Coupon Funded Feast with Friends

Since I found a kindred frugal spirit earlier this year, we've traded coupon hints, refined our frugal skills, and have learned to be more creative in the kitchen. I think the biggest thing shopping with coupons rather than just buying in bulk, the sales, or off-brands (all of which I have tried in the past) has taught me is to be creative and use what you have. Rather than running out to get the ingredients I forgot or used up I have been trying more and more to improvise.

Well, in the spirit of creating a menu/meal using what we had, my frugal friend Marie and her family came over on Sunday and we shared a coupon-funded meal! I seriously considered running to the store after having a mental block on what to prepare. My friend's husband isn't a big fan of cheese and I realized most of the meals I like to prepare, especially for company contain cheese! Finally I settle on a dish that could be made both ways, with and without cheese and used ingredients from our good deal stash! At my request, Marie brought only food she got for free or super cheap from couponing:)


The results was a simple, but good meal of : italian pasta bake, homemade biscuits, broccoli (free with coupons!), fruit salad, cookies and candy we'd gotten with sales/coupons/register rewards from Walgreen's. We agreed to do it again, but with an even lower budget! I guess you have to be a certain kind of crazy to think this is fun, but that's us:)

So our "theme" was almost-free food and I guess that's a kitchen tip in itself...dont' be afraid to do something a little out-of-the-ordinary when having people over! Its better to spend time with people than to stress about things being perfect, right?


Here is M, fixing HER guests food, while talking on the phone, of course!