I stay home with my kids and love it, but at times it is hard making ends meet with one income. Christmas is one of those times. We want to give our kids some nice presents, but it’s almost impossible to set money for them aside. So I consider it my job to come up with the Christmas money out of our food budget. that’s where frugal recipe comes in.
Soups are a great way to cook frugally. Almost any leftovers can be turned into some sort of soup. I usually start with a chopped onion and any other raw vegetables I have, then I add various leftovers including meats, vegetables, rice, noodles etc. If it still doesn’t look like a filling enough meal, you can either add a can or two of vegetables or beans, or just add a homemade bread, some muffins or a dessert to complete dinner.
You don’t need to cook meat each night. Experiment with some beans or lentils instead. They are inexpensive, healthy and a great source of protein. You can also combine small amounts of meat and then get the bulk of your protein from beans. Good examples of this are chili and pork and beans. I use less than a half a pound of ground beef or ham each time I make these two dishes and then use plenty of beans to turn them into delicious and hardy meals.
You also want to get in the habit of keeping some frugal staples in the house. By frugal staples I mean things like:
- lentils
- pinto beans
- potatoes
- bread
- black beans
- flour
Keep as many of these as possible in your pantry and use them as fillers for meals or as quick and easy snacks. Cook up a few potatoes or a few cups of rice to stretch your main course. If you have just a small amount of meat leftover from a different meal, turn it into a casserole by adding some rice and beans and top it with some crumbled crackers. Instead of buying “cream of”… type soups to make your casserole, make your own out of butter, flour, water and some seasonings. A little dash of chicken bullion turns this simple white sauce into cream of chicken soup.
Take a look at my blog for more frugal tips and tricks. On Mondays’ you’ll find my frugal challenges there. They are fun ideas to help you spend less and make more with what you’ve got. Just get started and before you know it, you’ll be cooking on the cheap all the time.
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