Ditch the Box

When it comes to convenience most people think of boxed meals.  They see "just add meat and water" and think it will solve their time crunch.  But let's be honest here.  It really doesn't take any more time to make those meals yourself, and it's cheaper.

Let's look at a couple of the more popular choices out there and compare them.

Beef Stroganoff is basically noodles, meat, and sauce.  The boxed version can end up costing about $15 once you buy 2 boxes so everyone can eat, the milk, and the ground beef.  But you can do it yourself by using a bag of egg noodles, a pack of Stroganoff seasoning mix, and a few TBSP of sour cream.  Just brown and drain the ground beef while you prepare the noodles, and make the sauce pack according to directions.  Combine the sauce, meat, and noodles in a bowl and stir in the sour cream. 

You have just made twice the amount of food for about half the cost.And it actually takes less time since you don't have to wait for the noodles to simmer in the pan.

Cheeseburger helper is another easy one.  Make a box of mac & cheese while you brown and drain your beef.  Combine them in a bowl, and you're done!

You see where I'm going with this.  There is not a single boxed meal out there that you can't make yourself for less with the right ingredients. The trick is to look at what's in the box and find the individual items elsewhere in the store.  Noodles are noodles and rice is rice.  So for these meals the seasoning packets are really your best friends.  They're inexpensive and versatile, and can save you a ton of money over time.