Comments on: The Three Rs Meet Your Stomach And Your Wallet: How To Save Significant Cash And Waste Less On Simple Homemade Meals

By: dlm

dlm — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:56:06 +0000

Leftovers taste just as good as when new. Think of them as planned overs or dividends. I find cooking at home is about 10% of restaurant cost.
Spaghetti and sauce chopped up are good as soup with the addition of some stock. Pyrex glass dishes/soup bowls with rubber lids are excellent for freezing, storing, microwaving.

By: Adventures In Money Making

Adventures In Money Making — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:12:04 +0000

I found out that in 2005 i spent around $8,000 on eating out. Thats a substantial portion of my pay.

I’ve recently moved closer to home which allows me to come back for lunch, reducing my lunch expenses substantially.

Eating out all the time definitely does add up.

By: Susan Sabo

Susan Sabo — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:31:42 +0000

While this winter storm rages here in the east, I have a double win regarding food that you might want to explore. The wins are great food, less cooking, and expanding friendship. In fact, this is such an attractive arrangement that others have asked to join… but alas this is a one family to one family arrangement for us. (Make your own pair we suggest).

Here’s the deal: once winter starts Nancy (& Rob) and I (& Rich) exchange soup. The first week I make the soup and deliver a 7 c. container filled with the soup. The second week Nancy makes the soup and delivers our treat in the same container. We do this back and forth until the weather gets nice again – a random day when we’ve had enough.

The containter is a red 7c Ziploc storage container. Red was purchased at Christmas. Using the same container we feel like we’re treating each other fairly with each exchange. Sometime the soups cost just a few dollars to make (split pea) and sometimes a lot ($30 for a recent fish chowder) – but that’s for 12 servings. No matter what, the cost per serving for the quality of food is HIGH. And, I cook soup only every other week. And, each batch of soup serves us (and them) for at least two meals.

Remember, soup usually tastes better the next day when the flavors have a chance to come together.

My favorite soup cookbook: The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Soup (the Barnes & Noble rendition of The Soup Bible)

My favorite soup recipe ever: Glenda’s Tortilla Soup (not in that book).

Bon Apetit!

By: beloml

beloml — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:31:33 +0000

Barilla really is the best pasta, in my opinion.

Also, soup is another healthy and cost-effective food that can be made to taste very different using a few basic ingredients.

By: Mission Debt Freedom

Mission Debt Freedom — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:37:42 +0000

We took my daughter out to Outback for her birthday the bill was over $40.00 for 4 people! You can quickly see how eating out is a budget killer. The four of us could have eaten in for a week on $40.00!

By: gmv

gmv — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:03:38 +0000

I think eating at home can look more expensive, but in the long run it’s not. You can buy a package of chicken or beef and make it stretch over at least two meals. Vegetables/fruits can be pricey, but there are ways to economize there too.

The trick to eating at home is learning how to shop prudently! I favor fresh fruits/veggies and don’t rely on pasta or hotdogs for my food, and manage to do just fine.

By: Nathania Johnson

Nathania Johnson — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:22:02 +0000

I can find pasta noodles of all kinds for 99 cents a box easy – at Walmart or Target.

I can also find sauce for $1.50.

Hot dogs are another cheap meal. I can find french fries or tater tots to go with for as little as $1.50.

Instant pudding is an easy and cheap dessert. Around 60 cents for the box and use a couple of cups a milk – which btw i can find for about $1.50-$1.80 for 1/2 gallon

frozen waffles for $1.00 at walmart – or twenty cents more at target. great breakfast.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:03:40 +0000

I think it’s hard to legitimately make the argument that eating at home is more expensive. The big thing is time…it takes time to cook and clean up. But it takes time to drive, order, wait, and pay when you eat out. So it’s a trade off. Another benefit of eating at home is that you’re likely to eat healthier!

By: NC

NC — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:34:13 +0000

I always cook with the anticipation that it will be our lunch the next day. This past Saturday, I made a big pot of chili and served it with corn bread muffins (so cheap to make). The next day we heated the chili and boiled some Barilla spaghetti noodles (only 80 cents a box here!). Served the chili atop the noodles. Finally, my bf brought the chili spaghetti for lunch the next day. Overall, the bf will bring leftovers to work for lunch almost everyday and that in and of itself is pretty cost effective. I work from home so I almost always eat here.

We eat out maybe once a week and usually it is a social dinner with friends or family. We love eating at home! I rely on allrecipes.com for a lot of my recipes.

By: VG

VG — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:03:29 +0000

Home made meals is always a good idea, especially since I just took out my little lady for sushi at lunch today, $29 after tip and we both had water.

By: Megan

Megan — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:51:07 +0000

I agree that eating at home is cost effective, and most of the time much healthier than dining out. I just moved in with my BF and I cook four nights a week, the fifth night is usually a “hodge podge” night, that’s where we take the leftovers from the week and eat whatever we want. Before I go to the grocery store I sit down and write a list as well as create a menu for the week. I never assign days to the meals, I just have to know what I’m making that week and can check the pantry for items we do have and buy the stuff we don’t. This works well for us and eliminates food spoilage, etc. I have a pretty picky BF so I never make him eat something twice in a row, even if it’s thinly veiled as a “new” dish by using other ingredients, etc. So I’m satisfied with the one night that the lefotvers still get used. My favorite thing to buy at the store is a rotisseire (sp?) chicken b/c we can use it so many ways. Chicken enchiladas, quesadillas, and a big green salad with chicken on top.

I’m feeling goofy, so I’m going to post our menu for the week:

Tonight: Ravioli with a salad and mini baguettes on the side
Tuesday: Pork chops with broccoli and salad
Wednesday: Taco Bake
Thursday: Lemon Pepper chicken breasts with Scalloped potatoes and steamed green beans
Friday: Hodge Pode night