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Budget Cooking
Cooking good food on a budget can be challenging. It's easy to look at the cost of whole foods and assume that you couldn't afford to feed them to your family. In truth, eating healthy foods can cost little or no more than the alternative, particularly if you know how to shop.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- If you're making your own sauce, buy the ingredients in bulk and make extra. You can freeze or can the rest for later convenience.
- Buy other staples - such as salt and flour - in bulk as well. It's often cheaper, and you can store the excess in the pantry or freezer until you need it.
- Keep an eye out for meat that's getting close to its expiration date. You can sometimes get it cheaper just before it expires.
- When calculating meat costs, take into account wasted weight. Things like bones and organs can ramp up the price you pay for the edible parts.
- If it's on sale for a good price, buy it - even if it isn't something you normally eat. There are dozens of recipes online for every ingredient
- Rather than buying premade meals, shop around. You might be able to buy the ingredients and make the food at home for a lower price.
- Buy store brands whenever possible. Often, these are nothing more than another brand of food under a different (and cheaper) label.
- When pricing food, go buy the per-ounce price rather than the total. A smaller container may cost you more in the long run, even if the cover price is lower.
- Don't buy more food than you can use. Wasted food = wasted money.
- Save your dinner leftovers and serve them for lunch the next day.
- Help your hamburger: add an onion, some canned mushrooms, and a cup or so of sour cream.
- If meat is expensive, stretch it by adding a can of beans. They're cheaper but provide good protein.
- Use full-fat. Fat is filling and lasts longer than carbohydrates or protein.
- Ditch the soft drinks, for you and your kids. We're serious. Give them up. If you can't drink tap water, buy water in refillable jugs.