Saving Money in a Month of Spending: Part 3, Baking to Save

Money Saving Mom always talks about having baking days, but I never got into the swing of things until recently. I very quickly found that it is saving me a lot of time, effort and money. I now try to bake at least once a month. I try to bake bread, rolls and muffins (breakfast), and sometimes breakfast breads but I plan on including waffles next time.

Even if you are not too much into baking, there are also simple ways to save money when it cometo cooking. When you cook a meal such as meatloaf, casseroles or pasta, make a double or triple batch and freeze a meal. I did this during my day of baking and made enough meatloaf cups for two meals and meatballs for two, all out of the same mixture (I use the same recipe for both). I also quadrupled my batch of chicken and broccoli alfredo casserole so I was able to freeze three casseroles and have dinner for that evening.

They looked better after they were cooked. :) It was the first time I did meatloaf in the muffin pans. My family loved it!

Another way of saving money when cooking is to try not to throw anything away. I recently tried to freeze bread without foil and found out very quickly that bread turns hard this way. The whole loaf was not any good to eat, but I hated throwing it away so, "voila!" I made stuffing for Kinsley and I to have for lunch for a few days. Also, I have found that when bananas are going bad and I don't have time or don't want to make muffins right away, I can freeze them. All I do is dice them and put them in one-cup baggies to use for muffins. Tip: They don't look real appetizing after they thaw, but they work great in muffins.

bread stuffing

Is there anything you do in the kitchen to try and save money? How do you keep from throwing things away. Let me know, I would love to hear your ideas.