Budget hack

​in days of yore, when I had to feed a family on the smell of an oily rag, minced meat was a constant star on our dinner table 

I would buy mince when it was on sale and as much as I could in bulk 

Last night I pulled out two kilos of mince to defrost for cooking today 

This was meat off the paddock so I knew it was good 

I grabbed a bottle of tomato sauce that I had made earlier this year 

My stash is dwindling. I’ve got less than a dozen jars left. 

And cooked up a big pot of spaghetti sauce. 

I don’t follow a recipe. I just use what I have on hand. 

When the kids were younger I would often hide veggies in the sauce. This was great for upping their vegetables intake. And it makes more sauce. 

I tended to use what I needed, and freezing the rest. Making meal prep easy on a very busy day easier 

I’m didn’t do that today. 

Today I cooked up a storm 

Spaghetti for dinner tonight , I added some feta to it  

And there is even enough for lunch tomorrow 

I also made two trays of pasta bake

The small one will go to the shed for the boys lunches 

I’ll use some for dinner and I’ll probably send some home with wonderson to share with the family 

I’ll probably have enough to freeze as well 

This was how I fed my family when money was really tight. 

I had other hacks for making as many different meals from a small amount of meat as  could  

I may even share some of them with you  

I’m happy I no longer have to worry about money  we are not rich by any means, but I don’t have to worry about where the next meal will come from 

I think when you go through times like that, you appreciate the blessings when they come   

What hacks do you have?