And On Weeknights...

We cook!

J and I are big foodies but, when living in a city like ours, it's hard not to be! As much as we love to go out to eat, it can get pretty pricey so we came up with an agreement. 

We are trying to save money for a down payment on a house together and budgeting is going really well for us so far. We decided that we/I would cook Monday-Friday and then Saturday would be our date night out and Sundays are "family dinner night" with my parents. It works for us and I LOVE to cook-J can throw down in the kitchen as well! I also decided to start mean planning and taking my lunch to work everyday so I am not spending money on crap food at the place around the corner. 

A few food related budget tips that have really worked for us is to: 

#1 plan plan plan! Being a teacher, you should be used to having a ton of sticky notes with random thoughts and countless lists of things posted everywhere so, add one more! 

I am not a couponer. I've tried and it just doesn't work for me however, the grocery store we shop at puts a weekly ad out every Thursday and I do take advantage of those deals! I typically spend part of my Thursday break making a grocery list. I also plan our menu for the upcoming week. I am lucky because other than seafood, anything is fair game for J. 

#2 Set a MONTHLY budget for groceries and don't go over it!! 

J and I split everything equally. Rent, utilities, vet bills, groceries, etc. We each budget $175 per month for groceries. I know that $350 may seem high for a two person grocery budget but it is what works for is and what we don't use each month we treat ourselves to fro-yo dates or some kind of special treat. We usually make a grocery trip once a week and follow our list closely. Since we have started budgeting, we haven't gone over the $350! 

#3 Use what you have and get creative

There are several sites online that will allow you to type in the ingredients you have on hand and then will spit out a recipe. My favorite is: http://www.supercook.com

You can typically substitute items for ones you don't have. 

Even with being a teacher and working long hours, I always find time to cook wether it is throwing something in the crock pot before I run out the door at 730 am or starting dinner right when I get home at 6pm. 

Here are a few of the top "go to" recipes we use! (All of these are family recipes) 

1.

Ground Turkey with roasted veggies, brown rice and feta cheese. This is one of my favorite bulk meals. I will cook enough for five days and bring one container a day to work for lunch. 

2. 

Pan seared pork chops with an apple glaze, butternut squash and mixed green veggies. 

3. 

Sweet and tangy chicken cutlets with mashed rutabaga and balanced green beans. 

4. 

(J's favorite) Stuffed yellow peppers 

What are some of your go to recipes??