I remember growing up and we would say our meals depended on what was on sale that week. My parents raised six children on a one family income. I think they did a great job ad my childhood holds some great memories! Love is free even if food prices are rising!
Christine and friends, a trick I learned years ago for making yummy oatmeal (rolled oats), is to add your water or milk (or combo water and milk), salt and oats into a pot and let sit for 5 minutes. After sitting, turn on your heat, and bring to a gentle boil. When it comes to a boil, put heat to a simmer and stir continually over the heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off and serve. This gives the oats a more creamy texture for those who may not like the more sturdy texture of rolled oats. It also cuts down on the cooking/stirring time as the oats absorb some of the liquid while doing that pre-soak. They reheat in the microwave beautifully (about 1 minute of heating), so yes, cook once, eat multiple times. It's a good Sunday morning thing to make so you have the rest of the week to eat it.
Ive been binge watching these extreme budget video's and let me just say it has saved me. Im a single working mom of 4 and with the staggering costs of living these days, i desperately needed to cut down my grocery bills without cutting flavor and nutrients. Thank you so much. This is amazing!
I love how this video included so many basic cooking techniques - white sauce, pie crust, rehydrating beans, stewing chicken, making syrup. I know at our food pantry so many people have no idea what to do with the flour.
@@veganlunchmom Not so crazy. They know it makes bread but a lot of people don't know how to do it, or how to do it to properly. It's just not as common for people in many regions.
Same. I’ve had to learn. My mom made cookies but otherwise didn’t cook much from a scratch. There are many times in my life i wish I would’ve known Christine’s tips for budget cooking.
I think bread making isn’t that popular anymore so I’m not surprised people don’t know how to use it- pancakes are another great recipe! Thank God for RUclips!!
Hi, I'm from India, i don't cook nor eat any of your dishes BUT I love you watch you and your vlogs. I find them very entertaining and I find your energy very contagious and a good relief to boredom. Thank you and bless you and your family!
What would be cool would be a week 2 where you took things left over from this week (seasonings, flour, etc) and incorporated them plus new things (more seasonings, chicken bouillon, etc) to teach the class how to build a pantry on a budget. Similar to what you've done in the past, but using what you have left over as a base for the next week. I know you've said in past videos that you'd get XX if you were shopping for yourself because even though it's an upfront cost, you can use it for weeks or months to come. I know you've talked about it with shortening.
She did do this concept a few months ago for a month, where she shopped weekly but incorporated the last week’s oversupply into her plan. It was very well done.
We live in what seems to be a fairly expensive area plus we have a medical need for gluten free foods. So I put all these items in my WalMart cart to see how it would compare and we were still only at $67.29! This is definitely doable, even for an expensive diet!
@@happycook6737 I just checked them out. The You Tube page and web page are actually under "Living on a Dime" but the cookbooks are on the webpage as Dining on a Dime. Thank you for the resource recommendation!💕
@@Budget_with_Karlee same here. Idk how I'd do it if I had a family to feed. My diet alone is expensive, and I try to be as frugal as possible... God bless everyone trying to get by these days
I work for a local city municipal office. I love that you included information to reach out to places like the police departments or local city offices as well as school to find resources for food banks or other services! Thank you for this video.
Adding onto your comment that people can dial 211 for United Way and it will connect you to all the local resources available to you. They will even mail or email you a list for easy reference.
Thanks for this video Christine! My family is not yet to the point that we can only spend $1.25 per person per day but things are definitely getting worse and you have given us a lot of ideas on how to save. Would appreciate see more videos like these.
Yes. Using the chicken fat for the pot pie crust was genius. This series of recipes reminds me so much of the way my grandmother cooked, having lived through the depression. Nothing goes to waste. Frankly, I would be willing to bet that your crust was beyond delicious using the chicken fat. Nice job as always! God bless you guys.
My great grandma lived through the depression as well. Nothing was ever wasted. If she had just a few bites of something she made at lunch, she’d put it in a cup in the fridge and just eat it with dinner. The worst thing they had to eat one time was skunk. She said she burped it for a week after.
I went straight to my Walmart app to look for the 10 lb bag of leg quarters because I haven't purchased them in a while. They used to be around $6-7 but went up to $9.08. They're now $4.72 for quick sale. I got five bags for my family and two bags for my friend. I have a commercial size upright deep freezer that is almost fully stocked! I'm going to need a second freezer.
I love that you didn’t count butter as a pantry staple. At $4.50 a pound you have to put it in your budget if you are going to use it. Great video. I cook, prep etc like you, but watching your videos keeps me motivated. Also, the gelatinous chicken broth is so good for you! Bone broth has protein and minerals.
Six dollars is a deal now where I live! I gave up. I don’t cook due to lack of facilities, but for the odd quick meal I keep a spray can of olive oil. It works for most purposes and I’ve been on the same can for months. An excellent way to conserve.
I watched pretty much all of your challenges, this one is the best IMO. Very creative, different meals, and a step away from the traditional rice and beans that you see so often in these challenges.
Would you ever consider doing this challenge with different types of diets? We're celiacs in my household so we can't eat many of the cheaper products because they end up having flour and other types of gluten in them.
Thank you so much for videos like this! Normally I feed my family of 7 on $200 a week. But this week I only have $100 so THIS video came in so helpful when placing my walmart pick up order today. Think my total was $105. Can't wait to try these recipes they all looked delicious 😋
When we were kids…mom fed us rice, sugar and butter.All the time for breakfast. Four kids and times were tight. We loved it actually. Jody from Indiana..Richards my better half.
I made your no knead bread this weekend. I used the last of my bread flour, added some honey and milk powder, but generally speaking it is your recipe. It's always a hit and super easy! The loaf was gone in two days....there's only two of us eating it. LOL
I’m in MO. Eggs are everywhere now, and price is coming down. I just paid $4.22 for 18. I paid .99 lb for whole chicken breast and $3.98 lb for stew meat. It’s starting to look up here.
I am so thankful that you are doing videos like this one. I just bought eggs yesterday for $10.03! Crazy! I couldn't believe it. Also, today's news featured a story about food pantries that are struggling to keep up with demand because people can't afford to buy enough food. We've cut back on unnecessary purchases, but our weekly grocery bill is still too much. This will be a problem for a while, so please keep making videos like these!
I remember being so upset because in the states 5 dozen eggs were less than 5 dollars, in Canada they were 15. However, our eggs only went up a dollar because the government subsidised dairy, so we don't have huge price flux. I think this is the only time Canada is cheaper for dairy then the States.
I’ve got my “stash” of food for emergencies but, I’m actually going to try to follow this to see if I can save money & not hit that stored food when things are tight day to day. Thank you for this
Christine I got 32 pounds of chicken drumsticks for 20 bucks (about $0.63/pound) which in my area is a great deal since the drumsticks on sale in my area are $1/pound, regular price $1.98/pound. I divided them up into a bunch of freezer bags with different partially opened sauces and seasonings I was trying to use up. I thought to myself "Christine would be proud" 😂
Awesome ideas! Peanut butter is a great idea--it's a good (filling) snack on the homemade bread. I would add 2 ideas. Bananas are also pretty cheap--maybe 25 cents each. If they don't get eaten fresh, ripe ones are great for banana muffins or smoothies. Also, if you boil potatoes, save the water to use in your bread dough. It's awesome.
My kids demand chicken pot pie nearly weekly. One pie feeds my family two meals. We don't use potatoes in it we do mashed potatoes on the side. So yummy. 💖
Thank you so much for doing this, years on from the original video still so many helpful tips, good hearty meals, veg, fruit, protein, laughs and love along the way, perfect! And Dave's appreciation and adoration for your chicken pot pie and the lovely story that went with it was a standout to me, beautiful! Wonderful to see one of these again, perfect timing and will be a huge help to so many people, bless you! :) May I also add that I was very impressed with your resourcefulness to not waste things and use things like the chicken fat in the pie crust, making your own broth again, the apple sauce for the pancakes, wonderful zero waste options that honestly when you don't have much to work with make a huge difference! And I love also that you included in your purchase rather than getting these items from your pantry the cinnamon, cumin, Italian herbs, baking powder and vanilla too, great to see you purchase these items as well as that does add on extra cost if you don't have them already. Fantastic job!!
thanks so much for doing a meal plan without eggs. my daughter and I both hate eggs so much that we would actually have to be starving to eat them...I wish I liked them, but I just never have.
So many cheap, tummy filling meals. The chicken pot pie is genius! Biscuits on top would be fab too! You are such a help to people in need of budget meals that stretch. 😊
Time saving hint: crop all the onions at one time and place in plastic bag. Will last in fridge for a week or freeze them and they last even longer. Good vlog, I'm always looking for inexpensive meals.
I ABSOLUTELY love these videos! Not ONLY because of the "frugality" of it...but the pure simplicity. For all those looking at the thumbnail....consider this....THIS IS FOR A FAMILY OF 6!!. If you are a family of 4, 3....a SINGLE parent or EVEN a college student....guys...this is CHEAP. I am a divorcee with a son (whom I spend weekends with), I have to work through the week, as most do...This not only gives me ideas for meal prepping but ALSO gives me ideas on how to save a few bucks so that he and I can enjoy those days we do spend together....AND we are not eating the same thing OVER and OVER...... Please keep these videos coming.....they are not only a great inspiration but a great cultivator of ideas....GOD Bless!
We don’t put sugar in our oatmeal when cooking, but like to throw in any spare frozen fruit (blueberries, blackberries) if we have them. Either way, we top with just a bit of milk and a drizzle of honey.
I can’t even say how much Wic helped us. They cover much higher income level than food stamps. But only to age 5. Soooo wish it was longer. My youngest turns 5 next week and the vegetables and eggs alone have been a huge help.
You are such an inspiration and life-saver. My family and I are entering a difficult stage in our lives where we are going to have to be VERY tight with money. Thank you for these budget friendly recipes. I’ve been panicking about what we are going to do for meals. Your content gives me a ray of light that we can be very strict with our food money and still have yummy, healthy meals. Also, I very much enjoyed your “goose” reference. Really needed a laugh this morning, and you did that for me. Thank you. ❤
I ate the prepared chicken pot pie just like your husband in the 90’s and I hated it…but I make it homemade now and everyone loves it! One trick I have for saving money is that I buy the pie crust, take the two crusts out, and roll them all much thinner, then cut one in half and take a third of the others and in that way I get three or sometimes four pie crusts total. I do this with apple pie as well as people have complimented my pies - I think slightly less pie crust is better!
I love Christine’s videos. She seems like such a good soul, just trying to help people! I use steel cut oats (from the bulk section) and cook them in the crock pot overnight. You can put in a lot of water for them to absorb, 4:1. I mix in a little peanut butter and salt in the morning.
@@cathyb3790 yes! It snowed last night, I made it for this morning. Peanut butter, coconut oil, apples and salt. Yum! Raisins, molasses and honey are good too. So nice waking up to a hot breakfast. I put in 6:1 last night and it still absorbed and got nice and creamy. I’m amazed at how much it soaks up!
I keep the Krusteaz pie crust mix in my pantry for emergency chicken pot pie. It's great and also works well to make a ham and cheese hand pie situation when I'm trying to throw together something with minimal ingredients.
If you could afford some low-cost protein powder, you could make "proats" (protein oats). You don't have to use the whole serving size to kick up the protein. Plus, it can add flavor.
If you freeze chicken or turkey fat, it firms up and can be grated for crust and biscuits. I've been doing this lately because I don't feel like rendering lard.
I love making that bread! Have made it in a loaf pan and covered for first 30 mins with aluminium foil which also works well if people don't have a second loaf pan for a lid :) Thanks for a great and inspiring video!
I made your no knead bread a few weeks ago. My kids LOVED it. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. Mine sat on the counter for about 24 hours! I used the loaf pan trick because my Dutch oven is huge.
Just got the recipe from your page Christine. The bread is sitting the next 18 hours. Im so excited to see if its going to work for me. My first time making bread. Ty for giving an easy start to making bread
Loved the pot pie story. My husband had the same reaction the first time I made meatloaf. It's now his favorite thing. Funny when they have to literally eat their words!
Here is a tip I came across to save energy ,,I have tried it 3x times works great , Bring water to a boil for either rice or pasta Pour in rice ( white ) or pasta bring back to a full boil . Turn OFF heat put on lid and half way thru normal cooking time stir the pasta ,put lid back on let it finish it’s time ,,,may need to let it steam a few minutes longer then when you normally cook it ,,works great 😊
My biggest take away is 2 fold 1. You have to put in the time to cook (and hopefully you enjoy cooking enough to invest the time) 2. It is imperative that you think outside the box, use substitutes, don't let what you don't know stop you from trying, realize that boxed items are not true forms of cooking..and be ok with that. For another $10 you can have peanut butter & jelly & a salad or other greens. It can be done! Thank you Christine ( & Dave)
This is how I (60) cooked years ago when I left work to homeschool my kids back in the 90s. Now I am having to return to this way of cooking and share the secrets with others. Excellent video. Thanks!🙌
This is one of the best extreme budget videos I’ve ever seen Christine! Very nice. Also if you’re hungry don’t overlook asking your next-door neighbor to help you out. You’d have to be a schmuck to not help a neighbor who is hungry. Especially if it’s for your kids.
This idea is good in theory as long as you have nice neighbours. Unfortunately for me I live next to some of the most selfish arrogant people on the planet who wouldn't ever think of helping out someone in need, but thankfully I am quite self-sufficient and can fend for myself. :)
I like this kind of cooking for any week not just extreme budget. Homemade goodness is always yummy. You don’t have to be extreme budget to appreciate home cooking. Thx for a great video once again. You’re my favorite creator. Thx for putting positivity in the world. You’re special for what you share. Thank you for making this kind of video and putting out in the world simple ways of taking care of your family. ❤ Please keep being you and showing everyone how caring and watching your money in a living and healthy way is possible. We all need more positive people like you. Thank you.
Thank you, I am on medical leave and I have been 60% of my income since the middle of August thank goodness I stockpiled food so my money went toward bills. I have been able to give my daughter and her husband and three boys money and food every two weeks
Love your hubby's story about pot pies. My husband hated potatoes when we were going out, (except French fries. Until...hubby there is so many more ways to do potatoes than just boiled. Now he loves them. 😀 And I remember those crappie tv dinners and pot pies. 🤮
Amazing!! Also...just saw that Bosch Universal Plus Mixer is on a super sale! Lowest price in 10 years! I know you lobe yours, so I thought your views might like to know!
That potato soup looked so good I made some right away!! I used canned coconut milk cuz that's what I had on hand and threw in some pre-cooked cubed ham that I had frozen months ago. SO GOOD. Thank you for the inspiration 😍
I make a one pot cooking on a Sunday made up of mixed veggies and a choice of protein. Boil some rice (adding some lentils and barley in the mix) in my rice cooker. Eat it for Sunday dinner and have left overs for every dinner for the weekday
On a strict budget my Mom used to do oatmeal with brown sugar, drop biscuits and jelly and fried apples. You were full all day. Lunch was usually a sandwich with chips and pickles n then dinner. There weren't much snacks because we were full from breakfast and dinner was usually early and after was a desert, maybe jello or with movies or on Sundays popcorn. If we had a snack it was usually a veggie or fruit. Chips were for meals like hamburgers or hotdogs lol My one grandmother would make macaroni and tomatoes with a bit of celery seed n salt n pepper and was always good too. We always had potato soups and chili n spaghetti or meatloaf. Sundays we had family dinners with a roast n leftivers were veg soup. Weekends we had drop biscuits n sausage gravy n fried apples n potatoes or pancakes. I don't like eggs so just my Mom n Dad ate eggs for breakfast, and my brother n I liked cereal too. We also had the frozen chicken pot pies and creamed chipped beef over toast and I still like them both lolol Will try your chicken pot pie recipe though! lol Some nights we had grilled cheese sandwiches n tomato soup or lunch the soup and crackers with butter. We grew up just fine, trust me! lol
When I do have a little extra cash I'll buy heavy cream and freeze it in ice cube trays to use in later recipes. Would've been perfect to add a cube or two to that "cream of..." mix
You can make a veggie broth with vegetables scraps ;) peels of carrots, ends od onion, sellery etc. (I use practically everything except peels from potatoes and beets). Freeze what you have and when you will have a full bag just make your own veggie broth. It's easy, budget friendly and you can use it for soups or souses ;)
Threw together the no-knead bread last night just to see how it works. Discovered my oven is broken when it took an hour and still wouldn’t preheat to 450. Baked the loaf in my toaster/convection oven, and it was STILL really good. 😁
I have often just served chicken pot pie filling with crusty bread as some of my kids (now adults) had a sensory issue with pie crusts. Still their favourite thing to do when I come up with a chicken filling with crusty bread :)
That's brilliant! I hate chicken pot pie because I can handle wet bread/crust and my daughter is gluten free. This might be a good option for us. I can eat regular bread and she can have gluten free bread with it.
@@Whitney_Sews I feel you about the wet bread thing, yuk. That's why I always order my hot chicken with the sauce on the side, or when I make them at home, I use hamburger buns instead.
The potpies we make in Pennsylvania are so different. What you call a potpie, we would call a meat pie. Potpies here are PA Dutch style with thick, homemade noodles, meat of choice (chicken, beef, turkey or ham) & veggies (typically potatoes, carrots, celery & onions) in a thick, creamy broth. It's made in a large pot, hence "potpie".
I'm only feeding myself these days but your videos remind me of how challenging but also how much fun it could be to use what you have, follow the sales, and come up with delicious meals and snacks for the family. I also like to keep these kinds of meals in my arsenal for the possibilities of supply chain shortages or if SHTF. Great job, I always enjoy your videos.
Thank you for saying to reach out for help with food security if you need it. In Oregon you can dial 211 on your smart phone and be connected to a resource person. They can help you connect with services for foid, housing, mental health, etc. Your taxes pay for these services, so you have basically prepaid for them. Ask for what you need to thrive, and then pay it forward when you can.
Love the loaf pan trick!! I've always put off trying your crusty bread recipe because I don't have a dutch oven now no more excuses!! Can't wait to try it with the kiddos this weekend. Love your videos!!
Thank you for “teaching” how to eat frugally! So many these days do not have a clue. I was lucky to have “Home Economics” in school in the 70s that taught me how to sew and cook. We have taught our kids to be self sufficient too to survive in this crazy world
Really a great video. I love the breakdown of just how many substitutions and easy fixes there are for "missing' ingredients. I had stocked on on too many biscuit mixes at one point, chicken pot pit with biscuits on top. Everyone loved it. Certainly thinking outside of the box helps the budget. Thank you for all your hard work in making these kinds of budget stretch videos.
Great video! I did notice you used real cheese in the soup! 😃Kraft singles & velveeta is very processed & got a lot of crap in it! Even the shredded cheese has a anti-clumping thing in it named cellulose powder or tapioca powder, and it doesn’t want to melt very well
Christine I have seen so many of these videos,,,and never get tired of them 😊😊😊❤ I always learn something I can add to my arsenal,,😊 I am very frugal ,single so just me and cat ( son an adult now ) I love being frugal it is like a game ,,, I hate wasting food ,,,today I made a Spinach quiche ,along side my home made bread ,,yum yum ,,,Christine these food videos are so important in today’s world , you bring such humour and fun to them,, Thank You 🙏 🎉
For oatmeal i always boil a cinnamon stick, then add oatmeal, once ready i add a can of sweetened condensed milk and a dash of vanilla and powdered cinnamon
Put the stripped chicken bones from the chicken broth in a freezer bag stored in the freezer. Once you've collected enough bones, you can make bone broth
I made your bread recipe and it was perfect! Only had to let it rise one hour and then followed the rest of your directions exactly. It made two loaves. Baked perfectly in foil pans that I just covered with foil for first 30 minutes of baking.
I remember growing up and we would say our meals depended on what was on sale that week. My parents raised six children on a one family income. I think they did a great job ad my childhood holds some great memories! Love is free even if food prices are rising!
same my mom rasied 3 of us on her own those adds saved us
Love that last line!😌
Can't fill bellies on love
@@Legal_Sweetie333I disagree!! 💝
Can’t raise good humans without love.
I think what we have learned here is that frugal fit family would like chicken pot pie more than twice a year. :)
Christine and friends, a trick I learned years ago for making yummy oatmeal (rolled oats), is to add your water or milk (or combo water and milk), salt and oats into a pot and let sit for 5 minutes. After sitting, turn on your heat, and bring to a gentle boil. When it comes to a boil, put heat to a simmer and stir continually over the heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off and serve. This gives the oats a more creamy texture for those who may not like the more sturdy texture of rolled oats. It also cuts down on the cooking/stirring time as the oats absorb some of the liquid while doing that pre-soak. They reheat in the microwave beautifully (about 1 minute of heating), so yes, cook once, eat multiple times. It's a good Sunday morning thing to make so you have the rest of the week to eat it.
I do mine in the instant pot under porridge setting for creamy oatmeal and no stirring 😊
I do this too, I also add apples. The recipe I have calls for butter, but I started adding peanut butter and use brown sugar over white, so good!🧡
I start my water with the oatmeal in it. Takes just a few minutes to cook and is creamy.
This is what my mom used to do as well.
I do mine in microwave for 3 minutes stirring once half way thru. I use brown sugar, peanut butter, cranberries and cinnamon. So creamy!
Ive been binge watching these extreme budget video's and let me just say it has saved me. Im a single working mom of 4 and with the staggering costs of living these days, i desperately needed to cut down my grocery bills without cutting flavor and nutrients. Thank you so much. This is amazing!
I love how this video included so many basic cooking techniques - white sauce, pie crust, rehydrating beans, stewing chicken, making syrup. I know at our food pantry so many people have no idea what to do with the flour.
That’s crazy they don’t know what to do with flour. 😢
@@veganlunchmom Not so crazy. They know it makes bread but a lot of people don't know how to do it, or how to do it to properly. It's just not as common for people in many regions.
Same. I’ve had to learn. My mom made cookies but otherwise didn’t cook much from a scratch. There are many times in my life i wish I would’ve known Christine’s tips for budget cooking.
I didn’t know how to make bread, pie crust, biscuits, etc from scratch until I was in my twenties/thirties.
I think bread making isn’t that popular anymore so I’m not surprised people don’t know how to use it- pancakes are another great recipe! Thank God for RUclips!!
Hi, I'm from India, i don't cook nor eat any of your dishes BUT I love you watch you and your vlogs. I find them very entertaining and I find your energy very contagious and a good relief to boredom. Thank you and bless you and your family!
Thank you so much 😊
The baker in me says you can also caramelize the sugar with the apples and cinnamon and then add it to the oatmeal to mimic brown sugar. ❤
Oooooh good idea. Also, I just love the sound of anything that is caramelized.
You could but total diabetic alert lol
@@sarahmc8309 100%
@@sarahmc8309 You wouldnt be adding more sugar or calories, just caramelizing the sugar that you were already using.
The sausage some stores sell by the pound and make their own.
I buy iga brand in store ground breakfast sausage for 99cents a pound
to boost flavour to your soup, saute your carrots and onion to get some brown caramelisation on them. Thank you for a fab resource.
It makes a world of difference!
I find it so comforting whenever you say, "It's going to be fine!" Thanks for your videos, Christine!
What would be cool would be a week 2 where you took things left over from this week (seasonings, flour, etc) and incorporated them plus new things (more seasonings, chicken bouillon, etc) to teach the class how to build a pantry on a budget. Similar to what you've done in the past, but using what you have left over as a base for the next week. I know you've said in past videos that you'd get XX if you were shopping for yourself because even though it's an upfront cost, you can use it for weeks or months to come. I know you've talked about it with shortening.
Excellent idea!!👏👏
She did do this concept a few months ago for a month, where she shopped weekly but incorporated the last week’s oversupply into her plan. It was very well done.
@@Hannah_MK neat! I must have missed it.
"Mindful family"on RUclips did this about 9 months ago ( like a 4 week thing). She has 4 kids too.
Yes!
We live in what seems to be a fairly expensive area plus we have a medical need for gluten free foods. So I put all these items in my WalMart cart to see how it would compare and we were still only at $67.29! This is definitely doable, even for an expensive diet!
Dining on a Dime has gluten free cookbook. Very cheap recipes.
@@happycook6737 I just checked them out. The You Tube page and web page are actually under "Living on a Dime" but the cookbooks are on the webpage as Dining on a Dime. Thank you for the resource recommendation!💕
im gf as well due to sensitivity and an auto immune disorder! it can be tough sometimes
@@Budget_with_Karlee same here. Idk how I'd do it if I had a family to feed. My diet alone is expensive, and I try to be as frugal as possible... God bless everyone trying to get by these days
I'm celiac, have ibs and am trying to be low carb. It's very hard 😂
I don't mind upping carbs that don't set my stomach off.
I work for a local city municipal office. I love that you included information to reach out to places like the police departments or local city offices as well as school to find resources for food banks or other services! Thank you for this video.
Adding onto your comment that people can dial 211 for United Way and it will connect you to all the local resources available to you. They will even mail or email you a list for easy reference.
We also had a lot of resources at our public library.
local church's advertise when they have food banks and free items in our local free page on craigslist.
Thanks for this video Christine! My family is not yet to the point that we can only spend $1.25 per person per day but things are definitely getting worse and you have given us a lot of ideas on how to save. Would appreciate see more videos like these.
...and it's healthy!
Start practicing now and put the savings somewhere safe.
@@happycook6737 thats my plan too!
Yes. Using the chicken fat for the pot pie crust was genius. This series of recipes reminds me so much of the way my grandmother cooked, having lived through the depression. Nothing goes to waste. Frankly, I would be willing to bet that your crust was beyond delicious using the chicken fat. Nice job as always! God bless you guys.
My great grandma lived through the depression as well. Nothing was ever wasted. If she had just a few bites of something she made at lunch, she’d put it in a cup in the fridge and just eat it with dinner. The worst thing they had to eat one time was skunk. She said she burped it for a week after.
I went straight to my Walmart app to look for the 10 lb bag of leg quarters because I haven't purchased them in a while. They used to be around $6-7 but went up to $9.08. They're now $4.72 for quick sale. I got five bags for my family and two bags for my friend. I have a commercial size upright deep freezer that is almost fully stocked! I'm going to need a second freezer.
Get that freezer!
Eh don’t do, use what you have!!
Good deal
Consider learning to can meat to have it stored two ways and reduce loss in the event of a power outage.
I love that you didn’t count butter as a pantry staple. At $4.50 a pound you have to put it in your budget if you are going to use it. Great video. I cook, prep etc like you, but watching your videos keeps me motivated. Also, the gelatinous chicken broth is so good for you! Bone broth has protein and minerals.
Six dollars is a deal now where I live! I gave up. I don’t cook due to lack of facilities, but for the odd quick meal I keep a spray can of olive oil. It works for most purposes and I’ve been on the same can for months. An excellent way to conserve.
People don’t realize how much eggs revolve around cooking/baking, snacks etc. love your videos and never change!
Really easy to use egg substitutes for baking. Silken tofu works well.
substitude eggs for applesauce or chiaseeds/flexseeds swell in water works aswell
Just made vegan muffins yesterday with no egg substitute they are the best muffins I've ever eaten and so cheap
I cook mostly from scratch and often times don't use all my eggs before they're going bad. Depends what you make I guess.
As a vegan, I disagree. Flax egg and aquafaba works well.
I watched pretty much all of your challenges, this one is the best IMO. Very creative, different meals, and a step away from the traditional rice and beans that you see so often in these challenges.
Would you ever consider doing this challenge with different types of diets? We're celiacs in my household so we can't eat many of the cheaper products because they end up having flour and other types of gluten in them.
Added all to my cart and the total came to $56.78 here in Colorado. No bad at all! I’m gonna do a few swap outs and give this a try in a few weeks.
Thank you so much for videos like this! Normally I feed my family of 7 on $200 a week. But this week I only have $100 so THIS video came in so helpful when placing my walmart pick up order today. Think my total was $105. Can't wait to try these recipes they all looked delicious 😋
I used to buy banquet chicken pot pies 4 for a $1, ramen 10 for a $1 and Mac n cheese 4 for $1. That was literally our budget!
I am getting old. I remember when Albertsons mac and cheese was 10 for a dollar as was ramen.
@@kimbarbeaureads true store brand on sale was 10 for a $1
Me too and I still won't eat those foods to this day. Lol if these prices keep going up I might be back to ramen.
When we were kids…mom fed us rice, sugar and butter.All the time for breakfast. Four kids and times were tight. We loved it actually. Jody from Indiana..Richards my better half.
I made your no knead bread this weekend. I used the last of my bread flour, added some honey and milk powder, but generally speaking it is your recipe. It's always a hit and super easy! The loaf was gone in two days....there's only two of us eating it. LOL
I’m in MO. Eggs are everywhere now, and price is coming down. I just paid $4.22 for 18. I paid .99 lb for whole chicken breast and $3.98 lb for stew meat. It’s starting to look up here.
I am so thankful that you are doing videos like this one. I just bought eggs yesterday for $10.03! Crazy! I couldn't believe it. Also, today's news featured a story about food pantries that are struggling to keep up with demand because people can't afford to buy enough food. We've cut back on unnecessary purchases, but our weekly grocery bill is still too much. This will be a problem for a while, so please keep making videos like these!
I remember being so upset because in the states 5 dozen eggs were less than 5 dollars, in Canada they were 15. However, our eggs only went up a dollar because the government subsidised dairy, so we don't have huge price flux. I think this is the only time Canada is cheaper for dairy then the States.
@@shannonbrice8012 the US subsidizes dairy. That’s why we have caves full of cheese
Buy some chickens and water glass your eggs. 👍
@@shannonbrice8012 how does a dairy subsidy apply to eggs?
just a few days ago?? oh goodness, i'm glad that they're back down in my area. I got an 18pack of great value ones for 4.72 and i was ecstatic
I’ve got my “stash” of food for emergencies but, I’m actually going to try to follow this to see if I can save money & not hit that stored food when things are tight day to day. Thank you for this
Prep veggies on day one, then you can make a vegetable stock and combine with the chicken stock for better flavor.
Christine I got 32 pounds of chicken drumsticks for 20 bucks (about $0.63/pound) which in my area is a great deal since the drumsticks on sale in my area are $1/pound, regular price $1.98/pound. I divided them up into a bunch of freezer bags with different partially opened sauces and seasonings I was trying to use up. I thought to myself "Christine would be proud" 😂
You could puree those leftover beans to thicken the chicken pot pie orr add some spices and use it as a hummus with your bread as a lunch!
Oatmeal, toast & peanut butter or grits are our favorite cheap breakfasts at my house. They’re so filling and inexpensive!
An apple & bagel w/ peanut butter. Cheap and fills me up. Eggs are too expensive now!
@@jernigan007 eggs really are so expensive these days!
Grits!! :)
Awesome ideas! Peanut butter is a great idea--it's a good (filling) snack on the homemade bread.
I would add 2 ideas. Bananas are also pretty cheap--maybe 25 cents each. If they don't get eaten fresh, ripe ones are great for banana muffins or smoothies.
Also, if you boil potatoes, save the water to use in your bread dough. It's awesome.
My kids demand chicken pot pie nearly weekly. One pie feeds my family two meals. We don't use potatoes in it we do mashed potatoes on the side. So yummy. 💖
Thank you so much for doing this, years on from the original video still so many helpful tips, good hearty meals, veg, fruit, protein, laughs and love along the way, perfect!
And Dave's appreciation and adoration for your chicken pot pie and the lovely story that went with it was a standout to me, beautiful! Wonderful to see one of these again, perfect timing and will be a huge help to so many people, bless you! :)
May I also add that I was very impressed with your resourcefulness to not waste things and use things like the chicken fat in the pie crust, making your own broth again, the apple sauce for the pancakes, wonderful zero waste options that honestly when you don't have much to work with make a huge difference!
And I love also that you included in your purchase rather than getting these items from your pantry the cinnamon, cumin, Italian herbs, baking powder and vanilla too, great to see you purchase these items as well as that does add on extra cost if you don't have them already. Fantastic job!!
I just did a pickup order today at WalMart and a dozen large eggs were $2.86! I was shocked and excited! LOL!
thanks so much for doing a meal plan without eggs. my daughter and I both hate eggs so much that we would actually have to be starving to eat them...I wish I liked them, but I just never have.
So many cheap, tummy filling meals. The chicken pot pie is genius! Biscuits on top would be fab too! You are such a help to people in need of budget meals that stretch. 😊
Time saving hint: crop all the onions at one time and place in plastic bag. Will last in fridge for a week or freeze them and they last even longer. Good vlog, I'm always looking for inexpensive meals.
I freeze chopped onion, celery and carrot in a ziplock bag. It’s a time saver as well as reducing potential waste.
I also save the onion, celery, and carrot scraps and freeze for when I make bone broth.
My Granny used to make pie crust with saved bacon grease to use for quiche. It is amazingly good
I ABSOLUTELY love these videos! Not ONLY because of the "frugality" of it...but the pure simplicity. For all those looking at the thumbnail....consider this....THIS IS FOR A FAMILY OF 6!!. If you are a family of 4, 3....a SINGLE parent or EVEN a college student....guys...this is CHEAP. I am a divorcee with a son (whom I spend weekends with), I have to work through the week, as most do...This not only gives me ideas for meal prepping but ALSO gives me ideas on how to save a few bucks so that he and I can enjoy those days we do spend together....AND we are not eating the same thing OVER and OVER......
Please keep these videos coming.....they are not only a great inspiration but a great cultivator of ideas....GOD Bless!
We don’t put sugar in our oatmeal when cooking, but like to throw in any spare frozen fruit (blueberries, blackberries) if we have them. Either way, we top with just a bit of milk and a drizzle of honey.
I can’t even say how much Wic helped us. They cover much higher income level than food stamps. But only to age 5. Soooo wish it was longer. My youngest turns 5 next week and the vegetables and eggs alone have been a huge help.
You are such an inspiration and life-saver. My family and I are entering a difficult stage in our lives where we are going to have to be VERY tight with money. Thank you for these budget friendly recipes. I’ve been panicking about what we are going to do for meals. Your content gives me a ray of light that we can be very strict with our food money and still have yummy, healthy meals.
Also, I very much enjoyed your “goose” reference. Really needed a laugh this morning, and you did that for me. Thank you. ❤
Christine can you please make some videos for people with food intolerances....eg. Gluten free, lactose free, egg free. Thank you 💖
Very easy to adjustments yourself
If you truly had all of those "intolerances" how are you still alive?
@@willyjimmy8881shaming someone about this is not ok!
I ate the prepared chicken pot pie just like your husband in the 90’s and I hated it…but I make it homemade now and everyone loves it! One trick I have for saving money is that I buy the pie crust, take the two crusts out, and roll them all much thinner, then cut one in half and take a third of the others and in that way I get three or sometimes four pie crusts total. I do this with apple pie as well as people have complimented my pies - I think slightly less pie crust is better!
I love Christine’s videos. She seems like such a good soul, just trying to help people!
I use steel cut oats (from the bulk section) and cook them in the crock pot overnight. You can put in a lot of water for them to absorb, 4:1. I mix in a little peanut butter and salt in the morning.
Such a great idea ,,could add dried fruit too,,, awesome for winter mornings ❤
@@cathyb3790 yes! It snowed last night, I made it for this morning. Peanut butter, coconut oil, apples and salt. Yum! Raisins, molasses and honey are good too.
So nice waking up to a hot breakfast. I put in 6:1 last night and it still absorbed and got nice and creamy. I’m amazed at how much it soaks up!
I keep the Krusteaz pie crust mix in my pantry for emergency chicken pot pie. It's great and also works well to make a ham and cheese hand pie situation when I'm trying to throw together something with minimal ingredients.
If you could afford some low-cost protein powder, you could make "proats" (protein oats). You don't have to use the whole serving size to kick up the protein. Plus, it can add flavor.
Look for chick pea flour (besan or gram flour)
If you freeze chicken or turkey fat, it firms up and can be grated for crust and biscuits. I've been doing this lately because I don't feel like rendering lard.
Great idea
I love making that bread! Have made it in a loaf pan and covered for first 30 mins with aluminium foil which also works well if people don't have a second loaf pan for a lid :) Thanks for a great and inspiring video!
I made your no knead bread a few weeks ago. My kids LOVED it. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. Mine sat on the counter for about 24 hours! I used the loaf pan trick because my Dutch oven is huge.
What I love about your videos is that you purchase and make real food…..
Oatmeal is the preferred breakfast choice without eggs. Good call. The leg quarters go on sale for 50 cents per lb in my area. I buy it to smoke. Yum
Maybe could do an international breakfast series with eggless dishes. There are really yummy options.
That chicken stock is full of gelatin and collagen! So healthy! That's why it congeals.
YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO 500K🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Congratulations!!!!!
Just got the recipe from your page Christine. The bread is sitting the next 18 hours. Im so excited to see if its going to work for me. My first time making bread. Ty for giving an easy start to making bread
Loved the pot pie story. My husband had the same reaction the first time I made meatloaf. It's now his favorite thing. Funny when they have to literally eat their words!
Here is a tip I came across to save energy ,,I have tried it 3x times works great ,
Bring water to a boil for either rice or pasta
Pour in rice ( white ) or pasta bring back to a full boil .
Turn OFF heat put on lid and half way thru normal cooking time stir the pasta ,put lid back on let it finish it’s time ,,,may need to let it steam a few minutes longer then when you normally cook it ,,works great 😊
I've now got the urge to make chicken pot pie and crusty bread this week. Thank you! 😊
My biggest take away is 2 fold
1. You have to put in the time to cook (and hopefully you enjoy cooking enough to invest the time)
2. It is imperative that you think outside the box, use substitutes, don't let what you don't know stop you from trying, realize that boxed items are not true forms of cooking..and be ok with that. For another $10 you can have peanut butter & jelly & a salad or other greens.
It can be done!
Thank you Christine ( & Dave)
This is how I (60) cooked years ago when I left work to homeschool my kids back in the 90s. Now I am having to return to this way of cooking and share the secrets with others. Excellent video. Thanks!🙌
This is one of the best extreme budget videos I’ve ever seen Christine! Very nice. Also if you’re hungry don’t overlook asking your next-door neighbor to help you out. You’d have to be a schmuck to not help a neighbor who is hungry. Especially if it’s for your kids.
This idea is good in theory as long as you have nice neighbours. Unfortunately for me I live next to some of the most selfish arrogant people on the planet who wouldn't ever think of helping out someone in need, but thankfully I am quite self-sufficient and can fend for myself. :)
I like this kind of cooking for any week not just extreme budget. Homemade goodness is always yummy. You don’t have to be extreme budget to appreciate home cooking. Thx for a great video once again. You’re my favorite creator. Thx for putting positivity in the world. You’re special for what you share. Thank you for making this kind of video and putting out in the world simple ways of taking care of your family. ❤
Please keep being you and showing everyone how caring and watching your money in a living and healthy way is possible. We all need more positive people like you. Thank you.
Thank you, I am on medical leave and I have been 60% of my income since the middle of August thank goodness I stockpiled food so my money went toward bills. I have been able to give my daughter and her husband and three boys money and food every two weeks
One trick I learned,,,add a pinch of turmeric to chicken when boiling for broth,,and onion skins,and it makes a nice color
Loved the family commentary at the end!
Love your hubby's story about pot pies. My husband hated potatoes when we were going out, (except French fries. Until...hubby there is so many more ways to do potatoes than just boiled. Now he loves them. 😀 And I remember those crappie tv dinners and pot pies. 🤮
SO close to 500K!!! When I first started watching your channel was just a wittle baby and now it's so big!!! Congrats!
Thank you so much!!
Loved the chicken pot pie discussion! And it was brilliant/resourceful to make the crust with the chicken fat. Great ideas for budget family cooking.
Amazing!! Also...just saw that Bosch Universal Plus Mixer is on a super sale! Lowest price in 10 years! I know you lobe yours, so I thought your views might like to know!
That is awesome!
That potato soup looked so good I made some right away!! I used canned coconut milk cuz that's what I had on hand and threw in some pre-cooked cubed ham that I had frozen months ago. SO GOOD. Thank you for the inspiration 😍
I make a one pot cooking on a Sunday made up of mixed veggies and a choice of protein. Boil some rice (adding some lentils and barley in the mix) in my rice cooker. Eat it for Sunday dinner and have left overs for every dinner for the weekday
On a strict budget my Mom used to do oatmeal with brown sugar, drop biscuits and jelly and fried apples. You were full all day. Lunch was usually a sandwich with chips and pickles n then dinner. There weren't much snacks because we were full from breakfast and dinner was usually early and after was a desert, maybe jello or with movies or on Sundays popcorn. If we had a snack it was usually a veggie or fruit. Chips were for meals like hamburgers or hotdogs lol My one grandmother would make macaroni and tomatoes with a bit of celery seed n salt n pepper and was always good too. We always had potato soups and chili n spaghetti or meatloaf. Sundays we had family dinners with a roast n leftivers were veg soup. Weekends we had drop biscuits n sausage gravy n fried apples n potatoes or pancakes. I don't like eggs so just my Mom n Dad ate eggs for breakfast, and my brother n I liked cereal too. We also had the frozen chicken pot pies and creamed chipped beef over toast and I still like them both lolol Will try your chicken pot pie recipe though! lol Some nights we had grilled cheese sandwiches n tomato soup or lunch the soup and crackers with butter. We grew up just fine, trust me! lol
When I do have a little extra cash I'll buy heavy cream and freeze it in ice cube trays to use in later recipes. Would've been perfect to add a cube or two to that "cream of..." mix
The no-knead bread has been a winner with me for a few years. It's excellent! Thank you!
You can make a veggie broth with vegetables scraps ;) peels of carrots, ends od onion, sellery etc. (I use practically everything except peels from potatoes and beets). Freeze what you have and when you will have a full bag just make your own veggie broth. It's easy, budget friendly and you can use it for soups or souses ;)
Threw together the no-knead bread last night just to see how it works. Discovered my oven is broken when it took an hour and still wouldn’t preheat to 450. Baked the loaf in my toaster/convection oven, and it was STILL really good. 😁
Well done n thanks. Lots of good insight n inspiration. No shame in hunger, or needing food assistance.
Yes. I remember those 25 cent pot pies. Now they are like 1.50. I got a Marie Callender one a couple weeks ago. Not bad, but my homemade is better.
I have often just served chicken pot pie filling with crusty bread as some of my kids (now adults) had a sensory issue with pie crusts. Still their favourite thing to do when I come up with a chicken filling with crusty bread :)
That's brilliant! I hate chicken pot pie because I can handle wet bread/crust and my daughter is gluten free. This might be a good option for us. I can eat regular bread and she can have gluten free bread with it.
@@Whitney_Sews I feel you about the wet bread thing, yuk. That's why I always order my hot chicken with the sauce on the side, or when I make them at home, I use hamburger buns instead.
This is what you call making it work with what you got and nobody is starving. Love your creativity. Thanks for sharing.🥰😍🤩
Homemade broth is so much yummier and healthier and basically free! I am amazed at how seldom people use it in extreme budget cooking.
The potpies we make in Pennsylvania are so different. What you call a potpie, we would call a meat pie. Potpies here are PA Dutch style with thick, homemade noodles, meat of choice (chicken, beef, turkey or ham) & veggies (typically potatoes, carrots, celery & onions) in a thick, creamy broth. It's made in a large pot, hence "potpie".
That’s just chicken and noodles,….meat pie is a cottage pie or shepherds pie
I'm only feeding myself these days but your videos remind me of how challenging but also how much fun it could be to use what you have, follow the sales, and come up with delicious meals and snacks for the family. I also like to keep these kinds of meals in my arsenal for the possibilities of supply chain shortages or if SHTF. Great job, I always enjoy your videos.
Thank you for saying to reach out for help with food security if you need it. In Oregon you can dial 211 on your smart phone and be connected to a resource person. They can help you connect with services for foid, housing, mental health, etc. Your taxes pay for these services, so you have basically prepaid for them. Ask for what you need to thrive, and then pay it forward when you can.
If you add a touch of vanilla and a pinch of salt to the oats it goes a long way! And I know how much you love vanilla!
Love the loaf pan trick!! I've always put off trying your crusty bread recipe because I don't have a dutch oven now no more excuses!! Can't wait to try it with the kiddos this weekend.
Love your videos!!
I love these extreme budget meal challenges you do. One of the things that drew me to your channel. ❤️
Thank you for “teaching” how to eat frugally! So many these days do not have a clue. I was lucky to have “Home Economics” in school in the 70s that taught me how to sew and cook. We have taught our kids to be self sufficient too to survive in this crazy world
I am soo grateful for have food for my kids and work !! I love God and power of mind !!!
If you pan fry those veggies for a few and then add your seasonings till aromatic, THEN add your stock you’ll get a much better flavor in the end.
Really a great video. I love the breakdown of just how many substitutions and easy fixes there are for "missing' ingredients. I had stocked on on too many biscuit mixes at one point, chicken pot pit with biscuits on top. Everyone loved it. Certainly thinking outside of the box helps the budget. Thank you for all your hard work in making these kinds of budget stretch videos.
Great video! I did notice you used real cheese in the soup! 😃Kraft singles & velveeta is very processed & got a lot of crap in it! Even the shredded cheese has a anti-clumping thing in it named cellulose powder or tapioca powder, and it doesn’t want to melt very well
Wally World, so glad someone else calls it that! 🙌🏻
Christine I have seen so many of these videos,,,and never get tired of them 😊😊😊❤ I always learn something I can add to my arsenal,,😊 I am very frugal ,single so just me and cat ( son an adult now ) I love being frugal it is like a game ,,, I hate wasting food ,,,today I made a Spinach quiche ,along side my home made bread ,,yum yum ,,,Christine these food videos are so important in today’s world , you bring such humour and fun to them,, Thank You 🙏 🎉
For oatmeal i always boil a cinnamon stick, then add oatmeal, once ready i add a can of sweetened condensed milk and a dash of vanilla and powdered cinnamon
Put the stripped chicken bones from the chicken broth in a freezer bag stored in the freezer. Once you've collected enough bones, you can make bone broth
I made your bread recipe and it was perfect! Only had to let it rise one hour and then followed the rest of your directions exactly. It made two loaves. Baked perfectly in foil pans that I just covered with foil for first 30 minutes of baking.
I always love the hubby's food reviews, he's adorbs! Scrumpling the parchment paper - brilliant!