Making the Food Dollar Stretch

[amomof4]

I add additional 1 C. of macaroni to the Mac & Cheese box mix.

I use powder milk when baking.

I bought a bag of cheese powder that can be used in casseroles & as a potatoe topper.

I dilute sour cream with water. It covers food easier & people have a tendency to use less.

I make pancakes in bulk & freeze so they're always available for a quick breakfast.

[Tree0164]

I havent seen cheese powder. Where do you find that in the grocery store?

[amomof4]

We get it at a store called Yokes, but I don't think it's a national store. You can probably get it at any bulk food store such as Smart & Final.

We also sprinkle it on popcorn. Tastes yummy.

[akaivyleaf]

Shop in bulk and invest in good storage containers which are airtight.

Shop by unit cost

When I had a family, I cooked in bulk, and I cooked several dinners in a day to conserve on oven heat and general stove heat and time. I really liked once a month cooking but it was more like once every 2 or 3 weeks. Heating up food could be done in the microwave and home cooked food was available to take to work for lunch.

Get bored like I do with taking the same thing you have for dinner the night before for lunch the next day? Cook specifically for lunch and freeze in individual portions. Lasagna is great for this. Actually Spaghetti too. Most Italian food tastes better to me the second day when the seasonings have had a chance to settle.

Couponing has really been a money saver and getting just a subscription to the Sunday Paper.

Rebating, those little checks really add up in my savings account. Some of the coupons have money back on meat, and dairy products. Two things I can't give up from my shopping list.

[amomof4]

I usually decrease the meat in a dish. For me, if the recipe calls for 1 lb of hamburger to feed a family of 4, that is way too much meat. In that case, I cut it in 1/2

[Lori63]

Originally Posted by amomof4

I usually decrease the meat in a dish. For me, if the recipe calls for 1 lb of hamburger to feed a family of 4, that is way too much meat. In that case, I cut it in 1/2

I do the same. The only one who would complain would be my husband, and he hasn't said anything yet. For sloppy joes or something like that if it is too runny I add bread crumbs-noone knows.
Hubby ( a truly great guy) doesn't like 1% milk, which I have been buying because it's cheaper (milk seems to be going through the roof again). If I do buy 2% I'll add little bits of the 1% to make it go farther and he doesn't know.

I know we're only talking pennies, but every penny helps!