Frugal Cooking Tips For Moms

Frugal cooking is something that most moms
have to practice at some point. Whether you're dealing with lowered
income or higher food prices or simply have a teenage boy in the house,
there are times when you'll need to cut costs on what you make for your
family.

Ideally, frugal cooking will be food that not only leaves
a minimal dent in your wallet but also provides quality, nutritious
meals that your family will enjoy. If no one eats, you're not really
saving money.

Where to Start

The first thing to do is cut
back on what you spend on the food you regularly use. This can be done
in a number of ways.

Using store
brands or no name brands of things like rice, cereal, etc. often
is unnoticeable, but can save you quite a bit of money. Switch things
your family won't notice first, like the rice or beans.

Look for coupons, then use them on double
coupon day at your local supermarket. You can also stay on top of sales
and use coupons to get extra savings. Just be careful not to do this
with foods you wouldn't normally buy, since this isn't a savings, at
all.

Making your own biscuits, cookies and bread may be a little
more time consuming (though many are surprised to find that it's that
hard!) than simply buying them, but homemade will keep your family
fuller, give them better nutrition and help you save money. And, if you
make a large batch each time, you spend the same amount of time and
freeze the extras for later.

Advanced Frugal Cooking

Making
filling meals will cost you less in the long run than if you provide
your family with food that tastes great but leaves them hungry shortly
afterwards. Rice, potatoes and other starches
make excellent bases for meals.

Use less meat by cutting it into
smaller chunks and mixing with fried rice, pasta sauce, or something
else that will help spread it out a bit more without anyone feeling
deprived. For hamburger meat, you can mix in breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or
textured vegetable protein to make it go further when making meatballs,
meatloaf or hamburger patties.

Add flavor by using your bacon
drippings in the mashed potatoes, etc. A little goes a long way and fat
is the best way to add flavor to a simple dish. It also makes you feel
fuller and more satisfied, so it's a very good way to go.

These
frugal cooking tips are all very
easy to implement and can have a drastic impact on how much you spend on
feeding your family.