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That's ok. Just buy a quality Pressure Cooker that will a lifetime with all the asssociated savings! ...!
Agreed on the pressure cooker. It was the "microwave" of the day except it actually cooks food instead of re-heating stuff in boxes from the store. It's a huge value for the money especially when compared to what it will produce for you over it's lifetime. It's also one of the most energy efficient ways of cooking out there.
I also recommend getting a pressure canner. if you have one of those, there is a huge amount of stuff that you can preserve in quantity that will be good eating later. Aside from canning your own tomatoes and summer vegetables, you can make soups, chili, sauces, etc which are really easy to fix afterwards.
Looking for cheap HEALTHY meals. I am looking to reduce my grocery bills from ~$100 to 60-70 (or lower if possible!). I, however, can not live off of ramen noodles or packaged macaroni and cheese. I am not so much struggling to pay bills, I am just trying to scrimp and save in order to get a down payment on a house in a few years. I figure trimming some fat on my expenses will help out GREATLY.
I do enjoy beans and I do enjoy rice (long grain brown rice, FTW!). But don't know any decent BnR recipes. Any help? Of course, I am looking for other suggestions outside beans and rice (but please, any beans and rice recipes you have.. throw 'em at me!!!. I'm also italian so don't worry, I have my cabinets filled with pastaS lol
Thanks. This could be a very helpful thread!
Hey, I am doing the same thing! My only kid is at college, and so it's become my entertainment to see how cheaply I can live on my own.
So far, I've got a) only buy what's on sale b) keep portions to what they are supposed to be c) have vegetarian days (that's where those rice 'n' beans come in, I love them, too) d) don't waste anything e) discipline as to what I really need and don't need--this one is tough for me because I usually like to keep a lot of snacks handy and I've been having to say NO to myself while shopping. So the other people in the store think I'm weird when I say it out loud...
I like to take black beans, mix them with some corn and some salsa and have them over rice. You can throw some cheese and/or sour cream on top, too.
When I cook, I make enough to last for several days, and eat it every day until it's gone. Then there is never more than one leftover at any given time. I can heat up whatever size portion I want, so I don't serve myself too much. I literally go months on end without ever throwing away anything that was ever edible.
When I cook, I make enough to last for several days, and eat it every day until it's gone. Then there is never more than one leftover at any given time. I can heat up whatever size portion I want, so I don't serve myself too much. I literally go months on end without ever throwing away anything that was ever edible.
That's the way to do it. In general we waste so much food! I've been guilty of that myself in the past and made an effort to overcome it.
No matter what anyone tells you, the cheapest foods are the most healthful, but I'm not talkin' ramen noodles and the blue boxes of mac and cheese:
Buy dried beans and rice and other grains in bulk. Any good cookbook, print or online, can teach you how to cook beans. Vegetarian cookbooks usually contain instructions on cooking grains. (Usually, you can just add them to whatever soup or stew you're making, or serve them as a base for other dishes, much like you would serve rice.)
Buy produce in season.
Base your meals on what's on sale. Use store brands; they can save you anywhere from 20 to 50 percent or more.
Homemade soups are cheap and make enough so you can freeze leftovers for another time. (I made a pot of chili last night with ground turkey, which was on sale for $1.99 a lb, and the whole thing cost just over $6 and made 8 servings.)
Look for sales on whole-grain pasta and stock up. My supermarket often sells it for the same price as the white stuff.
Organics do cost more, but if you're frugal in other aspects of your life, you might find you can afford them.
Farmers market prices can be all over the map. Farm stands, however, those little places along the side of the road in rural farm country, tend to be cheaper than farmers markets in town, especially those in the suburbs or in the cities (in my experience, anyway).
Go ethnic, both in recipes and shopping. There are entire supermarkets that cater to ethnic groups, and those prices tend to be better than the big chain sores. Ethnic cooking—Mexican, Middle Eastern, Italian, etc.—also tends to call for cheaper ingredients.
Use meat more as a condiment or flavoring than the main dish. A vegetarian meal a couple of times a week (or more) will really save you money.
Last edited by Beretta; 01-23-2010 at 08:40 AM..
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[*]Use meat more as a condiment or flavoring than the main dish. A vegetarian meal a couple of times a week (or more) will really save you money.
I have advocated the "meat as a condiment" principle for decades. But I disagree that it saves money. I buy the ten-pound bags of frozen chicken leg quarters for about .59 to .69 a pound. I buy chicken hearts and livers and beef liver for under 1.25 a pound. The other day at a no-frills store, I got gizzards for .59 a pound. I use about a quarter-pound per serving, at most. Organ meats are no-fat, no-waste meats and cheaper than cauliflower. There aren't very many fruits or veggies that are that cheap.
I have advocated the "meat as a condiment" principle for decades. But I disagree that it saves money. I buy the ten-pound bags of frozen chicken leg quarters for about .59 to .69 a pound. I buy chicken hearts and livers and beef liver for under 1.25 a pound. The other day at a no-frills store, I got gizzards for .59 a pound. I use about a quarter-pound per serving, at most. Organ meats are no-fat, no-waste meats and cheaper than cauliflower. There aren't very many fruits or veggies that are that cheap.
jtur88, I am a vegetarian and after doing it for almost 10 years I know where to buy the prettiest and most colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts and fresh herbs for little money. Soy products, tofu, beans, eggs, rice, feta cheese, olive oil, etc. cost very little as well if you know where to shop.
Go ethnic, as CarolL put it above, get familiar with the ethnic stores in your area, they sometimes have the tastiest and most interesting foods for the best prices.
Keep trying new things on sale and check for recipes or ask the people in the store how to cook them. Makes life much more interesting especially when one lives on a budget.
Last edited by learningCA; 01-23-2010 at 09:39 PM..
When I cook, I make enough to last for several days, and eat it every day until it's gone. Then there is never more than one leftover at any given time. I can heat up whatever size portion I want, so I don't serve myself too much. I literally go months on end without ever throwing away anything that was ever edible.
to piggyback on this idea...since I'm not a huge fan of leftovers and eating the same thing day after day..."When I cook, I make enough to last for several days, and freeze the rest in portion sizes and then you can have that same meal the next week." I made a huge meatloaf a few days ago, and rather than leaving it in the fridge and getting sick of looking at it and eating it for three days, I took some tupperware and put two slices and the leftover mashed potatoes in it and froze it immediately. Now this is the dinner (with some frozen peas) for next Tuesday.
I got this tip somewhere recently and plan on doing it at least once maybe twice a week. Certainly will cut down on dinner making time at least.
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(long grain brown rice, FTW!). But don't know any decent BnR recipes. Any help? Of course, I am looking for other suggestions outside beans and rice (but please, any beans and rice recipes you have.. throw 'em at me!!!. I'm also italian so don't worry, I have my cabinets filled with pastaS lol
