How do you know when your food has gone bad?

by clairity/ melia flickr

I spent my Friday night watching THIS instructional video on how to tell if my food has gone bad. What did you do Friday night?

Aside for the extremely lame way I spent my Friday evening between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00pm I was able to glean some very helpful information (just barely enough to compensate for the time spent) from a very drab presentation.

Formerly I was known as the Queen of waste. I threw EVERYTHING out. If a product even came remotely close to the expiration date, or had the faintest signs of mold, to the trash it went, PARANOIA was stamped on my forehead. With good reason too. Have you ever had food poisoning?!!!! I was surprised to hear that most things when opened had a much shorter shelf life then I would have thought (see last link in post for more details) while other products may have been perfectly fine. Had I know the rules and not been so quick to pitch almost everything in sight I could have possibly saved thousands or at least hundreds of dollars over the years.

Looks like I need to buy myself one of these.
The thermometer not the meat. Although it does look delicious!

First step. Buy a couple thermometers one for the fridge, and another for my meats. The big rule in temperature gauging is that the temperature between 40-160 degrees is the hot zone. It is the zone in which bacteria grows with reckless abandon. Keep foods colder than 40 degrees and hotter than 160 degrees and you should be safe and sound.

40-160 RULE

Second step. Have a list of food expiration's on the side of the fridge (printable list below). I liked THIS article on how to tell when leftovers go bad. The following section from his article is a keeper.

How Long Will These Common Foods Last?

by hindlbittern flickr

Not all foods go bad after four days in the fridge, and some might not even last that long. Use your own judgment and if in doubt, it’s probably best to throw it out (particularly if your immune system is not up to par). However, here are some common foods along with estimates of how long they typically last in the fridge:

• Butter: 1-3 months
• Milk: 5 days
• Eggs (fresh): 3-5 weeks
• Ground beef, ground turkey, chicken and fish: 1-2 days
• Beef steaks and roasts and pork roasts: 3-5 days
• Cooked or uncooked veggies: 3-5 days
• Leftovers: 3-4 days
• Mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce: use within 1 year of opening
• Salsa: 1 month
• Ketchup, peanut butter and jelly: 6 months

To maximize how long foods stay fresh, be sure to leave enough space between refrigerated items (if your fridge is too packed, it may make it harder for the cold air to circulate).

Of course, the fresher your foods are to begin with, the longer you can expect them to last as well. Ideally, choose the freshest foods you can find, and eat them as soon as possible, as some foods, particularly vegetables, lose nutrients after they’re harvested.


Other great expiration date charts HERE & HERE

Third step. Everything gets a date. I started doing this last month and it has really helped. I can never remember when I've opened something and for fear... MAJOR phobia.... of eating something or worse giving something to my kids that has gone bad a quick date label has saved us. (can you get sharpie poisoning, please don't tell me!)

by bhtp flickr

The Tightwad Gazette

A friend of mine let me barrow this well of information and I am loving it!

This book is a collection of newsletters written by author Amy Dacyczyn a.k.a. the Frugal Zealot. She writes: "Over the years our average income has been less than $30,000. In less then 7 years we saved $49,000, and were completely debt-free. That is an annual savings of over $12,500 per year, or 43% of our gross income." Through her collection of newsletters she set out to prove- that financial goals could be achieved through saving more rather than spending more-.

One piece of advice I loved was in the section Interior decorating for tightwads. She writes,"Where we live has a marked effect on our sense of well-being. If we are happy in our home we have less need to leave it and spend money. Housecleaning. Without investing any money you can achieve the most dramatic results."

How to save 1,000 bucks by Christmas

You might be interested in stashing some cash for Christmas. I know I am. I watched a news clip on how to do it at the beginning of November so I am a few weeks late in posting this. Instead it will be more like how to save $1,000 bucks by New Years. Our savings didn't quite total $1,000 but a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Here are the tips and money saved over a 2 month period.

1. Grocery shop once a week cut out all impulse purchases and splurge items, plan meals: SAVINGS: 200$
2. Cut out the addictions: smoking, alcohol, coke, magazines, starbucks, SAVINGS: 100$
3. Lower your thermostat 2 degrees SAVINGS: 60$
4. Eat out 2 less times a month (or in our case Chad brings lunch to work) SAVINGS: 160$
5. Re-evaluate your phone and cable bill and lessen the plan SAVINGS: 120$
6. Make tax adjustments on your 1040 to withhold less SAVINGS: 360$

Savings are obviously estimates. The actual $ amount saved will vary. It did make us think though. We were able to re-evaluate our necessary expenditures for the next few months and cut some of the non-essentials. Over the next 2 months our total SAVINGS: 850$ (and we didn't adjust our tax withholdings). Try it you might be amazed at the cash you can save.

One for the Money

A few years ago we were given the pamphlet One for the Money: Guide to Family Finance (you can download the pamphlet by clicking the title and then the link on the right hand side). We were able to use the guidelines as were outlined in the pamphlet and eliminated all of our credit card, and credit line debt. It was an amazing and liberating feeling.

I spent this morning thinking of those bliss filled years and decided to review an online course called, Peace in Your Hearts: Managing Household Finances Wisely. It is available here through the churches provident living website. The course took about an hour (partly because Finley needed me to pause it so she could show me how far she could kick the beach ball, and to tell me a "whisper"=secret, and to start Dumbobee {the movie Dumbo} for her. It may take you less time). It reviewed a lot of basic information and counsel that I have been taught over and over. But there is always a need for me to hear it all again...apparently. Here is some of the sage advice I gleaned from my morning lesson:

"We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. . . . If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts."
—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances, Feb. 2007, 1


*both worksheets below are available in the links listed above. also there are online calculators at the end of each section (of the online course) that can help you determine your budget, debt ratio and savings plans.

Set a budget

Even if you don't have excess debt, "Every family should have a budget." -Spencer W. Kimball

Debt elimination

"Frugality requires that we live within our income, avoiding debt, and being able to distinguish between wants and needs. Self discipline is required to avoid the buy now pay later philosophy, and adopt the save now buy later practice." - James E. Faust

Savings

Liquid savings available for emergencies should be sufficient to cover at least three months of all essential family obligations.

2 examples of saving: Both couples married at the same time. The first couple began saving right away but could only save money for the 1st ten years of marriage. The second couple delayed saving for 10 years before they started.

1st example: The Youngs

Age: 22 (The young age of this couple is a dead give away that they are Mormon. Who else gets married so young!)

Account Type: I(individual) R(retirement) A(account)
Tax deferred
8% interest annually

Yearly Investment: $1,200.00

Length: 10 years

2nd example: The Vandorns

Age: 32

Account Type: I(individual) R(retirement) A(account)
Tax differed
8% interest annually

Yearly Investment: $1,200.00

Length: 33 years (after 10 year- delay)

The Results: IRA at age 65

The Youngs/ The Vandorns

Investment $12,000/ $39,000
IRA Balance $220,358.80/ $175,140.74
Net Gain $208,358.80 / $135,540.74

Moral of the story: Chad and I are screwed! No... We had better START NOW or we'll really be screwed!

Here is to living more providently. In the words of President James E. Faust,"Living providently means living well within our means and providing for future needs and events." This will be tonights FHE. Even though it seems like we have made 1,000 new budgets. It can't hurt to rededicate ourselves to the cause. Tonight we'll sit down to write budget 1,001.

Organize supplies

First things first. Eliminate all unnecessary spending and organize supplies. Since eliminating is so much more difficult than organizing I'll start by figuring out what we have stored up. It's been months and months since I have gone through everything.

Step 1: Sort Stuff


Step 2: Organize stuff into meal plans

After sorting through the canned and boxed goods, it's time to organize the food into meals, not one of my areas of expertise. I can have a freezer full of food and still make cheesies (tortilla's & cheese, quesedillas) or eat pancakes for dinner, it's just what I do. I need to remind myself that I can do hard things, I will now chant, "making a meal plan is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do..." Here are some ideas of easy things to make with ingredients we all have (maybe).

10 meals on 10 dollars
cheaper meal planning
nutrition.gov : recipes and tips for thrifty and healthy meals


Step 3: Clip coupons and shop frugally

Since most of our monthly bills are fixed, grocery shopping is the one area that I can cinch my spending. So much of my food is buried in cabinets and storage shelves of clutter (no longer cluttered). I often will go to the store and purchase duplicates of items of which I already have plenty. I rarely go shopping with a meal plan or list and never with a coupon. Regrettably I am an impulse buyer, a visual purchase maker of the worst kind. I often run to the grocery store 3-4 times a week because I have forgotten something. Each of these admissions are gigantic No No's in frugaltopia. Some of my friends are able to spend between 60 and 80 dollars a week on their grocery bills (to feed a family of 4)so why can't I. More tips to come on shopping cheap but for now;

safeway cupons: although it's still probably cheaper to shop at WinCo
10 secrets to grocery shopping on a budget

Step 4 (optional, but not for me): Make the drudgery visually appealing:

Grocery list maker
menu plan is printable click on image to enlarge, save and print

Necessity

I hate eating leftovers. Instead of fixing it when it's broken or wearing something out, I like to buy things new. Doing without is an exception to the rule and unfortunately not the rule I follow. Time has come to reinvent my way of living. Becoming a bi-product of my spending habits is starting to haunt me. I want to live more providently.

Farm Security Administration: Destitute pea pickers in California.
Mother of seven children. (Circa February 1936)

Money or lack of it has been a hot topic throughout history. On Saturday I read in Newsweek about Depression 2.0 and the state of our nation. I have listened to talks given by Church leaders about the need to live with in our means. I pass by bill boards along the freeway and hear slogans like "Act your wage" and "If in debt the only reason you should be going to a restaurant is if you are going there to work." (thank you Dave Ramsey)

Talking to a wise old owl this afternoon I was encouraged to create something worthwhile out of our situation. So here it is, as the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention". This site will document my journey as I become A Mother of Invention out of desire to better my financial future. I will be posting all of the advise and creative ideas that I come across, (perhaps even an invention or two of my own) as I organize my life. I'd love to read about your successes and of things you've tried in order to save a dime or help you live within your means. You can email me at: amotherofinvention{at}gmail{dot}com or post a comment on the blog. With your permission I will publish your tips so that we can all benefit.

Peek in on my progress and see how it goes. The added pressure of you watching will spur me on. So let the good times roll.

**Side note. Don't start sending us cans of powdered milk. We are not destitute or bankrupt yet!**