What's for Dinner....Tomorrow?

[SeaSiren]

Years ago when I was actually frugal, I found a great way to stay on track and not order out or to pay for the expensive prepared meals was to pre-plan dinner. With the advent of being extremely busy, I found myself eating out more and more or preparing expensive "quick" meals from lack of planning. When work dies down in the winter, I will be wishing I had saved more money.

My task for the rest of this month (maybe more, we'll see how it goes), is to pre-plan my dinners the evening before. I am using the pantry method, as in, trying to keep my pantry full with the most used items and banking on sales when they come about. For instance I have a local store selling canned beans for 29 cents per can, I will go in and buy them by the tray so long as the budget allows.

The reason for planing the evening before as I am cleaning up is the ability to take things out of the freezer to thaw or soak beans overnight (even more frugal then canned).

So last night I decided on Mexican Bean Pot (a crock pot meal). I had to soak beans overnight and they were ready to rinse by morning.

Dried Beans .79
2 -peppers 1.98
1 -onion .37
1 -can chopped tomatoes .59
molasses and various spices .30
will serve with corn (orginally frozen) .74
Total for meal (serves 6) $4.77

So what do you have planned for tomorrow's meal?

[catswym]

i plan a week ahead so iknow what to get at the store.

this coming week i'll be having hummus pizza (pizza with hummus and veggies), tempeh stirfry, and a lima bean/squash/greenbeans/onion sort of stirfry. both of the last two over rice.

[SeaSiren]

(pizza with hummus and veggies), tempeh stirfry, and a lima bean/squash/greenbeans/onion sort of stirfry. both of the last two over rice.

The hummus pizza sounds yummy! What kind of crust do your use? If you don't mind me asking, about how much does each meal feed and cost?

[catswym]

i can't take credit for the hummus pizza idea--i stole it from rabid child awhile back.

i make a whole wheat/spelt crust (directions from GOV).

hmmm... it's hard to say what each meal costs. i spend about $70US on groceries every week. this includes EVERYTHING i need to buy. i also live in boston (which is expensivo) and buy a lot of organic. (so a good percentage of this is produce)

trying to estimate, probably not more than $10/meal and that will feed me 4-5 times during the week. so three meals/ week gives me the 14 i need for lunch and dinner.

i also make my own quick breads for afternoon snacks.

[JulieAnne]

Sea Siren- I am trying to plan my meals, too. It's really hard though-because my bf (who is the only other person I cook for) is an omni. However, he will eat a lot of the stuff I make...excluding anything with tofu.

Tomorrow we will probably eat:

ww pasta (99 cents) w/ the cheapest (but, not poor quality) tomatoe sauce ($1.50) + garlic bread made with ww bread and garlic + frozen veggies or salad ($1.19)

On a side note-I know beans are good for you and cheap...but, I can't find a way to make them that I enjoy-any suggestions?

[Rene]

JulieAnne :- I agree, I can't seem to get into cooking with beans and as a result I know I have a protien poor diet, and if I do crave protien I go out and buy Tofu (much more expensive than beans).

I need some good bean recipies too....

[Kiz]

I never plan ahead. I'm guessing it will probably be bean and veggie stew, as I have some veggies and beans that need using up.

[SeaSiren]

Yesterday we had left overs because the kids ate at a friends house so it was just myself and DH. Today is Sunday which is "grill day" during the summer. We are grilling sliced squash and also corn on the cob. Added to that will be sliced tomatoes as an additional side.
Feeds 6, cost is approx $5 for the entire meal.

[Starblossom]

I'll be living on my own in September, and unlike last year when I lived on a dorm and had to eat cafeteria food, I will be making my own food. I am so excited! However I've never had to really plan my meals or buy all my own groceries before. I do cook about 70% of my meals right now (I'm with parents for the summer) but they've always done all the actual shopping. So this thread should be really helpful for me!

Anyways, this week was the first week I decided to plan several meals ahead of time. I got some Boca "ground meat", some sloppy joe sauce, taco seasoning, and tortillas and hamburger buns, and some english muffins. we had enough other stuff in the house that I was able to have sloppy joes one night, english muffin pizzas another, and tacos/burrito things another night along with a salad of course. I also have to make my lunchs for work, so I make sure we have green apples, sprouts, carrots and fake meat slices (yep I like my fake meat) so I can have several sandwiches throughout the week with carrots and then sliced up apples with peanut butter to dip them in. It all lasted for quite a while. But I need to start cooking with beans more often cuz I'm sure they're cheaper than soy products. Yep, beans and rice. That is my major meal plan for the fall!

[SeaSiren]

Tonights meal (planned last eve) Crock Pot many bean chili w/garlic bread
Serves 6
Pinto Beans .29
Kidney Beans .29
Black Beans .29
Tomatoes Sauce .20
Diced Tomatoes .49
Onion .37
Pepper .75 (from Farmer's Stand)
Various Spices .30
Garlic Bread Sticks .79
Total: $3.77

[catswym]

woah! where do you live/ where do you shop that (i assume) a can of beans is 29 cents?!

[SeaSiren]

I'm in MD. A local discount store had them on sale and I bought them by the tray full. Normally they are .49 at "Save-A-Lot"

[Jinga]

Oooo. I need to keep my eye on this thread. Great idea, Sea Siren :D

[meatless]

Our dinner tonight ($CDN)

Rice noodles: 0.65
Coconut milk: 0.69
Curry paste: 0.15
Red pepper: 1.20 (and that's on sale)
Snow peas: 0.50
Green onions: 0.50
Olive oil: 0.25


That's just under $4 for the two of us.

Of course we also each had a giant fruit smoothie. :p

I have never seen beans for cheaper than 89 cents here, and I shop all over the place.

[Min]

Our dinner tonight ($CDN)

Rice noodles: 0.65
Coconut milk: 0.69
Curry paste: 0.15
Red pepper: 1.20 (and that's on sale)
Snow peas: 0.50
Green onions: 0.50
Olive oil: 0.25



Mmmm that sounds yummy is there a recipe or do you make it according to taste?

[thebelovedtree]

Split pea soup:

1 bag split peas- .79
1 onion-.30
2 carrots- .46
1 potato-.23
2 tsp broth mix- .20
1 clove garlic- .03

So about $2.00 for 8 1 cup servings.

[SeaSiren]

Soaking beans 1/2 bag red beans for tomorrow's dinner, red beans/summer squash & brown rice with a side of Mustard Greens and also a side garden salad
serves 6
1/2 bag red beans .29
1 cup brown rice (before cooking) .50
1 can diced tomatoes .49
onion .37
1 summer squash sliced and quartered (from farmer's market) .50
various spices .30
mustard greens .49
organic fresh mixed greens .50
fresh tomato (from farmer's market) .40
Total $3.84

[SeaSiren]

english muffin pizzas
I have plans for the english muffin pizza too. It is such an easy meal to do when your in a hurry!

[Virtue23]

I bought Boca Chick'n patties at Target for like $2 and change. An all-time low price for them! So, I'll probably grill one and make a sandwich out of it - one grilled patty on 2 slices of low-carb bread w/ fat-free cheese and ketchup. :lick:

I'm thinking I'll steam some broccoli to go along with it. :yes:

[Virtue23]

I also have to make my lunchs for work, so I make sure we have green apples, sprouts, carrots and fake meat slices (yep I like my fake meat) so I can have several sandwiches throughout the week with carrots and then sliced up apples with peanut butter to dip them in. It all lasted for quite a while. But I need to start cooking with beans more often cuz I'm sure they're cheaper than soy products. Yep, beans and rice. That is my major meal plan for the fall!

You just read my whole usual lunch routine practically, LOL. I'm a big fan of the fake meat sandwiches (I only use 3 slices at most tho) and I love raw baby carrots dipped in peanut butter. And as you can see from my last post, I usually have some soy products for dinner. I have gotten a LOT better at mixing it up tho. Before getting the Boca patties this week, I don't remember the last time I bought soy products for dinner. In fact, one of my fave non-soy combos is black beans with brown rice and veggies or red beans and rice. Simple and delicious!

[SeaSiren]

We used up leftovers this eve for dinner which is one of my fav's. Everyone get a "pot luck" dinner and I see food used up before going bad/going to waste. There were a couple of servings left over which will be lunch tomorrow.

[Rene]

I had a frugal dinner brainwave....

Looking at the pre-packaged frozen foods in the supermarket inspired me....I took a pen and paper, "shopped" for the ones I liked, copied down the ingredients minus anything non-natural....

Then at home went on a cooking spree...chopped and spiced tofu, made veggie patties, and cut potatoes into strips ready to make oven fries..... Froze it all into individual portions...and bingo...my own pre-packaged easy meals for the lazy nights :)

I made a lot, and I only intend to use them for the "I am sooo tired" night's that used to see me buying pre-packed stuff or getting takeaway, so I should only need to do this big one-day-cook-a-thon once a month. :)

[Coney]

I usually have cans of chickpeas, blackbeans, or red beans in the pantry. I don't like dry beans, they don't taste like anything. And, 1 can serves the 2 of us perfectly.

My favorite frugal meal recently:
Indian Curry Chickpeas
1 can chickpeas--50¢
1/2 cup brown rice, dry--20¢
1 pkg chopped spinach---99¢
curry and spices--pennies

Comes out to about 75¢ per person, a bit more if I make extra rice and extra chickpeas for lunch the next day. Could be less if i'd use dry chickpeas, but I dont.

Tomorrow, I'm not sure what we're having, but I do have several "under a buck per person" dinner ideas.

[Cinnamon toast]

I had a frugal dinner brainwave....

Looking at the pre-packaged frozen foods in the supermarket inspired me....I took a pen and paper, "shopped" for the ones I liked, copied down the ingredients minus anything non-natural....

Then at home went on a cooking spree...chopped and spiced tofu, made veggie patties, and cut potatoes into strips ready to make oven fries..... Froze it all into individual portions...and bingo...my own pre-packaged easy meals for the lazy nights :)

I made a lot, and I only intend to use them for the "I am sooo tired" night's that used to see me buying pre-packed stuff or getting takeaway, so I should only need to do this big one-day-cook-a-thon once a month. :)

Good for you. If I'd done that we probably would have eaten it all and nothing would have made it to the freezer. :think:

I have made 2 dinners at once, something simple. Saves time and electricity that way. Usually stuff for lunches for the week.

[~Linda~]

Tomorrow night's dinner will be Red Beans and Rice. Got the beans soaking as I type this.