i have long ago learned that unless i plan out my meals for the week in advance,
i don't cook.
fabulous friends from our church provided meals for us
two nights a week for two months after leighton was born.
that's right.
all of february & march.
we were set.
i tried to convince clay to hire a personal chef once april hit.
but he said no.
i mean, i'm only asking for two nights a week.
jeez.
anyways, back to the point.
i'm becoming domestic.
i planned the meals for this week.
and headed to the grocery store.
and then left the grocery store in shock of how much money i had just spent.
i had only purchased our weekly groceries plus three dinners.
holy moly.
okay, insert you.
how do you cook delicious meals...
on a budget?
come on people, give me your ideas!
here's what i cooked last night.
annalee's spring chicken cobb salad.
i have to say. i thought, "oh, yum. i'm always up for a good cobb salad."
but, this was delish.
try it.
and because i always need bread, but didn't have any,
i made jami's pizza dough, but put it in a muffin tin,
drizzled some olive oil on top sprinkled with some garlic salt.
delish.
so friends.
help me out.
how do you cook without breaking the bank?
9 comments:
Okay, I am just going to email you because it is something I have been working on for awhile (but could obviously still get better at)
Definitely starting out with a weekly menu plan is a GREAT idea...you spend more in one chunk, but actually save on a monthly basis. Okay, I will save the rest for the email.=)
I try to find meals that have few ingredients, like pasta's for one. I have also started making meals that leave enough food for leftovers the next night. There is a pasta dish I make that is only 4 ingredients that makes a ton! The next night, I just make a new salad and fresh bread.
We make breakfast for dinner alot. Nothing's cheaper than eggs and pancakes from scratch!! Yummy too!!
I have also started looking for what are called these round 2 recipes, where you make enough one night and store the rest of the meat for a meal the other night. i have recently found a Paula Deen recipe that just does that night. One night it's chicken and rice and the next night is chicken enchilada's, using the same ingredients from the night before.
It's taking me almost 11 years to realize that it doesn't always have to be gourmet and glamorous every night! My hubby agrees. I have no idea if any of this helps or not!!
Try to only go to the store once a week! Also...typically, the simpler the recipe, the cheaper the meal! ...Also, Bueno is a great fill in for those nights where you just don't want to cook and want to spend less than $10.00! ... It's crazy how cooking for two is almost more expensive than eating out! ... My recipe blog has lots of easy recipes...
wwww.wearinggackeysapron.blogspot.com. Good luck! Let me know when you find the magic trick!!! :)
P.S. Buy generic when it doesn't matter! ... And, shop at a store that shows you the "price per oz." price. Kroger and Wal-Mart do this...Target does not! It makes it so much easier to shop on a budget when they have it done for you!
Our grocery budget is definitely our biggest line item next to our mortgage payment! However, I also plan my meals a week at a time and there are certain recipes that are just more expensive to make, so I always try and balance it out with a cheap meal as well that week like the aforementioned pasta, etc. Mexican is a go-to in our household and it's usually cheap. Soups (although we are kind of out of that season) are also cheap-ola.
i agree with lindsay...lots of italian and mexican around here b/c of the cheap factor.
also, bulk up on food that's on sale. if you buy a couple of the same things each week, WAIT for them to go on sale and then buy a lot of them.
and of course, go to coupons.com and print off coupons before you go to the store.
Well, we are about to start using Angel Ministries and have heard awesome reviews. Angel Food Ministries is a great way for families to save money every month on their grocery bill. You can get a variety of food that would cost $50 to $70 in most of the large grocery stores for as little as $28 or $30 per month. That's the basic box you get every month. Additional monthly specials vary for about $20 each and represent excellent values.
Click here to learn more: https://www.angelfoodministries.com/hosts.asp
There are tons of churches in Kansas City that are host sites!
UM my only advice is:
-Annalee's recipes
-Brittany at PoeFam's recipes
-Order the Kraft Magazine
I feel like I steal all my recipes from those three places!
A tip that we've relied on is from the book, "America's Cheapest Family."
EAT LEFTOVERS.
When you add up how much $$ you toss out, it's mind boggling!
So, I try {when I cook} to actually cook extras.
That food can be taken for Hubby's lunch, taken for my lunch on days that I work, or I eat it for lunch the next day.
The other thing we consider: if it's something that freezes well, we definitely make extra & freeze half of it.
On a night when time is limited, or energy is limited---heating up taco soup from the freezer is AWESOME & easy!
I don't do the once a week grocery thing.
I make one mega-trip a month. I may spend $300, but that's EVERYTHING we need, less fresh fruit & milk. When we go to the store every single week---we over-buy & have more impulse purchases.
When I go once a month, #1---everything has to fit in the cart & car, #2---I am forced to layer the items between fresh, frozen, & non-perishable.
I encourage Hubby & son to eat the fresh fruit first. Cook up the fresh veggies first. That way, by the end of the month, we've got frozen veggies or canned veggies to rely on, and we haven't thrown out $25 worth of produce that nobody ate because it was easier to pop open the frozen veggies rather than steam the fresh.
But---like I mentioned---we have to usually go back 1 or 2 times for more milk & fruit.
If I went every week, I'd probably spend $100 or more each time. This way, I'm usually $350 or less for a whole month, and that's breakfasts, lunches, & dinners for all of us.
My other tip: coupons, coupons!
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