Low budget recipes?

lena49058

Hello those of you that take time to read this. I have a VERY low budget for food. Around $300 a month and I need to feed 4 people. We are mainly a meat and pasta type of family, (Lots of hamburger helpers, boxed meals, burgers, etc. Chicken, and hamburger are our main meats) We also shop at save-a-lot because it is cheaper. (more for the money). Fruits are hard to buy because of the prices for them. So I was wondering if anyone has low priced recipes that works around our tastes? Any help is appreciated (Ps, we dont like hummus or alot of beans)

meg427

If you go to kraftfoods.com they have a budget wise section. They have a lot of great ideas that are waist and budget friendly

Claudia007

When we are tight on money I get boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because they are cheaper. I also buy brown rice and frozen veggies as a side. Those are pretty much my dinner staples. I can mix it up by doing a chicken stir fry, or a terriyaki chicken, or chicken fajitas.

Sirenism

http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/ has some great recipes.

aryaw

I have been adding recipes that I find on blogs (yes, i'm one of those people...LOL). I try to incorporate them into my monthy meal plans - this way we have many homemade meals from scratch and the rest of the time its the "easy" foods.

I have found a few recipes that I take different components and use them for meals that are not planned & just slapped together from leftovers or with the random foods left in the pantry/fridge/freezer at the end of the week/month.

I'm on my tablet & not on my regular computer but when I am I will share a few meals I use as staples in my meal planning.

I have a few fun recipes on my blog-->> http://lifethegoodandthebad.blogspot.com

aryaw

Teriyaki Chicken

ingredients:

1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
12 chicken thighs with skin removed

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients (except chicken of course), and cook in a saucepan over medium heat till thick and bubbly. Place chicken thighs in a greased 9x13" glass pan. Pour sauce evenly over the chicken. Bake at 400° for 45-60 minutes, turning chicken every 15 minutes.

**Feeds lots of people (I have made this and it has fed 4 adults and my 3 kids ) I serve it with rice & a vegi & when I know there will be people over I make a quick dessert.

You can use the teriyaki sauce for many other recipes (use when making meat balls, meatloaf and many other things too)**

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Zuppa Tuscana Soup

ingredients:
1 lb pork sausage
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices bacon (optional)—I have tasted it with and without and it tastes good both ways
6 cups chicken broth (I have made my own and used canned broth & bullion cubes)
4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 cups chopped kale
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup cream (I have done 1/2 cream and 1/2 2% milk and it tasted good both ways)
pepper to taste

Brown sausage with onion (add garlic the last couple of minutes. Drain if needed. Cook potatoes and kale in broth till tender. Add sausage, Italian seasoning, and cream and heat through. Add pepper to taste.

-Serves 8 people - ***super easy to make and ooooohhhh so yummy. This is a family favorite.***

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Meaty Lasagna

Sauce:
1 lb hamburger
1lb pork sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 Tbsp dry parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano

Cheese layer:
24oz container cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I used fresh)
2 Tbsp dry parsley
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese
9-10 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions:
For sauce, brown meat, garlic, and onion. Drain fat and add remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Combine cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, and parsley till well blended. In a 9x13" pan (deep dish is best), place half of the uncooked noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with about 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spread half of the meat mixture over the cheese. Repeat layering noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and meat. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 325 for about 50-60 minutes or till noodles are tender.

**I have used the sauce for other noodles and for cooking over chicken and many other applications...its yummy and good - great for throwing a double batch in the crock pot, using what you need then throwing the rest in the freezer.**

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Crispy Chicken Strips

1 1/2 cups rice crispies, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper- I like quite a bit
1/4 cup Ranch dressing* (you can use egg or milk bath for this ingredient)
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips (you can use chicken tenders if you don't want to buy breasts)

Directions:
In shallow dish, mix cereal, flour, salt, and pepper. Place ranch dressing in another bowl. Dip chicken strips in ranch dressing, then in cereal mix. Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until juices run clear.

**This recipe I usually double for my family (2 adults, 3 kids who are eating - babe is still BF). It's a good recipe and a great alternative to prepackaged chicken strips.**

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Chicken Pot Pie (this will fill 2 pie pans)

1 pie crust (might need 2 - I always do)
3 chicken breasts
5 red potatoes
2 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 bag frozen peas and carrots - thawed
1 sweet onion - diced
butter
egg

1. Heat oven to 450

2. Heat two large pans of water - these are for the chicken and potatoes
*I usually add some chicken bullion to the water for taste - and we could all use a little more sodium right?

3. Trim fat from chicken and dice the potatoes, then add to the boiling water, separately of course

4. Cook the bottom of the pie crust first, in the oven. Just follow the directions on the back of the pie crust box for a "one crust pie" - I cook mine for 9 minutes. Make sure you set the timer. After cooking, turn the oven down to 400 to cook the pie

*this isn't a one crust pie of course but I do not like having a soggy pie bottom. noboby does. you'll add the top crust later. this is what it should look like after it has cooked for the 9 minutes.

5. saute the onion in butter until it is translucent and tender - it can even be a little golden. *if you do not like onions than dice them large enough you can pick them out or small enough you can swallow them whole, but do not leave them out entirely. they add wonderful flavor

6. when the chicken is done shred it into bite size pieces

7. the potatoes are done when they break apart by being stabbed with a fork - strain them

8. combine the shredded chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots, onions and the 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup in a large bowl.

9. pour the glorious mixture into the already-cooked pie crust

10. now add the top crust and trim to fit the pie plate.

11. whisk the egg in a small bowl and baste over the top crust
*the egg is strickly for cosmetic purposes, it helps the pie keep it's color and provides a shine when cooked

12. make 4 slits in the top of the pie with a knife to provide steam release while the pie is baking

13. bake for 40 minutes and then let the pie cool for a few minutes on top of the stove

14. serve!

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BELOW ARE A FEW BREAD RECIPES (I am trying to do more homemade breads)

Focaccia Bread

2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp SAF instant yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 pinch black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup hot water
Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in oil and water. (It already smells heavenly, doesn’t it?) Knead a few times till smooth (nothing fancy here, I usually just knead it right in the bowl). Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Pat dough 1/2" thick on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil (I just use my hand, but if you have an aversion to touching oil, feel free to use a pastry brush.) Sprinkle with cheeses. (I’m not going to lie to you, we love cheese, so I always use more than 1 cup of cheese.) Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes or till lightly browned. Try not to eat the entire batch by yourself (not that I have ever done that of course, just speaking hypothetically.)


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No Knead Artisan Bread

3 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon rapid rise, instant yeast (I used SAF)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water
Cornmeal

1- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add water and stir until blended; dough will be very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature.

2-When the dough is ready, the surface will be covered with bubbles. Heavily flour your counter and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3-Using enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the counter or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour. Place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4- At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed. It will look like an ugly mess, but that is alright. Cover the pan with a lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, until browned. Cool on a rack.

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Goxolina

Thanks Sirenism, love the link you shared!!

lena49058

These are awesome. I really want to try the chicken strips!

melodyg

bump to check out recipes and websites!

I try to feed a family of 3 on $200-250 a month, so we are about the same budget wise (though one of mine doesn't eat much!)

Here are a few recipes that we love. I also have recipes on my blog (in my signature)

Southwest Turkey Burgers:
1 pound ground turkey (I buy the 19.2 oz pack from Aldi)
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning (or I use the Seasoning for Tacos recipe on allrecipes.com)
Mix & grill or broil. Serve with your choice of toppings -- we love pepperjack cheese, avocado and tomatoes on whole wheat buns.

Taco Soup (don't let the long list of ingredients scare you, this is SO easy!)
1 pound ground turkey or 93/7 ground beef (optional, it is good without as well)
1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning mix or homemade equivalent (8 tsp)
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn (or one can)
1 14.5 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can black beans, undrained
1 14.5 oz can white beans, undrained
1 14.5 oz can refried beans
1 14.5 oz can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes

Brown ground turkey or hamburger in skillet. Soften onions in skillet while cooking meat. Drain if needed. Add meat/onion mixture and all other ingredients to a large pot or crockpot. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until ready to serve, or cook in crockpot until ready to serve (4 hours on high or 8 on low… all ingredients are already cooked though so it may not take that long).
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips or strips.

Makes about 14 one cup servings.



Do you have an Aldi nearby? I love shopping there for produce. It also helps to buy in season -- right now, apples, grapefruit and Cuties are in season and are cheaper.

Amajoy

Not sure where you live but if you have Fresh and Easy stores near you they always have boneless, skinless, chicken breast for a great price, like $1.99/lb.

Also bananas are normally pretty cheap. I buy alot of frozen vegi's, if you go with the store brand you get some good deals.

Oh and canned tuna. One of my staples, I had a post not to long ago about starkist making "Very low sodium" white albacore tuna. Very delish!

One more thing... Switch out that pasta for brown rice, rice is very cheap and its better for you then pasta... BUT if you HAVE to have pasta go for the whole grain kind.

misskate05

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bfgalvan

bump

CGrover1

Thank you so much! You've inspired me to want to cook again

sammybingo

I tend to make things like bolognase and chilli sauces in bulk so I can freeze portions and eat them on days when I am really busy / tired. I add tons of vegetables (frozen peppers, onions and mushrooms) and use soya / quorn mince. I can make about 8 portions for a couple of uk £. I find eating less meat a bit cheaper in all honesty, although some fresh fruits and salads are expensive.
I find almost any cheap foods and what not can taste really good if you invest in a nice range of spices and herb plants- it's a few pounds to start off with, but they last ages and you can mix it up each night.
I'd definately repeat what someone wrote before - chicken thigh meat is so much cheaper than breast, and so, so much tastier . I have 6 boned thighs in the fridge at the moment to currry tomorrow and they were £3 in Asda in the uk. That will be enough curry to freeze a fair few portions, it would probably serve about 6 (again, add tons of nice cheap frozen veg). If I could be bothered to bone them myself, I could probably get them even cheaper.

PS. Those southern Turkey burgers? So doing those next week!

Betty8461

Try checking out Angelfoodministires.com . They are a website where you can order a package of food including fresh fruits and veggies and they deliver to a church near you. They have bundles of beef (which is quality meat...I am very pickey) for cheep. They even have bundles for kids. They don't have an income requirement or membership club. It is for everyone. Thank you to all for those yummy recipies. They are a great refrence for those hectic days you don't know what to do.:flowerforyou:

Graceannelizabeth

Low calorie vegetable soup:

1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 cups low fat chicken broth
1 carrot
1 medium onion
1 green zucchini
3 celery stalks
green beans - 1 cup
1 tablesoon olive oil
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 can white beans
garlic (optional)


Saute onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, green beans for 5 minutes, add seasoning, stir for a minute, add diced tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes. I am not much of a bean person so tonight I added some cabbage instead. I have made this without the italian seasoning as well and I prefer it without. I have been dieting for over 3 weeks and this soup really fills you up. I am on my third batch and make it a little different every time. Each batch has lasted 4 to 5 days or longer.

callipygianchronicle

Soup, Soup, Soup. One of the lowest meals you can make per serving. Very easy to load with nutritious vegetables. Freezes well and reheats easily. Just avoid cream based soups. Buy a whole chicken, simmer it in a pot or slow cooker, and make every strip of meat and all the broth work for you. Whole chicken is infinitely less expensive than boneless skinless chicken breasts. As long as you are watching your portions, there’s no reason to think you can only lose weight on white meat chicken.

Hamburger Helper and 1/3 lb burgers are not inexpensive ways to spend your food dollar. Ground beef would go much further spread out in chili, soup, or meat sauce, than it will in a burger. And the sodium packed in a processed food like Hamburger Helper is murder on your ability to shed weight. It will keep you bloated and prevent your cells from behaving like you need them to.

My favorite soups to make are Chicken Tortilla (tortillas optional), Black bean, and minestrone. You can make an entire pot of these pureed vegetable soups (http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pureed-vegetable-soups) for less money than it would take to buy enough cans of soup to feed four hungry people. And though you say you don’t eat beans, if you are interested in protecting your health and your money, there is simply no better sources of cheap nutrition than homemade beans and brown rice.

MisdemeanorM

First - cut out the hamburger helper! It's so awful for you - especially if you are using the low quality high fat beef. Skip the beef in a meal and you can buy a whole bag of oranges for that price.

Good things are:

Stir fry: veggies (frozen ones $1/bag are great, or you can use canned) stir fried with some chicken (either fresh or canned) over rice. Feeds 4 for about $3. You can buy the sauce premade which puts it $4-5, or use some cooking wine and garlic with spices to make your own flavor. You can sub some tofu (buy it on managers special and use it right away) to substitute or supplement the chicken - fry it up. It's good. You can make this with beef too.

Pasta: bag of summer veggies (or veggie of choice. Frozen $1-2), chicken ($2), 1/2-1 bag of WW egg noodles or regular egg noodles.($1-2), cheese ($1-1.50 depending on how much you use.), can of or fresh diced tomatoes ($.50-1) Makes enough for at least 4 people with probably some left over for lunch. Cheese optional. I like it with it, and get it when the shredded bags go on sale for $1.50 per then stock up. Cook chicken while noodles cook in another pan. Microwave or steam veggies. Add to chicken and flavor as wanted (I like garlic and italian seasonings), add pasta, top with cheese or stir cheese into individual bowls.

Stew - small cut beef pieces, tomato juice, water, spices, a couple potatoes, some carrots (I use baby carrots - easier!), and an onion. Feeds 4 for probably 3 meals for about $6-8 depending on if you can find manager's special beef and the carrots on sale. 3 full meals for $8! Crock pot is easiest way to do this. Variations can be less juice and make it pot roast with carrots and potatoes. I really like to add some frozen or canned corn to the stew too. Plus, it's relatively healthy for you and much better than canned soup/stew. Another $4 and you can add a salad with tomatoes and crutons and cheese and some garlic italian bread. Or, for about another $2 you can have a simpler salad and some toast made out of regular old loaf of bread. That salad will last for all 3 meals as well.

Spaghetti: WW spaghetti with marinara sauce - feeds 4 for 2 meals each for about $3. You have $left to add in a salad. Garlic bread with regular toast or some italian loaf if you have a little $ left. Regular toast it's only about $0.10 per piece, or italian more like $0.25 per piece. Skip the meat on this one. You don't need it.

Pasta bakes - with or without chicken - elbow macaroni, marinara sauce, chicken, mozz cheese. Cook pasta and chicken, mix in sauce, top with cheese, bake - feeds 4 for at least 2 meals each. Cost, about $5-6.

Breakfast (can be eaten as breakfast for dinner) - Hashbrown quiche bake. 3 cups shredded hashbrowns lining a pie pan. drizzle with butter. Bake until browning at 350 or so. Take out, add in some onion and cheese on top (it says 1C shredded cheese, but you could save and do less), then pour on 2 eggs mixed with 1/2 cup milk. Bake another 20 until egg is firm. Very good!

Quiche - make a pie crust, mix in some cheese an eggs and milk (or cream) and bake. Probably in the range of $2-3 per quiche. Add $1 for some broccoli or spinach in it. No meat required on this one. Serve with some fresh fruit or tomato slices. One quiche probably feeds 4 for one meal if each eat 1/4 of the pie, which may or may not be a lot for them.

Pancakes - cheap and easy and great for dinner! Serve with some oranges or grapes when they go for $1 / lb. Meal is probably $3 for all 4.

Omelets - great meat alternative and good for dinner. Say 1/2 dozen eggs so $.80-1, $.50-1.00 frozen veggies, $1.50 cheese, and $0.30 worth of bread for toast, + $1 in fresh fruit. Feeds 4 for less than $5.

Biscuits and gravy - not the lowest cal meal, but you don't have to have a ton. Canned biscuits you can make for $2 plus $1 for the gravy and add some fruit -$4 to feed 4. I like homemade biscuits better and you can probably make them for about $1. I don't make homemade gravy, but you can probably cut that cost down less than $1 if you really wanted too.

Chicken or beef pot pie. You can use a can of veg-all or fresh veggies about $2 worth, $1 in chicken, and probably $1-2 in miscellaneous pie crust and filling ingredients. Feeds 4 possibly with leftovers. Not the lowest calorie, but you can control the ingredients so it's preservative and other nasty stuff free.

Cereal and oatmeal - save some $ for fruit and dinner by having breakfasts that cost about $0.25 per person! If you do this 1/2 the days of the month that is $15 to get you all 4 though 1/2 the month of breakfast. That's barely a dent in the month's budget! Buy the oatmeal in bulk and buy cereal only when it's BOGO or $2 a box an then coupon it on top of it. You might even be able to get breakfast lower than $0.25 each. You can add a banana each for about 10 cents each. 2 eggs each with a piece of toast is also only about 30 cents each. Fruit added in where possible.

Sirenism

I took a class called "Cent$ible Nutrition" which was all about saving money on food and how to stretch meals. A lot of them work off of two mixes that you make in bulk then add part of it to. http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/centsible/recipe.asp holds a lot of the recipes that are in the book I received. Seriously, check it out.

Here is a simple white sauce base that you can add other things to to make it more complete.

2tb butter
2tb all purpose flour
1c. milk

In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir with a whisk until well combined. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. Add more milk depending on consistency desired.

I like to add a cup to two cups shredded cheese, ground mustard, and pepper, and stir it in with cooked pasta to make mac and cheese. It's really simple and cheap to make.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 pie crust.
1 can cresent rolls
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2c-3/4c sour cream
3-4c. cooked diced/shredded chicken (optional)
1 bag frozen veggies (I like the carrots, peas, and green bean combo) cooked.
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix ingredients together and pour into crust. Bake 20 minutes before topping with cresent rolls to make a "top shell". Bake another 20 minutes. You can also put the rolls on before putting it in the oven and bake it for 40 mins but the rolls kinda brown.

poisongirl6485

If you're already not doing it, make sure to pair sales with coupons. I'm about to head to the store with a big list of stuff to price match and a huge stack of coupons. We'll see how I make out when I'm done.

bluemartini6

Bump

niclagi

Great ideas.

jules_lives_outloud

Know what your staples are and where they are located in your grocery store. Be willing to travel to two to three local grocers. Know what you need from each store and avoid all of the processed prepackage stuff.

If you have an Aldi's near buy, even if it is a short drive, it is sooooo worth it. Frozen veggies are usually really cheap and often better for you then fresh because they are packed at the peak of their season and don't loose as many nutrients in the shipping process. Consider growing some of your own veggies, even if you don't have space, many of them will grow in containers. At Wal- Mart (and I despise that place but can't fully get away from it) you can get frozen tubes of Jenno ground turkey for cheap. Just do not buy that mechanically separated use like ground beef crap right next to it, it's like cat food in a plastic tube!!!! FInd the cheap meals that you can double up on and eat them twice. Know what your staples are and buy larger amounts these then focus on your meats, drink water and tea, our brita pitcher saves us tons of $$$ at the store.

Frozen veggies and chicken or rice
Crock Pot Soups Chili, potato soup, minestrone, soup beans and corn bread
Tilapia and Brown rice about 350 calories and about $7.00 per meal
Tater tot casserole- not the lowest in calorie but is filling and about $5.00 for the whole meal if you buy the ground turkey tubes
one bag frozen tater tots
one cream of chicken and one of cream of mushroom (consider looking for healthful homemade alternatives : learn to make healthful soup bases and make them ahead, say on Sundays)
1-2 pounds ground turkey or hamburger (we cut out hamburger a long time ago and my and it reduced the amount of $$$ I spend in groceries. I buy more produce and still save $$$
one can evap milk

Fry up your meat and mix the soup and evap milk in and pour into your baking dish full frozen tater tots. Bake it until its done.
Got it from the Duggars website

Buy large amounts of apples: we prepare apples with many of our main dishes. It replaces many unhealthy and unnecessary calories. Apple slices with sammich's, fried in olive oil and creams, and spices, fried apples and pork chops, fried apples and french toast w/eggs, apple dippers, etc.

jules_lives_outloud

Know what your staples are and where they are located in your grocery store. Be willing to travel to two to three local grocers. Know what you need from each store and avoid all of the processed prepackage stuff.

If you have an Aldi's near buy, even if it is a short drive, it is sooooo worth it. Frozen veggies are usually really cheap and often better for you then fresh because they are packed at the peak of their season and don't loose as many nutrients in the shipping process. Consider growing some of your own veggies, even if you don't have space, many of them will grow in containers. At Wal- Mart (and I despise that place but can't fully get away from it) you can get frozen tubes of Jenno ground turkey for cheap. Just do not buy that mechanically separated use like ground beef crap right next to it, it's like cat food in a plastic tube!!!! FInd the cheap meals that you can double up on and eat them twice. Know what your staples are and buy larger amounts these then focus on your meats, drink water and tea, our brita pitcher saves us tons of $$$ at the store.

Frozen veggies and chicken or rice
Crock Pot Soups Chili, potato soup, minestrone, soup beans and corn bread
Tilapia and Brown rice about 350 calories and about $7.00 per meal
Tater tot casserole- not the lowest in calorie but is filling and about $5.00 for the whole meal if you buy the ground turkey tubes
one bag frozen tater tots
one cream of chicken and one of cream of mushroom (consider looking for healthful homemade alternatives : learn to make healthful soup bases and make them ahead, say on Sundays)
1-2 pounds ground turkey or hamburger (we cut out hamburger a long time ago and my and it reduced the amount of $$$ I spend in groceries. I buy more produce and still save $$$
one can evap milk

Fry up your meat and mix the soup and evap milk in and pour into your baking dish full frozen tater tots. Bake it until its done.
Got it from the Duggars website

Buy large amounts of apples: we prepare apples with many of our main dishes. It replaces many unhealthy and unnecessary calories. Apple slices with sammich's, fried in olive oil and creams, and spices, fried apples and pork chops, fried apples and french toast w/eggs, apple dippers, etc.

poisongirl6485

Success at the grocery store! 73 items for $83. Not bad. Love coupons.

healthyjen342

TUNA FISH!!!!!!!!! It's awesome...My newest favorite recipe:

(2) 5 oz cans tuna IN WATER
(1) large egg
1/2 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all this stuff up and make into patties..They will be slightly loose, but they will stay together..Cook on medium heat until brown on each side...

If you add a frozen veggie and an uncle ben's brown rice, this meal literally costs about 4.99

bstamps12

Salad can be really cheap if you buy your own head of cabbage and dice it up. You can add all kinds of things to the salads, grilled chicken, chopped turkey and ham, etc. Tomatoes can be really cheap if you look at all of the different kinds. The Roma Tomatoes seem to be the cheapest for me, but if you are using them in a salad, it doesn't matter what kind you buy, so you can buy the cheapest & cut them as needed. You can also make your own croutons by cutting up stale bread and drizzling some oil on them, then baking until they are crisp enough for your taste!

Big bags of frozen veggies are also great because you can divide them and use them in different recipes without worrying about them going to waste.

I would also add that even though most fruits are more expensive right now due to off-season, most stores put one or two on sale per week. Look for what fruits are on sale that week, and try to base two dinners a week around those fruits (instead of making your menu before and buying around that menu). Then you are cooking healthy meals and saving money!

sgj104

yum!

djthom

bump

meagalayne

Shop the sales, use coupons, navigate the weekly grocery flyers, and eat what's IN SEASON.

Also, try this: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/

healthydoseofglitter

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