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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2011 15:03:28 GMT -5
How long was the power out to melt down a chest freezer? I've never had an outage that long. If we did, i guess we'd have a bar-b-q and a cook it and then re-freeze it day and then donate the rest to the exotic pet rescue place before it spoiled...
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Jan 17, 2011 15:18:50 GMT -5
Crone (and others with big frozen hoards), With the value of your frozen items, do you have a generator or something to make sure that the freezer stays on? We have twice lost freezer-fulls due to power outages, so are reluctant to stock up again...if only to avoid that incredible stench that we could smell from the mailbox. We don't get major power outage and the freezer is in the garage so if really cold out would still keep a long time. We have a camper with a generator right next to the garage so could run an extension cord to the freezer if one lasted longer than was safe. Our food is mostly fish we caught so free food and cheap turkeys. If the turkeys would thaw I would bake them then cut up and freeze the cooked turkey. I would can the tuna even if I had to buy more jars or use quarts and smoke the salmon so even with a major thaw most food would be saved.
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Jan 17, 2011 15:49:29 GMT -5
I always buy in bulk for things that aren't perishable - household items, dried beans, etc.
I hate shopping. I hate standing in line. I hate the parking lots. I hate having my receipt checked AGAIN at Costco.
$500 to not have to stand in line for a year is worth it to me. LOL
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 17, 2011 16:13:45 GMT -5
I don't want to sound mean... but your family doesn't have enough self control to not open a shampoo bottle as soon as you get it home, so you only buy it when you need it and usually end up paying full price? Maybe you could hide the stockpile then, so your family saves a little $$. I don't usually pay anything but tax for shampoo and conditioner, razors, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, etc. I do buy good TP (its a must), but only when it goes on sale/coupon/reward. As for groceries, I'm like a lot of the other couponing posters. I buy staples at rock-bottom prices and stock up, then just fill in the gaps weekly. I LOVE nature valley granola bars. The past few weeks they've been on sale where I can get them for less than $1.00/box. I bought 8 boxes, so I will have enough to last until next sales cycles, and I saved $2.00/box. I've done the same with canned tomato products, pasta, Campbell's soup, Gatorade, bottled water, Pepsi, etc. I am vegetarian so I also buy frozen veggies and beans on sale so I always have something I can eat. I'm trying to get to a point where "We don't have all the ingredients for a meal so let's go out tonight" is a rarity in our house. I make better food than most restaurants anyway, and WAY cheaper, so I like eating at home!
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 17, 2011 16:18:15 GMT -5
I just caught an interview with Carla Ulrich, author of The Real Cost of Living.She said that clipping coupons and chasing loss leaders won't save you the most money. Cutting down on food waste will boost your budget. 20 - 30% of the food budget is blown just by wasting food by.....drumroll.....not planning your weekly meals. I knew that. Uh-huh. Now if I'd only do it. I can't count how many time my lettuce has gone bad because I ignored it. Of course, reducing waste and using coupons/chasing sales will cut out even more... I've tried the plan my meals around what's on sale plan, and it didn't work for us. I never seemed to be able to find every ingredient on sale. Stocking up on staples at sale prices is much more budget friendly for us.
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Post by readsalot on Jan 17, 2011 16:24:44 GMT -5
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jan 17, 2011 16:25:57 GMT -5
And one more thing - I know many here do it, but for me it's EXHAUSTING to plan menus around what's on sale.
Also, I buy most of my produce in TJ (which doesn't even have sales) and I only go to a regular grocery store MAY BE twice a month. So, I always have chicken, beef and fish in the freezer that I can make and of course pantry items.
I just thought of a really cool experiment - I wonder if any of you, who does major couponing and who uses words such as "loss-leader" (I am assuming they are not talking about some business segment of a major operation) came to my house for a month or two, shopped and cooked based on what WE eat and told me if they spend any less money compared to me. That would be awesome!!
Lena
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 17, 2011 16:34:59 GMT -5
And one more thing - I know many here do it, but for me it's EXHAUSTING to plan menus around what's on sale. Also, I buy most of my produce in TJ (which doesn't even have sales) and I only go to a regular grocery store MAY BE twice a month. So, I always have chicken, beef and fish in the freezer that I can make and of course pantry items. I just thought of a really cool experiment - I wonder if any of you, who does major couponing and who uses words such as "loss-leader" (I am assuming they are not talking about some business segment of a major operation) came to my house for a month or two, shopped and cooked based on what WE eat and told me if they spend any less money compared to me. That would be awesome!! Lena It could be done I'm not sure what you eat of course, but at my house, we like to eat well. We LOVE home-cooked, made from scratch food and don't eat a lot of processed stuff. I make my own tomato sauce for spaghetti (I do use canned tomatoes, but that is just the base), We LOVE home-made alfredo sauce for Buitoni 3 cheese whole grain tortellini, stir-fry's are a must have, salads, home made soups, home made black bean burgers (i HATE the ones you buy at the store). I love to make new recipes when I have the time. I would say that we are picky eaters, and we don't like to fill up on junk. I am not sure if I could save you on the meat, I don't eat it and DH only eats white meat (and only when I will cook it for him!) It is only the 2 of us, but I am able to keep the grocery/household items budget to about $250/month.
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Clifford
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Post by Clifford on Jan 17, 2011 17:20:54 GMT -5
How long was the power out to melt down a chest freezer? I've never had an outage that long. If we did, i guess we'd have a bar-b-q and a cook it and then re-freeze it day and then donate the rest to the exotic pet rescue place before it spoiled... We travel often. Twice we were out of town for a week or more(5 years apart), on 2 different freezers, and we came home to that smell. Both in the summer.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Jan 17, 2011 17:41:03 GMT -5
Crone (and others with big frozen hoards), We have twice lost freezer-fulls due to power outages, so are reluctant to stock up again...if only to avoid that incredible stench that we could smell from the mailbox. Reminds me of a funny story. A few years ago my parents moved their freezer from the main room of the basement to the back room by near the furnace & water heater. At one point they realized everything was half-thawed & had to cook up a bunch of the food & throw out some other stuff. They couldn't figure out the problem though because everytime they checked on the freezer it had power & was running. Eventually they realized it was plugged into an outlet that was controlled by the lightswitch, so everytime they left the room they were turning off the freezer. But, your story is kind of wierd. How long would the power have to be out for a closed freezer full of food to go bad to the point where you can smell it from outside the house? I would think that would take several days at least.
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Post by bobbysgirl on Jan 18, 2011 9:01:58 GMT -5
If I only was a smart as Phil, I wouldn't have tied up that $4 and may be could have been retired by now
LENA: You are too funny!
I used regular detergent and a lot less. I cleaned it once a month with a cup of vinegar through the rinse cycle. I never had a smell or any problem with the machine.
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Post by bobbysgirl on Jan 18, 2011 9:03:42 GMT -5
They couldn't figure out the problem though because everytime they checked on the freezer it had power & was running. Eventually they realized it was plugged into an outlet that was controlled by the lightswitch, so everytime they left the room they were turning off the freezer. Kind of like Clark Griswald?
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jan 18, 2011 9:12:08 GMT -5
I'm kind of doing this already. Because of the seasonal nature of my job, I don't get many hours at work in January. I have stocked up the pantry in previous months, and January is the month that we "eat out of the pantry". My grocery bill is fabulously low in January, since we just have to buy milk & other perishables. And sometimes, you find something hiding in the back of the pantry that you completely forgot about! ;D
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jan 18, 2011 9:14:39 GMT -5
How long would the power have to be out for a closed freezer full of food to go bad to the point where you can smell it from outside the house? I would think that would take several days at least.
IME, less than a week in the winter.....
I had to empty out both my fridge and freezer during an ice storm that we had several years ago. I was without power for 8 days and by the 4th day, stuff was starting to thaw. You could smell it if you opened the freezer door by the end of the week and I suspect that it wouldn't take much longer to be able to smell it outside the fridge.
During the summer, it'd probably go at least twice as fast.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 18, 2011 9:56:00 GMT -5
We buy for a week at a time only. I don't like clutter and crap in my house. I don't want to devote a room in my house to stock piling. I have one small pantry with things like canned veggies, rice, pancake mix etc in it- basic staples. And that's it. We got to the grocery store once a week- cruise the meat department to see what's on sale and plan our meals accordingly. Between the 3 of us we eat a total of 21 breakfasts a week, 16 lunches, and 21 dinners. So 58 meals a week for under $100 a week. That's not bad in my opinion. Plus we get something new every week, we eat all of our leftovers and we don't trip over boxes of stockpile every time we turn around. If my fridge/freezer went out today I'd be out maybe $50 worth of food.
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Post by bobbysgirl on Jan 18, 2011 9:56:49 GMT -5
also have a major problem with perishables going bad- veggies mostly PATCHWORK: I just did a post about this on my blog under cleaning out the fridge. www.angiesfrugalhouse.blogspot.com. I think the post may help you.
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 15:36:05 GMT -5
We buy for a week at a time only. I don't like clutter and crap in my house. I don't want to devote a room in my house to stock piling. I have one small pantry with things like canned veggies, rice, pancake mix etc in it- basic staples. And that's it. We got to the grocery store once a week- cruise the meat department to see what's on sale and plan our meals accordingly. Between the 3 of us we eat a total of 21 breakfasts a week, 16 lunches, and 21 dinners. So 58 meals a week for under $100 a week. That's not bad in my opinion. Plus we get something new every week, we eat all of our leftovers and we don't trip over boxes of stockpile every time we turn around. If my fridge/freezer went out today I'd be out maybe $50 worth of food. Not every stockpiler has whole rooms dedicated to stockpiling. All of my extras fit nicely into my cabinets in their dedicated rooms (groceries in the kitchen, toiletries in the bathroom, cleaning supplies on the shelf above the washer/dryer). I don't have a dedicated pantry, just cabinets in my kitchen, but everything fits. I only have the small freezer that is on my fridge, nothing fancy. if it went out, I'd be out maybe $20.00, because I got everything in it for dirt cheap. i don't like clutter and crap either, but I also would rather save money on groceries and spend it on fun stuff, like vacations, dates with DH, experiences that will make my life more enjoyable. P.S.- It does sound like you're doing well on your grocery budget. If that is what works for you and you're happy, kudos to you. I just wanted to point out that not every couponer is a slob/hoarder.
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 15:37:26 GMT -5
How long would the power have to be out for a closed freezer full of food to go bad to the point where you can smell it from outside the house? I would think that would take several days at least. IME, less than a week in the winter..... I had to empty out both my fridge and freezer during an ice storm that we had several years ago. I was without power for 8 days and by the 4th day, stuff was starting to thaw. You could smell it if you opened the freezer door by the end of the week and I suspect that it wouldn't take much longer to be able to smell it outside the fridge. During the summer, it'd probably go at least twice as fast. During an ice storm you could just put stuff into coolers and set it outside until the power comes back on (I've done it before). Saves a lot of your stuff from going bad.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 18, 2011 15:55:14 GMT -5
Frugal- I wasn't trying to sound insulting regarding stockpile rooms- my kitchen is small and we have limited storage space so in my case any stock pile would be stack in piles in our regular living spaces.
my mom is a bit of a hoarder and tends to stockpile everything but doesn't get the whole rotate your supplies thing. It's a running joke that we have to check the expiration date on things before we use them. She frequently has mayo and salad dressing that has expired years ago that she'll try to serve us. Because of this I am weirdly obsessed with expiration dates and that's part of the reason I don't usually stockpile.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 18, 2011 16:01:42 GMT -5
This might have been a good deal, but...If you also had to buy a second freezer, and run that freezer in order to keep the beef for that whole year, then it didn't cost you just the amount of the cow - it cost you some depreciation on the freezer (Let's say a $300 freezer has a 10 year life, so add $30 to the cost of beef) and it upped your electricity bill, probably by $60 per year. Maybe you still got a great deal - but once you start really examining what you need to store all that extra stuff, sometimes (not always) the math isn't as great as you think it is.
I'm a big believer in a more just-in-time process. My house is small, but if I bought in bulk, I would probably add on or move somewhere so I could have a pantry or a garage or some kind of additional storage. Although I would really only need another 100 square feet of storage, I would probably buy a house that would cost me at least $500 more per month. I can't save that much on groceries (plus the freezer plus the electricity) to make that worth it.
Plus, I have to go to the grocery store every week anyway - I need to buy my fresh fruit, veges and milk.
But yes, Snerdely - I'm with you. I buy what I need for this week. I have a cabinet with some extras in it for when everything goes wrong (as it did this weekend, and I never made it to the store.) I do buy meat in quantities that last about a month, but I don't empty the bin when I can save a nickel. I only buy what my little freezer can store.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jan 18, 2011 16:04:33 GMT -5
"20 - 30% of the food budget is blown just by wasting food by.....drumroll.....not planning your weekly meals."
That sounds like a really high percentage. I know I am nowhere near that even when I was paid better and had more produce go bad. How did he come up with that percentage, do you know?
A really bad week for me would be throwing out less than $3 worth of produce.
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 17:14:06 GMT -5
Frugal- I wasn't trying to sound insulting regarding stockpile rooms- my kitchen is small and we have limited storage space so in my case any stock pile would be stack in piles in our regular living spaces. my mom is a bit of a hoarder and tends to stockpile everything but doesn't get the whole rotate your supplies thing. It's a running joke that we have to check the expiration date on things before we use them. She frequently has mayo and salad dressing that has expired years ago that she'll try to serve us. Because of this I am weirdly obsessed with expiration dates and that's part of the reason I don't usually stockpile. Thanks. I wasn't insulted, it just seems like people think couponers are crazy, messy, hoarders, and that just isn't the case. I was just trying to clear up the misconception. I am VERY Type-A (if you ever meet a nurse they are either extremely type A or extremely not! lol). That is probably why I like couponing so much. It gives me something to focus my attention to detail on.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2011 19:20:10 GMT -5
I'm with frugal nurse. My stockpile is extremely well-organized with like things together on labeled shelves. It is the librarian in me. But it is very nice to go downstairs to get another box of kleenex, a roll of aluminum foil, or toilet paper. I am fortunate to have a dedicated basement storeroom. But I didn't create it. It is shelving in a workroom that we added the labels to. What else would I put there? Storing stuff that isn't usable would be hoarding for me.
I did discover yesterday, though, that non-perishables do go bad. I had a bottle of sunlight dishwashing detergent in liquid form. I actually had three. I think they've been there two or three years because I prefer the gel tabs from Electrosol that I continuously get for free. But I decided to start using this up. The first one was bad. The second one had separated. I shook it and stood it upside down. I could not get it to reconstitute itself. So I threw it away.
I know I got it for free after coupons but probably paid 25 cents tax for it. Phil, what would that be after 30 years?
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 18, 2011 21:56:09 GMT -5
Southern- I know what you mean about being able to grab what you need from the stock pile. There are no more "we're out of something and need to go to the store and get it now" emergencies around my house anymore. Between work, being a wife, and finishing my second nursing degree, I don't always have time to just go to the grocery store on demand. My stockpile gets us through until I can go again
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Post by justwhoever on Jan 18, 2011 23:39:38 GMT -5
I started to coupon and get a stockpile going a few years ago. When I realized that I was in almost a panic state when I seen someone using from the stockpile I knew it was not really for me. What's the point in having something if you're never gonna use it? Now the China set that was my DH's Grandmother's? I will never use that but I am ok with that.
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Jan 19, 2011 1:02:26 GMT -5
I eat the same thing for breakfast every single day, and that includes a cup of original Fiber One. And that's not going to change for the foreseeable future. So when I find it on sale (for me, that's $2.50 or less per box), I stock up with "a bunch" ~ how much depends on the expiration date. (I go through a box a week, so it's easy to plan.) I think I still have 14 weeks/boxes left. Doing this has saved me a lot of money, but it wouldn't work for someone who doesn't plan to eat the same breakfast day in-day out.
If I find the cat liiter we prefer on sale, I stock up ~ it doesn't expire. I don't buy a year's worth, but I might buy 2 months' worth.
If I'm low on paper towels or toilet paper, I stock up ~ it doesn't expire. I don't buy a year's worth, but I might buy 2 months' worth.
I had coupons that expired on December 31 on the (expensive) grain-free, low carb cat food that we feed our cats. So I bought 4 bags at the lower (coupon) price ... that's probably 2 months' worth. Otherwise, I tend to buy 1-2 bags at a time.
I think the key here, really, is knowing what products/foods you will definitely use, and then take advantage of sales/coupons (when possible) to get the best bang for your buck.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 19, 2011 7:57:13 GMT -5
Well snedley - this has just turned into another thread about how it is better to keep a large inventory. I'm with you!
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Frugal Nurse
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Post by Frugal Nurse on Jan 19, 2011 8:34:56 GMT -5
I started to coupon and get a stockpile going a few years ago. When I realized that I was in almost a panic state when I seen someone using from the stockpile I knew it was not really for me. What's the point in having something if you're never gonna use it? Now the China set that was my DH's Grandmother's? I will never use that but I am ok with that. Didn't you post about how you're on welfare and such due to some unforeseen hard times? Maybe stockpiling/couponing could help you get through and stretch those EBT dollars. If you'd had a stockpile before you your hard times, it would have been nice to not have to worry about how you were going to feed your family with not much money.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 19, 2011 15:51:48 GMT -5
Yes - I don't stockpile either. I'm one of the few that backed you up on "Just-in-time" inventory.
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