Frugal meal ideas for a frugal food budget. Updated 4/06/18

[procon]

3. Dried beans would be my go to choice for a cheap, filling and high protein meal.

Dried beans are also versatile and besides the usual savory recipes, sweet bean filling in desserts is delightful. Soups can be made almost for free if people get in the habit of freezing meat and veggie scraps. Cheaper cuts of meat like smoked turkey wings, ham hocks and neck bones make wonderful, rich and flavorful broths to start soups, stew and beans.

Long grain rice, homemade noodles and dumplings, polenta and grits are filling ways to stretch a tight food budget. Cheap veggies like giant cabbages, onions keep well, and they were always "po folk vittles" as my frugal grandma would say. Those big winter squashes, yams, and horse carrots are very cheap and versatile for either savory or sweet dishes.

Meals from scratch are usually cheaper than boxed convenience foods. Been there a few times in my life, counting pennies, lessons well learned, and I'm still a frugal cook.

,