Make Your Own Bread

Another great way to save your cash is to make your own bread. Sounds scary, I know. Bread is not the easiest thing in the world to make, but if you start with an easy recipe and practice, even you can make some pretty darn good bread. This recipe is one of my favorites, it's easy, simple, and cheap:


60 Minute French Bread

1 packet of yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1 1/4 C of warm water

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of oil

1 1/2 tsp of salt

3 1/2 to 4 C of all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 375°

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a mixing bowl combine the yeast mixture, sugar, and oil. Stir. Add 2 cups of the flour, stir to combine. Add salt and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until a medium dough forms. If the dough is too soft, add 1/2 cup flour.

Turn dough out onto well-floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes. Let dough rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough into three roughly equal pieces, stretch each out into a rope. Braid the ropes of dough together, tucking under ends. Place braid on lightly greased baking sheet. (For a round loaf, pull ends of braid together into a circle, tucking one end under the other)Let rise 5-30 minutes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes

Tada! You just made bread! 

Freeze!

Freezing food is a great way to save money. Most foods can be frozen, which means you can buy in bulk and save for later. For example, say beef is on sale, you can buy a larger cut of meat than you'll eat at one meal, cut it into pieces, and freeze it to make a meal with it later, even months from now. You can also freeze foods such as bread, berries, and seafood.

Be careful though, there are some foods that do not freeze well. For instance, canned foods, mayo, and eggs in shells don't do well in the freezer.

Want more information? The USDA has instructions and tips on their website.

Before We Start Cooking...

Before we start cooking, lets start with some basics. If you want to cook great food on a small budget, there is some equipment you should own. 
First, you need some standard pots and pans. You will also need spatulas, wooden spoons,whisks, etc. to use with these pots and pans. No need for anything fancy. If you don't have any, I suggest Target, Walmart, or Ikea, which have fairly inexpensive kitchen supplies. Thrift stores are also an option, just be smart and don't buy something that will break the first time you use it. Family and friends are also a great resource. Just let them know you need some and chances are they'll give you the stuff they were thinking about getting rid of, that's how I got mine.

1.6 quart slow-cooker
$16.99 at Target

Second, you will need a 9x13 inch or 8x8 inch glass baking pan. Pyrex or Anchor brands are the best and will last forever unless you drop it. 
Third, I suggest you get a slow-cooker. Slow-cookers are great for making just about anything, such as soup, chicken, beans, even bread and cake. Also, using a slow-cooker requires very little effort. If you are just cooking for a few people, I suggest a 2 quart slow-cooker, which will cost you $20 or less at Target or Walmart.
Fourth, I strongly suggest that you get a rice cooker/food steamer, it will make your life so much easier. Rice is a very inexpensive food and is very good for you. If you follow the directions on the rice cooker, your rice will never burn, thus saving you money. A rice cooker that is also a food steamer is excellent because you can make an entire well-balanced meal by cooking rice on the bottom and steaming meat and vegetables on the top. If you are not cooking for a lot of people, I suggest a 4 to 6 cup rice cooker/food steamer, which will run you about $20 or less at Walmart or Target.

6 cup rice cooker/food steamer
$16.99 at Target

Fifth, if you want to do any baking you will need a rolling pin, baking sheets, and a wooden cutting board. Again, these don't have to be super nice. Target and Walmart have good prices on this sort of thing.