Recipe ideas on a low budget?

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Replies

  • kcpsu18
    kcpsu18 Posts: 36 Member
    bump
  • Sorry to hear about your mom's job! There are lots of ways to keep cost down. It is a good idea to not only make a list for shopping and check items off as you go along, but to also do a menu for the week as well. This way you have less chance of buying odds and ends you may not need. Many grocery stores also reduce price of certain pkgs of meat that are larger quanity, like chicken breasts. You can split them up at home into serving sizes for you and your mom when you get home and freeze them. Also shop the sales! Check several near by stores and only buy sale items. Use coupons. You can still clip coupons when using food stamps, it really stretches your money, You can make your menu while scanning the sale ads. Use store brands. They are just as good as major brands. Make sack lunches with left over dinner items. It saves lots of money and is more exciting then plain sandwich. Dont throw out left overs! You can use things like left over rice, veggies, meat to create a yummy and fast stir fry. Skip things like soda, instead make iced tea with store brand tea bags.I have lots of ideas. If you need more, friend request me or send me a message. Good luck!
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    some real gd websites!
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,691 Member
    try a web search. I like eatingwell.com myself for budget friendly recipes, or allrecipes.com
  • cmccoy0901
    cmccoy0901 Posts: 156 Member
    Bump this is helpful I'm on tight budget too
  • bump
  • chljlleal
    chljlleal Posts: 230 Member
    When I make a curry or pasta sauce I add a lot more veggies to it now (whatever is on offer). It bulks them out and I usually end up making enough to freeze for another time.
  • DanceInTheRain77
    DanceInTheRain77 Posts: 30 Member
    bump.

    Thanks for posting. I can really use the help with this, myself!
  • vnsschrstnsn
    vnsschrstnsn Posts: 3 Member
    Lentils and other beans/legumes are a great source of protein and key item for a tight budget! Tons of great recipes out there for different types of cuisines for them too (ex. Italian lentil soup, coconut curry lentil soup, heart vegetable stew with lentils, etc)
  • My favorite any-time-of-the-day budget meal is eggs poached in marinara over a microwave baked potato. Heat one cup of marinara per person, when it's slightly bubbling, add two eggs per person, pop on a lid, wait about 5-6 minutes. Cut open the tater, put one egg on each half, top with marinara, dig in. Doesn't even need cheese or butter! Potatoes, eggs, and jarred sauce are some of the cheapest pantry staples you can get. The whole thing weighs in a 363 calories with 18 g of protein. I second PoorGirlEatsWell.com. Supercook.com is another great resource. Enter what you have in your pantry, and it spits out a recipe using what you have.

    I also like buying whole chickens when they're at $.77/lb. Salt, pepper, stuff with a wedged onion, a stalk of celery, a carrot, and lemon wedges, mix herbs with olive oil and rub in down, especially under the skin. Roast (you can google times & temps for the weight of the bird). Pick the meat off the bones and chop to add to a variety of meals - quesadillas, salad, enchiladas, casseroles, spaghetti, ect. Don't throw away the bones - put them in the freezer, adding carrot tops, onion skins, celery leaves, garlic peels. When the bag is full, put it in your largest stock pot, fill with water, and then boil it down over several hours. Homemade chicken stock that's essentially free because you're making it with things you'd normally throw away. Chill in the fridge, skim the fat off the top, and freeze in incriments that make sense for you. I usually do 1 4-cup (soup) and the rest in 1 cup containers (add to sauces).

    Hope this helps!
  • tjoyjohn
    tjoyjohn Posts: 31 Member
    bump to check out later
  • Pspetal
    Pspetal Posts: 426 Member
    Check this site. Its written by someone who feeds a family of 4 on $50 per week.
    There are planned daily menus and recipes too for every week.
    I found it on pinterest and I think its awesome. She does all the hard work of figuring things out for you and all you have to do is follow the plan.
    There're about 34 weeks' worth of menus and detailed grocery lists AND recipes for all 3 meals of the day.

    http://www.grocerybudget101.com/content.php/8-menus
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Check this site. Its written by someone who feeds a family of 4 on $50 per week.
    There are planned daily menus and recipes too for every week.
    I found it on pinterest and I think its awesome. She does all the hard work of figuring things out for you and all you have to do is follow the plan.
    There're about 34 weeks' worth of menus and detailed grocery lists AND recipes for all 3 meals of the day.

    http://www.grocerybudget101.com/content.php/8-menus

    Killer link! Thanks! :happy:
  • Pspetal
    Pspetal Posts: 426 Member
    You're most welcome! :happy: I was amazed when I read through the website!
  • tracym22
    tracym22 Posts: 107 Member
    Bump, for later
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
    I think you can still use coupons? And ad prices? I would check out what is on sale and do some meal planning based on that. Usually pasta goes on sale and if not you can get it pretty cheap. Just use a little and stretch with vegies. Find the lowest price on chicken breast for example and stock up! I also like to go to the store, see when everything is set to expire and go back that day :wink: when I do I go home and grill it all up and freeze it or slice it in the fridge.

    I make chicken breasts (1/2 is a serving) then do chicken fajitas with tons of peppers and onions (works great if you get a lean steak and pound it and grill it too) and chicken on our salad.
    Try to find cheap turkey sand meat too. I found it in the deli for under 2$/lb this week! I freeze half then use sandwich thins (wheat) with lots of lettuce.
    Oat revolution in strawberry or blueberry is my fave and is only 100-160 calories a container. 5 pouches are 1.25 at my store.
    Eggs are cheapest at our gas station, we do lots of egg white omelets with salsa. The kids like egg salad too or I will slice the white on my salad (bring to boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 17 minutes for perfect boiled eggs, the older eggs peel nicer than newly bought eggs). Great protein!
    I really stretch out hamburger too! I have the shaker for taco seaoning and will make 1/2 pound into taco meat. I use a little on a tortilla with fat free refried beans (I do spend for the good brand about 1$ and it lasts a long time) and vegies. Use leftovers with tortilla chips and salsa! I make soup with the other 1/2 pound. Add some off brand vegetable juice, cheap broth and some beans with it. Add whatever good soup vegies you have or cans of vegies and you can stretch that a long ways, or chili too! Freezes great!

    You can do it! And eat healthy! Biggets things to meal plan, write it out! Plan for leftovers too or plan to repurpose your leftovers in a fun way. Check allrecipes.com and enter the ingredients you have? I think they have a cooking for 2 section! I wish I had my list I made for my best friend a while back. She had about 20$ and had to last 5 days for a fam of 4 plus occasional 2 daycare kids. I checked the ads and made a plan. (she blew it by adding frozen pizza). In my mind my plan was way healthier for them too and saved money!
  • katiestemp
    katiestemp Posts: 27 Member
    big bump! :)
  • laurie858
    laurie858 Posts: 91 Member
    I bought a BIG bag of Coach's Oats from Costco for right around $5. It has 51 servings, but I eat less than 1 serving, so I probably get around 60 servings per bag. That's 60 breakfasts for $5. That's less than a dime per meal!! I add one packet of Splenda (which you can steal... I mean BORROW from Starbucks for free) and I think it tastes pretty good. Maybe have it every other day so you don't get bored. If you run into some extra cash, try with a handfull of blueberries instead of Splenda. YUM!

    Brown rice = healthy & cheap
    - Add salsa, bell peppers, onions, and chicken for Mexican night
    - Serve wtih veggies and meat for asian stir fry

    When shopping, meat & protein are usually the most expensive items. If you're going to eat it that day or the next, check the bargain/clearance section in the meat department. A lot of times the meat is still good, it just has to be sold in the next day or two. As long as you cook it and eat it that night, you're fine!

    If milk or cheese are ever on Super Sale, stock up! They can both be frozen. Especially if you're going to cook with it later. I've found Costco to be the cheapest place to buy cheese.

    Veggies too! You can buy in bulk and freezer for later. Buy a BUNCH of bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and carrots. Take them home, wash them, cut them up, divide into portion packs, place in zip lock baggies, freeze. Voila!

    Shop by Price Per Ounce, not total price. Cheese is a good deal when under 20 cents per ounce. The average grocery store price is 30 to 45+ cents per ounce! Costco is around 15 - 17 cents per ounce.

    Know where to splurge!! I spend extra money on my favorite salad dressing. When I have it in the house I eat more salads and my veggies don't go bad. If I have crappy salad dressing, I never want to eat salads and waste money throwing away bad veggies.
  • AnaVerasGettingFit
    AnaVerasGettingFit Posts: 109 Member
    bump
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
    Love this topic. Always looking for ways to save. thanks to all who supplied links. I love Clara the Depression Ere Cook, made me call my grandma :) and reminded me how you got to enjoy what you have. Live life to the fullest Like Clara.