As it becomes more and more expensive to eat, we are all trying to spread our food dollars further. There are a number of tricks I’ve learned that can help keep costs down but still allow you to enjoy quality, great tasting food. In fact, you may end up eating better when you start cutting costs than you did before!

1. Purchase in bulk whenever you can. It is amazing how much you can save when you buy whole wheat flour in 25 pound bags. I was able to do this through a health food store. Ask around and check out local health food stores as they often do bulk orders for customers. Amazon offers bulk order items as well. Oils, flours, rice, sugars, spices, juices, bottled water, snacks and more can be purchased in bulk. Buying meat in bulk, packaging it in smaller portions and freezing it in a deep freeze is an easy option as well. Some cheeses, like shredded mozzarella, can be purchased this way, too. Just buy a bulk package and freeze in one week portion sizes.

2. Make more from scratch. It takes only five minutes to mix up a week’s worth of salad dressing and it is much cheaper, tastier and healthier than purchasing condiments from the store. The same goes for marinades and sauces. If you mix these up ahead of time, meal preparation can be a cinch. Broths and stocks are fairly simple to make and are an excellent way to get use from cheaper bones. Ask for beef bones from your local butcher or check at the meat counter at the grocery store. Learning to make your own breads, muffins, pizza crusts and snacks can take a bit more time, but the tastiness, healthiness, and cost savings are worth it.

3. Make up some freezer meals ahead of time so you have a quick and easy meal option after a long day. When you’re running on empty yourself, it is so easy to stop for take-out, have a pizza delivered, or buy something ready made from the grocery store. But these can add up alarmingly fast. Keep a meal or two in the freezer (there are plenty of recipe ideas online, just Google “freezer meals”) for after long or hectic days.

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You can also keep a few quick meal options available in your cupboards. When I’m tired, hamburger sauce, and pasta cooks up quickly and my family loves it. It is one of my go-to meals when I’m out of time. It’s not fancy, but it keeps them fed and happy and is cheaper and healthier than buying something ready-made.

4. Change your family’s eating habits slowly. Try to incorporate more soups and stews into your diet. Make these up on a weekend and then use them to supplement lunches throughout the weak. Soups and stews are cheaper and healthier than lunchmeat sandwiches. Use your crockpot, too. A roast or a whole chicken can cook up in a day and feed your family for several days. Roast beef can turn into beef sandwiches and then burritos. Chicken can be made into barbecued chicken (like pulled pork), chicken tacos, chicken salad sandwiches or soup. Cheaper meal options can taste great. Your family may not even realize they are having leftovers….more here

Source: www.offthegridnews.com