Looking to reduce costs!

I am looking for some ideas to reduce costs on my daycare expenses. I spend on average $150 a week on food for these kids. I'm a pretty good shopper but I know I could save more. My program is all homemade and unprocessed food (not organic). I have decreased the amount of meat I serve so we usually have 1-2 vegetarian meals a week. I have also let myself off the hook a bit and usually make one of those veggie meals an easy/cheap meal like pancakes, grilled cheese or veggie omelettes. I have also started to decrease the amount of snack I serve e.g. now I'll serve yogurt and fruit whereas before it might have been yogurt, fruit and a muffin. Lastly, I've decreased the fruit I serve. The kids were having fruit 3x's a day with me so I decreased it to usually 2 x's a day.

Any inexpensive meal ideas?

I also serve fruit 3x a day usually. However, it's paired with other things so it's not overly expensive because their servings are small. I have small eaters though so that helps!! I'm not kidding when I say a large apple or pear feeds all 3-4. An extremely large costco strawberry feeds one, a banana feeds 2, costco sized melons last all week, an avocado does 3-4 kids. I have started giving more veggies at afternoon snack tho instead of fruit for the 3rd time. Carrots, peas, cucumber, peppers and mushrooms are tolerated here. Broccoli is coming along but cauliflower is a no go. Hummus or ranch dressing is now offered.

I serve fruit, cheese, yogurt, applesauce or pudding along with different types of crackers, cereal bars, muffins, bagels, cereal, rice cakes for snacks.

Pancakes, cubed ham roast and a veggie is a big hit here. Super cheap. I'll add meat, veggies, pasta to ranch dressing for a cold pasta. I add all that same food to soup broth as well. Also all the same ingredients topped with spaghetti sauce and cheese make a casserole. Spaghetti sauce mixed with hamburger is a good cheap meal too. Stuffed mushrooms or peppers would be easy and cheap. A cooked chicken cut up in pieces and breaded and cooked make easy chicken nuggets. I make meatloaf in muffin trays and it's a great size for each child with some mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Eggs are a good choice. They love scrambled cheesy eggs with sweet peppers, ham and green onion omelettes or Denver's, fried egg and cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese and soup is cheAp. Sausage is usually fairly cheap too.

Chilies and stews are a great way around here to get lots of veggies in with a little bit of meat and potato. They like garlic toast so I'll add that to it.

They aren't overly fond of muffins anymore but I have a banana oatmeal cookie recipe and zucchini blueberry loaf that they really like.

Speaking of zucchini, it's another cheap and versatile veggie to add in. They really liked a potato acorn squash soup recipe I made too last fall. I also make a cabbage soup with lots of veggies and little hamburger soup that they quite like.

Crockpot oatmeal overnight is a great morning snack too!! Load it up with fruit and you can serve as is!


Cottage cheese is a hit and miss here but is filling

Tacos served in pita pockets was a hit too! Can do veggie, beef or chicken

Quesadillas are a easy way to use up leftovers

Homemade pizza is cheap, especially if you use lots of peppers, onions, mushrooms and just a bit of ham or pepperoni

I was actually thinking of posting the other day about how everyone was handling the increased food prices. I have noticed since last summer that I am spending around $20-30 more a week. This doesn't affect my daycare as directly since the parents provide all the food, but my income has to go farther to pay for my own family's groceries.

For me, the answer is plan ahead. I have a large chest freezer in the basement. By November, I was feeling like I had "All the food." It was stuffed full. I bought 4 or 5 bags (10lbs each) of potatoes and spent a week cooking them and freezing them. Also lots of bags of frozen veggies, some prefrozen like Green Giant and some I did myself from fresh. Also in the fall when a lot of the meat is on sale, I got lots of chicken, ground beef and pork. I also bought 3 turkeys at $0.79/lb. Cooked them and frozen some of the meat. The rest I made into soup, lots of soup, and other things too, in the crock pot, like hamburger soup, chili, spaghetti sauce.

All of this was a lot of work and more expense in Sept, Oct, and Nov.but now I can spend less than $100/week on fresh groceries, (that's with my food too) and the freezer is still more than half full.

Buying in bulk when items are on sale and then cooking and freezing in a big chest freezer is how I do it too. I shop at Superstore using PC Points which saves me hundreds annually. I also have an app on my phone called flipp where I can price match every flyer available which is usually a lot more than what comes through with the paper each week. I personally think $150 per week for all unprocessed foods is really good. That's only $30 a day/ $6 per child and although reducing costs is always a good thing, I'd be worried that aside from price matching and buying only items that are on sale the only way to reduce that expense would be to serve more processed/convenience food which to me would be a shame.

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

I also serve fruit 3x a day usually. However, it's paired with other things so it's not overly expensive because their servings are small. I have small eaters though so that helps!! I'm not kidding when I say a large apple or pear feeds all 3-4. An extremely large costco strawberry feeds one, a banana feeds 2, costco sized melons last all week, an avocado does 3-4 kids. I have started giving more veggies at afternoon snack tho instead of fruit for the 3rd time. Carrots, peas, cucumber, peppers and mushrooms are tolerated here. Broccoli is coming along but cauliflower is a no go. Hummus or ranch dressing is now offered.

I serve fruit, cheese, yogurt, applesauce or pudding along with different types of crackers, cereal bars, muffins, bagels, cereal, rice cakes for snacks.

Pancakes, cubed ham roast and a veggie is a big hit here. Super cheap. I'll add meat, veggies, pasta to ranch dressing for a cold pasta. I add all that same food to soup broth as well. Also all the same ingredients topped with spaghetti sauce and cheese make a casserole. Spaghetti sauce mixed with hamburger is a good cheap meal too. Stuffed mushrooms or peppers would be easy and cheap. A cooked chicken cut up in pieces and breaded and cooked make easy chicken nuggets. I make meatloaf in muffin trays and it's a great size for each child with some mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Eggs are a good choice. They love scrambled cheesy eggs with sweet peppers, ham and green onion omelettes or Denver's, fried egg and cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese and soup is cheAp. Sausage is usually fairly cheap too.

Chilies and stews are a great way around here to get lots of veggies in with a little bit of meat and potato. They like garlic toast so I'll add that to it.

They aren't overly fond of muffins anymore but I have a banana oatmeal cookie recipe and zucchini blueberry loaf that they really like.

Speaking of zucchini, it's another cheap and versatile veggie to add in. They really liked a potato acorn squash soup recipe I made too last fall. I also make a cabbage soup with lots of veggies and little hamburger soup that they quite like.

Crockpot oatmeal overnight is a great morning snack too!! Load it up with fruit and you can serve as is!


Cottage cheese is a hit and miss here but is filling

Tacos served in pita pockets was a hit too! Can do veggie, beef or chicken

Quesadillas are a easy way to use up leftovers

Homemade pizza is cheap, especially if you use lots of peppers, onions, mushrooms and just a bit of ham or pepperoni

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Wow lol My guys will all eat two pieces of fruit each a day if I let them. I make loads of baked goods and freeze them and take out what I need each morning. They are healthy goods too with whole grain flours versus refined white stuff. I buy all my grains in bulk as it's a lot cheaper. Raw veggies too. My guys will eat an entire pepper each or half a cucumber with hummus between them.

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Originally Posted by bright sparks

Buying in bulk when items are on sale and then cooking and freezing in a big chest freezer is how I do it too. I shop at Superstore using PC Points which saves me hundreds annually. I also have an app on my phone called flipp where I can price match every flyer available which is usually a lot more than what comes through with the paper each week. I personally think $150 per week for all unprocessed foods is really good. That's only $30 a day/ $6 per child and although reducing costs is always a good thing, I'd be worried that aside from price matching and buying only items that are on sale the only way to reduce that expense would be to serve more processed/convenience food which to me would be a shame.

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I love the PC Points at Superstore. I was annoyed when I saw they were bringing in a member card, because the last thing I wanted was another card in my wallet. But it is pretty much a monthly thing that I get money back against my grocery bill.

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Originally Posted by AmandaKDT

I love the PC Points at Superstore. I was annoyed when I saw they were bringing in a member card, because the last thing I wanted was another card in my wallet. But it is pretty much a monthly thing that I get money back against my grocery bill.

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I just use the app on my phone. I redeemed over $300 last year and I was only a member for the last half of the year. It's so much better than other programs because your offers are based on your shopping habits so aside from the odd thing, pretty much everything on offer each week is something I usually buy anyway. Add on a price match and quite often I can double dip on the savings.

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Originally Posted by bright sparks

Wow lol My guys will all eat two pieces of fruit each a day if I let them. I make loads of baked goods and freeze them and take out what I need each morning. They are healthy goods too with whole grain flours versus refined white stuff. I buy all my grains in bulk as it's a lot cheaper. Raw veggies too. My guys will eat an entire pepper each or half a cucumber with hummus between them.

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I try to follow the guidelines too though. A cup and a half of fruit per day is the recommended serving for 18-36 months if i remember correctly. They get fruit here 2-3x plus at home so they are likely getting more than a cup and a half but it's probably close.

Sorry 24-36 months

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

I try to follow the guidelines too though. A cup and a half of fruit per day is the recommended serving for 18-36 months if i remember correctly. They get fruit here 2-3x plus at home so they are likely getting more than a cup and a half but it's probably close.

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That's about two pieces of fruit I would think. 10 apples a day though...I don't think so lol that's why I supplement it with lots of other things. I'm not sure that many kids get that much fruit at home on a week day though as they only would generally have one meal and no snacks there.

Wouldn't the kids get 2 meals at home? Breakfast and supper?

I'm not really sure what we're discussing?? LOL. Are you saying they aren't getting enough fruit or too much?

I agree with superfun, I know my kids have breakfast, supper and at least one snack at home before bed.

Also, it's really hard to gauge a "piece" of fruit unless it's an apple, orange or banana since we eat a lot of melons and berries so they are cut up or tiny pieces already lol. I think I'm tired because Im really not sure what the point is we're discussing haha!!

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Originally Posted by AmandaKDT

I love the PC Points at Superstore. I was annoyed when I saw they were bringing in a member card, because the last thing I wanted was another card in my wallet. But it is pretty much a monthly thing that I get money back against my grocery bill.

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One thing I've noticed with Superstore since they brought in the member card is that if you have a credit amount on your card they will not tell you. Only if you ask, so I'm getting into the habit of asking whenever I shop there.

Make sure you PAY ATTENTION when groceries are being scanned or check your bill just after. I can't tell you how many times I've been double scanned by various stores. Cashier is always sorry. Perhaps there are sensitive scans but I get this least a few times a month. I never thought to check the receipt but I had to return something once and noticed I was scanned twice for cream and another time for chicken! BE AWARE! It all adds up

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Originally Posted by ebhappydc

Make sure you PAY ATTENTION when groceries are being scanned or check your bill just after. I can't tell you how many times I've been double scanned by various stores. Cashier is always sorry. Perhaps there are sensitive scans but I get this least a few times a month. I never thought to check the receipt but I had to return something once and noticed I was scanned twice for cream and another time for chicken! BE AWARE! It all adds up

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Along the same lines as that, also watch for prices. If it scans at a different price than posted, you can potentially get that item for free. Any store that participates in the scanning code of Canada (I think that's the name) will give you the first item free if it's scanning wrong.

Looking at the Food Guide, children 2-3 should have 4 servings of fruits and veg. per day. 4-8yos should have 5 servings. If I'm reading it right, they still consider 1 banana or 1 apple= 1 serving just like with adults. Its just that their examples consider that children won't necessarily eat a whole serving in a sitting.
My group these days aren't big fans of raw vegetables so we just have them cooked at lunch mostly. Fruit is reserved for snacks. Mostly apples, oranges and bananas because I know they will get eaten quickly before they spoil, that can make your costs go up too, having to throw out food. I have also found that it is better to give smaller portions at first and allow seconds for those who want it. Instead of giving lots to start with and then throwing a lot out if they don't eat it.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-a...ler_1736045.bc

The above link is what I have posted in my dc kitchen and look to it for reference from time to time. Like it says, it's a rough guideline. I've almost always had small eaters though with just the occasional child who would eat double what the others would. Thankfully I've never had more than one big eater at a time lol.

Yes, scop and watching the prices at the till has saved me lots! My husband puts the groceries on the belt and I watch prices like a hawk! The times he's not there and I've had to do both are the times I usually miss something lol. Price matching has saved me some gas too :)

Thanks for the input. I do some batch cooking however we don't have a chest freezer as we don't have the space. I am curious how you cook and freeze potatoes though. I have made and froze sheppard's pie and the potatoes were still great. I have also froze cooked quinoa, rice etc for fast side dishes.

My kids here are all big eaters. I have kids who could easily eat 1-1.5 bananas during snack in addition to the other food I serve. I have started limiting the fruit a little more to watch costs but also to decrease the amount of fruit they are eating as it was crazy.

I guess I was also getting a sense if my food costs are inline with others. The $150 a wk I spend on DC food is in addition to the $150 I spend a week on my family's food. That being said, we never eat out aside from ordering pizza 1-2 times a month and all the food is unprocessed for the most part.

I agree with watching the scanners but it can be hard, especially if the store is busy. I already have 2 orders from an over flowing shopping cart, price matches etc...sometimes I am just trying to pack as quickly as I can to free up the belt. Plus I shop on my own.

Wow, I can't even eat 1.5 bananas!! Lol

Honestly, I probably would never even give that much not only due to cost but also because I don't think a toddler needs that much. I guess it would depend though...if the child didn't eat much lunch I might be more inclined to allow it...

It's tough because some kids will continue to eat even if they're full but on the other hand, you don't want a starving child!!

Yeah, I wasn't consciously giving 1.5 bananas. It was more like I break off a piece of banana, they eat it, eat the rest of snack, ask for more banana, I give it. Then they ask for more banana and I have half of one sitting there in the peel so I give it only to realize after "hey, they just ate 1.5 bananas!" I think the kids aren't eating a ton at home for dinner so I have greatly reduced my end of day as well.

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Originally Posted by torontokids

Yeah, I wasn't consciously giving 1.5 bananas. It was more like I break off a piece of banana, they eat it, eat the rest of snack, ask for more banana, I give it. Then they ask for more banana and I have half of one sitting there in the peel so I give it only to realize after "hey, they just ate 1.5 bananas!" I think the kids aren't eating a ton at home for dinner so I have greatly reduced my end of day as well.

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Totally understandable!! One of my past big eaters was like that. Mom and I would give him fruit while we were getting lunch or snack ready (he was still in high chair so was younger and we would just put food on the tray for him) and the doctor finally told us to stop that!! Lol. We had to start portioning out his plate and when it was gone, it was gone!

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Originally Posted by superfun

Wouldn't the kids get 2 meals at home? Breakfast and supper?

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Yes total brain fart there lol

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

I'm not really sure what we're discussing?? LOL. Are you saying they aren't getting enough fruit or too much?

I agree with superfun, I know my kids have breakfast, supper and at least one snack at home before bed.

Also, it's really hard to gauge a "piece" of fruit unless it's an apple, orange or banana since we eat a lot of melons and berries so they are cut up or tiny pieces already lol. I think I'm tired because Im really not sure what the point is we're discussing haha!!

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You brought up serving sizes so that's all I was responding too just discussing snacks in general

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Originally Posted by torontokids

Thanks for the input. I do some batch cooking however we don't have a chest freezer as we don't have the space. I am curious how you cook and freeze potatoes though. I have made and froze sheppard's pie and the potatoes were still great. I have also froze cooked quinoa, rice etc for fast side dishes.

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For potatoes, I usually boil them and then either mash with a bit of butter and milk and put in containers to freeze or I cool them in the fridge and when they are cold, cut them really small for hash browns. Then I put those in small ziploc bags. I have a cast iron frying pan so I can fry them with very little oil (only enough to make the pan shiny.)

I have found if you boil the potatoes and freeze them in pieces, they end up a gross, soggy mess when reheated in the microwave. Frozen mashed, however, as long as they are heated through and steaming hot are just as good as freshly mashed.

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Originally Posted by kindertime

For potatoes, I usually boil them and then either mash with a bit of butter and milk and put in containers to freeze or I cool them in the fridge and when they are cold, cut them really small for hash browns. Then I put those in small ziploc bags. I have a cast iron frying pan so I can fry them with very little oil (only enough to make the pan shiny.)

I have found if you boil the potatoes and freeze them in pieces, they end up a gross, soggy mess when reheated in the microwave. Frozen mashed, however, as long as they are heated through and steaming hot are just as good as freshly mashed.

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I found the same! The potatoes that I boiled, cut in chunks and froze went brown and mushy but the ones that I mashed and froze stayed white and were fine. I wonder why?? I only did it that once and haven't tried again. I even used my food saver machine and bags so it's not like air got to them.

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

I found the same! The potatoes that I boiled, cut in chunks and froze went brown and mushy but the ones that I mashed and froze stayed white and were fine. I wonder why?? I only did it that once and haven't tried again. I even used my food saver machine and bags so it's not like air got to them.

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Not sure but I suspect it has to do with the stucture of the starches in the potato. When I mash and don't use milk and butter the result is a mushy mess. I have never tried the frozen pieces in the oven to heat them up, might work. I have also found that for the best results when frying the hash browns, they need to be boiled less than for mashed. Less water absorbed that way.

I can't remember if I used milk and butter to mash mine....I do normally so I probably did