Ten Meals For Under $10

As I watched Oprah today, I was hoping for some new tips on how to be more thrifty, save money, etc. What I realized was that I have lived in that realm most of my life and I should have been one of her featured guests, sharing secrets I've found along the way. I cannot remember a time I wasn't conscience of what things cost. Even in high school, I was working to pay for "essentials" like clothing, shampoo and other personal items. By the time I graduated, I had plans to go to Haiti and live on the mission field for a year. I really had to be thrifty there! My roommate and I WERE the same size (it wouldn't work now, she's still tiny, I am not) and we shared clothes and took hand-me-downs from visitors. My mom remarked that I had on a different outfit in every photo I sent home. And she knew I left the country for a year with just two suitcases.

Once I returned home, I took a few odds and ends jobs, making minimum wage. I was a nanny for about four years and made about $3/hour. When D and I got married, I worked part time but we never really grew accoustomed to two paychecks. I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom, so I planned to stretch our money and make it work.

So, now that our entire country is panicking about the economy, we are all a bit nervous. So many have been living outside of their means and now risk losing it all. In the meantime, there are some of us who have learned to go without what others consider essential and have stretched the dollar and would love to help others do the same. As we ate dinner tonight, I had this idea...

"Ten Meal Ideas For Under $10" (should feed a family of five)

1. 16 Inch Pizza from the deli at Walmart with fresh veggies

2. Lasagna with Italian Sausage (2 3 pound trays, at Costco for $12, use one, freeze one), bread and salad

3. Rotisserie Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Salad (all bought at Costco)

4. Leftover Rotisserie Chicken, Peppers, Onions--add in tortillas, cheese, slasa and sour cream for a Fab Fajita Night

5. Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli (use potatoes left from meal 3)

6. Grilled Fish (buy frozen, on sale, 2 pounds for $6), Mexican Rice, Cuke and Tomato Salad

7. Grilled Chicken (again, on sale, 2 pounds for $6), grilled veggies, salad

8. Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs (sale...Ballpark Beef hot dogs 4 packs for $8 at Costco) and the fixings

9. Brupper...Yes, that's right...Breakfast at Supper! No cheaper meal to be made, keep it simple--eggs and pancakes make everyone smile. Add diced meat to the eggs, save money and calories! Throw in some fresh fruit and OJ to balance it all out.

10. Cereal. I'm not kidding. My family thinks this is a great idea. It won't kill anyone to go without three courses! Add banana slices or frozen berries to add some vitamins.