Debt Dumpers 2024

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Very true about eating out. We don't do it often. We put 3 meals out a week into our monthly budget. And we meal plan (see above).

You have to start meal planning. Plan out each meal and only buy what you need. Write down each ingredient you’ll need on your list. This will save you a ton of money and help your waistline. Not having something to cook and ordering out is bad for your wallet and health.

If I notice we haven’t used something like bread and it’s going to go bad I’ll freeze it. Or I’ll plan our next meal around it.

Been there done that. The amount of money we save not eating out is so helpful.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Probably why she tells me I need to go to counseling. This site is kind of like counseling (without the fees). We will sometimes take frozen and put it in the fridge overnight, but it's not thawed all the way. So we have to leave in another night. I don't think you can cook frozen meat in the skillet. Also, we don't do the water baths. I'm a germaphobe, and I don't want to spread germs around the house from meat just sitting in the sink for 8 hours.

Then at this point you’re just being wasteful. Why would you throw out perfectly good frozen meat? You can start cooking ground beef if it’s still frozen. You can also thaw meat in a water bath. It’s pretty quick too.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Probably why she tells me I need to go to counseling. This site is kind of like counseling (without the fees). We will sometimes take frozen and put it in the fridge overnight, but it's not thawed all the way. So we have to leave in another night. I don't think you can cook frozen meat in the skillet. Also, we don't do the water baths. I'm a germaphobe, and I don't want to spread germs around the house from meat just sitting in the sink for 8 hours.

You can put frozen meat in a skillet. It’ll take a bit longer to cook (minutes not hours) but it’ll be fine.

Water baths don’t take 8 hours. I can defrost a chicken breast or two very quickly. We’re not talking about a thanksgiving turkey here.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Probably why she tells me I need to go to counseling. This site is kind of like counseling (without the fees). We will sometimes take frozen and put it in the fridge overnight, but it's not thawed all the way. So we have to leave in another night. I don't think you can cook frozen meat in the skillet. Also, we don't do the water baths. I'm a germaphobe, and I don't want to spread germs around the house from meat just sitting in the sink for 8 hours.

You can cook frozen meat in the skillet. And you put the meat in a ziplock bag, put the bag in a big bowl of cold water with enough water to cover the meat, and change out the cold water every 20-30 minutes. You don’t just leave the meat sitting out all day. Lunch meat is good for 7 days after you open it.

You are being as stubborn about the food stuff as your wife is about getting it hot debt and being healthy. There are tons of articles about what the dates on food actually mean. Read them, and use the info to stop being so wasteful. You don’t have the luxury of having enough income to be wasteful.

 

[barkley]

most microwaves have a defrost function. if meat has not defrosted in the fridge by morning it can be flash defrosted the remainder of the way.

 

[bababear_50]

I am going to start to pad my future plans
With inflation the way it is it can't hurt to have a bit extra stocked away.
My Disney & Universal resorts are already paid for via collecting Airmiles and my DVC mini contracts.
I will be using the 500 $ Airline GC I won last year.




Hugs Mel

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Very true about eating out. We don't do it often. We put 3 meals out a week into our monthly budget. And we meal plan (see above).

You mentioned in earlier posts that a few meals out were paid for you by others even though you had budgeted that money. I would consider that extra money now in your pocket as "found money" and apply it to your credit card debt or emergency fund instead of spending it elsewhere.

Just doing the math.......3 meals out a week for 2 people is 24 meals a month. So, at an average of $20/meal that is almost $500 ( and probably more) in just one month that could go on your credit card debt instead of just the minimum payment which is basically covering just the interest. Stop throwing out perfectly good food or shop at different intervals and that would easily make up for those extra 24 meals you now have to account for at a minimum extra cost.

Just curious how you are so obsessive about food dates/germs that you are willing to throw out bagfuls of good and expensive food but have no problem eating in restaurants where I promise you they do not throw out any food based on your criteria. It is a business and, short of cooking rotten food, if they can use it they will.

 

[Nettlelondon]

Probably why she tells me I need to go to counseling. This site is kind of like counseling (without the fees). We will sometimes take frozen and put it in the fridge overnight, but it's not thawed all the way. So we have to leave in another night. I don't think you can cook frozen meat in the skillet. Also, we don't do the water baths. I'm a germaphobe, and I don't want to spread germs around the house from meat just sitting in the sink for 8 hours.

It is probably a good idea to think of us as supportive counsellors - all the comments are meant with love, kindness, support and generally come from a "been there, done that" point of view. We are not meaning to bully or nag - even though I am sure it may seem like it at times. We just want to help you get to a better place financially (and if we can help support your health improvement journey too that's a great bonus).

Reducing waste in all areas of spending is part of the process of improving the financial position so we want to help you with that too.

 

[AJollyHoliday]

Just curious how you are so obsessive about food dates/germs that you are willing to throw out bagfuls of good and expensive food but have no problem eating in restaurants where I promise you they do not throw out any food based on your criteria. It is a business and, short of cooking rotten food, if they can use it they will.

Well that may stop people from eating out, hahaha.

In terms of cooking frozen meat, instapots (pressure cookers) are good at dealing with that! I just made a delicious lemon-dill chicken in our instapot the other night. We have leftovers so tonight it is that leftover on rice/quinoa from my favorite place, Aldi. Seriously, I am not sure I could move somewhere that is not near an Aldi!

 

[AmyAnne]

We will usually buy a loaf of bread a week and usually average using about 4-5 slices out of the loaf.

I have a solution for this! Put the loaf in the freezer. When you need a slice or two, take them out and put them in the toaster. Bread in the freezer lasts at least weeks.

 

[bababear_50]

I have a solution for this! Put the loaf in the freezer. When you need a slice or two, take them out and put them in the toaster. Bread in the freezer lasts at least weeks.

Yep I agree
and now that I am buying for 2 people only I have switched to bagels (last longer) or buns which can be bought in singles.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We will sometimes take frozen and put it in the fridge overnight, but it's not thawed all the way. So we have to leave in another night. I don't think you can cook frozen meat in the skillet. Also, we don't do the water baths. I'm a germaphobe, and I don't want to spread germs around the house from meat just sitting in the sink for 8 hours.

I am also gone too long to work to thaw meat in the sink/on the counter during the day. I put the meat out of the freezer in the morning into the fridge to start the thawing. When I get home, I put it in the sink in cold water. By the time I cook dinner 1.5 or hours later, it's thawed and ready to go.

 

[barkley]

Seriously, I am not sure I could move somewhere that is not near an Aldi!

perhaps someday i will see one of these-none in our state

 

[AJollyHoliday]

perhaps someday i will see one of these-none in our state

I feel for you! There are 2 about 15-20 mins from my house, but they announced they are trying top open one 5 mins from my house.

 

[pblack]

I am going to start to pad my future plans
With inflation the way it is it can't hurt to have a bit extra stocked away.
My Disney & Universal resorts are already paid for via collecting Airmiles and my DVC mini contracts.
I will be using the 500 $ Airline GC I won last year

That's an amazing gift card win!

 

[DisneyHardin]

I feel for you! There are 2 about 15-20 mins from my house, but they announced they are trying top open one 5 mins from my house.

That's how they are for me too. There are several not too far, but they are just beginning to prep the land for one right in my little suburb.

 

[Bellex917]

You are being as stubborn about the food stuff as your wife is about getting it hot debt and being healthy. There are tons of articles about what the dates on food actually mean. Read them, and use the info to stop being so wasteful. You don’t have the luxury of having enough income to be wasteful.

Yeah... I have to agree with this. If you (WDW_Fan_In_TX) truly want to get out of debt, part of the process is LEARNING. It's ok to not know. I didn't know many things when I started this journey. But there is also such a thing as being willfully ignorant. You are CHOOSING to throw out food and claiming it's bc it's bad, even with all of us, AND the USFDA saying, that it is still good. If you don't want to freeze food, that's actually ok, too. But you WOULD save more money if you learned how to properly utilize your freezer as a tool.

Beyond that, you said last month you ended up swiping your card at eating places over 100 times. How is that going so far in March? 3 times a week is still a lot if you truly want to get out of debt, especially if you're not sticking to the 3. I really am invested in your journey bc I think you truly want it. I wish you'd be open to learning more from people instead of just saying "This is how we do it"... bc it's not working for you. I know you can do it- you want it- but you need to be open to learning.

​

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I'm trying to learn, and I want to learn. But I also don't want to mess with food issues. I know it's petty. But I am truly a germaphobe, and I don't know how to fix it short of just dealing with it. Same reason I won't touch the trash. AT ALL!!! I'll wash dishes, sweep, mop, vacuum, anything. I don't touch trash, and I won't clean the bathroom.

On another note, I do think it'd be wise now that we're almost another 45 days into the year to see how our card swipes are going at restaurants and compare them to the first 45 days. We have knocked it down to 3 meals a week in our budget. If the office pays for lunch, which they do 2-3 days per week, then that doesn't go into our food budget. That frees up that money.

Not really sure how I can fix food issues and fears, other than eating things past their use by dates and hoping for the best. Not sure I want to do that (I know, excuse). But of all the things I'm concerned and obsessive about, that is truly No. 1 and scares me the most. I might try and cut down the budget to not buying as much. I think that'll help with throwing food away. Also, I might try and adjust what/how we eat. Maybe start using flour tortillas and crackers instead of bread to make sandwiches (ham and turkey on tortillas, tuna and pimento cheese on crackers). The tortillas last a little longer than bread. Maybe use more frozen meats (ham steak, chicken tenders, hamburger patties, etc) to make meals. That way we don't use as much as often, and we can cook in the oven as we need. We can take straight from freezer to oven and keep the rest frozen for later use. And those frozen items usually have dates further out than fresh meats.

I'm truly appreciating the help and support from this group as we try and adjust. Some things have changed for the better (budget that we stayed on for the first 15 days, exercise, stuff like that). And I feel like everyone's jumping on me and my issues, and I don't want that to be the case. So I might step back a bit and let things cool down.

Yeah... I have to agree with this. If you (WDW_Fan_In_TX) truly want to get out of debt, part of the process is LEARNING. It's ok to not know. I didn't know many things when I started this journey. But there is also such a thing as being willfully ignorant. You are CHOOSING to throw out food and claiming it's bc it's bad, even with all of us, AND the USFDA saying, that it is still good. If you don't want to freeze food, that's actually ok, too. But you WOULD save more money if you learned how to properly utilize your freezer as a tool.

Beyond that, you said last month you ended up swiping your card at eating places over 100 times. How is that going so far in March? 3 times a week is still a lot if you truly want to get out of debt, especially if you're not sticking to the 3. I really am invested in your journey bc I think you truly want it. I wish you'd be open to learning more from people instead of just saying "This is how we do it"... bc it's not working for you. I know you can do it- you want it- but you need to be open to learning.

​

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Does leaving it in cold water not concern you as far as viruses spreading? That's the only thing I worry about. Like when the water that it was sitting in goes down the drain, all those germs and viruses from the raw meat touch the drain.

I am also gone too long to work to thaw meat in the sink/on the counter during the day. I put the meat out of the freezer in the morning into the fridge to start the thawing. When I get home, I put it in the sink in cold water. By the time I cook dinner 1.5 or hours later, it's thawed and ready to go.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We put a loaf in the freezer in January. It's still sitting there, haha. Didn't use a single slice before the expiration date. But as I said, I am going to try crackers and tortillas instead of bread since those items last longer. Thank you for the tip.

Yep I agree
and now that I am buying for 2 people only I have switched to bagels (last longer) or buns which can be bought in singles.