Cheap Food Menus And Ideas

© Shannon Matteson | Dreamstime Stock Photos

There are so many sources on "The Internets" for cheap food menu's, but many assume you have items already in your cupboard. Frustrating! I've referred to two sites in the past several years for help when the budget is tight. The first, is Hillbilly Housewife. The site has some good ideas about how to save money on food and other things. What I really like is their "$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6." It's very basic fare and not necessarily food that I normally eat, but it's a good start for beginners trying to get by when money is low. I also like that they include a calorie count and a shopping list. The other site I recommend is "365 Dollar Year". A few years ago, the author of this site set a goal to eat vegetarian fare for only $1 a day for a whole year. Her experiences, shopping lists, and food ideas are all found in the blog archives. Again, this is not how I normally eat, but I appreciate the ideas it gave me for cheap meals. Let me know if you have any sites you visit that have helped keep the budget intact.

The BEST Snicker Doodles EVER

Ok, I admit it. I am on a sugar binge. Sigh. Oh well, may as well enjoy it. Not long ago, my friend shared a recipe with me for what I believe to be the best Snicker doodle recipe in existence. Don't believe me? Well try out this cheap and fabulous recipe and judge for yourself. Personally, I think these are good out of the oven, but they are amazing the next day. I'm not sure why, but that has been my experience. They are light and fluffy and not nearly as dry as regular Snicker Doodles. I've seen other recipes out there that are similar, but here is the recipe my friend shared with me:

Cake Mix Snicker Doodles

1 box of white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 vegetable oil
white sugar
cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°

Mix cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil by hand. (kneed with hands if necessary as this gets pretty stiff in the last stages of mixing). Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (I never have the patience for this, but feel free to do it the right way) Make 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon to coat. Place coated balls on greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball to 1/2 inch. Bake 8-10 minute and remove while soft. Let cookies rest on the tray until cool.

Why I Shop At Grocery Outlet

For those of us lucky enough to live on the West Coast, there is an amazing place to shop for cheap, fabulous food. This store is called Grocery Outlet and they can be found in most cities and towns throughout California and in many West Coast states. One of the reasons I shop there is, let's face it, for the candy. Seriously, they have the best selection of chocolates and other treats that normally would cost much, much more in "regular" grocery stores. On my last trip I picked up Lindt white chocolate bars and this monster Toblerone (pictured on the left). Just so you can appreciate my thriftiness, let me break this down:

Grocery Outlet Toblerone          14.1oz bar          $2.99
Regular Grocery Store               3.52oz bar          $2.79

I hate to admit this, but the HUGE Toblerone lasted all of a day and it was worth it!!
                              

A Week's Worth Of Groceries Around The World

Have you ever wondered how your families weekly grocery purchase compares to others? Here's a great comparison photo for weekly groceries around the globe:

A Week's Worth Of Groceries Around The World