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How to Buy Meat in Bulk

Buying meat in bulk can save you money in the per pound cost. It can also save money with fewer trips to the store and fewer reasons to eat out. Having bulk ground meat in the freezer, for example, means that you can quickly whip up filling meals without much fuss, even on busy nights. If you have a crockpot, you won’t even need to thaw it out first. Make sure that you separate the meat into meal size portions and wrap it well before freezing to avoid freezer burn, which is harmless but may affect taste and texture. There … Continue reading →

How to Buy a Crockpot

Crockpots (slow cookers) are a favorite tool in a frugal home. Why? Crockpots allow you to put dinner together in the morning or even the night before and have it waiting for you when you are ready. This reduces the chance that you will either purchase expensive pre-frozen or pre-packaged meals for busy nights, or go out to eat. Some studies have shown that crockpots use less energy than does an oven or range, saving you money. Because of the cooking method, crockpots allow you to use less expensive cuts of meat, rendering them tender. There has been a surge … Continue reading →

Crockpot Chicken-A-Roni

Here is a nice warm meal that really puts your crockpot to work. I use it because, while my husband loves those “roni” type prepared food packages, I could do without all of the extra sodium, the extra preservatives (some with MSG) and the extra price attached to those things. By creating my own version in the crockpot, I can preserve the creaminess, taste and texture he loves about the “ronis,” while still keeping it healthy. And truth be told, preparing it all in the crockpot just couldn’t be easier. For this meal, I did a side dish of buttered … Continue reading →

Frugal Food: Lentil And Rice Casserole for the Crockpot

There is no doubt that rice is one of the champions of frugal food. It is very inexpensive and can be used to plump up many a meal. We buy large bags of rice from a warehouse store to keep in our pantry. To make it handy to use rice for any meal, I simply empty the large bag into a large dry cat food container. The cat food containers are square and roomy and come with lids that seal very tightly. When I need some rice it is easy to simply take my measuring cup over to the container, … Continue reading →

Eliminate Food Waste: You Can Eat These

Eliminate food waste by taking advantage of good food that is commonly thrown away. Get some valuable nutrition and save money on your food bill. Here is how. Almost-Expired Eggs Most eggs will last for at least a few days past their expiration date, but if you don’t want to take a chance, try this trick. Boil almost-expired eggs. The hard-boiled eggs can be used as snacks, turned into egg salad, or used to pump up the nutrients in a green salad. Broccoli Stems We buy a lot of fresh broccoli in this house because it is inexpensive, and the … Continue reading →

The Best Healthy Food on a Budget

Most of us are familiar with the Ramen every night diet. It isn’t a plan to lose weight, rather a plan to actually afford food, and it has been made famous by college students or anyone just starting out with only a limited budget. But the Ramen Noodle diet isn’t exactly a healthy one. The “meal” contains high levels of sodium and carbs and pretty much zero nutrients. Yes, it will fill you up for less, but it isn’t something you can use to feed a family and keep them all healthy. Another source of cheap food that people often … Continue reading →

The Multitasking Apple

This fall, stock up on inexpensive apples and make them work hard for you while they save you money. The key is get the apples as cheaply as possible and use them for more than one purpose or use as much of the apple as possible. One of my favorite ways to do this is to get five or six large apples, and peel them, trying to make sure that I get a few good long peels in the process. I cut the apples and then place them in the crockpot with 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sugar … Continue reading →

Use FIFO to Save

What is FIFO? If I didn’t know better, I would think it was the latest hot Christmas toy in the form of an electronic dog, or a new way time of money management account. FIFO is neither of these things, but a way to store and stockpile and save money by buying the things you need at the lowest prices and then using them in an organized way. To simplify things, FIFO stands for First In First Out. It means that when you stockpile and store things in your pantry, you use up the oldest stuff (the first in your … Continue reading →

Summer Entertaining on the Cheap

Save money when you use the following strategies for summer entertaining on the cheap. Keep the Food Simple Food and drinks are one of the biggest expenses when it comes to summer entertaining. You can reduce this expense in several ways, most notably by keeping everything simple. Do summer favorites, such as hot dogs and burgers with some salad and pasta or pasta salad to round things out. Desert can be inexpensive, too, from freezer pops for the kids to fresh cut watermelon. Reduce the Meat Kabobs on the grill are great because they reduce the amount of expensive meat … Continue reading →

How to Check Thrift Store Purchases

You can score some major deals by shopping at a thrift store. How about a brand new, large, crockpot in the box for $10 or girls designer dresses for only $2 each? These are a couple of my recent bargains. Of course, some finds are better than others. We have been burned in the past with things such as appliances that don’t work or jewelry that broke the minute we got it home. The past is the past, however, and now we are a lot smarter. We know exactly how to check thrift store items before we buy them, exactly … Continue reading →