Friends, with the world so challenging as it is right now, I’m almost loath to proclaim a new revolution, but take heart! This is a positive revolution. And on the heels of Earth Day, it’s a downright planet-friendly one. It’s the Leftover Revolution, and LeeLee and I are new converts. We want you to join the team, too!
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in my Five Frugal Things that we’d developed a new way of handling our leftovers, earmarking them for dinner instead of lunch and reaping considerable rewards in the process. This plan started earlier in the year when LeeLee was gone for work a lot; I’d make a big pan of something-or-other over the weekend, then immediately scoop half of it up and put it in the fridge for later dinners. If he was gone for four nights, it was nothing at all for me to surf my way through leftovers all week, never needing to fire up the stove for an additional meal. And as an added benefit, that time I’d spent cooking at night? I could spend it reading, or writing, or – let’s be honest – watching the occasional rerun of “Designing Women.” It was, in a word, heaven.
So when LeeLee arrived back home on a more consistent basis, I knew something needed to change long-term. Gone were the days of me cooking something new every single night of my life. Instead, here were the days of the Leftover Revolution.
Our weeks now look a bit more like this: I make something leftover-friendly on Friday (earmarked for Monday’s dinner), and then another leftover-friendly meal on Saturday or Sunday (earmarked for Tuesday). One of our guilty pleasures is ordering Chinese once a week, so that’s three of four weeknights squared away, and then often I’ll do something very hands-off (an Instant Pot or Crock-Pot creation, for instance) for the fourth night. In the process, I’m saving SO much time – and SO much money!
In these inflationary times, our grocery budget has taken a big hit, like so many others in the nation. But I’m proud to say that since January, we’ve stayed in budget, saving hundreds of dollars in grocery costs just by using our existing meals more wisely. And getting back to Earth Day: This is great for the planet, too! Our amount of wasted food has taken a nosedive, which is a total win.
Lower costs, less waste, and a tasty meal to enjoy? What’s not to love? Join the Leftover Revolution, friends! There’s room for all!
:)