FIRST OF ALL!! Make a weekly menu. I do this by looking over the internet, and yes, Pinterest. There are a lot of fabulous recipes, in fact my new favorite noodle/salad/veggie sauce is a Pinterest jackpot find. (I will be sure to add a link to the walnut-sage pesto at the bottom of the page) Now, back to what I was talking about... a menu. It is your most valuable tool in living on a budget. By using this, you set yourself up for success at the grocery store and at home! (then you aren't running around at 5:30 trying to figure out how to thaw chicken breast to make fajitas- only to remember that you forgot to pick up green peppers) You can be a kitchen superstar.
To make the menu I write out all the days of the week that I need to be shopping for- then I go to the cookbooks and the internet. I start filling in the dinners, and simultaneously write down the ingredients that I know I do not have on hand on a grocery list (then I don't forget anything). After I complete the dinner portion of the list, I add in other needs for breakfasts and lunch. Those are real easy around here; we mostly have oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, and leftovers or a salad for lunch.
The next step is going to the grocery store... this is the tricky part; you have to make sure to stay on task and not stray from your list. The grocery store is full of temptation but you can do it! Stick to your list! My best piece of advice is, if you can cut costs by buying in raw form do it. (like beans- you can buy and entire bag of black beans for about 2.00, where you can get a can of black beans for 1.50, but it's only about 1/8 of what that bag is going to yield. (I cook an entire bag at a time and put it in the freezer to use as needed)
Here is a list of cost cutting foods:
Lentils- they cook up fast and can be used in all kinds of dishes. (our favorite is tacos)
Black beans- great in burritos, and salads
Brown rice- Bleh. Not a fan, but we don't use white rice so it's used in place of white rice.
Tofu- It's half the price of meat and can be just as fun. It's taken me sometime, but I am actually starting to like it.
Garbanzo beans- The main ingredient in hummus. Once you make your own hummus, you won't ever want to buy it.
Frozen fruits and veggies- Sometimes the best option. The products are flash frozen, so they retain more of the nutritional value than many fresh options.
Meat in bulk- Often there is a price break for buying the bigger packages. Sure, you have to break it down into smaller packaging, but it is definitely a money saver.
In-season produce- You will know which these are by the cost; the store usually has them on sale. I try to only buy "in season" fruits and veggies; they are usually more local than let's say a banana. (unless you live where there are banana trees).
One other bit of advice is to stay to the outside perimeter (and the bean isle) of the store to keep yourself away from temptation.
After your shopping adventure (that probably left you feeling confident and proud of yourself for not going crazy in the ice cream or cereal isle- those used to be my two main downfalls) it is time to prep this bounty of food. If you purchased meat in bulk, take care of that first. You can quick soak the beans at the same time. You can even go so far as to cut up all your veggies and fruits for quick access. Now at this stage you are well on your way to eating healthy on a budget!!
Sometimes you will falter, don't give up! It takes dedication and persistence (just like anything else that is worthwhile) in the end it will pay off... monetarily, physically and mentally! Enjoy!
(and as promised, here is the link to the recipe for the fabulous pesto)
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipe/pasta/linguine-with-walnut-sage-pesto/
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