All these recipes call for things I’ve never heard of. If I am broke, I feel stupid buying little ingredients I may never use again. I want to try new things and eat healthy. But I cant even afford gas to get to the supermarket
I just got into cooking. How can I shop on a tight budget?
June 3rd, 2010 
My Health 
Posted in 
Tags: 
Jewel normally has really good sales, and you should also use coupons, believe it or not they really help.
COUPONS
It’ll be easier and cheaper to ask like a friend or someone you know that is a mom who can cook
Coupons are great…also look through the sales ad from the supermarket where you shop…that way you can compare prices
)
If you are from Canada there is a website called flyermall.com which has all of the sales from any different types of stores. I’m sure they have a similar site for the states too, just search google or the individual grocery websites and they should have thier specials on their website.
First clue is to plan your meals, and make a shopping list – then stick to it.
Problem with all these new ingredients is you dont know till you have tried them whether you like them or not… and in some cases you may not know why you use something but it is important to the recipe.
The best thing you can probably do is to take your recipe book, or whatever, and seek the advice of someone who already cooks, and whose food you like… talk to them… ask them about stuff.
There is no shame in not knowing something, but serving up food you cant eat is a waste…. so research your subject hun.
If you are struggling… IM me and I will see how I can help.
try out some chinese dishes they call for very little meat and plenty rice and pasta and they are cheap. or try casserole dishes. also there are recipes to cook on a budget on the internet if u want to try them. just type in recipes on a budget. they have things that call for campbells soup with not too many ingredients.
That is a really great question! And a tough problem that many of us are faced with.
If you have the time to research lots of different recipes, see if you can consolidate ingredients. For example you might have two different recipes within one week that each need half a bunch of asparagus. That way, when you’re buying the whole bunch, you can feel comfortable knowing you’ll use all of it.
Also, whenever you can, buy only what you need. For example, don’t get the whole bag of carrots if you can get away with just getting one.
Alternately, buy things that you know you like, and that are flexible. If you only use half of a tomato in Monday night’s recipe, for example, you can toss the other half into a salad on Wednesday.
When it comes to other odd ingredients, it can be a little tougher. Sometimes, you can make the ingredients yourself…like lemon curd, for example. It’s sometimes worth the extra work, especially if your recipe calls for a quarter cup, and the $12 jar at the store has eight times that.
Sometimes you can substitute something you already have for one of the odd ingredients in your recipe. One example is molasses…while it certainly offers a flavor of its own, most of its purpose is to sweeten your dish, so use brown sugar if you have it, or white if you don’t. I have the Joy of Cooking cookbook at home, and it has a great section on measurements and substitutions that is the most worn out section of my copy.
I also recommend keeping your eyes open for alternative stores. Sometimes whole foods stores or ethnic markets will have an item you’re looking for in a smaller container, or for a lower price. Also, check into local farmers’ markets…many times you can find locally made products for a good price, and certainly the produce you can get there will be fresher than what’s at the grocery store.
Find another recipe that has ingredients you DO know about. Eating healthy involves making things in their most natural form. Whole grains, fresh ingredients and simple preparations.
I like chicken and it’s usually not that expensive to make lots of things with it. Fresh vegetables and herbs are not that pricey. Get some long grain and wild rice and several kinds of beans… all moderate priced items.
Lots of dried spices are available at the dollar store. Check the dates, but I haven’t’ had anything that’s been bad. Might even find some interesting things like chopped garlic or ginger in a jar. So long as it’s sealed, it should be fine.
It’s getting to be time for farmers markets. Sometimes things are cheaper there. Go every week and talk to people about what they’re selling. See if they have some recipes for you. Hope this helps.
I can see that you are in the USA, because it sounds like there is a shortage of public markets there. I guess you call them Farmer’s markets? You can buy produce and vegetables directly from farmers/producers in your area and save some money that way. Coupons are also a good idea.
If you want to eat healthy, go with veggies and fruit.
Use coupons, buy bulk. if you have leftover chicken monday, have chicken&dumplings the next day.Use leftovers to create a new dish. chicken leg quarters are dirt cheap
Don’t look at just the grocery store. Sometimes it’s amazing what you kind find at the dollar store!!! Maybe not the best quality, but better than nothing until you can afford the real thing. I’d also suggest Big Lots in you have one in your area. I find all kinds of neat things in their pantry section at great prices!
Buying in bulk does not always save you money in the long run. Plus, you have to buy alot at once, which is expensive.
Shop on sale, use coupons, get an MVP card from Food Lion, Kroger Plus card from Kroger, VIP card from Harris Teeter, or whatever the card is for the store in which you shop.
Whatever you do, don’t go to the store hungry. You will buy more than you planned, and that will blow your budget.