Recipes Share your go-to budget meal ideas

[Smarty Plants]

What are some of the best meals to make when you're trying to save a little money? I make one vegetarian meal a week because it cuts down on our food costs and vegetables are healthier than meat. One of my go-to budget meals is ramen noodles with sautéed veggies. It helps reduce the amount of food we waste since I pull veggies from the fridge and freezer that need used up soon. Any raw veggie works so long as it can be cut up and sautéed. I make the ramen noodles like the package says, but I don't add the flavor packet. Instead, I toss in some extra virgin olive oil. I sauté my veggies with some rosemary and extra virgin olive oil until they're done. After that I combine the noodles and veggies in a big bowl, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, and serve. It's an easy, satisfying meal that's helps stretch the food budget.

Care to share your budget meal ideas?

 

[Petal to the Metal]

My favorite way to save money is to cut the meat in half and bulk the dish up with vegetables instead. Big chunks of onion, green pepper, celery, tomato, and spinach are my usual choices. I grow them at home, so it saves money. It's easy to cut the meat in half when you're making spaghetti, chili, tacos, hamburgers, and many other recipes. I look at red meat as a way to flavor meals rather than the star of the dish.

 

[Farmallh]

I'm not the cook, but I like the idea of cutting down the portion size of meat. We do raise our own and butcher too. I am sure doing this is a big savings too.

 

[Paul]

We look for sales on meat, and when we find one, we stock up. We freeze our meat, and then pull it out as we need it. Since we grow a few herbs in the house, we save money on spices, too.