Honestly, though... we haven't had to spend anything on food yet. I figured we'd be stuck having to buy at least one thing this week but it looks like we'll hit our goal just yet. This morning I had toast and coffee (starbucks would have been 5 bucks easy, at home is free-ninety-nine) and I had an early day at work so I came home in time for lunch, which was reheated barley soup. Once reheated, the barley takes on a different, more solid texture. With a little salt it was delish, and very very filling. Couldn't finish a bowl of it, honestly.
So my advice for the day, get a hold of some decent plastic sealing containers, preferably microwave and dishwasher safe. The best way to know (without the packaging available) is in the thickness of the plastic. If the container itself is tough to twist or bend with your hands, then it's usually a good item that'll last you a long time. Flimsy ones, like the kind they give you at Chinese restaurants for extra sweet & sour sauce, those are the ones that'll warp in the microwave/washer.
On that same note, you will notice if you keep a plastic container for a long time that it'll develop light scratches on the bottom from utensils and such. After those occur, you'll also start to notice that those scratches retain some of the color from the last food that was in it, even after washing. This is normal, but it is something to be aware of. Just like a cooking surface and the counters in your kitchen, scratches can harbor bacteria and are difficult to clean out thoroughly. The best practice in this situation is if the container is getting very discolored, just toss it. We have some that are like that, but in the spirit of saving money, we're just very thoroughly cleaning everything.
As for dinner, it's still up in the air.
So let me know in the comments what you do to save food? Containers? Freezer bags? Dehydration? Comment!
Nick
