Making Do With Less--in the Kitchen!

Making do with less versus making more money:
another definition for "frugal"!

Here are some ideas to help you make do with
less in the kitchen!

Stretch a meatloaf by adding oatmeal, or rice.

Always try to make your oven do double-duty when
you heat it up. Bake some potatoes alongside
those cookies, or biscuits with the meatloaf, etc.
Or simply cook two pies or roasts instead of one.
The second goes in the freezer for another time.

When boiling potatoes always save the water. If
you're making mashed potatoes, use it instead of
part of the milk. Or, you can cool it and water
your houseplants.

Save up to $1.00 per pound on boneless chicken
breasts by doing the boning yourself using a sharp
knife.

Learning to cut up a whole chicken can save you money,
too. All you need is a good sharp knife and a
little practice.

If you have freezer space, buy an extra turkey at
Christmas or an extra ham at Easter when they are
on sale, probably at the lowest price all year!

Learn to grow your own herbs. Just a few pots of
herbs growing on your kitchen windowsill can help
out the budget. Swap cuttings with friends.

Plan one meatless meal per week. Assuming you used
1 pound of meat at $2.00 per pound, cutting one meal
per week for one year would save $104.00!

When shopping for groceries, don't assume that just
because the grocery store has an item prominently
displayed with the price in big letters that it is
automatically a "good price". Know your prices or
keep a grocery price book.

Make your own self-rising flour. For each cup of
flour in a recipe, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Out of baking powder? Use 1 teaspoon baking soda
plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for each teaspoon
of baking powder called for.

Never buy bottled juice that says "from concentrate".
Buy frozen concentrated juice and add your own water.

The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and
coming out with ONLY a loaf of bread are three billion
to one.
--Erma Bombeck

About the Author

Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another"
bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name.
Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".