Posted in Budgeting
By Shannon Buck ~ Copyright September 2007
I don't know about all of you, but I am having difficulties keeping up with the rising prices. The prices continue to rise, but my income does not. What is a family to do? We are having to cut back more and more all of the time. Winter is when I make the least amount of money, but it is when I need the money the most.
Here are some helpful hints for purchasing dairy products:
* Milk
My nutritionist tells me that 1 cup of milk 2 or 3 times a day is plenty for any adult. I am not sure what amount a child should have, but it is less than for an adult. Teenagers, especially girls, will likely need the same amount as an adult.
Now, when I say a cup, I do not mean a glass. Literally measure out a cup and see how much that is. It is not near as much as we think it is.
If powdered milk is cheap enough, use it for cooking and baking. This will likely save you quite a bit. Here in Maine, a gallon of milk will soon be $5.00 a gallon. Powdered milk will come in handy for us.
Some recipes that call for milk will likely turn out fine if you have to use water. When in a bind, we have done this with french toast and pancakes.
You could also use half of the milk called for in a recipes, and add the rest as water. This rarely changes the taste of a recipe.
* Eggs
One egg is the limit per person at breakfast. That is all one needs. Have something else with it, such as a biscuit with peanut butter, or a piece of fruit. Too many eggs are not good for a person.
When baking in bulk, you can use less eggs. Say you make a triple batch of a recipe. The recipe will turn out fine if you delete 1 egg. You will also use less electricity when baking multiple batches at once, so you save twice.
Try using medium eggs whenever large eggs are not necessary. They are great for scrambled, boiled and fried eggs. Put one on an English muffin or a large biscuit with a slice of sandwich meat and/cheese for a yummy breakfast.
* Butter/Margarine
I purchase Country Crock with added calcium for butter on pastas and breads/toasts. I am also beginning to purchase the cheapest stick form in a box that I can find. I can throw these in the freezer and take one out the night before it is needed. These will be used in baking. I do not purchase shortening because of the fat. I use butter instead, so I will need to have plenty on hand.
We do not put butter on things like waffles, french toast and pancakes, as we already cook these items in it. This saves a little, as we have these items often.
* Cheese
All I can say here is to cut back the amount of shredded cheese that you use in each recipe. Start by cutting back 1/8 of a cup for large amounts, a tablespoon for smaller amounts.
Even though we prefer sliced cheese singles without the plastic wrapped around each individual slice, we do use them when we have to. One day, I purchased 8 of these for 25 cents each. I put them in the freezer. and they lasted months.
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Just remember, choose the cheapest brands that you can find that you like. Store brands are generally name brands without the fancy labeling. And it is not always cheaper to use a coupon. Sometimes another brand will be cheaper.
