What are dinner ideas that are budget-friendly?

Question

We live on 1 income, and with things getting tighter, I'd love some new ideas for my family that are both economical and yummy. Thanks!

Answer 1

Spend a Saturday making chili, soup or pasta dishes and label & freeze portions for later in the month. Make your own Shake & Bake, croutons, waffles and stuffing for just pennies instead of buying them premade. A baked potato with canned or home-made chili poured over it is cheap and filling. While produce is cheap and in-season, try to eat one vegetarian meal once a week - something simple like sliced tomatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits can be a meal.

Here are some links to stretching a food dollar-bookmark them and read them at your leisure. Good luck!

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70doll...

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrec...

http://www.mealtime.org/content.aspx?id=...

http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-g.ht...  

Answer 2

Spaghetti Bolognaise is a good easy meal. Take one pound (500gram) minced beef and saute with chopped onion and garlic to taste.Add a tin of plum tomato, squished, and some tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Simmer until cooked If you have a slo cooker this is good t6o use. When ready cook spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water, with oil until soft, but not sticky. Drain and refresh with boiling water in a colander. Serve and top with the bol sauce. If you have trouble getting the kids to eat veg, cook and add any veg to the sauce after putting into a blender.  Blending veg and adding to gravy is another good way to get veg down reluctant children, it also adds inexpensive bulk to meat meals. If there is any bol. sauce left it is good reheated once with the addition of kidney beans and chilli powder, and served with rice. Making sauces, eg sweet and sour , is much cheaper than buying, if not sure how just read lists of ingredients on the jar, and do it yourself.  A slow cooker is a grear idea as cheap meat cuts like braising steak, chuck beef, lamb mince etc can be cooked for a long time to tenderise, and it costs very little. Then you can add dumplings or pastry biscuits to make things go further.

Answer 3

I like to make big batches of things and freeze them.  I'll make chili, spaghetti sauce, ham and beans, Sunday gravy, chicken spaghetti, chicken enchilada casserole...  All save very well in the freezer, and if made in large batches cuts down on the cost of the ingredients.

Answer 4

use simpler dishes.

Answer 5

ground beef  there are many things you can do with ground beef.

chili, pasta dishes, shephards pie (cottage), hamburgers with home fried potatoes or macaroni and cheese.

I understand where you are coming from.  lived that way for 2 1/2 years.

I made a lot of pasta dishes.  

instead of buying Hamburger helper, make it yourself.  just make your macaroni and cheese and add you ground beef.

beans and cornbread is good too.

hotdogs with pork and beans

look for marked down meats.. go to the store early in the morning and watch for the mark downs on meat.  

find a day old bread store and get your bread from them.

do as much HOME made stuff as possible.  forget the pre packaged stuff as much as possible ie.. cake mixes, tv dinners, and stuff like that.

Eggs and spam are a good filler too.  

Meat loaf goes a ways too.  

Instant potatoes instead of fresh mashed.  but plenty of rice.  a little goes a long way.  1 cup dry rice to 2 cups water.

Answer 6

At kraftfoods.com, we have some great recipes that are both delicious and budget-conscious.  You can tell from the recipe ratings how well other people enjoy the dishes, and many of these have become family favorites of cooks across the country.

You'll find restaurant-inspired but budget-friendly recipes here: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Dinner/Budg...

And even more dinner recipes that won't break your budget at:http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Dinner/Budg...

Two of my personal favorites are

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni:  Pasta dishes are a great way to "stretch" meat so that you can feed more with less.  http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/sau...

Mini Taco Bowls:  These are fun to make and fun to eat!  http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/min...

Answer 7

Lots of Pasta and rice dishes. Go to the dollar store near you and shop for pasta. I bought a huge bag and made 2 meals for a family of 5 and it cost 1$.

Casseroles are what you make with the pasta & rice. Use cream of mushroom/chicken soup (also @ the $ store) then add meat thats on sale, vegies that are on sale. And don't forget beans. I just made a huge Mexican casserole with pintos,onions,garlic,bell pepper( $ store) cumin & chili powder. Delicious!

Answer 8

Pasta is a godsend. There are so many ways to make it and you can dress it up or down and it is still yummy and cheap.