People don’t have to be in financial difficulties to appreciate these videos. Tightening the belt in November so you can give the kids a good Christmas without going into credit card debt! Saving for a vacation, car or house. University students looking for inexpensive but filling meals. All valid reasons.
There are always going to be people who criticize. If Mindy only made expensive meals, then that person or someone else would say that the average person can’t afford the ingredients or they didn’t cook those kinds of dishes. 🤷🏾♀️
@@Hey_Ruthie no, I totally understand what she meant. I’m not saying that; I was commenting about the person who was criticizing her for making budget-friendly meals, saying that Mindy and her family didn’t need to eat less expensive dishes/meals. My point was for Mindy to ignore people like that because they will criticize and find fault no matter what she or others do.
I had less than $400 income back in August & am great full to have videos like these. I ate well, saved pantry restock $$ to keep me from losing control financially.
Saving money should be something we all do so we can more quickly and easily reach our financial goals! I LOVE these videos even though I'm alone and pushing 69 years old really hard. Single serving meal ideas would be of great interest to me. I have enjoyed your college meal ideas. . . love ALL your videos. Please keep them coming - we need you!! 🥰
How ignorant for them to say you don’t “need” to make these meals. Everyone should budget, and make these smarter decisions. I think it’s so selfless of you to take the time to make these videos for us. I know that I appreciate it. ❤
That’s why most Americans can’t even cover a $500 emergency expense or have even $1000 in savings. These videos are incredibly valuable no matter where you are financially.
There is NOTHING wrong with being frugal in the kitchen. Even if we don’t “have to”. As a society, we waste so much food on an annual basis. It is smart of us to use our resources to the best of our ability to help our planet.
LOVE this video! No matter how well you think you are you never know what will happen to change your life in a blink! We have a close friend(like family) that has been in the hospital with sudden GBS. His condition changed everything in his life and his wife's in 48 hours. She thanks me everyday for all the support(including cooking her dinner every night). Just a reminder that life can be fine and then not. Please pray for him, his condition is very unstable:(
I think these videos are exactly what people need with food prices being so high I’m always trying to balance cheap and healthy and it’s a hard balance but I’m certain your meal is still better then cheap take out Thank you for your hard work
After a lifetime of providing for myself, I found out last week that I'm facing a significant hit to my income, enough that I literally cried for a couple of hours. I'm not happy about it but it looks like I'm going to have to utilize my local food bank for the first time. I'm so grateful they're there and that you've made this video. ❤
There are a lot of different reasons a family might want to eat or live more frugally. We don't "need" to live frugally either but we choose to. People judge us as well, so I feel you! It's none of their business though, so I carry on and do what is best for my family regardless. Growing up, my family could have really benefited from the information shared in these types of videos. We lived off of food stamps, food banks and church donations. I remember eating cans of expired canned goods as a "whole meal" back then. Videos like this will help moms feed families healthier meals on a budget, not just "food." No one else ever knows the bigger picture of our lives but us, and I am so glad you put these videos out there for all to enjoy despite the haters out there! Keep it up!
I have never struggled with food insecurity but that doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t love watching these videos and using the tips and tricks. My husband and I make a very good living in Southern California and one of the easiest places to save money in a budget is food. We do all these things weekly. Financially secure or not we get a lot of enjoyment out of saving money this way. Keep up the awesome videos
These videos are much appreciated Mindy! While I like to treat myself I am mindful that money is not an unlimited quantity for my husband and I and I find your videos and personality not only engaging but I learn so much from them! I often adapt recipes of yours to suit our needs and converted the pizza to a wrap by with a chickpea salad with the corn, roasted zucchini and melted cheese crisps.
I love your idea of using the extra money saved as a donation to your local food bank. My mother used to say “To understand your fellow man you must walk a mile in his/her shoes.” It is good to save money so that we can give to others.
I can't understand why you get any heat. I really, really appreciate your videos about making meals on the cheap. My husband and I need to be frugal because he's getting through grad school and we have an almost one-year-old kid. While we utilize what resources we can from the community, this is so helpful, and I feel nothing but gratitude for you putting out videos like this!
*If you had a left over seasoning packet from ramen, you could use that in place of the bouillon with the first recipe. *These videos remind me of Christine’s at FrugalFitMom when she does videos for college students living away from home for the first time. Just keep doing what you are doing because we know that it is coming from your heart.
My husband and I married in 1975. The first year when we prepared our taxes, our income for that entire year was just a few dollars over 4 thousand dollars. To say we had food insecurity is an understatement. 47 years later….still married and we truly understand the struggle many have. In those days, there wasn’t the access to food banks that there are today. These recipes would have been an incredible help.
I got married in 1980 and the first few years, money was extremely tight. We survived on boxes of generic brand mac and cheese (18 cents each) and tuna patties (a can of tuna mixed with an egg and a couple of slices of bread, torn into little pieces, fry in a little oil) The whole meal probably cost $1. Lots of rice and potatoes! i would have found these videos very helpful! Still, we were in love and happy!
With prices going up drastically, these types of recipes would benefit so many. Please ignore those who are so negative about your videos. They're just unhappy in their own lives. Thank you for your channel!
Mindy if people give you grief over these, this is one of those times when you “let it roll off you back like water off a duck” (I know you do this already). These videos are SO important. People living on food stamps or social security often run out of money before the end of the month. These are well thought out meals, not so bad for those of us who know nutrition. I know with costs rising as fast as they are, a lot of folks will be looking for ideas to stretch the budget. Keep on keeping on. I LOVE your channel and your recipes. No one keeps me coming back as much as you do and I subscribe to several. You keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll keep coming g back for more. I retire I a couple of years and I’ll need these recipes as most of my income will be Social Security. ❤❤
My additional tip is to look at cook books from more frugal times. Can often be found in public libraries or second hand or charity shops. They are often extremely cost effective and have advice about making efficient use of fuel not just about what the ingredients are.
@@dees3179 Great suggestion! Grew up with my mom having two go-to cookbooks, and when we first grew up and moved out, we were constantly asking her for recipes from those books. (Edit: She ended up buying them for each of her kids for Christmas! 😁) I think you can still get both of them- the Five Roses flour cookbook for baking, and More With Less for regular cooking - though some great baking recipes in there too! M with L is a Mennonite cookbook, with submissions from people who did missionary work all over the world. So it has lots of thoughtful reflections scattered throughout, about food scarcity, cultural attitudes toward food, hospitality etc, approaching our food with reverence and appreciation for what we have, and yes, keeping costs down!
@@pjp9383 yes, exactly . In the UK old copies of the Bero cookbook are a good start. It's a flour company, but the basic cakes and pastry are all in there and there are sensible quantities of ingredients. It's not jammed with stuff we can't afford.
Videos like this would have been such a life saver 12 years ago when I was a BROKE BROKE college age kid. 2 jobs and still struggled. Lol live and learn, and grateful for these videos! You can always learn something new every day!
I think you are an amazing human :) These videos are incredibly helpful to those trying to save, learn cooking skills and how you could possibly help someone else in a economically way! Please keep being you :) I love when you put a new video up. The from scratch video- I was having a mental block and remembered, I make homemade rice-a roni as well and my family loves it. I ended up making some as the side for dinner and everyone was excited. Keep doing you!
Thanks, Amanda! I appreciate the kind words and encouragement! I always liked rice-a-roni, so learning I could make it from pantry ingredients was a game changer! 😊
Those that have never had to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their finances cannot understand how important these videos help others. Thanks for taking the time to share. 👍
Imagine having the audacity to tell someone they shouldn't make budget meal videos because they don't need them. Everyone can benefit from these types of videos. Knowledge is power. Everyone can benefit from saving money or having a few budget friendly meals ideas. Keep up the great work Mindy. We love these videos. You always have different recipes that I rarely see on other channels. Thank you.
OH yes I remember when I first started working for the school district. I started the middle of July training. no money... and the money I had I needed to buy my CDL permit, and all that goes with getting a CDL and paying the State to take tests etc. and I didn't get my first check till the end of Sept. It was a very good thing I had lost my job before. I had learned to make sure I always have the basic on hand. and as a State employee we never got paid but once a month. so that also set me up for S/S because you only get paid once a month. :) It's good to cook cheap so you can save money. like for the holiday season so it doesn't cut into you budget then. you have room. great ideas. College students, would love these.
Why do people take the time to post negative comments? What I say is THANK YOU for helping those that have less. There is so much unnecessary shame related to food insecurity. These videos help those with less learn how to feed their families tasty and filling foods. Excellent video.
As a canadian, I prefer cooking videos because I cannot always find the product or they are not at the same price when you do grocery haul. But I watch them anyway because you have a soothing nature !
I am 80 on Social Security. I am on a very tight budget. I love these recipes. I have health issue so these simple recipe also help me to cook. Please keep them coming. Thank you
I hope your experience helps others to be more compassionate to people who find themselves in a financial bind. I had a very similar experience when I began my first teaching job after my PhD and even years later during similar times beginning a new adjunct position. Substitute teachers often find themselves scrambling during summer breaks too. Your budget videos inspire me to create similar recipes for vegetarians. Thanks for including a chickpea base to your pizza. Beans are very filling and under-utilized in much American cooking in my experience.
I am right in the middle of “oh man I haven’t been grocery shopping in two weeks and I have to cook tomorrow, what am I going to make!?!?” Answer: the sausage rice dish from this video! Perfect timing, you saved me!
Mindy! Cottage Cheese is underrated! I make Lasagne with 3 containers of cottage cheese and 1 ricotta chees, use my blender and mix them well add 2 eggs and a secret from Sicily 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and blend together!
I'm shocked! Nutmeg! it's funny because after years of trying beef and macaroni casseroles I finally figured out that I had to add nutmeg...everyone loves it now. it's also in my Swedish meat balls and Hungarian goulash but I never would have imagined lasagne. I bet it's delicious.
Love your ideas and recipes. Who can't stand to tighten their grocery budget from time to time? You always give great tips. I'm in my 50s and still learning to cook! Keep doing what you enjoy and thank you! 😊
I pretty much learned to cook from Mindy's videos and More with Less book. I love the concepts behind the budget meals to help make ends meet but also for the basic learning to cook.
I love watching your videos. You are so comfortable in front of the camera!! Your recipes are very creative and I appreciate them being budget friendly! With food prices these days I’m sure a lot of people are trying to find ways to spend less on food! Thanks for what you do!!
You have always given great ideas, everything you do comes from a place of empathy and necessity, and "been there done that". Just because you may not "need" to cut cost today, doesn't mean you won't tomorrow. Life can change at any time. And these money saving tips are so good. Plus they help us clean out our pantry, freezer etc. And give us great ideas!
You are doing a great job! You're a nice lady with a sweet, loving heart. Keep doing what you're doing. The world needs more positivity and kindness that you have to share. Thank you for what you're doing. Hugs!
I always enjoy your channel and videos, but especially today. It's been a rough week, and I sat down with some charcuterie and a glass of wine thinking, "I hope SMM has a new vid up, because that's exactly what my soul needs right now." Then I smiled and toasted you because this vid's thumbnail was the first on my feed. Blessings to you and your family for all the effort, inspiration and calming vibes you bring us each week!!
I love your budget friendly meals! One fav for me is to do the beef noodle hamburger helper, add peas and serve over biscuits! I made that for my hubby once before we were married. He had no idea it cost me $2 for it all. And he loved it!!
Thank you for posting videos like this! Our family runs a nonprofit that helps people with food insecurity. I love seeing more RUclipsrs post videos like this that can really help families stretch their budget and still eat well.
I appreciate your budget meals and other recipes always looking for new ideas. Recently I made your spicy pork noodles, potato beef chowder and cheesy beef pasta all of which were a hit. I am not much of a creative cook so I appreciate you doing the work for me so to speak lol. No matter anyone’s situation with prices these days we can all benefit from budget friendly ideas.
I really loved what you said here. Every country eventually hits hard times, The Great Depression, The Gas crisis in the late 70's, Covid. And every family hits hard times an injured back, Someone gets hit with an Autoimmune disease. I and my family went from a 2 story overlooking the ocean to low income housing in just a few years as we burned through our savings after a severe back injury. If it wasn't for the penny pinching cooking my parents taught all us kids when we were little there would have been times my own children wouldn't have ate. Education is everything. I grew up in the nicest house in the entire neighborhood just had brilliant parents...
Mindy, keep doing the videos you want to do for your viewers. Some videos may resonate more than others & that's OK. You can't please everyone. I think you do a great job of creating content that appeals to many people because most people want to eat tasty, nutritious, budget friendly & easy to prepare meals. Whether you have food insecurities or not, there are always lessons to be learned in your videos that can be shared with others, who may need it. Thank again for all you do to make positive, comforting, enjoyable & educational content for us.
I truly appreciate all your videos. Everyone is different so I take out or add what I have or enjoy but they always give me something new to try and spark new ideas. I like that you include different sources of protein. It was a good reminder I can get it from my cottage cheese or add chickpeas. Thank you for the time energy and effort you put into making these videos.
Honestly, i am watching these videos for comfort. A few years back I have been in a very difficult financial situation and I was also much younger and just moved to another country so I wasn't fully aware of my resources and my options. I was also alone and really wasn't sure what my next meal is gonna be and if i will be able to afford next week's shopping. I am in so much better position right but but I think watching these videos helps me realize how many options are out there and feel like this willl not happen to me again. Thank you for this content.
These recipes are great! For such a small amount of money, you still manage to get protein and veggies in the dishes. You are the queen of budget meals in my book!
My absolute favorite broke girl meal is baked potatoes! Buy a bag of potatoes and you can make so so so many meals! But a quick work lunch of just packing up a potato kinda makes me nostalgic for my younger days!
I've ate hot water cornbread until all the ingredients were gone and then I starved. I can afford to eat anything I want now and sometimes I splurge but I never forget just how hungry I was and could always be again. I love these ideas and find them extremely helpful when our 23 kids and grandkids come for 2 weeks to stay for the holidays 😬🤣🤣
This was great! I like your new and creative ideas. They all looked nourishing and tasty. I truly appreciate your attention to budget-friendly recipes that contain vegetables because they are so often left out. I also run a food pantry and am grateful for your encouragement to people to get the help they need.
Keep on keeping on! These videos are among my favorites of yours. You do a great service by educating viewers how to shop wisely when on a tight budget, cook at home, and eat well. I was like you right out of college at my first job which was low-paying. I had to be frugal at the grocery store.
I really appreciate these videos. My husband and I are barely scraping by with housing costs and inflation on the rise. We have been buying just enough food for our toddler to have healthy balanced meals, then he and I eat ramen, beans, rice, potatoes, etc.
Your recipes are great! You do the best job making healthy and affordable meals. Many people around the world eat these simple but nutritious foods everyday. Thanks for your content and your kindness.
Some people are just trolls and don't have anything nice to say no matter what. You are helping a great many people so don't listen to the unhappy people who make negative comments. You keep doing you! 🥰
These videos are so helpful, Mindy! Between you, Christine (Frugal Fit Mom), and Lydia Senn, I have learned so much! My husband and I got married in June of 2022 and found out in July 2022 that we we expecting. Our baby will arrive in the next 5-8 weeks. Newlyweds, soon-to-be parents, and my husband is in school full time. Needless to say, we aren't working with a large income right now. We are on WIC right now, which helps a lot, especially with getting produce. But videos like this help give me so many tips, tricks, and inspiration for cooking yummy meals on our limited money. Definitely looking forward to trying the rice and sausage dish tomorrow!
As usual, great ideas Mindy! I made your chicken/rice-a-roni casserole and it was a hit. 😊 I bought a bag of cheese tortellini at Wal-Mart yesterday and had a light bulb moment--Would you consider doing a compilation video of your meals that use cheese tortellini?
Yes please, A compilation of tortellini videos would be awesome!! Love your videos. People can just pass on by if they don’t like the budget saving recipes.
I think what you are doing with these videos is a very good idea. A lot of people are struggling to feed their families. It is truly at a time when the need is so great. Keep doing what you are doing.
I just made a meal that altogether cost me around $11 but it made 8 servings. Kroger had the pork loin on sale for $1.49 and I got some ears of corn 4/$1, 5lbs of potatoes for $1.97 and bolillo bread for 8/$1 from a local grocery store. It was a good dinner, my family enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing your meal ideas. Block the meanies and keep being you. Cyber bullies are not cool. You help all of us while making tasty meals. These are some we could rotate into our own meal plans. I appreciate you immensely. Willette❤️
I make the rice, peppers, smoked sausage one in my rotation now. Easy, tasty, and cheap... the best. I like the soup with Ramen. I just took some homemade soup out of the freezer and I'm going to add Ramen to make it more meals. Thanks for the ideas.
Those are great ideas! I add bouillon water mix to my soups to stretch them. The ramen hint is another one ill have to try. I like how you doctor everything up with produce, frozen and fresh. These meals were quite healthy!
Fed is best. We struggle moneywise, and some weeks I have to use whatever is in our small pantry and fridge. As long as my children are fed, I'm one happy mama. Thank you for your videos! They've helped me greatly!
I love these videos so much! As a college student who is hopefully about to enter grad school, I enjoy cutting down on my grocery budget sometimes even though I don’t always need to do it to this extent. It’s still good knowledge to have for future purposes. Thank you so much for helping us college students out, Mindy!!❤
I'm amazed that people say negative things about your videos. I find them very useful! Any time I can save time and money I'm thrilled! Plus, I had to teach myself how to cook, so any new recipes that are easy help me tremendously. Keep doing these amazing videos! God bless Mindy.❤
Thanks for the tips and for addressing the fact that some people are struggling financially to feed their families. Awesome job as usual. Look forward to next great video.
I appreciate these videos sooo much!! Im a single mom with 2 teenage daughters and a 5 month old granddaughter that I support on a fixed income. I’ve gotten so many great ideas from your videos.
My wife used to be an adjunct professor. She got her last paycheck for summer semester at the beginning of August, and she wouldn't receive her first paycheck for fall semester until the beginning of October. September was TOUGH for her. Thank goodness we both have full-time jobs now. I liked the pizza idea! We tried a vegan pizza recipe awhile back that used hummus as both the sauce and creamy (cheesy) component. It was delicious, though didn't quite feel like pizza to me. I'm tempted to try the concept again but add some cheese to the top.
This is my first time on your channel. Your soup looks very good. I'm always looking for a way to stretch my dollar and still feel full and add some veggies for extra nutrition. Thank you for your content.
Love these kinds of videos. We have a Large family so I love meals that can stretch. Sometimes simple and quick is really good for Lunch/ dinner while we're rushing to get to kids activities and other things :)
I tried the dish with the sausage and peppers and onions with rice. It was delicious and cost very little money to make I'll definitely be making this again thank you Mindy for the idea.
I use your tips to help save for housing updates we are working on! You're ideas have helped a lot have done several upgrades to our home since I found you! Meaning food is a good place to budget and save to other needs! Of course it helps our kids are grown! But my daughter is doing her 1st yr teaching 1st grade this year. Your tips even helped her!
I made it to Cheapo Depot last weekend and the kids loved it!! Oklahoma really has so many great resources for people on a budget or food insecure. Food on the Move literally blows my mind with what they do for the community. We don’t have anything like that in KS. If you’re in the Tulsa area, definitely check out Food on the Move. Even if you’re not and have the means to donate a little extra, they are an absolute solid place to give to.
It’s amazing that people will be critical of someone who’s trying to help others. I hope the naysayers put as much energy into helping others as they do into criticizing those who are.
You are so creative. I really enjoy your videos and ideas. Groceries are so expensive now and your meals are very helpful and it sparks other ideas sometimes.
I’ve made white rice put it in a 9x13 covered it with salsa and shredded cheese melted it all in the oven quick cheap good meal I’ve even done it with chicken breast added in
We're soup lovers at our house. Makes our budget work and let's us get creative. That sausage rice mixture looks a lot like the beginnings of my "mexi" soup. We enjoyed this video, thank you.
Prices are going up here in America. The cost of living is almost double what it was 2-3 years ago for us. I love this video because we have had to cut back our grocery budget too and these are wonderful ways to get creative! Thank you for your help ❤
Mindy..your videos are awesome and these days everyone can use an budget meal. I love your videos an appreciate that you make recipes we can all enjoy. Keep the coming please 😊
Mindy - I love your videos. I think they are helpful. Even though I don’t use many of your specific recipes, it gives great ideas and motivates me to get creative and to use up what I have, which in turn saves money. Also you hit a wide variety of an audience. I don’t care what you do with the food you make. Eat it or not lol. Who cares? Either way I still will be watching the videos because they are informative. 😊
I love these kinds of videos. I'm sure they help a lot of people. Because of special needs and dietary restrictions, a lot of these don't work for us specifically, but they do give me a lot of ideas and inspiration, plus I'm sure they work for many others. This recipe isn't as cheap as the soup you made, but your soup reminded me of this. I throw all this in my crockpot on low all day. Beef vegetable soup: 1 lb browned ground beef (I use 85/15 from Walmart) Some chopped onion if you'd like 2 large cans original veg all or an off brand of mixed vegetables 1 15 oz can tomato sauce 1 32 oz carton of beef broth Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper This was approximately $12 and makes a completely full to the very top 4.5 quart crockpot of soup. It's relatively healthy, pretty inexpensive, has lots of vegetables, and the leftovers are great.
I've noticed so many people saying their property taxes went up and therefore housing is higher whether you own or rent. My pay didn't increase. Cutting your food budget is the greatest thing to avoid the pinch!
I just made the soup recipe and it was delicious. Thank you! I'm a money saver and being frugal is always in fashion no matter the size of my bank account. 💰 💰 💰
People don’t have to be in financial difficulties to appreciate these videos. Tightening the belt in November so you can give the kids a good Christmas without going into credit card debt! Saving for a vacation, car or house. University students looking for inexpensive but filling meals. All valid reasons.
Great advice!
There are always going to be people who criticize. If Mindy only made expensive meals, then that person or someone else would say that the average person can’t afford the ingredients or they didn’t cook those kinds of dishes. 🤷🏾♀️
@@pattywilliams788 I think you missed her point. She meant you can do budget meals regardless of what your financial circumstance is.
@@Hey_Ruthie no, I totally understand what she meant. I’m not saying that; I was commenting about the person who was criticizing her for making budget-friendly meals, saying that Mindy and her family didn’t need to eat less expensive dishes/meals. My point was for Mindy to ignore people like that because they will criticize and find fault no matter what she or others do.
I had less than $400 income back in August & am great full to have videos like these. I ate well, saved pantry restock $$ to keep me from losing control financially.
Saving money should be something we all do so we can more quickly and easily reach our financial goals! I LOVE these videos even though I'm alone and pushing 69 years old really hard. Single serving meal ideas would be of great interest to me. I have enjoyed your college meal ideas. . . love ALL your videos. Please keep them coming - we need you!! 🥰
How ignorant for them to say you don’t “need” to make these meals. Everyone should budget, and make these smarter decisions. I think it’s so selfless of you to take the time to make these videos for us. I know that I appreciate it. ❤
Thanks, Claudia. 😊
I agree!!!
But budget aside, that sausage and rice dish looks good! It's cold out today and that looks so good! 😅
That’s why most Americans can’t even cover a $500 emergency expense or have even $1000 in savings. These videos are incredibly valuable no matter where you are financially.
Grocery prices are out of control!!! God bless this lady!!
There is NOTHING wrong with being frugal in the kitchen. Even if we don’t “have to”. As a society, we waste so much food on an annual basis. It is smart of us to use our resources to the best of our ability to help our planet.
LOVE this video! No matter how well you think you are you never know what will happen to change your life in a blink! We have a close friend(like family) that has been in the hospital with sudden GBS. His condition changed everything in his life and his wife's in 48 hours. She thanks me everyday for all the support(including cooking her dinner every night). Just a reminder that life can be fine and then not. Please pray for him, his condition is very unstable:(
I think these videos are exactly what people need with food prices being so high
I’m always trying to balance cheap and healthy and it’s a hard balance but I’m certain your meal is still better then cheap take out
Thank you for your hard work
The BIGGEST reason I've started watching is because you ARE positive, kind, & realistic. New dinner favorite in our house is your spicy Roman! 😋
I am very thankful for videos like these. I am someone who is low income AND doesn't know how to cook very well. So this real helps me get by.
After a lifetime of providing for myself, I found out last week that I'm facing a significant hit to my income, enough that I literally cried for a couple of hours. I'm not happy about it but it looks like I'm going to have to utilize my local food bank for the first time. I'm so grateful they're there and that you've made this video. ❤
Oh Barb, so sorry for you! Be strong, use the food bank, that’s what they are there for. Hugs!
❤❤❤
Hang on.
There are a lot of different reasons a family might want to eat or live more frugally. We don't "need" to live frugally either but we choose to. People judge us as well, so I feel you! It's none of their business though, so I carry on and do what is best for my family regardless.
Growing up, my family could have really benefited from the information shared in these types of videos. We lived off of food stamps, food banks and church donations. I remember eating cans of expired canned goods as a "whole meal" back then. Videos like this will help moms feed families healthier meals on a budget, not just "food."
No one else ever knows the bigger picture of our lives but us, and I am so glad you put these videos out there for all to enjoy despite the haters out there! Keep it up!
I have never struggled with food insecurity but that doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t love watching these videos and using the tips and tricks. My husband and I make a very good living in Southern California and one of the easiest places to save money in a budget is food. We do all these things weekly. Financially secure or not we get a lot of enjoyment out of saving money this way. Keep up the awesome videos
These videos are much appreciated Mindy! While I like to treat myself I am mindful that money is not an unlimited quantity for my husband and I and I find your videos and personality not only engaging but I learn so much from them! I often adapt recipes of yours to suit our needs and converted the pizza to a wrap by with a chickpea salad with the corn, roasted zucchini and melted cheese crisps.
I love your idea of using the extra money saved as a donation to your local food bank. My mother used to say “To understand your fellow man you must walk a mile in his/her shoes.” It is good to save money so that we can give to others.
I can't understand why you get any heat. I really, really appreciate your videos about making meals on the cheap. My husband and I need to be frugal because he's getting through grad school and we have an almost one-year-old kid. While we utilize what resources we can from the community, this is so helpful, and I feel nothing but gratitude for you putting out videos like this!
Thanks for having empathy for those who have financial problems from time to time.
*If you had a left over seasoning packet from ramen, you could use that in place of the bouillon with the first recipe.
*These videos remind me of Christine’s at FrugalFitMom when she does videos for college students living away from home for the first time. Just keep doing what you are doing because we know that it is coming from your heart.
I love watching Christine. I'd love it if these two amazing ladies did a collaboration video.
@@sw3et24x7 that would be sweettttttt!
My husband and I married in 1975. The first year when we prepared our taxes, our income for that entire year was just a few dollars over 4 thousand dollars. To say we had food insecurity is an understatement. 47 years later….still married and we truly understand the struggle many have. In those days, there wasn’t the access to food banks that there are today. These recipes would have been an incredible help.
I remember those days, too! Yes I wish there had been a RUclips and a Mindy back then!!
I remember rolling pennies for gas money. My husband HATES spaghetti. Refuses to eat Ramen Noodles. They were staples back when we got married.
I got married in 1980 and the first few years, money was extremely tight. We survived on boxes of generic brand mac and cheese (18 cents each) and tuna patties (a can of tuna mixed with an egg and a couple of slices of bread, torn into little pieces, fry in a little oil) The whole meal probably cost $1. Lots of rice and potatoes! i would have found these videos very helpful! Still, we were in love and happy!
With prices going up drastically, these types of recipes would benefit so many. Please ignore those who are so negative about your videos. They're just unhappy in their own lives. Thank you for your channel!
Mindy if people give you grief over these, this is one of those times when you “let it roll off you back like water off a duck” (I know you do this already). These videos are SO important. People living on food stamps or social security often run out of money before the end of the month. These are well thought out meals, not so bad for those of us who know nutrition. I know with costs rising as fast as they are, a lot of folks will be looking for ideas to stretch the budget. Keep on keeping on. I LOVE your channel and your recipes. No one keeps me coming back as much as you do and I subscribe to several. You keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll keep coming g back for more. I retire I a couple of years and I’ll need these recipes as most of my income will be Social Security. ❤❤
Yes, Mindy, please see how many “ hits” these type of videos get..people are really concerned about food budgeting!
I am passing these recipes on to a new couple who are completely clueless about grocery budgeting or how to start. Thank you so much.
My additional tip is to look at cook books from more frugal times. Can often be found in public libraries or second hand or charity shops. They are often extremely cost effective and have advice about making efficient use of fuel not just about what the ingredients are.
@@dees3179 Great suggestion! Grew up with my mom having two go-to cookbooks, and when we first grew up and moved out, we were constantly asking her for recipes from those books. (Edit: She ended up buying them for each of her kids for Christmas! 😁) I think you can still get both of them- the Five Roses flour cookbook for baking, and More With Less for regular cooking - though some great baking recipes in there too! M with L is a Mennonite cookbook, with submissions from people who did missionary work all over the world. So it has lots of thoughtful reflections scattered throughout, about food scarcity, cultural attitudes toward food, hospitality etc, approaching our food with reverence and appreciation for what we have, and yes, keeping costs down!
@@pjp9383 yes, exactly . In the UK old copies of the Bero cookbook are a good start. It's a flour company, but the basic cakes and pastry are all in there and there are sensible quantities of ingredients. It's not jammed with stuff we can't afford.
I love these recipes. I'm on disability right now, and these meals will definitely help me get through until I can return to work.
Videos like this would have been such a life saver 12 years ago when I was a BROKE BROKE college age kid. 2 jobs and still struggled. Lol live and learn, and grateful for these videos! You can always learn something new every day!
I think you are an amazing human :) These videos are incredibly helpful to those trying to save, learn cooking skills and how you could possibly help someone else in a economically way! Please keep being you :) I love when you put a new video up. The from scratch video- I was having a mental block and remembered, I make homemade rice-a roni as well and my family loves it. I ended up making some as the side for dinner and everyone was excited. Keep doing you!
Thanks, Amanda! I appreciate the kind words and encouragement! I always liked rice-a-roni, so learning I could make it from pantry ingredients was a game changer! 😊
Those that have never had to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their finances cannot understand how important these videos help others. Thanks for taking the time to share. 👍
Imagine having the audacity to tell someone they shouldn't make budget meal videos because they don't need them. Everyone can benefit from these types of videos. Knowledge is power. Everyone can benefit from saving money or having a few budget friendly meals ideas. Keep up the great work Mindy. We love these videos. You always have different recipes that I rarely see on other channels. Thank you.
OH yes I remember when I first started working for the school district. I started the middle of July training. no money... and the money I had I needed to buy my CDL permit, and all that goes with getting a CDL and paying the State to take tests etc. and I didn't get my first check till the end of Sept. It was a very good thing I had lost my job before. I had learned to make sure I always have the basic on hand. and as a State employee we never got paid but once a month. so that also set me up for S/S because you only get paid once a month. :) It's good to cook cheap so you can save money. like for the holiday season so it doesn't cut into you budget then. you have room. great ideas. College students, would love these.
Why do people take the time to post negative comments? What I say is THANK YOU for helping those that have less. There is so much unnecessary shame related to food insecurity. These videos help those with less learn how to feed their families tasty and filling foods. Excellent video.
@allyroo H I love her videos on budget cooking. Cooking is an on going learning skill. Everyone can use some new ideas.
As a canadian, I prefer cooking videos because I cannot always find the product or they are not at the same price when you do grocery haul. But I watch them anyway because you have a soothing nature !
Me too!
⭐⭐
I am 80 on Social Security. I am on a very tight budget. I love these recipes. I have health issue so these simple recipe also help me to cook. Please keep them coming. Thank you
I love the simple recipes she does too ✨️
One thing my friend taught me is to cook rice in a rice cooker WITH olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper. So simple but it really jazzes up the rice!
I hope your experience helps others to be more compassionate to people who find themselves in a financial bind. I had a very similar experience when I began my first teaching job after my PhD and even years later during similar times beginning a new adjunct position. Substitute teachers often find themselves scrambling during summer breaks too. Your budget videos inspire me to create similar recipes for vegetarians. Thanks for including a chickpea base to your pizza. Beans are very filling and under-utilized in much American cooking in my experience.
Thank you for these videos! Eating some frugal meals allows my family to splurge on a dinner out or a trip to the movie theater.
I am right in the middle of “oh man I haven’t been grocery shopping in two weeks and I have to cook tomorrow, what am I going to make!?!?” Answer: the sausage rice dish from this video! Perfect timing, you saved me!
Mindy! Cottage Cheese is underrated! I make Lasagne with 3 containers of cottage cheese and 1 ricotta chees, use my blender and mix them well add 2 eggs and a secret from Sicily 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and blend together!
I'm shocked! Nutmeg!
it's funny because after years of trying beef and macaroni casseroles I finally figured out that I had to add nutmeg...everyone loves it now. it's also in my Swedish meat balls and Hungarian goulash but I never would have imagined lasagne. I bet it's delicious.
Love your ideas and recipes. Who can't stand to tighten their grocery budget from time to time? You always give great tips. I'm in my 50s and still learning to cook! Keep doing what you enjoy and thank you! 😊
I pretty much learned to cook from Mindy's videos and More with Less book. I love the concepts behind the budget meals to help make ends meet but also for the basic learning to cook.
I just recommended More With Less in response to another comment, that suggested getting older cookbooks for a young couple on a budget. 👍🏻
I love watching your videos. You are so comfortable in front of the camera!!
Your recipes are very creative and I appreciate them being budget friendly! With food prices these days I’m sure a lot of people are trying to find ways to spend less on food!
Thanks for what you do!!
You have always given great ideas, everything you do comes from a place of empathy and necessity, and "been there done that". Just because you may not "need" to cut cost today, doesn't mean you won't tomorrow. Life can change at any time. And these money saving tips are so good. Plus they help us clean out our pantry, freezer etc. And give us great ideas!
do not listen to negativity.I watch you all the time and you are a great help.
You are doing a great job! You're a nice lady with a sweet, loving heart. Keep doing what you're doing. The world needs more positivity and kindness that you have to share. Thank you for what you're doing. Hugs!
I always enjoy your channel and videos, but especially today. It's been a rough week, and I sat down with some charcuterie and a glass of wine thinking, "I hope SMM has a new vid up, because that's exactly what my soul needs right now." Then I smiled and toasted you because this vid's thumbnail was the first on my feed. Blessings to you and your family for all the effort, inspiration and calming vibes you bring us each week!!
I love your budget friendly meals! One fav for me is to do the beef noodle hamburger helper, add peas and serve over biscuits! I made that for my hubby once before we were married. He had no idea it cost me $2 for it all. And he loved it!!
Thank you for posting videos like this! Our family runs a nonprofit that helps people with food insecurity. I love seeing more RUclipsrs post videos like this that can really help families stretch their budget and still eat well.
Bless you for serving other in need! Does you non profit have a web site you can share??
When I was in college I supported myself on about $800 every 2 weeks. I wish I would have had a resource like this video!
I appreciate your budget meals and other recipes always looking for new ideas. Recently I made your spicy pork noodles, potato beef chowder and cheesy beef pasta all of which were a hit. I am not much of a creative cook so I appreciate you doing the work for me so to speak lol.
No matter anyone’s situation with prices these days we can all benefit from budget friendly ideas.
I really loved what you said here. Every country eventually hits hard times, The Great Depression, The Gas crisis in the late 70's, Covid. And every family hits hard times an injured back, Someone gets hit with an Autoimmune disease. I and my family went from a 2 story overlooking the ocean to low income housing in just a few years as we burned through our savings after a severe back injury. If it wasn't for the penny pinching cooking my parents taught all us kids when we were little there would have been times my own children wouldn't have ate. Education is everything. I grew up in the nicest house in the entire neighborhood just had brilliant parents...
Mindy, keep doing the videos you want to do for your viewers. Some videos may resonate more than others & that's OK. You can't please everyone. I think you do a great job of creating content that appeals to many people because most people want to eat tasty, nutritious, budget friendly & easy to prepare meals. Whether you have food insecurities or not, there are always lessons to be learned in your videos that can be shared with others, who may need it. Thank again for all you do to make positive, comforting, enjoyable & educational content for us.
I truly appreciate all your videos. Everyone is different so I take out or add what I have or enjoy but they always give me something new to try and spark new ideas. I like that you include different sources of protein. It was a good reminder I can get it from my cottage cheese or add chickpeas. Thank you for the time energy and effort you put into making these videos.
Honestly, i am watching these videos for comfort. A few years back I have been in a very difficult financial situation and I was also much younger and just moved to another country so I wasn't fully aware of my resources and my options. I was also alone and really wasn't sure what my next meal is gonna be and if i will be able to afford next week's shopping. I am in so much better position right but but I think watching these videos helps me realize how many options are out there and feel like this willl not happen to me again. Thank you for this content.
These recipes are great! For such a small amount of money, you still manage to get protein and veggies in the dishes. You are the queen of budget meals in my book!
My absolute favorite broke girl meal is baked potatoes! Buy a bag of potatoes and you can make so so so many meals! But a quick work lunch of just packing up a potato kinda makes me nostalgic for my younger days!
Yum I forgot about baked potatoes thanks for the reminder! 🥔
I've ate hot water cornbread until all the ingredients were gone and then I starved. I can afford to eat anything I want now and sometimes I splurge but I never forget just how hungry I was and could always be again. I love these ideas and find them extremely helpful when our 23 kids and grandkids come for 2 weeks to stay for the holidays 😬🤣🤣
This is exactly my position right now - trying to make it 3 weeks until my first paycheck since I just started a job. Thank you ❤️
This was great! I like your new and creative ideas. They all looked nourishing and tasty. I truly appreciate your attention to budget-friendly recipes that contain vegetables because they are so often left out. I also run a food pantry and am grateful for your encouragement to people to get the help they need.
Keep on keeping on! These videos are among my favorites of yours. You do a great service by educating viewers how to shop wisely when on a tight budget, cook at home, and eat well. I was like you right out of college at my first job which was low-paying. I had to be frugal at the grocery store.
I really appreciate these videos. My husband and I are barely scraping by with housing costs and inflation on the rise. We have been buying just enough food for our toddler to have healthy balanced meals, then he and I eat ramen, beans, rice, potatoes, etc.
Your recipes are great! You do the best job making healthy and affordable meals. Many people around the world eat these simple but nutritious foods everyday. Thanks for your content and your kindness.
Some people are just trolls and don't have anything nice to say no matter what. You are helping a great many people so don't listen to the unhappy people who make negative comments. You keep doing you! 🥰
These videos are so helpful, Mindy! Between you, Christine (Frugal Fit Mom), and Lydia Senn, I have learned so much! My husband and I got married in June of 2022 and found out in July 2022 that we we expecting. Our baby will arrive in the next 5-8 weeks. Newlyweds, soon-to-be parents, and my husband is in school full time. Needless to say, we aren't working with a large income right now. We are on WIC right now, which helps a lot, especially with getting produce. But videos like this help give me so many tips, tricks, and inspiration for cooking yummy meals on our limited money. Definitely looking forward to trying the rice and sausage dish tomorrow!
As usual, great ideas Mindy! I made your chicken/rice-a-roni casserole and it was a hit. 😊 I bought a bag of cheese tortellini at Wal-Mart yesterday and had a light bulb moment--Would you consider doing a compilation video of your meals that use cheese tortellini?
Yes please, A compilation of tortellini videos would be awesome!! Love your videos. People can just pass on by if they don’t like the budget saving recipes.
I think what you are doing with these videos is a very good idea. A lot of people are struggling to feed their families. It is truly at a time when the need is so great. Keep doing what you are doing.
I just made a meal that altogether cost me around $11 but it made 8 servings. Kroger had the pork loin on sale for $1.49 and I got some ears of corn 4/$1, 5lbs of potatoes for $1.97 and bolillo bread for 8/$1 from a local grocery store. It was a good dinner, my family enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing your meal ideas. Block the meanies and keep being you. Cyber bullies are not cool. You help all of us while making tasty meals. These are some we could rotate into our own meal plans. I appreciate you immensely. Willette❤️
Amen girl !!! We have ALL been in a tight situation. Personally, I can't thank you enough for these recipes.
I make the rice, peppers, smoked sausage one in my rotation now. Easy, tasty, and cheap... the best. I like the soup with Ramen. I just took some homemade soup out of the freezer and I'm going to add Ramen to make it more meals. Thanks for the ideas.
Those are great ideas! I add bouillon water mix to my soups to stretch them. The ramen hint is another one ill have to try. I like how you doctor everything up with produce, frozen and fresh. These meals were quite healthy!
Thanks, Kathy! I try to be mindful of including some veggies where I can. 😊
Fed is best. We struggle moneywise, and some weeks I have to use whatever is in our small pantry and fridge. As long as my children are fed, I'm one happy mama. Thank you for your videos! They've helped me greatly!
I love these videos so much! As a college student who is hopefully about to enter grad school, I enjoy cutting down on my grocery budget sometimes even though I don’t always need to do it to this extent. It’s still good knowledge to have for future purposes. Thank you so much for helping us college students out, Mindy!!❤
Thanks for sharing brilliant suggestions for me to use for my soup kitchen ideas for the homeless in our city ❤️
Love your rice cooking method, once I tried it never looked back and I no longer have to constantly check on it!❤
I'm amazed that people say negative things about your videos. I find them very useful! Any time I can save time and money I'm thrilled! Plus, I had to teach myself how to cook, so any new recipes that are easy help me tremendously. Keep doing these amazing videos! God bless Mindy.❤
Thanks, Tina!
Thanks for the tips and for addressing the fact that some people are struggling financially to feed their families. Awesome job as usual. Look forward to next great video.
Fun fact. I lived in Japan for a few years. Corn as a pizza topping was extremely popular.
In some parts of Japan it is also a very popular ramen topping.
I appreciate these videos sooo much!! Im a single mom with 2 teenage daughters and a 5 month old granddaughter that I support on a fixed income. I’ve gotten so many great ideas from your videos.
Re: canned chickpeas, when you drain them, save the liquid. You can use it as an egg substitute in baking or for vegan meringues.
My wife used to be an adjunct professor. She got her last paycheck for summer semester at the beginning of August, and she wouldn't receive her first paycheck for fall semester until the beginning of October. September was TOUGH for her. Thank goodness we both have full-time jobs now.
I liked the pizza idea! We tried a vegan pizza recipe awhile back that used hummus as both the sauce and creamy (cheesy) component. It was delicious, though didn't quite feel like pizza to me. I'm tempted to try the concept again but add some cheese to the top.
This is my first time on your channel. Your soup looks very good. I'm always looking for a way to stretch my dollar and still feel full and add some veggies for extra nutrition. Thank you for your content.
SO glad I have found you Mindy its being a lifesaver for my family things are really hard in Australia at the moment for some of us. :)
That rice recipe idea from the dollar tree?!!! Amazing! Ty! I will definitely try that one 😮
Love these kinds of videos.
We have a Large family so I love meals that can stretch. Sometimes simple and quick is really good for Lunch/ dinner while we're rushing to get to kids activities and other things :)
I tried the dish with the sausage and peppers and onions with rice. It was delicious and cost very little money to make I'll definitely be making this again thank you Mindy for the idea.
1st Recipe looks wonderful. It is the same as one pot meals or casseroles.
That sausage rice skillet looks so good! I want to make it right now!
I use your tips to help save for housing updates we are working on! You're ideas have helped a lot have done several upgrades to our home since I found you! Meaning food is a good place to budget and save to other needs! Of course it helps our kids are grown! But my daughter is doing her 1st yr teaching 1st grade this year. Your tips even helped her!
I made it to Cheapo Depot last weekend and the kids loved it!! Oklahoma really has so many great resources for people on a budget or food insecure. Food on the Move literally blows my mind with what they do for the community. We don’t have anything like that in KS. If you’re in the Tulsa area, definitely check out Food on the Move. Even if you’re not and have the means to donate a little extra, they are an absolute solid place to give to.
Yes, Food on the Move is a cool concept, I think the Hanson brothers are behind it. 😊
@@SeeMindyMom Yes that’s right! Taylor Hanson founded it and he goes above and beyond.
Thank you for making these types of videos!!! These are definitely my favorite. I appreciate them!!!
I tried the soup recipe tonight and it was delicious! Very filling and tasty! Definitely a recipe I’m adding to my regular rotation!
It’s amazing that people will be critical of someone who’s trying to help others. I hope the naysayers put as much energy into helping others as they do into criticizing those who are.
You are so creative. I really enjoy your videos and ideas. Groceries are so expensive now and your meals are very helpful and it sparks other ideas sometimes.
I’ve made white rice put it in a 9x13 covered it with salsa and shredded cheese melted it all in the oven quick cheap good meal I’ve even done it with chicken breast added in
I have also used the pizza dough to make flat breads on my griddle. That soup looks delicious!
We're soup lovers at our house. Makes our budget work and let's us get creative. That sausage rice mixture looks a lot like the beginnings of my "mexi" soup. We enjoyed this video, thank you.
Prices are going up here in America. The cost of living is almost double what it was 2-3 years ago for us. I love this video because we have had to cut back our grocery budget too and these are wonderful ways to get creative! Thank you for your help ❤
Mindy..your videos are awesome and these days everyone can use an budget meal. I love your videos an appreciate that you make recipes we can all enjoy. Keep the coming please 😊
Mindy - I love your videos. I think they are helpful. Even though I don’t use many of your specific recipes, it gives great ideas and motivates me to get creative and to use up what I have, which in turn saves money. Also you hit a wide variety of an audience.
I don’t care what you do with the food you make. Eat it or not lol. Who cares? Either way I still will be watching the videos because they are informative. 😊
I love these kinds of videos. I'm sure they help a lot of people. Because of special needs and dietary restrictions, a lot of these don't work for us specifically, but they do give me a lot of ideas and inspiration, plus I'm sure they work for many others. This recipe isn't as cheap as the soup you made, but your soup reminded me of this. I throw all this in my crockpot on low all day.
Beef vegetable soup:
1 lb browned ground beef (I use 85/15 from Walmart)
Some chopped onion if you'd like
2 large cans original veg all or an off brand of mixed vegetables
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 32 oz carton of beef broth
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
This was approximately $12 and makes a completely full to the very top 4.5 quart crockpot of soup. It's relatively healthy, pretty inexpensive, has lots of vegetables, and the leftovers are great.
That sausage and rice dish looks sooooo good!!! I freaking LOVE you budget meal videos!!! 🙌💚🙌
I've noticed so many people saying their property taxes went up and therefore housing is higher whether you own or rent. My pay didn't increase. Cutting your food budget is the greatest thing to avoid the pinch!
I just made the soup recipe and it was delicious. Thank you!
I'm a money saver and being frugal is always in fashion no matter the size of my bank account. 💰 💰 💰