You have to cut Waaaaay back. How to do it?

I am often asked how to drastically cut back on your grocery bill. Well, there are several ways to go about doing this. First of all, make yourself some notes. How much have you generally been spending per month on food? How much do you want to cut back? What are the obvious things to cut back on? How will your family react to these changes and how can you buffer it for them? Maybe if you let everyone in on your plans, they can help you with the planning. You can garner more support that way.

Some Easy Switches to save you money now

• Take your lunch to work instead of eating out

• Make your own pizza at home instead of ordering in

• Make your own hot breakfast drink to take on the road instead of stopping for an expensive coffee.

• Try some of the store brands or no-name brands for favorite foods. The quality of store brands has been increasing to become more competitive but the price remains lower.

Cost-Cutting Strategies:

1) Instead of planning a meal and then buying the ingredients, stock your pantry with the least expensive food options and then make your menu from your pantry foods.

2) Keep in mind that some of the least expensive foods, which are filling and nutritious are:


• fresh vegetables: potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions
• frozen vegetables: peas, green beans, corn
• canned foods: pork & beans, tomato soup, tomatoes, tuna
• packaged foods: mac&cheese, ramen soup (these 2 aren't highly nutritious)
• dry goods: oats, cornmeal, dry beans and lentils, rice, noodles, flour (sometimes)

3) Go window-shopping at the grocery and discount stores in your area.
Make a list of the inexpensive foods. Go home and do some brainstorming about what you can make with them. Look in cookbooks for ideas.

4) If your family needs some "breaking in" to the budget meals idea, then do 3 meals per week under the new plan to start out with.
Make your budget meals exciting with the use of different spices. Add some cheese on top if you need to. (that's always a winner with my kids!)

5) Have a family competition.
Assign different members to plan a meal and see who can make the yummiest meal for the least money. If you are cooking only for yourself then have the competition with yourself. See how low you can go for cost while still maintaining nutrition and taste. Keep track of your meals and costs for future reference.

Making budget meals can be a fun challenge. Look at it in a positive light, congratulating yourself and your family on how much you've saved, rather than feeling deprived, and you will be surprised at the difference it makes. Have fun making your Quick Easy Cheap Meals!

Quick Easy Cheap Meals: Dessert in a Jiffy!

I received this recipe from my sister-in-law years ago, and the same recipe card, now all tattered, torn and discolored still sits in its special spot in my cupboard, ready to pull out in a moment's notice.

Quick Cobbler
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 quart fruit, drained

Put butter in 9 x 13 pan or slightly smaller and put in oven while preheating. (350)
Mix remaining ingredients except fruit. Pour over melted butter.
Mix together. Drop fruit on top of batter evenly. Do not mix.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This recipe has been great to use over the years. I always try to keep some bottled or canned fruit in my pantry, and the other ingredients are pantry basics. If you would like to try using the fruit liquid instead of milk, then cut down the sugar slightly. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Yummy Bean Soup

We all love quick, easy cheap meals! This one is great because you can buy the ingredients, place them in a plastic shopping bag, loosely tie the top (so you can re-use the bag), and put it in your pantry. Then, on a day when dinner needs to be NOW, just grab the bag and you are only about 5-10 minutes away from eating!

Yummy Bean Soup:

• 1 envelope chicken noodle soup
• 1 can beans in tomato sauce (with or without pork)
• 1 can flakes of ham (the small round can)
• 1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1 can mixed vegetables

Directions:

• Mix the soup with 4 cups water and add onion flakes.
• Bring almost to boil while mashing ham into small pieces with fork
• Add all ingredients to soup mixture and simmer 5 minutes.

If you're rushed for time, serve with bread or buns.
If you have an extra 5 minutes, put a batch of biscuits in the oven while soup is cooking.
This soup can easily be doubled.

Shepherd's Pie Revisited

Some people have their own favorite recipe for Shepherd's Pie. Did you know that you can really let your imagination go to work when making this classic dish? Here are the layers you will need. In bottom of an 8x8 or 9x13 pan, put:

• a layer of cooked meat. If meat is dry, mix it with gravy or a can of cream soup.
• a layer of cooked vegetables. If you have leftovers, use them. Otherwise you can drain a can of corn, peas, beans, whatever you have and sprinkle on top of the meat.
• a layer of mashed potatoes. If you have leftover cooked mashed potatoes, use them. If you want to quickly mix up some instant mashed potatoes, use them.
• top with a sprinkling of grated cheese, if desired.

Pop into the oven or microwave long enough to heat cold ingredients and melt cheese.
Call everyone for dinner!
This is a one-pot meal, and has meat and lots of vegetables. As a side, you could open a couple of cans of fruit and mix them together, or serve bread, buns, or a salad on the side.

Quick Easy Cheap Meals: Why celery is a winner

Today's focus on Celery:

• an oft neglected affordable fresh vegetable
• crisp, sweet, juicy, delicious
• low in calories
• naturally reduces high blood pressure
• eat raw or cooked
• very versatile
• widely available
• quick easy snack to grab on the go
• packs well in lunch bags
  

Tips for storing celery:

• Cut off root end, split into separate stalks
• Wash celery well
  
• Package clean stalks in aluminum foil, 3-5 stalks per foil bundle
• Keeps well in fridge several weeks this way

Tips for using celery:

• Eat raw as a stand-alone or add to salad
• Use to scoop up hummus
  
• Fill stalks with cheese or nut butter
• Chop and saute and add to meatloaf or lasagna
• Chop and add to favorite cole slaw recipe
• Saute celery and onions and add to omelet or quiche