How To Cut The Cost of Feeding Your Familly in Half And Eat Better

Summary: All of us are out to save a buck and when we are told we could save a few hundred bucks in a month's time...wow ! Remember, these suggestions are for those who are not yet frugal in their shopping practices.

3:23 PM 5/11/2006 Author: Lucien BEauley After more than 30 years of practiced shopping to save money, My wife and I can truly claim victory. Having produced 3 boys early, we had to find ways to feed all five of us with the best food for the least amount of money, since my wife stayed home with the children(most of the time), so there was only one paycheck. A few basic suggestions: 1- Buy "store brand" name whenever possible. 2- buy as little "prepared" foods as is possible. 3- Keep stock of these low-cost and high nutritional value foods: Pasta, dried beans and rice. 4- Set some time aside for bulk meal preparation that can be frozen for later use when time is more critical. How you prepare your food stocks will also contribute to your monthly food expense since your cooking costs are part of your food bill. Some suggestions here might not be so obvious, such as using your microwave, assuming your have one, instead of your stovetop or oven, be it gas or electric. Most people do not realize that stovetop cooking can be 3 or more times more expensive than using your microwave and that the specific savings depends on the make and model of the electric or gas stove you use and the size of the microwave. In most cases, the cost saving switching the greater part of preparing your meals to the microwave will be very noticable after the first month. ============================================================== A great familly cost savings meal ! Combination Stovetop, Microwave cooking... Here is how to enjoy Oriental Rice at less than 25% the cost of your favorite restaurant. place 2 cups long grain white rice in 4-quart pyrex container. Add 3 cups water (2 3/4 cup for slightly firmer rice) With Microwave set on High, set timer to 20 minutes Start Microwave and run for first 15 minutes uncovered. Place cover over container and run for the 5 remaining minutes. Stir and fold rice gently to aerate. To cooked rice, add: Add 1 Tbls. Soy sauce, 1 Tsp. Garlic powder and 1 Tsp. Sesame seed oil In large frying pan or Wok: Stir fry 1 medium Green Pepper(chopped course) 1 medium Onion(chopped course) 1 8-oz. can, or 8 oz. fresh sliced Mushrooms 1 8-oz. pack bean sprouts 1 Tbls. Peanut oil Those with preference can stir fry shrimp, cubed pork, or chicken in 8-oz helpings and add to above. Add to rice preparation and fold well. Add more Soy sauce and Sesame seed oil as needed. Recipe above can use spagetti in place of rice for an oriental Lomane touch and sprinkling finished platter with chopped scallions in an amount to your likings. Using this simple approach with a familly of five and improving on it daily could put $300-$400 extra in your budget every month.