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Am I Anal?

October 2nd, 2010 at 08:14 pm

I was at a meeting yesterday and one of the gals said that a mutual friend had told her about me. I looked at her and she said that this friend had told her that I make out a grocery list and then spend some time during the weekend cooking stuff for the week. I wasn't sure if she thought this was a positive or negative thing. My perception was it was I was crazy, but that's a whole different story.

I do fix things on weekends and store in the fridge during the school year for a variety of reasons. Most nights I come in the door and have very little time to fix stuff from scratch. Although I know there are things out there you can heat and eat, I am trying to eat stuff that doesn't have a lot of salt or preservatives in them. And, they are pricey.

Plus, the temptation to go out is there when I come home tired. So, if I have something already ready to heat up, chances are I can reason it out that I need to use it for two reasons -- if it's basically fixed and just needs to be heated, it won't take long and by the time I clean up and go out, it would take longer to eat (not to mention the expense), plus that would mean I would waste what I had already fixed. It basically boils down to money.

I can afford to go out and we do eat out, just not every night.

I always feel a twinge of regret on Friday night when the fridge looks bare since we've used the casseroles, stews, etc. that I fixed for the week and the pantry has empty spots. There's a security when my fridge is full of meals ready to eat (sorry, armed forces, I borrowed your phrase).

So, after this discussion and getting a few odd looks from the people at the meeting, I now query, am I anal because I take the time to cook stuff and control what goes into it and have meals ready to eat?
Or am I just cheap?

Posted in Food / Groceries, Saving Money | 21 Comments »

21 Responses to “Am I Anal?”

  1. Ima saver Says:
    October 2nd, 2010 at 08:22 pm 1286050967
    1286050967

    No, I think you are pretty smart!!

  2. crazyliblady Says:
    October 2nd, 2010 at 09:04 pm 1286053444
    1286053444

    When I was still single, I made up huge casseroles and bowls of egg salad, etc. It made living and cooking for one much easier and less expensive so I was less tempted to go out and spend money on fast food. I hate eating out alone anyway. Now that I am married, I don't do this with evening meals, but I do always shop with a list, make my lunch meals ahead of time, and take lunch to work to work most of the time. My husband politely calls me frugal, but I don't do it just because of money, but for my health. I have food sensitivities and it is very difficult to find food in restaurants I can eat. If anyone makes fun of you or calls you stingy, just show them one of your homemade stews, soups, yummy baked casseroles, etc. and ask them if they think takeout would really taste better. Ask them if they still think you are cheap and stingy.

  3. PatientSaver Says:
    October 2nd, 2010 at 11:46 pm 1286063211
    1286063211

    of course not. I do the same thing. It's a time-saver, pure andsimple.

  4. whitestripe Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 01:02 am 1286067744
    1286067744

    my little sister thinks i'm weird because I make out a weekly meal plan, and then a grocery list to go with that. and when i used to shop at aldi once a month i used to make a monthly meal plan to loosely base our grocery list off (now i don't shop at aldi monthly because it was too hard to buy a full month of groceries - and a new store is opening closer in a month or two, so i am holding out til then).

    my sister is 15 - so hopefully when she moves out and has a job and bills to pay, she'll realise you can't eat out every night, and you don't have the time to shop every night for what you want to have for dinner, and then she might think of me as being kind of smart. Smile maybe! fingers crossed! lol.

  5. sharmanl Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 03:44 am 1286077491
    1286077491

    I cook once a week and my husband cooks once a week. We always make enough for the entire week. My husband grocery shops and only purchase enough to last us during the week. I like a full refrigerator too, so I understand how you feel. It is full until around Friday, and then you feel proverty stricken because it's almost completely empty. The plus, unlike most people, you are eating healthy. You are saving money by not eating out and wasting left overs. You plan each week, and have a plan for your food, money, and health. That speaks volumns.

  6. marvholly Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 07:29 am 1286090961
    1286090961

    I pretty much do the same thing; check adds, check supplies on hand, shop and cook up a BUNCH in advance.

    Done for pretty much the same reasons as I HATE to cook every night, HATE to have to do a major kitchen clean up everyday, want to eat reasonably healthy and NEED to live within my means.

    Also, I know that Friday feeling and frequently do bring in/eat out that night. It is planned and budgeted for.

  7. aevans1206 Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 01:02 pm 1286110932
    1286110932

    Not anal at all. I used to do the same when I was not living with my parents. It saves time and money. There is NO way I could cook every day. Eating in is not only cheaper, but healthier as well. Carry on and I'd say, just look at everyone else like THEY'RE the crazy ones Wink

  8. momcents Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 03:05 pm 1286118346
    1286118346


    Just wondering on any word if/when the cookbook you mentioned several months ago was going to be available?

  9. rob62521 Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 07:18 pm 1286133510
    1286133510

    Momcents...the cookbook is supposed to debut the first weekend of December. I told the lady in charge that you might be interested so she will give me the information closer to that time that I can send you,OK?

    Everyone else -- thanks for the validation! It's nice to know I am in very good company!

  10. momcents Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 08:00 pm 1286136024
    1286136024


    That would be great! I'd like to keep Christmas gifts simple and am thinking about utilitarian gifts (and consumables) and that would be good for my mom! Do you see my email when you get comment notification?

  11. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 09:29 pm 1286141375
    1286141375

    It is an off kilter world if people now think that it is crazy to cook your own food and to do it nearly all the time. Could it be that her issue is the large amounts of food cooked ahead of time? Some people think of it as "leftovers" if it was not cooked only for that very meal, and have a strong aversion to left-overs. Even so, I'd say a person like that needs to shake their phobia or at least learn some manners.

    There's nothing wrong with you, Frugal Foodie. You are the one who has it all right. I see people who are incapable of regularly cooking all their own food as incompetent, maybe even infantile.

  12. rob62521 Says:
    October 3rd, 2010 at 11:34 pm 1286148874
    1286148874

    Thanks, Joan!

    Momcents, I don't see your email. When I get the info, I'll comment on your blog and give you mine, OK?

  13. Homebody Says:
    October 4th, 2010 at 12:16 am 1286151369
    1286151369

    If you are then I am not sure what the term for me is. I am working on a month's menu plan right now.

  14. librarylady Says:
    October 4th, 2010 at 03:37 pm 1286206652
    1286206652

    I aspire to be "anal" like you!

  15. rob62521 Says:
    October 4th, 2010 at 11:16 pm 1286234177
    1286234177

    Homebody, you have me beat! Woo Woo...my hat's off to you.

  16. baselle Says:
    October 5th, 2010 at 02:58 am 1286247498
    1286247498

    Well, if you're anal, them I'm anal. Wonder what they would think of me - I look at the 3 grocery flyers, hit each for their specials (all different, yay), cook a couple of meals/ week, box the leftovers 2-3 lunches at time.

    I think we need to re-define our terms. We should call ourselves ... hobbyists. We should think of ourselves as competitive grocery shoppers and great cooks. And if a dish is great, its usually at least good the 2nd day.

  17. Single Guy Says:
    October 6th, 2010 at 12:13 am 1286324017
    1286324017

    Geeze I make lunches for the week on weekends (one large pot of pasta, or other item depending on what I got in season at the store) add in vegetables and store it in microwavable ceramic dishes that hold one serving's worth (Corning containers). That lasts me a whole week, saving money and cooking time. And hopefully I eat better too. So I don't think you're anal (though some may say that of me).

  18. miclason Says:
    October 14th, 2010 at 03:00 am 1287025214
    1287025214

    The only reason I don´t cook once a week is that the people in this house would eat EVERYTHING within 3 days... believe me... Here, if you buy 1 loaf of bread, it lasts 3 days.... but if you by 3 loaves to last the week... they´re gone by Wednesday anyway!!!
    Just 2 weeks ago I asked the nanny not to cook anymore... I was just throwing it all away, as no one would eat what she was cooking, and I had to cook dinner anyway... I´m glad to say now all I find are empty dishes!

  19. rob62521 Says:
    October 14th, 2010 at 11:45 pm 1287099947
    1287099947

    What a pain...everything being eaten ... but on the bright side, at least your food wasn't going to waste!

  20. Dandi Lion Says:
    October 15th, 2010 at 02:47 pm 1287154048
    1287154048

    You're a smart cookie!

  21. Waterfall Says:
    October 17th, 2010 at 12:54 am 1287276859
    1287276859

    I'm surprised at the cold looks you got. Those people can't be very friendly otherwise either. It could just be an excuse for them to be nasty.

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