40+ years ago, before every kitchen had a microwave, a friends 15 y/o son would cook a batch of pancakes on weekends, freeze them & then warm them in the toaster for breakfast before school. I was impressed with his initiative at his age. Cheaper than frozen waffles.
If you do it, I would love to see your results. I'm from America but I was watching another budget cooking TilToker from Australia and things under 10 bucks( what do you call Australian money?😢😬) would be about 5-7 dollars for us.
I have a tough time keeping to $400 for myself for a month. The fact it can be done for a family is really shocking and you’ve helped me with ideas to reign in my grocery budget since it is just me.
Sometimes it's harder to feed yourself cheaply than it is several people. It can feel so pointless to make things from scratch when it's just you. Convenience foods are much easier to justify when it's just you, but they're so much more expensive. I had trouble when I was single, too.
Same here. I don't have a big choice of stores (1) and they don't sell 1 person amounts or bulk. I don't like repeating the same foods. I'm learning how to preserve excess amounts, even garlic and ginger, coconut milk, quick refrigerator onions and cucumber in vinegar, regrowing green onion stalks. I don't have flour or milk just because I can't get small amounts (coffee creamer is a substitute). It's a pita for a person used to being a lazy cook. Idk what I'll do during summer when it's too hot to cook. I still don't own a fry pan or slow cooker. I also avoid daily simple carbs (sugar) like white rice, bread, pasta.
These videos have helped me feed my family while we've been in a tight spot. Watching them has helped me feel so much less stressed. Thank you so much Mindy!
This is a great video Mindy! Thank you. I just made 4 meals out of one Costco rotisserie chicken. Chicken noodle soup, white chicken enchilada casserole, chicken pot pie and a chicken salad. Each meal serves 6. I was shocked how affordable it was. Thanks again for the inspiration.
Mindy, I made your “Not your ordinary casserole” tonight and my kids said it was the bomb. Even my one child who hardly ever says the dinner that I made was good said it was GOOD. It wasn’t just good, it was GOOD. 😊 Thank you for sharing at least that recipe. I can’t wait to make the other ones in this video.
Currently binging your videos as a single person in a new apartment.. not used to cooking for myself at all, I’ve always just ordered food or I buy frozen expensive meals and it’s really hurt my wallet! Just wanted to thank you for the time you take to make these :-)
You're just amazing, I enjoy watching your creativity in meal planning. We're a family of 3 adults, 2 retired one disabled child. I make loads of pizzas, noodles, pot pies, biscuits, pancakes/waffles, pies, cakes etc. I buy flour in 50 pound bags which I can't find at the grocery stores anymore but shop at restaurant supply stores also. I do make waffles for a few hours and freeze them, they still fit in a toaster or toaster oven, home made noodles are a meal in themselves but covered in chicken stock gravy with a salad is very filling. Whatever fruit is on sale that week is made into 2 pies so dessert is completed for 7 days. I need to date the 50 pounds of flour and see how long it lasts, I'm baking or cooking with flour every day.
I can not thank you enough. I just started watching you 3 weeks ago, and I have been able to decrease the grocery bill for our family of 6 I to half. Thank you
I buy a bag of cauliflower maybe 12 Oz from Walmart. I let it thaw and dice it up. I add it to my pan with the meat I am cooking. Extra vegetable in the meal and makes it seem like more meat. I also add corn and beans to my taco meat to stretch the meat mixture.
I find videos like these budget ones so reassuring, not only because they give great and inexpensive recipes, but because there are so many ways to follow along and cut the budget further if needed for even smaller budgets.
$100.00 is a great grocery budget. My husband and I spend $100.00 for us but it covers household and pet food. I made up Taco Soup one day just to freeze into containers for a meal on a night when we have a late appointment or are in the mood for Taco Soup. I love pulling things like that for dinner.
At Stop & Shop, you can go back to the grocery store and at customer service desk tell them you accidentally left something there. They have a ledger where they note left items, so they verify and then you can get the item without double paying. I bet other grocery stores do this too.
I love all your great ideas, tips and tricks!! I’m disabled and on a tight fixed income… I have my 2 children and a grandchild I support and it’s hard at times. Any way I can have some money off my grocery bill always helps and makes me happy!!
When our kids were growing up we'd make waffles most weekends. The leftovers were frozen and they disappeared during the week. If you have a waffle iron and time (my husband usually did this) it's a small way to save a little so you can spend it on some other food.
I just want to pop on here and say I am blown away with how well this video is put together! I love the flow and the speed. Good job and the content is A+! Thank you!
I love this video. The one thing that just made me hold my breath was when you said ''3$ per person per day'' and somehow that sounded almost too cheap to be true for me. And then I looked at my grocery spend and did some calculation and it turns out that this is also how much I spend (living in UK so let's make it 3GBP not USD but they are still approximately the same) and I just felt mindblown. I never did this calculation before and I am shocked. :D
I love being able to save money but, there is way too much processed food. I realize your family is busy but could you come up with some recipes that don't require so much prepackaged, processed food?
You are amazing. All the frugal mentors I listen to say cook from scratch, make your own mixes. You Ace it! Of course we all need some easy cheap meals j treats at times. Thanks Mindy.
Love this video! We have been making a conscious effort to "clear the frig" each week and it makes such a difference in the fiscal budget and the TIME budget! Because TIME IS MONEY!!!
Thank you so much!! I appreciate that. I try to have a mix of homemade and convenience in these because honestly, that's what my family needs. We can't be alone. :)
I LOVE these videos! My freezer is PACKED with proteins from all the sales I shopped throughout January. The biggest score being 93% lean ground beef for $2.77 a pound. My pocketbook thanks you for all your wonderful grocery budget advice and meal ideas. 🙂
I appreciate you so much Mindy! My husband and I (from BA, OK.. howdy neighbor!) are on a debt free journey right now and your videos are helping us SO much with keeping our food budget lower than ever and still having yummy, healthy meals all month. Thank you!!! Bless you sis!! Fun share: Plain Greek Yogurt-it tastes almost exactly like sour cream and you can use it in place of it, every time. Anything you need sour cream for, in the ingredients or a dollop on top of something.. it works perfect! It’s a wee bit cheaper (GV brand) and healthier.. you can sweeten it up with maple syrup or honey.. adding some granola and/or fruit makes it an amazing bfast, lunch or snack option. It’s just sooo versatile and I started getting it instead of sour cream about a year ago and haven’t gone back. My husband can be picky and says he doesn’t notice a difference! PTL 😂🫶🏼
Same here! My sour cream kept going bad and I would end up wasting it! I don’t find that happening with the Greek yogurt and I can’t tell the difference when I need to add it to recipes!
Mindy does on occasion make that swap, especially when doing an extreme budget and can purchase a single yogurt cup for a recipe instead of a more expensive tub of sour cream.
Saturday night at our house is "fend for yourself." We have 8 people in the house--my husband and I, plus 6 young people between 16 and 23. Saturday always seems to be the day almost everyone is doing their own things, and the rest of us have Ramen, sandwiches, leftovers, etc.
I save all my scraps from onions, carrots, celery etc in a large baggie in my freezer. Once it is full I will put it in my soup pot with water, peppercorns and make my own veggie broth. If I want chicken broth or beef broth I'll add bones accordingly. I then freeze this in baggies to use all time whenever I need a particular flavor of broth. I started doing my whole chickens like you do and yes indeed it is an game changer!!!
You forgot your chicken at the store & then you almost forgot to put the chicken in the recipe. What did that chicken do to you? 😅 These are things you did not have to say in your video and we never would have known, yet you told us anyway and I thank you for that because it makes your videos so much more relatable!! 😃
Absolutely positively exactly what I need. Love your vlogs. I'm also very mindful of our budget. I keep a vegetable bag and scrap meat bag in the freezer. I will make broth with it when my bag gets full hopefully just before garbage day. I don't throw away any of my veggie scraps even the outside of the onion goes in. I just make sure it's scrubed clean before piling them. I have made wonderful meals with that broth way betterthe bought broth.
This Mindy Mom loves your channel! This video is by far my favorite. I too have three kids and everything in this video is perfect for my fam! We watch your videos together for their "kid foodie" approval and you got a 👍👍!! Thanks from Texas!
Never cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker but I will now. Great meal ideas and I love the idea of making your own cream of chicken. Thanks for another great video.
Just 2 of us and I often cook one or 2 items and then use the leftovers in various ways during the week. Pot roast on Sunday? On the menu would be roast beef hash, vegetable beef soup and maybe hot roast beef sandwiches. Any leftovers that don't get used, get sealed in my food sealer and put in the freezer to be used later. I spend about $80 a week and usually have money leftover which goes in the "stock up" envelope for when I go to Costco or restocking basic kitchen items or see a great sale for meat.
I really appreciate your pizza video. I am always stressing when making the dough. You put it in lamen terms and kept your video down to earth for real people.
LOVE this type if mix and match, versatile. Can we please have more? Could you also look at canned tuna and salmon for a change, hubby and I have been told to eat more omega foods and getting tired a fish cakes or fish patties. Thank you ☺👍
We're a family of eight! I often find myself having to buy double of everything lol. Love these budget videos I really try to implicate these ideas into my meal planning!! Thank you 🥰
For us Friday is YOYO Night - your on your own and it is when we eat left overs or try to get through produce and other items I would like gone before I go grocery shopping Sunday. So then I only have to cook 6 times a week. I make GF waffles and pancakes and freeze. We like to warm them up in the oven at 350 for 10 min. Lunch for myself and oldest is left overs from dinner or produce I prepped and fruit.
I love that you made real meals. So many people make a variation of stroganoff and rely on cream of something soup and so much salt you really made these so easy
I made groceries casserole for dinner 😂 what's in the fridge and how can we throw it all together for a meal? Tonight was a smothered burrito/enchilada style thing similar to what you made. We're short on cheese at the moment but we had a half a jar of Alfredo, about a 1/2 cup or so shredded cheese, and a small can of green enchilada sauce. So I made taco meat and rice and beans. Mixed the meat, rice and beans together for a filling, rolled the burritos and topped them with the Alfredo sauce mixed with enchilada sauce and topped it with the cheese. Baked at 350°F for 20 minutes. Came out delicious 😋
There's only two of us in our apartment, but our grocery bills still run high because we aren't great at meal planning and budgeting. But with watching your videos, we've been doing really well at keeping costs down and still being able to make five meals a week (we fend for ourselves on Saturday and have family dinners on Sunday) Thank you so much!
That cereal you love. Use some applesauce and top it with that cereal. Or use some fresh apples bake them add the cereal at the end. Vanilla ice cream topper with caramel...
I love this - five in our family as well, and yes, sometimes you need a convenient option! I also love doing a whole chicken in the crock pot, and then using the broth in other recipes. 💜
It’s interesting to see people’s different standards for what is refrigerated…you mentioned keeping the onions in the fridge, something i would not do (though if I cut one and don’t use it all, then fridge) because they are stored not refrigerated at the store (and people who grow their own also do not refrigerate to store). But we keep butter and all condiments in the fridge (ketchup, soy sauce, etc) whereas many of our friends and extended family keep them in a cabinet (butter being more easily spread at room temp and used at at a rate that prevents spoilage I guess).
Always get stoked when I see a new video of yours Mindy! Been watching your videos since 2019 when I was pregnant with my first baby :) I have especially been grateful for your videos after rising grocery prices and some debt we've accrued. Thank you for such quality content!!
My biggest struggle has always been lunch! I learned pantry cooking from you, need to revisit some videos. Cooking for myself can get tiresome and I get into a rut. Thanks for the inspiration Mindy. 💕✨😊
I picked up a tip years ago for chicken or turkey. Put your cut up onion, celery, carrots in the microwave for a few mins. This starts the cooking process that will flavor your bird better. The inside is the last to cook. Give it a little head start.
This is my first time watching this, I do like how creative you are planning your meals but I wish they weren't 90% processed foods :( I am getting ideas that will work for my family, with some tweaks. Thanks :)
This is great, Mindy! So useful to many families trying to feed their families tasty meals on a realistic budget. And although there may be times when circumstances necessitate following an extreme budget, I hope families are more likely following the budget you have used in this video. Sad to see there weren't any 🥚🥚in your haul but I understand! I think you did an outstanding job of getting so much produce in your haul and your protein choices were so smart. You can stretch that whole chicken over so many meals and have endless options; same with the beef. Endless options from spaghetti to tacos to ....... I would love to see a video showing easy ways to make homemade items like the cream of soup you made in this video. Making some of these items from scratch is not only a budget saver but also healthier since there are no preservatives and much less salt. It doesn't seem that hard! Thanks so much for one of my favorite and one of your best videos!!!!
There are times that I have to buy an item of convenience if I have a coupon. We all do it when we have a super busy schedule. This is one of those weeks at church, with grandkids and helping my hubby at work. Yep. I get it.
I admire your effort considering how expensive food is these days. However, may I suggest replacing the sugar laden cereal and waffles with something healthier? I make a nice soup using the beyond bouillon beef base I got from Costco with some veggies and rice. Potatoes are relatively cheap and combined with some mayo and egg you got a nice filling breakfast for the kids. You can also make rice porridge with ground pork or canned fish like mackerel and veggies. All these can be made the night before for convenience.
I make this copy cat Panera broccoli and cheese soup and when I have the energy make Frugal Fit Mom’s rustic artisan bread recipe to serve on the side. Tastes just like Panera’s broccoli cheese soup in the bread bowl.
a lot of my veggie produce i buy frozen because i like to buy in bulk. it’s just me myself and i so the big bag of broccoli from walmart would last me about two weeks if i ate broccoli every single day. which doesn’t sound like a bad idea because i love it and it’s good for you. but i just gutted all of my food because i haven’t been home much recently and none of it was good. these videos are so helpful especially when you’re starting from pretty much nothing
I loveeeee these budget meal ideas! I do so much pantry cooking that I rarely go to the store and shop like this, but I love seeing what you made with these ingredients.😊
40+ years ago, before every kitchen had a microwave, a friends 15 y/o son would cook a batch of pancakes on weekends, freeze them & then warm them in the toaster for breakfast before school.
I was impressed with his initiative at his age.
Cheaper than frozen waffles.
I've done this since my teens, especially when I first moved out of home, cheap, easy and tasty.
I do this for my kids! It’s great and not as labor intensive as waffles.
As a Canadian, it's wacky how inexpensive food is down there.
I love how you care about the food you feed your loved ones.
I agree. It would be interesting to go price everything out here that was in her purchase just to see the difference.
If you do it, I would love to see your results.
I'm from America but I was watching another budget cooking TilToker from Australia and things under 10 bucks( what do you call Australian money?😢😬) would be about 5-7 dollars for us.
I have a tough time keeping to $400 for myself for a month. The fact it can be done for a family is really shocking and you’ve helped me with ideas to reign in my grocery budget since it is just me.
Sometimes it's harder to feed yourself cheaply than it is several people. It can feel so pointless to make things from scratch when it's just you. Convenience foods are much easier to justify when it's just you, but they're so much more expensive. I had trouble when I was single, too.
The envelope system had worked great for me and my family
Same here. I don't have a big choice of stores (1) and they don't sell 1 person amounts or bulk. I don't like repeating the same foods. I'm learning how to preserve excess amounts, even garlic and ginger, coconut milk, quick refrigerator onions and cucumber in vinegar, regrowing green onion stalks. I don't have flour or milk just because I can't get small amounts (coffee creamer is a substitute). It's a pita for a person used to being a lazy cook. Idk what I'll do during summer when it's too hot to cook. I still don't own a fry pan or slow cooker. I also avoid daily simple carbs (sugar) like white rice, bread, pasta.
I have no concept of this $400. It was $1000 a month here before the inflation. Now weare at a minimum of $1300 for 2 adults and 5 kids.
And we are.fugal! discount meats, vegetarian meals, making your own broth etc.
Here's a tip...once you have cleaned your celery or carrots keep them in a container of water in the fridge, they'll last at least 3 weeks...
These videos have helped me feed my family while we've been in a tight spot. Watching them has helped me feel so much less stressed. Thank you so much Mindy!
A really easy peanut butter cookie recipe just uses three ingredients: one cup peanut butter, one cup sugar, and one egg.
This is a great video Mindy! Thank you. I just made 4 meals out of one Costco rotisserie chicken. Chicken noodle soup, white chicken enchilada casserole, chicken pot pie and a chicken salad. Each meal serves 6. I was shocked how affordable it was. Thanks again for the inspiration.
Costco purposely keeps the rotisserie chicken price low. For those that have opportunity to get it, it is a great value.
Are you serious 1 chicken i live with 2 men 6 feet 4 iam im the wrong place lol🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mindy, I made your “Not your ordinary casserole” tonight and my kids said it was the bomb. Even my one child who hardly ever says the dinner that I made was good said it was GOOD. It wasn’t just good, it was GOOD. 😊 Thank you for sharing at least that recipe. I can’t wait to make the other ones in this video.
Currently binging your videos as a single person in a new apartment.. not used to cooking for myself at all, I’ve always just ordered food or I buy frozen expensive meals and it’s really hurt my wallet! Just wanted to thank you for the time you take to make these :-)
Thanks so much! Glad I can offer some ideas. :) I remember those days, and the days of cooking for just myself and my husband. You can do it!
Go for recipes you can portion and freeze.
Thank you for saying, "my husband and me." I immediately bristled at "I." It made my heart happy when you corrected it🤣
You're just amazing, I enjoy watching your creativity in meal planning.
We're a family of 3 adults, 2 retired one disabled child. I make loads of pizzas, noodles, pot pies, biscuits, pancakes/waffles, pies, cakes etc. I buy flour in 50 pound bags which I can't find at the grocery stores anymore but shop at restaurant supply stores also. I do make waffles for a few hours and freeze them, they still fit in a toaster or toaster oven, home made noodles are a meal in themselves but covered in chicken stock gravy with a salad is very filling. Whatever fruit is on sale that week is made into 2 pies so dessert is completed for 7 days. I need to date the 50 pounds of flour and see how long it lasts, I'm baking or cooking with flour every day.
I can not thank you enough. I just started watching you 3 weeks ago, and I have been able to decrease the grocery bill for our family of 6 I to half. Thank you
I buy a bag of cauliflower maybe 12 Oz from Walmart. I let it thaw and dice it up. I add it to my pan with the meat I am cooking. Extra vegetable in the meal and makes it seem like more meat. I also add corn and beans to my taco meat to stretch the meat mixture.
I find videos like these budget ones so reassuring, not only because they give great and inexpensive recipes, but because there are so many ways to follow along and cut the budget further if needed for even smaller budgets.
Glad you like them!
this seems like one of the most realistic plans out there, thank you
$100.00 is a great grocery budget. My husband and I spend $100.00 for us but it covers household and pet food. I made up Taco Soup one day just to freeze into containers for a meal on a night when we have a late appointment or are in the mood for Taco Soup. I love pulling things like that for dinner.
At Stop & Shop, you can go back to the grocery store and at customer service desk tell them you accidentally left something there. They have a ledger where they note left items, so they verify and then you can get the item without double paying. I bet other grocery stores do this too.
I love all your great ideas, tips and tricks!! I’m disabled and on a tight fixed income… I have my 2 children and a grandchild I support and it’s hard at times. Any way I can have some money off my grocery bill always helps and makes me happy!!
When our kids were growing up we'd make waffles most weekends. The leftovers were frozen and they disappeared during the week. If you have a waffle iron and time (my husband usually did this) it's a small way to save a little so you can spend it on some other food.
I just want to pop on here and say I am blown away with how well this video is put together! I love the flow and the speed. Good job and the content is A+! Thank you!
Thank you! I have a very talented video editor who helps me a lot. :)
I’m happy to see a budget plan using fresh produce! Thank you for sharing!
I love this video. The one thing that just made me hold my breath was when you said ''3$ per person per day'' and somehow that sounded almost too cheap to be true for me. And then I looked at my grocery spend and did some calculation and it turns out that this is also how much I spend (living in UK so let's make it 3GBP not USD but they are still approximately the same) and I just felt mindblown. I never did this calculation before and I am shocked. :D
I love being able to save money but, there is way too much processed food. I realize your family is busy but could you come up with some recipes that don't require so much prepackaged, processed food?
You are amazing. All the frugal mentors I listen to say cook from scratch, make your own mixes. You Ace it! Of course we all need some easy cheap meals j treats at times. Thanks Mindy.
You seem like such a sweet and down to earth person! Thank you for making these videos.
Mindy-thanks from an English teacher for the shout out to get your grammar right!!!! Love watching your videos.
Love this video! We have been making a conscious effort to "clear the frig" each week and it makes such a difference in the fiscal budget and the TIME budget! Because TIME IS MONEY!!!
This was a super relatable budget meal plan! I really appreciate the effort and work you put in to this! I am excited for more like this!
Thank you so much!! I appreciate that. I try to have a mix of homemade and convenience in these because honestly, that's what my family needs. We can't be alone. :)
Ditto!
I LOVE these videos! My freezer is PACKED with proteins from all the sales I shopped throughout January. The biggest score being 93% lean ground beef for $2.77 a pound. My pocketbook thanks you for all your wonderful grocery budget advice and meal ideas. 🙂
Fantastic score on the ground beef.
Wow! Your Walmart bread sales are way better than ours. Same with produce prices. I'm envious.
I appreciate you so much Mindy! My husband and I (from BA, OK.. howdy neighbor!) are on a debt free journey right now and your videos are helping us SO much with keeping our food budget lower than ever and still having yummy, healthy meals all month. Thank you!!! Bless you sis!!
Fun share: Plain Greek Yogurt-it tastes almost exactly like sour cream and you can use it in place of it, every time. Anything you need sour cream for, in the ingredients or a dollop on top of something.. it works perfect! It’s a wee bit cheaper (GV brand) and healthier.. you can sweeten it up with maple syrup or honey.. adding some granola and/or fruit makes it an amazing bfast, lunch or snack option. It’s just sooo versatile and I started getting it instead of sour cream about a year ago and haven’t gone back. My husband can be picky and says he doesn’t notice a difference! PTL 😂🫶🏼
Same here! My sour cream kept going bad and I would end up wasting it! I don’t find that happening with the Greek yogurt and I can’t tell the difference when I need to add it to recipes!
Mindy does on occasion make that swap, especially when doing an extreme budget and can purchase a single yogurt cup for a recipe instead of a more expensive tub of sour cream.
With Greek yogurt, you also get the added benefit of more protein.
Saturday night at our house is "fend for yourself." We have 8 people in the house--my husband and I, plus 6 young people between 16 and 23. Saturday always seems to be the day almost everyone is doing their own things, and the rest of us have Ramen, sandwiches, leftovers, etc.
You make great videos for the average moms. Frugal and realistic! Good job 👏
I save all my scraps from onions, carrots, celery etc in a large baggie in my freezer. Once it is full I will put it in my soup pot with water, peppercorns and make my own veggie broth. If I want chicken broth or beef broth I'll add bones accordingly. I then freeze this in baggies to use all time whenever I need a particular flavor of broth. I started doing my whole chickens like you do and yes indeed it is an game changer!!!
I'm absolutely loving these budget meal videos. I've been sharing them with friends and family. They have loved them, too.
Thank you, Alma! That's a huge goal for me with my content: to be helpful in a realistic way. :)
@@SeeMindyMom you're welcome, friend. They are so helpful.
Mindy, you are amazing and so thoughtful in your videos! Thank you for being here and sharing with us all!
You forgot your chicken at the store & then you almost forgot to put the chicken in the recipe. What did that chicken do to you? 😅
These are things you did not have to say in your video and we never would have known, yet you told us anyway and I thank you for that because it makes your videos so much more relatable!! 😃
haha! Thanks! I'm just a regular person. These things happen to me, too!
Absolutely positively exactly what I need. Love your vlogs. I'm also very mindful of our budget. I keep a vegetable bag and scrap meat bag in the freezer. I will make broth with it when my bag gets full hopefully just before garbage day. I don't throw away any of my veggie scraps even the outside of the onion goes in. I just make sure it's scrubed clean before piling them. I have made wonderful meals with that broth way betterthe bought broth.
Me too!
Great ideas. We find cooking from scratch a lot helps keep cost down. We feed 6 on $500 a month. New sub here
This Mindy Mom loves your channel! This video is by far my favorite. I too have three kids and everything in this video is perfect for my fam! We watch your videos together for their "kid foodie" approval and you got a 👍👍!! Thanks from Texas!
Thank you so much!!
Never cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker but I will now. Great meal ideas and I love the idea of making your own cream of chicken. Thanks for another great video.
Just 2 of us and I often cook one or 2 items and then use the leftovers in various ways during the week. Pot roast on Sunday? On the menu would be roast beef hash, vegetable beef soup and maybe hot roast beef sandwiches. Any leftovers that don't get used, get sealed in my food sealer and put in the freezer to be used later. I spend about $80 a week and usually have money leftover which goes in the "stock up" envelope for when I go to Costco or restocking basic kitchen items or see a great sale for meat.
I really appreciate your pizza video. I am always stressing when making the dough. You put it in lamen terms and kept your video down to earth for real people.
LOVE this type if mix and match, versatile. Can we please have more? Could you also look at canned tuna and salmon for a change, hubby and I have been told to eat more omega foods and getting tired a fish cakes or fish patties. Thank you ☺👍
You are the Julia Childs of our era but give us food on a budget. Thank you. ❤
19:12 - NICE! Great catch.
I’ve never cooked a whole chicken before and I like using my slow cooker when I work from home so this is a great idea for me
I spend far too much money on food and I don’t even have takeaway very often. I love the look of the chicken casserole! Thank you for the video!
She is really good at life. :)
We're a family of eight! I often find myself having to buy double of everything lol. Love these budget videos I really try to implicate these ideas into my meal planning!! Thank you 🥰
Keep on, keepin’ on. Thanks for sharing your helpful insights. Don’t be discouraged by the naysayers. Haters gonna hate. Potatoes gonna po-tate.
haha! I love that! Thanks so much!
M granddaughter has a shirt that says Taters gonna Tate!! Lol
Wonderful meal ideas. Love that you made the chicken stock. So easy and so yummy. I'm going to try the enchiladas. Great idea for a pantry clean out.
That enchilada bake looks amazing...! All your recipes look so good, honestly.
I am Canadian, and make the trip to western NY. to go to Aldi and Walmart. The grocery prices are out of control.
The heating up the thermos tip was 🤯
I love your videos! Thank you so much for making time to film
I wish I had your energy and organization. Your family is lucky to have u.
I like that you always put some extra veggies on the plate.
For us Friday is YOYO Night - your on your own and it is when we eat left overs or try to get through produce and other items I would like gone before I go grocery shopping Sunday. So then I only have to cook 6 times a week.
I make GF waffles and pancakes and freeze. We like to warm them up in the oven at 350 for 10 min.
Lunch for myself and oldest is left overs from dinner or produce I prepped and fruit.
You are the reason I started pantry cooking! Love your budget cooking videos!!!
Thank you again. I was just telling my co workers I am in a dinner slump and I watch this and now i know what i can fix!!!❤
Thanks for sharing your awesome ideas! Another way to stretch the muffin mix - mini muffins OR use a pancake mix adding in frozen fruit or choc chips
I love these videos with breakfast and lunches. Please make more
I love that you made real meals. So many people make a variation of stroganoff and rely on cream of something soup and so much salt you really made these so easy
I made groceries casserole for dinner 😂 what's in the fridge and how can we throw it all together for a meal? Tonight was a smothered burrito/enchilada style thing similar to what you made. We're short on cheese at the moment but we had a half a jar of Alfredo, about a 1/2 cup or so shredded cheese, and a small can of green enchilada sauce. So I made taco meat and rice and beans. Mixed the meat, rice and beans together for a filling, rolled the burritos and topped them with the Alfredo sauce mixed with enchilada sauce and topped it with the cheese. Baked at 350°F for 20 minutes. Came out delicious 😋
Your positive outlook just shines through your videos!
Thanks, Amanda. I try to keep it positive and fun. There's enough to make us sad or angry on the internet already!
THANK YOU for getting the grammar right!!! So sad to hear so much butchering of the English language on You Tube!
There's only two of us in our apartment, but our grocery bills still run high because we aren't great at meal planning and budgeting. But with watching your videos, we've been doing really well at keeping costs down and still being able to make five meals a week (we fend for ourselves on Saturday and have family dinners on Sunday) Thank you so much!
Best realistic budgeting channels I’ve seen on the internet. Love your vibe too
Thank you!
Thank you! Once again a bunch of great frugal ideas! I appreciate all the work you put into this!
Thanks, Amanda! I appreciate that!
Everything just seems to be going up. Great ideasxx
I like that you have so much produce
That cereal you love. Use some applesauce and top it with that cereal. Or use some fresh apples bake them add the cereal at the end. Vanilla ice cream topper with caramel...
I love this - five in our family as well, and yes, sometimes you need a convenient option! I also love doing a whole chicken in the crock pot, and then using the broth in other recipes. 💜
It’s interesting to see people’s different standards for what is refrigerated…you mentioned keeping the onions in the fridge, something i would not do (though if I cut one and don’t use it all, then fridge) because they are stored not refrigerated at the store (and people who grow their own also do not refrigerate to store). But we keep butter and all condiments in the fridge (ketchup, soy sauce, etc) whereas many of our friends and extended family keep them in a cabinet (butter being more easily spread at room temp and used at at a rate that prevents spoilage I guess).
Always get stoked when I see a new video of yours Mindy! Been watching your videos since 2019 when I was pregnant with my first baby :) I have especially been grateful for your videos after rising grocery prices and some debt we've accrued. Thank you for such quality content!!
My biggest struggle has always been lunch! I learned pantry cooking from you, need to revisit some videos. Cooking for myself can get tiresome and I get into a rut. Thanks for the inspiration Mindy. 💕✨😊
Thank you for sharing your meals on a budget!!
I picked up a tip years ago for chicken or turkey. Put your cut up onion, celery, carrots in the microwave for a few mins. This starts the cooking process that will flavor your bird better. The inside is the last to cook. Give it a little head start.
There are some great ideas here! Thank you so much Mindy! Blessings!
Thank you soooo much for doing those meal plan. It's really helpfull when you no longer knows what to do to eat... Thanks !!!
Love your meal plan for the week.
We cook the giblets and eat them. They are a delicacy! Just sprinkle with salt and pepper.
This is my first time watching this, I do like how creative you are planning your meals but I wish they weren't 90% processed foods :( I am getting ideas that will work for my family, with some tweaks. Thanks :)
I wash my ketchup bottles, prepare my own vinaigrette and keep it in repurposed ketchup bottles.
Wow I’ve never of this, BRILLIANT!!! Thank you for sharing!
@@vale_rawrrrx3593 Welcome.
I have everything you bought so thanks for Meal plan thanks love your videos thanks 😊❤
Budget meals that kids eat! Great job!
This is great, Mindy! So useful to many families trying to feed their families tasty meals on a realistic budget. And although there may be times when circumstances necessitate following an extreme budget, I hope families are more likely following the budget you have used in this video. Sad to see there weren't any 🥚🥚in your haul but I understand! I think you did an outstanding job of getting so much produce in your haul and your protein choices were so smart. You can stretch that whole chicken over so many meals and have endless options; same with the beef. Endless options from spaghetti to tacos to ....... I would love to see a video showing easy ways to make homemade items like the cream of soup you made in this video. Making some of these items from scratch is not only a budget saver but also healthier since there are no preservatives and much less salt. It doesn't seem that hard! Thanks so much for one of my favorite and one of your best videos!!!!
There are times that I have to buy an item of convenience if I have a coupon. We all do it when we have a super busy schedule. This is one of those weeks at church, with grandkids and helping my hubby at work. Yep. I get it.
So true!
I’m cooking for 6 people and I live these videos! Reminds me to be challenging our budget.thanks!
I bought your microwave popcorn bowl. Thank you for sharing!
This was absolutely fabulous, thank you so much! Your kids are going to be very prepared when they leave home 🩷
I can't tell you how helpful these videos are.
Thanks for these!! I just finished the week, we have plenty of leftovers for my family of four, but we all really loved the recipes!
I did chicken dressing 2 days ago family loved it
I admire your effort considering how expensive food is these days. However, may I suggest replacing the sugar laden cereal and waffles with something healthier? I make a nice soup using the beyond bouillon beef base I got from Costco with some veggies and rice. Potatoes are relatively cheap and combined with some mayo and egg you got a nice filling breakfast for the kids. You can also make rice porridge with ground pork or canned fish like mackerel and veggies. All these can be made the night before for convenience.
I make this copy cat Panera broccoli and cheese soup and when I have the energy make Frugal Fit Mom’s rustic artisan bread recipe to serve on the side. Tastes just like Panera’s broccoli cheese soup in the bread bowl.
a lot of my veggie produce i buy frozen because i like to buy in bulk. it’s just me myself and i so the big bag of broccoli from walmart would last me about two weeks if i ate broccoli every single day. which doesn’t sound like a bad idea because i love it and it’s good for you. but i just gutted all of my food because i haven’t been home much recently and none of it was good. these videos are so helpful especially when you’re starting from pretty much nothing
Mindy and family have a great week have fun thanks from Oklahoma
Thank you! You too!
Those frozen waffles make great breakfast sandwiches too!
I loveeeee these budget meal ideas! I do so much pantry cooking that I rarely go to the store and shop like this, but I love seeing what you made with these ingredients.😊
Thanks!