With the U.S. economy on the rocks, it seems like a good time to take another look at cutting costs in the kitchen. Here's a (decidedly non-comprehensive, not necessarily "foodie-ish") list of some useful budget cooking and eating sites. Please suggest your own favorite cheap food sites as well. Cheap Cooking: a spare, photo-free recipe site that seems mostly dedicated to people cooking for families. But hey, recipes for rump roast and apricot chicken will work just as well for one - just divide the remains into Tupperware and take them in for lunch. Food storage tips and a cost calculator are super-useful.
Cheap Eats: a blog with recipes, tips, and techniques for cheaper cooking and eating out. Includes an archive of cheap restaurants (lots of fast food), a Hall of Shame (Wagyu beef burgers with foie gras), and a list or recipes for $3 or less.
Better Budgeting: This frugal recipe list tends towards the retro. Think ground bologna sandwiches, cubed steak, and Tater Tot casserole. But come on, who doesn't like Tater Tot casserole?
USDA Thrifty Food Plan: Check out the 78-page PDF on budget food planning, with sample weekly food planners and some admittedly less-than-inspiring recipes (the ingredients for Baked Cod with Cheese are 'cod' and 'Cheddar cheese').
Rebecca's Pocket: One woman's quest to eat organic on a food stamp budget. Includes recipes and musings on food history.
Frugal Recipes: The "heirloom" recipes from the early- to mid-20th century, such as Ladies' Cabbage and Frozen Cranberry Fruit Salad make this site just as useful as a food history archive as a recipe source.
The Culinary Review: Slashfood has mentioned this user-friendly new site in the past, with its recipe cost calculators, shopping tips, and price breakdowns for various Food Network chef recipes (Giada De Laurentiis champagne risotto: $8.83 per serving).
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-25-2008 @ 10:43AM
Mia said...
You should totally add hillbillyhousewife.com to this list. She's got a $45/week menu and a $70/week menu. Both (I think) serve 4-6 people. I'm doing the $70 one now. I do have to make some exceptions and substitutions , since it is a little backwoodsy for me. It takes some time, but saves a ton of money when feeding a whole family.
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3-25-2008 @ 11:59AM
Branwine said...
You know it is funny to think when some think buget food it seems to always go to things like processed meats and tator totts,squeeze cheese (yucky)
The cost of your health when eating these budget foods seem to not be so much a budget helper. I think going simple is the way to go. A potatoe for example would be cheaper then a bag of tator totts. And a breast of chicken cheaper then the processed meat(Cause you saved money buying the potatoe instead of the totts so you can put the money twords the chicken instead).
I like that you can really eat on a healthy buget and not kill yourself from salt and preservatives if you know how to bargain hunt food. Farmers market is a good place to start. Don't you agree?
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3-25-2008 @ 12:07PM
Branwine said...
I checked out the hillbilly housewife site and looked at the menu. There are hardly any fresh ing. Most are canned or frozen. With exception to the carrots and the celery. I don't know....i think fresh is better. Lot's of beans though and cabbage.
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3-25-2008 @ 12:20PM
RobynT said...
great list! the real challenge seems to be eating healthy for cheap... but looks like there are some promising recipes on these sites. thanks!
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3-25-2008 @ 12:22PM
RobynT said...
i think canned and frozen veggies can be "cheaper" in that you don't have to worry about them going bad. if something fresh goes bad, that's a waste right there. (can you tell i have a problem with this? lol.)
http://halfassfoodie.blogspot.com
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3-25-2008 @ 12:34PM
Branwine said...
True about the frozen food thing. I have had some veggies go bad and end up in the compost pile. But now I try and just not buy as much. I usually get one bag of salad, 4 tomotos, spinich, broccoli and potatoes (switching it up depending on what's in season). That seems to work for my husband and I for the week. I would say the cost for all that is around $15.00 but that is striaght from the farm and I know they will be very good.
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3-25-2008 @ 4:41PM
Red Icculus said...
Hillbilly Housewife admitted she was trying to lose weight from her diet. The meals are pantry meals (not fresh) and full of starch and fat.
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3-25-2008 @ 4:43PM
Michelle said...
It's been shown time and time again that frozen and canned veggies retain most, if not all, of their nutrients. With the canned, it's a matter of finding some not packed in sodium. If you can find low sodium canned veggies, get them. If not, veggies packed with sodium are better than no veggies at all.
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3-30-2008 @ 10:28PM
sandy winz said...
Hi! I order from this place all the time and am very pleased to share. They have great kosher organic and natural food products.
Here is a link http://www.wholeandnatural.com
Enjoy!!!
p.s. I used a code try if it works for you bldc08
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