A Few of My Favorite Things
I figured this week I would use some easy recipes that wouldn’t cost much to make. While rice also works as a cheap meal, I concentrated my efforts on pasta. Rice leaves me hungry again a lot sooner than pasta does. The cost of everything is going up, but pasta remains a fairly cheap option when you don’t have a lot of cash to spend. It’s also versatile. It can be eaten with or without meat. As a fairly bland food by itself, it takes a lot of different seasonings well, too. You can also add your vegetables straight into it and have half a meal in one dish.
Easy Pasta Dishes
I figured this week I would use some easy recipes that wouldn’t cost much to make. While rice also works as a cheap meal, I concentrated my efforts on pasta. Rice leaves me hungry again a lot sooner than pasta does. The cost of everything is going up, but pasta remains a fairly cheap option when you don’t have a lot of cash to spend. It’s also versatile. It can be eaten with or without meat. As a fairly bland food by itself, it takes a lot of different seasonings well, too. You can also add your vegetables straight into it and have half a meal in one dish.
A few other ways to save on dinner are using frozen vegetables. Frozen veggies retain their nutrients better than canned and they won’t have that funky metallic taste. I get it – fresh is expensive. Second, generic is ok for MOST things. (There are a few things you can tell the difference and I won’t skimp on those.) Also, check all the way in the back of the pantry, fridge and freezer for stuff on hand. How many times have you found something you already had just AFTER you bought more? One last thing, don’t be too lazy to go to more than one location to shop. I know it’s annoying, but some things are really cheaper from a different store. My husband and I always shopped with two lists, one for Walmart, one for the grocery store. I still do that.
Pull some pasta from the pantry this week. Finishing the meal doesn’t have to cost a lot either. A great option for garlic bread is hot dog buns, get generic and save even more. Peel a potato or two and make French fries. (Dad always had to have fries with his pasta.) Make a fresh salad or make a vegetable side dish and you have an easy, budget friendly meal! This weekend, check your ingredients and make your grocery list. Then, meet me in the kitchen for easy pasta dishes!
