How to Make Your Grocery List on a Budget: Cheap Recipes and Tips
Do you need to slash your food bill? I've been there, more than once. I've had to track every penny and experiment with cheap cuts of meat I didn't know how to cook and new vegetables I hadn't eaten before. So I started keeping notes on our favorites recipes. I also started writing articles on various money-saving tips and techniques. Some things you can learn here:
- How to save money grocery shopping
- Read here for some basic strategies for cooking on a budget
- How to make your own pizza instead of spending $20 on takeout
- How to use up leftovers with something tasty like fried rice or burritos. Get more ideas on using up leftovers here and here. See how to use up leftover hamburger and hot dog buns.
- Tips on cooking for one or two
- Calculating the cost per serving
- Save money by packing lunches for school and work
- Learn about home food storage so you don't have food go to waste
- Learn how to cook dried beans
- Get some ideas on how to grill your vegetables for a simple healthy side dish
- Make your own meatballs and get creative about ways to serve them
Check out our Featured Cheap and Easy Recipes
The CheapCooking blog gets updated more often than the web site so check it out for the latest and greatest. Here are a few of the latest and greatest recipes on the web site.
- Pizza Margherita
- Boston Market Spicy Rice
- Quick Chicken or Beef Gravy
- Raspberry Tart
- Red Beans and Coconut Rice
- Creamy Ground Beef Burritos
- Pasta with Chicken and Artichoke Hearts
- Macaroni and Cheese - So much better than boxed!
- Easy Garlic Chicken
- 4 Bean Salad - make this the night before
- Sugar and Snap Pea Salad - great pretty combo
- Fruity Chicken Salad with Tarragon
- Crab Cakes - works for salmon too
- Cottage Cheese Pie - Does not taste like cottage cheese!
- Chicken Curry Salad - Another good chicken salad recipe
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Cucumber Salad - perfect for summer
- Creole Chicken over Rice - Great way to use up leftover chicken
- Worcestershire Chicken - perfect easy summertime recipe
- Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream
- Chicken Marinade Recipes - great for grilling!
- Russian Dressing
- Enchilada Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce - My own favorite
- Marinara (Spaghetti) Sauce
- Easy Fruit Cobbler
- Honey Lime Salad Dressing
- Onion-Crusted Sole or Barramundi
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas
- Super Easy Lemon Cheesecake
- Cottage cheese pie
- Skillet Mini Meatloaves
- Chicken Biryani Curry
- Indian Butter Chicken
- Vegetable Jalfrezi Curry
- Brussels Sprouts and Red Potatoes
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheese
- Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
- Pork Cutlets with Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- Taco Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easiest Beef Roast in the Slow Cooker
- Carne Asade Tacos
- Curried Chicken Salad for Sandwiches or Salad
More cheap and easy recipes >>>
Because we all need to keep smiling, I've started a collection of humorous cooking quotes, too! If you want to get your kids smiling mix up some fresh homemade playdough!
Shop Wisely and Plan Your Menus
It takes more than cheap recipes, of course, although I've got plenty of those. You'll want to start planning your menus, learn better ways to shop, keep track of grocery prices, and learn how to use up what you've got--but don't call them leftovers!
Are you Desperate to Save Money on Food?
Read my quick start article and get some ideas on how to use leftovers in creative ways.
Learn to Cook and Save Money with these Easy Recipes
Here's a list of easy recipes for you. You can also:
- Use this simple menu planner
- Sit down with your grocery flyers and use this cost per serving calculator to figure out the lowest cost meat
- Make cheap cuts of meat taste great with a Crockpot Slow Cooker
- Learn to make soup from leftovers
- Learn some kitchen basics
Learn More and Save More
Read why I love my KitchenAid Mixer - expensive up front but mine's going on 16 years now! - Make your own pie crusts for about a dime
- Explore some simple meatloaf recipes
- Learn how to roast a chicken
- Get ideas on substituting ingredients
- Explore new menu planning ideas
- Get 15 ideas for cooking potatoes
Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter and join our group on Yahoo and share your own ideas.
Back to School: Packing Healthy Lunches
Are you looking for some fresh ideas on packing healthy lunches? I've compiled a list of ideas and some outside links to other sites I like which have good articles and ideas on packing lunch boxes. Read more about healthy lunch boxes ideas.
I've also created a new page for reader-contributed tips. Check it out and then email me your favorite tip!
Buy Recipe E-books from CheapCooking
I have four e-books for sale. Slash Your Grocery Bill, Getting Started with CheapCooking, CheapCooking with Chicken and my Side Dish cookbook.
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