Since David and I have moved here, we have severely decreased the amount of times we eat out each week. In fact, I think we have only eaten out three times in the four weeks we have been here, which is drastically different than our life in Cleveland.
There are at least three practical reasons for this– one is that we want to be healthier, another is that we now have a functional and pleasant kitchen, and the third is that there are fewer fast-food restaurants here and we don’t have a car to get to them anyway.
But perhaps the biggest perk? Cooking at home saves money, a concern for almost everyone recently, and especially for we unemployed.
But the mere cost-savings of cooking at home is not enough for me- I have become, well, more than interested but less than obsessed, with finding recipes that require low-cost ingredients but yield high-level results… cheap but good food.
I’ve begun plowing through cookbooks I only used as references before, taking notes, and scouring websites dedicated to cheap eats. Some leave something to be desired, such as one “grilled cheese and Ramen noodle” post. But others have creative and helpful suggestions.
We’ve been having lots of bean and rice burritos, sure. But we also made a soup on Halloween that consisted of vegetable broth, a can of pumpkin, black beans and corn, salsa, and spices (sounds gross but tastes great, especially with shredded cheese).
Cut back on meat, that’s a dietary money-saver for sure. And others? Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Don’t buy prepackaged items if you can reasonably make it yourself. Do buy items you will enjoy preparing and eating so you are not tempted to order in because you feel deprived.
Everybody knows this, but it’s become such a fun challenge for me, learning how others make decisions about what food they buy for themselves and their families.
So please, tell me. Tell me what your special tricks are, your favorite meal to prepare just for yourself, or the one you whip out when friends come over. How you’ve learned to pare down your grocery bill. Send that info my way, because bad housekeepers can always use a few friendly domestic tips.
3 responses so far ↓
dframe // November 7, 2008 at 3:45 am |
The Monday-to-Friday Cookbook walks you through setting up a “pantry” in a small urban space, and it also has big weekend meals with clever left-overs for the rest of the week. You know, the roast chicken that becomes chicken salad and chicken-corn chowder. I think Real Simple has similar “cook for later in the week” recipes.
I also got Moosewood’s Weekday cookbook– simple vegetarian stuff. Red-Green-Black-and-Gold Chili, a favorite.
I’ll keep checking back to see other notes…
skrowerif // November 9, 2008 at 3:56 pm |
I’ve been thinking a few things. First, The Soup Bible is pretty much one of the best cookbooks out there. Second, knowing your local stores can been a boon: Trader Joe’s is a good, elementary first step in buying Cheap and Healthy Food, but learn the lesser known smaller stores, too. For instance, in Seattle, we have a small chain known as Uwajimaya that sells nothing but ASIAN FOOD. There, I buy a pound of bean sprouts for the top of homemade pad thai for something like 37 cents. A POUND. THIRTY SEVEN CENTS. Yes, I love bean sprouts. But the point is, look for inexpensive deals and specialty stores and then look for recipes that incorporate those items. (Like the bean-sprouts/pad thai result, for instance, I knew that thai noodles are pretty inexpensive, as are tofu, those tiny thai peppers necessary for making the sauce, etc. The only things I splurge on are the fish sauce- which lasts forever and will easily get me half a year of thai food out of one purchase- and the peanuts, which, well, are peanuts and are worth it. Can send you a pad thai recipe to die for if you’re interested.) So: soup, thai food, specialty stores with good deals on the cheap, trader joe’s. I look for inexpensive sources of protein, like tofu, and find creative things to do to them. I splurge on items I can’t live without, like ground turkey instead of ground beef (not a beef fan, can’t digest it easily), and I always let myself get GOOD cheese. (Which I hear is in short supply in Boston, actually.) I’m tres picky about the cheese. But then I watch for deals on fruits and veggies, and I try to remain in the know about what produce carries with it what vitamins and nutrients. Iceberg lettuce might be cheap, but it’s also basically devoid of any nutritional value. I try to steer clear of filler foods- such as the iceberg lettuce, and pasta, and even most breads- so I’m both saving money and getting more nutritional bang for my buck. And when all else fails, never underestimate the glory of yogurt. Use it in everything! You’ll feel very greek, and you’ll be getting a swarm of active cultures to keep you healthy, as well as protein. These are just my blah-blah-blah things that I’ve been mulling over. Denise’s Real Simple suggestion is a good one, too.
badhousekeeping // November 9, 2008 at 5:16 pm |
Thank you very much for these suggestions! I would love to check out that pad thai recipe… I’ve wanted to learn to cook simple thai dishes for a long time. And I’m adding these cookbooks to my Christmas list.