Debt Dumpers 2024

[Tygerlilly]

Not all of the advice will be applicable but I recommend checking out "Frugal Fit Mom" on YouTube.

I will forever recommend Christine to anyone and everyone. I've followed her since before the pandemic when she blew up and she's helped me save SO MUCH on my groceries. And I'm obsessed with her family's "budget" vacations that look anything but budget.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I will check it out. But we're definitely different (some say odd). We're not big on leftovers, we don't eat a lot of sandwiches, we don't cook chicken or seafood at home. I'm sure there is something for us on there though. So I will check it out.

I will forever recommend Christine to anyone and everyone. I've followed her since before the pandemic when she blew up and she's helped me save SO MUCH on my groceries. And I'm obsessed with her family's "budget" vacations that look anything but budget.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We're not big on leftovers

We aren't big on leftovers for dinner, but we take the heck out of leftovers for lunch. I know that reheated food doesn't taste as great as fresh, but for the sake of the budget, you might need to start eating some leftovers. It literally makes me sick to my stomach if we leave a leftover in the fridge too long and I end up having to toss it because I am just throwing my hard earned money into the garbage can.

 

[AJollyHoliday]

Not all of the advice will be applicable but I recommend checking out "Frugal Fit Mom" on YouTube.

I will forever recommend Christine to anyone and everyone. I've followed her since before the pandemic when she blew up and she's helped me save SO MUCH on my groceries. And I'm obsessed with her family's "budget" vacations that look anything but budget.

Have not seen this channel and I have been watching so many episodes! We get our meat from ButcherBox and have a freezer FULL of meat. I told DH that we have to inventory our freezer and use all our meat before the next box. We made a decision to only buy organic or humanely sourced meat and we know this is more costly, but this is where our values lie. ButcherBox is a great deal to help with that, but we have to budget for it.

 

[barkley]

Also no one cares how many of what fruit you are buying, so don't worry about that. Also the way I look at it everybody else is not paying my bills, I am, so I don't really care what they think anyway.

we have one grocery chain (in the krogery family) that sets up their produce area
with a display at the perimiter that has a variety of fruits set up to grab just one or two of each-apples, oranges, single bananas, smaller portions of grapes...strictly to appeal to folks looking to put together lunches (same per pound price as bulk).

I will check it out. But we're definitely different (some say odd). We're not big on leftovers, we don't eat a lot of sandwiches, we don't cook chicken or seafood at home. I'm sure there is something for us on there though. So I will check it out.

what kind of stuff do you eat when you eat out for lunch? we might have some suggestions for less expensive/easy to make hacks for those.

p.s. when you say you don't cook chicken at home does that extend to reheating already cooked in an oven or microwave?

 

[dpswift]

I will check it out. But we're definitely different (some say odd). We're not big on leftovers, we don't eat a lot of sandwiches, we don't cook chicken or seafood at home. I'm sure there is something for us on there though. So I will check it out.

Like everything else it takes awhile to become habit. I have thrown away more fruits and vegetables than I care to admit. Before my husband started working from home I sent him to work with a salad every day. Now I cannot remember the last time he ate salad.

I always microwave part of a bag of vegetables or steam fresh on the stove.

I have worked n retail and food service for so many years that I can honestly tell you that they don’t care if you buy one or one hundred apples. Buy what you can use

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Ok, I thought you had to heat them in the bag. Because it says heat then let sit for a minute. So I thought you had to. But good to know that I can open and cook half in the microwave. I will check out that lady and see if it's any help. Thank you.

There is no requirement to heat them in the bag. It's an extra marketed convenience if you want to use the bag that way. I pour portions out into either a pan to sautee or steam with a touch of water in the bottom of a pot, or portion into a glass bowl to microwave. You should be able to cut a good bit of your grocery budget with less food waste -- it's literally throwing money in the garbage.

Also no one cares how many of what fruit you are buying, so don't worry about that. Also the way I look at it everybody else is not paying my bills, I am, so I don't really care what they think anyway.

Not all of the advice will be applicable but I recommend checking out "Frugal Fit Mom" on YouTube.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Today we had wraps brought in from Jason's for our sales meeting. Yesterday, we had salads on the office, and Monday we went as a sales team after another meeting to eat burgers. Again, the office paid. So I've yet to pay this week. But that gives an idea. If I don't have a lunch meeting, I'll make a tortilla wrap (flour tortilla, ham, cheese, mustard) to go with chips and go get a sweet tea somewhere. Might also carry leftovers if it's something we want to eat leftover (pasta, steak, that type of stuff).

we have one grocery chain (in the krogery family) that sets up their produce area
with a display at the perimiter that has a variety of fruits set up to grab just one or two of each-apples, oranges, single bananas, smaller portions of grapes...strictly to appeal to folks looking to put together lunches (same per pound price as bulk).


what kind of stuff do you eat when you eat out for lunch? we might have some suggestions for less expensive/easy to make hacks for those.

p.s. when you say you don't cook chicken at home does that extend to reheating already cooked in an oven or microwave?

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I can't tell you how much stuff we've throw out. Probably 1 time a month, we'll throw out pretty much a trash bag full of food (frozen that's past date, leftovers that we don't care to eat, stuff in the cabinet that's past its date, etc). I usually dispose of a half of each half gallon of milk we buy. We've thrown out full things of unused HB meat (kept in the fridge past its expiration date), full loaves of bread (past its expiration date) and lunch meat (same).

I absolutely will not eat anything past its expiration date, no matter if it's frozen or in the fridge or in the cabinet.

Like everything else it takes awhile to become habit. I have thrown away more fruits and vegetables than I care to admit. Before my husband started working from home I sent him to work with a salad every day. Now I cannot remember the last time he ate salad.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I will check out the bag next time I buy to see if it says it has to be cooked in the bag or if I can break the bag open.

I always microwave part of a bag of vegetables or steam fresh on the stove.

 

[barkley]

I can't tell you how much stuff we've throw out. Probably 1 time a month, we'll throw out pretty much a trash bag full of food (frozen that's past date, leftovers that we don't care to eat, stuff in the cabinet that's past its date, etc). I usually dispose of a half of each half gallon of milk we buy. We've thrown out full things of unused HB meat (kept in the fridge past its expiration date), full loaves of bread (past its expiration date) and lunch meat (same).

I absolutely will not eat anything past its expiration date, no matter if it's frozen or in the fridge or in the cabinet.

cut your grocery shopping in half. if you are tossing that much food you could save a good amount by downsizing your shopping list, seeing how much of that amount you actualy use vs. toss and making adjustments.

not sure what kind of lunch meat you buy but the brand names i get are dated out quite a bit-just checked and the packages of turkey and roast beef i purchased the last week of february have a use by date the first week of april, the bread and bagels bought at the same time have another week on them. i get that buying some things in larger packaging is less expensive than the per unit cost on smaller (gallons vs. quarts of milk for example) but if you are throwing out half or more than it's less expensive to purchase the smaller containers.

 

[dpswift]

I can't tell you how much stuff we've throw out. Probably 1 time a month, we'll throw out pretty much a trash bag full of food (frozen that's past date, leftovers that we don't care to eat, stuff in the cabinet that's past its date, etc). I usually dispose of a half of each half gallon of milk we buy. We've thrown out full things of unused HB meat (kept in the fridge past its expiration date), full loaves of bread (past its expiration date) and lunch meat (same).

I absolutely will not eat anything past its expiration date, no matter if it's frozen or in the fridge or in the cabinet.

Sometimes it hurts less if you know you won’t eat something to toss it right then rather than putting it away.

Our fridge is full right now of leftoversthatI know my husband would not eat for a meal. So I am going to eat some for dinner and fix him something else.

Even if the savings is small buy the smallest size of things that you don’t use a lot of. Even if I don’t save money I don’t have the guilt of throwing something away. This was hard for me to get used to because at one time I was feeding seven people.

 

[Matty B13]

I'll make a tortilla wrap (flour tortilla, ham, cheese, mustard) to go with chips and go get a sweet tea somewhere.

Try changing out the chips for pre-cut, pre-washed baby carrots...... at least once a week, once you get use to it, you can increase the frequency. I use to drink coke all the time, then I switched to flavored water, now I only drink water. This one change took several years, but now I can't stand drinking coke or flavored water because it is too sweat. Over the past decade I have completely changed the way I eat now, and yes it takes a long time but it is worth it.

Also, it seems like you throw a lot of food away that you might not need to. You might want to research or take a class in food safety and learn how long it is to store food before it has to be throw away.

 

[AJollyHoliday]

If food is frozen, then the "best by" date is null. Freezing is preserving the food so you can eat it past the best by date. That is why it is good to buy meat/bread when it is on sale and freeze it for later use. It is perfectly safe. My husband was OBSESSED with the "best by" date and it took me time to tell him that there is a buffer built in and ways to assess whether it is gone bad. For example, eggs you can put in cold water and if they float they are bad. We do this because my sister gives us fresh eggs so we have no idea how long they are good for. For hard cheeses, you can cut the mold off and still eat it. After all, cheese is aged through bacteria and mold.

We often do "living with the land" or "freezer fun" nights where we go through our pantry or freezer and see what meals we can make so we are using what we buy. Having a meal plan each week is also helpful because I only shop for what I need to make those meals and we are less likely to buy excess. We also make soups and freeze part of it so we can have it at a future date.

 

[amylevan]

I absolutely will not eat anything past its expiration date, no matter if it's frozen or in the fridge or in the cabinet.

It might help you to take notice that they are not actually “expiration” dates. The dates you see on food labels are not usually related to food spoilage. Instead, the dates tell you how long food maintains the best taste and texture.

Sell by dates are just dates to remove food from shelves, they allow for time to eat them after those dates. Dairy usually a week, eggs are good 3-5 weeks past sell by dates.

Best by dates are just the best for taste. The food might get dry or not taste as great BUT it is not spoiled. You’re not going to get sick.

Use by dates are just suggested for quality.

Expiration dates use phrases like “expires on” or “do not use after” for products. These are the only true expiration dates. Usually reserved for baby formula and medicines.

If you’re worried about food poisoning, use by dates aren’t really the culprit, it’s improperly stored or cooked food. Bacteria can’t grow in freezing temperatures, so freezing extends your food’s shelf life.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We've cut back. We try to go every 4-5 days now and spend about $40 instead of spending $200 twice a month. Saves a little money and not as much waste. And sometimes, like last night, we didn't have anything to cook. Didn't want to go to Walmart for just 1 meal, so we just grabbed something out. So all good.

We just the regular great value lunch meat that you get the single serving for like 80 cents. We don't buy the large packages. We've got one in there now that we're going to end up throwing away because we haven't even used it.

We will usually buy a loaf of bread a week and usually average using about 4-5 slices out of the loaf.

cut your grocery shopping in half. if you are tossing that much food you could save a good amount by downsizing your shopping list, seeing how much of that amount you actualy use vs. toss and making adjustments.

not sure what kind of lunch meat you buy but the brand names i get are dated out quite a bit-just checked and the packages of turkey and roast beef i purchased the last week of february have a use by date the first week of april, the bread and bagels bought at the same time have another week on them. i get that buying some things in larger packaging is less expensive than the per unit cost on smaller (gallons vs. quarts of milk for example) but if you are throwing out half or more than it's less expensive to purchase the smaller containers.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

My wife has tried telling me this for years. I don't buy it. If it's close to the use by date (dairy) or past date (meats, etc) then it goes in the trash. We tried freezing meat, but same thing: we'd end up throwing it out before using it just because you can't leave a package meat in the sink all day. Some times we will put it in the fridge the night before, but sometimes it doesn't thaw all the year.

It might help you to take notice that they are not actually “expiration” dates. The dates you see on food labels are not usually related to food spoilage. Instead, the dates tell you how long food maintains the best taste and texture.

Sell by dates are just dates to remove food from shelves, they allow for time to eat them after those dates. Dairy usually a week, eggs are good 3-5 weeks past sell by dates.

Best by dates are just the best for taste. The food might get dry or not taste as great BUT it is not spoiled. You’re not going to get sick.

Use by dates are just suggested for quality.

Expiration dates use phrases like “expires on” or “do not use after” for products. These are the only true expiration dates. Usually reserved for baby formula and medicines.

If you’re worried about food poisoning, use by dates aren’t really the culprit, it’s improperly stored or cooked food. Bacteria can’t grow in freezing temperatures, so freezing extends your food’s shelf life.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We've cut back. We try to go every 4-5 days now and spend about $40 instead of spending $200 twice a month. Saves a little money and not as much waste. And sometimes, like last night, we didn't have anything to cook. Didn't want to go to Walmart for just 1 meal, so we just grabbed something out. So all good.

We just the regular great value lunch meat that you get the single serving for like 80 cents. We don't buy the large packages. We've got one in there now that we're going to end up throwing away because we haven't even used it.

We will usually buy a loaf of bread a week and usually average using about 4-5 slices out of the loaf.

You have to start meal planning. Plan out each meal and only buy what you need. Write down each ingredient you’ll need on your list. This will save you a ton of money and help your waistline. Not having something to cook and ordering out is bad for your wallet and health.

If I notice we haven’t used something like bread and it’s going to go bad I’ll freeze it. Or I’ll plan our next meal around it.

Been there done that. The amount of money we save not eating out is so helpful.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We do a meal plan. Or at least try. Just to write up the meal ideas to be able to shop.

If food is frozen, then the "best by" date is null. Freezing is preserving the food so you can eat it past the best by date. That is why it is good to buy meat/bread when it is on sale and freeze it for later use. It is perfectly safe. My husband was OBSESSED with the "best by" date and it took me time to tell him that there is a buffer built in and ways to assess whether it is gone bad. For example, eggs you can put in cold water and if they float they are bad. We do this because my sister gives us fresh eggs so we have no idea how long they are good for. For hard cheeses, you can cut the mold off and still eat it. After all, cheese is aged through bacteria and mold.

We often do "living with the land" or "freezer fun" nights where we go through our pantry or freezer and see what meals we can make so we are using what we buy. Having a meal plan each week is also helpful because I only shop for what I need to make those meals and we are less likely to buy excess. We also make soups and freeze part of it so we can have it at a future date.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My wife has tried telling me this for years. I don't buy it. If it's close to the use by date (dairy) or past date (meats, etc) then it goes in the trash. We tried freezing meat, but same thing: we'd end up throwing it out before using it just because you can't leave a package meat in the sink all day. Some times we will put it in the fridge the night before, but sometimes it doesn't thaw all the year.

Then at this point you’re just being wasteful. Why would you throw out perfectly good frozen meat? You can start cooking ground beef if it’s still frozen. You can also thaw meat in a water bath. It’s pretty quick too.