Money Saving Meals

It might seem crazy for a cookbook to have to spell out in its introduction the need to cook, but given the number of them that merely adorn coffee tables it’s not as mad as it sounds. For a start, this ain’t no designer hardback; it’s a practical A5 paperback with a sensible pricetag and a mission to save money. And cooking rather than opting for convenience items will do just that. Most of the recipes work within a budget of $10–$14 to serve four and most of them sound pretty good. But rather than just banging on about using cheap cuts and shopping for fruit and veg in season, it takes a broader approach to planning than I’ve seen elsewhere. It suggests having themes for each night, such as “something spicy”, “pasta”, “miracle mince” and “kids’ meal for everyone”, which helps planning and ensures variety. Then working to suggested menus and shopping lists, it predicts what will be left over and provides tips on using it up the following night.

Dotted among the recipes for dishes like garlicky Greek bean soup and chicken Waldorf salad are prices per serve, more money-saving and cooking-ahead hints and my favourite bit, Savvy Shopper breakout boxes. These compare the prices of DIY versions of items with the convenience version. I knew dried lentils were cheaper than canned, but I’d never bothered to work out how much (for three cups of cooked lentils you need a cup of dried ones costing 55c or 2x400g cans costing $2). Ditto salad greens: 120g packet salad leaves = $3.95 vs 120g loose salad leaves = $2.30. That’s one very expensive plastic bag that’s not even reusable.

A guide at the back for stocking the pantry, fridge and freezer to streamline the whole operation is another useful feature in a very timely book.