Budget-friendly grocery offers
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So don't be afraid to open up that tube. Aquilino also suggests stocking up on tomato paste. There are numerous ways to cook with tomato paste including topping fish and making barbeque sauce.
While you can easily find canned tomato paste at most supermarkets, Aquilino prefers the kind available in a tube. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising.
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Fresh fruit can often be expensive, but I find a bag of apples is consistently fairly cheap. Plus they can be used in so many ways. They can be eaten plain for a snack, stewed for a dessert or side dish, or eaten for breakfast in a baked apple oatmeal.
Bananas are another great cheap fruit. You can get an entire bunch for just a couple of dollars. They are perfect for eating on their own, cut up in yogurt or cereal, with peanut butter, or in a smoothie.
A bag of oranges is another inexpensive fruit just about year round. Sometimes cuties are cheaper and sometimes the large oranges are. Check the sales before purchasing to get your best option. After apples and bananas, I look for fruit that is on sale or the lowest cost per ounce.
This week that is pineapple for me. It may be different for you depending on the time of year and your location. Applesauce is a great inexpensive snack to keep on hand. You can get a large container for cheap and it feeds a lot of mouths.
Stay away from the squeeze pouches if you are on a budget. Although they are very convenient, they are much more expensive per ounce than the large jars. Remember that convenience costs money. A bag of carrots is incredibly cheap and an essential vegetable to keep on hand.
It is the base for many soups and sauces. It also is a cheap side dish and a great snack. Onions are another cheap grocery staple to always have in the pantry.
They add flavor to just about every dish. I find a bag of onions to be more economical than loose. I buy a 10 lb bag of potatoes every two weeks. Not only are they a favorite at my house, they are incredibly cheap and versatile. When prioritizing what foods to buy with my grocery budget, potatoes are at the top of my list.
READ: 16 ways to use leftover baked potatoes. Although they aren't as cheap as white potatoes, sweet potatoes are still inexpensive. I love baking them, stuffing them with bbq, making sweet potato fries, or using them in a hash. There's a reason peasant food included cabbage and lots of it.
It's so cheap and there is so much you can do with it. Put it in vegetable soup , boil it , make an Italian ground beef and cabbage skillet , use it in a cabbage roll casserole , sauté it, or make a slaw.
One cabbage can stretch for a couple of meals and it is packed with nutrition. They are one of the most economical vegetables in the grocery store and great for snacking or using in salads. A bunch of celery is also a great versatile vegetable to buy.
Use it in soups, casseroles, or stir fry. It is also a cheap snack to cut up at the beginning of the week to use for dipping in homemade sour cream dip or slathering in peanut butter.
If you have ever had a garden, you know how squash grows like crazy from one single plant. That is one reason it is so cheap in the store. Squash is excellent in the summer sautéd, fried, grilled, in a stir fry, or in a casserole. Zucchini is an excellent cheap nutritious vegetable in the summer.
Sauté it, fry it, make stuffed zucchini boats ,. Corn in the summer is dirt cheap. In the summer when fresh corn is not readily available and inexpensive, frozen corn is very cheap as well.
Frozen peas should be a staple of every kitchen. Throw them in a pasta, put them in a soup, fried rice, or as an inexpensive side dish.
I love frozen peas! Fresh broccoli is fairly inexpensive, but frozen broccoli is even cheaper. The best part is that the broccoli is also already chopped for you which makes it super convenient. Roast it, use it in a stir fry, or make broccoli cheddar soup.
Frozen green beans are an absolute staple in my home. While canned green beans are also cheap, I prefer the crisp and freshness of the long thin frozen green beans. Use them as a side dish like garlic green beans , in a soup, a stir fry, or Cowboy casserole.
Frozen mixed vegetables are great to have on hand for casseroles, stir fry, fried rice, or a quick and easy side dish. Spinach is an excellent versatile green.
You can eat it as a salad, in a soup, blended in a smoothie, sautéd with eggs, or on top of a sandwich. I often sing the praises of how economical a whole chicken is. Watch my video and read my post on how I get multiple meals from one chicken. lentils -Lentils are a hearty budget food, a cheap protein that you can add to soup and salads.
You can also make homemade dal and save on restaurant food prices. dry split peas — A key ingredient in Instant Pot Split Pea Soup , split peas are another cheap plant protein. canned chick peas — You can serve garbanzo beans in salads and soup, but you can also make your own Homemade Garlic Lime Hummus.
Some cuts will be cheaper than others, but generally speaking pork will be cheaper than most chicken, beef, or fish. Load up when you see a sale and stash the extra in the freezer. chicken legs and chicken thighs — Bone-in chicken legs and thighs tend to be the most affordable cuts of chicken.
Compare prices at the store though! I have seen situations when the boneless skinless breast was cheaper than chicken legs or quarters. Consider it as a viable option for soups, casseroles, and Chicken Salad Sandwiches. ground turkey — While ground beef is super easy to stretch, the price of beef can be too high for many budgets.
Ground turkey is a nice alternative, but make sure that the only other ingredient besides turkey is rosemary extract. This will ensure a very fresh clean flavor and not that weird ground turkey thing that turns people off.
canned tuna — Widely available and generally affordable, canned tuna has been a good cheap eat for generations. sausage — Bacon may be your preference, but bacon prices probably are not. Consider sausage as a more affordable alternative to bacon. You can find it in all kinds of flavors, including turkey, pork, and even plant-based options.
ham — Like its fresh pork counterpart, ham is going to be the more affordable lunch meat. marked down meats — Depending on where you shop, you may be able to keep any meat you like on the table by purchasing marked down meats. Talk to your butcher about their manager specials and when they sell those items at a discount.
Use or freeze these cuts prior to their best-by dates. It can be fried, scrambled, grilled, baked, and even worked into smoothies. peanut butter — Peanut butter is another affordable plant protein, one of those budget foods that can jazz up smoothies, breakfast toast, and baked goods.
protein powder — While you might not consider protein powder a budget food, it can boost your baked goods and smoothies with protein that might be harder to come by otherwise. Grains such as white rice, brown rice, oats, and pasta are cheap and filling. You will often, but not always, find the best deal in the bigger bags of grains.
Be sure to store them in airtight containers to prevent food waste. rice — Rice is key for breakfast, lunch, or dinner: in Cream Of Rice , Vegetable Fried Rice , or as a base for bowl meals. Rice is one of those no-brainer budget foods to add to your list of pantry staples.
oats — Use oats for Baked Oatmeal Cups, as oatmeal, or in granola. They are a powerhouse of fiber and super cheap to buy. It makes for a good cheap eat any night of the week. Ditch the msg-laden seasoning packet and make your ramen something more.
The noodles are super cheap and quick to fix. tortillas — You can do so many things with tortillas: pizza! and enchiladas! They are definitely a great addition to your budget grocery list.
There are so many things to do with flour! Bake bread, rolls, pizza, and so much more. Flour is a must-add to your budget grocery list. Baking at home is fun and can save you a lot of money compared to commercial or more expensive bakery items. Keep these grocery items on hand:.
sugar — Since baking your own is almost always cheaper than buying it pre-made, have some sugar on hand. baking soda — Likewise with the leavening.
salt — Salt is a necessary nutrient for life, but also a great seasoning for meat, veggies, and baked goods. baking powder — Baking powder is required for a number of baked goods, but remember you can make your own baking powder if need be. dry active yeast — Store bread is pricy, unless you buy it on clearance.
Baking your own bread is the way to go! Start with something easy like Everything Hamburger Buns and work yourself up to a sandwich loaf, like Sourdough Rye Bread. Shopping in the snack aisle can jack your bill up tremendously.
Avoid impulse purchases and make your own snacks and treats at home. popcorn — Popcorn is a great snack that costs just a few pennies per serving!
You can even make your own microwave popcorn. This caramel corn recipe is currently on repeat at my house. Raisins and dried cranberries are generally affordable and a little goes a long way.
saltine crackers — Many crackers can be incredibly expensive, but soda crackers are long lasting and generally the cheapest on the shelf.
Fresh fruit and veggies are an important component to a healthy diet. You can often find good deals on fresh produce if you buy items that are in season.
Here are some of the most affordable options: Aldi: Aldi is a discount grocery store chain that offers high-quality products at affordable This list includes affordable, nutritious cheap foods that will help you meal plan and stay on a budget without sacrificing flavor. But first 21 Cheap Foods to Buy if You're Broke or on a Budget · Apples. · Bananas. · Beans. · Brown rice. · Chicken. · Corn tortillas. · Eggs. · Flour
