Tips for making a grocery budget,HELP PLEASE (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

And even cheaper (and better tasting) is making the cheese sauce yourself (I mean if you really want to save money).

Along these lines, being able to make a good Welsh rarebit (or rabbit) makes for a good meal and costs nearly nothing.

Get a large bottle of Tabasco for some of these, otherwise bland dishes. You would be surprised how muby better macaroni and cheese tastes after adding a few drops of Tabasco.

 

[Zen Butler]

As to mac and cheese. Try this at least once.

Sprinkle just a tinge of McCormick Montreal seasoning and a few dashes of Cholula. Yum

Tabasco is for wimpies. J/K



Even better than our local hero, Tapatio.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Well Zen it is pretty easy to tell who can, does or has cooked for themselves (especially on a budget).

Just my wife and I on most nights, and we don’t bother too much with a budget these days, but we don’t even bother with a 5 lb bag of rice—we purchase in the 10–25 lb size.

Which reminds me—learn to make risotto. Rice, parmesan and chicken stock—to which you can add almost any other ingredient should you desire. You can just make the basic dish or add some vegetable like asparagus or celery and once again a very cheap and easy dish that is absolutely delicious.

 

[Zen Butler]

Lew, yes, I'm going off of memory mostly. Out of this budget-conscience period though, came some pretty decent creations. The boys love Montreal on everything. Our house has several different types of sauce at all times. We love it hot. Must be those Texan roots.

 

[David Williams]

I couldn't afford to do my grocery shopping anywhere but the local Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. 9 out of 10 things are cheaper there than at the local supermarket (plus the NM has the $5.50 bin!! )

 

[andrew markworthy]

Also a lot healthier if American bread is anything like British. There's been a lot of fuss in the UK media recently about how there is way too much fat and salt in store-bought bread.

We make our own, not through any penny-pinching, but simply because it tastes so much better. However, we do have a bread making machine which does make life a lot easier.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Tabasco may not be as hot as some hot sauces. But I think that the flavor it assumes from ageing in wood is unique and very tasty.

BTW, have you ever noticed the ingredients on a bottle of Tabasco (the original—not the new-fangled versions)?

Peppers (the Tabasco variety natch), vinegar and salt. Nothing else.

 

[MarkHastings]

For those who don't like to waste food, I found a great Milk product. Hood's - Simply Smart. Not only is it fat free, but the expiration on it is MUCH longer than regular milk.

I often found that I'd throw out a lot of milk every week because I couldn't use it all before the expiration date. Simply Smart's expiration date is so long that I can actually finish the milk before it expires.

I bought a half gallon, a few weeks ago and the expir. date is in Oct.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I used to have a problem with milk spoiling as well. What I started doing was buying 1/2 gallon of Horizon milk. It's organic, yes, and costs more, but it tastes much better than and has an expiration date of 1-1.5 months in the future. I also don't buy milk all the time.

I always keep a box of evaporated (not condensed) milk. It might sound gross to some, but it's really not that bad. I don't really recommend drinking it straight unless you've let it sit in the fridge a day or two to "blend", though. It works for cereal in a pinch. I use it all the time for baking and cooking since you really can't tell at all. The box can keep forever and that way you don't have to keep buying milk if you only use a little bit here and there.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

But Zen, Tapatio has such a great politically-incorrect label.....

 

[Zen Butler]

Don't get me wrong, I love Tabasco, especially at breakfast. And you're right hot doesn't always equal flavor. Cholula, you'll find is, top-notch but pricey.