It’s important to me to feed our family frugally, and usually that means eating from home. But truthfully, I don’t always feel like cooking every single night (and probably a lot of you feel the same way!)
So today we’re going to talk about how I feed my family of eight on a budget without cooking every single night.
1. Double the Recipe
My first tip for not having to cook every single night is to double the recipe.
When you’re making something like a casserole or soup or a pan of enchiladas it really takes hardly any extra work to just go ahead and double the recipe. Then you can put one batch away in the freezer for another night.
I especially try to do this when I know we’re about to be in a busy season of life, like before we have a baby, but it’s something I want to get better at doing on a regular basis.
2. Cook One Meat and Use It in Two Different Meals
Secondly, and kind of along the same lines, I like to cook one meat that we can enjoy in two different meals.
A good example of this for us would be pork loin. I like to cook a pork loin, shred it up, and use it for barbecue sliders one night and tacos another night.
I also like to roast a chicken and have it as is one night, and then the second night I’ll use the leftover shredded-up chicken for some easy tostadas.
I could go on and on with examples, but you get the idea! Cooking your meat once and then using it in several meals is a great way to avoid cooking (or at least as much cooking) every single night.
3. Keep Some Timesaver Foods in the Freezer
Thirdly, I do like to have some timesaver-type foods available in my freezer.
And yes, these are processed foods that are not as cheap as making things on your own, but still way cheaper than getting takeout or going out to eat.
Some examples are chicken nuggets (we like the nicer Kirkland brand chicken chunks from Costco), frozen meatballs, frozen lasagna or orange chicken .
I’m all about these convenience foods on occasion because, again, they’re way cheaper than actually eating out, and it’s nice to give yourself a break.
4. Have a Scheduled Leftover Night
Fourth, I talk about this in every meal plan that I have: have an actual scheduled leftover night.
Your fridge is always going to fill up with random odds and ends and this and that, and you’re going to save so much money if you actually use all those leftovers up instead of letting them go to waste.
5. Have a Snacky Dinner
Finally, having a snacky dinner is one of our favorite things to do when I don’t want to cook.
We don’t do this super often but sometimes, especially on the weekend or when it’s been a crazy day, I’ll just throw together a snacky dinner which is basically a charcuterie board-type meal but usually a little less fancy haha.
This could include popcorn, whatever crackers we have, lunch meat, pepperonis, whatever cheese we have, raw veggies, fruit, nuts . . . you get the picture.
The kids love that kind of meal. And honestly, Pablo and I do too! And it saves me from cooking so it’s definitely a win.
Feeding Your Family Frugally Doesn’t Mean Cooking Every Night
So, to sort of wrap things up, feeding your family frugally doesn’t have to mean cooking from scratch every single night.
It’s about finding what works for your family – easy things that will still save you money and keep you from eating out, but where you’re not slaving away in the kitchen every single day.
Whether it’s doubling a recipe and putting half in the freezer, cooking one meat and using it for multiple meals, keeping a few convenience foods on hand, having a leftover night, or putting together a simple snacky dinner, these are all things that can give you a break while still helping you save money.
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