5/7 Saving Suggestions -- by CJ

This is the fifth of seven suggestions to save yo money! They're relevant, easy, juicy and very doable. Check back and have a read- and more importantly- give'm a try.

#5 The Eat Down Challenge!
Instead of waving your hands in despair and picking up sushi, or letting that bag of yummy spinach go to waste, take the “Eat Down Challenge” for one week and use what you have. You’ll improve your culinary genius as well as save an entire weeks grocery bill worth of dough.

There are only two little rules to note before you accept the challenge:
1. No new shopping (unless you run out of TP, lady products or gin)
2. No eating out

Go look in your pantry – and tell me what you see – no wait, let me guess, you have: rice, soup and baked beans (really? You don’t? They’re so good for you!). Great – now go look in your freezer and what do you see? I’d bet a solid buck that you have: chicken, vegetables, ice cream and gin.

Pantry + Freezer = dinner!

Some ideas:
Channel your inner housewife and add a can of soup to some rice and chicken and BLAMMO you have dinner. Other ideas- breakfast for dinner, or how about gin soup?! Yep, its all the rage. A little creativity goes a long way – and simply double your rice to have enough to take for lunch the next day.

The key to success?

Find simple recipes that call for only a few ingredients, and arm yourself with some great blogs to reference and inspire you to get your buns in the kitchen and cook!
http://contests.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/thekitchn-quick-meals/
http://www.tastespotting.com/

Written by:

Courtney Johnston