When living on a budget, an existence substantiated by
Ramen noodles and boxed mac and cheese may seem inevitable. However, the quality
of your meals shouldn't suffer because money is tight. While it may seem like
preparing nutritious, tasty food is impossible without spending a fortune, there
are many ways you can keep costs low, buy high-quality ingredients and craft
delicious meals for your and your family.
Plan your meals
Shopping without a plan will result in buying
fresh produce and other perishable items without a prior idea of what to do with
them. Writing out your meal schedule for the week is the best way to prevent
purchasing unnecessary items at the grocery store that will wind up unused and
spoiled. After planning your meals, construct a grocery list with the items
needed for their preparation, and resist impulse buys while shopping. This way,
you can make grocery trips just once week, and avoid wasting gas on repeat trips
when you realize your last-minute dinner idea requires an ingredient you forgot
to purchase.
Stock up on non-perishables
Buy
cupboard essentials in bulk when they are on sale. Having a
pantry full of everyday staples like canned soups and veggies, rice and pasta
will make cooking a breeze. These items are the foundation of many recipes, and
are put on sale often. Clip coupons and shop strategically to get the best deals
when buying in bulk. If you have a smart phone, look into the various apps that
notify you when your favorite stores have coupons and sales – some of these apps
even let you download the coupons right to your phone, like
Favado.
Buy versatile ingredients
Buy foods that can serve various
purposes to use in multiple meals. For example, instead of buying regular
lettuce for your salads, buy a bigger bag of spinach and use it for your salads,
sauté as a side with dinner, etc. Buy versatile meat like chicken breasts that
can be used to create endless meal options-add grilled chicken to salads, use on
sandwiches and wraps, in pasta, or mix with veggies and rice. Try to avoid
exotic fruits and veggies that you won't typically eat often-they could spoil
before you have the chance to consume them.
Halve the recipe
Following a cookbook?
If you live alone or have a small family, don't buy ingredient
quantities as illustrated in the recipe if its meant to feed six. Cut the
measurements in half to accommodate the number of people you are cooing for. On
the other hand, you could also make extra and revamp your leftovers to spice
things up a bit the next day. Steak and grilled veggies can become tacos the
next night with a little salsa, cheese and tortillas, and some leftover soup can
make a great lunch combo with a sandwich.
Go meatless
While meat is an everyday staple in most diets, cutting
back on the amount you consume can save you a little money. Meat can be
expensive-especially if you are dedicated to higher-quality, grass-fed,
free-range, antibiotic free or organic varieties. Eating more lower-cost
proteins-such as eggs, beans, and even tofu-can cut some costs in your shopping
budget.
Buy cheaper cuts
If you must have your meat, try buying the
cheaper cuts to save a bit of cash. Though trendy foods like short ribs may be
featured on every hip new restaurants menu, the meat is actually quite cheap to
purchase. Tough cuts like ribs, brisket or shoulder are always lower-cost than
cuts like steak, because they take more time to prepare. Tougher cuts must be
slow-cooked, roasted or braised to be enjoyed, but are delicious and affordable
options.