When funds are low, I will buy a turkey or a couple of whole chickens. All I need are some veggies. I cook the chicken the first night and then take all of the meat I can off the bones and put in the fridge. Then I take all of the bones and put them in broth and start my base of onions, celery, and carrots. I put half of it in the freezer for later, the other half I make into soup.
By Michele from IN
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am looking for a inexpensive way to feed my family of nine. Our ages range from my 69 year old mother to my 18 month old grand daughter. Any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Are you looking for ideas, recipes, or both?
I'm sure you've realized that cooking from scratch is by far the cheapest solution. And that the good old standbys will be the frugalist of all: dishes containing pasta, rice, beans, etc. I especially like large recipes so we have left-overs for lunches the next day or so. Some of my favorites are:
1. Spaghetti--With plain tomato or meat sauce, or even with pesto. Another way I like to make it is with swiss chard or spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic, and topped with parmesan cheese.
2. Beans--Pintos cooked and mashed into refried beans to be used in nachos, burritos, tostados, or a variety of mexican dishes. They can also be used cooked with ham and served with cornbread, in a vegetarian chili, to stretch meat chili, in several salads (some that can be served as main dishes), or the Internet has some great recipes for bean burgers that aren't too bad.
3. Rice is a great food stretcher. Stir frys work great, add to burritos for extra filling. I remember as a child eating sloppy joes that had rice in them in several places. Works great especially in casseroles, where you can double the recipe by adding more rice and not any more meat--think the rice-chicken-broccoli casserole here.
4. Think "dough." Chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings (I also add veggies to make healthier), creamed tuna over biscuits, shepherd's pie, pizza, stromboli, etc. Let the kids or your mom help you knead dough for loaves of bread, rolls, buns, pizza shells, etc. My family will eat homemade bread rather than junk for snacks.
5. Do breakfast for dinner: Omlettes, fritatas, waffles, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, french taost, etc. Eggs have lots of protein and are cheap. One of my standbys is Texas hash --Scrambled eggs with a little diced ham, sauteed peppers and onions (add what ever else you have on hand, like zucchini or tomatoes) in a hogie roll, topped with cheese.
6. Potatoes make great meal extenders fried in olive oil, mashed with toppings over them, used in casseroles (ham and potato augratin to name one), or baked with several toppings for the main meal itself (cheese and broccoli, ham and cheddar, taco meat with cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream, chili, the possibilities are endless.
7. TVP (Texturized vegeteble protein) is often used as a meat extender. My family does not like plain TVP mixed in with meat dishes (everyone says you can't tell since it takes on the flavor of what it's mixed with, but that's simply not true). I can get away using the flavored TVP. I regularly use beef flavored (it's not really beef since it's used by vegetarians, but it's flavored especially well) . I reconstitute it and put some in soppy joes, chili, tacos, meatloaf, and other dishes to extend the meat that I'm using. It's cheap and works well.
8. Forget cold cereal for breakfast. Fix oatmeal, kasha, cream of rice, farina, or any other cooked cereal, cornbread, amke whol grain pancakes or waffles, or biscuits. They're healthier, will not leave them feeling hungry an hour later, and lots cheaper. I make a huge batch of waffles and freeze the for quick meals. You can do the same with pancakes, biscuits, cornbread, or breakfast burritos.
9. Waste nothing. I have a container in my freezer for leftovers, which makes the best pot of soup. All those tiny portions of leftover veggies, gravies, and meats go into it, along with the flavored water from veggies. Cook all bones for stock, and freeze if you are not going to use immediately. Juices from fruits, yogurt, jam, etc can be used for smoothies, popsicles, or in jello.
10. Never buy anything ready-made. Check the Internet for recipes for homemade Bisquick baking mixes, taco mixes, chili mixes, salad dressings, pumpkin pie spices, cleaning stuff, cream-of-whatever soup mixes, laundry detergent (soap really), puddings, etc.
11. Do NOT waste money on carbonated drinks. Get the family used to drinking water, iced tea, koolade (where you can control the amount of sugar), or small glasses of juice.
12. Shop at Aldis or Save-a-lot if you have them, if not, buy store brands, use coupons only if it's really the best buy on something you'll use or your stores double or triple them. Check out the marked downs, outlets and warehouses. Stockpile loss leaders. Use the Angel Food if it's available where you live.
I've found that having a garden is the biggest money saver one can have. Even if you live in an apartmant, grow in buckets on the baclony or patio. Kids love to help, and it's basically free food. If you have room, can and/or freeze to save even more. I've interplanted veggies in my flower beds. Looks neat and tastes great. Good luck. Understand that this is an on-going battle that changes, so be determined never to give up and flexible enough to change.
Soups are wonderful winter fare. Make a big potful with a pan of cornbread. Wonderful.
Do you have a food bank? Most states do. I go to a food pantry where I pay 35 cents for a lb of food. They don't limit it to people that are poor either. They encourage people who are not poor to pay 50 cents a lb and that helps with the people that can't afford it.
I am looking for cheap recipes that will feed a family of 5. Thanks.
By angie from Searcy, AR
I that think one of the most important things to save money is to make sure that all (or at least most!) of your family enjoy the recipes you are using. This will cut down so much on waste food which is after all wasted money.
So, sit your gang down and find out what they like, don't mind or absolutely hate then use this as your guide to look on thriftyfun which has a load of recipes for most things. The copycat recipes are especially great when on a budget.
If I had to choose one thing though it would be basic spaghetti sauce/chilli made with ground beef so it doesn't have any hard bits in it!
This is a page about feeding a family of four on $400 a month. Stay within your food budget and eat well by making delicious meals from scratch.
This is a page about reducing the cost of feeding a family. Staying away from convenient packaged foods and choosing basic bulk foods can help you save money on family groceries.
