Quick Start Tips

Are you desperate? Go through your pantry and make a list of every meal you could make without buying anything. Now add on any meals you could make if you had one or two ingredients. Figure out what's a great deal at the grocery store this week and use what's left of your grocery budget to buy a few extras of your staples. Next week, do the same thing. Pretty soon, you'll have your basics in the pantry at all times, bought at the cheapest prices. If you have a freezer and/or lots of storage space, you can do this to extremes.

Try using dried milk for baking. You probably won't notice the difference. (Mix the dry with the dry ingredients and add the water with the wet stuff.) If you're running out of milk to drink, mix up dry milk to match how much regular milk you have left. Add it to the regular milk the night before so it has a chance to get cold. I personally can't drink it plain but don't mind it if mixed 50/50. Of course, calculate the cost of dried milk per gallon compared to regular milk before assuming this is cheaper.

Watch the price on everything! Don't assume bigger is cheaper. Don't assume warehouse stores are cheaper. Plan your meals around the loss leaders at the grocery stores in your area. (Read those flyers!)

Browse the library and the used bookstores for creative cookbooks. Some of my favorites are here.

Learn how to stretch a single piece of meat into multiple meals. Use your freezer so you're not stuck eating the same thing all week.

Make sure you figure out the cost per serving when you are buying meats. Sometimes what appears to be a cheap cut of meat doesn't have as many servings in it as the more expensive cuts. Use our cost per serving calculator with your grocery store advertisements to plan your shopping for the week.

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Quick Start Tips

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