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Grocery Bills Reduced

by Rachel

I have a great tip for reducing grocery bills. A few months ago, I started to notice that a I had a lot of ingredients and condiments in my refrigerator and my pantry that never got used and either sat there collecting dust or went bad. I decided to come up with a short list of meals that were easy to make and I would only buy ingredients for those few meals. This would allow me to really stock up on an item if I saw it on sale because I knew I would be making a meal with it many times. I also picked meals that used many of the same fixins to further ensure nothing goes bad. Here are some sample menus. Note: I only list the main course. I get canned veggies and fruits in bulk and add one to the meal along with a piece of whole wheat buttered bread if the meal is on the small side. Also, I feed two people (one vegetarian) with these menus.

Canned Health Valley mild vegetarian chili topped with sharp cheddar and sour cream. Serve with cornbread muffins made from scratch.
Soft or hard-shell tacos (really two different meals) made with Fantastic Foods vegetarian taco filling (yummy!), sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.
Macaroni and cheese made with homemade sauce made with sharp cheddar cheese, milk, flour, and butter. I sometimes add some cheap fish sticks.
For a cheese pizza, start with Jiffy pizza crust (takes 5 minutes to rise and costs about 70 cents), mozzarella, sharp cheddar cheese, and marinara.
Spaghetti-Pasta, marinara, topped with some parmesan
Fettuccini Alfredo made with with white sauce made from butter, parmesan and milk (or cream if I'm splurging)
Campbell's or Health Valley Minestrone Soup in big bowls, topped with parmesan cheese
Salad made with iceberg lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, misc. veggies
Bean burritos made with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream
Tuna Melt/Grilled cheese made with tuna salad (optional), sharp cheddar cheese, wheat bread, grilled Tomato Soup (THE cheapest and most delicious soup)
Omelet made with 4 eggs, sharp cheddar, herbs, misc. veggies served with Iceberg salad

Obviously, the shopping list is short and it is pretty healthy. I do use a lot of cheese, but I limit the portion to just what I can really taste in the food. Using the same menu has let me eliminate the tedious task of planning a weekly menu and figuring out all the food and ingredients I'll have to buy. Now, I just put a magnetic shopping list on the refrigerator and when I use the last of something, I write it on the list. When five or more things are on the list, I shop.

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Grocery Bills Reduced

by Rachel

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