack their lunches for work and school.

Snacks have been apples (though we are down to our last apple!), granola bars, sugar-free pudding, sugar-free Jello, popcorn, pretzels and rice cakes. Except for the apples, all these snack foods have come from my coupon-financed stockpile.

So, there you have it. If you were suspicious — and I really don’t blame you if you were — now you know the No-Spend Challenge is legit and can be done without feeling deprived. And if you were feeling sorry for us (or my husband, at least), don’t be. We’re eating pretty well. And fairly healthy.

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Cranberry-Apple Baked Oatmeal Recipe

1 cup oil (I substitute applesauce)
1 ½ cups sugar (I use 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Splenda)
4 eggs (I use 1 extra large egg)
6 cups old-fashioned oats
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups milk (I use skim)
 
(I then add 1 can of whole berry cranberries and 2 apples, diced)
Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. Can refrigerate overnight before baking. I serve mine plain, but some people top theirs with a dab of butter, brown sugar, and milk. Others add syrup. 

*This recipe is adapted from one I first saw on Money Saving Mom, one of my favorite blogs.