Steadfast Finances
A Personal Finance & Investing 101 blog that delves into current events, consumer education, and techniques to improve your bottom line.
Average Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner
There’s a feeling of sticker shock the first time you roll over the frozen turkey at the grocery store and check out the total cost. It might seem steep, but the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is very affordable. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost for a family of 10 is under $50 or slightly less than $5 per person. You probably spend more money driving to Grandmother’s house. Still, there are many things that can be done to spend less than the average American.
How to Game the $7.99/lb Salad Bar
My secret is out. Scratch that – I doubt I’m the only one who ever figured out this frugal hack on how to turn the tables of your local grocery store’s salad bar, but being that I usually see at least one person making the same mistake every time I go shopping, I’d wager more [...]
Farmer Matt Can’t Wait to Spring
Something tells me harvest time will be extra colorful this year. This years batch of seeds, mostly heirloom seeds (e.g. no genetically modified seeds) cost me ~$80, but the resulting produce will be worth a minimum of 10 times that. Even if you’re a farmer’s market novice, you’ll know the specialty heirlooms — the Orangeglo [...]
Raw Foods vs. Manufactured Foods: Food Consumption by Individual Countries
Ever wonder which nation eats the most manufactured/processed foods with brands owned by publicly traded companies? How about which nation consumes the most protein? By the looks of these photos, it’s the good old USA. (I’m saying this somewhat tongue in cheek and don’t have the statistics to back it up, but one must admit, [...]
How I’m Fighting Food Inflation
Six words… growing my own fruits and veggies! [6 Day Old Golden Honeymoon Melon Heirloom Seedlings from Baker Creek Seed Company] I’ve had a small container garden on my back deck for several years now where I’ve grown my own herbs and other high price tag veggies (e.g. tomatoes, salad greens, etc.) to save a [...]
Healthy Lunch Recipes for Less than $5 per Serving
Instead of dropping $5 or more for a questionable beef patty with a side of french fried heart attack, how about rethinking where you spend your consumer dollars on something a little more nutritious and cost effective. What I mean is, if you’re going to shell out $5 or more for a single serving meal [...]
Upscale Dishes You Can Make at Home for Half Price
Around this time every year, I’m usually suffering from sporting event purgatory. Meaning, I’ve got a nasty case of football withdrawal and with March Madness still several weeks away, I’m looking for something to fill the hours. So now that my normal repertoire of buffalo wings and homemade chicken fingers isn’t needed until summertime, I [...]
DIY Alternatives to Processed Foods that Save You Money
Being a foodie and wannabe chef, I always get a kick out of making my own unique versions of processed foods that I’ve historically bought pre-made off the grocery store shelves. Similarly, being something of a frugal living advocate, I like to cut costs where I can, so it’s just a natural fit that I would [...]
Football Party Food Ideas for College Bowl Week
By now, everyone knows I’m something of a wannabe chef. Being that I have so many college football fanatics in my group of friends, it’s not uncommon for me to host a few parties for big football games (Super Bowl, BCS National Championship game, or other Virginia Tech football events). So I thought I would [...]
Restaurant Meals You Can Make at Home with Leftover Turkey
Considering the popularity of my last post on restaurant meals you can make at home for half price, and that most of us have a 10 pounds of leftover turkey sitting in the frig, I thought posting a few of my favorite frugal and tasty leftover turkey recipes would make for some great day after [...]
Restaurant Meals You Can Make at Home For Half the Price
Most SF followers know by now that something of a foodie and a wannabe chef. I’m no where near chef level, but I do occasionally put together something that can draw a crowd. I also suffer from a slight frugality complex and do what I can to keep my food budget as low as possible. [...]
5 Healthy Dishes from the Victory (Suburban) Garden for Under One Dollar
I’ve raised a small container vegetable garden on my deck going on five years now. Fresh herbs (oregano, cilantro, basil, etc), tomatoes and a few other easily grown veggies have been added to the list over the years. Yesterday, I came upon the realization that nearly every lunch I’ve had for the last two weeks [...]
