Friday, September 11, 2009

Thursday Thrifty Tip: Prepping Dinners

Making dinner after a long day at work, driving the kids from here to there, and life demands sometimes make dinner time a real challenge. I know...I speak from experience.

Sometimes dinners are just...well...interesting. Take for instance last week's Tuesday dinner...green beans and scrambled eggs. Yes, I already realize I'm not going to win the mother or wife of the year with that meal...but it happens. Other times I give in and order a pizza or declare "fend for yourself night".

Realizing my schedule isn't getting easier I've decided to prep 2-3 meals on the weekend in advance for our busy weeks. I have done this off and on over the years, but now I realize the necessity for reducing my stress level and spontaneous dining out.

Thinking and preparing meals out ahead, help in a variety of ways and the greatest is saving money. Not only are are not tempted to grab a pizza but you also stop running to the grocery for one other item. When prepping meals ahead you have a great opportunity to buy in bulk if you know for instance you'll need three pounds of ground beef, saving you money in the long run.

Saving money is great, but saving time is a beautiful thing. For instance, this weekend I had three dishes that required ground beef so instead of browning the meat separately I did it all at once and chopped up an onion enough for all the dishes. Instead of washing three pans, I washed one. Time saved!

Preparing meals ahead of time also make for great left-overs after the main meal. Honestly, I'm excited to take my Burrito Pie (as shown in picture)with me to work for lunch today. Knowing I have a great lunch I'm less tempted to want to swing by a fast-food restaurant or waste time digging in the refrigerator for something to eat for lunch. Check...time and money saved!

By prepping your dinners you'll save time and money...and that, my friend, is thrifty.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Two weeks ago, I boiled a big pot of potatoes on Sunday to use throughout the week. I loved it! It's going to be a part of the regular Sunday routine, since I often avoid fixing potatoes because they take so long to cook. But if they're already pre-boiled, it doesn't take long to reheat/mash/bake/slice to add to the night's meal. Yum! I forgot how much I loved spuds!