The Art Of Frugal – Book Summary

Cooking Frugally at Home

The art of frugal author Kaylee Cole explains that by spending a little time learning how to prepare delicious and inexpensive meals, you can enjoy eating at home while also saving money.

Time

One of the most common complaints of people who struggle to prepare meals at home is that they don’t have the time. There are many ways to save time and still save money while creating quality and delicious meals. One of our favorite kitchen cheats is to use a crock pot. A crock pot is a simple kitchen appliance that you place ingredients into, turn on at a low temperature, and then let cook for several hours. You can get up in the morning before work and place the ingredients for your meal into your crock pot.

Since slow cooking meat is a great way to tenderize it, you can use less expensive cuts than you normally would, which will save you money.

Another time-saving tip given in the art of frugal feeding a family is to pick one day per week and cook several meals all at once. Spending a few hours planning and cooking on a weekend can pay dividends in money and time savings during the week. Cook large portions and re-use them later for lunches, or pre-cook dinner meals and freeze until mid-week when they will just need to be reheated and served.

Taste

One treat that many of us enjoy the most about dining out is getting to cut into a juicy steak. Unfortunately, going out for a steak is not very frugal (usually very expensive), but the good news is that you can enjoy steakhouse quality steaks from your own home at a fraction of the cost. The first step, of course, is buying the steak. You should look for either family packs of steaks that sell at a lower price, or maybe even a slightly less expensive cut (such as shoulder, flat iron, or beef skirt).

The first step in preparing a great steak at home is to marinate it. When cooking any cheap cut of meat, whether pork, chicken, or steak, marinating the meat overnight will give it flavor, as well as tenderize it. Some expensive cuts may not require marinating, but when living frugally and buying more affordable selections of meat, marinating in a bag overnight in the fridge (always keep chilled and never room temperature) is the way to go.

Re-use

The best way to save money is to prepare every meal with the intention of having leftovers. Leftover offers the convenience of not having to cook every day. With a bit of planning, your family can enjoy leftovers at home, or even pack them for lunch at work or school.

When you are trying to save money by eating frugally, make sure the food you cook is one your family will enjoy; they need not to suffer through meals that are of poor taste or quality.

Learn different recipes and don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes and make them your own either.

If your goal is to eat frugally, then learning how to prepare quality meals at home needs to be at the top of your list of priorities.