Always save ANY leftovers, even a spoonful of veg. added to a an onion, a potato ... it makes pasty fillings..
Add a large handfull of oats or more to minced meat for meatballs or homemade burgers, with onion and herbs (plus apple) it can double the amount..
make soup... with all the odds and ends from your fridge or veg rack... one of this, half of that... even soft ones you wouldnt normally use... soup makes it okay..
cut the amount of meat you serve as a meal, add extra veg... serve bread with a meal...
make salad go further using a few dandelion leaves, add a few sprigs of chickweed ,plenty of onion, a nice dressing and its tasty and healthy.
Add a scattering of sultanas to porridge to make it tasty , cheaper than buying fancy cereals
Cook a huge pan of mince/soya mixture, make spag bol one day, lasagne, the next and spice it up for chilli the third, you'll save on cooking time and fuel...
Always think what you can make and cook in bulk to save fuel and cost...
A chicken should ALWAYS feed you at least three days... small portions of meat are all that needed..
1, roast with veg
2, pick off some meat , mix with plenty of veg and make pasties
3, stew/soup add some dumplings, potatoes plenty of pulses and veg and although not very meaty it'll feed a family..we add a half a chorizo, sliced and diced for flavour..
Buy soup pasta, here it costs around 15cents a packet... add it to all soup and it is more filling ...
Ive also added it to pasty and pie filling as Ive been cooking it, again makes fillings go further..
Each time you go to the shops, buy an extra item... nothing that cost more than around 70-80 cents /pence. A bag of flour, a bag of spagetti, tin of tuna etc.. make sure its things you use each week, but put it away in a cupboard.. do this every time... and within a few weeks you'll have a weeks worth of groceries and then you'll be able to put a whole weeks grocery money to a different use...
Keep a big well stocked store cupboard,
Watch out for special offers...
Keep a notebook of what you buy reguarly, check out local shops and make a note of what is cheapest and where... that way you'll not forget
Menu plan... at least one week ahead...
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
