Monday Message

(Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Oct 2002 and quoted again in April 2007)
"The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes...
"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.

I think we do feel overwhelmed by it all, especially now with prices so high and going higher.

I cannot get much to add when I get groceries but I try to at least get one thing. This time I got yeast at Sam’s Club, two packages which are two packages that are wrapped together as one. I got two of these. 

Did I need yeast? Nope, I have some already but I don’t like to wait until I am out. What I like to do is keep the amount I like to have on hand. When I use from freezer to user jar (which I keep in the refrigerator) then I like to replace yeast in the freezer, keeping it in rotation. I have never had yeast in the freezer or jar in the refrigerator go bad. To me, getting yeast like this is so inexpensive compared to what it does for my storage.  

It is important for you to store it in the freezer. The jar I keep in the refrigerator is a quart size jar which holds one of the packages of yeast, the other bags went to the freezer.

The other item for storage I got was a few jars of peanut butter.

So my grocery budget is very tight and sometimes I can only get replacements of something I used, but try to get something every time you get groceries.

I know every time I go to get groceries the prices are higher and it means I get less but if you have a flexible grocery budget you may not be watching the prices as closely.  I went to price something at the meat counter and saw someone I knew, we were visiting and I looked at the price I went to see about fell over. I said to my friend, wow the prices are pretty high. She said, really, I hadn’t noticed. She said she never looks.

So I guess I am saying be price aware, be aware of what your budget is and how you are spending it. 

With prices going up, we need to maybe find more frugal meals to prepare. I am not saying my way is the only way or the best way. It is what works for me at the moment, which is ever changing. I would love to hear how you do your grocery shopping. If we all share our tips we can all use them.

Because I have a food storage that is like a big pantry it makes it easier for me in the tighter times to have things to make meals with.

https://providentliving.lds.org/self-reliance/home-storage-centers?lang=eng 

Watch the clip. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been counseled to store food for times of adversity. It is not a one time purchase thing, like going to the store to get groceries is not a one time thing.

https://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_3074457345616706237_-1_N_image_0 - online store, click on home storage.

https://providentliving.lds.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-order-form?lang=eng

http://www.doublethebatch.com/15-frugal-meals-small-grocery-budget/ I think there are good ideas here that can at least inspire.

I have a dear friend who puts her week’s meals on the refrigerator so she can see, like if she has to chop onion or cook meat, she can see at a glance and chop extra or cook extra meat then other meals will be easier.

Since being sick I have been cooking double meals and freezing one of them.

http://twocents.lifehacker.com/a-guide-to-planning-meals-when-you-re-on-a-tight-budget-1573204892 - some ideas here.

http://www.modernmom.com/e3d7c3b0-fc3b-11e1-9d62-404062497d7e.html - note in here she talks about being flexible.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cooking+on+a+tight+budget&view=detail&mid=7889C0122245F7CA806A7889C0122245F7CA806A&FORM=VIRE these guys have great recipes.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cooking+real+food+on+a+tight+budget&view=detail&mid=D4C11B6221314FF438AAD4C11B6221314FF438AA&FORM=VIRE - here are more of their ideas.

http://www.thefrugalfoodiemama.com/2012/07/foodie-on-budget-easy-cheesy-stove-top.html - how cheap is this?

http://www.themakeyourownzone.com/2013/11/diy-evaporated-milk.html because using what you store is important.

http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Make%20Your%20Own%20Mix%20Level%20B.htm I think making your own mixes are so helpful.

http://www.budget101.com/content.php/178-Cake-Mix-recipes/ I like that when you have extra time, make mixes for when you don’t.

http://www.budget101.com/content.php/181-Convenience-Mixes?s=6f45cc9a2a394615cf4449446f8bc50e  
  
http://www.budget101.com/content.php/1530-copycat-cool-whip-recipe

I know some say it is cheaper to just buy. Well every little bit helps and when you are in a tight budget time, it is good to have ideas on what you can make.

So you want to store things like powdered milk, if only to cook with. I love being able to do many things from powdered milk.

I make yogurt, you can put in recipes that call for milk. I just mix dry milk powder in with dry ingredients, how easy is that? I can make puddings, custards, puff pancake... just anything that calls for milk, even white sauce and gravies.

I encourage you to start stocking up. Can you think if you spend fifty bucks eating out what that would get you in storage?  All I can say is you will be able to handle the hard things a bit easier.

Keep working on your storage. Remember, that lots of storage can be built in your regular stores. Plan menus and the savings will pay for storage.