Food - How to Save

Food is a huge expense if you live in the US..

1) The biggest waste of money is eating out.. The cost of eating out vs cooking at home is close to 5:1 for Fast Food and 10:1 if you eat out at a nicer restaurant..

2) A good source for cheap recipes is: http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=9203372488812491488&postID=3899172396747464426

3)When you live frugally there are 2 paths to follow to save money:
a) Forego Meals - I would highly recommend against this.. You generally get hungry and end up spending money outside or impulse buying as a result.
b) Eat at home - Eat 3 square meals a day at home.. Pack a lunch when you go to work.. Make something simple that doesn't need refrigeration if you don't have access to one at work.

4) When you buy food, be conscious of the price per serving...
Example: Mom's Best Quick Oats
Cost $2.49 per box
Number of servings per box 27
Cost per serving = 11 cents
To make the quick oats, you just boil water and put a pinch of salt in the oats and then pour boiling water in the same. It's a good hearty start to the day.

5) Buy canned food to save money.

Cheap Fruit Salad
Cost: $1.58 (Peach halves .99, tropical fruit mix .59)
Number of servings 6
Cost per serving = 27 cents

Alternative to Salsa - Stewed Tomatoes

Cost: .59 cents
Yields 4 servings
Buy Canned Stewed Tomatoes (the ones with salt, celery if you can find them)
Open the can.. Cut the tomatoes in salsa size pieces.
Cost per serving = 15 cents
Compare to Salsa = $3 for bottle (4 servings)
Cost per serving = 75 cents

6) Cut coupons but be conscious that coupons may not save you money.. At times, coupons direct you to brands that you normally wouldn't buy. Do the math to calculate your per serving cost after applying the coupon and compare to the alternatives.

E.g Bottle of Blincoln Salsa = $5 (4 servings) There's a coupon for $1 off making the cost $4 or $1/serving
Compare to Storebrand Salsa = $4.50 (5 servings) making the cost 90 cents per serving.

7) Never leave the house hungry or thirsty.. Thats when you will waste money going out or to a vending machine.

8) Easy cheap foods to eat at home:
1) Ramen Noodles ( I hate these so normally pass on them)
2) Buttered Pasta..
Make pasta..
Make a butter sauce by melting butter, garlic salt and pepper over a low flame.
Mix and serve with grated cheese.
3) Pasta with Canned Stewed Tomatoes and parmesan cheese (grated dried).
Make pasta, drain.
Add a can of stewed tomatoes when it heats up remove and serve with grated cheese.
4) Pasta with Condensed Tomato Soup.
Boil the pasta..
Make your soup.. add spices to soup mix.. (crushed pepper, pepper flakes, parsley flakes).
Mix soup and pasta and heat to combine for 2 minutes
5) Bread Salad..
Take 8 slices of bread, cut into squares set aside..
Take 4 potatoes, boil, cool and cube.
Chop an onion.. Sautee it.. add potatoes and brown a little longer..
Add Salt & Pepper..
Add bread and heat up for 2 more minutes..
Serve warm with a glass of milk
6) BBQ Chicken (relatively cheap). Buy legs or thighs (basically cheapest available chicken) marinate in bbq sauce, olive oil, garlic salt & paprika overnight. put in a glass baking pan or cookie sheet if former not available.. Bake and serve
7) Tomato Onion salad- Dice fresh tomatoes and onions, add vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar.. refrigerate and serve when cold..
8) Cheap Veggie Tacos –
Get Corn Tortillas and lightly toast them in a skillet..
Put them in a plate and add the tomato onion salad from above and a grated cheese of your choice.. I like sharp cheddar..
Fold in half and return to skillet till each side is lightly browned (3 of these make a good meal).

9) Fried rice:Cook 2 cups of rice ($.80) in salted water.. Drain and set aside.Dice and cook 2 onions ($.40) in a skillet till lightly browned and set aside.Cook Broccolli florets ($1)in boiling water and once cooked put them in a bowl with ice cubes and water. This is called shocking and it helps the brocolli to retain its color.Take canned or frozen peas ($.50) and drain and then heat them up with salt and set aside.Take canned carrots ($.50), drain and heat up with salt and set aside.Take 4 pieces of bacon($.75) and cut into small pieces and then fry them till crispy. Set aside.Keep the bacon fat aside for later..Take 2 eggs ($.20)and beat them with salt and pepper and set aside..Heat up your wok and add rice and bacon fat and mix.. Add a little soy sauce for color and flavorAdd onions, peas, carrots, brocolli and bacon one at a time allowing 10-20 seconds between to mix well. Once its all mixed well and heated up (2-3 minutes). Turn off heat and add eggs and mix well so that the egg gets separate well. It will cook in the wok with the heat of everything else.Cost: $4.15Number of servings:8Cost per serving = 52 cents

10 ) Tomato Tortilla Soup
Fill bowl halfway with crushed tortilla chips (This is a great way to use the bottom of the barrel crushed chips)
Mix a cup of stewed tomatoes with a pinch of garlic salt and a handful of grated cheese.
Add stewed tomatoes mix to the tortilla chips… Pat down tightly in the bowl
Microwave for 60 seconds..
Mix & Enjoy

9) Easy lunches to pack
1) Deli Meat sandwiches (no mayo to keep unrefrigerated)
2) Fried rice from above
3) PBJ (Peanut Butter & Jam)Sandwiches.. Nowadays i just do J Sandwiches after the Peanut Butter problems
4) Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (I like these better warm but still)
5) Any pasta from above