On a budget? – Food with Jackie O'

Being on a budget does not mean sacrificing foods you love. I hope you find these ideas helpful.

Buy whole chickens or chicken on the bone, and take off the bone yourself. Honestly, they taste better anyway.
Instead of porterhouse, filets or pork tenderloin, buy chuck roast, pork loin roast or flank steak. These are delicious cuts of meat if cooked the right way. Use the crock pot or roast in the oven. Not only are they more affordable cuts of meat, they can last for 2 or 3 nights
Buy vegetables and fruit in season or on sale. Green beans and carrots are always affordable. If strawberries and oranges are on sale, those are the fruits you will eat for that week. Make strawberry shortcake!
Buy rice, pasta and potatoes. These are all affordable. Large bags of rice go a long way and there are so many ways to make rice. Avoid boxed rice with seasonings. They are expensive and not so healthy. Make spaghetti and meatballs!
Stop buying lunch meat. It is not healthy, regardless of what people may say. Eat peanut butter and jelly. Try peanut butter with bananas.
Buy cheese bricks and shred them instead of buying bagged cheese
Like seltzers or soda? Try this, buy cranberry juice and mix it with soda water! Tastes great and affordable.
Make your own cookies instead of buying packaged
Make your own pancakes instead of buying a boxed mix
Instead of buying oatmeal packets or individual veggie or fruit packets, buy the real thing
Stop buying frozen dinners

Having a party on a budget?

Make a pot roast, roasted chicken or a have a pasta dinner. Serve green beans roasted with olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes and roasted potatoes. For starters, serve cheese and crackers and grapes or deviled eggs. Serve beer and wine but no spirits (see my affordable wine page). Make cupcakes or cookies for dessert. The point of entertaining is to share a meal with the people you admire enough to invite into your home. Grilling? Grill burgers, chicken, peppers and corn.

Ideas:

simple but good coleslaw

buttered wide noodles

roasted yellow potatoes