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9/5/09 1:20 P

Crockpot meals are the best - from roasts to soups and everything in between. If you are cooking for 1 or 2 you can bulk up with the cheap veges and lots of broth then freeze for leftovers or pack for lunch tomorrow.

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9/5/09 5:39 A

Once week throw everything in your fridge (leftovers and veggies you didn't cook) into the crock pot or on the stove and make leftover soup :)

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9/2/09 6:16 P

Ditto to PITTERPAT7 I'm trying to watch what I spend on things and instead of buying a can of beans I bought dried and prepared them and saved some money that way. And tofu was on sale cheaper than chicken/beef. So I bought that instead and crumbled it up and stirfried that quick and then but it in the chili. I did miss the "gamey" taste of the chicken or beef, but it still tasted good.
I'll also buy a whole chicken on a weekend and after I have taken all the meat off I'll make a stock and then soup with that: carrots, celery, onions and potatoes can be inexpensive. But it takes some time, which I don't always have - but stock pots work wonders.

Posts: 799
9/1/09 11:57 A

On Sundays I try and cook something in the crock pot and portion it out. Depending on how many servings it makes I freeze some and keep some in the fridge to bring for lunch. I have also been trying to make extra dinner so I can bring the left overs but the hubby eats a lot! I am always trying different wraps out too.

Posts: 87
9/1/09 11:55 A

There's also an option of making things in a crock pot. I'll make a big batch of soups and chili and freeze them in single serving containers. Then either the night before or in the morning I pull a container out and it defrosts until dinner time. Chili is very filling and very cheap to make!

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9/1/09 11:34 A

I buy in bulk. Get my steak and chicken almost 1/2 of the price in the regular grocery store. If you can get say 40# of chicken at a time, see what they would charge you for it. Last two times I got skinless, boneless chicken breasts it was $1.29#. Talk about a steal!

current weight: 107.0

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8/31/09 2:50 P

I find it's the protein that gets expensive. Good inexpensive choices are beans, eggs, tofu. I wait for skinless, boneless chicken breasts to go to $1.99 a pound and put 2 or 3 in a sandwich bag and freeze them. Tuna recently went from a 6 oz to a 5 oz can, so that's gotten more expensive. When I can find Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones frozen meals for $2.50 or less, I'll get those which I usually take for lunch.

In terms of time, I rarely eat anything but leftovers. I cook on the weekend to have for the week. Midweek, after eating my leftovers, I may make up a batch of something.

There's a team called Living on a Shoestring that you may want to join.

Pesha

current weight: 221.8

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Posts: 10,583
8/31/09 1:58 P

I make chicken salad, lots of celery and green onions and eat it on bibb lettuce and then have something crunchy on the side. That's my staple. Today it was almond butter and four fruit preserves on wheat sandwich thins. Spaghetti is another easy one to have the night before and pack the left overs for lunch. As for dinner, pasta is always quick and easy. Cooking Light has a whole lot of recipes to prep and cook in 30 minutes or less.

current weight: 148.0

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Posts: 283
8/31/09 1:47 P

What does everyone do for lunch and dinner out there? I typically dont have a lot of time to prepare lunch and need something quick and easy for dinner when i get home from work.. oh ya, and im on a budget..

anyone have any ideas.. my one staple is a turkey lunchmeat with spinach and mustard on wheat bread...

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