Idea's for small budget meals

RacheBell
RacheBell Posts: 111
edited September 20 in Recipes
I love cooking, very much. My problem is, I use way too much stuff. My boyfriend and I live together, and he is in school still. He is working full time, and with our paychecks combined we live pretty well, and I can afford the grocery's I need/want for my recipes. He is about to go from full time, to a part time internship, making less, but hopefully getting his degree by the end of this year, meaning next year he could earn almost 3x as much.

Okay, sorry, rambling. Any recipes that don't require alot of ingrediants, or expensive ingrediants? Fresh fruits/vegetables are qualified as expensive, especially since they go bad within 3 days of buying them (bummer!)

Replies

  • spritie
    spritie Posts: 167
    Spinach Chickpea Curry (serves 2)
    250g/10oz frozen spinach
    1 can drained rinsed chickpeas
    1 finely chopped onion
    optional ** 1 cup chopped mushrooms
    either curry paste or powder however you usually make it. can also omit curry and use garlic and lemon juice to flavour.

    Serve with rice, couscous, quinoa etc.


    Saute onion, (mushrooms if using).
    Mix in spices/garlic
    Add frozen spinach, and cook till defrosted
    Add chickpeas + lemon juice if using till the whole lot is nice and hot.

    Serve with rice, couscous, quinoa etc.
  • SKINNYMOMOF5
    SKINNYMOMOF5 Posts: 22 Member
    SOUPS! YOU CAN BUY CANNED OR FROZEN VEGGIES ON SALE, I MAKE A HUGE POT AND FREEZE PORTIONS,MANY SOUPS ARE LOW CAL AND VERY FILLING
  • medtrans79
    medtrans79 Posts: 46
    You can never go wrong with a roasted chicken! I throw one in the crock pot on low for 8 hours with some Ms. Dash to season and fresh lemon juice. Add anything you want as a side and then you have leftovers for a couple of days too which are good for sandwiches.
  • ltlhmom
    ltlhmom Posts: 1,202 Member
    Check out this website http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf38067311.tip.html

    You just need to come up with meals that you can get more then one out of. Like if you make a whole chicken. With the leftovers you can make chicken sandwiches, Chicken soup, chicken pot pie. I think if you budget your money and meal plan you will be able to still make healthy meals.

    google meal budget for two I'm sure there are other idea out there.
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
    bump
  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
    I'm a stay at home mom to 3 kids and a hubby (kid number 4). I can't stand to waste food so here's an example of what we do.

    Night 1 - I roast a chicken. I typically cut up some onion throw it in, poke a lemon and throw it in the cavity, top with garlic, salt, and paprika and roast that baby. Now, here's the key, after dinner, I strip off the left over chicken and separate it into dark meat and white meat. Keep your carcass too.

    Day 2 - I take 1 cup of white meat and 1 cup of dark meat. Mik it with onion, garlic, mayonaise and a pinch of sugar. This makes an AWESOME sandwich spread. I pulse it in the food processor to make sure it's a little smooth.

    Night 2 - Homemade chicken soup. Make your stock, add your veggies and then add your noodles and equal parts of your leftover chickn. You can used canned veggies instead of fresh.

    So I know that's a little extreme but that's what we do. Nothing goes to waste here. I bake homemade breads for the kids. I make homemade soups and anything extra gets made into something.
  • meg0112
    meg0112 Posts: 344
    Soups are a good suggestion. I also like to do pasta (which is way cheap, store brand like 5 for $4) and make sauce using canned tomatoes and mushrooms. Fresh garlic is cheap and lasts too. Take a can of diced tomatoes, simmer with the sliced mushrooms and fresh garlic and mix with pasta. Get creative, add parmesan, white or red wine, olive oil, anything and you make the sauce last between 4 and 6 servings, depending on how much you use.
  • Fuhgeddaboudit
    Fuhgeddaboudit Posts: 88
    Chicken Pot Pie - --


    It's on the side of the Bisquick box !


    Super yummy, cheap and low cal
  • jw17695
    jw17695 Posts: 438 Member
    I like red beans and turkey sausage. My other favorite is brown rice w/chicken and broccoli.
  • astrosnider
    astrosnider Posts: 151 Member
    I'm like you -- I like to cook and tend to spend a lot of money on food. But here are a few tips I've found to make it a little less costly:

    1. Fresh fruits are usually cheaper -- and better -- when they are in season in your local area. For me, this is in the summer for most things. So in the winter I will buy locally grown but frozen unsweetened pie cherries, peaches and blueberries to use on granola and in smoothies. I get a big bag at a local gourmet store, keep them in the freezer and just take out what I need each day. They are really good when heated in the microwave and put on granola or oatmeal -- kind of like a sundae with a little yogurt and Splenda.

    2. Buy in bulk. I go to a store that has all kinds of things -- granola, nuts, rice, split peas, etc. -- in bulk. I try not to buy too much at a time so it won't get stale. It's usually a lot cheaper than buying the packaged version of the same food.

    3. Don't go to the store. If I go in for a couple of things I'll inevitably end up with more. So unless we're out of something we consider a necessity, like coffee beans, I'll try to put off going shopping and use what we already have in the refrigerator, the pantry and the freezer.
  • Sunsh1ne
    Sunsh1ne Posts: 879 Member
    I know what you're talking about with a tight budget. Dry rice and dry, not canned, beans are your friends - they are cheap and can keep well, and they are nutritional staple foods. They are also very versatile; I'd say there are infinite possibilities using one or both as a base ingredient. Lentil stews, three-bean chili with rice instead of pasta or cornbread, all sorts of ethnic dishes... I really depend on these.

    Meal planning is also your friend so that you can budget before you go to the store. I try to plan a whole week out in advance, so I know what I'm buying and how much.

    One thing to keep in mind: the vegetables that are on sale are usually in season, which means they are fresher and maybe even better for you than just any old thing. Most super markets offer an online circular, which can help you in meal planning.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I'm a big fan of cheap and easy.

    Wraps are great. I buy pre-breaded white meat chicken strips- a big box for around $10-$12, and use them on wraps throughout the month (with ranch dressing, shredded cheese and veggies). Egg and turkey bacon wraps are good too.

    Pita pizzas are very inexpensive. Use either a greek pita or a whole wheat pita, some sauce & cheese, and you can add whatever other toppings you like.

    Frozen veggies and brown rice are cheap and can round out anything to make it more of a meal.
  • jdayl
    jdayl Posts: 25 Member
    I made this tonight, I used a red onion, fresh spinach, phucket (green curry) and a Tbs or so of lemon juice
    Delicious!!! This will be a regular meal of mine.
    Spinach Chickpea Curry (serves 2)
    250g/10oz frozen spinach
    1 can drained rinsed chickpeas
    1 finely chopped onion
    optional ** 1 cup chopped mushrooms
    either curry paste or powder however you usually make it. can also omit curry and use garlic and lemon juice to flavour.

    Serve with rice, couscous, quinoa etc.


    Saute onion, (mushrooms if using).
    Mix in spices/garlic
    Add frozen spinach, and cook till defrosted
    Add chickpeas + lemon juice if using till the whole lot is nice and hot.

    Serve with rice, couscous, quinoa etc.
  • RacheBell
    RacheBell Posts: 111
    Thanks guys! These are all great ideas. I knew I could count on people here!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    always shop the sales. clip your newspaper coupons too. watch for the 10 for $10 and stock up.

    right now safeway has barilla pasta on sale for 88 cents, which is about half the normal cost. also classico pasta sauce for $1.79 which is $1.50 less than normal. plus there is a coupon in the newspaper for $1.50 off when you purchase a pound of beef, so basically it's FREE. corn flakes and quaker squares are $1 a box if you buy 5, honey nut cheerios and nature valley granola bars are $1.50 a box if you buy 5, and honey bunches of oats, raisin bran and lucky charms are $2 a box when you buy 5. buy 5 and you save a minimum of $10.

    baked potatos with chili (or other toppings) are cheap and easy.
    turkey is also cheap and lasts for a long time.
    red beans and rice with a kielbasa.
    a bone-in ham is expensive, but will provide you with at least 3 meals - baked ham and the fixin's, scalloped potatos and ham casserole, ham and bean soup.
    jello with frozen fruit in it and cool whip makes a great cheap dessert.
    eat breakfast (french toast and scrambled eggs) for supper.
  • zoeysgrandma
    zoeysgrandma Posts: 2
    try looking at food networks "5 ingredient fix" menus
    very easy but well thought out recipes
  • Sunsh1ne
    Sunsh1ne Posts: 879 Member
    Oh! And about fresh veggies - if there is a farmer's market in your area (they'll be opening up again soon) you can usually get the best deals on fresh veggies if you're there in the last hour or half-hour the market is open, and if you're willing to buy a lot. When you get home, wash, peel, etc, and then blanch the veggies, bag them in 1-quart bags (plenty for two) and freeze them until you need them. I did this a lot last summer because my parents don't buy veggies while I'm at school, but they will eat them if they're in the house.
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