Too much month, not enough money....

[starbrow]

It's that time of the month again

Comments

[elfbystarlight]

If I was organised I'd post once with everything and not keep adding bits. [g]

Something that might help the bland/spicy divide... salads again. Make a basic grain/pasta/leaf salad, divide, then add chopped peppers to yours, or a strong dressing. Same meal for both, easily tailored to taste.

[leenah]

i had been moaning about the state of my kitchen for so very long, my friends took pity on me, or decided i needed help, something, and one came over and pretty much cleaned my kitchen for me. i picked up stuff, put things away, she washed dishes, gathered up everything stored on the floor, and made me find spots for it or toss it.

NOW i can cook in there. if i drop my shit when i enter the house, and go to the kitchen and start cooking, i'll have dinner made. then i eat, and relax, and whatever.

[ruthless1]

beans and rice are cheap to eat. I get alot of recipes from the Brilliant Bean - and just add interesting things (or take away spicier things) from the recipes. You can do the weekly cooking thing and try to store stuff up - and the more you make the more diverse it can become when you open the freezer and say mmmmm....what's for dinner? Or lunch - if you have a microwave at work

[thebratqueen]

Seconding what you said about meat - Putting expensive meat in soup is also a waste of money, as expensive cuts of meat aren't made for a slow, moist cooking process. You'll actually ruin the cut.

The beauty of soups are that they're made for the cheapest cuts of meat possible. They're also good for veg that are just a touch too old to put into a salad. I've gotten life out of many a bunch of carrots or celery that wasn't salad-perfect, but could go into a soup pot.

[ruthless1]

another super cheap addition to soups is legs/thighs of chicken - more flavor and even the organic ones are cheap compared to chicken breasts.
Another bland yet yummy thing to do with beans and rice is to add a fried egg to the top of it. It's great texture and flavor and still kind of cheap. I know it sounds kind of ick - but it is very yummy. Think of it as beans and toast without the toast!
Gads - now I want to go home and cook a whole bunch of stews and stuff. Darn this job and darn this warm weather - which makes cooking hearty stews rather pointless!

[lamialilitu]

Check to see if you have an Aldi's near by. They're an international chain of discount grocery stores. Best things to look for there are can-goods and frozen stuff. Tends to be anything from 20%-80% cheaper than even the other bargin groceries.

[wibbble]

(I'm the husband.)

There's no Aldis near enough for us to get to - we're reliant on public transport.

However, I know of several other discount supermarkets. I don't especially /like/ them, though - but they are good for occasional things when we're skint.

[tazlet]

I can only repeat, essentially, what everyone has said: planning is the key. Also, it's ok to eat pancakes for dinner. Also, if you have any shopper's clubs, in your neck of the woods, splitting a membership can make it cost effective to join. Have a monthly plan, buy your meats there and freeze in portions. Are there food co-ops you can join? When I was student, I worked 6 hours a month for a food co-op whose mission was to make, low-cost, organic foods available in the city. My sweat-equity lowered my costs considerably and I ate what they sold. Farmer's markets? I hate getting up early, but some people love it. Stop consuming sugar and white flour. I'm not joking about that one--processed food is expensive and when off the glucose merry-go-round, it's easier to be rational about what, when and where you're going to eat. Plan a guilt free blow-out, with wine, at the end a solvent month.