Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

DH and I just bought a house and are a little tight for the grocery bill while we fix it up and such, what are some good inexpenive meals that you use?

Message edited 5/11/2010 12:46:56 PM.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

Chicken legs! They are very inexpensive and can be prepared in a lot of ways - barbecue, tandoori, sticky asian style - even fried.

Pasta is also big in our house - I make a vat of sauce and freeze it so I can have it on hand.

We do frittatas with veggies in it and ground turkey chili, tacos and ghoulash visits our kitchen fairly often.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

def pasta.. one in particular i like- i buy 2 cans of diced tomatoes and put it in a pan w/ garlic and olive oil and simmer it for a bit and then throw it over spaghetti. cheap, quick, and delicious!

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

not really a recipe but I add 1/2 a can of black beans to chop meat - increases the fiber (makes you feel full and its healthy - and CHEAP).

I try to but meat when its on sale. I take individual chicken cutlets and freeze them flat/thin so they defrost quickly.
I also make a big flat pancake with my chopmeat in a freezer bag so it defrosts quickly - and it stacks neatly.

I don't but a lot of people find it cheaper to make your own sauce and freeze it. I'm too lazy.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

a big pot of meat sauce --- make the meatballs on the smaller side, add in country pork ribs, fat link sausage and stew beef. Freeze in smaller containers. You'll have 1 meal a week for like 6 weeks
I freeze the meat & sauce separately in ziplocks. I lay the meat out flat and spaced apart in a gallon sized ziplock on a baking tray and freeze it That way you can take out how much meat you need ....

Beef, Turkey or Chicken Chili - make a double batch and freeze it in ziplocks.
Serve over rice.

Chicken Pieces - when on sale, buy the 'family size' portions and make ziplocks of mixed pieces.

Shop at 'Farms' for your fruits & Veggies (and sometimes meats) - John's Farm, Pat's Farm, and there is another one i am forgetting located on 109

On a really tight budget, canned goods are a cheapmeal filler.
Lingiuni w/ Canellini Beans in Garlic & Oil.
Elbows with Garlic, Diced Tomatoes & Peas


I believe the key is to find sales, buy in bulk when the prices are exceptional and plan plan plan. On the weeks I check over my freezer, check over my pantry, check over my fliers and plan B,L,& D for DH, DS and myself, I save a TON.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

I asked for help with this a few months ago and Jeanne and Jess were a huuuuge help.

Cheap Eats Thread

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

We eat eggs once a week for dinner, omelette. I buy 3 dozen for like $3.50 in Sams club.
We eat tuna on a wrap, on salad or casserole.
Chicken breast is also $1.90 a lb. Sometimes it's as cheap as a $1 if you watch flyers.

Keep an eye out in local flyers for the $5 off $50 coupon. Take advantage of stores like Costco/ BJS ect. Buy anything non-perishable there. Their fruits & veggies are also far more reasonable.

Don't compromise nutrition for the sake of saving $$.

DH & I take $300 cash out the first on the month. I put it in an envelope & buy all my groceries from it. I also save my receipts in the same envelope so I can compare prices in stores. Some months I'm over, some I'm under. Im way more accountable now. I used to just swipe a debt card & buy whatever.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

Black bean burritos...just a tortilla, black beans, shredded cheese.

BBQ pork in the slow cooker. All you need is a pork shoulder and BBQ sauce. It can be on sale for 99 cents a pound and it makes about 6-8 sandwiches. Dinner for at least 2 days.

English muffin pizzas--DH's favorite!! So quick and easy. Add some pepperoni too--all 4 food groups!

Buy bagels when they're on sale (most bagel stores sell them cheap one day a week or near closing) and freeze them. Make a veggie omelette on a toasted bagel.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

big fan of chopped meat of all kinds and chicken thighs!!!

chopped meat you can make red sauce, all sorts of meatballs, sloppy joes, meatloafs, etc.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

I like to go to the grocery store later on at night and especially on Sundays. I have found that a lot of meat has the $2.00 off coupons on them. I often get steak and chicken for a couple of bucks this way.


I also use the local Italian deli butcher because they have good deals on meat specials that I freeze, and then make meals in advance that will last for a few days or that I can take as leftovers for my lunch.

I like to make pasta as well. Friday nights I make our own pizza. I buy the frozen pizza dough at Stop & Shop usually.

Re: Tight on money..inexpensive good recipes??

Here's one of our favorites, my MIL named them I dont know why they're called it but:

Indian Tacos:

Brown a pound of chopped meat (any kind) when it's browned drain and add a can of sloppy joe sauce.

Then heat up some oil and take pizza dough (homemade or store bought). Cut it into chunks stretch with your fingers to flatter and fry them in the oil creating fry breads.

Then make open faces tacos out of them. We usually garnish with sour cream, black olives, lettuce, tomato, cheese -whatever you want. They're super easy and so addicting!