Need very tight budget meal ideas

[tink1978]

Our church hosts a ministry called Angel Food. For $30, you can get a whole box of grocery items! It is an excellent way to feed your family on a budget. If you are interested, go to www.angelfoodministries.com and type in your ZIP code for the nearest distribution site. There is NO income requirement, anyone can order this! For example, for the month of May, the $30 menu/box contains:

1.5 lb Bacon Wrapped Beef Filet (4 x 6 oz.)
2.5 lb.Breaded Chicken Breast Filets
1.5 lb.Bone-In Pork Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)
28 oz.Salisbury Steak Dinner Entrée
2.5 lb.Beef and Bean Burritos (10 x 4 oz.)
2 lb.Popcorn Chicken
9.5 oz.Stouffer’s Flat Bread Pizza
16 oz.Cauliflower & Carrot Blend
16 oz.Corn Niblets
16 oz.Green Beans
2 lb.Fresh Onions
29 oz.Pears
32 oz.Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf-Stable Milk
9 oz.Breakfast Cereal
8 oz.Corn Muffin Mix
16 oz.Bean Soup Mix
1 Dozen Eggs
1 Dessert Item
They even have meal ideas/recipes to go with each months menu! This has helped so many of my friends, family, and neighbors with the rising costs of groceries! Check it out!! There should be distribution sites in every state.

I had no idea this existed!!! This is great...I just made an order for May and am planning on letting my family know about this as well.

 

[MrsKreamer]

We get Zateran jumbalia (sp?) in a box and add a ring of smoked sausage..
Under $5.00 and we always have a little left over for my lunch the next day...

If you don't like it at full strength like me, I know I live in New Orleans , just add a 1/2 - 1 c of white or brown rice. It stretches it even more, and for me it isn't as hot. My DH(who loves it spicy) couldn't tell when I first started doing this.

 

[nairv]

-I add bacon bits (soy or real bacon it doesnt matter) to a lot of dishes to add flavor and make the meal seem more hearty. I actually started doing this when I started dieting to lose weight because I love eggs with bacon but not the calories and fat! Mixing a bit of bacon bits adds only 30 cal per tablespoon and a lot of flavor. I buy the store brand which is on average 30-50 c cheaper than mccormicks.
-maybe someone already mentioned this, but egg-based meals are very budget friendly. I often make omelets or scrambled, spiced up with a little onion and chiles. you can also add whatever veggies you like.
-I buy tuna in bulk and keep it on hand. it's great for whipping up a quick meal and cheap too. when pressed for time, i fry up some chopped onion, garlic, then add some chpped tomatoes. you can add whatever spice you like and toss the tuna with this. tastes wonderful!
-I also make my own pancake mix and keep it on hand. it tastes better than the box mixes and is way cheaper! i got the recipe from nigella lawson, its on the food network website....will post here if anyone wants it
hope this helps!

 

[neatokimmo]

I do the same thing because I think it is really salty. Sometimes I add a can of black beans too. That really makes a LOT of leftovers

If you don't like it at full strength like me, I know I live in New Orleans , just add a 1/2 - 1 c of white or brown rice. It stretches it even more, and for me it isn't as hot. My DH(who loves it spicy) couldn't tell when I first started doing this.

 

[neatokimmo]

I just soak them overnight, rinse them really well then cook them on low in the crock pot while you are at work. I don't add any seasoning while they are cooking because salt will toughen the skins.

Dried beans are underutilized I think in the US now. They are so cheap and you can do a lot with them. This week I am making taco soup, ground beef, navy beans, salsa from a restaurant near work and corn. I seasoning it with taco mix and sometimes add cheese and sour cream to it. Its a full pot of yummy for under $6 (we eat it forever it seems).

Oooohh--How do I cook dried beans in a crock pot? Please share!

 

[tar heel]

I invented a black beans and rice recipe to save money, and now I make it two-three times a month b/c we love it. The Rotel-type tomatoes make it taste like it has 10 ingredients instead of three!

Brown one onion in a small amount of oil. Add two (three if you prefer really mild Mexican dishes) cans of drained black beans and a can of tomatoes and green chilies. Cook 15 minutes or so and serve over rice. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Add a dab of sour cream if you happen to have some -- I don't buy it special for this.

Shopping tips: buy the cheapest black beans, which could be storebrand or something in the ethnic section. Buy whatever tomatoes and green chilies is cheapest -- usually a storebrand instead of Rotel.

This warms up great and makes a wonderful take-to-work lunch, too.

 

[PrincessDreams2]

Seven Can Soup

2 cans Hormel low fat turkey chili
1 can carrots
1 can green beans
1 can tomato soup
1 can white potatos
1 can corn

Mix all together in a pot (do NOT drain the veggies) and heat it up. Sometimes we add leftover chicken or turkey breast to it, or any other vegetables lying around. You can add water to it, depending on how thick you like it. It is tasty and lasts for several meals. Very inexpensive!!

And for those of you Weight Watchers folks, it is 3 points for 2 cups.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

One of my favorite ideas, from way back when I really, really needed it, is to have a container in your freezer to put bits and pieces in. Most of us have dabs of food left over from our meals, small pieces of meat, extra veggies etc. When the container gets full you make a pot of soup, adding a bit of canned tomatoes or such if wanted. Toss some flour etc in your breadmaker and have a delicious homemade meal for next to nothing!

Slightly Goofy

 

[npmommie]

I just soak them overnight, rinse them really well then cook them on low in the crock pot while you are at work. I don't add any seasoning while they are cooking because salt will toughen the skins.

Do you cover them in water in the crock pot?
I never have good luck cooking dried beans on the stove.......it seems like such a simple thing, but they never come out soft enough, and the skins are tough. i want to try the crock.

 

[musclemouse]

A bag of frozen chicken breasts can take you a long way. There are about 6 to 7 breasts a bag. One breast can be shared. You have several things you can make with one breast of chicken...for example we:

Make chicken quesadillas
Fajitas
grilled chicken with veges or pasta
grilled chicken salad
Chicken w/broccoli and cheese topped baked potato

Ground turkey! Buy a frozen 1lb tube of ground turkey..cheaper and healthier than ground beef. We use ground turkey for several things...

Turkey burgers
Unstuffed peppers (cheap and easy version using package or can of spanish rice...brown turkey, add prepared spanish rice and 3 tbsp ketchup...mix well. Chop up your choice of 3 peppers into 1 inch cuts - steam in a glad steam bag for 3 minutes and add to a 9x13 baking dish. Top peppers with ground beef mixture, sprinkle with your choice of shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes on 375... or until cheese is melted and slightly browned)
Sloppy joes
Spaghetti
Beef and rice fiesta (using turkey)..brown turkey, drain grease - if any, add can of corn w/peppers, with same can add uncooked rice, and can of water, add GOLDEN mushroom soup and cover and simmer for 5 minutes. YUMMO!

Tuna melts with toasted bagel and cheese
Tuna or salmon patties - drain either, add one egg, 10 crackers (crushed), pepper to taste and fry in pan until golden on each side.
Tuna mixed with favorite dressing atop greens and veges

I found some london broil last week at kroger for buy one get on free. That was about $5 for both! It was so good. I marinated it in garlic powder, black pepper, 1/4 cup teriyaki and 1 cup of olive oil for 4 hours and grilled it. OMG it was the yummiest freakin steak I had ever had. I don't like steak mind you. HAHA

Grilled cheese and tomato soup?
Grilled cheese with thin layer of turkey burger - very very good

Also...Try ALDI if you hadn't seen those posts. The food is actually very very good. SOOOOO much better than the generics you will see in other more popular chain grocery stores.

Check out your local farmers markets as well!!!

Hope this helps.

 

[neatokimmo]

I do, a couple of inches above the bean line. If you are making soup, add more water for broth

Do you cover them in water in the crock pot?
I never have good luck cooking dried beans on the stove.......it seems like such a simple thing, but they never come out soft enough, and the skins are tough. i want to try the crock.

 

[HeatherC]

Bumping a very old post for the New Year New Budget.

Anyone with new ideas?

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi there!

I am sorry I do not have time to read all the old posts but I taught home ec classes for many years on how to budget etc.

My suggestions are these-

Plan your menus around whatever is on sale.
When items you use often are on sale, stock up.
Meat is not your only source of protein.
If possible plant a garden and save money and eat healthier.
Never go shopping while hungry.
Leaving a spouse and/or children at home saves time and unplanned expense.
Limit yourself to a certain amount of items not on your list. 1-3 suggested.
Crockpots are wonderful because you can use cheaper and leaner cuts and pile on the veggies etc. Easy cooking.
Set aside one day a week for bulk cooking for the week so you are not tempted by eating out and other extravagances I used to make meatloves by the half dozen and use remaining meat mixture, with some Italian seasonings added, to make meatballs


There are many ways of making inexpensive pizzas using leftovers and other cheap ingredients.

A bowl in the freezer, covered, where you can toss the small leftovers from meals will give you one or two free meals a month when you turn it into soup

The internet is a wealth of free information regarding recipes and such

Best wishes for a happy healthy and wealthy New Year!.

Slightly Goofy

 

[worm761]

If you like breakfast foods, eggs are pretty cheap. Use leftover veggies to add to them. Pancakes are pretty cheap to make too.

Ham steak are pretty cheap too. And leftovers can be combined with scalloped potatoes for a whole new meal or added to eggs with some cheese for omelets.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

One of my favorite things to get is pork tenderloin when they are on sale for under $2 a pound. My store will slice them and even cube them and package them 4-6 or whatever to a package. That and some cheap sweet potatoes and veggies makes for a good meal that does not taste like a budget meal.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Bumping a very old post for the New Year New Budget.

Anyone with new ideas?

Surprised to see I posted on this thread, but that chili recipe I posted is still alive and kicking at our house.

Now (almost 5 years, another kid, and a few promotions later) I don't focus as much on how much each individual meal costs, but to stay on budget and keep on track with healthy goals, I find the best thing I can do is PLAN! I keep 2 weeks of menus planned at a time--each weekend I review what had already been laid out for the following week, make any tweaks to the plan, and plan the week after that's menus. Then I grocery shop. The planning keeps us from eating out or picking up or relying on convenience foods--all more expensive and usually not as healthy.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Hi there!

I used to make meatloves by the half dozen and use remaining meat mixture, with some Italian seasonings added, to make meatballs



Slightly Goofy

Is is ok to freeze the uncooked meatloaf with the uncooked egg in it? I was thinking of doing this, but wasn't sure about the egg.

 

[Gooshy]

We like to do a peperoni baled ziti. We do noodles (usually a mix of left overs from several open boxes)and homemade sauce and cubed pepperoni and layer them then in the microwave for 10min to melt the cheese through. Very yumm We also do the same kind of dish with sausage and a package of spinach mixed with parm cheese and motz cheese. Usually is what ever cheese in the fridge needs to be eaten before it goes bad. And again home made sauce. I love my crock pot!! Chicken in the CP with BBQ and shred or cube over rice or on a bun and salad. mmmm

 

[LovesTimone]

I would make a list of what you have on hand, and build from there.
Check all your local grocery AD's looking for BOBG items or in-store specials, and use coupons from the newspaper and check to see if there are any in store coupons.

You could bake off a(1) whole chicken, using potatoes, carrots, and onions. Slice up the left over Chicken for 2 to 3 more meals. (2)Chicken pot pie - use chicken and left over veggies, add green beans, broccoli, what ever frozen or canned you might have and a can of cream of "whatever" broccoli, chicken mushroom, top with crescent rolls or busicut, or could add some rice to it and that would really make the dish go farther. (3)Use other chicken for sandwiches, or add to the top of a salad.

Chilli is cheap and filling,(1) making a large pot, using more beans - kidney, chilli, black, and corn, to fill you up. With the left over's divide up and use some for (2) Chilli-mac add cooked pasta and top with chesse. (3) use the other part for chilli dogs, or con-queso pouring over chips, kinda a simple version of nacho's.

Bake a Ham - check for sales, then options are endless here, (1) sandwiches, (2)salad - make your own ham salad - chef salad,(3) soup ham and veggie, split pea and ham, (4) ham and rice bake,

Red Sauce with Meatball - (1) spagetti, (2) baked spagetti toped with cheese, (3) meatball subs

For me I have to plan, while it does take some time, it is well worth it, once you do it a few times it becomes natural and you will be on your way to saving for a wedding, Congrat's

 

[lovesmurfs]

I make "free soup" every once in a while.

After every meal, I scrape leftover veggies into a gallon-sized ziploc bag that I keep in the freezer -- I keep a running one going. If there's not too much leftover, I scrape rice in there as well. When the bag is nearly full, I make soup -- either using a ham bone or poultry carcass that I have frozen, or just with water, seasonings and broth. It makes a great soup, and it makes me smile that I did it for free on what would have been wasted.

Before that, we would just store the leftover veggies in the fridge until they were old enough to throw away.