What does it take to save $1,000 within 4 - 6 weeks, as a single income family? As we launch out into trying to do things differently as a household, in order to achieve this very goal, a shift is taking place in relation to how people start the day at breakfast time.
Up until this weekend, breakfast was more often than not all based around cereal and dairy products. With the emphasis on making changes that could prove to be financially beneficial (yet would still allow for dietary requirements to be met), it was what is consumed for this particular meal that was first on the list to be reassessed and changed.
With each grocery shop, I was previously purchasing up to 3 - 4 different cereals to cater for dietary needs and in some cases, just people's preferences. This was taking a considerable portion of our fortnightly food budget. Breakfast was proving to become more and more a daily meal that was costly, as bowl upon laiden bowl of cereal was being consumed, as previous months consumption habits proved to show.
I had started to see a pattern of behaviour develop that certain sugary branded cereals were increasingly being consumed in greater quantities by some individuals. It was becoming habitual for more & more boxes to be requested and purchased, before often the next payday was anywhere in sight.
It had become quite typical to be told by family members that their cereal had run out and we needed to get more on the way home from picking up Daddy at the train station. Sugary cereals were being more and more favoured over healthier muesli, and cereal was also being indulged in often as a snack food.
Breakfast needed a makeover, and it was the first area of menu planning expenditure that needed redressing for sure!
For the financial saving goal of The $1,000 Plan to have any chance of being reached, the cereals being favoured and consumed needed to go and alternatives put in place instead.
As I have stepped out these past few days towards planning a more savings friendly menu, I have contemplated and started to look at alternatives. I spent several hours over the weekend cooking up several batches of muffins. I determined what I thought would be reasonable quantities to make, in order to look at having muffins available for breakfast for everyone (that is, one portion per person) over a month long period.
It was quite a muffin-fest, by the end of the weekend! With close to 100 muffins all accounted for, prepared and then frozen in labelled freezer bags, all ready to be able to be selected and put out in the pantry to defrost overnight as they were required each day.
The feedback so far, over the two days we have so far trialled having muffins, a piece of fruit and herbal tea for breakfast, has been positive. Yes, there are those that have told me they do rather like the chocolate chip muffins over the fruit coconut bran muffins..... but hey! It was a big step for some more than others, to try doing breakfast in a way that felt less breakfasty to them.
I chose to do four batches of each muffin recipe made. With each recipes original quantities allegedly allowing for a batch of 12, and having achieved 48 muffins per batch made, I was pleased with the overall results of the busy baking time had in the weekend.
I will share the muffin recipes we are currently trialling in my next blogpost, if you are interested in also trying them. I will share them with the adjustments I made, to allow for what ingredients I did have onhand in the freezer and pantry..... I am afterall endeavouring at present to 'shop' from these, to achieve the hoped for results of The $1,000 Plan. The $1,000 Plan is unfolding, step by step, with each new day.
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