Okay, so is the festive season going in full swing? Well, that’s great! It is fun time for all the youngsters and the old grand dads and grand moms in every house.
But, as usual, the one who earns will have a tough time making all ends meet!
I go by the principle, that even if you have the money- it is best that you use it wisely. So, that landed me in the thinking pot.
This collection of frugal living tips and advices can be used at any time of the year.
If you have a lot of members in the house, use them!
If it is the festive season like Christmas, Easter or maybe even the Halloween Party- go for these tips!
Then, got a marriage in the house and if budget is of your concern- try these methods. After all, i is your life and enjoy it in a healthy and budget friendly manner!
Food is a necessity, and there are so many ways you can cut down on those expenses.
Bottom line: Never leave aside any of your wishes to have those special comfort foods in life. But, just ensure that the manner in which you procure the ingredients and also prepare gets a bit of transformation.
Then voila, you get restaurant style meals at your dining table- at half the price!
If that deal looks yummy, maybe these tips I have suggested will serve your purpose!
Budget Friendly Meals for the Intelligent & Frugal Home
Buy bulk
You need to feed a lot of people, right? So, lets think about quantity.
You cannot cut down on the portions to be fed to your family, or to your guests!
Go to the Farmer’s Market, and choose veggies and meats that are offered in bulk. Large quantities are sold at much cheaper prices.
Try Walmart, or Big Bazaar, or Reliance Fresh as such supermarkets, do offer large quantities of fresh produce at cheaper rates.
Tip to keep in mind: Go for seasonal vegetables and even even fresh meats from farms. They will be cheaper and even organic.
Look for offers
Ho- ho! Offer time is a part and parcel of the festive season. So, when you have a party around the corner, time to hunt down worthwhile grocery offers!
Now, don’t stick this tip to just food stuffs, but you can use it even when you purchase your clothes, utensils, furniture, and even curtains or cleaning liquids.
Come on, you need these all year long and so be wise and grab such lovely offers. Heard about buy 1 , get 1 free ads?
That’s what you need to keep in mind? The idea is bags full, with a lil money spent!
Tip to keep in mind: It has been noticed that when offers are introduced in the market, sometimes are quality of certain items are at stake! So, just keep an eye for that!
And always compare offers at 2-4 stores before coming to a decision.
Squeeze in leftovers
If your kitchen is one that is running on a continual basis, the tip is something that you need to pay heed to.
From childhood, my mother always used to have a habit to make that tid bit of extra food. She never wanted anyone to go hungry. She was of the principle that anyone who reaches out to her for help, should never leave the house hungry.
But, that happens only once in a while. And as you guessed- that food gets wasted!
But old moms are very resourceful, they always reused the extras!
If they have got morsels of extra meat, bread, sweets or veggies and that would get transformed into pies, soups, stuffed fried snacks and what not! A plethora of foodie delights is what we were served and they were yum!
Tip to keep in mind: I suggest that you hoard up your leftovers in the freezer and quick up fantastic appetizers and starters to serve at parties and even at tea time! You need ideas? I will be whispering my cooking secrets very soon!
Grind your own spice mix
Well, if you are a lover of Indian cuisine, spices are something you cannot just do away with. Even if Mediterranean food is on your to do list, then surely that do needs a set of spices.
So, instead of purchasing hose ready made mixes, take recipes that show how to make home made spice mixes at home.
It is fresh and will taste much better in your curries.
Plus it is very affordable. A small bunch of whole spices can be roasted and ground to get a large batch of various spice mixes. It can be curry powders, five spice powders, cinnamon powder, chilli powder, turmeric powders, cardamom powder, and even coriander powder.
Keep them in the refrigerator and these will last for upto six months.
Tip to keep in mind: Buy not more than 100 grams of whole spices at one time. Powder it and use it. Once that is over, then only go for the next set of spice shopping.
Homemade sauces and pastes
Now, this is one area that all cooks need to think about!
We all need our fair share of gravies, and pastes to make any dish. And don’t forget about sauces!
But to buy a large batch of ready made gravies is pretty expensive and so you may need to rethink on your cooking pattern.
Yes, I know there is more homework to be done. But at the end of the day, you spend less and have bowls of food to feed a large crowd. Sounds good, huh?
Like I mentioned to purchase seasonal vegetables, you can purchase tomatoes and make tomato paste, tomato sauce and even curry paste and freeze them in tubs.
Tip to keep in mind: The options are many, and you can even make nut spreads, various meat rubs, fruit jams and so on