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in these frugal times, one of a families biggest struggle is with meals.
this may have already been started...but anyone with cheap meal ideas that help lower the food bill....chime in. there is a recipe forum here i think that can also help, as well as websites.
i saw on budget101 how to feed a family of 4(even5) on 200 a month, some may not believe it can be done, but it can. of course its easier on us who grew up around/on a farm, but even if you wasnt, it can be done. check it out.
use your grocery club cards, buy reduced meat(great time to stock up) freeze bread and milk when on sale(keep bread wrapped in another bag, store bag works, to prevent freezer burn) see raisen bread or english muffins on sale??? split it up into portions and freeze, that way you only defrost what ya need, it will last longer. and best to take some milk out od jug before you freeze, or it will burst, and rememeber, it usally has to be drunk faster after thawing.
stocked up on eggs and now they are about to expire??? dont toss...make egg salad.
birthday comen up and your kid has to have a store bought cake(making your own is just as special) but grab one that fits the bill on clearance rack and freeze, you save half the price.
dont waste money on vacuum sealers and fancy stuff, just wrap food tight, using plastic grocery bags even, and toss in freezer.
veggies on sale??? grab them up...cut/clean, cube, whatever, blanch and freeze, you will save alot.
want steamed veggies, toss frozen in a bowl, add spoon of water, cover with wet papertowel, micro 5-10 min...perfect steamed veggies.
leftovers....freeze for lunches, or leftover night, i do this all week long, my hubby is a trucker, to save money, we bought a cooler fridge, i wrap up leftovers, even make omeltes and such, freeze, and he is loaded up for the next week, this is a big saver there trucker wives!!!!
even if you cant cook from scratch...you can cook cheap, spagehetti, mac n cheese, meatloaf, steak burgers(hamburger patty seasoned with season salt) are good startes for cheap meals.
portion control is good to, it dont take long to learn to eat less, its a proven fact we eat to big of portions now anyways...you can cut your bill in half right there if you use right portions. make your own popcorn on the stove...you will recall the fun in it, save lots of money, save lots of calories, and taste so much better...goes good with that redbox $1 movie you can get verses blockbuster or pay per view.
looken forward to seeing peoples recipies for cheap meals...feel free to dm me if you got a question, id love to help. take care!!
eat vegetarian...seriously it isn't that bad... the only time I don't is when I go catch a fish myself. shop at ethnic stores... much cheaper. you'll also save a ton. also cook everything from scratch. it's actually sometimes faster once u have a well stocked kitchen and garden. Even if its not, cooking is one of my life pleasures creating great meals.
We have to eat cheaply a lot of the time. + A few more tips.
1. Pasta is cheap. I use it as a foundation for a lot of our meals to make them stretch farther. Cooked pasta, frozen mixed veggies, 1 shredded cooked chicken breast (or other piece of chicken), 1 can of cream of chicken soup, little milk. Season. Top with cheese or cracker crumbs and bake. It's good and it's cheap! Spaghetti is cheap also and it's easy to make your own sauce.
Try to bake your own cookies, make stuff from scratch,etc.
2. I buy a LOT of store brands , especially if it's something that goes into a recipe that you can't really taste. Stuff like cream soups, stuffing, tomatoes, tomato paste, mac n cheese, etc.
3. Use those store cards and shop the local ads for buy one get one free, etc. then STOCK UP.
4. When I find a good buy on meat, I stock up and freeze it. Also, chicken legs are cheap and you can do a lot with them. I take the skin off and bake, bbq, fry, boil and shred for recipes, etc.
5. I only buy store brand milk. The other stuff like Mayfield's is too expensive. We cannot stand powdered milk.
6. Breakfast cereal is so expensive. I try to buy the bagged kind if I have to have it.
7. I only buy store brand on paper towels, toilet paper, etc. I usually get all that stuff at Dollar General. I can get 12 rolls of toilet paper REALLY cheap there. I know it's not the "best" but I mean....it's just gonna get thrown away anyway! I also buy laundry detergent and diapers there.
8. Stuff like cleaning solutions, buckets, gift bags, tooth brushes, party favor trinkets and plates for kids, halloween buckets, easter baskets, greeting cards, etc....all gets bought at Dollar Tree. You'd be amazed what you can find there. I got a 4 pk of Snoopy toothbrushes for 1.00 ! That is great when you have a 2 yo who likes to throw them in the trash or toilet when you are not looking ! (ewwww).
9. Diluted bleach cleans a LOT of stuff cheaply. Kitchen counters, sinks, tubs, floors, kids toys, etc. Just make sure you dilute it properly. Vinegar is good for cleaning glass and mirrors. You can get sprayer bottles at Dollar Tree for 1.00 each.
10. I save up weekly so that I have money for Christmas when it comes. Some years are better than others. For instance, it's now 9 months until Christmas which equals about 36 weeks. If I save 20.00 per week that will be 720.00 I will have for Christmas.
Let's see...oh yeah...I only cook ONE "big" meal per day. Breakfast is quick, something like cereal or oatmeal with fruit, lunch is a sandwich or salad--something cheap and easy, dinner is the big meal with meat,veg,starch.
My husband works at a really good job for the past 10 years, but I chose to stay home to raise our 2 kids. I clean houses on the side to earn extra income and it is actually pretty good money. Hard work, but quick turnaround time and low start-up cost. We had a bankruptcy when we first got married so we have just had to learn how to cope and rebuild our lives.
We have all kinds of ways of bringing in extra when we need it. Husband is a small engine mechanic ( on the side ) and gets flooded with repairs during the mowing season.
Did you know that at one time, if we hauled off ONE junk car for someone we could get 300.00 for it at the crusher? The price of scrap metal is down now, but it was so nice at the time. 300.00 for 1 hours work.
Be creative, you will find ways to bring in extra money.
I find the cheapest way for us to eat is buying lots of legumes, whole grains, veggies/fruits in season and frozen when on sale. I make lots of dishes with whole grain pasta, a lot more filling than white flour and healthier. I love bean soups with added veggies, stir fried veggies with brown rice etc. The processed foods are what is expensive and most of the time unhealthy too.
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The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau
I find the cheapest way for us to eat is buying lots of legumes, whole grains, veggies/fruits in season and frozen when on sale. I make lots of dishes with whole grain pasta, a lot more filling than white flour and healthier. I love bean soups with added veggies, stir fried veggies with brown rice etc. The processed foods are what is expensive and most of the time unhealthy too.
I find that eating lots of fresh produce and whole grains is also very cheap.
We make salads every night to bring to work for lunch - 2 big bags of loose field greens (organic! because they're cheaper) cost us $5 total and last all week. A rotisserie chicken costs $4, and we usually can't eat it all before it goes bad. Add in a cucumber ($1), some tomatoes ($2.50 for a pint that we can't eat all of) some cheese (store-brand) and dressing, and you have tasty, cheap, HEALTHY lunches for an entire week that cost a total of $15. That's $1.50 a day!!
We can spend $30 on fruits and vegetables and get enough for an entire weeks worth of lunches and dinners. Brown rice is cheap and filling. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cost about $2-$3/lb when you buy the club pack. In fact, you can save $$$ by always buying the grocery store's club packs - pork tenderloins and good quality steaks are $2/lb cheaper if you buy club packs to divide and freeze.
Lately we've been doing what a lot of folks recommend and sticking to the outer aisles of our grocery store. We buy mainly meats, fresh produce, milk/cheese and beans, and supplement those with whole wheat pasta and rice.
It's definitely not expensive to eat well, nor is it hard.
what do you do when you have kids in school though,for lunches? my kids eat pretty healthy,not a lot of junk at all.. but.. I also don't want them to have to have the same exact thing every single day in their lunches. They always get a fresh fruit in their lunch and either crackers,chips or pretzels and sometimes maybe a pudding or something like that...
how do you cut down on the costs of things like that?
what do you do when you have kids in school though,for lunches? my kids eat pretty healthy,not a lot of junk at all.. but.. I also don't want them to have to have the same exact thing every single day in their lunches. They always get a fresh fruit in their lunch and either crackers,chips or pretzels and sometimes maybe a pudding or something like that...
how do you cut down on the costs of things like that?
That I can't help with...no kids here yet!
Do you give them little individually packaged chips/crackers/pretzels? Or do you buy those giant bags from Costco and divide them up into little ziplock baggies? Maybe make homemade granola bars that the kids can help with - oats are cheap, add in some raisins, honey/brown sugar/butter, maybe some chocolate chips. You could make a big batch for the same cost as those corn-syrup riddled boxes at the store.
what do you do when you have kids in school though,for lunches? my kids eat pretty healthy,not a lot of junk at all.. but.. I also don't want them to have to have the same exact thing every single day in their lunches. They always get a fresh fruit in their lunch and either crackers,chips or pretzels and sometimes maybe a pudding or something like that...
how do you cut down on the costs of things like that?
My kids take their lunches to school each day. I coupon shop and stock up on really good deals. I make our own pudding cups, instant pudding I got for free, and small rubbermaid containers. I can freeze them, then that helps keep their lunches cool until it is time to eat. The pudding is thawed out by then. I send homemade crackers, granola bars, pasta salad, home made soups, leftovers, sliced fruit (put apples and oranges together so the apples don't brown).
I bought small metal thermos's (thermos brand) for $15 each. That was spendy for me, but my kids use those containers almost every day. They love when I send pasta salad with salami and cheese on the side. Or home made rice/chicken soup with carrot sticks and crackers. I also send left overs they like.
Last edited by Inthesierras; 04-03-2009 at 07:02 PM..
Another thing I do is can and dehydrate produce. If there is a good sale on fruit and veggies, I dehydrate them to use later on. I dehydrate berries and apples for breads, muffins, and cereals. My kids love apple chips. I dehydrate celery, peppers, carrots, spinach, potatoes, corn, etc for soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes, sauces, etc. We also dehydrate onions for onion powder and minced onions. We do the same with garlic, cilantro, and green onions. You can make seasonings for dips, soups, meats, etc.
Every summer my garden produces enough tomatoes to can for an entire year. We make salsa, spaghetti sauce, enchilada sauce, and stewed tomatoes. We also can pickles, beans, pears, applesauce, jams/jellies, etc. The initial cost was the dehydrator, canning jars, and garden tools. If you buy heritage seeds, you can gather those seeds at the end of the summer and have enough seeds for your garden the following year.
I also bake alot and make cookie or muffin mixes ahead of time. If I spend all afternoon on a Sunday preparing things, I have less work during the week. Think of the gift cookie mixes people make up and give out. If you make mixes to use throughout the month, your work is cut down alot. I buy my flour in 25 pound bags from Sam's Club for $7.99. I break it down into smaller containers to use during the month and I put some of it away for food storage.
Anyone can do this on a small or large scale. I am in my early 30s and my kids help me garden, harvest, and do a little in the kitchen. I am a stay at home mom, so that allows me to get together with my friends to cook, sew, etc. But even if you work, there are things you can do to help slash your budget without eating poorly.
I am also a big coupon user. I rarely pay more then $.25 for a bottle of shampoo or a tube of toothpaste. I stock up on things when there is a good sale, so I am able to save alot of money doing that. If you can cut your toiletries and cleaning supplies bill in half each month, you will see a huge savings. I use Hotcouponworld to help me plan my shopping trips and prepare for upcoming sales.
Frugal Abundance Recipe Index (http://frugalabundance.com/recipeindex.htm - broken link)
Budget Cooking for Frugal Moms: Saving Money on Food, Groceries, Recipes (http://www.mommysavers.com/frugal-food-recipes/index.shtml - broken link)
Great book for making master baking mixes: Make-A-Mix Cookery, by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover. I love this book. It is from the late 70s or early 80s, but it is great.
A rotisserie chicken costs $4, and we usually can't eat it all before it goes bad.
what you don't eat can be shredded, put in a plastic freezer bag and frozen. Later on for a quick dinner, you can:
add it to soup
pour BBQ sauce over it,slow cook while @ work and throw it on a bun for dinner
add to quesadilla
add taco seasonings, diced green chilies, cheese and roll up in a burrito
add Alfredo sauce and pour over pasta.
The bones can be boiled for a while w/ carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Strain. freeze the broth for soup or whatever.
Last edited by NicoleJ; 04-03-2009 at 09:43 PM..
Reason: adding frugal recipes link
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We have to eat cheaply a lot of the time. + A few more tips.
