Frugal meal planning can be difficult for someone that works full time and has a family. Trying to prepare cheap easy meals is obviously more time consuming than buying convenience foods. But, some recipes are really easy. Let’s start with beans.
Pinto, kidney, navy, lima, Great Northern and other bean varieties taste good and they are good for you, too. If you tailor your frugal meal planning around beans, you can satisfy a hungry family, stay on budget and know that everyone is well-nourished.
Frugal meals that include beans are not difficult to prepare, but they do require just a little planning ahead. You buy dried beans in a bag and soak them overnight. If you are used to buying canned beans or bean paste, you might have to ask where the dried bean and lentil section is located. They can be a pain in the butt but if the price is right they can be a good choice
There are many frugal recipes that include beans as the main dish. They are the most inexpensive form of protein, pound for pound, unless chicken thighs are on sale. Chicken thighs and quarters are good choices for frugal meals, but you might need to be careful about the fat content. Quarters include a thigh and a drumstick, bone-in. It’s dark meat and the fat content is higher than breast or white meat. I sometimes wait until chicken breasts are on special, you know the one it should say BUY NOW OR IT GOES BAD TOMORROW! lol so I buy it up, wash it and freeze the chicken for later.
I have some ground turkey in my freezer now i got for $1.20 original $5.99!!
If you want frugal recipes that are low in fat and you are not a bean fan, buy regular chicken breasts, instead of boneless-skinless breasts. The skin is easy to remove; you simply make a few cuts and the peel it off.
If you want cooked chicken, cut up, throw the breasts into a pot, cover them with water and let them boil until the meat is white and done throughout.If you season the meat while it is cooking, such as with lemon and ground peppers or garlic and s/p (salt n pepper) . Once the meat is cooked and cooled, it is easily removed from the bone. Frugal meal planning usually involves a little more cooking. But, don’t be afraid. Cooking just takes a little practice. If need be, you can practice cooking frugal meals on your day off, until you get the hang of it.
Look for frugal recipes that include dry pasta. Egg noodles, spaghetti, small shells and other types of pasta are easy to cook and inexpensive, as long as you buy the store brands. or with coupons you can get some AWESOME deals on name brand! I love those new protein, wheat omega pastas! With coupon I have gotten them as low as 50 cents per box!
Instead of buying ready-made spaghetti sauce, buy tomato paste, puree, cooked tomatoes cut up or tomato sauce and make your own. Load up on dried spices like pepper, garlic, basil and oregano. You’ll only need to buy them every couple of months. And fresh veggies galore! If you like carrots, onions green bell peppers and mushrooms, all can be added to sauce to give it some flair! slow cooking it for 4-6 hours makes a great sauce....
Hmmm maybe I will give you guys my slow cook recipe soon!
Frugal cooking does not have to be so hard! getting good ingredients cheap and then learning how to incorporate them into your families lives is the secret!
