My weakness is buying breakfast, so I made a bunch of breakfast burritos and froze them. Now, when I'm running short on time, I grab a frozen (homemade) burrito and take it to work with me and just heat it up before eating it. I hope to do more like that over the weekend
I just made a bunch of those for my husband. They are so versatile since you can put almost anything in them. I did beans and cheese this week but I might do a surprise grab bag for him next time with bits of leftovers.
I love breakfast, and I used to stop at Chick-fil-A every single day. Now I make homemade bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwiches. And I see a huge savings that allows my grocery budget to go further at Aldi and Dollar Tree.
When my mom and dad were young they made a pact, which became a valuable mantra that they passed down to us, “don’t buy anything you don’t need even if it’s on sale.” Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge about living frugally!
Cake mixes can be used as the base mix for cookies. One egg and 1/2 cup of butter with different flavors of mix and you have about 3 dozen cookies. Add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or such. Roll in balls and slightly flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes minutes. Depending on the mix, you can make peanut butter cookies, (use peanut butter instead of oil or butter),chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, lemon cookies, spice cookies ,etc. One egg makes a crisper cookie; two eggs makes a fluffy, softer cookie.
I agree with cake mixes to cookies. I made some absolutely delicious cookies over the holidays that I would send to work with my hubby. Quick, easy and really yummy. Our favorites were Lemon Crinkles and Chocolate Crinkles. If you have vanilla/white cake mix I bet you could come up with some fun ones for Valentine's Day.
Not too long ago, I made us grilled cheese and tomato soup for supper, and it was really good and comforting. We have fries every Friday 😁 with homemade pizza or fish, and hot dogs once a week. I always have something in the freezer for a busy night when even boiling water is too much work. I recently went back to work full-time, and I'm shocked at how many people have breakfast or lunch delivered every day, or think nothing of spending a hundred dollars on a restaurant meal. I'm grateful I have your channel to remind me it's okay to NOT spend.
Hi Emmy and Paul, My back up is to make my own TV dinners for my "I can't deal meals." Since I live alone I often make meals for a normal size family and eat leftovers for a few days. When I make the meal originally I take 1 portion and put it in metal disposable leftover containers I got at Dollar Tree. There were 3 in the package and they came with the cardboard lid. I put the meal on one, put the lid on it, stick it in a vacuum seal bag and remove the air. Then just label and put in the freezer for a time when I need an easy meal. Happy Birthday Paul!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
Cherry tomatoes cut in half and sauteed in olive oil until they break down are so good as a sauce added to angel hair pasta. Top with some lemon juice and fresh parmesan - so good!! Another quick meal we love is an English muffin topped with a fried egg and half a slice American cheese sprinkled with bagel seasoning. 😋 We love nachos too for quick meals. Happy Birthday to Paul!!!
I always have a packet of homemade soup in the freezer, baking potatoes or sweet potatoes to bake, naan or pita bread and homemade pizza sauce in the freezer for quick meals. The other night we weren't able to be home to eat so we stopped at our favorite local Mexican restaurant for a bite to eat. We realized that our bill was drastically reduced when we ordered just what we wanted ala carte and just had water to drink. The plates were garnished with a good helping of lettuce and tomatoes. By ordering just what we would eat and no drinks, there was no wasted food and we had plenty to eat, and we supported a local business (and left a nice tip to a good waittress).
I keep "ready to eat" home canned meals such as: Corned Beef with Potatoes Zuppa toscana Roasted Turkey & Turkey Broth Riblets with roasted Garlic Mushroom Soup w/ shelf stable cream Ugly Chicken and Verde Sauce (serve over rice or in a tortilla) Beef Stroganoff (always keep sour cream or cultured buttermilk in fridge, never really goes bad if not opened) Roast Beef in Onion Soup (add thickener for gravy when you heat up) I've been working on increasing our pantry every day.
Homemade bread IS so much better for you, my only struggle is it tastes so much better and I want to eat so much more…which is not better for me 😜 Everything looked lovely! Edit- backup meal used to be scrambled eggs with cheese and toast. Pricier now with eggs being so expensive…but for a dinner not terrible I guess. Always have ingredients down for spaghetti as well
I've purchased bags of pasta/vegetable/chicken meals when they were a loss leader, also have some canned soup when they were loss leader. I purchase various loss leader items for quick meals. They are much cheaper than eating out. I decided the end of last year to pay $200 per month towards my principal on my mortgage. To do this I have vowed to not eat out as much. We used to eat out at least 3 times per week. We are down to 1 time per week. Now eating out is a special occassion for us. We use coupons and get specials when we eat out. We will get special foods we don't make at home. Thanks for the encouragement. I may make the bread, it doesn't look too intimidating. Happy Birthday Paul.
Happy birthday Paul. We all know Emmy will make it special for you. I like to have the frozen pie crusts that come 2 in a box on hand. I only buy them when they are on sale but I try to stock up when they're at a good price. I can typically make some sort of pot pie with left over chicken, ham or beef. Also quiche or shepherd's pie, even dessert. Most of the ingredients I would need to make these dishes would already be in my freezer or pantry. My mother used to make us kids those little roll up pie crust, cinnamon pinwheel cookies with left over pie dough if she baked a pie. What a treat. I made them for my daughter and my grandchildren. They are such a simple treat but I love them to this day.
Here in French Canada, we call those pinwheels "pètes de soeur", which literally translates to "nun's farts"! 🤣 My mom used to make them too with leftover pie dough. I've made them a few times, but don't make pie crust often.
Wishing your hubby a very happy birthday. As far as going out to eat, we don't any more. The restaurants and fast food places have broken us of that. We have experienced not very good meals, lower quality, not as much food, and the service has not been very good. So we can cook way better meals at home and we do. My husband is the bread maker in our family, just the 2 of us. He is into sour dough and we really enjoy it. He makes 2 loaves a week, that usually last us more like 2 weeks. Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, it really makes me think about what I'm spending, how I'm using my resources here at home and using every little bit of left overs, etc. Really enjoy your channel. Liz
You can use old ( and clean) nylon stocking to store onions! Put one in and tie it off continue until full. When using an onion just cut the bottom one off! I’ve been doing this for years and they really keep well! One caution…never store onions and potatoes I. The same place! The onions will make potatoes sprout quicker! Love your tips!
I always have cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches, and soup of all kinds. I budgeted for eating out this month, but went over today taking my daughter and granddaughter to lunch. The restaurant we went to has a volunteer staff, and all tip money goes to local families that are experiencing extreme health issues to help them with bills, etc. Happy Birthday, Paul🎉🎉
I had a frugal fail yesterday on my way home from a club meeting. I was super hungry and knew I needed a blast of protein, and all I had made at home was cream of mushroom soup. Ended up in the drive through. Next grocery trip, I need to plan some premade protein (in addition to hard cooked eggs, which I already do) to keep in the fridge. Live and learn.
I must carry a snack with me or often I was stopping at drive thru on the way home from work. 🤦♀️Your idea of having a nice protein waiting is a great idea!
I would do that so frequently in the past. Why? I would start getting hungry and felt I could not wait until I return home. I would not eat b4 leaving house. Now I make myself eat a slice of toast with peanut butter and coffee b4 leaving. Really helped my situation. After a meeting I started carrying a PB & J sandwich with me so I wasn't tempted. Not perfect but helped.
You are the BEST!!! Happy Birthday Paul. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I always garner a new idea. I plan to make the bread. Thanks for making this a community of like minded subscribers that appreciate all you do. Have a great week.
Happy Birthday to Paul! Our takeout cravings are for pizza or Mexican, so we keep ingredients on hand to make pizza and our favorite Mexican dishes at home. It's taken a bit of experimenting and tweaking, but now we really don't miss the takeout versions. I'm the only one who craves Chinese food, so I keep vegetable dumplings in the freezer to make whenever the craving hits. Since we stopped getting takeout, we've saved a lot!
Dear Paul & Emmy, Once a week, I make tomato "STOUP"(soup but thicker) with whatever I have in the fridge! I cut up greens in it if I don't plan to make salad. Using, tomato paste to give it body, I serve it over a slice of sourdough bread! I make enough for 3 days if it lasts that long!🐈⬛
This week…I made a shopping list on Tuesday the 3rd so that I would be ready for Senior Discount Shopping on Wednesday the 4th. The first Wednesday of the month is 10% off for seniors. Wednesday morning I got up, reviewed my list… and decided that I REALLY DIDN’T NEED anything on that list. The list went in the trash and I saved whatever money I could have spent 😊 My husband has offered several times to take us out for dinner… and I have declined each time 😊. Although I did tell him that I was doing the no spend January, he said that he wasn’t 🤣🤣🤣🤣 so he could takes us out. I told him that that wasn’t the way it works 😂😂😂😂 He is such a sweetheart. I transferred all the money that was left after paying my portion of the monthly bills into my savings account. It’s a sizable amount, so if all goes well, I will have a nice chunk of change by the end of the year 😊. I watch your videos for motivation, inspiration and encouragement. HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY, PAUL🎂🎉🎁🎈
The bread looks delicious! When COVID hit, it put eating out to a screeching halt to us. My husband bought me a Kitchen Aid (the greatest gift ever), and while I have always been a really good cook, I overcame my fear of baking through trial and error. Now, I make my own bagels, bread, naan, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, pie crusts and pizza dough, and freeze a good majority of it- it is so much better (and cheaper) than store-bought! I make soups, stews, curries, and sauces in large batches and portion them out in food saver bags. One day a week, I do a meal prep day- based on what I need to use up, I'll make pot pies, casseroles, burritoes, etc and freeze them in smaller aluminum pans (I got a fanstastic deal on them at our restaurant supply store- 1000 pans for $10!) We buy our ground beef in bulk there as well, and break it down into 1# increments into food saver bags. I keep containers of cut veg and fruits in the fridge for snacking. It changed how we look at eating out- eating out is expensive, and we can make something better at home for less money.
My quick backup are frozen ravioli. I put some in a pan, add some marinara, mozzarella. Bake it (the ravioli are frozen) for about 40 minutes. I have added baby spinach to it. Quick one pan meal!
My back up meal is usually noodles and butter.. Little garlic salt and cheese on top. Also.... Plain leftover white rice and milk/butter... My polish grandma used to make rice soup all the time as a child.... Especially when I'm not feeling well... It's a hug from grandma ❤️
Eggs, pasta, rice, beans, and frozen pizza are backups for my days. I also make my own sofrito mix which includes peppers, garlic, onion, and parsley ground in the food processor with olive oil {my peference}, stored in a glass jar (recycled) & I add to beans, soup, etc. when cooking. Full of robust flavor. Store in fridge.
What do we do when the urget to eat out hits? And what do we have on hand to satisfy that craving? Thankfully we have built the habit of always having containers of water and home made snacks with us when we're out so immediate hunger will not drive us into a restaurant. If we have time, we decide what we really want to eat and go to the grocery store to get whatever we don't have at home to make our "craving" meal. But typically, because of habit, we can throw together a stir fry with frozen veggies and what ever protein is left over in the 'fridge. We make lots of stir fry's in these moments! Sometimes we'll splurge and get a steak from the grocery store to grill...that's if we have the time. Thanks for another great video and your bread looked delicious!
I’ve tried to tell my kids this, who are themselves bona-fide senior citizens, that you do not need to earn extra money, you just need to adjust your budget to live within your means. If you don’t do this you will never make enough money. First, you pay yourself by putting a certain amount into savings. Then you budget the rest to pay your bills. Luxuries, vacations, etc., comes after you have done these things. I wish I could get a job advising other people on how to budget their money because I am very good at it. I’m living on less than $1200 a month and I’m still able to save money every month, saving for my old age even though I’m 82 + LOL. I just get a kick out of saving money. I don’t know if my kids will get it or the rest home will get it but it makes me feel content.😊
Hi guys! I mostly freeze leftovers from finish meals and have them when I am hungry and dont feel like cooking. I also bake bread and freeze it in portions of 4-6 slices per pack so it wont go bad on me. I keep some ready to go pizza dough in the fridge and use them for a quick pig in a blanket type meal. In a pinch a good pasta and tomato sauce is done fast (I use tomato paste or a can of whole tomatoes in a pinch- so fast done! I always have plenty pasta and tomatoes of different varieties in my pantry (paste, whole canned, diced/crushed) Or even just a garlic/olive oil sauce with pasta. 10 minutes and done. For a quick salad to go with that or other meals I keep green beans and red pickled beets. The green beans in cans I drain, add 1 diced onion, a little salt n pepper to taste a pinch sugar and a little vinegar--makes a delicious salad! God bless
My back-up meal is frozen ravioli with either pasta sauce or thrown into some creamy, tomato basil soup. Yum. That bread looks great! I don’t know as I have the willpower to let it cool completely. Warm , hearty bread with a bit of butter and honey sounds good right now. Happy birthday, Paul! 🎉
Happy birthday Paul! We do breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, home fries, sausage patties from the freezer. I also have homemade bread on the counter. Sometimes we just do cheese fruit and crackers or bread for dinner.
Hi Emmy and Paul...I had a 8 oz of angel hair & a little over a half jar of low sodium spaghetti sauce. Cooked spaghetti. Add 1 T butter. Spooned out a big serving buttered noodles. Then added sauce to pan...and divided into 4 single serve containers. Had enough left for my dinner. Will use this week for lunch and add ground beef or chicken nuggets and probably a little Ketchup & garlic powder(like mama used to do.) 😊
Happy bday Paul! Is Emmy using one of her 9 cake mixes to celebrate? We bake 2 loaves of bread at a time. Double bag & put one loaf in the freezer. We put leftover lasagna in the freezer, one portion sizes, so we can grab it when we want a quick dinner. Same with meatloaf.
We live out in the country 25 miles from the closest "anything". Instead of going "thru" the drive thru the last 2 days to town for Dr appts.. yesterday I made a quick meal of home made hamburgers and today I made a very good potato soup when we got home. I couldn't think of anything better to get from a drive thru place. And Emmy.. I thought of you guys as I went past the last food option waving... soooooo thank you for the tasty "at home" food!
Happy Birthday to Paul! And, oh my goodness, I am another one with too many cake mixes, bought when they were 99 cents each. I need to stop it, stop it, stop it!! 😀. I almost always keep some shaved ham and cheese available to have some hot, toasted (in a pan) ham and cheese sandwiches when I don’t want to do a lot of work for supper.
My daughter makes gooey butter cookies using a yellow cake mix, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. It is a Betty Crocker recipe that is super simple and pretty tasty. It would be a great way to use up your cake mix.
Emmy you could make cupcakes with the cake mixes. Soup, ramen noodles, frozen pizza, chicken nuggets go to meals. 🪅 Happy Birthday to Paul, you are the best camera man! 🎁🎈
I'm trying to stock up on my craft supplies so i don't have to buy anything for awhile. So... so far i have failed on saving but I'm getting there. I Make my crafts to sell so i have to restock.
Happy Birthday Paul! Use my Zipper bags to store my quilting fabrics. Never had any issues, just dust free color sorted fabric when the spirit moves me.
Happy birthday Paul. I hope you had a great no spend birthday. It's funny you asked that question today. Yesterday I worked an extra long day. On my commute home I thought about stopping at a fast food place. I told myself no, that I had plenty of food at home. I had breakfast for dinner and it was delicious. I also always could have made grilled cheese and soup.
I'm doing well in my first week of super low spend January. One small grocery/supply run to replace items used up with holiday company. Then today I volunteered at our animal charity thrift shop and I bought a coffee cup heater and a beautiful cloth napkin for a total of 75 cents! I drove past the restaurant and the shopping center and came home to make a simple luncheon and rewarded myself with a long nap! So satisfying not giving in to spending temptation!! I'm going to see if I can go all month without really grocery shopping or eating out! Wish me luck! 😜👍
I have to admit I am accumulating a list of items I am going to purchase in February such as a candle and a weather diary. February is going to see a burst of activity. This is making me think about what I purchase. Thanks for the bread recipe. I am going to try it. My back up meals are cheese, crackers and fruit.
Week one of no/low spend January. Zero spent so far! Spent nothing for groceries, eating what I have. Steamed a large bag of fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and made rice. Divided into 6 meals and put in refrigerator. Can heat up for lunch or dinner. Also my pantry is a Hugh mess as is my refrigerator. Started working on pantry shelves and organizing. Wow, I have so much I probably need to stay out of grocery store, except for cat food. They weren't planning for the apocalypse as I guess I was.
Happy birthday, Paul!! Enjoy your day with your beautiful wife. I like to keep flour tortillas and cheddar cheese on hand for quick quesadillas made in a pan. They are yummy and affordable , especially with some sour cream if i have it on hand which i usually do. With a small side of shredded lettuce and tomato- buonissimo! Yes, bread making is a wonderful, relaxing and very satisfying thing to do. I hope your viewers try it, don’t be afraid. It’s totally doable. Have a great weekend.
Happy birthday, Paul! I have homemade convenience foods in the freezer, lasagna, burritos, chicken pasta, broccoli Alfredo, and more. I also have the refrigerated pizza dough as back up. I keep bags of mozzarella and sliced pepperoni in the freezer. It thaws really fast. Then there is good old grilled cheese sandwiches and canned soup!
I make homemade bread in my electric bread machine from Goodwill. It's only me and my husband so one 2lb loaf lasts us 2 days. My bread machine helps me use up leftover cooked rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, noodles before they go ro waste. I have even used leftover broths and cooked fruits and vegies. Every loaf is an adventure! I use yeast, but I want to try making sourdough bread in the machine with homemade starter. Thank you for your cheerful videos.
Happy birthday Paul! I always keep tuna on hand for a quick sandwich or salad. Precooked grilled chicken patties can go over a salad or with pasta and sauce. I keep frozen portions of soup, and other leftovers and pull those out for those days I’m too tired or not wanting to cook. I pre make and freeze breakfast burritos and egg muffins for breakfasts.
Hi Emmy & Paul 😊. Happy Birthday Paul🎉. Happy New Year from Myrtle Beach ! Emmy, if you wanted to use some of your cake mixes up in the near future… like taking a treat over to Pauls’ parents,or when your son comes for dinner…. Cake mixes make amazing COOKIES! I used quite a few when I made multiple types of cookies this Christmas. If you look on Pinterest you’ll find oodles of easy, frugal, delicious ways to make cookies from the cake mixes.
The best freezer meal is saag curry! I make huge batches, then freeze in 2 cup portions. On a crazy night, we can heat a portion and add the protein of our choice. Serve with rice and we feel like we’re enjoying a real treat! Another fun freezer meal is tamales. I make big batches of red and green sauce once a year and freeze them in 2 cup portions. On a tough night, heat up the sauce and some frozen tamales and serve with a can of beans. It’s a great way to wind down after a busy day and still enjoy some home cooking.
Youre right Emmy. Yeast breads are your friends!! I overcame my fear 3 years ago and its amazing how freshly baked bread elevates anything. Your"honey twist" bread is 1 of my favorites. BTW I also did the barley thing from your last video. Made beef barley soup with leftover prime ribs from Christmas. Made a ton and the barley a delicious alternative to putting noodles in soup.
We had a lot of cheese, sausage,diced tomatoes, mushroom soup, and green pepper dip leftover. We turned it into a throw it over burritos for lunch. So good.
Your videos are what I look forward to most on the weekends! You are doing a wonderful job with your channel. I love to freeze leftover soup or casseroles for days when I’m tired. This week we made our own cheeseburgers instead of the drive through. Sautéing some cooked ramen noodles (skip the flavor packet) with veggies and a protein is a good Asian fix. Can be topped with some teriyaki sauce.
Happy birthday, Paul! 🎂🥂 To keep us from going for carry out or drive through is that I make double batches of different meals and freeze them. I just have to plan ahead and remember to thaw them ahead of time.
I gifted my brother (driving to AZ and staying for 3 months) everything in my pantry that I thought was too much for me to use...now he's got a great start for his pantry!! And I check my fridge, freezer and pantry lists before the flyers come out. If I think I'm good, the flyers automatically get recycled. No temptations! Great channel you two!!
For back ups we also do baked nachos. Another favorite is pizza made from discounted naan bread (we freeze the naan to keep it fresh). And when freschetta pizza goes on sale for $4 a pizza, we stock up. We also keep boxed mac and cheese on hand.
I always have frozen homemade meatballs. Sausage and peppers and sandwich steak meat in the freezer for quick meals rather than ordering out. Also I got my husband a pizza oven for Christmas and will make our own pizza. I also stock up on the ShopRite loss leaders when on sale. Currently the CanCan sale has started to lots of super great buys to stock up on. Progresso soups are 10 cans for $12. Used to be 10 for $8 before prices went up but still a great buy to have an at home meal. My word for the year is enough. I have enough of everything I could need or want and I am content with that. Happy New Year 🥳💵
I have a bread machine that I bought at the thrift store ( new) for $25. It's paid for itself over and over. My grand daughter loves to come home from school to a hot loaf of bread. For a " take away " at home I always have the ingredients for home made pizza. I make the base and use up other ingredients that are in the fridge. Love ❤ your show!
Happy birthday to you Paul!! I turn 53 this Thursday and yes! It will be a no spend day as well!! I checked our chicken prices and a whole one was $18?!! I got strawberries for $1.49 for 16oz. Got 5,some to eat some to freeze for my son’s smoothies. Stocked up in a few pantry items on sale. Also had some good meats on clearance. I reorganized my pantry room too, as well as the freezer (which makes me insane!! Because it’s a freezer chest and it all ends up on the bottom covered in the new stuff unless I take everything out every time!) sounds like it’s time for lots of cake for dinner!!😂
I had the same issue with my freezer so use dollar tree baskets to organize my freezer. I put each type of meat in separate baskets. Also veggies, etc then I stack them in the freezer. When I need to search for something it's very easy to move the baskets and put them back.
Happy Birthday, Paul! 🥳 I hope that your next year is filled with joy and blessings. Some of our go to meals are home canned beef stew, white chicken, and soup. An easy way to make a yummy creamy tomato basil soup is to take a jar of pasta sauce, add some half and half or heavy cream and add some pesto to taste. Throw a few croutons and a little Parmesan on top, make a grilled cheese or some cheese toast and dinner is served.
We are a hunting family and can our venison as well as canning my veggies from the garden. I will take a jar of canned venison , canned green beans, canned potatoes, and my stewed tomatoes and put them in a pot and heat thru. Sometimes I will add a can of cream of mushroom soup undiluted. Lasts several days for two. Love your channel!! Will definitely be trying the bread!
Happy Birthday Paul! My b-day was last week, it's kinda busy this time of year isn't it? We have a deluge of birthdays in our little family from November on to January. I hope you have a blessed year! I know Emmy will have some cozy comfort food cooked up! : ) Any old movies planned? For those nights when I'm worn out? I usually pull out a frozen homemade soup and just make a brown rice or pasta on the side to go in it. Maybe Trader Joe's frozen falafal balls for a special treat, they are so good, just as good as a Greek or Turkish restaurant. I bought some kind of frozen chickpea and vegetable bowl in a bag to try. We shall see. Thank you for sharing the recipe for bread. Sounds like a keeper, it's very nice of readers to share and you too of course. : ) Oh those little tomatoes! I love grape tomatoes! Those are my go-to snack. I immediately soak them for ten minutes or so in water with peroxide and a teensy bit of bleach. Rinse and put them in a tupper ware with salt, pop in fridge. So delicious. Did you know that the expiration date is usually printed: "best by"? I had been taught that we can go one year beyond that and now I'm reading it's much longer on traditional cans that are in good shape. But everyone do their research on it everyone has their own opinions as far as where a dent is located etc. : ) I'm now amazed, most foods have "best by" dates. We go out to eat at reasonable restaurants twice a week and that is kind of my going out time of any kind, I'm a homebody usually, our rural area doesn't have much in the way of fellowship....Today we got some mexican food and then we went to Dollar Tree. I was able to get my tried and true things at Dollar Tree since I'm not able to go there very often. I picked up their brand of petroleum jelly (I like that one, not too thick for dry nosies in winter), paper plates and plastic disposable bowls for fam celebration, my paper plates are my little mini-maids for our family get-togethers, For twelve plus people the paper works great. The bowls are for my Italian Lentil soup I will serve. A sketch book. I try to have art supplies on hand for our grandbabies and me too. Duct tapes, and what we think is a wowee deal; their bags of pink himalayan salt! : D Nice storage baskets for 1.25, I plan on using those for pet supply area, and my linen area. My hubs and I love the charcoal toothpaste there at dollar tree too. Very nice deals if we do our homework first. I know we're are no-spend flunkies hahaha....But I'm being pretty good on not buying extras. *big smile* My husband has always been self employed so I'm used to living below our means. I've always had to make do and get very creative! : ) Sorry so long winded here, but you have such an endearing channel with so much in common. Blessings! ~Your friend, Amelia at My Forest Cathedral blog
I really have to work at having a backup meal...a lot of times it's after worship...come home and are tempted to order out....I'm constantly working on that and these days I have pasta ready to go....still working on it...progress, not perfection, right?...that's for dang sure in this house! :) Great video, lots of ideas...thanks you 2! :) I always read the comments too! :) Blessings from Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
Haven't eaten out since 2018, never do drive through. Think the last box cake we bought was fifteen years ago. We try and not buy processed foods. We are all great cooks and love all cuisines, so we have a big well stocked pantry and vegetable garden and can get a great meal together in 30 minutes. Am making a couple artisan rustic breads today. We tend to make double whatever we make for dinner and freeze half for another day.
Breakfast for dinner is my solution. Can use leftover vege in scramble eggs or make a vege hash. Leftover mashed potatoes for a quick potato pancake. I also use leftover rice and cooked chicken to make a dish-brown some onions in a little olive oil, add some tomatoes (your roasted one would be great) put in the rice and chicken to warm through. So good. I am going to try the bread tonight. I started my no spend January on Tuesday as I was on vacation Everytime I want to spend I say to myself "What would Emmy and Paul do" and it really helps. LOL. A very Happy Birthday to you Paul. HAPPY NEW YEAR
Happy Birthday, Paul! We always keep a frozen pizza,purchased at the grocery outlet, in the freezer. I also keep homemade frozen pizza dough and sauce, in the freezer, as well as home shredded mozzarella cheese. But, my biggest defense against going thru the drive-through, is meal planning. If I know what I'm going to have and if it is in the slow cooker or unthawing, eating @ home is easier.
I think you guys are doing great with the channel! Thanks for "keeping it real" and keep up the good work! And Paul..a very Happy Birthday to you! May God bless you with many more!
Happy birthday, Paul! 🎂 I will definitely be making that bread. It looked so good. My backup plan for days I don't want to do much cooking is scrambled eggs with a little diced ham and whatever veggies we have. I keep a container in our freezer and every little left over or extra veggie goes in there. Sometimes, they end up in a quick soup or a hash, eggs, or fried rice. We love pizza so we always have one in the freezer for those times we are tempted to order a pizza. Of course, we only buy when they are on sale and deeply discounted! ☺️ We are doing great with our No Spend January, so thanks for the encouragement. Blessings to you both!
Breakfast items are my “I’m tired and don’t want to cook” are my go to! My son-in-law gave me a pulled pork stew- but I just told him I’m gonna try that as Nachos, it’s already good and a little cheese and sour cream! Yumm
Happy birthday, Paul! Blessings for another year. For quick meals I always have options of frozen portions of past homemade meals or I have a good selection of canned soups and stews. Grilled cheese sandwiches are always quick, or frozen fish or pizza. Plenty of choices. By the way, when I buy non-perishable groceries, I use a black sharpie to mark the best by/sell by date on the package before I put them away. It makes it easy to use up the older foods first. As for cake mixes, although I never use them, you could bake a cake for a friend or someone who needs a pick-me-up. You don't have to eat it yourself.
I keep lots of frozen veggies and it helps me save money. Tonights dinner is a cilantro cauliflower rice (it came seasoned) cooked with spicy sausage, peppers and onions! Love the videos!
I’ve started writing expiration dates on the top of the packages with a bold black marker. It’s helped so much with eliminating food waste.
I went to a local Walmart and found whole Turkeys for 50 cents a pound. got a 13 lb Turkey for 6.50. It was cheaper than chicken.
we still had turkey breast so I pulled one out to go in the fridge to defrost...
That is fantastic! What a blessing!
Yes during the holidays the Turkey was cheaper,
Good for you.
Not in my town
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!😁
Thanks so much Holly!
My weakness is buying breakfast, so I made a bunch of breakfast burritos and froze them. Now, when I'm running short on time, I grab a frozen (homemade) burrito and take it to work with me and just heat it up before eating it. I hope to do more like that over the weekend
I just made a bunch of those for my husband. They are so versatile since you can put almost anything in them. I did beans and cheese this week but I might do a surprise grab bag for him next time with bits of leftovers.
What a good idea! Quick, easy and nutritious without the hassle.
I love breakfast, and I used to stop at Chick-fil-A every single day. Now I make homemade bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwiches. And I see a huge savings that allows my grocery budget to go further at Aldi and Dollar Tree.
When my mom and dad were young they made a pact, which became a valuable mantra that they passed down to us, “don’t buy anything you don’t need even if it’s on sale.” Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge about living frugally!
That mantra is the truth!
Cake mixes can be used as the base mix for cookies. One egg and 1/2 cup of butter with different flavors of mix and you have about 3 dozen cookies. Add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or such. Roll in balls and slightly flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes minutes. Depending on the mix, you can make peanut butter cookies, (use peanut butter instead of oil or butter),chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, lemon cookies, spice cookies ,etc. One egg makes a crisper cookie; two eggs makes a fluffy, softer cookie.
Thanks so much Nancy!
Thanks for this Nancy!
Wow! Thank you for that tip! Gold star to you!
I agree with cake mixes to cookies. I made some absolutely delicious cookies over the holidays that I would send to work with my hubby. Quick, easy and really yummy. Our favorites were Lemon Crinkles and Chocolate Crinkles. If you have vanilla/white cake mix I bet you could come up with some fun ones for Valentine's Day.
Took a screen shot! Thank you for sharing. I did my loss leaders haul at Shopright. At .99 cents a box, picked up enough for the winter 🥶
Not too long ago, I made us grilled cheese and tomato soup for supper, and it was really good and comforting. We have fries every Friday 😁 with homemade pizza or fish, and hot dogs once a week. I always have something in the freezer for a busy night when even boiling water is too much work. I recently went back to work full-time, and I'm shocked at how many people have breakfast or lunch delivered every day, or think nothing of spending a hundred dollars on a restaurant meal. I'm grateful I have your channel to remind me it's okay to NOT spend.
LOL! We spend BUT only on things we think are important!
Hi Emmy and Paul, My back up is to make my own TV dinners for my "I can't deal meals." Since I live alone I often make meals for a normal size family and eat leftovers for a few days. When I make the meal originally I take 1 portion and put it in metal disposable leftover containers I got at Dollar Tree. There were 3 in the package and they came with the cardboard lid. I put the meal on one, put the lid on it, stick it in a vacuum seal bag and remove the air. Then just label and put in the freezer for a time when I need an easy meal.
Happy Birthday Paul!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
Brilliant!! Really creative! Thanks so much!
I also live alone but I make meals for 4 I have it today, tomorrow and 2 for the freezer to use as a quick meal later.
@@patmartin9727 that's awesome!
Every video gets better and better. My God how I love this channel.
Lynn, can I just say thank you from the bottom of my heart! Comments like yours make it so worth it!
Me too!! I look so forward to their videos.
Me too!! My FAVORITE frugal channel. Thank you from KY!!
Cherry tomatoes cut in half and sauteed in olive oil until they break down are so good as a sauce added to angel hair pasta. Top with some lemon juice and fresh parmesan - so good!! Another quick meal we love is an English muffin topped with a fried egg and half a slice American cheese sprinkled with bagel seasoning. 😋 We love nachos too for quick meals. Happy Birthday to Paul!!!
Thanks so much Susan!
I always have a packet of homemade soup in the freezer, baking potatoes or sweet potatoes to bake, naan or pita bread and homemade pizza sauce in the freezer for quick meals. The other night we weren't able to be home to eat so we stopped at our favorite local Mexican restaurant for a bite to eat. We realized that our bill was drastically reduced when we ordered just what we wanted ala carte and just had water to drink. The plates were garnished with a good helping of lettuce and tomatoes. By ordering just what we would eat and no drinks, there was no wasted food and we had plenty to eat, and we supported a local business (and left a nice tip to a good waittress).
So smart to eat out that way!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL🎂🎂💥🎂💥💥🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊💥💥💥
Thanks so much Patty!
Cake mix is great for a crock pot dump dessert to bring to a gathering or a holiday treat.
Good to make quick cookies with also yum 🍪
Canned salmon, so easy and quick to make patties, smoked sausage mixed with veggies, breakfast burritos...
Perfect!
Dear Paul, Wishing you joy, good health and a day as special as you are!!
Thanks so much Juanita!
I keep "ready to eat" home canned meals such as:
Corned Beef with Potatoes
Zuppa toscana
Roasted Turkey & Turkey Broth
Riblets with roasted Garlic
Mushroom Soup w/ shelf stable cream
Ugly Chicken and Verde Sauce (serve over rice or in a tortilla)
Beef Stroganoff (always keep sour cream or cultured buttermilk in fridge, never really goes bad if not opened)
Roast Beef in Onion Soup (add thickener for gravy when you heat up)
I've been working on increasing our pantry every day.
Wonderful meal ideas! Thanks!
If you live here in the South….it’s V-eye-day-l-yuh. LOL😂 Said…with….a….drawl… ♥️ And, me, too on loving them over any other onion!
YAY! LOL! Thanks!
Paul you and my son share Birthday. Happy Birthday Paul
A very happy birthday to your son!
Homemade bread IS so much better for you, my only struggle is it tastes so much better and I want to eat so much more…which is not better for me 😜
Everything looked lovely!
Edit- backup meal used to be scrambled eggs with cheese and toast. Pricier now with eggs being so expensive…but for a dinner not terrible I guess.
Always have ingredients down for spaghetti as well
Yes, sounds great!
I've purchased bags of pasta/vegetable/chicken meals when they were a loss leader, also have some canned soup when they were loss leader. I purchase various loss leader items for quick meals. They are much cheaper than eating out. I decided the end of last year to pay $200 per month towards my principal on my mortgage. To do this I have vowed to not eat out as much. We used to eat out at least 3 times per week. We are down to 1 time per week. Now eating out is a special occassion for us. We use coupons and get specials when we eat out. We will get special foods we don't make at home. Thanks for the encouragement. I may make the bread, it doesn't look too intimidating. Happy Birthday Paul.
Thanks so much Christine!
Happy birthday Paul. We all know Emmy will make it special for you.
I like to have the frozen pie crusts that come 2 in a box on hand. I only buy them when they are on sale but I try to stock up when they're at a good price. I can typically make some sort of pot pie with left over chicken, ham or beef. Also quiche or shepherd's pie, even dessert. Most of the ingredients I would need to make these dishes would already be in my freezer or pantry. My mother used to make us kids those little roll up pie crust, cinnamon pinwheel cookies with left over pie dough if she baked a pie. What a treat. I made them for my daughter and my grandchildren. They are such a simple treat but I love them to this day.
My grandmother did the same with her leftover pie dough. Fond memories.
Thanks so much Sheila!
Here in French Canada, we call those pinwheels "pètes de soeur", which literally translates to "nun's farts"! 🤣 My mom used to make them too with leftover pie dough. I've made them a few times, but don't make pie crust often.
Wishing your hubby a very happy birthday. As far as going out to eat, we don't any more. The restaurants and fast food places have broken us of that. We have experienced not very good meals, lower quality, not as much food, and the service has not been very good. So we can cook way better meals at home and we do. My husband is the bread maker in our family, just the 2 of us. He is into sour dough and we really enjoy it. He makes 2 loaves a week, that usually last us more like 2 weeks. Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, it really makes me think about what I'm spending, how I'm using my resources here at home and using every little bit of left overs, etc. Really enjoy your channel. Liz
Thanks so much Liz! Love that your hubby makes sourdough!
You can use old ( and clean) nylon stocking to store onions! Put one in and tie it off continue until full. When using an onion just cut the bottom one off! I’ve been doing this for years and they really keep well! One caution…never store onions and potatoes I. The same place! The onions will make potatoes sprout quicker! Love your tips!
We actually store our onions in the fridge lol!
I always have cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches, and soup of all kinds.
I budgeted for eating out this month, but went over today taking my daughter and granddaughter to lunch. The restaurant we went to has a volunteer staff, and all tip money goes to local families that are experiencing extreme health issues to help them with bills, etc.
Happy Birthday, Paul🎉🎉
Thanks so much Sheila!
I had a frugal fail yesterday on my way home from a club meeting. I was super hungry and knew I needed a blast of protein, and all I had made at home was cream of mushroom soup. Ended up in the drive through. Next grocery trip, I need to plan some premade protein (in addition to hard cooked eggs, which I already do) to keep in the fridge. Live and learn.
I must carry a snack with me or often I was stopping at drive thru on the way home from work. 🤦♀️Your idea of having a nice protein waiting is a great idea!
Not a fail just at all...you needed to eat!
I would do that so frequently in the past. Why? I would start getting hungry and felt I could not wait until I return home. I would not eat b4 leaving house. Now I make myself eat a slice of toast with peanut butter and coffee b4 leaving. Really helped my situation. After a meeting I started carrying a PB & J sandwich with me so I wasn't tempted. Not perfect but helped.
Every penny adds up thank you for coffee tip the dark roast
You are the BEST!!! Happy Birthday Paul. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I always garner a new idea. I plan to make the bread. Thanks for making this a community of like minded subscribers that appreciate all you do. Have a great week.
So kind of you to say LL! Thank you!
Homemade Canned Tortilla Soup which is my husband’s go to comfort meal with homemade from scratch flour tortillas. Yum.
So excited to see that you mention reusing the zipperd bags from sheets! I reuse these for craft items, and other non-food things. They are terrific!
My quick back-up meal is oatmeal. I mix in almond milk, bananas, blueberries, nuts, raisins and molasses. It's divine and make a really nice supper.
Happy Birthday to Paul! Our takeout cravings are for pizza or Mexican, so we keep ingredients on hand to make pizza and our favorite Mexican dishes at home. It's taken a bit of experimenting and tweaking, but now we really don't miss the takeout versions. I'm the only one who craves Chinese food, so I keep vegetable dumplings in the freezer to make whenever the craving hits. Since we stopped getting takeout, we've saved a lot!
Yes!! Eating out is so expensive and it never takes as good as you think it will LOL!
@@FrugalMoneySaver exactly! Lol
Happy No Spend Birthday Paul! Hope your day is filled with lots of love and fun!
Thanks so much Gina!
Dear Paul & Emmy, Once a week, I make tomato "STOUP"(soup but thicker) with whatever I have in the fridge! I cut up greens in it if I don't plan to make salad. Using, tomato paste to give it body, I serve it over a slice of sourdough bread! I make enough for 3 days if it lasts that long!🐈⬛
Wonderful idea!
Happy Birthday Paul!!! 2 quick backups-a toasted bagel with peanut butter and some fruit or a tuna sandwich and some fruit.
Sounds great!
This week…I made a shopping list on Tuesday the 3rd so that I would be ready for Senior Discount Shopping on Wednesday the 4th. The first Wednesday of the month is 10% off for seniors. Wednesday morning I got up, reviewed my list… and decided that I REALLY DIDN’T NEED anything on that list. The list went in the trash and I saved whatever money I could have spent 😊
My husband has offered several times to take us out for dinner… and I have declined each time 😊. Although I did tell him that I was doing the no spend January, he said that he wasn’t 🤣🤣🤣🤣 so he could takes us out. I told him that that wasn’t the way it works 😂😂😂😂 He is such a sweetheart.
I transferred all the money that was left after paying my portion of the monthly bills into my savings account. It’s a sizable amount, so if all goes well, I will have a nice chunk of change by the end of the year 😊.
I watch your videos for motivation, inspiration and encouragement.
HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY, PAUL🎂🎉🎁🎈
Thanks so much for the kind words!! Your hubby sounds like Paul lol!
The bread looks delicious! When COVID hit, it put eating out to a screeching halt to us. My husband bought me a Kitchen Aid (the greatest gift ever), and while I have always been a really good cook, I overcame my fear of baking through trial and error. Now, I make my own bagels, bread, naan, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, pie crusts and pizza dough, and freeze a good majority of it- it is so much better (and cheaper) than store-bought! I make soups, stews, curries, and sauces in large batches and portion them out in food saver bags. One day a week, I do a meal prep day- based on what I need to use up, I'll make pot pies, casseroles, burritoes, etc and freeze them in smaller aluminum pans (I got a fanstastic deal on them at our restaurant supply store- 1000 pans for $10!) We buy our ground beef in bulk there as well, and break it down into 1# increments into food saver bags. I keep containers of cut veg and fruits in the fridge for snacking. It changed how we look at eating out- eating out is expensive, and we can make something better at home for less money.
Yes! So smart and creative! Saves a ton of money!
My quick backup are frozen ravioli. I put some in a pan, add some marinara, mozzarella. Bake it (the ravioli are frozen) for about 40 minutes. I have added baby spinach to it. Quick one pan meal!
Perfect!
BIrthday blessings upon you Paul!
Thanks so much!
My back up meal is usually noodles and butter..
Little garlic salt and cheese on top.
Also.... Plain leftover white rice and milk/butter... My polish grandma used to make rice soup all the time as a child.... Especially when I'm not feeling well... It's a hug from grandma ❤️
Love that! Thanks so much!
Family of 5 here, kids are 16, 12, 10 and I always have bread and cheese on hand. It's amazing how satisfying a grilled cheese can be on a busy night!
We had one for lunch today! Love them!
Eggs, pasta, rice, beans, and frozen pizza are backups for my days. I also make my own sofrito mix which includes peppers, garlic, onion, and parsley ground in the food processor with olive oil {my peference}, stored in a glass jar (recycled) & I add to beans, soup, etc. when cooking. Full of robust flavor. Store in fridge.
Wonderful!
What do we do when the urget to eat out hits? And what do we have on hand to satisfy that craving? Thankfully we have built the habit of always having containers of water and home made snacks with us when we're out so immediate hunger will not drive us into a restaurant. If we have time, we decide what we really want to eat and go to the grocery store to get whatever we don't have at home to make our "craving" meal. But typically, because of habit, we can throw together a stir fry with frozen veggies and what ever protein is left over in the 'fridge. We make lots of stir fry's in these moments! Sometimes we'll splurge and get a steak from the grocery store to grill...that's if we have the time. Thanks for another great video and your bread looked delicious!
Thanks so much! Great ideas!
For me it has to be fish fingers, mash and frozen peas, ultimate emergency meal and comfort food right there. Many happy returns to Paul 🎉
Thanks so much Hev!
I’ve tried to tell my kids this, who are themselves bona-fide senior citizens, that you do not need to earn extra money, you just need to adjust your budget to live within your means. If you don’t do this you will never make enough money. First, you pay yourself by putting a certain amount into savings. Then you budget the rest to pay your bills. Luxuries, vacations, etc., comes after you have done these things. I wish I could get a job advising other people on how to budget their money because I am very good at it. I’m living on less than $1200 a month and I’m still able to save money every month, saving for my old age even though I’m 82 + LOL. I just get a kick out of saving money. I don’t know if my kids will get it or the rest home will get it but it makes me feel content.😊
Momma you are right! We try to teach our son as well...
Hi guys! I mostly freeze leftovers from finish meals and have them when I am hungry and dont feel like cooking. I also bake bread and freeze it in portions of 4-6 slices per pack so it wont go bad on me. I keep some ready to go pizza dough in the fridge and use them for a quick pig in a blanket type meal. In a pinch a good pasta and tomato sauce is done fast (I use tomato paste or a can of whole tomatoes in a pinch- so fast done! I always have plenty pasta and tomatoes of different varieties in my pantry (paste, whole canned, diced/crushed) Or even just a garlic/olive oil sauce with pasta. 10 minutes and done. For a quick salad to go with that or other meals I keep green beans and red pickled beets. The green beans in cans I drain, add 1 diced onion, a little salt n pepper to taste a pinch sugar and a little vinegar--makes a delicious salad! God bless
Hi. Do up just mix up the green bean salad ingredients, then serve it serve it cold? No other dressing?
Oh thank you! Granny! Great ideas! God Bless you!
I'm going to make the bean salad. Sounds delicious.
Happy frugal birthday Paul 🎉
Thanks so much!
My back-up meal is frozen ravioli with either pasta sauce or thrown into some creamy, tomato basil soup. Yum.
That bread looks great! I don’t know as I have the willpower to let it cool completely. Warm , hearty bread with a bit of butter and honey sounds good right now.
Happy birthday, Paul! 🎉
Thanks so much Sheila!
A very happy birthday to you Paul.
Thanks so much Cheryl!
Happy birthday Paul! We do breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, home fries, sausage patties from the freezer. I also have homemade bread on the counter. Sometimes we just do cheese fruit and crackers or bread for dinner.
We love to do that too with bread and cheese! Thanks so much Gwen!
Hi Emmy and Paul...I had a 8 oz of angel hair & a little over a half jar of low sodium spaghetti sauce. Cooked spaghetti. Add 1 T butter. Spooned out a big serving buttered noodles. Then added sauce to pan...and divided into 4 single serve containers. Had enough left for my dinner. Will use this week for lunch and add ground beef or chicken nuggets and probably a little Ketchup & garlic powder(like mama used to do.) 😊
So creative and money saving!
Happy bday Paul! Is Emmy using one of her 9 cake mixes to celebrate? We bake 2 loaves of bread at a time. Double bag & put one loaf in the freezer. We put leftover lasagna in the freezer, one portion sizes, so we can grab it when we want a quick dinner. Same with meatloaf.
Thanks so much!
We live out in the country 25 miles from the closest "anything". Instead of going "thru" the drive thru the last 2 days to town for Dr appts.. yesterday I made a quick meal of home made hamburgers and today I made a very good potato soup when we got home. I couldn't think of anything better to get from a drive thru place. And Emmy.. I thought of you guys as I went past the last food option waving... soooooo thank you for the tasty "at home" food!
LOL!! Love that so much G S!
Hot dogs, nachos, and taco salad are our backup meals.
The bread and tomatoes look so delicious -- can't wait to try them both.
Happy Birthday, Paul!
Thanks so much Wendy!
Happy Birthday to Paul! And, oh my goodness, I am another one with too many cake mixes, bought when they were 99 cents each. I need to stop it, stop it, stop it!! 😀. I almost always keep some shaved ham and cheese available to have some hot, toasted (in a pan) ham and cheese sandwiches when I don’t want to do a lot of work for supper.
Thanks so much Phyl!
My daughter makes gooey butter cookies using a yellow cake mix, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. It is a Betty Crocker recipe that is super simple and pretty tasty. It would be a great way to use up your cake mix.
Great idea Bobbie!
Emmy you could make cupcakes with the cake mixes. Soup, ramen noodles, frozen pizza, chicken nuggets go to meals. 🪅 Happy Birthday to Paul, you are the best camera man! 🎁🎈
LOL! Thanks so much Ruby!
I'm trying to stock up on my craft supplies so i don't have to buy anything for awhile. So... so far i have failed on saving but I'm getting there. I Make my crafts to sell so i have to restock.
Oh that's great!
Happy Birthday Paul! Use my Zipper bags to store my quilting fabrics. Never had any issues, just dust free color sorted fabric when the spirit moves me.
Thanks so much Brenda!
Happy Birthday, Paul!! You are always a blessing on this program! What a great husband! God bless you! Janet from Maine
Thanks so much Janet! God Bless you as well!
Happy birthday Paul. I hope you had a great no spend birthday. It's funny you asked that question today. Yesterday I worked an extra long day. On my commute home I thought about stopping at a fast food place. I told myself no, that I had plenty of food at home. I had breakfast for dinner and it was delicious. I also always could have made grilled cheese and soup.
One of my favorite meals is grilled cheese and soup lol!
I'm doing well in my first week of super low spend January. One small grocery/supply run to replace items used up with holiday company. Then today I volunteered at our animal charity thrift shop and I bought a coffee cup heater and a beautiful cloth napkin for a total of 75 cents! I drove past the restaurant and the shopping center and came home to make a simple luncheon and rewarded myself with a long nap! So satisfying not giving in to spending temptation!! I'm going to see if I can go all month without really grocery shopping or eating out! Wish me luck! 😜👍
Wonderful Janet!!
I have to admit I am accumulating a list of items I am going to purchase in February such as a candle and a weather diary. February is going to see a burst of activity. This is making me think about what I purchase. Thanks for the bread recipe. I am going to try it. My back up meals are cheese, crackers and fruit.
That's great you are stopping to think about what you buy come February!
Also, Happy Birthday to you Paul! I pray that you have a blessed year and I hope you enjoyed a sweet treat today on your special day. Take care… 💙🧁🙏
Thanks so much Lisa!
Week one of no/low spend January. Zero spent so far! Spent nothing for groceries, eating what I have. Steamed a large bag of fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and made rice. Divided into 6 meals and put in refrigerator. Can heat up for lunch or dinner.
Also my pantry is a Hugh mess as is my refrigerator. Started working on pantry shelves and organizing. Wow, I have so much I probably need to stay out of grocery store, except for cat food. They weren't planning for the apocalypse as I guess I was.
Wonderful Patricia! Keep up the great savings!
Happy birthday Paul. Wishing many more healthy years of living and many blessings!
Thanks so much Laura!
As back up I always have eggs in the fridge. So versatile and mixes with almost anything for a quick omelet.
So true!
Happy birthday, Paul!! Enjoy your day with your beautiful wife. I like to keep flour tortillas and cheddar cheese on hand for quick quesadillas made in a pan. They are yummy and affordable , especially with some sour cream if i have it on hand which i usually do. With a small side of shredded lettuce and tomato- buonissimo! Yes, bread making is a wonderful, relaxing and very satisfying thing to do. I hope your viewers try it, don’t be afraid. It’s totally doable. Have a great weekend.
Thanks so much Melissa!
Happy birthday, Paul! I have homemade convenience foods in the freezer, lasagna, burritos, chicken pasta, broccoli Alfredo, and more. I also have the refrigerated pizza dough as back up. I keep bags of mozzarella and sliced pepperoni in the freezer. It thaws really fast. Then there is good old grilled cheese sandwiches and canned soup!
Thanks so much Miz G!
I make homemade bread in my electric bread machine from Goodwill. It's only me and my husband so one 2lb loaf lasts us 2 days. My bread machine helps me use up leftover cooked rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, noodles before they go ro waste. I have even used leftover broths and cooked fruits and vegies. Every loaf is an adventure! I use yeast, but I want to try making sourdough bread in the machine with homemade starter.
Thank you for your cheerful videos.
How creative!
Happy birthday Paul! I always keep tuna on hand for a quick sandwich or salad. Precooked grilled chicken patties can go over a salad or with pasta and sauce. I keep frozen portions of soup, and other leftovers and pull those out for those days I’m too tired or not wanting to cook. I pre make and freeze breakfast burritos and egg muffins for breakfasts.
Thanks so much Kat!
Happy Birthday Paul! 🎂 I have items on hand for taco salad on hand for a quick meal
Thanks so much Beth!
Hi Emmy & Paul 😊. Happy Birthday Paul🎉. Happy New Year from Myrtle Beach ! Emmy, if you wanted to use some of your cake mixes up in the near future… like taking a treat over to Pauls’ parents,or when your son comes for dinner…. Cake mixes make amazing COOKIES! I used quite a few when I made multiple types of cookies this Christmas. If you look on Pinterest you’ll find oodles of easy, frugal, delicious ways to make cookies from the cake mixes.
Thanks so much Diane!
The best freezer meal is saag curry! I make huge batches, then freeze in 2 cup portions. On a crazy night, we can heat a portion and add the protein of our choice. Serve with rice and we feel like we’re enjoying a real treat! Another fun freezer meal is tamales. I make big batches of red and green sauce once a year and freeze them in 2 cup portions. On a tough night, heat up the sauce and some frozen tamales and serve with a can of beans. It’s a great way to wind down after a busy day and still enjoy some home cooking.
Youre right Emmy. Yeast breads are your friends!! I overcame my fear 3 years ago and its amazing how freshly baked bread elevates anything. Your"honey twist" bread is 1 of my favorites. BTW I also did the barley thing from your last video. Made beef barley soup with leftover prime ribs from Christmas. Made a ton and the barley a delicious alternative to putting noodles in soup.
YAY! That's wonderful Deidre!!
Can you please link the "honey twist" video please? Thank you!!
@@M00nflowers I also would like to see this. Sounds intriguing.
We had a lot of cheese, sausage,diced tomatoes, mushroom soup, and green pepper dip leftover. We turned it into a throw it over burritos for lunch. So good.
Perfect and creative!
Your videos are what I look forward to most on the weekends! You are doing a wonderful job with your channel.
I love to freeze leftover soup or casseroles for days when I’m tired. This week we made our own cheeseburgers instead of the drive through.
Sautéing some cooked ramen noodles (skip the flavor packet) with veggies and a protein is a good Asian fix. Can be topped with some teriyaki sauce.
Thanks so very much for the kind words!
Happy Birthday Paul! 🎉🎂
Thanks so much Becki!
Happy birthday, Paul! 🎂🥂
To keep us from going for carry out or drive through is that I make double batches of different meals and freeze them. I just have to plan ahead and remember to thaw them ahead of time.
Thanks so much Barbara!
I gifted my brother (driving to AZ and staying for 3 months) everything in my pantry that I thought was too much for me to use...now he's got a great start for his pantry!! And I check my fridge, freezer and pantry lists before the flyers come out. If I think I'm good, the flyers automatically get recycled. No temptations! Great channel you two!!
Thanks so much Eileen!
For back ups we also do baked nachos. Another favorite is pizza made from discounted naan bread (we freeze the naan to keep it fresh). And when freschetta pizza goes on sale for $4 a pizza, we stock up. We also keep boxed mac and cheese on hand.
Love nachos!
Love Vidalia onions, and the Vidalia salad dressing. You did pretty good.
We do too!
I always have frozen homemade meatballs. Sausage and peppers and sandwich steak meat in the freezer for quick meals rather than ordering out. Also I got my husband a pizza oven for Christmas and will make our own pizza. I also stock up on the ShopRite loss leaders when on sale. Currently the CanCan sale has started to lots of super great buys to stock up on. Progresso soups are 10 cans for $12. Used to be 10 for $8 before prices went up but still a great buy to have an at home meal. My word for the year is enough. I have enough of everything I could need or want and I am content with that. Happy New Year 🥳💵
Happy New Year! Thanks so much!
I have a bread machine that I bought at the thrift store ( new) for $25. It's paid for itself over and over. My grand daughter loves to come home from school to a hot loaf of bread. For a " take away " at home I always have the ingredients for home made pizza. I make the base and use up other ingredients that are in the fridge. Love ❤ your show!
Susan that was a great investment! Thank you!
Happy birthday to you Paul!! I turn 53 this Thursday and yes! It will be a no spend day as well!! I checked our chicken prices and a whole one was $18?!! I got strawberries for $1.49 for 16oz. Got 5,some to eat some to freeze for my son’s smoothies. Stocked up in a few pantry items on sale. Also had some good meats on clearance. I reorganized my pantry room too, as well as the freezer (which makes me insane!! Because it’s a freezer chest and it all ends up on the bottom covered in the new stuff unless I take everything out every time!) sounds like it’s time for lots of cake for dinner!!😂
Happy almost birthday!
Happy early birthday Michelle! LOL! Cake for dinner!
I had the same issue with my freezer so use dollar tree baskets to organize my freezer. I put each type of meat in separate baskets. Also veggies, etc then I stack them in the freezer. When I need to search for something it's very easy to move the baskets and put them back.
Happy Birthday 🎂 Paul!
Thanks so much Debra!
Happy Birthday, Paul! 🥳 I hope that your next year is filled with joy and blessings. Some of our go to meals are home canned beef stew, white chicken, and soup. An easy way to make a yummy creamy tomato basil soup is to take a jar of pasta sauce, add some half and half or heavy cream and add some pesto to taste. Throw a few croutons and a little Parmesan on top, make a grilled cheese or some cheese toast and dinner is served.
Thanks so much Kimberly!
We are a hunting family and can our venison as well as canning my veggies from the garden. I will take a jar of canned venison , canned green beans, canned potatoes, and my stewed tomatoes and put them in a pot and heat thru. Sometimes I will add a can of cream of mushroom soup undiluted. Lasts several days for two. Love your channel!! Will definitely be trying the bread!
Cheryl that is so smart!! Thanks for the kind words about our channel!
Happy Birthday Paul! My b-day was last week, it's kinda busy this time of year isn't it? We have a deluge of birthdays in our little family from November on to January. I hope you have a blessed year! I know Emmy will have some cozy comfort food cooked up! : ) Any old movies planned?
For those nights when I'm worn out? I usually pull out a frozen homemade soup and just make a brown rice or pasta on the side to go in it. Maybe Trader Joe's frozen falafal balls for a special treat, they are so good, just as good as a Greek or Turkish restaurant. I bought some kind of frozen chickpea and vegetable bowl in a bag to try. We shall see.
Thank you for sharing the recipe for bread. Sounds like a keeper, it's very nice of readers to share and you too of course. : )
Oh those little tomatoes! I love grape tomatoes! Those are my go-to snack. I immediately soak them for ten minutes or so in water with peroxide and a teensy bit of bleach. Rinse and put them in a tupper ware with salt, pop in fridge. So delicious.
Did you know that the expiration date is usually printed: "best by"? I had been taught that we can go one year beyond that and now I'm reading it's much longer on traditional cans that are in good shape. But everyone do their research on it everyone has their own opinions as far as where a dent is located etc. : ) I'm now amazed, most foods have "best by" dates.
We go out to eat at reasonable restaurants twice a week and that is kind of my going out time of any kind, I'm a homebody usually, our rural area doesn't have much in the way of fellowship....Today we got some mexican food and then we went to Dollar Tree. I was able to get my tried and true things at Dollar Tree since I'm not able to go there very often. I picked up their brand of petroleum jelly (I like that one, not too thick for dry nosies in winter), paper plates and plastic disposable bowls for fam celebration, my paper plates are my little mini-maids for our family get-togethers, For twelve plus people the paper works great. The bowls are for my Italian Lentil soup I will serve. A sketch book. I try to have art supplies on hand for our grandbabies and me too. Duct tapes, and what we think is a wowee deal; their bags of pink himalayan salt! : D Nice storage baskets for 1.25, I plan on using those for pet supply area, and my linen area. My hubs and I love the charcoal toothpaste there at dollar tree too. Very nice deals if we do our homework first. I know we're are no-spend flunkies hahaha....But I'm being pretty good on not buying extras. *big smile* My husband has always been self employed so I'm used to living below our means. I've always had to make do and get very creative! : ) Sorry so long winded here, but you have such an endearing channel with so much in common.
Blessings! ~Your friend, Amelia at My Forest Cathedral blog
Sounds like a wonderful outing Amelia!! Thanks so much !
I really have to work at having a backup meal...a lot of times it's after worship...come home and are tempted to order out....I'm constantly working on that and these days I have pasta ready to go....still working on it...progress, not perfection, right?...that's for dang sure in this house! :) Great video, lots of ideas...thanks you 2! :) I always read the comments too! :) Blessings from Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
Yes, I really try to have something made for after church too! We always come home starving LOL!
Happy Birthday!! Enjoy!!🎂🎈
Thanks so much Jane!
Haven't eaten out since 2018, never do drive through. Think the last box cake we bought was fifteen years ago. We try and not buy processed foods.
We are all great cooks and love all cuisines, so we have a big well stocked pantry and vegetable garden and can get a great meal together in 30 minutes.
Am making a couple artisan rustic breads today. We tend to make double whatever we make for dinner and freeze half for another day.
That's great!
Breakfast for dinner is my solution. Can use leftover vege in scramble eggs or make a vege hash. Leftover mashed potatoes for a quick potato pancake. I also use leftover rice and cooked chicken to make a dish-brown some onions in a little olive oil, add some tomatoes (your roasted one would be great) put in the rice and chicken to warm through. So good. I am going to try the bread tonight. I started my no spend January on Tuesday as I was on vacation Everytime I want to spend I say to myself "What would Emmy and Paul do" and it really helps. LOL. A very Happy Birthday to you Paul. HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thanks so much Carrie! Happy New Year!
Happy Birthday, Paul! We always keep a frozen pizza,purchased at the grocery outlet, in the freezer. I also keep homemade frozen pizza dough and sauce, in the freezer, as well as home shredded mozzarella cheese. But, my biggest defense against going thru the drive-through, is meal planning. If I know what I'm going to have and if it is in the slow cooker or unthawing, eating @ home is easier.
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YES! Meal planning for the win!
I think you guys are doing great with the channel! Thanks for "keeping it real" and keep up the good work! And Paul..a very Happy Birthday to you! May God bless you with many more!
Thanks so much Cynthia! God Bless you as well!
I organized my entire Kitchen yesterday, made a list of items I need to watch for on Sale.
Oh good for you!!
Happy birthday, Paul! 🎂 I will definitely be making that bread. It looked so good. My backup plan for days I don't want to do much cooking is scrambled eggs with a little diced ham and whatever veggies we have. I keep a container in our freezer and every little left over or extra veggie goes in there. Sometimes, they end up in a quick soup or a hash, eggs, or fried rice. We love pizza so we always have one in the freezer for those times we are tempted to order a pizza. Of course, we only buy when they are on sale and deeply discounted! ☺️ We are doing great with our No Spend January, so thanks for the encouragement. Blessings to you both!
Thanks so much L C!
Breakfast items are my “I’m tired and don’t want to cook” are my go to! My son-in-law gave me a pulled pork stew- but I just told him I’m gonna try that as Nachos, it’s already good and a little cheese and sour cream! Yumm
Sounds great!
Happy birthday, Paul! Blessings for another year. For quick meals I always have options of frozen portions of past homemade meals or I have a good selection of canned soups and stews. Grilled cheese sandwiches are always quick, or frozen fish or pizza. Plenty of choices. By the way, when I buy non-perishable groceries, I use a black sharpie to mark the best by/sell by date on the package before I put them away. It makes it easy to use up the older foods first. As for cake mixes, although I never use them, you could bake a cake for a friend or someone who needs a pick-me-up. You don't have to eat it yourself.
Yes, we do share often! Thanks so much!
@Wise Woman Lola- I do the same thing with the sharpie marker for non-perishables! It is a game changer!
I reuse these zippered plastic bags for my crafting projects. A great way to store small pieces
Wonderful!
I keep lots of frozen veggies and it helps me save money. Tonights dinner is a cilantro cauliflower rice (it came seasoned) cooked with spicy sausage, peppers and onions! Love the videos!
Sounds great! Thanks so much!