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KCT
Guest
Would it be too off topic to post your favorite economical meal ideas? The grocery bill is one place I know we can save money. Thanks in advance.
—KCT
—KCT
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maendem
Guest
Spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti 
Seriously: this might seem a dumb question, but do you have a set grocery budget? That’s the best place to start, in conjuction with a weekly menu.
When we first married, I’d buy just about anything that looked good in the grocery store. Since both of us cook, my husband and I eventually saved a lot of money by setting a grocery budget together and then planning 7 meals ahead of time for the week. By buying just what we need for each day’s recipes, aiming for all-generic brands (where reasonable) and avoiding “spur of the moment” snack purchases, we’ve stayed comfortably within our limits. We also found we wasted a lot less food; dinner leftovers are next day’s lunch, etc.
Another thing: we always try and cook “fresh” - no canned stuff, pre-packaged meals, etc when possible. If you have the time to cook from scratch, you’ll save a lot by eschewing these options. They are ridiculously priced.
And of course, never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry!
Sorry if this all sounds obvious; I can’t think of any really economical recipes offhand, but I’ve found that strict budgeting generally covers any ingredients for a “basic” meal (caviar and escargot not included.
)
Best of luck…
Seriously: this might seem a dumb question, but do you have a set grocery budget? That’s the best place to start, in conjuction with a weekly menu.
When we first married, I’d buy just about anything that looked good in the grocery store. Since both of us cook, my husband and I eventually saved a lot of money by setting a grocery budget together and then planning 7 meals ahead of time for the week. By buying just what we need for each day’s recipes, aiming for all-generic brands (where reasonable) and avoiding “spur of the moment” snack purchases, we’ve stayed comfortably within our limits. We also found we wasted a lot less food; dinner leftovers are next day’s lunch, etc.
Another thing: we always try and cook “fresh” - no canned stuff, pre-packaged meals, etc when possible. If you have the time to cook from scratch, you’ll save a lot by eschewing these options. They are ridiculously priced.
And of course, never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry!
Sorry if this all sounds obvious; I can’t think of any really economical recipes offhand, but I’ve found that strict budgeting generally covers any ingredients for a “basic” meal (caviar and escargot not included.
)Best of luck…
C
Catholic4aReasn
Guest
When I was growing up my mom made tuna-mato bake. All we kids loved it! I ate a lot of it in college because it’s cheap to make.
Make one box of maccaroni and cheese as you normally would. Add one can of tuna and one can of tomato soup. Mix. Put in a casserole dish and stick in the oven until bubbly. If you’re really hungry and impatient you can just eat it right out of the pot without putting it in the over, which I also did a lot in college.
A humerous story…I made this recipe once and only once for my own family. My kids were about 3 and 5. My 5 year old sat at the table holding her nose and my 3 year old took one bite, shoved his plate away and said with his mouth still full, “this is poop!”. Guess he really didn’t like it because he’s not normally so rude. It was one of those moments where you’re trying so hard not to let your kids see you laughing.
Moral of the story…apparently not everyone likes it as much as my siblings and I did.
In Christ,
Nancy
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asquared
Guest
make every grocery dollar count. no junk food. discover the lost art of cooking (rather than opening boxes and microwaving). no soda and soft drinks, which are dragging the children of this nation into obesity and diabetes. be aware of how much of your grocery cart is taken up by non-food items, and look for ways to save there. if you buy in quantity at sams or costco, make sure this does not lead to waste of things that get stale or go bad, and make sure your kids don’t eat a month’s supply in a week.
don’t take your kids and husband shopping
don’t take your kids and husband shopping
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kage_ar
Guest
The Quick Cooking and Taste of Home magazines have great budget cooking recipes… they are WELL worth the subscription cost, no ads, just real recipes.
An idea for leftovers - each night after supper there are leftover veggies, sometimes not enough to save it seems - put them on one container in the fridge. Every Saturday, make a pot of soup or stew and toss in all of those mixed veggies.
An idea for leftovers - each night after supper there are leftover veggies, sometimes not enough to save it seems - put them on one container in the fridge. Every Saturday, make a pot of soup or stew and toss in all of those mixed veggies.
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Scott_Lafrance
Guest
I agree, spaghetti, or if you want to get wild and crazy, macaroni. If you budget allows, you can even top this with either sauce or cheese, but nothing goes down like dry, plain noodles.
smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_2.gif
smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_2.gif
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Island_Oak
Guest
Anyone else concerned with the nutritional value of what you’re putting in your kids mouth, yet shocked again and again at the high cost of organic foods? It’s sad that it is an option probably far out of reach for many families–those most in need of avoiding unnecessary hormones and antibiotics in food being fed to young children-- esp. organic meat, poultry and dairy which are very expensive.
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Prometheum_x
Guest
Island Oak:
Organic, unprocessed foods are more expensive, but that is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that you don’t need to eat as much. They have more nutrients and are more satisfying to eat.
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katybird
Guest
I just spent ten minutes carefully typing out all my advice for saving money on food by avoiding waste, but I accidently deleted it. Too bad!
The last thing I was about to type: have you looked into going in with other (big, Catholic) families to purchase certain major bulk items? Specifically, have you thought of buying a cow? Not a live cow, but going in with others to purchase a side of beef and having it butchered to your specifications. You can have everything from the choicest cuts to ground chuck for a small fraction of the supermarket price of beef. Same goes for hogs.
You’ll need a freezer, though. Probably a worthwile investment, really.
The last thing I was about to type: have you looked into going in with other (big, Catholic) families to purchase certain major bulk items? Specifically, have you thought of buying a cow? Not a live cow, but going in with others to purchase a side of beef and having it butchered to your specifications. You can have everything from the choicest cuts to ground chuck for a small fraction of the supermarket price of beef. Same goes for hogs.
You’ll need a freezer, though. Probably a worthwile investment, really.
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Minerva
Guest
my husband and I are in grad school right now so we have to be very economical about what we eat for dinner. I’ve found my best friend in the kitchen to be Goya beans. Lots of varieties, tasty, protein-packed, filling, and cheap. Potatoes are another favorite. As a wedding present I received a Polish cookbook which has been great. Polish food is mostly peasant food, so it’s cheap, but very tasty. I never knew there were so many ways to dress up a potato. Plus it’s fun to make the food that half of my ancestors used to eat.
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space_ghost
Guest
well, i know this is going to get me into trouble… but do you cook, you know what i mean… do you open, heat and serve or do you buy the raw materials and process (cut,slice) yourself???
http://www.bablakejs.co.uk/download/chef.gif
you can really save loads by staying away from the heat and serve quickies that society has indoctrinated us with…
http://www.bablakejs.co.uk/download/chef.gif
you can really save loads by staying away from the heat and serve quickies that society has indoctrinated us with…
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katybird
Guest
Island Oak:
It was probably the hormones in the chickens that made us vote for Bush.
Why didn’t you know? Organic foods are for the well-educated “Blue State” people who went to Ivy League universities and had the sense to wait until they were old enough to afford in vitro fertilization to have their two children. It’s mouth-breathers like us who eat the bug spray who have lots and lots of kids.
It was probably the hormones in the chickens that made us vote for Bush.
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Island_Oak
Guest
Katybird–a little more of a snide reply than the question merited. Just looking for suggestions from those who may have found a better way to get what they want.
p.s. last I checked an Ivy League education was something to aspire to, not deride.
p.s. last I checked an Ivy League education was something to aspire to, not deride.
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Princess_Abby
Guest
My husband and I have started eating most of our meals from scratch whenever possible. We do buy SOME things pre-made for convenience sake, but for the rest, we get not only the health benefits of whole foods; also the money-saving value.
(I don’t make things like ketchup or bbq sauce, or even peanut butter, but–you can, and it tastes fine.)
I’ve become very careful about planning meals ahead of time and utilizing what I have around. At least once a week I take saved noodles, vegetables, chicken stock and chicken pieces to make a very yummy, filling soup.
If I cook with ground beef, I separate out what I need and freeze the rest. For instance, there are only two of us, so if I buy ground beef and want to make a small lasanga, I use half a pound of meat, half the sauce can, etc. Or, I can make a big lasanga and freeze the rest into individual pieces. My preference is for fresh food though, so I don’t do that often. Anyway, I might use the other half pound of beef for tacos the next night–also very cheap and easy and wholesome, assuming you slice up a lot of lettuce and tomatoes and black olives! salsa is good for you, too–lycopene.
I make homemade macaroni and cheese, too, very simply, when shredded cheddar cheese is on sale. All you need is two cups of milk, two cups of cheese, quarter cup of margarine, tablespoon of flour, maybe some mustard, a pinch of salt, pepper, and the boiled noodles.
We buy a lot of fresh fruit, and I bake apples and peaches quite often, sometimes mixed with oats/touch of flour and always a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
Cornbread is also a filling side dish, cheap and easy to make.
We have fresh green beans ALL the time–very filling, VERY cheap and very yummy and easy to make as a vegetable.
Or I slice a couple cucumbers and boil for a few minutes, then lightly salt and put a dab of butter–we use “smart balance.” no trans fat. Asparagus isn’t too expensive either.
“Spaghetti squash” is SO healthy and very yummy…grate a squash, baking with some butter and salt…tastes like pasta but much healthier.
We have salad almost every night, too, if not another vegetable. If we weren’t so newly married, we’d have a house by now and I’d grow my own vegetables.
You could throw a cheap chuck roast (shop those sales) with carrots and cut up potatoes into a roasting pan, serve with a homemade bread and perhaps some baked fruit.
We make homemade french fries–slice up potatoes, a touch of olive oil or cooking spray, salt. So cheap.
We have spaghetti or tortellini once a week, too. We buy a loaf of french bread (i hate making french bread) for a 1.29, throw together a salad and voila…cheap and easy.
We make chicken quesadillas–this actually doesn’t require a whole lot of chicken or vegetables, and one or two fills both of us up. Those are easy to freeze are use as leftovers.
You can go to Sam’s and buy a big honey ham, then have them slice if for you. If you have one of those machines that seals up the package, you can make a ham last for MONTHS by creating lots of packages with one ham. Tons of meat for lunches or dinners or soups. You can do the same with a turkey.
I don’t buy pre-packaged american or deli cheese–it is actually cheaper to have the deli person thinly slice a half pound, and it lasts longer.
I buy condiments like spices, mustard, ketchup, pickles at either Pathmark or Aldi’s. Incredibly cheap, sometimes in bulk, lasts forever.
Oh, something else we do a lot is make kebobs. They are SO fun and very cheap. I just cut up piecs of chicken or ham or turkey (or seafood, if you like that), use cherry tomatoes, sweet onions, peppers, mushrooms, sometimes pineapple, mix with some jamaican marianade for a few hours–or whatever marinade you want–and then stick on skewers and plop on a George Foreman grill. Homemade bread on the side. Very filling, not too expensive.
cont’d…
(I don’t make things like ketchup or bbq sauce, or even peanut butter, but–you can, and it tastes fine.)
I’ve become very careful about planning meals ahead of time and utilizing what I have around. At least once a week I take saved noodles, vegetables, chicken stock and chicken pieces to make a very yummy, filling soup.
If I cook with ground beef, I separate out what I need and freeze the rest. For instance, there are only two of us, so if I buy ground beef and want to make a small lasanga, I use half a pound of meat, half the sauce can, etc. Or, I can make a big lasanga and freeze the rest into individual pieces. My preference is for fresh food though, so I don’t do that often. Anyway, I might use the other half pound of beef for tacos the next night–also very cheap and easy and wholesome, assuming you slice up a lot of lettuce and tomatoes and black olives! salsa is good for you, too–lycopene.
I make homemade macaroni and cheese, too, very simply, when shredded cheddar cheese is on sale. All you need is two cups of milk, two cups of cheese, quarter cup of margarine, tablespoon of flour, maybe some mustard, a pinch of salt, pepper, and the boiled noodles.
We buy a lot of fresh fruit, and I bake apples and peaches quite often, sometimes mixed with oats/touch of flour and always a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
Cornbread is also a filling side dish, cheap and easy to make.
We have fresh green beans ALL the time–very filling, VERY cheap and very yummy and easy to make as a vegetable.
Or I slice a couple cucumbers and boil for a few minutes, then lightly salt and put a dab of butter–we use “smart balance.” no trans fat. Asparagus isn’t too expensive either.
“Spaghetti squash” is SO healthy and very yummy…grate a squash, baking with some butter and salt…tastes like pasta but much healthier.
We have salad almost every night, too, if not another vegetable. If we weren’t so newly married, we’d have a house by now and I’d grow my own vegetables.
You could throw a cheap chuck roast (shop those sales) with carrots and cut up potatoes into a roasting pan, serve with a homemade bread and perhaps some baked fruit.
We make homemade french fries–slice up potatoes, a touch of olive oil or cooking spray, salt. So cheap.
We have spaghetti or tortellini once a week, too. We buy a loaf of french bread (i hate making french bread) for a 1.29, throw together a salad and voila…cheap and easy.
We make chicken quesadillas–this actually doesn’t require a whole lot of chicken or vegetables, and one or two fills both of us up. Those are easy to freeze are use as leftovers.
You can go to Sam’s and buy a big honey ham, then have them slice if for you. If you have one of those machines that seals up the package, you can make a ham last for MONTHS by creating lots of packages with one ham. Tons of meat for lunches or dinners or soups. You can do the same with a turkey.
I don’t buy pre-packaged american or deli cheese–it is actually cheaper to have the deli person thinly slice a half pound, and it lasts longer.
I buy condiments like spices, mustard, ketchup, pickles at either Pathmark or Aldi’s. Incredibly cheap, sometimes in bulk, lasts forever.
Oh, something else we do a lot is make kebobs. They are SO fun and very cheap. I just cut up piecs of chicken or ham or turkey (or seafood, if you like that), use cherry tomatoes, sweet onions, peppers, mushrooms, sometimes pineapple, mix with some jamaican marianade for a few hours–or whatever marinade you want–and then stick on skewers and plop on a George Foreman grill. Homemade bread on the side. Very filling, not too expensive.
cont’d…
P
Princess_Abby
Guest
I used to be a coupon queen. I still am, to a certain extent, but I use it for toiletries/household items because the food advertised in coupons is all processed and unhealthy. THIS HAS SAVED ME SO MUCH MONEY (for toiletries/household items). I clip coupons every sunday out of the papers, then take the circulars from pharmacies and my grocery store, and match sales with coupons from both the manufacturer (the sunday coupon) AND the STORE (pharmacy) coupon!!! You end up getting shampoo, soap, detergent, handsoap, lotions, cremes, shaving stuff, laundry items, etc. for SO cheap–especially if you buy more than one sunday paper and then you buy in bulk and have items for months. I never, ever pay full price for any toiletry or household item, whether it be ziploc bags, trash bags, paper napkins, paper plates, cups, shampoos, health and beauty items, toilet paper etc. And, I never run out because I have mammoth bins filled with sale items. Right now I’m not really cutting coupons because I am stockpiled for the next few months, but I will start up again soon and begin replenishing. You will be surprised how much you get for free, and if you use the pharmacy to buy some of these items, there are other bonuses, too:
for example, walgreens has a rebate club for items they have specific coupons for, listed in their rebate book (available in the front of the store). you often MAKE money for buying items (due to the manufacturer’s coupon, store coupon and sale price–plus getting a full price rebate on the item) and then it goes on your walgreen’s giftcard–so you’re recycling the same money again and again and just getting free stuff. it’s very easy.
hope these thoughts help!
when i first begun buying staples: flour, baking powder, cornmeal, yeast, marinades, spices, etc…THAT was initially expensive. BUT…please keep in mind that they last soooo long!!!
for example, walgreens has a rebate club for items they have specific coupons for, listed in their rebate book (available in the front of the store). you often MAKE money for buying items (due to the manufacturer’s coupon, store coupon and sale price–plus getting a full price rebate on the item) and then it goes on your walgreen’s giftcard–so you’re recycling the same money again and again and just getting free stuff. it’s very easy.
hope these thoughts help!
when i first begun buying staples: flour, baking powder, cornmeal, yeast, marinades, spices, etc…THAT was initially expensive. BUT…please keep in mind that they last soooo long!!!
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katybird
Guest
Island Oak:
I was completely joking. I don’t think that people who voted for Bush are “mouth-breathers” and I don’t deride Ivy League educations. I’d love for my son to get one. I was making fun of all the stereotypes by BOTH sides of the divide in our society.
I wasn’t being snide.
I was completely joking. I don’t think that people who voted for Bush are “mouth-breathers” and I don’t deride Ivy League educations. I’d love for my son to get one. I was making fun of all the stereotypes by BOTH sides of the divide in our society.
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IM3RD
Guest
I’m single and live alone, yet I save A TON of money by purchasing things I use consistently at Sam’s Club.
Some of you may have Costco as a more convenient alternative, but why a huge family wouldn’t do 90%+ of their shopping at a wholesale club is a concept that I can’t even fathom.
Hope this helps.
Some of you may have Costco as a more convenient alternative, but why a huge family wouldn’t do 90%+ of their shopping at a wholesale club is a concept that I can’t even fathom.
Hope this helps.
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Island_Oak
Guest
Sorry, Katybird. Guess my Starbucks hasn’t yet hit my humor center to wake it up.
Liked your idea above about splitting a cow (hog, etc.). It can be economical (and organic) but man do you need a big freezer! I guess you use the savings to buy a bigger one?!
As far as shopping at Sam’s, Costco I do it for cleaning/paper products, but am frustrated at times because they package stuff you want with stuff you don’t–and you can’t break it up. They also excel at peddling lots of processed/junk food.
Liked your idea above about splitting a cow (hog, etc.). It can be economical (and organic) but man do you need a big freezer! I guess you use the savings to buy a bigger one?!
As far as shopping at Sam’s, Costco I do it for cleaning/paper products, but am frustrated at times because they package stuff you want with stuff you don’t–and you can’t break it up. They also excel at peddling lots of processed/junk food.
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Princess_Abby
Guest
oh, something else i do for breakfasts—i make fruit breads.
banana bread, pumpkin bread, apple cinnamon bread–all with fresh fruits.
in the summer, blueberry and strawberry muffins.
SOO SOOOOOOO much cheaper then buying them pre-made at the store, and SOO SSOOOOOOO so much healthier…
i also make homemade cinnamon rolls–they take awhile, but can be healthy and cheap if you replace certain ingredients or make low fat versions!!!
banana bread, pumpkin bread, apple cinnamon bread–all with fresh fruits.
in the summer, blueberry and strawberry muffins.
SOO SOOOOOOO much cheaper then buying them pre-made at the store, and SOO SSOOOOOOO so much healthier…
i also make homemade cinnamon rolls–they take awhile, but can be healthy and cheap if you replace certain ingredients or make low fat versions!!!
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IM3RD
Guest
Island Oak:
Tuna is always priced best at Sam’s, plus most other canned goods like healthy soups. But, one can easily add in things like frozen veggies, deodorants, lotions, and such.
Heck, I even go so far as to buy paper products there as well!! I’ve bought TP and paper towels exactly TWICE this year… And, the second time was just last month.
I was actually talking more about things like chicken breasts, salmon filets, hamburgers, etc. Not to mention, lunchmeats like turkey breast, ham, and chicken breast are pound for pound the best price at Sams.
Tuna is always priced best at Sam’s, plus most other canned goods like healthy soups. But, one can easily add in things like frozen veggies, deodorants, lotions, and such.
Heck, I even go so far as to buy paper products there as well!! I’ve bought TP and paper towels exactly TWICE this year… And, the second time was just last month.
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