Kitchen Staples

One great way to stay on a budget is to make as much as you can from SCRATCH!! If you have a well stocked kitchen this is easy. When I say well stocked I am meaning staples that most people already have in their kitchen. Including, but surely not limited to:

1.) All-purpose Flour
-I also like to have bread flour (or wheat gluten) on hand when I can.

2.) Sugar
-I like to have white and brown always on hand.

3.) Salt

4.) Oil
-I usually use plain old vegetable oil because it's cheaper.

5.) Eggs
-Can use powdered varieties depending on what you're using it for.

6.) Milk
-Can use powdered varieties.

7.) Yeast
-I use active-dry yeast for all recipes.

8.) Rice

9.) Oats
-I always buy old-fashioned oats.

10.) Canned Food
-I recommend tomatoes, beans (different varieties), vegetables, fruit, sauces, etc...

11.) Dried Pasta

12.) Herbs/Spices
-Pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and the list goes on!

13.) Other baking essentials: baking soda, baking powder, extracts (vanilla), cocoa powder.

14.) Meat
-I always try to have at least one type of meat stored in our freezer. It is usually ground beef because it's cheaper, but when chicken is on sale I like to buy some of that for a change. You can only have so many vegetarian meals (in my opinion).

-Several of these items can be bought in bulk which will help save money. If you have a membership (or know of a friend who has a membership) to a place like Costco or Sam's Club several of these items can be found for cheap as well as in bulk.

-Since it is usually cheaper (sometimes in the long run) to buy these items in bulk it also means you will not have to buy them as often and will have them on hand when you need them.

-There are a lot more food items you can store in your kitchen that may not be essential, but nice to have. I love to have things like raisins, pudding or gelatin packets, peanut butter, jelly, cheese, cream of mushroom/chicken are great for easy meals, cooking spray, etc... Anything that makes life easier, food tastier, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

Trying to make sure that I always have the essentials (well as many as I can anyway) in my kitchen helps to save money because I am able to make things from scratch which is almost always cheaper! I will be posting some recipes that I've made with the items that are already in my kitchen. I hope you will find a way to use the food in your kitchen and when you go to the store to shop smart and buy items that can last and be used in different recipes instead of just quick fix ideas!

Why Such An Extreme Budget?

It is not by choice that my family lives on such an extreme budget. Most people wouldn't choose to live with such little money coming in. It is usually out of necessity and can be for several different reasons. Some may have lost their jobs, others may have excessive debt or a job that doesn't pay the amount they need to provide for their family. There are many reasons to live with an extreme budget. Each person/families circumstances are unique and are not to be judged. Who knows what choices we would have made if in the same circumstance.

I cannot answer the question, 'Why such an extreme budget?' with one simple phrase. There are several different reasons that when put together have lead us to the financial situation we are in now. My husband used to work as a Personal Banker and I used to work as an Elementary Teacher. We decided to start our family and it was decided before we were married that when we had children I would stay home to raise them. At the same time my husband was unhappy with his position at the bank and we decided that he would go into insurance. I say we because we discussed it for months and probably over discussed where we wanted our life to go. It was finally decided and my husband started his own insurance business. If I was still working and not about to have a baby this may have worked out better, but of course it all came at the same time.

Anyone that has started a business of their own knows how much effort and especially money it takes. The business didn't come together perfectly from the beginning, but it was a tough road and there were mistakes made. My husband had the mind set that, 'failure is not an option' and although times got rough (and frankly are still rough) he never gave up and has stuck with it. Four years later the business is doing well, but now we are working to pay off the debt that has built up over that time.

Although we do not have extra money and sometimes not even enough to pay the monthly bills my husband is happier with his career and in the end that is what makes me happy. I know that we will make it through this. We have had tough times and still may have tough times to come, but we are committed to each other and to our family. We are willing to work together to ensure that what we have will get us through until we get more. I can live with less and be grateful again and again for what we do have love, life, and health.

Where to begin...

I was recently reading an article titled, 6 Extreme Saving Tips You Can Use Now. One tip in the article was to, 'Turn your freezer into your very own "fast-food restaurant."' I completely agree with this, but what I found unbelievable was that their weekly grocery budget was $150 for two people. It's no wonder they are able to turn their freezer into a "fast food restaurant". It is difficult for me to imagine what groceries they could be buying each week that total $150. They are spending $600 a month on groceries for two people! My family of four doesn't spend $150 a week or even a month on groceries.

For this reason I decided to start this blog (with encouragement from my husband) on what it's really like to live on a budget.  I understand that budgets are different for every person or family. I know that depending on how much money you bring in will alter the amount of money you can spend in certain areas. I am not saying that it is wrong to spend $150 a week on groceries for two people, but it does not help those of us that are living on a much tighter budget out of necessity.

This blog will be based on learning to survive with what you have and what you are given.  Life is difficult when you are trying to provide for a family with little to no money coming in, but as the title of the blog states: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Budgets.

I look forward to learning more tips from those of you that read this blog and I hope in return I can help in someway bring some sanity back into your life by what I have learned through my own families struggles.