The question about how much our grocery bills are per week got me thinking. I could really use some help figuring out how to make meals that feed us all, for less. So making what we have really stretch. Does anyone know of websites/blogs that are helpful? Thanks Ladies!
I don't know of any but here's a couple of tricks I do: I always add a can or two of beans to my taco meat (and adjust seasonings accordingly) and I usually increase the amount of vegetables in a dish if it's a casserole, soup, stew, etc.
If you can afford a turkey or two buy them. There are many things you can do with the meat -- tacos, spaghetti sauce, soup, lunchmeat and so on. Make up a menu plan for the month and then break it down to weeks and then by day. Your dinner one day can become a lunch for family members at home. Make extra and freeze and bring it out later in the month. I would make huge pots of chili and spaghetti sauce and divide them into meals. Don't forget that breakfast makes a nice dinner.
Good luck to you all with planning good meals on the cheap.
The other S.
Read this article, then check out the recipes. We make these things a lot, and the lentils and rice is amazing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02bittman....
Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate is a good one. Also, you can find some great "cheapskate handbooks" at the library, many of which will crack you up, which always helps when you're tightening your belt.
Generally speaking, the more time you can spend, the less money you need--- steaks only take a couple minutes. Beans and rice are delicious and nutritious and cheap as they can be, but they take a long time.
I second allrecipes.com - search the crock pot meals and the pasta meals.
I can make baked ziti for fairly cheap (esp if you don't use meat) and it will feed us for 2 days, then I freeze the other half and it will go another 2 days when I am ready to thaw. Most pasta dishes are this way. Just divide after cooking and freeze! You can do this with most meals.
Think back to all the meals you make that produce leftovers (that probably get thrown away bc you didn't freeze!). Make those!
The key is also to stock up on certain items when they are on sale and freeze them for later use - you can do this with most meats/seafoods/poultry.
Our biggest stretchers:
*Meatloaf - buy the meat when it is on sale and freeze the meat you are not using for the meatloaf for later meals.
*Baked ziti
*Lasagna
*Cappellini Pomodoro (sp?)
*Grilled sandwhiches (provolone, sliced ham, tomato, whatever you like!) These are cheap and my family loves them. Not a stretcher, but a cheap item.
I like allrecipes.com. You don't have to join their $12 per year club and I haven't.
If you want to save money making meals, DIY. I cook and spice my own rice. I don't buy rice-a-roni. I don't buy frozen french fries. I buy potatoes and make my own. I don't buy hamburger helper. I buy noodles and make my own meals.
IF you REALLY want to SAVE ! ! ! ! When I find something on sale I don't buy one because one is all I need for this week. I buy 10 or 40 because I will use them over and over. The better the sale, the more I buy. When a store had a grand opening and rice was on sale for $.20 per pound, I bought 50 lbs. The next week the best I could find was a 5 lb bag for $1.99. I enjoyed the rice all the more because I was eating it for half price. I bought 40 lbs of potatoes for $.69 for a 10 lb bag. The regular price was $2.99 for the 10 lb bag. I spent $2.76 instead of $11.96. I did have one spoil, but I saved $9.00.
I know that is more than you asked for, but I hope it was helpful. Mam-pedia has may questions covering this topic.
Good luck to you and yours.
I've done emealz, I do make ahead meals, I also use allrecipes.com for their menu planning. (You have to be a supporting member for this feature.)
I love planning a weekly menu which allows you to use the same ingredient several times in different ways. For instance, I have a three day menu where I buy a couple of rotisserie chickens. (You know, the ones that are hot in the grocery store.) Then I go home and strip all the meat off of them. You use what you need for the recipe that night, then put the rest in a ziplock bag in the fridge for the next two nights. I make enchiladas, shredded chicken sandwiches and a few other meals like this.
HTH!
Oh yes! I love this topic because it's the perfect time to talk about FREEZER MEALS!
Look up "make ahead meals" or "freezer meals" or "OAMC" (once a month cooking). This is an EXCELLENT way to save money, get meals in your freezer, and save time. http://www.mealsmatter.org/cookbooks/grans/oamcrecipes/
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
Also google "menu plan Mondays" it'll lead you to lots of good ideas/places....
If you don't have an issue with carbs.....try macaroni/rice. Growing up, my mother put macaroni or rice in tons of foods to double the quantity. For example. She would make a pot of Chil that would typically last two days for the 5 of us...she added macaroni to it on day 2 and it stretched for several more days. Tuna salad was tuna/macaroni salad. Stew always had a lot of rice in it. etc. In short, the expensive part of the meal was stretched over the cheap pasta/macaroni.
e-mealz. this is one that is advertised on the Dave Ramsey radio show. I think you have to pay a small fee, but it is suppose to save money
