Economize by buying ranch dressing in family-size bottles. Look for supermarket sales or better savings in club warehouse stores. Use leftover dressing in cold pasta or chicken salad.
Cajun seasoning is less costly when you make your own. Mix 1 teaspoon each salt, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne and black pepper plus 2 teaspoons each garlic powder and paprika.
Buying a small bag of potatoes can be more economical than buying large potatoes. Use 5 medium potatoes instead of the 2 large russet potatoes and pocket the savings.
When a recipe calls for a small chopped onion, you will get more for your money using a large one. Chop the whole onion, then use half in the recipe and freeze the other half for later use.
For an economical and delicious soup base, do what grandma did: save and reuse the water the potatoes were cooked in. Add a few carrots and onions and you have a nutritious and tasty vegetable broth.
Whole-fryer chickens are a bargain when you buy them and bone them yourself. Or, you can buy pieces. Boning and removing the skin yourself can mean a savings of up to 40 percent.
Jalapeño peppers are a better bargain and have better flavor when bought fresh. Once deseeded and chopped, the peppers will keep for 6 months in the freezer-ready for the next recipe.
Costly raspberry vinegar gives this dish a gourmet flavor. But you can save money and get the same taste by using apple cider vinegar. Just add 1 tablespoon crushed raspberries or raspberry jam.
Using canned chick-peas is economical, and the leftovers make a great salad when combined with chopped red onion, sun-dried tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing.
Store-bought salsa can put a dent in the weekly budget. Make your own salsa by mixing canned tomatoes and hot sauce with chopped onion, bell pepper and fresh cilantro.
Green onions come in batches of six or eight. Keep the remaining onions from drying out by storing them in a self- sealing plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Chop them as needed.
