Crock Pot Finances
January 15th, 2008 by Ana
Dave Ramsey often says his method of building wealth is the “crock pot method in a microwave culture.” He’s trying to use something very common - cooking - to illustrate his point that building true wealth takes time and is never a “get rich quick” scheme. In fact, according to Thomas J. Stanley PhD the average millionaire takes approximately fifteen years to make their first million dollars.
What Dave Ramsey fails to mention, but gets a LOT of forum space over at My Total Money Makeover site, is that investing in a simple crock pot is actually a great way to improve your financial situation. I know it’s helped mine!
Before getting on the Dave Ramsey plan, we ate out at restaurants…a LOT. We probably easily spent about $300 a month going out to eat. That was the first thing to go when I got on a budget, and I often miss some of the things I simply don’t know how to cook myself.
When I was a kid (back in the Dark Ages according to my son), we called a crock pot a “slow cooker” and it would often spend all day doing up pot roast while mom was at work. A common chore for me as the oldest kid was to cut up potatoes and carrots after school to toss in so we could have a small feast for supper when everyone got home. I have had a small crock pot for soups and whatnot, and just this past fall I bought a larger one to restart the fine tradition of pot roasts in my house. GREAT investment!
I’ve discovered great good things can be made from pot roast leftovers. Pull the meat out before you make the gravy, and use half of it for killer good burritos. Toss some of the meat back into the gravy and add some vegetables to make a stew. Do up a large pot of potato or broccoli soup for a side dish (main course for the now-vegetarian son) for maybe two days for my guys. It keeps us out of restaurants and between the chest freezer my father-in-law bought us for Christmas and the crock pot, I’ve added great variety for these winter months by stocking up on great sales and planning 8 hours in advance for supper.
It sounds like such a tiny step, until you remember we probably spent at least $300 a month on restaurants before getting on a budget. Grocery bills have been creeping up steadily over the past six months, and my crock pot I bought on sale has definitely helped me contain that. The savings per month on just the grocery bill probably covers the interest paid on the truck note right now!
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January 15th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Sounds delicious! Do you think you might post some recipes sometime? My boyfriend and I are always looking for delicious slow cooker recipes.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Not a problem: BEEF POT ROAST
get a big beef pot roast and slow cook it for 6-8 hours in its own juice. Make mashed potatoes and cooked carrots on the side, pull off some of the juice to make gravy using flour and water. There’s meal #1.
Take some of the leftovers and shred the beef with a fork. It should be tender enough after all that time cooking. Toss some of the shredded beef into the gravy and add mixed vegetables to make beef stew, served with biscuits is always good. Meal #2.
Take some more of the shredded beef and slap on a large flour tortilla with cheese, sour cream, and your choice of enchilada sauce, salsa, or taco sauce. Meal #3.
Take some of the shredded beef and put into a small pot with barbeque sauce and cola to desired thickness. Serve on bread or buns for BBQ beef sandwiches and serve with potato chips, french fries, or mac n cheese. Meal #4.
You can also make your own pot pie with it by adding veggies, gravy, and some form of dough on top. Meal #5.
Anyone want the cheater potato soup I made last night?
January 15th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Love the crock pot! Eating out was stealing all of our money as well, pre-Dave. It’s what I miss the most.
January 15th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
green3, yup I miss it also! Especially Red Lobster LOL This post was my circumspect way of whining
and a tiny bit of bragging since we had bay scallops two nights ago that tasted just like Red Lobster. Now if only I could get some recipes from my favorite Chinese buffet…(not a chance!)
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I have a tiny 1 1/2 quart crockpot that I love. My roommates and I hardly ever eat out, but tonight, when I got home kind of late from class (around 6:40), one of them sheepishly admitted they had ordered in. I was like, “Enjoy then!” and cooked myself some sausage and had some leftover rice.
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Blue, I probably have the same one
It’s great for making soup or baked beans!
January 29th, 2008 at 3:04 am
[…] at DebtFREE-Revoltuion has discovered that crock pots can be really good for your budget. At the end of a long day, one of the last things you probably want to do is cook. It’s easy […]
January 29th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Darn, I was hoping you had some recipes! I just recently wrote up a recipe for Crockpot Southern Pulled Pork on my blog..I wrote an article on cooking for large groups….just cooked for the whole soccer team and next week, I am making the same thing for our church youth group!
Anyone willing to point to a link with tried and true crockpot recipes (that are easy)?
January 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Military Wife: The only problem with the idea of ME posting recipes is that I really don’t measure things out anymore, and haven’t for years. I can say what I toss into the crock pot for each meal…but the “measurements” will be “some of this” and “a little of that” and let’s not forget “a whole mess of these.” I’ve had several people urge me to start up a cooking blog, until I say I don’t measure.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:12 am
[…] Crock Pot Finances @ DebtFREE-Revolution […]
February 1st, 2008 at 7:59 am
[…] Use small appliances like your crockpot and toaster oven for cooking, rather than heating the entire […]
June 11th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Like your idea!!