affordable meals
I have really been paying attention to Jessica as she explains her way of budgeting and also her info on food costs too. With the price of food being so expensive, we have really had to trim our budget quite a bit. How have they affected the way you eat? What changes have you all had to make in the meals that you prepare? We were eating meat every night until recently. Now we also do the pizza thing and also a breakfast night too, but I am running out of ideas. Does anyone have any good ideas to share? What does your family eat for meals every day?
Food
We Eat peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Hamburger Helper Meals.
Drink water and Iced Tea. I get WIC for 2 children.
Sometimes we will have pork chops or chicken but only a couple times a week. We have low income right now I do not have the internet I use it at work. So if your asking if they eat cheap stuff why do they have the internet we don't.
afforable meals
Sheila Swanson
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You need to check out this cookbook, "Living on a dime"(it use to be called "not just beans) by Twara Kellam. Her website is livingonadime.com.
This would be really helpful. She shops at Aldi's. Her mom raised 2 teenagers on only $500 a month. Twara and her husband paid off their debt on only $20,000 income. She is also battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so she needs to cook quick meals.
making it stretch
I try to strectch one meal into two. For example: if I make roast chiken and veggies one night, I use the left over chicken for a casserole, fajitas, chicken and noodles or something the next night. I do the same with roast. The next night we'll have barbeque beef sandwhiches or something. With ham we'll do chicken cordon blue or cheesy ham and potato casserole. It helps my budget. I'm also a big Aldi's shopper and Wal-mart will price match and add on coupons. With the price of food soaring, we're trying any and everything to save money.
Sarah
meals
I've recently set up a weekly menu for our family. Rather than doing meat as a main dish most nights during the week like we used to, I'm trying to use more "one dish" meals because it stretches farther, and gives us leftovers that my husband can take in his lunch the next day. We also do breakfast one night, eggs are cheaper than meat, and my son will actually eat it! Once a week I cook something like veg soup, spaghetti sauce, BBQ, chicken tacos, and I make enough for 2 meals, then freeze the leftovers for a really quick meal another night. I find it's usually cheaper to double a recipe, rather than making it 2 separate times. Or I buy a huge roast when it's on sale, we eat roast and potatoes one night, I use some leftovers for beef and noodles the next night, my husband takes leftovers in his lunch, and there is usually still enough to freeze some for beef and noodles another night! I've also been playing with alot of easy one-dish meals that only call for appx. 2 chicken breasts or 3/4 pound of ground beef. It's enough to satisfy our hunger, and we all still get plenty of protein. I also have on the weekly menu one night to make something with no meat (potato soup). This is one I will have to look up some recipes or something, because my current menu doesn't include but a couple no meat recipes!
Some of our favorite meals that are easy on the budget and I can usually get away with using a smaller portion of meat:
Chicken fried rice
Scalloped potatoes with ham or chicken
Beef vegetable soup
Beef stew
Chicken brocolli alfredo
Chicken pot pie (not my husband's favorite)
Chicken noodle soup
Chili
Cheeseburger pizza
Breakfast casserole
Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn