Well I was almost entirely out of food. So not only am I hungry but I know the grocery bill will be huge to boot.
Your grocery bill for any given month should not be any less than 200 dollars and will depend on your preference and quite frankly your size. A little lady such as myself can get by on 200 dollars but a 6'2 195 lb man probably couldn't. So take a look at your eating habits and your personal situation. To get a rough idea of what you spend on groceries every month look at your food receipts for last three 3 months to see where you are averaging out.
Now that you know how much you wanna spend take a look at what you are buying and think about how you can make that money stretch further. Are you buying name brands? Are you buying a lot of ready made foods? how much of your food are you throwing out each month?
Buying Brand Labels:
Did you know that Store brands are often the same product just with a different label. To make some big savings try your grocers store brand to see how it compares. I have come to prefer the Super Store No Name and PC brands to the Brand labels in a lot of cases.
Buying Ready Made:
Not only are you pumping your body full of extra sodium but in most cases the items can be easily made at home. There are a ton of great free cooking websites that have all kinds of recipes so you can make delicious meals from scratch. Try allrecipies.com or join a foodie blog such as Bite or Suzie the Foodie or you could join a facebook group - I happen to manage the Occasions Magazine page and we post lots of great recipes!
Trust me, your meal will be delicious and rewarding since you made it yourself rather than just opening a box.
Don't get me wrong I have a couple of TV dinners in the freezer for emergencies, but you should limit this habit as much as you can.
The Garbage Bin:
If you end up throwing out a lot of food every month, you should take a look at why. Are you trying to eat healthier but it just ends up going bad in the fridge or are you forgetful and leave ingredients out on the counter or maybe you are just buying to much at once.
If you buy what you like you will eat it. Point and case. Don't be afraid to try new things but when you are on a budget its not the time to be risk money on guesses at every turn.
Treat yourself:
Don't forget to treat yourself every once in a while. Get that steak or box of cookies. Even on a budget you have enjoy life. Buy something once a month to make meal time fun and extra delicious!
August 29, 2010
August 28, 2010
A Volcano of Fun
One of my good friends passed his final thesis this week!! You know what that means, it is time for a party. But what do I bring, they were getting a keg, so beer was out. I love making cakes but that won't really go with beer...what do I do?
Any party can be kicked up a notch with a little ingenuity or a theme. Just think back to how much fun you have at Halloween every year. The foods are fun and delicious, you get to dress up and decorate. So if your in a rut with your everyday routine make something new and spectacular to serve or give your whole night a theme, you won't regret it.
For my friends party a co worked suggested I make a Salsa Volcano. They are fairly easy to make and they sure do impress the guests.
For this treat you will need a very large platter, some tinfoil, a lot of that ingenuity that I mentioned earlier and a small bowl or ramekin.
With a large 16 inch pizza pan for the base, I started to build the volcano - I used large pieces of the tinfoil to create the mountain landscape on which the chips would lay. (You will want to crinkle the tinfoil to create ridges and pockets for the chips to lay on.) I tucked the ends of the tinfoil into a beer cup to create the height. I then placed a ramekin inside the cup so that it just sits at the top of the mountain to hold the salsa/lava.
Once at the party, I started to assemble the rest of my mountain of mindless eating. I stared at the bottom with nacho chips and worked my way up gently stacking the chips - if you put to many on at once they will just slide down. I used about 2 bags of chips for this.
Next I added the salsa to the top bowl and made lava streams down the sides. Do this part slowly as the weight of the salsa may cause some of the chips to slide down. Next, add any other toppings that you want. I added a cheese sauce, hot peppers,tomatoes, and green peppers. We also had guacamole and sour cream on the side.
Here is the finished product.
As I carried this monstrosity out of the kitchen some of the guys took their seats on the couch in anticipation! NEVER underestimate the power of nachos!! Don't worry I took my seat right next to them...
With just little effort you can impress even the most discerning guest with your talents of Salsa Volcano building. And it won't break the bank either - as with any food, its all in the presentation.
Any party can be kicked up a notch with a little ingenuity or a theme. Just think back to how much fun you have at Halloween every year. The foods are fun and delicious, you get to dress up and decorate. So if your in a rut with your everyday routine make something new and spectacular to serve or give your whole night a theme, you won't regret it.
For my friends party a co worked suggested I make a Salsa Volcano. They are fairly easy to make and they sure do impress the guests.
For this treat you will need a very large platter, some tinfoil, a lot of that ingenuity that I mentioned earlier and a small bowl or ramekin.
With a large 16 inch pizza pan for the base, I started to build the volcano - I used large pieces of the tinfoil to create the mountain landscape on which the chips would lay. (You will want to crinkle the tinfoil to create ridges and pockets for the chips to lay on.) I tucked the ends of the tinfoil into a beer cup to create the height. I then placed a ramekin inside the cup so that it just sits at the top of the mountain to hold the salsa/lava.
Next I added the salsa to the top bowl and made lava streams down the sides. Do this part slowly as the weight of the salsa may cause some of the chips to slide down. Next, add any other toppings that you want. I added a cheese sauce, hot peppers,tomatoes, and green peppers. We also had guacamole and sour cream on the side.
Here is the finished product.
As I carried this monstrosity out of the kitchen some of the guys took their seats on the couch in anticipation! NEVER underestimate the power of nachos!! Don't worry I took my seat right next to them...
With just little effort you can impress even the most discerning guest with your talents of Salsa Volcano building. And it won't break the bank either - as with any food, its all in the presentation.
August 25, 2010
Hungry Hungry Hippo: Burrito Jax
Eating out gets expensive! So for work I try to brown bag it as much as possible! But sometimes you just have to treat yourself, or maybe you forgot your lunch at home... Oops.
I work near Scotia Square so there has always been a lot of options available to me. But be careful with food courts they suck you in. Just try to remember there are other options out there and healthier ones to boot. Halifax is a beautiful city and a little walk for lunch can give you that much needed break from the office. It stretches your legs, give you a little exercise and relieves stress! Even if you did remember your lunch, take a walk anyway and see what a difference it can make on your day. There have been Take Back your Lunch movements started in a number of cities across Canada and the US including Halifax, Toronto and New York. Their aim is get employees away from their desks and enjoy their lunch breaks, and and why not, you've earned it!
My last post mentioned Burritos so I have been craving, you guessed it, a Burrito. On my lunch I walked with a coworker down to the hobby shop across from the Public Library and on the way back we stopped in at the new place on Blowers Street: Burrito Jax.
You can choose your meat (vegetarian option too), and all your toppings and sauces, they throw it on the grill and snap you have a super tasty, super fulling and super cheap lunch. I got a small Jax Chicken with smashed beans, black beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. It was huge and it only sets you back 5.25. And guess what - its healthy! But no one needs to know that. My coworker got a regular sized pulled beef and steak with tons of toppings and he couldn't finish his, left overs make a great afternoon snack though. The regular was around 7 dollars.
The drinks were a little on the expensive side but since your out for a walk you can always stop in at a convenience store or if your like me you have some crystal light stashed back at the office.
I will be retuning to Burritos Jax in the future. I give them 4 out of 5 stars in my books!
So remember to brown bag it when you can, take back your lunch with a walk around the city and treat yourself every once in a while.
I work near Scotia Square so there has always been a lot of options available to me. But be careful with food courts they suck you in. Just try to remember there are other options out there and healthier ones to boot. Halifax is a beautiful city and a little walk for lunch can give you that much needed break from the office. It stretches your legs, give you a little exercise and relieves stress! Even if you did remember your lunch, take a walk anyway and see what a difference it can make on your day. There have been Take Back your Lunch movements started in a number of cities across Canada and the US including Halifax, Toronto and New York. Their aim is get employees away from their desks and enjoy their lunch breaks, and and why not, you've earned it!
My last post mentioned Burritos so I have been craving, you guessed it, a Burrito. On my lunch I walked with a coworker down to the hobby shop across from the Public Library and on the way back we stopped in at the new place on Blowers Street: Burrito Jax.
You can choose your meat (vegetarian option too), and all your toppings and sauces, they throw it on the grill and snap you have a super tasty, super fulling and super cheap lunch. I got a small Jax Chicken with smashed beans, black beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. It was huge and it only sets you back 5.25. And guess what - its healthy! But no one needs to know that. My coworker got a regular sized pulled beef and steak with tons of toppings and he couldn't finish his, left overs make a great afternoon snack though. The regular was around 7 dollars.
The drinks were a little on the expensive side but since your out for a walk you can always stop in at a convenience store or if your like me you have some crystal light stashed back at the office.
I will be retuning to Burritos Jax in the future. I give them 4 out of 5 stars in my books!
So remember to brown bag it when you can, take back your lunch with a walk around the city and treat yourself every once in a while.
August 23, 2010
Jumping in with both feet
Here's the back-story:
I have recently started a position with Transcontinental Media/Holiday Media working on Occasions Magazine. I love working on this book and I was granted the opportunity to take on the world of social media: I started a Facebook page. I get to post great recipes, some fun finds and do giveaways but I found myself wishing I could write about more than just food and drinks.
I am somewhat recently out of school and it is a tough one out there. People generally assume that when your done school you get a job and life begins. Well it just doesn't work that way and here's why.
Once your done school you no longer have the "excuse" of being a student and yet you are NOT even close to making enough to pay your student debts AND dress for success. Life pretty much stays the same but expectations seem to build higher than Mount Everest! You end up still living like a student counting your pennies to see if you have enough to get that delicious burrito wrap for lunch.
I have had one job as an advertising account coordinator in Toronto. It was a pretty neat gig but with the recession I was laid off, sad but it happens. With that set back, an opportunity - I decided to move back to the lovely city of Halifax to be closer to friends and family. (Your best resource is your support group) Then I looked for work. It took me almost a full year of looking but I landed the great gig I have now.
So, I have a job, I have an income, and I have that nasty student debt to take care of. That pretty much cancels out any fun right there... or does it?
So I was inspired to start this blog that will give you some insights into Life after School.
I will be posting life as it moves forward, giving out tips on where the sales are, how to grocery shop on a budget and still get what you want and even ways to climb that corporate ladder. So stay tuned for more.
I have recently started a position with Transcontinental Media/Holiday Media working on Occasions Magazine. I love working on this book and I was granted the opportunity to take on the world of social media: I started a Facebook page. I get to post great recipes, some fun finds and do giveaways but I found myself wishing I could write about more than just food and drinks.
I am somewhat recently out of school and it is a tough one out there. People generally assume that when your done school you get a job and life begins. Well it just doesn't work that way and here's why.
Once your done school you no longer have the "excuse" of being a student and yet you are NOT even close to making enough to pay your student debts AND dress for success. Life pretty much stays the same but expectations seem to build higher than Mount Everest! You end up still living like a student counting your pennies to see if you have enough to get that delicious burrito wrap for lunch.
I have had one job as an advertising account coordinator in Toronto. It was a pretty neat gig but with the recession I was laid off, sad but it happens. With that set back, an opportunity - I decided to move back to the lovely city of Halifax to be closer to friends and family. (Your best resource is your support group) Then I looked for work. It took me almost a full year of looking but I landed the great gig I have now.
So, I have a job, I have an income, and I have that nasty student debt to take care of. That pretty much cancels out any fun right there... or does it?
So I was inspired to start this blog that will give you some insights into Life after School.
I will be posting life as it moves forward, giving out tips on where the sales are, how to grocery shop on a budget and still get what you want and even ways to climb that corporate ladder. So stay tuned for more.
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