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Saving Money on Food

The Art of Stretching Your Grocery Budget

by Mrs. Not Made of Money Leave a Comment

When you’re shopping for food you often find yourself torn between wanting the best of both worlds. You want to buy high-quality, healthy foods, but you also want to stay within the constraints of your food budget. How will you ever find a way to stretch your food dollars to allow you to make nutritious choices?

Getting creative with your meal plan will allow you to find healthy foods that you can afford.
By following a few simple guidelines you can buy affordable food that you’ll be proud to serve your entire family.

Avoid “convenience” foods like frozen dinners.
Frozen dinners are typically pretty expensive (when compared to preparing meals from scratch) and are often loaded with salt and preservatives. Make ahead crockpot meal can combine convenience with low cost.

Don’t be afraid to serve a vegetarian meal or two each week.
The high price of meat may make it impractical to serve meat with every meal. Instead, try serving a simple pasta salad or spicy bean burritos.

Take advantage of sale prices on typically pricey nutritious foods such as organic products.
Although these items may usually be out of your reach, sales can make it easy to treat yourself and the rest of your family. Watch for any BOGO sales to stretch your dollars even further.

Keep plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables on hand as a healthy alternative to snack foods.
Seasonal produce will be a much better value than potato chips or sweets.

Plan ahead to avoid the temptation to purchase fast foods for lunch or a quick dinner.
Make an extra batch of soup or casserole and freeze it so that you’ll always be prepared when you need to make a meal quickly. Meal prep can become your best friend.

Shop without your children.
As nice as it would be to have an extra set of hands at the grocery store, it will be much easier to avoid any temptation to buy junk food if you don’t have your kids with you. It’s very easy to give in as your little ones clamor for snack cakes and chips. Avoid the argument altogether by leaving the kids at home.

Buy store brand products whenever possible.
There is virtually no difference between these generic products and their brand name counterparts, except for the difference in price.

Filed Under: Saving Money, Saving Money on Food Tagged With: budget, finances, food, grocery

How I Stopped Throwing Away $150 A Month On Snack Foods

by Mrs. Not Made of Money Leave a Comment

Nearly everything comes in convenient snack pack sizes these days. While their size may be small, their price is certainly not. When I reviewed our grocery budget and realized we were spending $100 or more each month just on snacks, I realized I needed to take some action and start making our own. With just a little bit of advance planning we have fun snacks but not at the expense of destroying our food budget. Here are some ways I save money on snacks:

1. Make the baked goods from scratch.
I bake nearly all my muffins, cupcakes, cookies, and bread from scratch. When baking any item, I double the recipe and freeze them for use later in the week (or at another time). If I find a ready made mix on sale I will buy that since it will usually be cheaper (and quicker) than homemade.



2. Buy full size fruits and veggies and cut them into smaller sizes.
I usually purchase an assortment of fruits and vegetables like celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. at the store and then do all the prep work as soon I get home. (I learned that tip from Rachael Ray of 30 Minute Meals). The fruits and vegetables are all washed, cut up, and put into baggies so they are ready to go when the snacking urge hits.

3. Buy the large size bags of chips and pretzels and divide them into single size servings.
I place the appropriate serving size into a small baggie (snack bags work well for this because they get filled to the top)! Stick pretzels are 42 sticks each, chips are 13 chips per serving, and Cheerios are 1-1/2 cups per bag. If I don’t do this, my children think that “half the bag” is a serving size.



4. Purchase cheese in wedges and cut them into cubes.
I place each serving into a single size container, and place it in the fridge. This is much cheaper than the string cheese packages.

5. Watch for “buy one get one free” sales on snack food items.
I regularly look for the special sales at my local grocery stores on snacks in the larger sizes. When I find those on sale like different brands of chips, crackers, or pretzels, I stock up! I especially look for opportunities to combine these sales with coupons so I can really maximize my savings.


Filed Under: Saving Money on Food Tagged With: budget, food, Frugal, snacks

10 Minute Frosted Chocolate Brownie Cookies

by Mrs. Not Made of Money

Note: This is not a sponsored post but does contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement.

It is hard to believe that Halloween is right around the corner. Our church is having a trunk or treat next week and the kids will have parties at school. I needed to come up with a quick treat for a school party. I wanted to do something special for kids with allergies, since I have one child who has food sensitivities. We have been using Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies and have been very pleased with them. They have a great variety of treats which are dairy free, egg free, nut free, and gluten free. One of the favorites in our household has been Enjoy Life’s soft baked cookie in the double chocolate brownie flavor. I chose to frost a batch of the cookies with cream cheese frosting and Halloween sprinkles.

First, I spread out the cookies onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The cookies come 12 to a box.

Next, I frosted the cookies with the cream cheese frosting. The Pillsbury Supreme cream cheese frosting tastes yummy with these chocolate brownie cookies.

Then I added the Halloween sprinkles. I preferred the multicolored ones versus the single color sugar.

This is a really simple and fast way to dress up store bought cookies into something special. An added plus is that Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies are dairy free, nut free, and egg free. The cookies themselves are gluten free but you would need to be sure that the frosting and sprinkles are gluten free as well. You could use other gluten free cookies too, either store bought or made from scratch. As I mentioned above, the cream cheese icing paired really well with the chocolate but you could use vanilla frosting on a vanilla cookie or vanilla on a chocolate chip cookie.

Ingredients:
Enjoy Life soft baked cookies double chocolate brownie
Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Cream Cheese frosting
Halloween Sprinkles

Directions: Place cookies on baking sheet which has been lined with parchment paper. Frost cookies. Decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Recipe, Saving Money on Food Tagged With: allergies, dairy free, egg free, food sensitivities, gluten free, nut free

Quick and Easy Spanish Rice Bowl With Bacon And Cheese

by Mrs. Not Made of Money


My family has been getting really bored with the plain white rice I’ve been serving.  In an attempt to keep peace in the household, I’ve been looking for some new recipes for rice.  I thought I would experiment with layering some traditional flavors of onion and green pepper and bacon.  While searching through some recipes I found a few that had the basic ingredients I was looking for.  After a few modifications, I came up with this recipe which turned out way better than I had expected and was a big hit at my household this week.  I served this as a side dish with baked chicken.  However, since it is such a substantial dish, it can really serve as a main course if you just add a protein to it (either shredded chicken and/or black beans).

Below are the steps I took in making the spanish rice bowl.  (I’ve listed the ingredients at the bottom of the post).

First, I sauteed bacon in a frying pan.  While the bacon was cooking, I chopped up the green pepper and then the onion.

Once the bacon was done cooking, I drained it on a paper towel and set it aside.  I discarded all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and added the chopped green pepper and onion to the skillet.  I cooked them over medium heat until they were tender.

Next I added a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes to the skillet along with the black pepper and cayenne pepper.  I did not drain the tomatoes.  I let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.  At this point the kitchen was really smelling nice!

While the skillet mixture was simmering, I made a batch of long grain rice.  (I combined 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, brought it to a boil, and then simmered it for 15 minutes.)

Once the skillet mixture had simmered for 20 minutes and the rice was completely cooked, I added the bacon and the rice to the skillet and combined all the ingredients thoroughly.

I served the rice in individual serving bowls, and added shredded cheddar cheese to the top.

Quick & Easy Spanish Style Rice

Ingredients:

3 Pieces Bacon
1 small white onion
1 small green pepper
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups water
1 cup long grain rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup black beans

Filed Under: Recipe, Saving Money on Food Tagged With: Dinner, food, Quick Recipe, spanish rich bowl

Quick Oven Baked Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie

by Mrs. Not Made of Money

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce. All opinions are entirely my own.

I’m always looking for ways to streamline my mealtime. Like most of you, my week has been filled with afterschool events, parent teacher conferences, and morning and afternoon drop-offs and pick-ups. That does not leave much time for cooking. Yet, I know that I will have a houseful of hungry kids at dinner time. For busy weeks like this, I rely on some easy fix recipes to get a meal on the table quickly.

Publix is having a RAGÚ® BOGO event which starts now and runs through Wednesday, October 11th. One of my favorite ways to save money is by using BOGO sales.

Since time is really short this week and I needed a quick go-to meal, I purchased the large RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce (Family Size, 21.5 oz.), and because of the BOGO sale I received another one free. Win, Win! RAGÚ Pasta Sauce can easily be found in the pasta sauce aisle at Publix.

We are a cheese loving family and the RAGÚ Classic Alfredo Sauce is packed full of Parmesan and Romano cheeses. It is thick and creamy and wonderful in Chicken Fettucine and Chicken Alfredo. Made with real cheese and fresh cream, this classic Alfredo Sauce is just bursting with cheese flavor. The sauce is available in 16oz and 21.5oz jars (which is the perfect size for feeding a large family like ours).

Here is a quick recipe I developed using RAGÚ Alfredo Sauce. I hope you enjoy!

Quick Oven Baked Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie

Ingredients:
4 Cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 Cups frozen broccoli, carrots, cauliflower mix
1 21.5 oz jar RAGÚ Family Size Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce
2 Cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Container refrigerator biscuits

Directions:
Spray a 9 x 12 baking dish with cooking spray.
Place the cooked rotisserie chicken and broccoli/carrot/cauliflower mixture into the dish and stir to mix. Pour the RAGÚ Classic Alfredo Sauce across the mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly across the mixture. Separate the biscuits and cut them into fourths. Layer them on the top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes to 40 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and are thoroughly cooked.

Filed Under: Saving Money on Food Tagged With: Casserole, Dinner, food, Kids, Quick Recipe

Cheap Fall Meals Your Whole Family Will Love

by Mrs. Not Made of Money Leave a Comment

During this time of year I am always on the lookout for cheap Fall type meals. I’m not looking for just any cheap meal, though. As crazy as our house becomes during the first months of school between football and soccer, the last thing I have time to do is spend hours in the kitchen preparing dinner. My solution is that during these months I often prepare a couple of extra dinners on Saturday that I can make ahead of time for the coming week. Those are the types of cheap meals I’m looking for.

Does that sound like I’m hoping for too much? I don’t think so. I’ve found a few favorites that I rely on, but I’m always on the lookout for something new. If I share a few of mine, will you share yours?

Macaroni Bake
This hearty pasta bake is filling and easy to make. A pound of hamburger (sautéed), a couple of cups of pasta (boiled), two cans of tomato soup and a can of corn are all combined in a casserole dish. Then, simply bake in the oven for twenty minutes or so to enjoy a bubby, tasty meal. A simple salad is the perfect complement to this dish.

Chicken Casserole
Although this dish takes a long time to bake, its prep time is really fast. Boil five or six chicken breasts until they are thoroughly cooked. Place them in a casserole dish and cover them with ½ can of cream of chicken and ½ can of cream of celery soup. Add two cans of vegetable mix on top and then the rest of each can of soup. (I stop here to freeze the meal and start again on the day I want to eat the meal.) Bake the mixture at 350 degrees until it bubbles. Layer the contents of a can of refrigerated biscuits across the top to form a crust and continue baking until the biscuits are done. Yummy!

Mom’s Meatloaf
No meal is as comforting as a warm slice of meatloaf. We use two pounds of hamburger, ½ cup of bread crumbs, an egg, two tablespoons of brown sugar, one tablespoon of dry mustard, 2/3 cup of barbecue sauce, and a dash of salt and pepper to create our meatloaf. Mush the whole mixture together (my kids love to help with this). Place into two loaf pans and cook for thirty minutes or so.

Filed Under: Food, Saving Money on Food

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About The Author:

Hi There!  I’m Mrs. Not Made of Money and  I started this blog as a way of keeping myself focused on our family’s financial goals.  Raising a family is expensive!  As a SAHM I am always looking for ways to save a dollar {or two} so here on the blog I share money saving tips, recipes, DIY ideas, money rants, and ways that I have found to stretch our family budget further than we thought possible.  So glad to have you here!

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