What Do You Cook At Home To Save Money?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by ACSAPA • Oct 13, 2014.

  1. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    Saving money is trial and error, and over the years, I've learned that it's cheaper to make things like pudding, waffles, soup, bread and iced tea by hand rather than buy them. It costs pennies to make hummus from dried beans instead of buying it premade.

    Are there any products that you cook at home to save money? Now that I know that pudding is mostly cornstarch and milk, I would feel ripped off buying Jello pudding.
    Don't even get me started on how ridiculously cheap chai tea is to make over and over again, once you have all the spices.
     
  2. McsSlep

    McsSlepNew Member

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    Most of the meals I make I use homemade things because it's cheaper. Like fried chicken or meatloaf or mac and cheese. Tea is also something I prefer to make at home. It's cheaper and usually tastes much better.
     
  3. lizzief79

    lizzief79Active Member

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    I make everything homemade and I use a lot of vegetables as they are cheaper than meat and fish. On Sundays, we have a roast joint of meat and then I use any leftover meat to make something like a curry. I shop at Aldi wchich is by far the cheapest supermarket in the UK andI look out for offer whenI am shopping.
     
  4. Hedonologist

    HedonologistActive Member

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    Any potato based foods. I can also get a reasonably sized sack for £5. Once the supermarket had an offer for £3 and I managed to reduce my shopping bill to £9 that week. I don't make much at home. Sometimes a soup or stew as well as chips.
     
  5. eppie

    eppieActive Member

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    My husband and I enjoy eating vegetables a lot and veggies are really cheap compared to meat. But it's a different story when it comes to our children. They are a bit picky on what to eat and they're not very fond of vegetables either (they only life potatoes - in french fries form :p). But they do like soups and so far it's the only inexpensive meal that we can cook/serve (that they will actually eat) whenever we're on a tight budget. :( They also like instant noodles but I don't like serving them with that because of health reasons. Though I do them give instant noodles but only once every week (tops). :)
     
  6. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    I make a lot of my meals with rice or noodles involved. No matter what brand of it you're buying, you're getting a ton of both for a really cheap price. I can get a 15 pound bag of rice at Safeway for $10, and i'll probably end up getting around 30-40 meals where rice is one of the components you're getting.

    Other than that, I just look for what sort of foods are on sale at the time. If there's a deal on chicken breasts, I'll be sure to get a few more packs of them. Also, I look to make a lot of sandwiches with lunch meat and PB&J for lunch. Doing that has saved me a ton in lunch money and is far cheaper than going out to eat.
     
  7. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

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    I cook vegetables. In my country, they are very affordable, so cooking those will really save me money. When I am too tired or lazy to go out, I just make scrambled eggs. Of course, these only happen when I am cooking for myself. My nephews do not really like vegetables especially when they are steamed, so I have to make soup. I try to stir them away from eating too much canned soup because those have preservatives.
     
  8. NikkiDesrosiers

    NikkiDesrosiersActive Member

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    I can't say there's a whole lot I make from absolute scratch to save money -- it's not that I can't cook it's just that with a newborn at home and trying to work online I just don't have that much time. What I normally do to save money is prepare meals in bulk so that my family can eat more than one meal from them such as soups and pasta dishes. I do wholeheartedly agree with making things like tea to save money on buying bottled drinks and such. I am also considering purchasing one of those at home soda makers --- the components are an expense but my fiance and I drink so much soda it looks like it would be bound to save us money over purchasing several cases per week.
     
  9. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    My favorite go to dishes for saving are soups and fried rice. I like soups because they fill you up very well with just a few ingredients, and you can make them as healthy as you want without it turning into a weird taste. Also they are very easy to just make once and store, so I don't have to keep spending time and money on gas and electricity, as well as time and effort to cook multiple times everyday. I can simply take one container out from the freezer and put it in the microwave, and I have soup that is much healthier than the packed and instant versions you could get at the grocery. Fried rice is another favorite of mine because you get to extend the reach of your ingredients this way. One serving of steak for one person, for example, would probably be enough for two people in fried rice form and it will still be flavorful as long as you cook it with the right ingredients.
     
  10. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    I make most things myself at home. I find it's a lot cheaper and most of the time it tastes a lot better too. I make my own bread, ice tea, cake, fries, mashed potato, potato chips, pancakes, soups, curry sauce, ice cream, tomato sauce... But then I love cooking so if it can be cooked I'll cook it... :D
     
  11. prose

    proseActive Member

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    I try to make most meals at home from scratch. Items like baked french fries, macaroni and cheese, herb and spiced rice, homemade salsa, homemade spaghetti sauce, homemade soups and chili, and biscuits are items that are made from scratch instead of bought at our house. Also, pizza is easy to make at home instead of ordering take out or buying frozen pizzas, saving money and freezer space. I hardly ever buy packaged cookies anymore. Instead, I make a new batch of cookies or brownies of some kind each week, which saves money and allows me to use healthier ingredients in our diets.
     
  12. Jasmine2015

    Jasmine2015Active Member

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    I tend to make my own cup of coffee at home. Although when I make it, the taste isn't the same as Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. I also make my own bowl of noodles. Though to make it healthier I add frozen vegetables like peas, carrots,or corn. Being able to make my own sub sandwiches is also cheaper than going to Subway.
     
  13. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I don't cook, but I think that eggs, hotdogs, and canned goods are the cheapest ways to cook or eat when you are on a budget. I do hope that I will eventually learn how to cook so that I can save more money.
     
  14. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    The easiest to cook in saving money is canned food. Last week we forgot to buy food before going home from work so we had to settle for a quick cook. A can of sardines is the best bet. After the sautee mix, the canned sardines is added and we had a hearty dinner. Come to think of it, that food for 3 persons is just the cost of half a sandwich in McDonald's.
     
  15. KimmyMarkks

    KimmyMarkksActive Member

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    Cooking at home saves so much money! However, it does take a lot of time, so there is a compromise. I make lunch at home all the time. I find I save so much during the week by bringing a salad or sandwich as opposed to buying them.


    A few foods that I found save a lot of money to make at home compared to buy them are :
    Hummus
    Pre-made salads (bean, potato etc)
    Pesto
    Granola and granola bars
    Smoothes