For years, we used a device that created bags to
store meat, fruit and veggies in our fridge and
freezer. The concept was to buy food in bulk
and then store them in airtight pouches, insuring
the produce and meat would last longer. We
loved having this handy kitchen gadget and
when it quite working in the Fall, it was time
to look for a new one. We estimated ours
was approximately 24 years old at the time
it "died" .... a small investment that lasted a
very long time and likely saved us thousands
of dollars over the years. A great savings for us.
After some research, we chose to buy this new food
saver from Costco. It was $170.00 but we had just
over $95 in coupons, so our cost was a sweet $75.
It came with a set of pre~made bags and a roll too.
We found a great sale on chicken and pork this week.
6 big packs of meat for $60. After making smaller
packs for just the 2 of us, we ended up creating 16
meals at a cost of $60, which breaks down to $3.75
per meal. Not bad at all for our frugal grocery budget.
And the smaller packs fit much better in the freezer.
We'll be set now until mid February as we before
we have to buy any meat again as I also bought a
good sized ham to roast then cut up and we already
had some fish in the freezer. We're not big meat
eaters at all, just some extra protein in our meals
here and there. We love stir frys and casseroles
but also eat soups, sandwiches and salads as our
main meals. Hoping we get 24 years out of this one.
Do you have a device like this?
How do you save on meal costs?
6 comments:
I have one and absolutely love it. I buy huge portions of meat and cook it in the smoker, then package and vacuum seal small portions. I also use it for a million other food items also. The savings are huge and I found it only took about a half of a year in food savings to pay for it.
Your food saving device seems like a great idea. If I were still making meals for a family I'd consider getting one but now that it's just the two of us and we are not big eaters, probably wouldn't pay.
A great device. I freeze a lot of individual portions of food, amd keep a freezer notebook, so I know whats in there, but I don't think that really saves me money, just time on busy nights! X
Thanks Anne! I'm hopeful this will be a great tool in our kitchen. The first one we used constantly and it was very basic, nothing fancy and compared to this one, not as well built. Yet it lasted more than 2 decades. Love this one so far! X Chy
We used to do "once a month cooking" Granny when our house was completely full of kids and it saved us so much time as well as dollars. Now that it's basically just the two of us to make meals for, we like to buy in bulk and then divide up what we need in smaller portions. Working well so far. X Chy
I love your idea of a freezer notebook Penny. We're hoping to buy a separate freezer this year but for now, our small freezer with the fridge is working okay. X Chy
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