|
|
By Frugillionaire
 If you’d like to save big bucks on your grocery bill, cut out the convenience foods. They may decrease your preparation and cooking time, but they’ll cost you a pretty penny.
Furthermore, they’re full of sodium, preservatives, and saturated fats—and give you very little bang for your nutritional buck.
Of course, you don’t always have time to cook everything from scratch. In some cases, it makes sense to use convenience foods strategically—such as canned stocks and sauces, or frozen vegetables when fresh is out of season.
But there’s no sense in paying a premium for things like flavored noodles and prepackaged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s just as easy, and much more economical, to prepare these things yourself.
If you’re not quite at home in the kitchen, get a good cookbook and learn the basics. It’ll be effort well spent—and a good investment in your health, as well as your finances.
By Frugillionaire
 Homemade mixes in glass mason jars make wonderful holiday gifts!
The idea: in a glass jar, layer all the dry ingredients needed for the recipient to make a tasty treat. It can be a hearty soup mix, pasta dish, cookies, hot chocolate—the possibilities are endless!
Here’s a few recipes to get you started:
Confetti Bean Soup Mix | Cooks.com
Gifts in a Jar: Herbed Rice Mix | Family Fun
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar | Nestle Meals.com
Double Fudge Brownie Mix in a Jar | AllHomemadeCookies.com
Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar | Little Birdie Secrets
Of course, you can adapt just about any recipe to a mason jar mix. Simply identify the dry, non-perishable ingredients in the recipe, and add them to the jar in layers. You can also make spice mixes, seasoning mixes, and coffee mixes.
After you’ve layered the ingredients, top the jar with a pretty fabric or ribbon in seasonal colors, and affix a decorative label with cooking instructions. Voila—an attractive, delicious, and frugal gift that the recipient is sure to enjoy!
By Frugillionaire
 Instead of buying gifts this holiday season, try baking them!
Homemade brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and breads are always appreciated and well-received; and best of all, they’re budget-friendly!
This strategy is particularly cost-effective if you have a large gift list, as you’ll save considerable money by purchasing ingredients in bulk.
Need some ideas for delicious holiday treats? Check out the following recipes:
Chocolate Peppermint Pizzelle | Food Network Kitchens
Gingerbread Cookies | Betty Crocker
Marbled Toffee Holiday Brownies | BBC Food
Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Filling | Martha Stewart Living
Cranberry Orange Bread | All Recipes
When you’re finished working your culinary magic, package the goodies in low-cost tins, or on paper plates wrapped with cellophane. Tie with a bow in holiday colors for a festive touch.
By Frugillionaire
 If you eat out frequently, often stop for take-out, or have a freezer stocked with frozen dinners, I have good news for you: you have a great opportunity to save some serious money.
At the average restaurant, an entrée, beverage, and tip will set you back about $20 per person (add an appetizer and dessert, and you’ll spend even more).
Take-out isn’t cheap, either—figure about $7-$10 for a medium-sized pizza, Chinese entrée, or prepared foods from the grocery store.
Even frozen dinners cost roughly $2.50-$5 each. By contrast, you could cook a delicious dinner for the whole family for roughly the same price.
There’s no need to be a great chef to produce something edible. If you’re a novice in the kitchen, pick up a basic cookbook to learn the fundamentals. My personal favorite is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything . I also like the Food Network Kitchens’ How to Boil Water , and Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals .
Start with the easiest recipes—your confidence will grow quickly as you realize it’s not rocket science. You can tackle more complex dishes as you gain experience, but this is hardly necessary—some of the tastiest, and healthiest, dishes are the simplest.
Don’t be put off by the “time” it takes to cook something. When you think about it, eating out is hardly a time-saver: by the time you drive to a restaurant, park the car, order your meal, and wait for it to arrive, you could have cooked a nice dinner at home for a fraction of the price.
So put on your chef’s hat, and get cooking. You’ll gain a wonderful sense of accomplishment and self-sufficiency, while fattening up your bank account!
By Frugillionaire
 Think how wonderful it would be to come home from work, and have a meal all ready to heat-and-eat.
You can make it happen—with batch cooking!
The idea: put on your chef’s hat for one night, prepare all the meals you’ll need for an entire week (or month!), and freeze them.
Batch cooking saves time, as preparation and cleanup are consolidated into one session—sparing you these tasks on busy evenings.
Better yet, batch cooking saves money! Ingredients can be purchased in bulk, often at a lower unit price (the cost per ounce, pound, liter, or other unit of measure) than smaller amounts.
This strategy also inspires more efficient use of food (such as stretching a whole chicken over several meals). You’ll be much less likely to waste leftover ingredients when you can use them immediately in other dishes.
And finally—perhaps most significantly—batch cooking saves you from splurging on takeout. Depending on your habits, this can add up to a small fortune!
Ready to give it a try? Check out the following resources for recipes, ideas, and instructions:
RecipeZaar – OAMC/Freezer/Make Ahead Recipes
BigOven – Batch Cooking Recipes
Ellen’s Kitchen – Once a Month Cooking
Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk and Enjoy by the Serving – More than 125 Recipes
Once-A-Month Cooking, Revised and Expanded: A Proven System for Spending Less Time in the Kitchen and Enjoying Delicious, Homemade Meals Every Day
The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy
.
By Frugillionaire
 Keep your cool in the dog days of summer by firing up the grill! Cooking out on warm nights can slash your utility bills. You’ll avoid turning on the oven, heating up the house, and running the air conditioner to cool it down. And there’s no better way to enjoy a balmy evening than eating al fresco!
Another strategy for warm weather cooking: make use of toaster ovens, crock pots and microwaves. They heat the meal, but not the whole house. Alternatively, serve up cold foods: sandwiches, salads and fruits are refreshing summer fare that won’t raise the temperature in your kitchen.
|
|
