I used to spend the bulk of my salary on eating out. I love trying different cuisines and since I'm alone, it's easier for me to just eat our rather than cook. When I started my journey towards "frugalism", I realized that I am spending way too much money on eating unhealthy meals and I was getting fat! Making my meals easier came with a hefty price tag! I needed to do something about it or I might end up little or without money to show or I might end up being too fat and get sick. After all, overweight is the main source of deadly illnesses such as diabetes and/or high blood pressure problems.
Back then, I don't know how to cook so I watched Food Channel, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray a lot. I also read cooking books or surf the net for easy recipes . After familiarizing myself with basic cooking stuffs, I was busy experimenting in the kitchen.
Nowadays, I make meals for the whole week on Sundays. It's easier and considerably cheaper. I also made sure that the ingredients are in season. This method saves me time and money, plus I'm getting healthy!
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| Stuffed Peppers (Turkey and Brown Rice inside) $8 for 4 meals |
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| Baked Eggplant Lasagna ($10 for 8 meals) |
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| Spicy Chicken ($10 for 8 meals) |
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| Side Vegetable- Baked Zucchini |
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| Meatballs and Pasta |
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| Marinating Chicken Meat to be baked the next day |
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| Spaghetti Squash |
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| Mushroom Chicken and Meatloaf with Brown Rice |
I also freeze food in single servings so the food will last longer. Freezing food allows me to choose what to eat rather than eating the food because you-just-have-to-or-it-might-spoil. I might be having meatballs today and chicken the next day or whatever I have in the freezer at the moment. I want and need variations!
It is a must to learn to cook coz it doesn't just saves us a lot of money, it also saves us from gaining too much unwanted weight! Cooking is doable! I can't believed I am saying that, from someone who had zero knowledge in kitchen stuffs.
Let's get our kitchen busy, save money and lose weight
i'm actually doing that right now.. However, at times it gets tiring to eat the same food for several days straight.. :) I usually allot one day a week to eat out as cheat day.. :) If I go for it, I have nothing to lose but if I don't, then money saved. I'm still learning how to cook and slowly but surely I'll find my way there.. :)
ReplyDeleteNice tip. I just can't do it right now because I only have a personal fridge. Good thing there's a manang here in the office who sells cooked food at a very reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteI also love to cook. I just don't have the luxury of time during weekdays or perhaps i'm just too lazy. hehe.
care to share the recipes??? spicy chicken and baked eggplant recipes?
ReplyDeletefor the chicken.. if you bake it, how do you store it to last long and reheat it?
Hey, I'll post the recipes by Tuesday. :)
DeleteFor storing food, I put one serving in a small ziplock then freeze it. Usually, I make 10-12 servings for each recipes, ang dami so I get to save a lot. Before going to work, I'll take one from the freezer and defrost it ready for tonight's meal. So far, so good. Para may variations naman.