When I need to figure out how to stretch our budget a little more I always turn to the most fluid area of cash flow in our home – groceries. That has really been the one area that I can count on when we needed to make things work even when that was only $25 a week for the two of us when we were younger and first starting out. I’ll share with you my go to meals and top tips for still having great meals at a lower price point without feeling like your sacrificing anything.

I like to use a method I call “Plan to Save” meaning I need to take time to make a plan if I really want to save money. That means no eating out at restaurants and planning to eat all my meals at home. Take a look in your freezer, fridge and pantry to take stock of what you do have. Then ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have enough to make a meal already? If so, add it to your menu for the week.
• What are the oldest items/ready to expire items? Plan a meal with those items and get creative. If you need something to complete the meal, write it down, but not on your shopping list – i’ll explain in a moment. You want to limit food waste as that is really money wasted because you spent money to buy the food and if you don’t use it you are essentially throwing money away so use up those food items before they go bad.
• Do I have any coupons/digital coupons/store loyalty savings?

Look at the sale ad for your grocery store and plan your week’s menu around what’s on sale. If you are trying to use an older/about to expire item that we talked about above like a can of diced tomatoes or a can of chopped green chilies and your recipe/dish calls for chicken but when you look at the store ad for the week chicken is not on sale, choose a meat/meat alternative that is on sale or one you already have that would still work like pork or canned beans. Try as much as possible to stick to the sales/ads to maximize your savings. You can also shop when you know your store discounts food. My H-E-B grocery store discounts everything before the store opens in the morning so for me, early morning shopping before 8 gets me the biggest deals (plus an added bonus is the store is practically empty and I have the best selection of everything). I can score discounts like 50% off produce and bakery items, 25% off meats and dairy plus the clearance rack has a decent selection at this point still. I’ve scored all kinds of things from expensive sauces and salsas that cost over $4 for less than a dollar and even coffee pods on the clearance rack at $2 a box when they normally cost $9 – so keep checking it regularly. I shop clearance whenever possible. I also take advantage of my Prime membership by using the monthly subscribe and save service for things like coffee pods and protein bars. It can be cheaper for shelf staples to go this route but be sure to watch the monthly price to ensure it is cheaper than your local store. If you do happen to pick up dented cans avoid any with dents near the top or bottom as the seal holding the top/bottom of the can could have been compromised and the food could be bad. Only choose cans with dents in the middle away from the top or bottom.

Plan to fill half your plate with fruits and/or vegetables. In-season produce is always cheaper and tastes better. I know not everyone is a fan, but start adding a small fresh salad to every meal and you’ll see you need less of the actual meal and it’s healthier. It’s also fun to use the salad as a creative space. Leftover parsley? Leftover cheese? Leftover cranberry sauce? Get creative with toppings and homemade dressings (which are super easy to make!). I bought salad dressing kit (a cruet with a couple packets of seasonings) in the salad dressing section and I was so happy I did. It came with instructions on how to use the cruet (oil, water and vinegar and 2 tbsp whatever dried spices/seasonings you want or a packet of pre-made seasonings) plus sample recipe ideas to get me started. I love my cruet and it’s really opened up another great way to get away from all the processed dressings out there and also feel a little more gourmet while still being inexpensive. Another great way to lower your groceries is to grow a garden with herbs, radishes, carrots, etc. as they are all easy to grow and can be grown anywhere sunny where you can place a pot.

Add other protein sources besides meat and dairy, as these are two areas that can be really expensive when you are on a budget. Beans, Lentils, Peas, Nuts, Eggs, Tofu, etc. are all excellent sources of protein and can lower your grocery bill. You can also use less meat and more veggies in your dish by simply using a quarter or a half a pound of ground beef instead of the full pound by adding in a cup or two of vegetable or meat alternatives like beans to bulk up your meal. If you use a meat substitute instead of meat 2-3 times a week you will really start to notice a difference in your grocery budget. One great example would be instead of using ground beef for tacos, use black beans, pinto beans or lentils instead. Canned beans save time over the cheaper bag of dry beans, but be sure to rinse them before using. For dairy we switched to using cashew milk because we don’t use a lot of milk and it lasts a lot longer so none of it goes to waste (saving us money) like it would with cow’s milk.

Skip processed foods like soda, frozen pizza, and boxed foods like hamburger helper. While they are quick or convenient they are usually filled with things you can’t pronounce and don’t want to eat plus they can cost more than making something fresh. I can make my own version of hamburger helper (skillet meal instructions included below) for less than the $1 boxed version and I know exactly what is in it. Canned foods are convenient for busy nights but they do cost a little more and usually have extra sodium so watch out for that or buy reduced sodium or sodium-free/natural when available. Bagged items like rice or beans are always a great deal so stock up when you see a sale.

In our house we buy produce and fruit on sale or on clearance anytime we can. Produce and fruit are always items that seem to expire quickly so I try to get creative with them. Any fruit that is overripe is still good to use to make breads, baked desserts and smoothies. Vegetables that are nearing their end are good used in soups, skillet meals, casseroles or frozen for later use. Green onions that are getting old are great to use in dips, stir fries, rice dishes, topping salads, tacos and baked potatoes. Lemons about to expire are great because I can slice them for drinks, add a splash of lemon juice to a meal, add it to a salad dressing, put the juice in ice cube trays to freeze it for tea, cook/grill chicken on a bed of lemon slices or my Husband’s favorite – top pork chops with a lemon slice, an onion slice and my homemade bbq sauce.

Baking can be costly when you are buying lots of ingredients but with some substitutions it can be delicious and economical. Instead of cold milk from your fridge, use dry milk powder and just add a little water prior to using it. Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream and replace an egg with a half of a mashed banana or 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. If you like to bake savory things with cheese like cheddar biscuits then you may not be aware that you can freeze cheese but just be warned that defrosted cheese tastes better when it’s melted. Make your own cooking spray by simply adding olive oil to a spray bottle and use this to spray your pans before baking. I like to use flavored oils like basil or lemon to add a hint of flavor.

Now i’ll share some of my top “plan to save” meals that really us helped cut costs but we never really felt like we were on a budget. I was able to really make the budget stretch with these 5 meals but it never became repetitive because of how versatile they are. I would take these meals and use them the entire month by just rotating them each week and changing each one up by using different meats/veggies/fruit depending what was on sale or what I had on hand. Example: Mondays were baked potatoes with soup/salad, Tuesdays were Mexican night (tacos/taco salad/enchiladas/etc.), Wednesdays were meal salads, Thursdays were skillet meals using any leftover produce from the week, Fridays were leftovers, Saturdays were kabobs, Sundays were either leftovers or skillet meals. This really helped to streamline what we shopped for, helped us reduce food waste and eliminated the “What’s for Dinner?” question because if it was Monday you knew it was a baked potato and a salad/soup.

Meal Salad – Take a mix of whatever greens you have on hand like romaine, spinach, spring mix, iceberg, etc. then rinse and drain enough so that you have 4 cups of leafy greens and put them in a large bowl. Rinse and chop 1/2 cup of at least 4 different types of vegetables such as carrots, corn, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, snow peas, cabbage, broccoli, onions, etc. I usually just use whatever we have on hand and usually its something that is getting ready to expire. You should now have a total of 2 cups of mix in veggies to add to your leafy greens bowl. Add a 1/2 cup of some tasty toppings such as fresh or dried fruits, cooked beans, nuts, leftover chicken, cheeses, croutons, olives, avocado, egg, quinoa, cilantro, etc. Add some dressing to taste but no more that 1/2 cup for the entire salad. This makes a huge salad enough for a meal which is why we call it our meal salad. I serve it with some bread or rolls to round it out. Sometimes I will even take all the salad veggies and toppings and put them out on a large plate or two so everyone can make their own salad like a salad bar.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes – When i’m in a time crunch I will turn to this simple meal. It’s quick to cook in the microwave while I prepare the rest of the meal and potatoes are cheap when you get the big bag. I really like how versatile they are as you can top them with practically anything from the good old standard butter and sour cream to the more adventurous macaroni and cheese. The popularity of baked potato bars for parties has grown in popularity for a good reason as you can get really creative with toppings like chili, shredded BBQ, chopped meats, pepperoni or even leftovers and an added bonus is that kids love making their own potatoes. I like a mix of BBQ sauce, butter, horseradish sauce, onions and shredded cheddar cheese for a delicious vegetarian potato. You can even swap out russet potatoes for sweet potatoes to change it up. Round out this meal with a salad or soup and you have one satisfying but inexpensive meal.

Vegetable Skewers – Soak wood skewers in water for 30 minutes or use metal skewers and add your sliced veggies. I like to have my husband grill them in the summer and I will broil for about 10 minutes or until done in the winter and serve them over a bed of seasoned rice. This lets us enjoy these yummy skewers all year long and this is a great way to use produce or meat that is about to expire. I love to have chicken, onion, pineapple and bell pepper skewers with a lemon pepper seasoning served on a bed of seasoned rice – makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Add a small salad and a fruit dessert – bam a delicious meal is ready. This is also a great way to stretch in-season produce to feed more people if you have a larger family or are having a party. I have been lucky enough during the summer to score prepared vegetable skewers (onion, zucchini, squash, jalapeno, mushroom and bell pepper) on clearance at my H-E-B grocery store for half off so always look for those clearance deals and adjust the meal plan to take advantage of the savings.

Skillet meals – This is similar to hamburger helper but healthier because you can actually pronounce what is in it. I usually make these Vegetarian either skipping meat or using a meat alternative like beans, lentils, tofu or veggie crumbles to keep costs low but I’ll give you instructions using ground beef. Using 1 pound ground beef add 1/4 cup diced onions and brown the meat until fully cooked. Drain any fat and then add 1 cup hot water and 2 cups milk (to make it less creamy replace 1 cup of milk with water), add 1 1/2 cups small egg noodles/other noodles like elbow or 1 cup of parboiled rice (if using rice decrease milk to 3/4 of a cup), add 1 tablespoon corn starch, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon parsley/cumin/paprika (use one of these but change it up depending on your dish I.e. cumin for Mexican or parsley for Italian), 1 teaspoon salt (optional) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with an add-in of 1/2 – 1 1/2 cups of chopped veggies of your choice. Once everything is added to the pan bring it to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta or rice is tender. I’ve found that on average 12-15 minutes is usually how long it takes to cook so test your noodles/rice often. Once it is done, let it cool for about 3-5 minutes so the sauce has a chance to thicken. Sometimes I’ll add a cup of shredded cheese at the end depending on what my dish is. It’s really important to use parboiled rice because of how it cooks in this dish. Parboiled rice is also the type of rice found in most boxed rice mixes, so you are likely already eating it. Usually I like to add vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, artichoke, broccoli, celery, zucchini and even cabbage. If we are using meat I like to use ground beef, ground turkey, chopped chicken and smoked sausage. I actually don’t use regular cow’s milk but instead use unsweetened plain cashew milk as my family prefers it this way so you could absolutely make this a Vegan meal as well for anyone with a dairy intolerance or dietary preference by skipping any cheese too. To save time on busy nights I will prepare everything in a labeled baggy (rice/noodles/seasonings) and then all I have to do is add the frozen/fresh/wet ingredients and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes. I like to have this with salad and/or a bread item of some type like buttered bread slices, rolls, bread sticks, garlic bread or crescents. This template for a skillet meal is very very versatile and as you can see from the many different types of meats, meat alternatives, veggies, and seasonings it can really be customized how you and your family like it. Go ahead and give it a try and leave me a comment about how your family prepared it and liked it.

Tacos -This one is my favorite way to stretch a meal as we can eat tacos for 3 nights off 1 pan of taco filling. I take a large pan and put 1 can of black beans, 1/4 package frozen diced onions, 1 can of diced potatoes, 1 can of diced tomatoes and then a packet of taco seasoning mix (used as directed after the meat part) and simmer it for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until done. If I have fresh ground beef I’ll brown it with some onion and a sprinkle of pepper before I add the canned items but most of the time I don’t or I need this to be a quick meal so we have veggie tacos. If I have a leftover hamburger patty or veggie burger patty I’ll crumble it up and add it with the canned items. This filling is great for tacos, taco salad, taco bowls, enchiladas and nachos.

I hope these tips and meal ideas help you as much as they have helped me over the years. Do you have any meals or tips that would help cut costs? If so, please share them in the comments section.

~JennyCup