Cooking on a budget- can be fun! (Cooking on a Budget!)

Member Name: mummy2twogirls

Product:	Cooking on a Budget!
Date:	01/11/08 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: you can make thousands of meals for under a fiver

Disadvantages: taking the time to cook

'Cooking on a budget' is something that more and more families are having to resort these days what with the credit crunch upon us.
'Cooking on the cheap doesn't always mean £1 frozen pizza's from Iceland neither, with the right know how and right ingredients there are thousands of ways to cut back on what you spend, and at the same time make delicious healthy meals from scratch.
For quite some time i have been watching what i spend and making the food i buy last longer, with a little help from my numerous cookbooks and the internet i have come across many tips and recipes,which i would like to also share with you. The suggestions are not for everyone's liking, but with a little imagination you can cook on a budget too, even people who think they can't cook!

* About a year ago i was given a bread maker, as a gift by my mum as she swears by them, I didn't think much of it at first and thought it seemed to much hassle just to make one loaf of bread! but i gave it a go and found it really easy, and the bread is so yummy too, That freshly baked smell wafting around the house in the morning is lovely. I also use it to make bread roll's, pizza dough etc, you can buy big bags of flour from local farm shops for next to nothing and they for ages,i worked out that a large loaf of bread costs around 50p to make.

*In stead of buying ready made chips, roast potato's,wedges, i buy a big sack of potato's from my local farmer for around £5.00, and it lasts me around 2-3 weeks, from that i make all my potato based products from scratch, yes it may take a little longer but it works out so much cheaper in the long run, and by making homemade chips,wedges etc are healthier too.

* I bet this has probably been said before but by buy big bag's of mince in one go, or if you see them on offer-stock up! And spend one day making lasagne's, chilli, spag bol, mince pastries, moussaka or what ever takes your fancy, you can then freeze them and use when needed.

*Try buying supermarkets own brand food's like, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, tinned fruits, beans, lentils etc. They don't taste any different when used in cooking and why pay 89p for a tin of tomatoes when you can pay 18p? It all add's up. Plus by stocking up your cupboards like this theres always something you can cook.

* Use your local green grocer's, Markets, and fish mongers when possible, It's always cheaper as you don't pay for fancy packaging and you get good quality fresh meat, plus your doing your bit to help your local farmers and community.

* Beef/ lamb/ chicken stews always go down well on cold winter evenings, to make the stews go further try cooking it with root/ seasonal vegetables, and lentils, you can make a huge pot of stew for under a fiver that would go round 6-8 people.

* Plan the weeks meals before you go, and always make a list and stick to it, make sure you have plenty of time when your shopping so you can browse and work out what is cheaper, also never go shopping on a empty stomach as this can lead to you buying things you won't end up eating.

* Grow your own fruit and veg, It cheap and easy to do, get books out the library to help you, you'll have fun doing it, and it also gives you a little bit of exercise.

*Homemade pizza: indeed, anything made with homemade pastry, pasta or dough is a good option. Flour and yeast are inexpensive and formed into dough, can taste delicious too, you get to chose your own topping and is always a big hit with the whole family.

* Many supermarkets do whole chicken's, on offer like 2 for £5,which is a good buy if it can feed your family twice - the second night, maybe in a Thai chicken salad or spicy fajitas, chicken stir fry, or even chicken sandwiches for lunch.

* Try making all you own sauces from scratch, it may seem hard at first but once you get the hang of it, it's simple, Keep jam jars to freeze left over sauces or keep homemade dressings and dips.

* Jacket potato's are quick and easy to do, and you can have just about any filling you want, from hot or cold, they are really filling as well and can make a great snack or main meal,

* Egg's egg's glorious egg's! there's nothing much you can't do with a egg, omelette's , scrambled egg, egg fried rice??.

There are just a few idea's that i have but im sure you have a good idea of some of the things that can be done.
Cooking on a budget doesn't have to be boring, by involving your children/ husband it can be fun. no body wants to be slaving away in the kitchen all day, but if it means it will help save money than we all need to make a few sacrifice's!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review and i will post some recipes once i can find them!

Summary: I love spending time experimenting with new idea's