Inexpensive Meals

Feeding your family on a tight budget doesn’t have to mean going hungry. Choose dinners that fill you up and cost less than $10.00 for the entire family. This is possible when you include vegetables and other inexpensive items available in most any grocery store. Making ends meet and stretching your dollars is possible and provides a way to ensure your family doesn’t go hungry. Since many families trying to meet basic expenses resort to Payday loans to pay their bills, you can make your limited cash go further by choosing inexpensive and easy methods of cooking.

 

Cabbage Stew
Cabbage fills you up quickly and is relatively inexpensive at less than 10 cents per pound. Fill a pot halfway with water and include some peeled carrots, onions, two cloves of garlic, potatoes, a vegetable bouillon cube for flavor, and a single bay leaf. Cut the cabbage into quarters and make sure the water completely covers the ingredients and boil your ingredients for one hour. When finished, you will have a tasty meal that can serve a family of four for less than $10.00.

 

Pancakes
Provided you can purchase butter, syrup and a basic pancake mix, you can serve pancakes for breakfast and fill your family’s bellies. Unlike waffles, pancakes only require a stove-top and a pan to make a delicious meal. Round out the meal with some fresh seasonal fruit with yogurt and you will have a complete breakfast that helps your family get the nutrients they need to get through the day.

 

Pasta
Packages of pasta can be purchased for only a few dollars and boiled to create a filling and healthy meal. For a few cents more, you can purchase spinach or wheat pasta. Boil the pasta based on the package recommendations and then add parmesan cheese or toss in an inexpensive olive oil for additional flavor. Serve with a fresh made salad for a complete meal under $10.00.

 

Bread Products
For those on an extremely tight budget, bread products provide a way to feel full without eating a lot of food. Add bread products to any meal to create a satisfying meal that provides your family with carbohydrates to fuel them throughout the day. Choose whole grain breads and avoid bleached or refined breads to maintain minerals and nutrients.

 

Pizza
Pizzas can be found in any grocery store and major pizza chains often offer large pizzas for around $10.00. Look for coupons and you may find that you can add on breadsticks or a side for free. Pizza provides several healthy ingredients, creates a tasty meal and makes it possible to fill up a hungry family due to the robust dough and toppings that you can add to the pizza.

 

Soup
Choose hearty and inexpensive soups complete with potatoes, meat or noodles. Soup can be purchased in family size containers and easily provides enough food for a small to mid-sized family. Follow the instructions on the soup can and add crackers to provide an extra element to help your family members fill up quickly. Soups have a tendency to have high levels of sodium, so look for brands with low sodium to help. There are also several varieties of soup starters, which allow you to provide soup that tastes homemade.

 

 Andrew Greene is a freelance writer and blogs for nowaitpaydayloans.co.uk where you can get payday loans fast!

 

 

How to Shop and Eat Frugally

Raising a family can be tough. Especially during these trying economic times, being frugal is key to keeping the wolf away from the door. There are a few key things to consider when budgeting to provide for you and your children. Make your dollar stretch as much as you can, go green by recycling, reusing, and reinventing uses for items around the house, and stop any leaks to your income! Follow these tips and you’ll be set for frugal living!

 

Buy In  Bulk
 Buying items in bulk (that can be kept in storage for long periods of time without spoiling) is a big help. Yes, upfront cost may seem like a lot at first, but if you portion out staples such as rice, beans, and cereals, your daily costs per head goes down significantly. Look for items that are on sale. Frozen vegetables are good choices, as they are typically flash frozen. Make sure you have durable storage containers that won’t let air in to create food spoilage, and a working freezer. Spices and sauces are a must have, in order to dress up meals, to keep them flavorful and interesting.

 

Farmer & Markets
Farmer’s markets, flea markets, or swap-o-ramas are great places to score items for the kitchen, home, and the wardrobe! Make a game out of salvaging unique items at flea markets or thrift stores with your kids, and don’t forget to haggle. Teach your kids the value of investing in items such as wooden furniture that can be repainted, decorated, and last a longer time than prefabricated furniture made overseas for cheap at discount stores. Vendors at markets are apt to give a deal to a customer, especially the last day of selling, to get rid of merchandise. Farmer’s markets can be great places to find cheap organic vegetables, spices, and other items to fill your cupboard.

 

 

Avoid Fast Food
As tempting as it is, avoid fast food. Fast food can lead to getting you and your children hooked on addictive sugary drinks, fatty food, and eventually expensive doctor bills later in life, due to obesity, tooth decay, and other detrimental health problems. Try to buy more vegetables, and keep portion sizes small, but full of various colorful vegetables and spices. Pair with rice or noodles to make a filling meal. Drink lots of water throughout the day, as sugary drinks and fruit juices are more expensive, and leech nutrients from the body, weakening the immune system. If you can, make a mini garden with your kids, in order to grow some of your own food, teach your family about respect for nature, and lower your food bill costs.

 

 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce consumption by reusing glass containers to grow sprouts, organize buttons, make your own candle holders, or other uses. Old clothes can be turned into dust rags, quilts, pillows, or rugs. Turn off lights when they are not in use in the house. Wash dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher. Cancel your cable subscription and avoid TV as much as you can. Save coupons and use them for higher priced items that you want. Keep clutter in the house to a minimum and only purchase what you need, and have a yard sale or donate unused items. Remember to be creative with decorating, meals, and spend time together with your family. Being frugal can be a learning experience to live more simply and naturally, and not getting caught up in blindly consuming short-lived items.

 

 

 

Tyra Tierra likes to write about recycling, traveling , and   visiting  Homeequityloan.net.

Throughout Labor Day weekend, we celebrate hard-working Americans and their devotion to their jobs and careers. It’s fitting that we honor our workers by not working at all, instead gathering with good friends and family to celebrate the long weekend. These simple Labor Day dishes will help everyone have fun and avoid straining your wallet at the same time.

A Salsa of Your Own

Few appetizers are as inexpensive, easy to make and flexible as salsa. Use fruits and vegetables that are in season, such as different varieties of tomatoes, onions, peppers, mango, pineapple, and cilantro. Add salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Experiment with different combinations of your favorites, offering a few different kinds for your friends and family to try. Serve the different salsas with tortilla chips, pita or bagel crisps, or whole wheat crackers to enhance the flavors in your salsa creations.

Succulent Side Dishes

Instead of plain old pasta or green salad, try a couple of healthy and inexpensive side dishes made from vegetables that are in-season. Halve ripe tomatoes and cover with extra-virgin olive oil, grated parmesan or asiago cheese, salt and pepper and oregano. Bake in your oven or on the grill for about fifteen minutes until the cheese is melted and the tomato is tender.

Another healthy and inexpensive side dish involves zucchini, which is plentiful this time of year. Slice and place directly on the grill with olive oil and desired spices, or wrap chunks of it with butter and salt in aluminum foil and put on the back of the barbecue to steam. These side dishes are so delicious that your guests will hardly notice how healthy they are!

Make-Your-Own Kabobs

To save on the cost of providing meat choices to a large group of people, consider setting out a variety of items that participants can make into fun and festive kabobs. Consider what’s in season, like peaches, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper and tomatoes. Cut these items into easy-to-skewer chunks, along with different kinds of meat like pork and chicken. These choices will lessen the need for a lot of meat but still produce deliciously grilled, one-of-a kind main dishes for your guests!

Don’t Forget Dessert

A fresh fruit salad makes a simple and satisfying dessert, and can be combined with inexpensive ice cream or whipped cream. Whip up a yellow or vanilla cake from your pantry for a more hearty dessert, and provide toppings like chocolate and strawberry syrup so that everyone can enjoy it as they’d like!

 

Kelly Wilson is a freelance writer who loves gathering with friends over the long Labor Day weekend. To find out more about how to take care of your teeth on a budget, contact Dr. Todd Beck of South Waterfront Dental, a dentist in Portland, OR.