Getting through on a budget

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  • tallvesl99
    tallvesl99 Posts: 231 Member
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    I buy 3 dozen eggs at a time and I eat a lot of them...scrambled egg sandwiches, omelets, hard boiled..they are great protein, very filling and VERY low in calories....and INEXPENSIVE! I also buy a 10 pound bag of potatoes....bake a potatoe, a tablespoon of real spreadable butter w/canola oil is only 50 calories and salt and pepper is a great filler.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
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    I messaged you with a link to my blog. Check out my tips.
  • lastspen
    lastspen Posts: 106 Member
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    I love cooking breakfast in muffin tins (pancakes, egg casserole etc) it makes it really conveinent for me to just pick up my breakfast and run out the door in the morning. Also, check out your local farmers/flea market for fresh veggies. They're usually cheaper than stores plus they're not sprayed with that wax film that you find on the veggies in most grocery stores. Also consider things like Meatless Mondays cause sometimes that can be the bulk of your grocery bill sometimes.


    I also like to do monthly challenges to clean out my fridge and pantry (or my mom's or friends') by only making meals centered around the food that I have there. It keeps me from having to do a lot of shopping because most of the stuff that I cook is already at the house.
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
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    eggs, beans, frozen veggies, coupons :)
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    Limit yourself to about 20-30 recipes that you rotate through. Pick recipes that have common base items like onions, celery, carrots, etc. that you'll always have on hand and are relatively inexpensive pantry items. Buy meat in bulk when possible. Stock up on whole grain pasta and brown rice when it's on sale. For breakfast stay away from cold cereals (much higher cost per serving) and eat oatmeal or eggs instead. Someone posted to make up your own egg English muffin sandwiches, I do that about 3 times a week and they're aweseome. Frozen veggies are much cheaper than fresh and most are just as good.

    If you're in an area where they have CSA farms, save up and purchase a share next year (usually around $300 for a share for 2 people). You get resh organic veggies and fruits every week from mid-spring through early fall for a fraction of the grocery store price.
  • KaylaBushman
    KaylaBushman Posts: 69
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    I recommend a website called mint.com... you can set up budgets and enter your bills and accounts and it keeps track of everything financially. You can set goals and work towards saving for those goals. Its one of my favorite websites and helps a ton. you can track spending patterns as well


    edited to add: this will help you to be able to spend your money on more important things like healthy eating and living...

    My husband and I went through and were able to add up everything we spent money on that wasn't a necessity, found out we were spending about $1600 a month on non essential things.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Learn to love leftovers.

    I cook a bunch of food on Sunday night...but it covers breakfasts and lunches for the week for my wife and I.
  • juliegrey1
    juliegrey1 Posts: 202 Member
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    Do a weekly shop,plan your menus for the week,if you are working make and pack your lunches,decide you must cook in the evenings stop the take away meals they are unhealthy as well as expensive,if you dont cook learn to cook,Allrecipes.com is a great site with lots of tips its worth lookin at!!!
  • Rambo529
    Rambo529 Posts: 170 Member
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    When fresh produce goes on sale (especially berries), I'll stock up on it. Then I bring it home, rinse it, put it on a cookie sheet and freeze for a couple hours. Then I transfer it to baggies or containers and put back in the freezer. This way you have it for later. Otherwise, what the others are saying.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    Buy and cook in bulk. Every time I make a meal that can be frozen, I double it and freeze half of it. Once the freezer is full, we start eating out of it. I also saved a ton of money by starting a cooking co-op with friends. We used our costco membership to buy groceries in bulk when they go on sale or there was a coupon (non perishable items or things than can be frozen) and then all the families split the cost of food. We were spending $40 for two weeks of lunches and dinners.
    Also, someone else mentioned not buying drinks, and I think that is a great idea. We buy milk, and that is it. I would also stay away from any boxed or packaged food you can't make yourself. You don't need crackers or chips. You can make your own bread super easy. The price per ounce is cheaper if you grate your own cheese or used dried beans instead of canned. Also, watch sales, sign up for freebies, always use coupons and send in rebates. You don't have go to extremes, but comparing prices will save you a lot. I also started making my own laundry detergent. It costs about $15 to make (I purchased distilled water), and it has lasted us at least a year. Make sure you pay your bills on time, and anything with interest fees, pay as much as you can. Cut your cable (go exercise instead). There are so many things you can do before you need to sacrifice the quality of food you are eating. Make a budget, see where you are spending, and cut the luxury items first. Food is not a luxury item.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    The crock pot is your friend...make big batches of soups, stews & meats while they are on sale and freeze in meal-sized portions. Also, at the end of the week if you end up with leftover produce, chop it, throw it in the crock pot with a can of tomatoes & beans, a piece of turkey sausage, some dried spices....a couple hours later.....ta-da...soup!

    Also, if you haven't done it yet, for the next couple weeks (or years), keep a diary of EVERY SINGLE PENNY you spend--just like MFP works to keep you mindful of eating and what junk you need to cut from your diet, a daily financial log will help you find where you're spending on useless crap. Get rid of that student debt as quickly as you can...they may "negotiate a lower payment" BUT at what cost to you? Believe me, any breaks they appear to be giving you is always going to be in their favor.

    Crock pot is great for cheaper cuts of meat that could be chewy or tough using other cooking methods. Also cut down on meat and add more vegetables. They add bulk and fill you up for not a lot of money.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Dried beans are cheap, nutritious, and tastier than canned. If you soak them in water in the fridge during the day, they'll cook quickly at night; you don't have to soak them, though, if you don't mind extra cooking time. Add rice or some other grain and you have a complete protein. I find that if I cook beans until they're edible but still fairly firm, they freeze well. I do keep canned beans for convenience, but I try to use dried ones when possible.

    If you buy frozen vegetables in bulk, it's easy to do inexpensive, tasty soups and stews. Spices are the key to variety: the same ingredients can taste wonderfully different with the right choice of spices. Import grocery stores that cater largely to immigrants are a good source for spices, with a larger variety and much lower prices than supermarkets. They're also good sources of inexpensive rice and beans.

    If you eat meat, use a moderate amount for flavor and texture, not as the main event. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are often inexpensive. Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com) has lots of good vegan recipes. For vegetarian dishes, I like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    Chicken, Tuna, eggs, frozen veggies and potatoes (not as evil as people have you think).
  • jennisky
    jennisky Posts: 5
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    My freezer is my best mate when it come to saving - DON'T THROW OUT ANYTHING!!!!
    If you see reduced fruit anytime - BUY IT, make your own raspberry jam, or freeze fruits and use them another time in muffins, coulis, or just defrost and add to yogurt (I use an old jam jar - half fill with yogurt, add frozen berries, they're defrosted in time for lunch and keep the yogurt chilled through the morning).
    All the best.x

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