Dinner on a Dime

Back in the crazy college days I would pop over to the grocery store at least 4 times a week, frolic down the aisles with no direction, and fill my cart with whatever items my taste-buds fancied at that moment. Athenos Feta, Jacks Organic Salsa, Sabra Hummus, and Boars Head shaved turkey galore.

Marriage was a wake-up-call. I confess, it has been a struggle to put my irresponsible grocery store habits behind me. My car does occasionally drive me to Fresh Market and next thing I know I'm walking around picking up pretty jars of organic-freerange-fairtrade-jam, black licorice from the Netherlands, and boxes of expensive truffle infused crackers that I probably could live without. However, I have resolved in the New Year to continue to work on being more frugal with my food purchases. I definitely don't claim to have it all figured out, but I'd like to share a few practical things that have helped me in the grocery store thus far.

1. Plan Your Menu
Don't go to the grocery store without a list and a menu in mind. I usually sit down on Saturday or Sunday, look at what I already have in the pantry, and think about the week ahead in terms of which nights we will be eating at home and how much time I will have to cook. After deciding on my food game plan for the next week or two, I make a list including items for breakfasts and lunches. Make sure not to overlook those basic things that you always assume you have but often run out of like eggs, milk, flour, sugar etc. Put everything on the list because if you don't you will probably forget it (unless you are Mary Grace and have an insane memory.) Also, when planning your menu for the week or two weeks, try to think about how you can incorporate ingredients that you purchase for one meal into other meals as well. i.e. I bought bell peppers, onions, and chicken this week and used them in jambalaya, on a salad, and on a pizza.

2. Go Generic
I didn't realize until this year that there really is not much of a difference between the grocery-store brands and the name brands.A can of corn is a can of corn. The Jiff peanut butter may be a smidge smoother than Kroger's but when you are slathering the sandwich with jelly anyway, who cares?!?! I have said goodbye to my name brand snobbery and it has helped me immensely. Compare the prices of the generic and the name-brand when you go to the store. It may just be 20 cents cheaper but at the check-out line those cents add up. If you are in a city with a Publix you have no excuse not to buy their generic products. I long for Publix Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt daily.

3. Stockpile Specials
We have 5 boxes of oatmeal in our kitchen right now. I have nowhere to store them becuase our pantry is packed. Soooo, they are shoved in a tiny corner next to our ice cream maker and food processor. But they were on sale for $1.27 per box. I have at least a month of breakfast for a mere $6. Don't pass deals like these up, especially if it is something you know you will use and something that will keep well. Things I stock up on when I find them on sale: black beans, corn, green beans, Progresso soup, frozen bags of veggies, cereal, oatmeal, and cheese.

4. Befriend Your Freezer
If I find something that is perishable on special (like boneless skinless chicken breasts) I will buy them even if I don't have an immediate use for them and pop them in my freezer. Because I am cooking for two, lots of times I will make a full recipe of something like spaghetti sauce or enchiladas and freeze half for later use. It is really nice to have these things on hand during busy weeks or at the end of the month when you really don't want to spend a ton of money. Just make sure you take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to thaw 24 hours in advance. Here are some guidelines on freezing foods: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp

5. Leftover Love
I count my blessings every day that my sweet husband doesn't mind leftovers. I could probably feed him Spam and he wouldn't complain. We stretch our meals as far as they can go. It may mean that we have to eat taco soup 4 days of the week, but when you keep things interesting by inventing a nice side salad with things in your fridge or serving it with grilled cheese the next night it doesn't really feel like you are eating leftovers all week long. I often find myself adding a can of beans or tomato paste or some extra veggies to make a meal last a little bit longer. This is a great way to use what you have a save money. If you don't like leftovers, freeze the other half to eat a few weeks down the road.

6. Find Budget-Friendly Recipes
I am always searching for recipes for cooks on a budget with minimal ingredients. These are sometimes hard to come-by because I try to cook healthfully and, while tasty, Hamburger Helper isn't great for the waistline. I have a file on my computer of recipes that I have come across and would like to try. I also have a list of easy and cheap dishes on my fridge that we have tried and enjoyed. If I am in a hurry I can look at my list or my file and pick out a few things to cook that week. This helps me not get in a rut of cooking the same thing over and over again. I am going to try to post some of these recipes as I come across them this year.

There are plenty of websites that have budget cooking sections and meal-plannning advice. Myrecipes.com and tasteofhome.com are two of my favorites.

This post by The Amateur Gourmet also has some good advice on food frugality:
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/01/how_to_cook_on.html#more

Holler back if you have some tips on cooking on the cheap. I need all the help I can get!