Dining out on a budget

When you don't have a lot of money, it's sometimes hard to turn down a meal out. I find myself often doing just that. But then again, you don't always have to, if you're smart about dining out.

The easiest way to save a ton of money at restaurants is by deal shopping and clipping coupons! All these goodies came in the mail today and I immediately filed them in my new coupon organizer.

The day that I went to Arizona State to sit in on a French class, I had to either make or grab something portable since the class took place during lunch hours and I was going to meet with the professor an hour after class got out. Instead of driving back home to grab some grub, I stayed on campus, ate a sensible meal and roamed the university until our meeting arrived.

The day before I got Einstein Bros. coupons in the mail. The one that really caught my eye was $1.99 for a turkey bacon and avocado bagel thin sandwich!

I think I paid $2.06 for the sandwich (originally $4.99!) and brought my own bottle of water and a granola bar. There, an entire lunch for under $3! And part of it was purchased at a restaurant :)

Same deal with this afternoon. I knew I had to run a few errands near the Whole Foods market shopping center. Luckily, I finished around lunchtime! I normally would have been tempted by the idea, but turned it down in favor of some home-cookin' but on Wednesdays the salad bar/hot foods buffet at Whole Foods is reduced from $7.99/lb to $5.99/lb! I filled up my box with salad fixings, hummus, pita and falafel and paid for my meal and sat down to enjoy. Granted, this isn't fast food, so it was a little more expensive, but for around $8 I had lunch, dessert for later (see below) and brought my own water again.

I may have also splurged at the deli for a "snickers brownie" that cost me $1.99. It was HUGE! I only ended up eating about 1/3 of the brownie and put the rest in the fridge for after dinner or after tomorrow's lunch. Oh man, it was so worth it though...

So you see, you don't have to skip out on restaurants just because you're on a budget! Just be aware of price cuts and special deals, then supplement main courses with drinks and sides brought from home :)

Stretching out leftovers

I know I've been gone awhile, it's been sooo busy in my life! I've been sitting in on French classes at Arizona State, working athletics events (not a full-time job, just game-day stuff), writing my personal statement and also putting together a four-minute spoken segment for my graduate application!

I also got to attend my very first college football game, EVER (for free)!!

That being said, a few posts ago, I gave you guys some of my tips on how to limit spending on groceries. Now I'm going to follow that up with a meal for four that I was able to stretch into several meals. J.D. and I each had a serving's worth of Indian food for dinner the first night. We really enjoyed assembling the meal and also the new experiences in cooking and eating tofu.

So with half the serving still left over into the fridge it all went for another day of leftovers. Tofu with fire roasted tomatoes and a curry simmer sauce, stewed spinach with paneer and finally chunky spicy chick peas.

Oh and don't forget about the naan still remaining! I guess we were inspired to make Indian after watching our very first episode of Aarti Party. I absolutely love Aarti and am so excited she won Next Food Network Star!!

Dinner becomes breakfast...

Anyways J.D. surprised me with a "special breakfast" on Tuesday. He wanted to make me a spinach omelet, but since we didn't have any spinach at the time, he mixed my egg whites with the spinach and paneer and also some of the roasted tomatoes. You know, your typical egg, cheese, spinach and tomato omelet! Oh and in lieu of toast, he warmed me up a big piece of naan to go with my breakfast!

Dinner turned into lunch...

I was really inspired by how much I loved Chino Bandito earlier in August. You remember, that restaurant in Phoenix that serves Asian/Jamaican food inside of Mexican preparations?! I never thought I would have loved my Jade chicken quesadilla.... but since I did, I've tried to replicate that at home. With some left over stir fry a few weeks back, I threw that bad boy right into a whole wheat tortilla. And it was AMAZING. You see where this is going....

For lunch yesterday, I did the same thing. I had all the essentials for any burrito. Whole wheat tortilla, check. Jasmine rice, check. Beans... not quite, but the spicy chick peas worked just like magic! Vegetables and cheese, check, in the form of spinach, paneer and tomatoes. Protein, check, with the tofu and curry simmer sauce!

Oh my gosh, it was so good!!! I even threw in a tiny bit of salsa, you know, just to make it more weird that it already was. Seriously guys, I challenge you to make weird combos like this. First of all, it's fun! But secondly, you might happen across something you absolutely love and can't live without!!

If you're still skeptic, it's really not all that weird (with the exception of the salsa). Just think about any Asian-inspired wrap you've had in the past. Because that's all this really is! If I wanted to get funky, I could have ditched the tortilla in favor of a naan wrap :) Did I mention that I still had enough left for one small lunch bowl?

So in conclusion, it is soooo easy to keep a simple batch of leftovers going for several meals! A "normal dinner for four" was able to stretch into two dinners, a breakfast and two lunches with just a little bit of creativity and outside ingredients.

Next time you make dinner or feel like you're in a pinch, go ahead and make way more than you need for one meal. You'll thank yourself later when you end up having two+ meals for a rainy day :)

Shopping Frugally For Groceries

If you're like me, and have zero source of income, it's a daunting task thinking of how to afford day-to-day items. I can't make any promises, but there is some help when it comes to buying groceries. Here are some of my suggestions to eating (and affording to eat) on a budget.

(Source)

1. BUY IN BULK - While it may cost you more upfront, you'll be glad you did. There are items I frequently use and what better place to find them than at Costco (or a similar type of place)? Most of our non-perishables came to us from Costco and those that aren't went straight into the freezer for use later in the month/year. Buying in bulk saves a ton of money because the price per unit is generally much cheaper than buying one of those items at a grocery store. And speaking of that....

2. CHECK THE UNIT PRICE - I know this can be a pain, but trust me, it's worth it! Sometimes similar products come in different sizes and prices. How do you compare apples to oranges (not literally), then?? By checking the unit price! I don't think I've found a grocery store that doesn't list unit prices. No matter the case, I will ALWAYS go with the product that costs less per ounce. Counting pennies eventually adds up in the long run. Most grocery stores put the more expensive items at eye level. Look higher or lower for similar products with smaller price tags.

3. GO GENERIC - I've found that more often than not, generic labels are just as good as name brands! If they have the option, go generic. You'll save a lot of money in just one trip that way.

4. USE COUPONS/CLUB CARDS - You know those annoying coupons you get in the mail every week?? USE them!! They do save us money. And often they're for products that you actually use. Also if you have a chance, sign up for your grocery store's club card. They're free and act like using coupons virtually. That being said, always check and see if there are specials on club member items.

5. BUY FROZEN - I don't know if you've noticed or not, but many of the fresh items can also be found for lower prices in the freezer section. This does make a difference in taste when you're talking about eating fresh, but I use most of these products for cooking or baking. You really can't tell the difference in a soup or sauce if a product is fresh or frozen!

6. COOK STAPLE ITEMS IN BULK - If you're a fan of rice or beans for example, those are cheeeap to buy.  At the beginning of the week, cook up a large amount and store them in the fridge/freezer for the rest of the week. You can instantly (and cheaply) bulk up meals with this filler. Add to soups, use as a side dish, make a warm/cold salad, put in tacos, make chili, the possibilities are endless with what you could do with a little extra grains and legumes in your house!

7. MAKE IT YOURSELF - Most pre-packaged items are super convenient and save you a lot of time. But they're also marked up much higher than if you could make it yourself! Being unemployed gives you the luxury of having a lot of extra time. So if you see something tempting at the grocery store or at a restaurant and it looks like something you could replicate to a certain extent, don't buy it! Wait and make it at home. The Internet is full of millions of recipes, just do a quick Google search and try your hand at making it at home. Plus, you'll feel more confident with your own cooking abilities once you pull it off!

8. FORGO BOTTLED WATER - A fast and easy way to save money is by ditching bottled water! Buy a Brita filter or use your reverse osmosis water filters and bottle your own water. You'll instantly save $1 every time you drink a glass of water and imagine what you're doing for the environment by not using all that plastic. Make sure you get a sturdy aluminum or a BPA-free plastic bottle to refill with water.

9. SKIP SPECIALTY STORES - I know it's tempting, but I haven't walked into a Whole Foods/A.J.'s/Sprouts since the move here! Sometimes regular old chain grocery stores have just as good gourmet-quality products for a smaller price. I mean, if you HAVE to go to a specialty store, make a short list and STICK TO IT. Don't buy things there you can readily find at larger grocery stores.

10. BUY IN SEASON - I looove fresh fruits and vegetables. But there's a time for everything. Take advantage of the crop seasons by only buying what's in season! Don't buy cherries and peaches in the winter, you'll be slapped with a bill two-to-three times the price you'd pay in the summer! You can usually tell which items are in season by their unit prices, how big the display for that produce item is and any special sales that might be going on. Our grocery store in Stockton used to have strawberries for buy one get two free at the high point of the summer. We stocked up and froze half. Plus, you get to be creative with new recipes for foods that are in season!

That's it! It's easy, it can be a little time-consuming, but it'll save you money! By following these rules, J.D. and I have spent under $110 (for two people) over the past two weeks. Not bad.

I feel like I'm forgetting something though... anyone have any tips for me/us on my limited spending grocery runs?! :)

Eat healthy for under $10/day!

Ok, so yesterday I brought you the beginnings of my meal on a budget! After factoring in the smoothie and my leftover stir fry for lunch my meal today for the first half of the day came to $6.42... and I still have some left over for snacking on today!

In today's post, I'm going to show you dinner and weekend breakfast that fits right into that same budget! My total meal prices yesterday came out to be $8.74 (this is just for one person). But that does not include my $1.16 beer, a $0.25 fruit strip and $0.13 clementine, but you get it, we're still under $10 for one day.

Dinner last night featured a (semi-)home made chicken tortilla soup that makes 4-5 bowls depending on how much you want to eat for $9.28. This gives you about $2.32 a bowl which was more than filling enough to stand alone as dinner! Well, except for the bottle of Landshark I needed to cool down my mouth ;)

À la Sandra Lee, here's my (semi-)home made chicken tortilla soup:

• 1 can Amy's chili: $2.58


• 3/4 can chicken broth: $1.19


• fill empty chicken broth can with tap water


• 1 can corn: $0.75


• 1/2 can olives: $0.25


• 3 frozen chicken tenders: $1.75


• 1/3 red pepper: $0.33


• 1 spoon marinated/minced garlic: $0.16


• 2 stalks celery: $0.10


• 1c carrots: $0.25


• 1 t. pepper flakes: $0.10


• 1/4 c salsa (I didn't have tomatoes): $0.38


• handful of cilantro: $0.30

Toppings:

• 1/4 c grated cheese: $0.50


• handful tortilla chips: $0.07

In a large pot, mix chili, chicken broth, water and corn on medium heat. While that's cooking, thaw chicken in microwave and then sprinkle each side with a pinch of pepper flakes and garlic. Chop the pepper and grill all together on separate pan.

With the chicken grilling and liquids simmering, chop olives, carrots, celery and cilantro. Once the chicken is done, shred the tenders for small, bite-sized pieces. Dump it into pot along with chopped veggies, cilantro, spoonful of garlic and salsa (or tomatoes if you have them).

Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for an hour, or until vegetables become soft. Add more pepper flakes, salt/pepper for taste and spiciness to your liking.

It was really easy and will last me until the next few days!

Now on to this morning's Saturday breakfast. Today's preparation cost me about $2.99, and left me with nine cranberry clementine protein pancakes. I only ate two, so today's breakfast cost me $0.64 plus $0.37 for a glass of chocolate soy milk for a morning total of $1.01. Not too bad ;)

Cranberry clementine protein pancakes

• 2 c wheat flour: $0.67


• 2 t. baking powder: $0.09


• 1 t. salt: $0.04


• 2 eggs: $0.33


• 2 c milk: $0.25


• 2 T vegetable oil (I went with applesauce instead): $0.08


• 1 scoop protein powder (Aria vanilla): $0.34

For my add-ins:

• zest and juice of two clementines: $0.26


• 1/2 c Craisins: $0.26

In mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients. Then mix in wet ingredients until blended well. For the last touch, add your fruit/flavors -- I went with Craisins and orange juice/zest. The possibilities are endless! Then you're ready to start flipping on the grill.

Now, protein pancakes are not as fluffy as regular pancakes are so prepare yourself for that. They are very dense because of the wheat flour and also the protein powder. This is a fairly savory recipe (minus the fruit) and makes for not-so-sweet pancakes. If you're looking for that pancake taste, feel free to add in some sugar or better yet, honey (I may have put in a squirt of honey after testing the first pancake)! Also, I noticed my mix was fairly runny at first, so I put in an extra half scoop of the protein powder and a pinch of flour. That seemed to have done the trick.

Instead of dousing mine with syrup and butter, I grabbed a cup of frozen tropical berry fruit mix and nuked it for about a minute in the microwave (1 cup of the bag came to about $0.67 and I can put the rest back into the freezer for later). When you microwave frozen fruit, the juices start to come out and it's just as good as any syrup you might find! And can we talk about how filling these suckers were?!?!?! I really enjoyed the subtlety of the orange juice; you really could taste it in every bite!

I know that a lot of us are on kind of tight budgets right now, but who says you can't eat healthy and have fun doing it on a budget?! Soon I'm going to give away my tricks to spending wisely within a budget (can you tell I just went grocery shopping last night??).

Time for some reflection

I feel like I've been having more major freakouts in the past few days than I've ever had in my life. Living off "savings" without a job to replenish that is a harsh awakening at only 25 years old. I thought I'd still be adding to my savings right now, as my ultimate hope is to soon buy a new car, or rent for as short a time as possible!

I guess we can't always plan everything out perfectly, now can we?

Anyways, while I evaluate my life and the direction in which it's heading (seriously considering being a TA and applying for a master's in French Comparative Literature at ASU), I'm going for a little blog makeover.

Now I am living on a pretty tight budget. So my goal is to eat under a certain budget each day. I'm going to go all Rachel Ray on you and say $40 or less a day, but this is more of a dialogue. As I realize where my money's going on food each day, I'll maybe cutback or boost food allocations on a weekly basis. We'll see.

But first, how about those peanut butter brownies I promised you a few days back?!?!

I cheated a bit to start here by using a regular old box of brownie mix. I would have liked to make them from scratch, but that would require going out and buying chocolate and the box has been sitting in our pantry forever now.

My favorite part about baking is that I always get to channel my inner child and LICK THE SPOON!!! I don't care that it had raw eggs inside... I used to lick spoons all the time when I was a kid and I turned out just fine. Then again, maybe I should stop licking spoons....

...NAH!!!!

I knew I wanted to jazz the brownies up a little so I googled peanut butter frosting recipes and came up with this fluffy PB frosting recipe from allrecipes.com.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

I won a container of PB2 from Mary's blog before I moved and knew this was the best time to put it to the test! I think because it's just ground peanuts and doesn't contain any of the oils, it made for the perfect whipped topping! And it was super fun to mix.

The finished product (kind of looks like a meringue):

It really is one of the best brownies I've made! Notice how I said made and not had... I'm not that snobby :) And it made a ton, too. I didn't even use the entire mixture because look how fluffy it got. Let's just say, I'm happily eating a brownie (or two) a day, even after giving J.D. 1/3 to take to work and share.

And as for today's breakfast it consisted of a homemade tropical smoothie (Jamba Juice size, for half the price) and oatmeal.

Smoothie: 248 calories (if you drink all of it, I could only make it through 75%)

• 1 c watermelon (46 cal): the entire seedless watermelon cost me $1, so I'd say this was about $0.30 worth
• 1/4 mango (54 cal): one mango cost $1, so again $0.25
• 1/3 can chopped pineapple (36 cal): $1.50 for the whole can, so $0.50 spent there
• 3/4 scoop of Aria protein powder (32 cal): $9.99, one scoop is about 1/34 the can therefore $0.30
• 1 container of pomegranate light yogurt (80 cal): $0.50
• Total cost = $1.85

My oatmeal was the generic brand raspberries and creme which cost about $2 for the entire box. Therefore I spent $0.25 on the packet of oatmeal (130 cal). Then topped it with a small handful of chocolate hazelnut biscotti granola (75 cal). The entire box cost $3, so I doubt I even spent $0.25 for the handful.

There, that brings my breakfast tally to 453 calories (again, if all of the smoothie is consumed) and $2.35. Not a bad start to the morning! And guess what, my lunch is FREE because I didn't finish all of my dinner last night, so leftovers are in my future! Granted, I did have to budget out for dinner last night, so it really wasn't free, but as far as today's spending is concerned it is!