cheap and easy meals?
Posted By: aln on 2007-05-19
In Reply to:
What are your favorite quick and cheap family meals? I have to bring my grocery budget down. I need some ideas for meals that can be made for about $10. My family is getting tired of spaghetti, chili, pork barbecue sandwiches and sloppy joes. What do YOU whip together on the cheap? I'm all ears.
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casserole - easy and cheap
Chicken casserole
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 C shredded swiss cheese or mozzarella
1 1/2 C stuffing (Stove Top in can)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of white wine or chicken broth
1 stick butter
Cut up boneless chicken in bites. layer in 9 x 13 pan. top with sliced mushrooms, then shredded swiss cheese. mix together soup and wine/broth and pour over top.
sprinkle stuffing over everything. pour melted butter over and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes
The Mirage in my paper is CHEAP-CHEAP-CHEAP
Prepared meals sm
We have a new service in our rural area which has been very successful and branched out. They rent space (have taken chefs courses). There are several different types of foods already prepared and you are given a container and choose which entree and side dish you want, pack it up yourself and just bring it home. Most women working outside the home stop on their way home from the office and love it, all they do is pop it in and warm it up. You sound like you want to do it from home. I don't know what the licensing requirements would be, but busy people need help, perhaps you could check around with local rules and regulations for food handlers. This business took off really well and is expanding to other parts of the state. I will ask my sister who uses it how they charge if you're interested, I'm not sure if it's by the food choices or by the pound. They like the variety of choosing their own diverse food choices, no pots and pans, no dishes, etc.
I have 3 rescue meals (sm)
1) Southwestern Chicken in a crock pot - 4-5 ingredients
This works either with or without the chicken. The chicken can be breasts, tenderloin strips, or legs, doesn't matter.
2 cans corn
2 cans black beans
1 large jar salsa
sour cream or cream cheese to taste
chicken if desired, as explained above
Toss it all in the crock pot, set the crock to low. Come back 3-4 hours later and eat.
2) Chicken casserole, Easy Style
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Mix the above up with 2 cups of instant rice on the bottom of a casserole baking dish. Top it off with chicken breasts or strips. salt and pepper that chicken to taste. Add whatever other seasoning you want to the chicken while you're at it.
Bake at 350 until the chicken is done.
3) If you have an Aldi, their stir-fry chicken or shrimp in a bag for $3.99 is really good. If I'm feeling extravagant, I toss in an extra bag of jumbo shrimp for another $3.99. Cook according to package directions in about 10-15 minutes total. Cook a cup of instant rice to go with. Feeds 2 adults easy, sometimes we get the kids to take no-thank-you-bites of that one (they're not big fans of veggies, LOL!)
Well skipping meals no matter
what kind of condition you have is not good. I have also heard that thyroid problem causes weight gain, but good food choices should still override this condition. We all have vices, and we all can have excuses. Just keep trying!
Do you plan meals in advance
I'm used to going to the grocery store and just looking around (I do have a list of things I need) and deciding on what to make for dinner while I'm standing there. I've never 'planned' meals before.
I am separated and getting divorced and seriously need to cut back on the food bill. We typically spend $700-800 a month for 4 of us. (food and toiletries)
I use coupons when I have them and most things are generic, but not all. Our bill is so high in part because my husband goes to the store everyday to buy breakfast on his way to work and also has special dietary issues. Right off the top without those two factors, I think I will save about $100 a month. Also, two teenagers who eat nonstop is expensive.
I buy lots of vegetables and try to use less meat/chicken, and more veggies but it doesn't always work! I do make soup often but my kids aren't into that as a main meal, just as part of their meal.
I don't buy sodas so that's not an issue.
Should I make a lot of bean type dishes? my kids would rather starve first! Hmm, maybe not a bad way to cut back...!
Does it save money if you plan your (dinner) meals in advance? Any other tips would be great.
Healthy meals for fussy 7-10 YO sm
"Yuck, ugh," sick of these words from young kids whose Mom wants them to eat healthy. They are also label readers (believe it or not), want to know where everything is on the food pyramid, yet they balk at everything in front of them. I am so tired of trying to please them and don't want to go against the Mom's rules. Anything tasty and healthy? Forget vegetables!
10 kids all demanding different meals
that would be crazy! I can't even imagine making dinner for 10 kids (I only have 1)
I don't know why many kids don't like vegetables. Perhaps if the parents don't have enough variety of them, or only tasteless overcooked ones.. raw or lightly cooked vegetables taste good and are colorful. I know you weren't recommending the force feeding. I am just reminded of the one time my father thought I should start eating scrambled eggs (which I don't like) because "everyone else eats them." I just swallowed, no chewing. He gave up after 1 time.
do you have Meals-on-Wheels in your area?
nm
I definitely agree with you there. I cook all meals and we
rarely eat out. I am very particular in what I cook and how I cook it. At least food that is eaten early in the day has a better chance of all the calories being burned off. A lot of times as well it will give them that extra boost of energy that they need. We as parents should have taught them how to make correct choices. That part is not the schools problem.
hypoglycemic child- kid friendly meals?
The ped endocrinologist said to cut out all processed sugar. Does anyone have experience with this? Would post any snacks/meals/names of cookbooks?
I'm going to see if our public and church libraries have any diabetic diet cookbooks. I've never liked cookbooks because they always list at least 15 items per meal that would cost a week's worth of our food budget to buy!
It's just the two of us so I don't have to worry about cooking for other family members.
Thank you :)
does your local grocery store off meals you can
buy that you just have to pop in the oven for a little while..I did this last year because I was so busy.. and it was a hit, we had prime rib and fixins, they also have turkey/ham dinners, it might save time and the dinner I got was tasty....(Obviously I am not much of a cook) Just a different idea.
I can't imagine affording all those meals out, but I have some suggestions sm
I usually cook from scratch. My idea of "fast food" is a can of lentil soup, and I have that about once a month, occasionally twice. I make crockpot soups a lot because I am busy.
I will tell you, there is a place that is sort of between a restaurant meal and home cooking. I used to have kids at home, lots of them, and I would get too tired to cook. My answer was to hybrid the dinner, so to speak.
You can get Stouffer's lasagne which is good. You can pickup some ready-made stuff in your grocery store deli or freezer case. We liked the frozen Banquet chicken back in the day. I might get that, a box of flavored instant potatoes, potato salad or ready-made mashed to go with it. We might get a bag of salad too. Fresh fruit cups were nice if they were on special. You know, make a nice meal you don't have to 100% cook, but isn't going out.
These days, I see that you can get beef tips in gravy, or sliced beef in gravy and other prepared stuff at the store. It just takes looking. It is more expensive than doing it all yourself, but it is much cheaper than going out.
You can try another thing that is NOT everyone's cup of tea, and that is OAMC or Once A Month Cooking. This is my favorite website:
http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm
I don't have the energy to do this one a month, but the above site doesn't advocate for that. They advocate for "mini plans" using what is on special in a given week. They have breakfast plans, muffin plans, potato plans, chicken, beef, pork plans, ground meat plans, even some dessert plans. With planning, you can do this in bits and pieces. From people who have done far more of this than I have, they tell me that with soup already made, no chopping or messing, they are more likely to make fresh rolls, salad and even a quick dessert...round out any meal because the work is done. Obviously, it saves money.
As for the meals you've made that you end up tossing, sm
why don't you freeze leftovers in single-serving sizes, in microwave containers? I do this for lunches with leftover main meals, and it works quite well. Almost everything is freezable - chili, spaghetti, etc.
Do you plan your week's meals in advance?
I try to, but I don't cook every night so I don't do a good shopping list.
I usually think of 2 or 3 meals before I head out to the grocery store and just wing it the other days.
My meals include the main dish and a side or two, plus a bread (for DS1, who loves biscuits, rolls, etc.). I never do desserts but I keep ice cream on hand for the boys and WW fudge bars for DH & myself. Dessert isn't part of our meal, but we may have it - or not - later in the evening.
I'm amazed at those who prepare full meals every single day plus dessert! Even though I was brought up that way, it's just not the way we eat. I'm not a big dinner eater, sometimes DH and I skip it altogether. I always feed the kids, though!
I love Mix N Match Pasta for summer meals
Just boil up a big batch of tricolor rotini pasta and add whichever of the following that appeals to you, or whatever you happen to have on hand.
Chicken, tuna, ham, shrimp, crab meat
Celery, carrots, onion, green peas, mushrooms
Ranch dressing, Italian dressing, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip
It's a great "clean-out-the-refrigerator" meal! 
Oriental, Thai, Indian meals. Pasta primavera. Hummus w/
s
Ha, I'm cheap too
That's why I said I really can't afford to buy anything!
No, you are not cheap.
I personally find those tip jars tacky. When I worked in the food industry, we were strictly forbidden to accept tips at the counter and if the customers insisted, we were supposed to turn it in to the manager, although the managers were usually cool and let us keep it.
Not cheap I guess, but
being into gardening I was wondering if they would like to fill containers with a little container garden of coleus varieties or other small, less expensive annuals. They could keep them or give them to their moms for Mother's Day. Just a thought. Maybe they could paint the outsides of the pots.
cheap eats
There are plenty of cheap eats in the city once you learn your way around. For example, the fruit in Chinatown is fantastic, and a whole lot cheaper than what I pay in my town. But my very, very, very favorite is a Middle Eastern pushcart on 6th and 56th(?) outside the Hilton. They sell a chicken and rice dish for $4 that is amazing. It is a huge amount of food,and I usually split with my daughter. Throw a couple of drinks in and we have spent $6 for a yummy lunch for two.
It is not unsanitary like you might think. They have been there for years and are extremely popular. Last time we went to NYC, we stayed in Brooklyn and made a special trip to the pushcart. They are there during the week for lunch only.
yeah ours did too but they are the cheap
they don't last long.
cheap beauty
Benzoyl peroxide at night (zit cream) Aveeno 70 SPF face sunscreen during the day. The sunscreen has some type of silicone in it with lots of vitamins and some zinc for a shimmering effect. The benzyol peroxide cream sloughs off the dead skin cells, but it stains bed sheets and clothes, so get out your white pillow cases. The sunscreen is about $10 for a large tube.
is this *selective remembering* or is she CHEAP?
Salonpas is cheap - cheaper still at Sam's
I think you can buy a huge box for under $10. They are good on sprained wrists, too, my daughter gets those after doing carpentry around the house (talented girl) and we put them on and they work great. I use the slightly larger ones on my chronic low back pain and while they don't last for hours, they give pretty good relief of moderate to low pain and last about an hour. And they really are inexpensive. I learned about them in a Chronic Pain Class I was taking at my HMO, thought what can I lose, and found they work well for me.
Wise
whoa!! That was a cheap shot LOL, but I'd rather have a
x
Cheap squirrel deterrent
To keep squirrels from climbing up the pole to get to your feeder, you can attach a simple slinky to the bottom of the feeder, encircling the pole. The squirrel jumps up, grabs the slinky, and gets lowered to the ground. They can't figure it out. Supposedly it works and keeps on working for years! Fun to watch, too. It would also disturb the birds less than a feeder that spins to detach squirrels, LOL.
wrapping cookies cheap.
Are they being mailed?? If so, wrap them in plastic wrap and then foil and put them in Pringle's Potato Chip tins. This works great for care packages going to Iraq.
It's still pretty cheap compared to other sm
countries! Look at the price of diesel and fuel - that impacts the USPS as much as it does all of us.
It's only a penny.
now's the time to invest -- buy cheap
and ride it out. Why are you asking, did you win a big one?
Can You Wear Cheap Clothes?
and they look good on you?
I was just thinking about my deceased mother and she sometimes would say about someone "I wish I could wear cheap clothes like her!"
Ironically - one of the best fitting/looking blazers my mom ever bought was from Walmat and was on a clearance rack for $7.99. (orig price wasn't all that much higher)
It sounds like a catty insult/put down, but my sister says it too about her friend, and it's not said with any kind of malice - she just wishes she could buy cheaper clothing that fits well and looks good too and save the money.
I hope I can wear some cheap because
just bought 2 tops at Kohls this morning on sale, about $8 each. Everything was on sale, 50, 60 and 70% off. I love Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, they fit so good but they have changed the texture of the pants and this morning I looked but bought another brand with the kind of material I love, spandex and real light weight material, capris for later in summer. Bought a pair of sunglasses and lost already.
A cheap place on a golf course, that is a surprise - sm
Personally since there is 8 of you expense is not really an issue if you are dividing the cost up between everyone. I'd go for comfort if expense is not an issue. The guys can drive to a golf course if they want to play. Another thing to do is either make a list of pros and cons OR call everyone involved and get them to vote; that way you can say you did a vote and X one; so if they complain they hate it they won't have you to blame, someone has always got to complain about something it seems. Have fun whichever way you decide.
HAHA! See, would never work with us. We are both cheap leaders sm
I don't like him telling me what to do and he hates taking instruction from me, so we sit here in a 25 year old home with nothing getting done because we're too cheap to hire and too stubborn to work together!!!!
Good, cheap spell checkers? (sm)
Does anyone know a good medical spellchecker that is fairly cheap? My c drive crashed today - just got it fixed - and I cannot find my Stedman's CD anywhere. I need to work tomorrow so I want to get something on here quick. There are lots of others out there but I don't know anything about them. I had downloaded one at one point that would automatically correct my words when my spelling was very close. Would love to find that one again but don't remember what it was.
tell hubby there are lots of cheap motels
Florida poster here.....lots of cheap Kissimmee hotels/motels - sleeps 4-6....$39-$49/nightly or cheaper if you do like 3 to 4 days....
Calling coworker/buddy you haven't seen in a decade just to ask if one can stay there w/family is NOT a good idea......
olds saying - guests, like garbage, get old in 3 days........tell your husband to FORK OVER THE $$....he can afford Disney Parks? He can afford a $50/night room for his FAMILY....HIS family.....
Just my *take*......no flames please
I get my professional strength ones on ebay for really cheap
They are less than $5 and are the same exact stuff they use in the dentist office. I have been using them for years and everyone tells me that I have the nicest teeth.
to be cheap - I buy ready made blankets
big lots, target, saw them somewhere in an add for 2.50 in yesterday's paper - that does limit your size but I'm making them for no reason - it is very therapeutic for me - just really got into tying those knots - made them for my daughters at Christmas (adults) and now I am thinking it would be good to keep one in cars too, for trips and in case you got stuck and it was cold because they are warm!
Walmart has their own Oil of Olay stuff cheap.
xx
An eyelash curler is quite cheap and works well. SM
There are may mascaras out there that will thicken up lashes.
Try both these before shelling out that kind of money.
We'll use the word inexpensive instead of cheap. LOL
It is hard to find anymore. The industry takes averages from what I read and if you are not average you're just in bad shape. No pun.
I have decided to learn to sew as time allows. I made 2 shirts last year and they fit better and are more comfortable than anything I have bought.
Scrubs! They're comfy and CHEAP. nm
nm
Fried rice is another good, cheap meal (sm)
I use a rice cooker a lot since I can cook w/o babysitting it. Make extra rice and put it in a ziplock bag and refrigerate. Next day you can take the leftover rice and bits of meat and veggies left over from other meals and an egg or two, and make fried rice. If you're new at it, there are some inexpensive fried rice spice mix packets that give you the flavor with some instructions. But once you've done it a few times, you can wing it with some asian spices and just use up the leftovers you have.
bookingbuddy.com showing cheap Vegas flights
Try www.bookingbuddy.com I just got an email from them a few days ago, and Vegas was one of the cities they were highlighting as having fares on sale right now.
right; effective, quick, cheap method; have always believed this; always will
nm
Need a new printer for Vista OS...Any suggestions for a good cheap one?? sm
I need a new printer compatible with Windows Vista OS. I would like an All In One, but at this point, I am not picky...I just need to print! Thanks in advance for all suggestions!
Need cheap food idea for 50th Bday sm
I will have about 30 people to feed. I want to have food but looking for budget ideas. Thanks. I am surprising my husband for his 50th. I live in a cold climate. Thanks!
if one has good feet, one can wear cheap shoes.
Shoes do not necessarily have to be espensive to be good. There are also expensive shoes that are not so good.
People with unhealthy feet need expensive shoes.
I have a lot of shoes (over 100) average price $ 40.--, and I have very healthy feet.
I take very good care of my feet and my shoes, some are 20 years old, inspite being medium priced.
I could not wear the same shoes, yearin, yearout, resoled, repaired, etc...boring!
Sorry!
But, most of the time, I run around barefoot, that's the best shoe!
Thanks everyone, the thousand dollar post before made me feel CHEAP!
I will go with the gas card and some cash, good ideas. I think I got 10 bucks and told I had to start to pay more "board". Times are changing. I don't remember last time we gabbed about this subject but the gifts were way up there for high school. These sound more like what I can afford.
yes, go online and type in 'easy, cheap lunches and dinners...nm
nm
Try Benadryl, the generic is cheap. Works great, not habit-forming. NM
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