Bare Bones Budget Meal Planning
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- I go through my fridge and cupboards to squeeze the most out of my food stock.
Frugal Queen in France
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We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
Website www.frugalqueeninfrance.com/
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Twitter / batt_jane
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You can shop for garden seeds in you kitchen cupboard. When I was a single mom back in the 1980's I had space for a garden but no money for seeds ,so I planted slices of salad tomatoes for my transplant starts and the bottom of green onions that my mom offered me and dry Lima beans and dry navy beans from the cupboard. Were they exactly what I wanted to grow ,no , but it was food and I had two little ones to feed. Mom gave me seeds and onion set for my birthday and that was my garden that year. My ex had taken the freezer and all the food in it so I had to rely on my dry supplies till the garden could kick in.
Turning your garden by hand with a shovel is deadly hard work but putting a carpet upsidedown on the row will hold in moisture and encourage the worms to do the work for you. It only takes a few weeks for the grass to die out.
Jane, if you put all your grass clippings and leaves under a piece of pile carpet that has been thrown away put it fuzzy side down on top of all the clippings and water it every few weeks and you will have compost faster and you won't need to turn it and you get free worms and worm castings as a bonus.
*P.S. I also weeded and thinned a neighbor s garden in exchange for the thinned plants and cuttings. People are usually very happy to have someone else do the back breaking work.
Thanks for watching
I ordered Mulberry tree plants yesterday. I am trying to have fruit so that if ever we could not afford fresh fruit, we could supplement our diet with fruit from my own yard.
Good idea
Oh and just to say what a natural you are in front of the camera! So good at communicating and teaching. And how talented is our background camera guy! Well done both of you
Thank you so much!
I totally agree with you xx
Yes! My sister and I were going for a treat meal out tonight, but decided that it just seemed too hard. So I surveyed my kitchen. I had half of a small limp-ish cabbage, some carrots, and some eggs in the fridge. The pantry yielded rice, canned tomatoes, and spices. In less than 45 minutes I created a hearty shakshuka. Onions, cabbage, shredded carrots sautéed in chicken fat I had saved and frozen from the last time I made stock. Added canned tomatoes. Put the rice on. Added egg to the cabbage-tomato mixture let it poach. Served over the rice. And now I’m about to take the leftover rice, add milk powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins and declare it an “unbaked” rice pudding. All from odds and ends in the pantry. For the garden, don’t forget to grow from the food you buy at the market - stick the stump of green onions, cabbage and celery in the ground - they’ll grow. Save one slice of a good tomato on a piece of paper and let it ferment in a warm place for a few days, then plant the seeds or save them for later use. Use the seeds from bell peppers, (preferably red ones) and jalapeños, too. Plant the pits of cherries or plums. They may not be as good as purchased hybrid varieties, but if they do grow you have a free fruit tree. You don’t have to spend a lot of (or any) money to create a useful garden.
Thanks
I too have enough food in my fridge, freezer and pantry to eat through a month without grocery shopping and probably longer. We need to replace a fence or at least a portion of it. Also, I plan to add a few shrubs to my garden I plan to use money saved this month to fund our projects.
Thanks so much
As we say in England. Your robbing Peter to pay Paul. Very good to remind people, that we need to be aware of what we have and what we van do with it. Great blog as always.
Thanks for that
We say the same in my family here in Alabama, in USA. It's true wherever we live isn't it?
I absolutely loved this video. You have inspired me to have a bare-bones April as I overspent on groceries in March. Thanks for letting us have a poke around in your pantry, fridge and freezer. I love seeing what other people eat and store in their homes.
Thanks very much
I wish you were closer, I started my garden in 2022 and saving seeds was my goal, I have many I could send you. You will love the garden, I have not purchased lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, swiss chard, okra or beans in a year. I put logs in the bottom of my raised beds, along with leaves, sticks, you really only need 6-18 inches of dirt depending on what you grow. Listening to you I have a budget, debt free and can put 27% of income into savings. Many thanks and best wishes.
Best wishes to you too
This will be helpful for post operation to have pre-prepared meals in the fridge & easy to make items in the pantry.
You are both inspiring and are helping me cope after a covid job loss and now living on a much smaller income.
I’ve recently turned 58 and want a more stress free life now.
As I watched this, I was repairing 2 hanging hand towels that had lost their buttons.
(which had been sitting there annoying me for ages).
I used some fine wool thread (from a little packet I found in the sewing basket, that must have come with a garment in years gone by), buttons from my late mum’s button jar and 10 minutes of my time.
All repaired and usable again.
Thank you for the frugality reminder and I can repair and make do.
Thanks very much
"How many meals do I actually have in my house?" Great question!! That is a change of perspective that I can put to good use. Thank you! I recently started breaking out the big containers of cottage cheese and yogurt into single serving containers to last for 7 days. On the sides of each of these, it says there are 5 servings. I just made each serving a little less, and get 7 servings. Surprisingly, I have not really "noticed" I am getting "less." I'm doing the same thing with other meals - I can usually get one or two more meals by portioning it out into individual containers. That has made a difference in food spending. I started that after listening to one of your earlier videos where you discussed the rationing of the 1970s. I was alive then, and I remembered that, too, and that it WORKED well during those very hard economic times. Thanks for these great videos.
So true!
I make up a menu and buy just what I need to make those things. Then, I'm not buying extras. Helps big time.
The only potential flaw in that plan is that the next time you go shopping the bill is likely to be higher than it was before. That is the main reason why I buy a few extra items to add to my stocks/hoard. I think I could manage a couple of no-spend months at this rate
I love challenging myself to see what meals I can come up with from the food in the house or what comes out of the garden. You’ve explained it really well for newbies 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Sounds great!
I love your videos! They’re so inspiring to me to make home baked meals. It’s not just economical, it’s actually fun. My daughter is off school and has been enjoying making meals with me ❤
We all need to grow more of our own food. A return to times when everyone had a garden and loved to bo out and pick their supper. It was frugal and fun then and will be again. I love your healthy and tasty meal ideas.
Thanks for watching
Tinned fish is wonderful, nutritious and versatile.another great video Jane and Mike 👍
Thanks
Last night for dinner I whipped up a can of salmon with mayo, green onion, celery and dill and served it open face on fresh sourdough slices with homemade sprouts and a thin slice of cheese. My husband loved it and said he’d be happy to have it for dinner anytime. Win win because we have tons of canned salmon in the pantry and it was such a simple delicious dinner!
I hope all your seeds grow and hopefully you will be able to save seeds from the food that is grown:)
Thanks
You've inspired me. I am going away for a few days later next month and I have two freezers, a store-cupboard and fridge full of food. I'm going to see if I can get by with no food shopping. I have frozen veg which I should use up and lots of frozen milk. I even have frozen fruit.
I do the "yellow stickers" shop when I do go out and get some good bargains which I make better by splitting packs up into individual freezer bags. So if I get a pack of eight sausages, I split into four packs of two. Packs of bread rolls get split up as well. It stops me from overeating because it's there. I just defrost a sensible portion. I freeze these things immediately I get them and eat the same day once defrosted. My shopping bill is way down on last year.
I would like to think that I can cover some of the costs of my few days away by being frugal this month. Thank you for what you do. It's extremely useful.
Thanks for watching
Good morning Jane and Michael. My name is Terrie and I'm writing from Houston Texas. I'm originally from Brooklyn NY but lived for over 25 years in Egypt after I married.
I've been in Texas for 7 years and as of late, experiencing massive price increases. Being retired and on a fixed income, I started looking for tips and ideas of how to manage.
I've been watching your channel for a while and thoroughly enjoy it. Must say I have NEVER commented on UA-cam videos but your last one on taking inventory and using up what you have on hand in a no spend situation hit home with me. So I thank you and will take heed of your suggestions.
You've given me hope😁 Thanks
Thanks very much
You've convinced me. I am certain I can have a bare-bones April, although someone around here is going to need to expand his limited meal repertoire! Like you, we have some expensive garden plans, and it makes sense to do this. Thanks for the inspirational video!
Thanks for watching
Best of luck with your garden plans! Compost is your best friend!
Yep, that’s why we have compost piles. Thanks for watching
We haven't had to shop for anything for a month except for milk and occasional bits and pieces. I cook big meals to eat now and freeze for later. Saves power . We try to see how long we can go between a big shop.
Love that!
I enjoyed watching this video. Now that my husband is taking early retirement, next month, I need to look at saving.
I love this!! ❤ on April 15, I’ll have been on a bare bones budget just eating out of my 2 cupboards, my refrigerator and freezer for 2 months in order to save up an emergency fund and pay off a credit (I’ll be cutting that up when it’s paid). 😅😅 I’m trying so hard to get back on stable soil, so listening to your podcasts are so helpful!! Thank you for all you do, Jane and Mike!!
🙂 I get the hemming and hawing on trying to grow things when you're on land with little soil.
That inch of topsoil is about an inch more than I had. the ground here is a very fine, powdery sand. Just a quarter mile to the east, they have lovely soil, from centuries of the river overflowing occasionally. But I'm on the mesa, just above it all.
I did the same thing - down to paying for it out of my grocery spend. well, the decorative was from the home maintenance end... my garden is in the front yard. I break some other rules too. :)
If you have lovely tomatoes that you love - plant those seeds. Take some and dry them for next year, and an early start inside or in the green house. The same with the peppers you love... You'll need to start carrots from seed... but if you leave even one over winter and let it go to seed... (some varieties will seed in one year) Same for onions... Some will vary by the length of your season, but with that lovely greenhouse cover, you've probably extended your season by several months. And some things can be grown indoors, year round... lettuces as microgreens, i, radishes, basil, mint... Sounds like a salad, and a great budget cutter! 🥗
all in all, it's a great investment...
Frugal isn't about being cheap or stingy, it's about wise investment of (frequently limited) resources!
Thanks very much for watching
Thank you Jane, you inspire me to carry on being frugal, and hopefully to try and be even more frugal. xx
Thanks very much for watching
I just love when we get to see the puppies!
Thanks very much
Like seeing frugal food
Strategies of others, and hello Jane and Mike from downeast, NS,Canada.
Thank you
Oooo how posh are you gonna be ! A little market garden ! It's gonna be a labour of love for you . Well done in advance ! 👏
Thanks very much for watching
My husband is having a good turn out from his saved seeds from last years crops. You can take store bought green peppers or any type and dry out the seeds and plant them. Also seed swap with neighbors or barter something for seeds. Our library system has a seed give away here in the US also. Happy gardening!
Thanks very much
Jane such a great idea, why didn't I think of that. Now I will put myself on a bare bones budget.
Thanks very much
It is amazing how many meals really are in the freezer and pantry! Except for dairy and fresh fruit & veg, I have been eating from my pantry/freezer since the beginning of the year and I still have a month or two of meals I can prepare with what is left. My grocery bill has definitely reflected this pantry focus. Great video!
Thanks
I always do this but it’s always good to get other peoples take on this and new ideas and recipes. You are never to old to pick up ideas and learn something!
Thanks
Your pink scarf is very becoming against the blue/black top! I look forward to your videos. The graphics are great! April will be a bare bones month. I followed your advice and checked what I do have. I use what I have in the refrigerator and freezer as you suggest. I am lucky my husband will eat what I make and is not finicky. Both of you are true professionals. You explain ideas with great clarity. You can tell you were a teacher. Please keep us informed on how the raised garden progresses throughout the season. Thanks for all Mike and you do!!!
Thanks very much for watching and commenting
You are so amazingly creative with food, Jane! Wow!
I really think you guys will be happy growing your own food. It sounds like you have a really good plan for what you're going to grow. All things that you'll use. Please keep us updated on the veggie and fruit growing! And I always love to see the puppers!
Thank you so much!
@@Viacer I know it well.
Love this video. I could live out of my pantry for a month. This feels like a great challenge. You should do a challenge with us for April and do a weekly check in!
Great idea!!
I've been doing this for years! It's always interesting to see how someone else does it!
Thanks
Ahh, yes I also use clothes pegs for the freezer and pantry..so handy..
I’m enjoying watching you as I darn my husband’s homemade socks with a “Speedweve “. What a handy item. I do have my maternal grandmother’s darning egg, but this way makes a neater mend. My husband has a tray of peppers growing under the grow light. We still have a month or more until they will go outside. Happy gardening! 💙
Thanks for watching
Don't throw away the broccoli or cauliflower stems...use a vegetable steamer basket and steam those stems. They come out extremely soft and stems have the most nutrients. Most people throw away the most nutritional parts of the vegetables!
Too late love. I've been doing that for over 50 years 😆
I'm sure there is someone out there that doesn't 😊.
Could you make a video on your coslaw salad?
@@joycekastamonitis2187 of course, no nonsense British mothers have their children helping from early childhood. I could peel potatoes by 6 years old.
We always pick up extras of items that we find at deep discount prices, and stash them away. We do a pantry challenge for the months of December, January and February. It helps us to go through many of our stores, but also it helps us to save more money for the coming expenses of gardening seasons. We live near the great lakes, so we are living on sand, lots of sand. It's like living on a beach minus the water. I spend more time than I care to, sweeping up sand in the house. Door mats don't matter, it's just going to come in. So we grow in raised beds and pots as well. I start a rack full of plants in the house for spring gardening, to avoid the cost of heating a greenhouse. We snowed again the past 2 days, so we use our Woodstock heat and a couple of LED lights to get a jump on the season, that is too short as is.
Thanks very much for watching and commenting
Good luck with your bare bones month, please show us your cupboards at the end of it.
Really enjoyed that today. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Your videos are thoroughly informative Thank you from the USA 🌹
So nice of you
Aside of helping have a bare bones budget month this is a wonderful way to extend your everyday menus. Sometimes you just stick to the same things and can get into a rut. Great video!
Thanks for watching
This was timely. I just found out yesterday that due to an error that my eye doctor's receptionist made, I will not be covered for an eye exam and glasses by my health insurance. I was out "one day". So had I gone one day later, all of it would have been covered. $560.00 Cdn. It's not like I don't have the money, but that kind of thing irks me no end. So now I will divide the 560/ 9 months that are left in the year. My budget has to drop by about 63$/month. I probably can save on home maintenance (I have been painting) but that can be put on hold. And as you point out, I can eat from my pantry! Good one!
Thanks for watching
I'm definitely doing a bare bone budget and I so appreciate all the advice and ideas of how to do so. Thank you both so much for making these wonderful and helpful vlogs. You make me feel not so alone in these difficult financial times. Kind regards Angeline ❤️
Thanks for watching
I look forward to seeing how the garden grows
Nice video. I found myself anticipating your videos a LOT. Thank you!
I would love to see some cooking videos. Especially, some of your vegetarian recipes. I would like a few step-by-step video. You’re awesome! Thank you!
There's hundreds of my cooking videos on my channel. Look at the play lists
THANK YOU !!! THANK YOU!!! GREAT BLOG. YES, WE HAVE TO Stretch our food budget.😊💯 👍
You are so welcome!
Very excited for your gardening adventures ! Best of luck and thanks for another wonderful video 😊
Thank you Jane. Your video gives many good ideas.
I'm so glad!
Jane, this is very inspiring. In Canada our freezers are much larger…as I was growing up in northern Alberta my dad always shot a moose or a deer and my mom froze garden vegetables and wild berries. Not sure why I have one nowadays…it is definitely too easy to let things go to waste at the bottom.
I do grow a few vegetables in my inner city garden, but I don’t like the taste and smell of exhaust on them. It can’t possibly be healthy, even after washing them.
Thanks for watching
I have a chest freezer and love it, I have the whole freezer dicked out with plastic boxes with handles and baskets so it is easy to store everything and I can get to the bottom easily :)
Lovely to see your garden project plans and some great ideas for simple meals. One of my go to larder meals is pasta with 'fridge sauce' using whatever there is, it's different every time!
Thanks
You're delightful! I love all of your ideas and your beautiful, tidy kitchen!❤
Thanks so much! 😊
We buy one thing every time we shop to put aside for just this type of month. it helps us rotate the stock and best of all it makes a bare bones month much easier to do.
That's a great idea!
Wonderful video. You've given me the incentive to take a close look at my pantry and freezer. Diane in NC.
Thanks very much for watching
Great video as usual Jane. To save money on my groceries I’ve started to draw out cash every Friday and also stopped buying a big shop. Only buying what I actually need and using cash only. Once my weekly allowance is gone its gone. Also stopped buying fruit and veg from Lidl/Aldi and buying from local market. They sell half cabbage or turnip etc.
Love that!
Great video. Recently, my very old but still functional upright freezer badly needed to be defrosted, and therefore emptying. I began to use absolutely everything up, and found that, together with pantry staples, and the veg drawers in the fridge, I was able to make enough food for a month, and only had to buy a very few fresh things. It turned out to be an unintentional low-spend month on food. Funny how we tend to keep on buying food, even when we already have enough. I'm now going through the cupboards... there's no problem, I find, in mixing different types of pasta in a pasta bake and getting rid of all those annoying packets with just a handful of pasta left in each.
Thanks very much for sharing
I have a ton of lentils. I’d love if you could do a video on your lentil recipes. I feel that lentils are a very frugal HEALTHY food.
I have always kept a well stocked pantry all of my adult life. I have a lot of stored grains for variety as well as canned ( tinned) items. I have an unexpected large bill so will do a survival budget for April in order to take care of this situation. Today out driving and tire was bad stopped and got it repaired unexpected but with my emergency fund no problem. I believe this will not be as difficult as I initially thought.
Thanks
Very sensible -- you've inspired me to review our food supplies, also.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for another informative talk.😃
You are so welcome!
many seed packs will last for a few years. And learning to save seeds will save alot of money.
Another excellent video. Thanks to you both.
Glad you enjoyed it
Eating through the food stock is a good idea to save money! It reduces food waste too :)
Thanks
Love, love, love this video - Definitely going to do some bare bones food budget months and delegate saved money to paying off my credit card balance (it's the only 'loan-type' bill that I have) so THANK YOU JANE!!!!!
You are so welcome!
Great video Jane ,,I like the idea of how many meals I have available ,,,a different way to look at it 🧐🧐 ,,, I am starting a garden too this year , beans ,tomatoes ,,I really hope my apple tree produces this year ,it did for 2 yrs but not last year ?… ☹️
Back to the basics ,,,🤓
Thanks
Jane, this is so exciting! Congrats to you and Mike on your upcoming purchase. I look forward to watching as things progress.
Thanks so much!
I'm very excited about your gardening plans and look forward to watching how it grows. Great video!
Think planning and batch cooking is the best thing we can. Love your video..we need to keep on kepping on.s
Thanks for watching
I love your sage advice and wisdom
Thanks
Lovely! Thank you!
Very informative with many great ideas included!👍😊
Thanks very much
Hi Jane and Michael 🤗 This is great! We need to do this as well. Thanks for all the great tips and ideas 🥰
Thanks for watching
Again, so inspirational.
that's an exciting project, I'll be interested to see how the crops do in your poly tunnel. There's nothing better than growing your own food , good luck and thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching
I love your flexible and creative approach. Seriously, I think too often we succumb to 'I feel like......" rather than remembering it's FOOD and as long as it's healthy and tasty we should be grateful to have it!! I don't need a bare bones April but I do need to reduce my reserves so I'm up for the challenge!! Looking forward to seeing your greenhouse go up - and holy moly that's expensive for seeds!! Here too they can be that expensive, especially if you want a specific variety, but we can buy bog standard types for $2/Euro1.25 from discount stores - is that not available there? Buying seeds online can also be good value, especially if you can get free shipping. Cheers!
Thanks for watching
As always your videos are so helpful and encouraging. Thank you!
Thanks very much
Good video. I liked how you went through your pantry and came up with meal ideas right away. A review of our food supply is a must and necessity in these times. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
Love your videos especially your cooking ones see you had Yorkshire Tea in your cabinet I have to buy it online live in the US also absolutely love your little dog at the end of all your videos
Thanks very much
I need to do a bare bones budget in April now for sure. You are so creative with your cooking, which is a great skill to have. I loved the video on the garden boxes, can't wait to see the poly greenhouse. I"ve been thinking of getting one of those myself so I'll be interested to know your opinion after hands on experience. I'm getting raspberry plants this year as well. We did blueberries and strawberries last year.
Thanks
Great video, good luck with the tunnel greenhouse- they are wonderful, the costly part is setting it up.
Thanks very much
I’m going to do a sort of bare bones April, we have a few things on, guest etc but I only really need pet supplies and a few odd bits. I have a few things I want to square up and the kitten is being spayed so being resourceful and meal planning etc will go a long way to help
Thanks for watching
I’m excited about your garden!!
If you saw my fridge, freezer, and pantry, you would wonder why I need to go to the grocery store at all. I honestly believe that we could make it through three months of a bare bones budget. I should at least do it for one month. I am looking forward to seeing the progress in the garden.
Thanks very much
You inspired me to do a bare bones’ budget for April! As I had been building up my pantry and freezer, this will be easy. I’m going to allow myself $100 dollars for the month. With the extra money, I am able to add it to a sinking fund and buy myself a new computer cash! ❤Patti
Good luck 👍
I am happy to report that I spent $150 for the month. That included $50 for a birthday party I had to throw. I’m so happy to have done this challenge and I am looking at my pantry differently now. Before, I was not really looking at my pantry and freezer to make my meal plan. But now, I am doing that first as you recently suggested. Thank you for all your wonderful advice.
Thanks so much for the inspiration! There’s a few tools I need to make gardening easier…now I know where the $$ can come from. 😉
Thanks for commenting
I agree with your decision 100%. Very wise indeed. Good luck with this new adventure. Susan
Thanks very much
Great video as always. A.ways enjoy listening to your ideas. I do a lot of pressure canning vegetables, fruits,from our gardens and orchards, meats. That's our way of saving money for other necessities. In my canning pantry I have many meals in jars, pot pie base, chicken a LA king base, stews, beef, chicken, turkey, soups, beans, sauces and other items to add to pasta. We have always tried to keep a 2 years supply of food including dry goods, our home-grown dehydrated and canned foods. We keep several freezers also. It's because we have to drive 100 miles round trip to shop. I am very happy you are getting berry plants ,seeds and a polythene for your garden plants. Oh how I wish you were my neighbor you wouldn't have had to spend a penny I would have given you plants and all types of garden seeds that I have saved each year. Your doing great. May God bless you and your family
Thanks
Hi from Texas. Just found your channel. Love all your ideas.
Thanks so much! 😊
Helpful video.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for another great vid. Greetings from Sierra Nevada in NorCal!
Thanks for watching!
Jane, I went to 3 stores and black beans in a can was $1.79 ea. I went to Dollar Tree and bought 4 pounds of dry beans$2.50) ( soaked over night pressure canned 17 pints for a savings of 35%. Doing chick peas and navy beans this week so all in pantry for an average savings of 45% of supermarket tins.!!!
Thanks for sharing
Lovely garden plans. I would like to get a rotating composter this year. It is way too windy in my area for a poly tunnel. I'm thinking about a small glass house but it might blow away too. I can't believe how expensive your seeds are, at Dollar Tree here you can get 4 packs for $1.25.
I'm hoping for some blackberries from the bush I planted last year.
Happy gardening!
Thanks very much
Love this video so much! So many good ideas! We are heading into retirement by the end of the year. Enjoy hearing how to live on a fixed income. Thank you Jane and Mike!!
Thanks very much
you are very well organised & you give helpful tips.
Thanks a lot
Good luck with your gardening investments.
Love it, I need to go bare bones because I had a big unexpected extra expense last month so I'm behind on savings. I also have a holiday at the end of the month/beginning of next month, so need some pocket money to spend on my share of food etc whilst away. It will be a challenge. Fresh fruit will always be needed, but it will be fine. Freezer plus instant pot and pulses and pasta should provide most of what I need.
Good luck!!