Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wanted!
Hi - I am looking for really frugal recipe ideas (preferably healthy, as well), as our grocery budget seems to be the one area that we can currently shave the most off to help apply to our current debt. We spend approx. $700 per month for 9 of us on food and anything we buy at Wal-Mart/Sam's (clothing, household, gifts, pet food, etc). I would like to find recipes that would help us save money in these areas, but not sacrifice good health in the process. Thanks in advance!
tightwadkitty
Unregistered User
(1/15/06 8:14 pm) Reply
Paying down debt and a large family - frugal
Hi
Do you use ground beef in your cooking?
You could try TVP in the dry form use at 50 - 50 to cut your costs! I do and cannot tell the differents.
Kitty
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
I have picked up a great book on once a month cooking. It is a fantastic way to prepare your meals for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. It really helps get your meals more organized and cuts down on grocery bills. I have a family of 5 HUGE eaters and it has saved me hundreds of dollars.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
i can't really help with recipes - but i found by pre-planning my weeks meals i only did one trip to the grocery store and then therefore less likely to buy other 'stuff' during the week
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Trying to cut down on the convenience foods and utilizing less of the more expensive ingredients really helps me with my grocery budget. Less meat, more vegetables, noodles and pasta really helps. Homemade stews, soups and stirfrys are much healthier and really stretch out the meat. I try to shop more around the perimeter of the store - produce, meat, dairy and bakery and less in the middle. Staples such as beans, rice, pasta, and paper products are stocked up on when sales are in effect. I also shop at the warehouse store for cleaners, soaps, prescriptions and over the counter drugs and vitamins and find that saves me quite a bit too.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Do you do any shopping at your dollar stores? It is amazing what sorts of things they have available. One of the dollar stores in our area (but I know they are in other parts of the country as well) - "The Dollar Tree" now sells dairy and other perishable food items.
Karen
Dianakpd
Unregistered User
(1/17/06 6:42 am) Reply
It was good for us
Check out the recipe section of www.miserlymoms.com. They have a ton of really cheap recipes.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Thanks so much for all the replies! We do pretty much make everything from scratch. One thing I know I need to do is find some good recipes utilizing beans. I don't want to sacrifice protein for the sake of cost, so beans are a great way to make up for meat in cooking.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
I don't have any recipes for you right now, but I do have a some tips:
*Plan at least 1-2 meals a week without meat.
*Eat soup before the main course- it's cheap, it will fill you up and you will eat less of the more expensive main course
*Shop at the low-end grocery stores (I don't know exactly what you call them). We have a store called Save-a-lot that I can buy many items at a reduced price compared to other stores. And these aren't dented cans & stuff- they're just off-brands. They quite often have name brand items that are cheaper too. I've also heard of Aldi's and other places that are similar.
*Buy the cheaper, tougher meat and cook it in the crock pot. It'll make be oh-so-good & tender.
*Use turkeyburger instead of hamburger. The price of hamburger, even the cheap kind, is expensive. I can buy 1 lb frozen rolls of turkeyburger at my local Save-a-lot for just .79 cents. Not only are we saving a ton of money, it's a lot healthier for us too.
*Plan your meals at least a week in advance, make your grocery list according to only what you need & stick too it- no buying extras that aren't on the list. (A great way to do this is to leave hubby & kids at home! I notice that a lot of things we don't need end up in the cart when I take them with me.) If you plan right & buy everything you need in one trip you save time & money running to the store for items you forgot. In my experience, those quick runs to the store for 1 item I need result in a multitude of items I don't really need.
*Eat before you go shopping!!!! I don't know how many impulse things I've bought because they looked good because I was hungry.
*Take a throrough inventory of your freezer & pantry. Try to come up with as many meals as you can without having to buy anything else.
*Have a couple recipes that you can put together quick and always have the ingrediants on had for those times when life happens and throws off your day- it saves from ordering out.
*Stock up on items when they are on sale so you won't have to buy them when they're double or triple the price.
*Make a price book- this helps out with the previous tip and is something I'm just starting. It helps you know when an item is truely a great price.
If I think of some more tips or some good frugal recipes I'll come back and share them. Hope this helps!
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Don't be afraid to ask for things free. Even at the grocery stores. I've always got a lifetime supply of raisens for example..............all free. Ask the produce person, when they are cleaning & sorting through the produce aisle, "just what are you going to do with those loose grapes?" If they say "toss them", ask if you could drive around back & pick them up. I've got chickens, so I can always say they are for the "girls"............. and truly, the chickens get lots from this project.
But, the loose grapes are usually great & with a quick dip in boiling water, then onto the dehydrator racks, I've got tons of raisens by the next evening.
Great project for kids, all the sorting, etc.
I've advertised in local free sorts of papers, or on Craigs list, for extra garden produce, or to pick fruit from peoples trees that they aren't going to use..............Plenty to can & put up that way.
I usually make a kettle of beans a week, to use for re fried beans. Pinto are my favorite, just cook down, then add some sort of flavoring, bacon fat is my MIL's old recipe........ Salt & pepper & some cheese if you have it. Keeping these in the fridge means there is always a snack handy, or a base for meals......... Smear some in a tortilla & add veggies, healthy, cheap & kids will eat them.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Here is a bean salad recipe that my husband and I just adore. It is healthy as you can see by the WW points noted on the recipe. I think you could find many ways to use it, as a main course for lunch or as a side dish with an inexpensive meat.
3-Bean Salad with Sweet Onions
Serving: Yields: about 6 cups or 8 accompaniment servings (4 WW points/cup)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard with seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can (15 to 19 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix vinegar, oil, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper until blended. Add kidney beans and remaining ingredients; toss well. Serve salad at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Each serving: About 185 calories, 9 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g total fat (0 g saturated), 9 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 185
Total Fat: 4.0
Saturated Fat: 0.0
Cholesterol: 0.0
Sodium: 560
Carbohydrates: 29
Fiber: 9.00
Protein: 9.0
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
Elowah, Can you give me the name of this book, please? (the once a month cooking you mentioned) It sounds like such a wonderful idea. Thanks,
Brett
Edited by: bbristo at: 2/5/06 9:05 am
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
I just read the list of ideas you've received, and most of them sound great.
2nd item to the Sams Club suggestion. Shop there early in the day and you can buy their marked down beef, poultry, and pork. Their quality is excellent. I've done this for many years, and I've never had a problem - I bring it home and repackage it for individual meals immediately, and then freeze the packages. I've kept some frozen for as long as six months and it was still good. I won't buy meat anywhere else. Their chicken has quality second to none. Also - I have their business membership so I can get in as early as 7 AM.
I've been a coupon/refunder for many years, and I greatly recommend trying Refundcents.com. I think the fee is less than $20.00 a year, and the chat board has saved me thousands - I'm NOT kidding- thousands of dollars, and it is just my husband and I. These people are GREAT to sniff out the best deals and prices - and then SHARE them on the chat board with everyone. There is no "typical" member. We come from all over the US, are all ages and incomes. Some of us are homeschoolers, some work at home moms, and every other kind of person you can think of. Their is also a recipe board as part of the membership. We have an off-topic board. Their is a board to sell and buy forms and coupons. These people are some of the most generous I've ever met. We pray for one another in times of hurt and celebrate in times of happiness.
I buy, almost exclusively, name brands. My Bounty paper towels? 64-69 cents a roll. My Northern, Charmin, Cottonelle toilet tissue? 68-85 cents a four pack. My Tide,Wisk, All Small and Mighty? 4.50-4.99 a 100 oz. bottle. My Bayer aspirin? Less than .03 cents a tablet. All of these are cheaper than Sams Club, and most come with a tie-in to a refund or some other offer.
Finally, thank you for bringing a smile to my day. You brought back many memories of raising four kids on a very small income. Hang in there.
Re: Paying Down Debt And A Large Family - Frugal Recipes Wan
G'day, ginaklahn - welcome to the frugal clan - I can really recommend www.savingdinner.com - it helps you get your food budget under control - together with the great ideas on this terrific BudgetStretcher site - you should be well on the way. The Dinner Diva(www.savingdinner.com) and FlyLady.net would help you enormously as well. The Dinner Diva helps you to make menus for a week at a time (or more if you so wish) makes up the shopping list for the menu meals that are planned saving heaps of TIME EFFORT AND MONEY and of course WASTAGE. Try it free for a week and then subscribe if you like it.
It is amazing how much food is inadertently wasted and not only that - she encourages healthy eating whilst saving HEAPS OF MONEY without having to go without, they are easy recipes - tasty and healthy and frugal.
Flylady helps with the organization of your home and chores the fun and painless way so that you have plenty of TIME for family friends and hobbies - I KNOW BECAUSE I AM FOLLOWING FLYLADY. It is like belonging to a loving helpful family circle. Best thing I ever did. The FlyLady site is free - check it out - there are some sample recipes for savingdinner.com (That is Dinner Diva) you can subscribe to her menu planners - and there is a great variety to chose from (which also includes using a crockpot which is a fabulous easy to use and frugal utensil saving time, effort and money). Since I learnt the "FlyLady way", I am free to enjoy life and have my food budget under control, my house and chores organized and sorted, giving me heaps of time to take up my hobbies, go online and also try gardening and other new hobbies and keep everything running smoothly and seemingly effortless. I hope this benefits you the way it has done for me. Cheers Peggy in Australia
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