by Elke C

Created on: March 07, 2007   Last Updated: September 01, 2010

Family cooking on a budget sounds so restrictive. It conjures up images of cooked turnips and watered down tomato sauce with spaghetti. It does not have to be that way.

Budgeting just means, to me, using your money effectively and getting the most "bang for your buck". I am very good at that. With a family of five picky yet hungry eaters who come in and out of the kitchen looking for meals in between school, sports, music lessons and more at odd times, the challenge is many fold. To provide healthy, satisfying meals, on a budget, that also taste great and are easy to make and serve at variable times.

My mottoes are buy in bulk, buy large, make ahead, freeze in portions, and look for multiple uses.

You can buy a roast or a turkey for what seems like more money but you receive more meat and more variety of uses than if you bought a steak or turkey cold cuts for the same amount of money.

Stores such as Cosco or Sams Club are useful for getting items in bulk that you go through a lot but be forewarned, they are not always the the best per unit price. You have to do your math and shop around for sales.

I don't like cooking everyday. Also, some days are too busy to cook a from scratch meal. To stop us from going out to a fast food restaurant, which means more money and less nutrition, I have prepared meals in the freezer which are easy to thaw on short notice and still taste great even though they have been frozen and nuked in the microwave. A favorite is chili.

When making a dinner, never just make enough for that meal. Make extras for the next day's lunch or use one component, like plain rice, the next day as a stir fry rice. That way you only boil rice once and use up small leftovers in the rice mixture.

Try these tricks and tips and I am sure you will have more fun cooking for your family on a budget.

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