Whether you’re out of certain ingredients and have to make do or are looking for long-term changes to your grocery bill and meal plan, here are some frugal cooking tips from my kitchen to yours.
I’ve heard some people liken making meals to an episode of Chopped, a cooking contest where chefs each get a basket of odd ingredients and need to put them together to make a delicious meal. I can definitely relate.
And when last I braved the grocery store, it was like a treasure hunt, but the goal was to find ground beef, not gold. These are the times we live in.
And though we know this will pass and our lives will not always be treasure hunts and ingredient baskets, one thing we can take away are the frugal and creative cooking tips we learn now.
Cooking for 7 on a budget means I’ve been playing these grocery and meal planning games for years, albeit this is definitely the advanced version with many store shelves empty and unemployment rampant.
But hard times can make us innovative, resourceful, and open to change. Those are lessons I don’t want to waste.
So, here are some frugal cooking suggestions for you that will help you make do with what you have in trying times. Don’t look at the eclectic mix in your pantry as a frustration, consider it a challenge. You’re about to shake up your family’s meal plan and you may actually like it.
These frugal cooking tips cover everything from when to buy, to what to substitute, to when to prepare certain foods. I lean toward healthier items because being a mom means I really can’t go on the Ramen noodle diet, no matter how much simpler things would be.
I hope some of these suggestions give you some inspiration of your own to keep you saving money and cooking delicious dishes long after the current crisis has passed.
Frugal Cooking tips from a Penny-pinching Mom of 5
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Don’t buy it, make it
You’ve probably always heard that making things is cheaper than buying them. This is still true, and is also helpful when you can’t find certain things. Here are a few things you can make yourself with basic ingredients:
Pasta sauce: Tomato paste + diced tomatoes + onion + garlic + salt + oregano (add any other veggies or meat you like)
Muffins: Flour + sugar + baking powder + salt +cinnamon +vanilla extract + eggs + oil +water/milk (add your favorite goodies, too)
Pizza crust: Flour + salt + water + splash of oil + yeast
Some things are easier to make at home than buy yourself. They’re also healthier. Recipes abound online, but I bet you can find most of these items in your pantry and fridge.
Substitute everything in frugal cooking
Cooking is science, and if you can figure out what part an ingredient plays in a recipe or dish, then you can substitute it. I do this all the time because either I am waiting for the next paycheck to do some grocery shopping or I just can’t get what I need at the store. Here are a few subs for things you may not have on hand.
Eggs: In baking, you can use oil or applesauce in place of eggs. Stretch your eggs with some milk and whisk them together when just making eggs.
Meat: Mushrooms provide a similar meaty texture and beans provide protein when you can’t get your hands on meat. Also, tofu and eggs work (if you can get them).
Rice: Quinoa, farro, and couscous are not that expensive (especially in bulk containers at stores like Sprouts) and can make good substitutes (they’re also healthier).
(Here is an Essential Guide to Kitchen Substitutes I wrote last year that might also help with ideas)
Invest in helpful appliances
I am not a big appliance person, but I was never happier than when we got a bread maker. Making gluten-free bread is difficult, and expensive (so is buying it). Our bread maker saves us tons of money every week and I would suggest it to anyone, even if they don’t have a special diet. (This is the one we have.)
You can make pizza crusts, sandwich bread, specialty bread like cinnamon raisin, and rolls (among other things). As long as you have yeast in the house, you can make these products whenever you want by just dumping in the ingredients and setting it.
Electric mixers, food processors, coffee makers, and blenders can all save you money if you are trying to cur back on trips to Starbucks or Jamba Juice. I make Larabars in my food processor. I’m not saying go out and buy them, but maybe dust them off if you have them and see what you can make.
Look to new sources for ingredients
I never would have thought to buy my flour from a vitamin store… but I do. I buy all of my gluten-free baking stuff from Swanson Vitamins because they have lots of promotions and they’re cheaper than my local stores.
Look for meat, sauces, and staples at Asian markets because they don’t get as much traffic and usually stock a lot of the same things the other grocery stores do.
Depending on your area, are their co-ops where you can purchase fresh produce from the farmer or buy a share in a cow to get beef for much cheaper? Check it out online and see what options there are beyond the store shelves that will help with missing ingredients and frugal cooking.
Eat seasonal meals
It sounds gourmet, but eating seasonal meals is actually really frugal. Depending on the time of year, you can get produce at a much cheaper rate when they’re in season. Apples in winter and berries in summer. Look for sales because they usually indicate what’s plentiful – and therefore, cheap. You can also check out this helpful site.
Also, cook for the season. In the cold winter, soups and stews are great. Add some crusty bread and you have a cheap and delicious winter meal. In summer, my kids and I eat tons of tomato sandwiches because they are cool and light for the hot days (literally sliced tomato, mayo, and a sprinkle of oregano and salt on sandwich bread).
Prepare frugal but fun meals
Here are a few meals that we make that are simple, cheap, but also fun. This is where creativity and flexibility reign.
Tomato soup & grilled cheese: Tomato paste + water + oregano + salt. Warm it up on the stove and make some grilled cheese. The kids love dunking these sandwiches into their soup.
Protein shakes: Use milk or water with a scoop of plant-based protein shake powder in between meals to avoid snacking and give them plenty of protein and vitamins (and not a bunch of sugar). My whole family uses this one, which we can get online or at the local stores. (Great for gluten, corn, or dairy allergies.) My kids love this stuff.
Homemade breakfast: The price of cereal is usually too high to eat it every day with 7 people. So, it is much cheaper for us to make muffins, pancakes, or waffles (we found a cheap wafflemaker recently that we like to use). Oatmeal is another frugal cooking staple. Add some honey, cinnamon, and peanut butter and my kids are in heaven.
Baked potato bar: Potatoes are so cheap and easy. Clean them off, poke some holes, sprinkle salt, and bake them in the oven. Then bring out some butter, cheese, and sour cream (I use plain Greek Yogurt if I can). If you have some bacon, spam, or ham, you can cook a little and break it into crumbles for the top. This is a very cheap, but filling and tasty, meal.
Soups: Most soups are really frugal. They use water, vegetables and beans, maybe some rice, pasta, or meat. With the right seasonings, you can make so many delicious soups that your family will love. Plus, you can often squeeze in some ingredients that aren’t a favorite among children, like spinach or quinoa.
Buffet: One of our most common and easy lunches consists of some chopped fruit and veggies on a plate with some almonds, cheese, and a cookie. Add a glass of milk and this cheap meal covers all the bases.
Frugal Cooking = Being Creative
The number one way to succeed in frugal cooking is to be creative. Try different things. And if you are hitting the nutrition points you need to, then go with whatever works for you.
Be flexible and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. I never would have thought I’d be looking at vegan recipes, but because two of my kids can’t have dairy, I realized those recipes have some of the best ideas for how I can work around this allergy.
Blogs and YouTube are the best for tutorials and recipes. Or just experiment yourself. Send the kids into the pantry and have them create a meal plan. The more minds the merrier.
Whether you’re turning to frugal cooking to save money or because you just can’t find the usual ingredients, I hope this list of ideas and resources helps to inspire and motivate you.
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” So let’s go create some delicious dishes for our families.
Happy (frugal) cooking!
Do you have any frugal cooking tips you could add to this list? I’d love to hear your suggestions!
Looking for more on frugal living and meal planning? Check out these posts:
How to Meal Plan Out of Your Own Pantry
Frugal Meal Planning: Instant Pot Turkey Taco Bowl
Just a Girl and her Chicken: Adventures in Frugal Cooking
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
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