There is no reason that you can't "Eat Cheap" and eat well. To really "Eat Cheap" you have to cook your own food.. But that is easy.
What is not so easy is avoiding some of the money traps at the store..... What are these money traps?
Convenience is a big, big money trap. And so seductive...
like pre - prepared produce.... They take 25 cents worth of onion and charge you $2.50 for it because they cut it up for you... Cut it up yourself or for an even cheaper alternative... buy frozen onions, not fresh. You can get them frozen and cut up for less than you can buy them fresh.
Even better, buy a frozen seasoning mix that not only has onions, but other aromatics included... like celery, parsley, peppers, or carrots... You can get trinity or maripoix frozen for less than buying the fresh veggies and cutting them yourself.
Or those cute little potatoes that are all washed and wrapped up in plastic and ready for the microwave.... at $1.60 each.... buy 5 pounds of potatoes for a little more and have potatoes for 10 meals.
Another money trap is rice. You know, all the pre-cooked varieties from Minute Rice, or Success Rice to the "just heat me up in the microwave" ready to eat rices found on the shelf or in the freezer. Learn to cook rice yourself in the microwave... I will post the recipe.... and pay 20 cents a serving instead of $2.45....
Then there are all those boxes with the pretty pictures on the front of this gorgeous food.... that bears no resemblance to what is in the box. These are a major money trap and the food is full of chemicals and salt.... You can do better.
And then there is chicken..... boned and skinned...$3.00 a pound... bone in skin on... 39 cents a pound....
In this series we will explore how to avoid the grocery money traps, while cooking good tasting, well seasoned, nutritious and interesting meals that are easy and quick to prepare.
We will start with chicken... and serve it for about 35 cents a serving of one thigh and one drumstick. Chicken breast will be a little higher.
Find a great "Eat Cheap" recipe for chicken here...
http://www.xomba.com/how_to_eat_cheap_chicken
http://www.ehow.com/how_2116582_chicken-free-learn-cook-lesson.html
Enjoy,
Angel
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Comments: 14
I also don't buy a lot of convenience products. I find them to be wasteful. They may save time but they don't save money. Which is more important?
I make my own already cooked bacon. I buy a pound of my favorite (actually a 2 lb package at costco), I cook it in the oven on a cookie sheet (lined with foil). 14 minutes on 400. I can do 8 slices at a time. Takes me 45 minutes to do one package. I let it cool and then re-package it in ziploc bags and freeze them. When I want bacon, I remove a package the night before, and I put as many slices as I want in a nonstick pan. I let it heat until I see the moisture come to the top of the slice and then I remove it to a paper towel. Done! Cheaper!
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.
,But guilty in the dessert department,
I also chop up fresh veggies and put them in the freezer for starting recipes... when I do buy them fresh and only use part of them... peppers and celery freeze just fine if you are going to cook them anyway and I buy them when they are cheap and freeze them for later...
Angel
These are good ideas!
The only one I put in are the two at the end that actually look like links.....
Angel