Food Costs..

**Telephus44** · 04-21-2008, 09:55 PM

http://www.slate.com/id/2189234/

I read this really interesting article on food costs, and it really hit a nerve with me. I guess it's also because I got a postcard in the mail for Gourmet Magazine recently, too. Why are there no really good cookbooks devoted to frugal cooking? Well, I guess there are, but most of them are old. I think there should be more of them, and the mainstream media should be pushing them. I haven't watched FoodTV or any of the food shows lately, but I can't think of ever seeing a single epsiode concentrate on using up leftovers, or planning a shopping trip around sale items. *SIGH*

Anyhoo - just wondering - what are some of your favorite frugal cookbooks? I personally don't have any, I usually surf the web if I need a recipe, but I've been thinking of trying to pick some up. I want to be better at meal planning, and I'd rather plan frugal meals than recipes that I see and I'd like to try but end up buying expensive ingredients that I only use once.

**Marie78** · 04-21-2008, 10:02 PM

I search the internet for recipes too. I haven't found a cookbook yet, that I didn't have to modify because of all the ingredients I didn't have and wasn't going to splurge on. I hope someone has some ideas for you, I'd be interested in frugal recipe books too

.

**Athena31** · 04-21-2008, 10:15 PM

I too use the internet the most or the library. It would be great if they came out with a frugal cooking magazine I would buy it. I like Taste of Home it can have some frugal recipies in it.

**Frugal Cook** · 04-21-2008, 10:21 PM

They don't make Frugal Cook Books because it uses too much paper and other resources and wouldn't be frugal, nor would spending money to buy them.

**Sara Noel** · 04-21-2008, 10:28 PM

Maybe there will be a really cool one available soon.

**peanut** · 04-21-2008, 11:20 PM

I use Daphne Metaxas Hartwig's "Make Your Own Groceries". But it is old and expensive (over $50) and hard to get a hold of. I especially like her homemade graham cracker recipe.

I also use the "More With Less Cookbook" by Doris Janzen Longacre.

I also have my grandmother's and mother-in-law's old cookbooks, and my mother's old recipes. Amazing how frugal those are! I find I often replace unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones and the recipes work just fine.

Jean

**warramra** · 04-21-2008, 11:37 PM

I have found some of my best 'frugal' recipes in the fancy ethnic cookbooks I check out from the library. Some of the traditional ethnic foods from Italy use very few and easy to get ingredients. Of course I also like to 'play' with recipes, they just give me ideas and a go from there.

**HandyMom** · 04-21-2008, 11:55 PM

I have a lot of cookbooks too but recently have been moving towards low carb/lowfat/sugar-free and vegetarian meals. I seldom buy flour, sugar or white rice. I want to limit dairy, too. Not only would this trim my food bill down but also my extra body weight.

**Frugal Cook** · 04-22-2008, 12:01 AM

RecipeZaar has an interesting collection....Cheap Cheap

**Holly** · 04-22-2008, 08:36 AM

How Soon Sara Noel ?

**YankeeMom** · 04-22-2008, 08:55 AM

I like the Tightwad Gazettes, Not Just Beans, Frugal Living for Dummies, and Feed Your Family on $12 a Day.

**knitnmom** · 04-22-2008, 09:39 AM

I also use Not Just Beans and More With Less! I also have the The Use-It-Up Cookbook by Lois Carlson Willand, Dining on a Dime, Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930s, vol. I. Oh yeah, and Miserly Meals and Miserly Moms.

Hope that helps.

**C@rol** · 04-22-2008, 09:50 AM

I have a collection of recipe site and groups that I visit
and get some awesome easy to fix and frugal recipes
from them. A frugal recipe book would be nice though.

**justpeachy92** · 04-22-2008, 10:40 AM

I posted the link to a cookbook a few days ago. They had one of the food network chefs on the news cook some of the recipes with food from the 99 cents store and cook the food with more expensive food, the news hosts were surprised how good the cheaper food tasted. The Barnes and Noble near me is supposed to have the book instock, and I hope to check the book out more this weekend. Here is the link again.

http://www.the99centonlystorecookbook.com/

**yankeegal** · 04-22-2008, 01:03 PM

Another source to consider is the Church/local fundraising groups cookbooks...I find many of these at yardsales and have found the recipes to be very economical. Just simple recipes with simple ingredients.