inexpensive meal planning.....

[HollyDay]

I know these type threads have been around a few times. Forgive me for starting another, but I need some ideas. I need to cut our grocery budget as far back as I can. Already, our budget does NOT include: beer, wine, chips, hot dogs, junk type food, pre-packaged/boxed meals, steak, and higher priced fish/cuts of beef. Treats such as ice cream and cookies depend upon store sales. I buy store brands and whatever is cheaper.

 

Once the weather breaks, I will do more "heavy" meals like soups/stews. But, it was 102 today and no one feels like chili. I will have a potato night, a homemade pepperoni pizza night, a rice and bean night. Give me some more ideas please.

 

Oh, dd is allergic to eggs. I'm trying to avoid type 2 diabetes through balanced eating, which includes protein.

[Loudwater School]

My grocery store has an "older produce" cart with severely discounted stuff that has to be used today. One in your neck of the woods probably has something similar. How about a stir fry with whatever vegetables are being clearanced at the grocery store and tofu or some kind of nut? They're good with just soy sauce, or you could get creative and combine some Asian spices and yogurt for extra protein and a curry-ish feel.

 

 

 

(. . . I type, as I shovel a cauliflower/spinach/almond stir fry into my mouth.)

[Tiramisu]

I know these type threads have been around a few times. Forgive me for starting another, but I need some ideas. I need to cut our grocery budget as far back as I can. Already, our budget does NOT include: beer, wine, chips, hot dogs, junk type food, pre-packaged/boxed meals, steak, and higher priced fish/cuts of beef. Treats such as ice cream and cookies depend upon store sales. I buy store brands and whatever is cheaper.

 

Once the weather breaks, I will do more "heavy" meals like soups/stews. But, it was 102 today and no one feels like chili. I will have a potato night, a homemade pepperoni pizza night, a rice and bean night. Give me some more ideas please.

 

Oh, dd is allergic to eggs. I'm trying to avoid type 2 diabetes through balanced eating, which includes protein.

 

From an idea I read about on this board, I started cooking whole chickens in the crockpot. Last week, I cooked two at the same time, and we had a lot of chicken. I do this when they have a good sale for somethig like 60 or 70 cents a pound. It's so easy and good with whatever seasoning we've used. It turns out better (less greasy) if dh rips of the skin before putting them in the crock pot. It's easy to get all the meat off the bone, so there's a lot less waste than when I cook chicken in the oven.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I'm :bigear: for ideas. It seems like groceries are going up and up and up.

 

I think the biggest savings is recycling ingredients from one meal to the next. (And sorry my example is unpalatable for the heat. I do understand. It's 106 here today. I'm just mean.:lol:) Tonight I'm making chicken noodle soup with a whole chicken. I will keep about 1/4 of the chicken meat for the soup, use 1/2 of the remainder for chicken fried rice tomorrow (so cheap...working to make brown rice more of a staple here), and the other half of what's left for a chicken salad sandwich dinner on Thursday (will serve that with fruit). That chicken noodle soup will feed all five us dinner tonight and at least one lunch this week. The chicken fried rice will do the same, feed us one night and provide lunch leftovers the next day.

 

I also sometimes buy chicken breast in bulk, marinate them with different flavors and have DH do a massive grilling night to cook them all. Then I slice them and freeze them. I use them to give DH different grilled chicken salads for work on days he doesn't have dinner leftovers.

 

I'm also embracing beans and cornbread, red beans and rice, etc. :001_smile:

[AdventureMoms]

Ground Beef Curry is very popular with my family, and pretty cheap. We use ground beef (on sale and in the big packs, this is pretty cheap), bags of frozen veggies (any kind works, just about) and coconut milk. About 1 bag of veggies per lb of beef, and 1 can of coconut milk per 4-5lbs beef. Add curry paste to taste. Curry paste is pretty inexpensive on Amazon or if you have a good ethnic grocery. Just brown the beef, cook up the veggies, and put everything together to simmer for a bit.

 

You could serve over rice if you eat grains. We just eat it plain.