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Being Frugal with Your Time – Make-Ahead Meals

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The single best money saving (and thus frugal) tip I know is one that I grew up with. I always saw it as common sense and only came to understand it as frugal in recent years when I discovered that not everyone lived this way.

RefrigeratorThe trick starts with meal planning, but it goes deeper than just making a list of meals for the upcoming week and shopping accordingly. It involves selecting meals that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When I make lasagna, for example, I always make two and one goes straight to the freezer.

If you start planning meals that way, you will find that you can prepare higher quality meals that generally cost more to make and involve a lot more prep time, without wasting your precious time or money.

Here are my favorite make-ahead meals, all four of which can be easily prepared on a tight budget:

  • Spaghetti
  • Chili
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Vegetable Soup

In addition to complete entrees that can be prepared ahead of time, there are several other time saving methods I use in the kitchen that I find indispensable:

  • Brown hamburger meat with chopped onions and peppers and freeze them in 1-pound portions. The next time I want to make chili or spaghetti I take it out, thaw and add it right to my sauce on the stove.
  • When I bake poultry, I shred the leftovers and freeze them in containers. They hold up well and are quick to thaw for a barbeque chicken sandwich, chicken salad, or great tacos or burritos.
  • Make a big batch of pancakes and/or waffles (the recipe is basically the same) and freeze them. They will thaw in a flash in the microwave (pancakes) or toaster (waffles), ready for a quick and hearty breakfast anytime.

If you would like my recipes for anything mentioned here, please just ask. I’d be more than happy to share them (and actually plan to do so over time). You can always check out the Frugal Mania Recipe Archive page for other great meal ideas on a budget.

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