more cheap than convenient

[jodi]

Perky's post on shredding cheese got me thinking...what foods do you trade convenience for price?

Lower price wins out on popcorn. Buying a bag of popcorn is SO much cheaper than buying the microwave bags. DH and I pop a handful in a paper bag in the microwave (healthier too - air popped) and save a ton. A 1 pound bag for $1 lasts at least a month - and we eat a lot of popcorn. We buy regular rice too instead of the instant - but actually more for health reasons. The lower price is just a bonus. I always buy whole fresh fruits amd veggies rather than the pre-cut stuff. I can't believe the mark-ups on those. I stopped buying pancake mix when I found an easy, really good scatch recipe - although the mixes are not that expensive.

Convenience wins out on cheese sticks. They are very handy to take in my lunch or give the kids for a snack, even though I am paying more for those individual packages. Fruit snacks too, for the kids. I sometimes splurge on bagged lettuce, although whenever I stop to really compare the prices, I go back to getting a full head and prepping it myself.

[Tree0164]

Salad bags We wouldnt be eating salad each night if I had to cut and dice up everything

Carrots Sticks Easier for me to just grab and eat.

Individual fruit cups like applesauce for the kids school lunches

[lrjohnson]

I don't buy shredded cheese, frozen dinners, rice or pasta side dish thingies, italian/vinagrette dressing, hummus (I have a powdered bulk bin mix-probably not the nest but super cheap and shelf stable), much cold cereal, Jello or pudding packs, juice cartons, instant rice, insant oatmeal .

I do buy canned refried beans, spinach washed in bags, and sometimes bags of skinless boneless chicken breast if super cheap. (In some defense - I don't use a breast as a main meal-I use a half breast for the two of us in casseroles, pot pies, mexican meals, etc.)

I am going to try the pocorn thing-I wanted to stop the microwave, looked at a popper at a thrift store yesterday. Do you put any oil in the paper bag? Oh, dear, I just realized I need to buy the paper bags.

[contrary1]

I have seen my habits change in this regard, since I'm dealing with an autistic kiddo here. I definately go for things that are convenient now, along with my usual everything from scratch method.

When I have no brain cells left at dinnertime, I like having a Plan B to fall back on. An emergency stash of meals in minutes. Not much here, but wow, what a difference it has made for me. I can't think about the money end, or it makes me nuts to spend the $$$ for the convenience.

I'm getting better at having my own version of frozen dinners, so that catagory is going to go away. But, I still see things like chips/snacks etc in my kitchen that I didn't usually buy.

[jodi]

lrjohnson - no oil in the bag. I measured it last night and I use about 1/4 cup of popcorn for a standard size brown lunch bag. Just throw it in the bag, fold it over a little at the top to stop it from popping out, and put in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, give or take (whatever you normally do for popcorn). Then I spray it with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and sprinkle on a little salt (DH does Parmesan cheese).

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by contrary1

I have seen my habits change in this regard, since I'm dealing with an autistic kiddo here. I definately go for things that are convenient now, along with my usual everything from scratch method.

When I have no brain cells left at dinnertime, I like having a Plan B to fall back on. An emergency stash of meals in minutes. Not much here, but wow, what a difference it has made for me. I can't think about the money end, or it makes me nuts to spend the $$$ for the convenience.

I'm getting better at having my own version of frozen dinners, so that catagory is going to go away. But, I still see things like chips/snacks etc in my kitchen that I didn't usually buy.

Honestly my stash is usually pretty cheap, just not healthy...mac n cheese, ramen noodles, nuked potato (loaded) or chicken nuggets (ok those can run into money)

I just wish it was cheaper (but glad to see I am not the only one with no brain cells at dinner time somedays!)

but those are my convenience items, I have found some brands of cheese are the same price shreded or block, so I buy them.

baby cereal is something I think I would buy if I could remember it, when I make my own, I keep making it to thin, cereal is an instant thickener, better than making oatmel for him.

[zakity]

I do keep a few convenience foods around. It is cheaper to fix a convenience food than hit fast food on busy nights. It is also nice when you are sick and don't have the energy to cook or DH needs to cook because I am going to be out that evening.

I am less likely to hit a fast food place when we are out if I know that I have something that I can fix really fast. Price of a convenience meal - $10 or less, price of a fast food meal - $20 or more. I figure I save myself at least $10.

[Single Mom Extraordinaire]

One of the many bonuses of not having a car is that it is almost impossible to stop by fast food joints. One of the many bonuses of not working parttime is that I have time to prepare meals. I so understand where you are coming from though. I do have some convenience foods for emergencies (like illness). And really we have to define "frugality" for what fits our own lives, don't we?

[contrary1]

I love the idea of comparing my convenience food here at home to a fast food snack at those drive through windows. Good point.

I had to pick up a child Friday and used to take him for an after school snack of his choice. This time I gave him the option of picking his treat at the grocery store. Way better idea. Still a spendy affair in my book, but cheaper than "window food". Now he has snacks for the remainder of the week too.

Perspective is a great tool...........thanks to others opinions I can get a different view here. Nice. And, convenience to one is extravagent to another .........we each have our own definitions & that is good.

[getforfree]

I bake potatoes in microwave. Wash it, cut in slices, Put on plate , add a pea-size amount of butter on each piece, sprinkle with salt and seasoning, put in microwave for 9-10 min. Then we eat it with sourcream. Cheap and convenient.

I don't usually buy expencive convenient food. Sometimes I make something ahead of time and freeze it. So then later if I don't have time, I can get it and just heat up in microwave. I make raviolle, buritos, homemade sausage and lots of other things. I usually do it so my dh and kids could have some food when I am at work and if I didn't have time to cook dinner before I left. Thats why my freezer is usually filled up, that wnen I find cheap meat on sale, I would either buy less of it or remove something from the freezer to store the meat.

[markio26]

i only buy what is almost free for convenience food... my last two items were free, sara lee cakes, bogo free, had a coupon for free.... pepperidge farm garlic bread, bogo free, had a coupon for free........... i really use cooked beans for fast tacos, boiled potatoes for potato salad, cornbread with milk for nite time snack... nuts, cereal, homemade granola for fast food. i try to turn my leftovers into another dish... for instance, sauteed onions, make extra for pizza, gravy, sandwiches, soups, etc....
onion soup leftover goes into veggie soup, veggie soup is blenderized and goes into chili.

[funnyvalentine]

I also make popcorn from scratch; it's so much better and so much cheaper.

I do buy the bagged salad though; I wouldnt eat it other wise and it seems to last longer....

[shelbylovesmelby]

Originally Posted by jodi_m

lrjohnson - no oil in the bag. I measured it last night and I use about 1/4 cup of popcorn for a standard size brown lunch bag. Just throw it in the bag, fold it over a little at the top to stop it from popping out, and put in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, give or take (whatever you normally do for popcorn). Then I spray it with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and sprinkle on a little salt (DH does Parmesan cheese).

Cool idea!!!
I too love air popped pop corn, the micro stuff is too salty & greesy for my taste unless you get the light versions.

FYI - I did try the Presto Air microwave popper DON"T DO IT!!! After we tried it once it "fried" our microwave! It wouldn't work right after we used it. Hence Presto owes us a microwave!

[lrjohnson]

I've been doing the brown bag/popcorn/microwave thing for a couple weeks now, and it is working perfectly. I get fat free (no butter) popcorn for pennies; literally, I'm figuring less than a nickel a bag. I'm so glad I switched! Thanks.

[mciangel]

Ok, so let me make sure I have this right. Brown paper lunch back, toss in maybe a 1/4 cup of unpopped popcorn kernels, shut the bag, mic... walah? COOL I hope this is as good as I am thinking it will be woooo hoooo!!!!

Ok, dh says the bag will start on fire if you dont at least coat the inside a bit with cooking spray.... anyone? anyone?

[boefixepa]

Paper can't burn in the microwave.....maybe if you burned the popcorn to the bag the burnt popcorn would burn the bag....to test it just nuk a brownbag and watch....but i've never seen just plain paper catch fire before...and as a kid I caught ALOT of things on fire in the mircowave...

[poundwise]

I'm not sure I understand making your own microwave popcorn. If you aren't using the microwave popcorn from the store, why not just buy bags of popcorn and pop it with an air popper or on the stovetop? Why use the bags?

Use your own pot: http://www.ehow.com/how_2013_pop-popcorn.html

When everyone in the house is having popcorn, we pop it similar to this.

We do, however, buy the mini-bags of microwave popcorn for my grandfather, who lives with us. He likes a bag of popcorn when he watches baseball.

[jodi]

Poundwise - We have the flat-top stove and were told not to shake the pans over the top of the burners because they would scratch them. I had an air popper, but it took FOREVER to pop. IMO, it is incredibly easy to do the popcorn in the microwave - put it in, set the timer, and walk away. No stove top, no dirty pans, no watching!

[jodi]

It's also healthier in the microwave with no oil or butter than it is by your stove top method (not as good, granted, but healthier!)

[lrjohnson]

Boe-
Yes it can catch on fire. I didn't photograph it; go test all you want. I think it was because I reused the bag.

Now I just watch it the entire time. It's a small risk, in my opinion. It's nice to be able to make a one person quantity. it's nice to use no oil. They say it takes less energy to microwave a cup of water versus boil it on the stove, so it might use less energy. It doesn't make a dirty pot.

I have been looking at airpoppers, but they are larger, clunkier, and I haven't seen one for $3 or less at a garage sale. Even if I did find one, I'm not sure I want the clutter.