Tag Archives | saving money

Snack Organizing

By on April 15, 2012 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Home Reorganizing

I’m tackling organizing projects in my home one at a time in my Reorganizing 2012 Campaign.  So why was organizing my snacks near the top of my list?

There are many reasons.

First, it’s the beginning step to reorganizing my pantry.  By removing all of my snack items and storing them in easy-to-reach containers, I’m creating more breathing space to organize pantry items.

And, the most motivating reason for me is to save time.  How can organizing my snacks save time, you wonder?  It’s simple.  With all our family activities: dance, gymnastics, day-trips and vacations, my kids can pack snacks on their own by making it easy for them to choose from.  It’s like having our own home snack store… the Spilsbury Snack Shop!

Organize Snacks Step-By-Step

Step 1:  Remove all snack items from the pantry

The first step in reorganizing any space is to start with a clean slate and see what you need to work with.  By removing all of the snacks from my pantry and seeing them in one place, it was easy for me to decide how I was going to categorize and store them and what size containers I would need.

Snack Organizing

remove all snacks from the pantry

Step 2:  Find Your Tools

Find the perfect containers to fit your style, your space… and your snacks.  I decided on glass mason jars- 4 large and 4 medium to fit my long countertop.

home organizing snacks

Glass Mason Jars- on sale here for $22

 

Because I love to label everything, I decided to use chalkboard paint on my jars.  Here is a quick tutorial for creating your own Chalkboard Paint Mason Jars:

DIY Chalkboard Paint jars

Tutorial DIY Chalkboard Paint Jars

Step 3:  Cold Storage

I found both of these bins at Target to store cold snacks in the refrigerator.  Using insulated bags, the kids know where to go to choose snacks to pack.

cold snacks for on-the-go

 

snack organizing

this snack tote came from the $1 bin at Target

 

The Economics of Organizing

Staying organized saves time and money.  Period.

By keeping snacks “at-a-glance”, I won’t overbuy at the grocery store because of not knowing how many cookies or fruit snacks we have at home.

While we’re out running around all day, here is a breakdown of what on-the-go snacking costs if you eat out or tote your snacks:

 

 Notice the difference in snack nutrition?  I also estimate that we save about $650 a year by having the kids pack their snacks.  How’s that for some “food for thought”.

 

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PLAN. ORGANIZE. SHOP. SAVE.

By on July 23, 2011 in Saving Money

Meal Planning

For family dinners the key to saving time is planning.  The key to saving money is also planning.  And the key to saving even more time and more money is organization.

Meal Planning by The Organized Cook Steak Mushroom Casserole

Steak Mushroom Casserole from The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

Here are the key steps for family dinner meal planning.

Meal Planning by The Organized Cook Pork Fried Rice

Pork Fried Rice from The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

Step 1- Plan

Plan your family dinner menu for the entire week

Step 2- Plan

Plan your grocery shopping day with list ready to go

Step 3- Organize

Organize your family dinner menu and your grocery shopping list in a way that will help you reduce waste and save even more time and money.

Sound like a lot of work?  It can be.

The Organized Cook

What I’ve done with The Organized Cook is taken the task of planning and organizing your family dinners a few steps further to help you save even more time and money using organization as the key ingredients.

The Organized Cook

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Planning System

Through cooking methods like “reusing your time” and “reincarnating the leftover”, family dinners will cost you less than $100 a week in groceries and often as low as $67 a week.

But that’s nothing compared to the amount of time you will save.

Meal Planning from The Organized Cook

Baja Fish Tacos from The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Planning System

Ready to start saving?  Let The Organized Cook do the planning and organization for you.  Spend less time at the grocery store, less time in the kitchen and more time with your family at the dinner table.  Subscribe Now.

Bon Appetit!

Toni Spilsbury, The Organized Cook


 

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Who Doesn’t Love Fried Chicken?

By on May 17, 2011 in Making Dinner

Well- besides my vegan friend- who doesn’t love fried chicken?

For subscribers to The Organized Cook, Ranch Fried Chicken is what’s on the menu this week and it’s a family favorite for me.

Ranch Fried Chicken by The Organized Cook

Ranch Fried Chicken by The Organized Cook

Doing something as simple as adding ranch dressing mix to the flour coating can make a classic meal like fried chicken something to talk about.  This week’s menu is all about the classics:

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan

Kid Favorites

This week’s menu is both healthy and kid friendly with items like fried chicken, quesadillas and pot pie.  Making dinnertime fun for kids is the trick I find to help get them out of ruts.  Dress up chili with bowls of fun things for them to garnish:

Kid Friendly Chili by The Organized Cook

Kid Friendly Chili

Shredded Cheese The Organized Cook

Garnish Chili with Shredded Cheese

Goldfish Crackers The Organized Cook

Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers

 

And, for all you vegetarians out there…. stuffed pasta shells.

Helping Hands In The Kitchen

Stuffed Pasta Shells is another perfect meal that’s easy for kids to help.  My girls love to help me in the kitchen, and sometimes it feels like more work finding something for them to do.  At 7 and 5-years old, stuffing pasta shells with cheese mixture is easy and fun.  I enjoy sharing my passion for cooking with them.

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reincarnating The Leftover

What to do…. what to do… with that leftover fried chicken.  Using a simple technique I like to call “reincarnating the leftover“, that leftover Ranch Fried Chicken- with a little help from my good friend, frozen puff pastry- is now reincarnated into Chicken Pot Pie.  Every time I say or hear “chicken pot pie”, I either hear that chicken from the movie Chicken Run say (in Brittish accent), “I don’t want to be a pie.”  Or, I (depending on who is around) immediately say, “chicken pot pie and I don’t care”…. I’m not sure why, but I can’t help it.

Chicken Pot Pie by The Organized Cook

Chicken Pot Pie by The Organized Cook

Saving Money on Family Dinners

This week’s Weekly Meal Plan will only cost you about $90 in groceries- that’s without sales or coupons.  I would love to hear back from my readers who cooked this week’s menu about how much they spent on groceries with this week’s shopping list.  Just leave a comment below, or email me at toni@tonispilsbury.com, or on Facebook.

 

Subscribe to The Organized Cook

It’s not too late to get this week’s Weekly Meal Plan.  Subscribe now to The Organized Cook.  Remember, you can cancel at any time, but you won’t want to- it’s that good.

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan

 

 

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It’s Not Too Late- Get The Organized Cook

By on May 6, 2011 in Giveaways and Promotions

What’s For Dinner This Week?  Subscribers to The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System already have the answer:

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System Family Favorites #12

Some of my favorite dishes are included in this week’s menu for The Organized Cook:

Sweet and Sour Shrimp by The Organized Cook

Sweet and Sour Shrimp by The Organized Cook

Greek Pita by The Organized Cook

Greek Pita by The Organized CookCucumber Yogurt Sauce by The Organized Cook

Mediterranean Potatoes by The Organized Cook

Mediterranean Potatoes by The Organized Cook

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce by The Organized Cook

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce by The Organized Cook

Don’t let another week go by asking, “what’s for dinner tonight?”; while the answer to saving time and money is, “what’s for dinner this week“.  Let The Organized Cook do the planning and organization for you.  Subscribe now.

It’s not too late to enjoy this menu for your family this coming week.  The Organized Cook is your recipe for making family dinners simple, healthy and delicious.

 

Mother’s Day Special Offer

The Organized Cook is offering a special Mother’s Day promotional for all you busy moms; receive a monthly subscription to The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System for only $8.99 per month (that’s a 30% discount from regular price).  Subscribe now.

Your promo code from The Organized Cook: MOM

Use this promotional code at checkout to get The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System for only $8.99 per month (that’s a 30% discount from regular price)

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

 

 

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