I just realized after three months of busting our very generous monthly grocery budget that leftovers were indeed KILLING me, because they are being EATEN! For lunch.
We're talking about the main entree here since the additional items my son and husband take for lunch are the same no matter what... granny smith apples, cut up cheese, crackers/chips/pretzels, etc. I have to buy those no matter what. A few months ago, I asked the men in our family which they prefer, to make sandwiches/new lunches or eat leftovers. With cavemen-like nods and perfect agreement, the consensus was "Leftovers!" I stupidly felt flattered. "They want to take MY cooking...awwwww!"
Sidenote: I don't care for leftovers most of the time. By the time I've cooked it, eaten it once, cleaned it off plates and pots and pans, I'm done with that particular dish.
Today, I had to grocery shop. Since we are purchasing a new home, every penny must be accounted for this month for the closing cost documentation (with a VA loan, yes you can roll your closing costs into the loan, but you must prove you have the cash on hand to pay for closing costs on the day of closing, too, even though you aren't going to pay them, but roll them into the loan... #dumb #andwewonderwhybanksneededbailouts). I am stressing the food budget.
I was so proud of myself that I only bought 2 things that weren't on the list. When my hunter-gatherer instinct kicks in, look out! I hate to grocery shop, or shop in general, so I end up with a shopping cart that is an architectural masterpiece on wheels, with meat and frozen foods teetering on a carefully constructed base of dry goods, all pushed with one hand while the other holds the jumbo pack of toilet paper on top because it won't fit under the cart. Buying only what's on the list is a feat unto itself.
As I'm about to toss in a $10 pork loin, thinking in my head "Half for dinner, half for lunches" my brain screeches to a halt. Wait a minute. I just put a $2.00 container of lunch meat in the cart, plus a coupon to get $.50 off. (I don't eat leftovers, I make a lunch everyday for me and my daughter). That will do at least 2 lunches for each man! That's less than $.50 per lunch! (Plus the slices of bread). And here I'm going to buy a $10 pork loin, when 4 porkchops are $4.50, so THEY can take $5 worth of meat for lunch?!?!?!?!?!?!
To recap:
I was going to buy a $10 pork loin so there'd be "leftovers" for lunch.
$5 for dinner. $5 for 2 lunches. $2.50 per lunch.
A container of lunch meat on sale with a coupon was $1.50. I can get 4 lunches out of that. That's $0.375 per lunch for the entree, plus 2 slices of bread, about $.20, so $.50-$.60 per lunch for the "entree"
That means I'm spending $2+ per lunch all month long! Over two guys (hubby and son) and the 20 days they take a lunch, that's $80 extra dollars per month! More if the dinner is more expensive (as is the case of buying extra shrimp so there's leftovers or beef)
Hold the phone. So I put the pork loin back, bought the 8 pack of pork chops for $6, divided it into two ziploc bags when I got home (2 meals), and my husband looks over my shoulder. "Aren't you going to cook all of them for leftovers?" I pointed out the math to him and his eyes widened. He never thought about it like that either!
Leftovers are FINE for lunches if the original cost of the meal was very, very cheap. But if you're buying extra food to cook at dinner time so you'll have leftovers for lunches, you're probably grossly inflating your grocery bill. Lunches in the West household are now going to involve something between two slices of bread, and when the two lunch meat packs are gone this week, let me introduce you to Mr. Peanut Butter. :)
Hi E! We have had the same issues at Team Tucker World HQ too. It infuriates me when I clean out the fridge and am throwing away more than just a wrinkled grape that fell behind the pickle jar. Having bottomless teenage boys has helped cut down on the leftovers, however they still get pitched from time-to-time. Blah!
ReplyDeleteYeah, the science experiments are indeed a problem... I never thought about the planning more for dinner (higher priced meats) so there were leftovers as bad padding of the grocery bill. I saw it as a cost saving measure, not wasting money. It wasn't until I thought hey, they eat left over ham (I bought a bigger ham for this purpose) that's $5 worth of meat for 2 lunches! I buy lunch meat, it's 4 lunches worth, that's less than $.50 per lunch! BIG, BIG difference over 30 days.
ReplyDeleteDude, I NEVER thought of that. I'd call that an "Ah HA!" moment if I were you.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW! I mean I follow the "save money" circuit pretty closely, and leftovers are always heralded as a cost-saving measure.
DeleteIf you want a write up for the local site you run, let me know. I'd be happy to write this up more formally. :) I don't think many meal planners would think about it like this.