Everyday Food for Busy People
Have you joined the challenge to eat from your freezer and pantry for a week? Those of us who have been doing this have not only saved money, but also stretched our creative cooking skills as we’ve swapped out ingredients for what we had on hand.
I’m wrapping up this money-saving series with a list of very low-cost meals. Most of these meals come in at under $1 per person. Some cost well under that.
I had to go to the grocery yesterday to get some dairy and produce. I’ve been doing this challenge to eat out of the pantry and freezer since Tuesday. I hope to carry it through next week.
The good news is that I saved about $100 over what my usual grocery cost is. I bought the normal amounts of dairy and produce that I usually buy each week, but nothing else. The shopping took a fraction of the time it usually takes – another plus!
How have you done with saving money during this challenge? Share in the comment section.
It’s not too late to join us in the challenge. You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 at these links.
Do you have a super cheap meal that you like to make?
I’m working on a post that will list the cheapest meals on my site, as well as link to other blogs that have cheap meals. If you have a meal posted on your blog, send me an email (eatpoetry@gmail.com) with a link. If you don’t have the recipe posted on your blog, or don’t have a blog you can still send me the recipe. I love to hear from readers and highlight your ideas.
Have you joined the challenge yet? If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.
The other day I took an inventory of the contents in my freezer and pantry. Here’s what I found.
[Read more…] about How to Find Money in Your Freezer/Pantry part 2 – Make a Menu
I have never done a marathon cooking session and then frozen multiple meals, but I still get my freezer working for me. You do not have to own a large freezer to take advantage of these ideas. Having a few of these items in your freezer can save you lots of time, without taking up much space. Here are five ways to use your freezer to save time and money.
1. Freeze cooked/prepped meats – I buy large packs of hamburger, but often only use about half or less of the pack when I brown it out. By storing the rest of the browned meat in the freezer I have meat ready for Nachos, spaghetti sauce, tacos, or Enchiladas all ready to go, saving me time later. Some recipes call for browning an onion with the meat. This can still be frozen, I just mark it that onion is included.