@Rebecca-zp4gm Sometimes, it's 10am and I clue in. Omgosh...I need to eat breakfast. But except for that one missed day, week 1 was a success. Six out of seven is a win, as far as I'm concerned.
@clairekuchel-klassen7103 It's certainly work. For week 2, I wanted to buy BBQ. I looked and looked and just couldn't believe how crazy the prices on BBQ sauce was. It just seems ludicrous.
@adventuresingroceryland Sweden! (Göteborg). It's a cold and rainy Saturday here, so I'm binge watching your previous challenges. 😊. I'm really trying to keep a tight budget in november to have more money to spend in December, so great to pick up tips and ideas.
You did an amazing job this week. People never understood when I stated being on a very tight budget was a lot of work, sorting the vegetables is a perfect example of this.
Exactly. It can be done but it is work. I know it seems silly to separate those vegetables but I get great enjoyment from having the options of the all. ❤️❤️
Once again, you did a fantastic job. I’m not a big breakfast person , either. We’re retired so eat whenever. … First week is rough, I’m thinking, but I like that you do these videos to show that you can eat well on a minimal budget (and leftovers to boot). Have a super week.
You did great! I’m just amazed the Handsome One didn’t need bigger servings - my ex would have eaten BOTH servings and asked for more 😆 Hoping you get some great FlashFood deals to help you in the weeks ahead ❤
@irenetimm2107 Bigger servings of the spagetti? I'm lucky he ate that much. It was my birthday so we had my favourite meal (which he cooked) but he doesn't like red sauce. We've both been extremely full this week because we are each eating an extra meal we don't normally have. It's been hard remembering to get that breakfast in.
@@adventuresingroceryland I think it’s OK for you to do the challenge how you normally eat. If breakfast isn’t your thing, maybe you use that money toward something else. Or make breakfast way smaller, like toast or something.
@Layla-ir3sl We've completed challenges before with only lunch and supper (because that's how we eat) but we do get A LOT of feedback about no breakfast. So this time we're trying breakfast. Time will tell how it goes. Thanks so much for the support.
@@adventuresingroceryland I think no matter what you do, people would have something to say. We don’t all eat the same. What if you made something like a baked good that can either be a dessert or a breakfast like one of the commenters suggested?
Meals all look yummy! And fantastic job with starting your pantry build. I feel your pain on breakfast, we are coffee and/or smoothie breakfast people and trying to make and eat breakfast everyday would be a struggle for us. When we have house guest I often bake muffins/quick bread to serve for breakfast because that gives me a dessert for later in the day when I’m actually hungry.
@@dharma6481 Having the oatmeal bags was a pretty big help! They made it easy. I think that's the key when it's outside of the normal routine. It needs to be easy.
Hi Melanie 🤗 You did so well! LOL at forgetting to eat breakfast - that would never happen with me and my Handsome One - we are big breakfast eaters and bounce out of bed and hurry to the kitchen to eat. Good job Handsome One for eating spaghetti which we know is not his fave.
Looks great Melanie, I also find that fat was a limiting factor when doing a bare bones budget. It’s good to have a drippings jar in the fridge, good for frying with our even adding to breads/pizza dough. I’m not a breakfast eater either but I do like a baked oatmeal as an afternoon snack.
@@fromthehutt9508 I am in "discussions" right now with the handsome one. Which item is most important with the last of week 2 budget. I want to hold off for one more week on the margarine. He wants the margarine now. Lol
Melanie, I love that you are doing this series again. I have recommended so many people to your channel because of the videos you do like this. So helpful to so many. your end of the week just amazes me. Though I am not sure that in the US I could purchase the amount of items you did for 42.00. I know the thing that saves me tons of money is making bread at home and I always recommend that one first to anyone who is having a difficult time cutting back their grocery items. I love the idea of separating out the mixed veg, and cooking chicken like you did is also a great money saver. Have a great weekend. Catherine
$42 Canadian is 29.81 USD. I don't think I could manage all those meals on $29,81. Good job! you could almost get thru another week with your leftovers. Peppers, potatoes, sausages and a bit of spaghetti sauce is one of my favorite meals. Stuffed peppers is another. With some planning you'll be able to afford oil next week.
Great job this week, loveee these challenges. I’m vegan but still find them so helpful to base what I’m doing off of. Having said that, I’m not getting any fat remaining from my tofu or seitan 😂 so I think the fat would be the first thing on my list! Can’t wait to see what you get next week
@carriganrosamond2670 Man, that was rough. I've been in GT every single time I've been in town trying to fill that margarine raincheck. I prefer not buying margarine but for the first week that's what the budget allowed. Sigh. Have you ever seen the video where I did fully plant based for $50 plus access to items in my house? ua-cam.com/video/-3oFJd_FgBA/v-deo.htmlsi=HVCSgIQkDqwA0w4M
@@adventuresingroceryland yes loved that one! Would be cool to see an updated one in the new year. I think with your garden the opportunities for plant based meals are really good!
That is really impressive! Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but not for a 60-90 minutes after I get up. Oatmeal is very filling. I prefer to cook the apples and oatmeal on the stove together as I find it has a creamier consistency. It's funny how the little things like spices and condiments can add to meals. Maybe next week you'll be able to add them. So much food left over !!
Hi Melanie, I've packaged oatmeal into snack size bags for about 20 years 1/3 c oatmeal per bag. Add 2/3 cup cold water to oatmeal in the bowl. Microwave for 2 min 30 sec on high. I always buy large bags of oatmeal but I was at the UFO store in Hilden/Truro (?) and the prepackaged boxes were on marked down extremely low so I bought it and measured the oatmeal. 1/3 c in each package (same as I had been using for years) It's a great store to check out if you are in the area. You never know what they'll have. I don't get there often as I'm in Hants County and shop in Windsor or New Minas.
@judypountney9648 ❤️❤️❤️ I'm in Kings County and shop between New Minas and Greenwood!! I am occasionally in Truro area for work and a few times I've tried to get to the UFO store. Every time I've been there, by the time I finish up work the store has been closed. I want to get there. AND I'll be in Truro within the week for a couple days work. I'm going to really try to get there! Hoping to detour slightly on the way home to Costco/Gateway. Fingers crossed. Maybe I'll be able to hit all 3. That would work out for groceries for me for week 3!!
Great job! If you like oatmeal for breakfast, try overnight oats with the old fashioned oatmeal. It is ready to go in the morning, no trying to make it when you are struggling just to wake up. I am not a fan of cold oatmeal, my friend suggested warming it in the microwave, and I really enjoy it that way. Great idea with using the chicken broth fat to cook with.. I will remember that next time I make broth.. Always amazed at how well you do with such a tight budget!
Good job! I need to eat more protein than you’re eating but there are ways to do it on a budget, if not at $1 a meal all the time. Glad you got your spaghetti!!! 💖
Well you did it!Got week 1 in the books! 😀Your meals looked really great I’m impressed as always. Glad you used your chicken fat from the broth! Did you know tallow (beef fat) was used in the fryers of restaurants for years? Combined with oil or shortening other fats. We think of reusing lard from bacon but rarely off the other meats. It’s delicious and frugal too. Oh before i forget, curious why you weren’t blanching and freezing your broccoli? Fresh is best yes but it freezes well and is better than old fresh broccoli. I peel and chop the stems too. Just cutting off the bottom couple inches or so. It’s really tough at far bottom but majority is good. Slice snd chop and mix with the tops . Use in soup or casserole . I don’t waste much of it. Cauliflower I do the same. Blanch it before it goes bad too. Hope you get some fat this week and ketchup. Lol oh I also think you should eat the way you normally do. All you need to do is explain at the start of each weeks video what you are doing. We don’t eat breakfast but our two meals are larger because of that. Type thing. Have a great week. ❤
Sadly, there is no ketchup for week 2. I couldn't swing it. I thought about freezing the broccoli and I definitely still can. Just procrastination. My biggest roadblock. Thanks for watching.
you can add the oats to bulk up a soup like you would rice. I believe it’s how they do it in Iceland and I do it with chicken soup when I’m too lazy to wait for rice to cook.
@ yeah, you just add like 1/2 a cup to a pot of soup (less if you are making less soup) and simmer for 15-ish minutes. I love it especially when it’s old fashioned oats. It kinda has a chewy texture like barley
Oats are a great Filler, as well as a thickener! Grind them up for flour too. I ❤❤❤ them. Cheap protein, complex carbs and fiber. Donate them to your local food pantry. 😊
@pennynickels5216 I love ideas for food banks. I often lean towards individual prepackaged items that kids could grab themselves (in situations where this is needed) to take for school lunches. I also heavily focus on random things like personal hygiene, laundry soap etc. I've never thought of oats. Great suggestion.
Sorry if I missed your explanation, but I didnt understand your reason for having to eat breakfast when you wouldnt normally? I feel like your budget could go even a little further for other two meals if you didn't have to also buy breakfast foods that you wouldn't normally buy/ eat?
@BreeSB Many, many comments from previous challenges when we only ate lunch and supper. Sometimes, people can't visualize this could work for them when it is something very simple like they eat breakfast and we are not including breakfast. I want everyone to be able to picture they could succeed. 😍
Great meals! We are not breakfast eaters. I think you should eat the meals the way you always do. I'd prefer an evening snack or dessert to breakfast. I enjoy your videos. Im hoping you find deals on condiments and butter/oil for next week.😂...I save my bacon grease. You could even save the sausage fat or beeg fat from the burgers. I've never , but ive heard of people that do.😊😊😊
WOW impressed with what you have left over. Your meals were frugal and filling yet I dont think you spent more than $25/26 of your $42 as you hVe so much left for week 2.
I was so full this week. Adding breakfast in really made me full so much more than normal. As a result our suppers seemed smaller servings than normal. Honestly, I feel like our portions were very normal.
If you are struggling with eating breakfast, you could use the breakfast stuff as a snack later in the day.
@Rebecca-zp4gm Sometimes, it's 10am and I clue in. Omgosh...I need to eat breakfast. But except for that one missed day, week 1 was a success. Six out of seven is a win, as far as I'm concerned.
Oh boy these meals all look so delicious. On a budget too. Good going Melanie. ❤🎉😊
Thanks, Sandie.
I am so impressed by your adaptability. Thanks for keeping it real.
@@clairekuchel-klassen7103 Aww. Thanks.
@adventuresingroceryland, yup, I feel like I'm on the outside looking in here in slash and spend Alberta
@clairekuchel-klassen7103 It's certainly work. For week 2, I wanted to buy BBQ. I looked and looked and just couldn't believe how crazy the prices on BBQ sauce was. It just seems ludicrous.
@@adventuresingroceryland have you tried making a dry rub with your dehydrated vegetables ground up and take up the fat from the meat?
@@clairekuchel-klassen7103 No. I haven't. 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion.
Happy to found your channel! Impressive amount of food for the money spent!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Where are you watching from?
@adventuresingroceryland Sweden! (Göteborg). It's a cold and rainy Saturday here, so I'm binge watching your previous challenges. 😊. I'm really trying to keep a tight budget in november to have more money to spend in December, so great to pick up tips and ideas.
@@emmavik-fredriksson640 Yay. Just across the pond. Lol.
You did an amazing job this week. People never understood when I stated being on a very tight budget was a lot of work, sorting the vegetables is a perfect example of this.
Exactly. It can be done but it is work. I know it seems silly to separate those vegetables but I get great enjoyment from having the options of the all. ❤️❤️
@@adventuresingroceryland It doesn't seem silly to me, it shows how creativity and thinking outside the box to get the "best bang for your buck".
Genius to save the chicken fat! I keep a jar of bacon grease in my fridge. Gotta use everything!
@pjlacey3990 It certainly worked better than the alternative of no grease. Ha.
Once again, you did a fantastic job. I’m not a big breakfast person , either. We’re retired so eat whenever. … First week is rough, I’m thinking, but I like that you do these videos to show that you can eat well on a minimal budget (and leftovers to boot). Have a super week.
@@darleneprice6467 Thanks, Darlene.
You did great! I’m just amazed the Handsome One didn’t need bigger servings - my ex would have eaten BOTH servings and asked for more 😆 Hoping you get some great FlashFood deals to help you in the weeks ahead ❤
@irenetimm2107 Bigger servings of the spagetti? I'm lucky he ate that much. It was my birthday so we had my favourite meal (which he cooked) but he doesn't like red sauce. We've both been extremely full this week because we are each eating an extra meal we don't normally have. It's been hard remembering to get that breakfast in.
@@adventuresingroceryland I think it’s OK for you to do the challenge how you normally eat. If breakfast isn’t your thing, maybe you use that money toward something else.
Or make breakfast way smaller, like toast or something.
@Layla-ir3sl We've completed challenges before with only lunch and supper (because that's how we eat) but we do get A LOT of feedback about no breakfast. So this time we're trying breakfast. Time will tell how it goes. Thanks so much for the support.
@@adventuresingroceryland I think no matter what you do, people would have something to say. We don’t all eat the same. What if you made something like a baked good that can either be a dessert or a breakfast like one of the commenters suggested?
@@Layla-ir3sl Excellent idea. The handsome one loves baked goods. Stay tuned!!
Great job! I can't believe how much you have left.
@@barbaragilmer9731 It will set us up nice for the next week.
Totally impressed! ❤ I would have given up on day one.
@@debbiesavage7107 I had so many choices. Thanks for watching.
Yum yum 😋 Another great week of good eating. Everything looks Delicious 🤤
@@NattyHomeMaker I feel like it was a good week.
I think it’s great that The Handsome One is such a willing participant.
@dengau2168 Yes. He really is. So etines he asks for things and I just "we don't have that" and he replies "ok" and carries on.
Meals all look yummy! And fantastic job with starting your pantry build. I feel your pain on breakfast, we are coffee and/or smoothie breakfast people and trying to make and eat breakfast everyday would be a struggle for us. When we have house guest I often bake muffins/quick bread to serve for breakfast because that gives me a dessert for later in the day when I’m actually hungry.
@@dharma6481 Having the oatmeal bags was a pretty big help! They made it easy. I think that's the key when it's outside of the normal routine. It needs to be easy.
Hi Melanie 🤗 You did so well! LOL at forgetting to eat breakfast - that would never happen with me and my Handsome One - we are big breakfast eaters and bounce out of bed and hurry to the kitchen to eat. Good job Handsome One for eating spaghetti which we know is not his fave.
@cyclingonplants7444 He ate it willingly on my birthday night and he cooked it. He ate it quite unwillingly the next day for lunch. Ha ha ha.
@@adventuresingroceryland Happy belated birthday!!!! 🥰
Looks great Melanie, I also find that fat was a limiting factor when doing a bare bones budget. It’s good to have a drippings jar in the fridge, good for frying with our even adding to breads/pizza dough. I’m not a breakfast eater either but I do like a baked oatmeal as an afternoon snack.
@@fromthehutt9508 I am in "discussions" right now with the handsome one. Which item is most important with the last of week 2 budget. I want to hold off for one more week on the margarine. He wants the margarine now. Lol
@ I might have to side with the handsome one in this discussion, fat is flavour
@@fromthehutt9508 He is being quite persuasive.
Melanie, I love that you are doing this series again. I have recommended so many people to your channel because of the videos you do like this. So helpful to so many. your end of the week just amazes me. Though I am not sure that in the US I could purchase the amount of items you did for 42.00. I know the thing that saves me tons of money is making bread at home and I always recommend that one first to anyone who is having a difficult time cutting back their grocery items. I love the idea of separating out the mixed veg, and cooking chicken like you did is also a great money saver. Have a great weekend. Catherine
@@myhillsidegarden3998 The exchange works out to $29.18 USD.
Thanks for your support, Catherine. ❤️
@@adventuresingroceryland Perhaps I could get closer at nearly 60.00 for two, but the deals you get are far better.
$42 Canadian is 29.81 USD. I don't think I could manage all those meals on $29,81. Good job! you could almost get thru another week with your leftovers. Peppers, potatoes, sausages and a bit of spaghetti sauce is one of my favorite meals. Stuffed peppers is another. With some planning you'll be able to afford oil next week.
@@nancydavidson2295 I am definitely looking forward to oil and/or margarine
Great job this week, loveee these challenges. I’m vegan but still find them so helpful to base what I’m doing off of. Having said that, I’m not getting any fat remaining from my tofu or seitan 😂 so I think the fat would be the first thing on my list! Can’t wait to see what you get next week
@carriganrosamond2670 Man, that was rough. I've been in GT every single time I've been in town trying to fill that margarine raincheck. I prefer not buying margarine but for the first week that's what the budget allowed. Sigh.
Have you ever seen the video where I did fully plant based for $50 plus access to items in my house?
ua-cam.com/video/-3oFJd_FgBA/v-deo.htmlsi=HVCSgIQkDqwA0w4M
@@adventuresingroceryland yes loved that one! Would be cool to see an updated one in the new year. I think with your garden the opportunities for plant based meals are really good!
@@Frugalveganuk I've been talking about it. Maybe it's time to stop talking and start doing!
That is really impressive! Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but not for a 60-90 minutes after I get up. Oatmeal is very filling. I prefer to cook the apples and oatmeal on the stove together as I find it has a creamier consistency. It's funny how the little things like spices and condiments can add to meals. Maybe next week you'll be able to add them. So much food left over !!
@kathryndockrey1477 Thanks, Kathryn. The handsome one wanted hot sauce and I really wanted ketchup.
U do such a great job.
@@samanthadodd8112 Thanks, Samantha.
Hi Melanie, I've packaged oatmeal into snack size bags for about 20 years 1/3 c oatmeal per bag. Add 2/3 cup cold water to oatmeal in the bowl. Microwave for 2 min 30 sec on high. I always buy large bags of oatmeal but I was at the UFO store in Hilden/Truro (?) and the prepackaged boxes were on marked down extremely low so I bought it and measured the oatmeal. 1/3 c in each package (same as I had been using for years) It's a great store to check out if you are in the area. You never know what they'll have. I don't get there often as I'm in Hants County and shop in Windsor or New Minas.
@judypountney9648 ❤️❤️❤️ I'm in Kings County and shop between New Minas and Greenwood!! I am occasionally in Truro area for work and a few times I've tried to get to the UFO store. Every time I've been there, by the time I finish up work the store has been closed. I want to get there. AND I'll be in Truro within the week for a couple days work. I'm going to really try to get there! Hoping to detour slightly on the way home to Costco/Gateway. Fingers crossed. Maybe I'll be able to hit all 3. That would work out for groceries for me for week 3!!
I nuke only 90 seconds.
@cathyblock7680 I usually stovetop cook oatmeal. So pouring this hot water over the oats is a new experiment for me.
Great job! If you like oatmeal for breakfast, try overnight oats with the old fashioned oatmeal. It is ready to go in the morning, no trying to make it when you are struggling just to wake up. I am not a fan of cold oatmeal, my friend suggested warming it in the microwave, and I really enjoy it that way. Great idea with using the chicken broth fat to cook with.. I will remember that next time I make broth.. Always amazed at how well you do with such a tight budget!
Thanks so much. I'm glad you found the channel. The chicken fat, 8 thought why not try it. What have I got to lose?
Good job! I need to eat more protein than you’re eating but there are ways to do it on a budget, if not at $1 a meal all the time. Glad you got your spaghetti!!! 💖
@tenthousanddaysofgratitude Week one was tight and although I had lots of of protein left over as our choice. We could have eaten it. ❤️
When we were little, my Grandma would make milk spaghetti. It was good. Maybe the handsome one would like that instead of regular spaghetti.
@@jodie19831 He likes any alfredo or mushroom type sauce. Just not tomato based. Unfortunately, I love everything tomatoes!!!
Did that little egg or soup lunch fill you both up? I’d be hungry in two hours max, but great ideas!
Yes. We were both satisfied. Supper is always our biggest meal.
Well you did it!Got week 1 in the books! 😀Your meals looked really great I’m impressed as always. Glad you used your chicken fat from the broth! Did you know tallow (beef fat) was used in the fryers of restaurants for years? Combined with oil or shortening other fats. We think of reusing lard from bacon but rarely off the other meats. It’s delicious and frugal too. Oh before i forget, curious why you weren’t blanching and freezing your broccoli? Fresh is best yes but it freezes well and is better than old fresh broccoli. I peel and chop the stems too. Just cutting off the bottom couple inches or so. It’s really tough at far bottom but majority is good. Slice snd chop and mix with the tops . Use in soup or casserole . I don’t waste much of it. Cauliflower I do the same. Blanch it before it goes bad too. Hope you get some fat this week and ketchup. Lol oh I also think you should eat the way you normally do. All you need to do is explain at the start of each weeks video what you are doing. We don’t eat breakfast but our two meals are larger because of that. Type thing. Have a great week. ❤
Sadly, there is no ketchup for week 2. I couldn't swing it. I thought about freezing the broccoli and I definitely still can. Just procrastination. My biggest roadblock. Thanks for watching.
you can add the oats to bulk up a soup like you would rice. I believe it’s how they do it in Iceland and I do it with chicken soup when I’m too lazy to wait for rice to cook.
@@Layla-ir3sl I didn't know that.
@ yeah, you just add like 1/2 a cup to a pot of soup (less if you are making less soup) and simmer for 15-ish minutes. I love it especially when it’s old fashioned oats. It kinda has a chewy texture like barley
@@Layla-ir3sl I never knew this. Learn something new everyday. Thanks.
Oats are a great Filler, as well as a thickener! Grind them up for flour too. I ❤❤❤ them. Cheap protein, complex carbs and fiber. Donate them to your local food pantry. 😊
@pennynickels5216 I love ideas for food banks. I often lean towards individual prepackaged items that kids could grab themselves (in situations where this is needed) to take for school lunches. I also heavily focus on random things like personal hygiene, laundry soap etc. I've never thought of oats. Great suggestion.
Sorry if I missed your explanation, but I didnt understand your reason for having to eat breakfast when you wouldnt normally? I feel like your budget could go even a little further for other two meals if you didn't have to also buy breakfast foods that you wouldn't normally buy/ eat?
@BreeSB Many, many comments from previous challenges when we only ate lunch and supper. Sometimes, people can't visualize this could work for them when it is something very simple like they eat breakfast and we are not including breakfast. I want everyone to be able to picture they could succeed. 😍
@adventuresingroceryland ok! That makes sense! I can see that being an obstacle for some. Very generous!!
Great meals! We are not breakfast eaters. I think you should eat the meals the way you always do. I'd prefer an evening snack or dessert to breakfast. I enjoy your videos. Im hoping you find deals on condiments and butter/oil for next week.😂...I save my bacon grease. You could even save the sausage fat or beeg fat from the burgers. I've never , but ive heard of people that do.😊😊😊
I'm saving everything I can. The handsome one would rather have evening snacks instead of breakfast. ❤️
WOW impressed with what you have left over. Your meals were frugal and filling yet I dont think you spent more than $25/26 of your $42 as you hVe so much left for week 2.
@@jillgott6567 I'm pretty miserly with the supplies in Week 1. Sets us up better for the rest of the challenge.
Great video!! Do you gain or lose weight on these challenges? ❤️
@@michellesmith9662 Usually no change.
Don’t you get hungry when you eat really small meals?
With leftovers available, I think it’s more a difference in appetite. My guys would “suffer”. Me, not so much.
I was so full this week. Adding breakfast in really made me full so much more than normal. As a result our suppers seemed smaller servings than normal. Honestly, I feel like our portions were very normal.
@@adventuresingrocerylandI read oatmeal is nature’s ozempic. It’s supposed to keep you fuller longer due to the fibre and it being lower glycemic.
@leeanne8651 Interesting. Well I certainly felt full.