A Cheap Way to Eat!

When I came to college in 2009, I lived in the freshman dorms.  I quickly became acquainted with on-campus dining, and with my new best friend, “the Freshman Fifteen.” 

The next year, living in a condo with a kitchen and determined to lose the extra weight, I embarked on a journey, to learn to cook.

I am of the opinion that food should be enjoyed.  That would be easier if I was rich, but I am not.  Nevertheless, there is no excuse for eating macaroni and ramen noodles for every meal.  In fact, taking the time to make a meal is a lot cheaper than buying a meal packaged for convenience.

Now that I’m a newlywed, I’m learning even more about eating inexpensively.  I always thought paying $2.50 for a loaf of bread was cheap, until I started making my own bread for $.20 a loaf.  This has required a lot of experimentation, and I’m still not very good at it.  But if you’re ever wondering if you can forget to add salt, over knead the dough and forget to punch it down and still have edible bread, the answer is yes.  Weird bread, but edible.

You can also freeze pizza crust dough (accidentally), defrost it partially in a hot bath of water, and have edible pizza.  Pizza without a lot of meat on it is healthier and less expensive.  I don’t miss the meat, but my husband does.

If you buy a case of tomato sauce at Lee’s for $.54 a can, use it for everything.  Tomato paste, tomato juice, tomato soup- they’re all made of tomatoes for crying out loud!  Adapting recipes is tricky, but with some practice it becomes less intimidating.

I am by no means a chef, or even a “good” cook.  Two out of five of the meals I made this week were burned.  But burned parts can be scraped off.  Even if it takes a few tries, learning to cook your own food is an investment. You’ll not only save money, but you’ll learn skills you can use throughout your life, plus, I think it’s a lot of fun.  Hopefully you’ve learned from the tips I’ve gleaned in the past year or so.  Happy cooking! 

- Rachel Fry, Ag Ambassador