The Shopping Nazi

Last month we went out to have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The cost for the meal person was within a few cents. Besides we did not have all that prep time, and clean up afterwards. We just walked into the restaurant, order, ate and left.  This Christmas we are going to do something different.

Each family member is picking a course in the dinner to fix. This way no one individual will get stuck with fixing the whole meal. Each family member is responsible for staying withing budget, and cleaning up their mess, afterwards.

The main dish has a budget of $7 per person, while the side dishes and desert is $3 per person. This makes the meal costing $10 each. Leftovers will be count for future meals. Not Christmas dinner.

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We in modern society have gotten in the bad habit of having a too little to eat or no breakfast. Lunch is something quick and easy. The dinner (or supper as some people like to call it) is this large sit down meal before we go off to bed.

I want you to note this is totally opposite to way our body expends energy over the course of the day.

Morning is usually both feet hitting the floor. Getting ready for work. The average commute time, in the United States, is 25 minutes. Add on to that, studies have shown that the bulk of  the work, by employees is done during first 4 hours, of the work day.

After lunch the energy levels drops off. The commute home is nothing more than a rush to get home and rest from the day’s stresses. Then comes the big meal.

Activities after dinner usually consists of watching television, reading, or some other local energy unwinding activity. We don’t need a 1,200 calorie meal a couple of hours before we go to bed.

Can I suggest an alternative. Healthy and saving you money.

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Pre-made frozen meals have gotten better over the years. The quality has improved from paper tasting preservatives to the really tasty meals. Just the other day we had on that was stir fry with shrimp. At a restaurant it would of have cost about $15 each everything including drinks and desert.

The prepackage stir fry was $3.78. Add rice for 50 cents.  A 2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda was 78 cents. Ice cream  was $3.98. That makes the total meal to $9.04. Divide that by the 3 people who set at the dinner table, making the total meal per person costing just under $3.02.

Granted the prepackage stir fry was on sale, it normally cost a dollar more. Ice cream is not the best thing to have right before bed, but it is a great comfort food. Then watching the Syfy channel together for an hour before off to bed is a great way to finish off the day.

For this and other great meal planning and money saving ideas go to Dinnersaving.com.