How to Eat Good and Cheap

If you need to spend less money, you can experiment with cooking and eating less expensively. Groceries make up a big part of most people's budgets, and with the cost of food going up, up, up; learning ways to eat cheaper can really help you and your budget.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Imagination
• thrift
• creativity
• cookbooks or recipes
• time
• energy

1. 
    
   cookbooks can help you save

   To eat good and cheap, spend less at the grocery store. Plan your meals around rice, pasta, or potatoes, rather than more expensive meat. Use meat more as a flavoring for your rice or pasta.
   
   Learn ways of budget shopping at the grocery store, including a detailed shopping list, buying generic or store brands, using coupons, never shopping when hungry, and taking only cash to the store with you, to buy your groceries, so you can't go over budget, etc.

2. 
    
   beans are tasty and cheap

   Recipes to help you eat good and cheap, can be found in the many cook books that you can check out from your local library, and recipe web sites on the internet. Or ask around, maybe your family and friends have some good cheap eating ideas.
   
   Research filling, but cheap, rice, beans or other legumes, and pasta dishes from other countries, as well as the various wraps, like tacos, etc.
   
   Don't forget how tasty and cheap homemade soup can be. A delicious vegetable soup can be made from scratch, using vegetables from your garden, from vegetables on sale at the grocery store, or even using canned or frozen vegetables. If you don't know how to make soup, check out a good cookbook from your library.

3. 
    
   homemade soup

   Stock up on the basics to eat good and cheap, like pinto beans, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes and tomatoes sauces, as well as all of your favorite seasonings and cooking oils. You'll save money by avoiding the price increases on food, and on the gas used to make constant trips to the grocery store.
   
   A well-stocked pantry can be the thrifty cooks best friend, so make sure you have extras of all the basics including condiments, and seasonings, as well as tea, coffee, and other drinks in your pantry.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your local library. Not only do they have books on thrift, but they probably have some books on eating cheaply.
• Experiment with the foods of other cultures. Often the foods of places like Mexico or almost any Asian country are inexpensive and delicious.
• Don't eat out, or rarely anyway. Just one expensive dinner can blow your entire food budget. Make eating out a treat, instead of an everyday occurrence.
• Learn to cook your favorite foods from scratch, not only is it much cheaper, but they are healthier too.
• Consider cutting meat out entirely, or cutting way down on your meat consumption.
• Changing your eating, cooking, and grocery shopping habits, can be hard. Have patience with yourself and do your best. Even a tiny step in the right direction helps.

Resources

• Buy Food on a Shoestring Budget
• Shop at a Salvage Grocery Store
• Cook In Your Thermos To Save Energy and Money

[cherry67]

on 8/4/2009 awesome

[LilacGirl]

on 4/27/2008 Yeah I know what you mean, I used to eat out but now save it for special occasions only.

[AbbyNormal]

on 4/27/2008 We never eat out. Too costly. Works well though. I bribe my daughter with Subway when I need something done!