January 8, 2010

Today, I had to go out of town for business. I am honest and fairly frugal with my expense account. However, on days when I return home, I discovered an allowable practice that seems a bit like cheating, but dollar for dollar, it works out. On the day I return home, I do not eat that much, usually stay in a hotel which includes breakfast, and by extension, I have a lot of unused money for my daily allotment for meals. Today, I drove home from Houston, and of my $40 allowable expense, I spent a whopping $10 on lunch. The organization expects that since I will arrive in Austin after close of business, I will require some dinner. Instead, I stop by the grocery store on the way home, pick up some produce on sale, and head for home. At Central Market (not a store where you dollar goes as far as, say, Sprouts, HEB, or Randalls), I picked up the biggest cauliflower I could find, two fennel bulbs, and handful of beets. Total price tag: about $12.00. I am still underspent on the expense account, and we have vegetables for three days.

www.epicurious.com is a favorite website, and during January, it’s my best friend. When I arrived home with the award-winning cauliflower, I went to the site and searched for recipes with the words “cauliflower fennel.” Up came a good-looking recipe for roasted cauliflower, fennel, and onions. Awesome. I had some onions so I was set. Then I saw the best word for the month: marjoram. Remember we had two bottles of those. I set off to make dinner, which includeed this recipe and more lentil soup. It’s a vegetarian fest that will last two nights.

Not everyone has the benefit of the good old expense account, but I use this example to illustrate how you can analyze your quality world so as to benefit your tiny budget. Use your favorite recipe website and search for use of ingredients you are in large supply of. Organize your cabinets and freezer to create a pecking order for those leftovers. Control your calorie intake, so you eat enough, but less.