Time to get back to frugal meals

With summer upon us and the oppressive heat that it brings, I declare that it is time for this family to get back to eating frugally. In this house, frugal eating usually means that the meals I prepare will not require a lot of heat from the oven/stove, because I prepare simple meals. I mentioned in yesterday's post that we have been spending more money than usual, grocery budget included. We have certainly not gone for broke, but a little belt tightening is in order. With that said, this evening meal has turned into a concoction of our remaining CSA vegetables, whole wheat pasta, a can of white beans, roasted red peppers and some homemade dressing. Yes, the family will be disappointed that I chose to forgo our normal pizza night, but saving a few dollars seemed to take precedent.

I am not complaining though. Meals like the one I made tonight are the meals I prefer. Simple, made from whole ingredients, cheap and most importantly, healthy. I figure that the grand total for this meal, about $5.00 for 4 people (my youngest is still at camp). Better yet, we will have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Every few months we get stuck in a rut, we rely a little too much on convenience foods for a few weeks. By doing this, we blow our budget and ask ourselves why did we do this? I would love to say that this is the last time we do this, but it won't be. Life gets hectic, kids get sick, husbands have to work late, etc. These little conveniences in life are sometimes a lifesaver. However, I would like to try to make a promise to myself, and most importantly, to my family, that I will be more careful about what I feed them and how much it costs.