13 Tips for Creating Low Cost Family Meals
October 11, 2013
October 11, 2013
Our family reverted to a single income at the end of June when my work contract ended. Since then I have been looking at ways to reduce our costs in all areas of the household budget. The list below outline the things that have made a difference in our home that I hope will help you also.
To my surprise, I have found that rather than being a hardship, I have found each change to have been a I have been a satisfying experience.
1. This is obviously my number one tip – Grow your own herbs and salad greens.
3. Buy on sale. If an item you use often (pantry staple or something you can freeze) is on sale – buy it
4. Buy in bulk – grains, rice and flours
5. Use small quantities of strong flavored ingredients in main meals. Ingredients from the pantry can be combined for a satisfying meal
6. Create a menu plan for the week
7. Have at least one meat free meal per week and/or increase the percentage of vegetables in each meal
Find some recipe inspiration on my Recipe List page under the heading Vegetarian. Mr Fresh took a couple of weeks to get into the swing of not having meat on the plate but he is now unconcerned when it is a meat-free day. If you have not met him I can not begin to tell you that this is a BIG deal!
8. Experiment with cheaper cuts of meat
Buy cheaper cuts and cook them for longer on a low heat, or with your slow cooker
9. Purchase grass fed and free range meat from a local farmer.
10. Make your own meals from scratch
Some of the things we make from scratch on a regular basis include:
11. Buy in-season local fruit and vegetables. They are cheaper when abundant and can be preserved, frozen or dehydrated for use when the season ends.
12. Visit nearby farms where you can pick your own produce.
13. Be inspired by recipes by other cultures
Do you have any other tips that you can share? I would love to hear them.
Have a wonderful weekend.
[…] I love to make our food from scratch. I find this process most satisfying as it means that I know exactly what my family is eating, no rubbish added. Plus it can be fun and a huge cost saver. […]
I really love this post. 🙂 We too are working on a tight budget these days and it’s been quite fun to learn new ways to save. It gives me such a thrill. 🙂 My favorite way to save a lot of money is to make my own skincare products. My skin is so much happier with them and I’m saving a bundle!! I hope to make my own shampoo and body lotion next. 🙂
Great idea Krista. I have made my own in the past and was just thinking a short time ago that I need to get out my old recipes and start again. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m also on a tight budget, being a student, and I use a lot of these tips 🙂 I actually don’t menu plan, mainly because I live on my own and can just open up the fridge, see what is on its last legs and make a meal from it. Most of the time it works, anyway!
One of my favourite ways to save money on food is to pickle or ferment veggies. Sometimes I can get a great deal on a bulk amount of veggies, more than I can eat myself, but by fermenting them they last a lot longer, plus they taste great and are good for my gut 🙂
That is a great way to preserve veg Liz.
Kyrstie this is fabulous! Even if every person went away with just one of your points, it’s amazing how much change we could all achieve!
Thanks so much Lisa. It is the small things that lead to bigger changes. They accumulate and can make for great lifestyle changes.
Thanks for sharing these great tips, Krystie. Very handy no matter what your budget.
Thanks for dropping by Christina. Yes, I agree. I think we can all improve our budgeting 🙂
That’s a great list Kyrstie. I do over half of them on a regular basis and I really should try and get some pots of herbs growing again. What I love most about your list is that it all of your suggestions also form the basis of nutritious healthy eating patterns.
Thanks Glenda, it is so rewarding to grow herbs get onto it! I like to think that my family eats well 🙂