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Meals On A Budget

When most people think about meals on a budget, they have nightmares about eating the Dave Ramsey prescribed diet of beans and rice and rice and beans. While the occasional dish from these low cost recipes can be appealing, let’s face it, we want what we want and anything that radical is going to cause a mutiny, maybe even led by you!

Many sites recommend strategies that basically become a second job’s worth of time. Who can do that? What I’m suggesting are some easy ways of trimming that food budget. I can tell you now that they won’t all jive with you: I have certain points where I feel people cross the frugal/cheap line, and I’m sure your version of that line and mine aren’t the same. Wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same? Take what works for you, leave the rest, and maybe even suggest some others.

Is a half hour a week worth it to create money saving meals that your family will eat and might even be healthier than what you currently serve your family? Call me crazy, but I’m all for quick substitutions that normally aren’t even noticed.

I know you’ve probably heard this before, but the first stop is the weekly circular from your grocery store. The items at the top of the first page should be the basis of your meals for the following week.

Chicken on sale? Now is the time to brush off your Crockpot. Let it do all the work for coq au vin (I love that fancy-smancy name for chicken in wine sauce!), or throw some of that b-b-q sauce you already have sitting in your fridge over a big batch of chicken legs or thighs and bake or bake then grill (it helps keep salmonella away).

You could also boil it up with some carrots (dirt cheap in the big bag), celery and onions to make a great soup – add rice or pasta or potatoes or even dumplings if you are feeling Southern that day. Voila, that cheap main ingredient became the foundation for meals on a budget that your family would normally already be eating. They won't know it cost you half the usual price if you don't tell them.

Something to keep in mind, you know that big REALLY cold area just above your refrigerator … you know, the freezer -- it works for things other than TV dinners! It was shocking to me when I first heard it, too. Now, don’t get me wrong, I can also occasionally be sucked in by the lure of the $1 Banquet dinners … and then I read the box. The number of ingredients that aren’t man-made can normally be counted on one hand. And that is not even mentioning the sodium level!

Stock up on those items on sale, get as much as you can use in 2-3 months. That’s about how long it takes for the items to go on sale again. These become the backbone for all meals on a budget.

You can also use that big cold space to freeze homemade TV dinners. When you cook, make extra (doesn't take any extra time!) and then freeze it in single serve portions. Too tired to cook? Pull something out and reheat. It’s also convenient when the whole family wants something different.

Warning: Potential frugal/cheap line crossing. I personally think buying broth, either veggie or chicken, is ridiculous. Why pay for something that I can make for FREE?!?!?!?!

When I am chopping vegetables, I put the ends and peels and bruised bits into a Ziploc bag that then lives in the freezer. Each time it gets full, I put the odds and in's in a big stock pot, fill it with water and whatever spices catch my fancy that day (right now it is black pepper, cumin, and onion and garlic powder) and get it boiling.

I let it simmer for an hour, strain out the solids, and then let the glorious smelling broth cool before freezing. Word to the wise – don’t use the woody parts from asparagus. Oh my, the joke about how it affects certain bodily functions is true of the broth as well. Take my word on this one! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!

Okay, so you’re using the shopping circular and your freezer to more effectively make meals on a budget. What else can you do? Eat by season. Apples and citrus fruits are on sale in the winter. Don’t buy strawberries until the spring. Eat cherries with abandon in May. Resist the urge to get the South American fruits and vegetables.

They aren’t very fresh and the nutritional value has been degraded during their long trip. Think of ways you can use the surplus of tomatoes that hit the market each summer. Marinade chicken in fresh salsa for Mexican night, and a homemade spaghetti sauce will freeze up well and cost a fraction of the jarred kind and can be used on homemade pizzas (extra sauce + less cheese + veggie toppings = more nutrients, much less fat and big savings!).

One of the easiest tips on creating money meals on a budget? Use what you already have! Once a month I create a pantry challenge for myself. I see how low I can get my food budget without anyone noticing. Something surprising is always hiding in the back of the shelf or in the condiment drawer of my fridge.

Use up these items. It makes grocery shopping faster (just milk and produce). Spend the extra time looking up Cheap Recipes. Have picky eaters in your house? Have them help you select the recipe and help make it. It’s amazing how much they’ll sell it to siblings!!

Overall creating healthy food on a Budget breaks down to a few points: use less of the expensive stuff, buy your main ingredients when they’re on sale (and EVERYTHING goes on sale eventually), look for discounted foods at the market (normally in the back – or just ask), use your freezer, make extras, and use what you have.

I know, I know, “D’uh!” But it’s easy to forget when life gets in the way. Take just a couple of minutes each week to create more sanity (and a bigger bank account). Who doesn’t want that?

Don’t forget to use our Free Printable Grocery List to help plan your meals on a budget, saving time and money!!

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