by Cindy Tabacchi

Created on: June 17, 2009

Cooking at home is a great way to stick to a budget. There are several ways to keep food costs down, and they don't take a great deal of time. Knowing the tricks for making the most of your food dollars can result in significant savings.

Planning is extremely important when cooking on a budget. Sale flyers should be checked weekly and meal plans constructed to use what's on sale. Always buy meat on sale since it keeps well in the freezer. Stock up on your family's favorite non-perishable foods when they are on sale as well. Items that are purchased regularly can frequently be bought on sale for half price. Why buy something at full price every month when you can purchase three to six months worth on sale for a lot less?

If storage space is limited, extra canned foods can be stored in their cardboard flats under beds or under the sofa. If your freezer is small, perhaps expensive frozen novelties can be left at the store to make room in the freezer for meat and bread purchased on sale. Only purchase the amount of fresh produce that can be consumed while it is still fresh and appealing so that the food, and the money it represents, doesn't end up in the trash.

Meal preparation can be challenging when there are limited funds to spend on food. Meals must be based on cost as much as on any other criteria. This doesn't mean serving foods that the family hates, but it does mean that higher priced foods may be replaced by similar lower cost versions. That bucket of chicken and sides can be prepared for less at home, and making homemade pizza is as easy as it is inexpensive.

This may sound daunting to someone in the habit of picking up dinner on the way home from work most nights. However, food preparation doesn't necessarily have to be done daily to enjoy home cooked meals every night. Also, planning meal preparation so as to include the whole family can lighten the work load considerably.

Many dishes freeze well, so make a double or triple batch, and put some in the freezer for another night. If you're browning ground beef for one recipe, cook extra for another meal and store in the freezer. One of our fast favorites is Sloppy Joes made by heating pre-cooked ground beef from the freezer and stirring in a can of Sloppy Joe mix from the dollar store or outlet store. Serve on defrosted hamburger buns (purchased on sale and kept in the freezer) or whatever bread is available. Then just add fresh cut-up fruit (whatever is least expensive in season) on the side. The meal is ready to eat in under twenty minutes.

Repurposing leftovers is another trick that will save money. Instead of putting leftovers in the refrigerator, hoping they are eaten, and finding them in the back a week later, make use them in another meal while they're still fresh. Leftover chicken can be quickly pulled off the bone and used in a casserole with leftover vegetables or whatever is available. For example, mix leftover chicken with vegetables, a can of cream soup and a little milk or water. Pour into a casserole dish and top with leftover mashed potatoes. Bake until hot and bubbly for Chicken Shepherd's Pie.

You can save a great deal of money by cooking at home, planning meals so that nothing is wasted is helpful when resources are limited. Purchasing and preparing the foods that are in season and on sale will result in meals that are cost effective as well as delicious when cooking on a budget.

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