Cooking on a shoestring budget is not an exact science. In fact, neither is cooking in general.  Becoming a good cook is just like anything else in life: There is no magic secret that will shortcut your success; you just have to keep at it, and be willing to do a little trial and error.  But knowing a few cooking tips and tricks won’t hurt either.  That’s where we come in.  Cook on a Shoestring can help you get off to a good start by learning to come up with cheap, easy recipes that you can make at home.

Below is a simple guide to cooking basics to help you jump start your inner chef.

1. Food is almost always cheaper and better if you make it yourself

People buy frozen/packaged/ready-made meals because they’re convenient (or so they think).  What most people don’t realize is that you can make a tastier, cheaper version of those same meals at home with very little extra effort.

Want a family-size lasagna? It’s not hard at all to make a lasagna that will put Stouffer’s to shame for a whole lot cheaper than you’d pay at the grocery store.  Do you enjoy the speed of popping a single-serve Asian stir-fry meal in the microwave? You don’t have to pay extra for the convenience; quickly make a large stir-fry meal at home one night, and take the leftovers with you to work in single-serving-sized containers. It’s just as convenient and a whole lot cheaper.

2. Learn to Season Your Meals

Many popular dishes and gourmet recipes are the product of poor people trying to make bad food taste good. Have you ever ordered a rack of ribs at a barbecue restaurant?  Have you ever thought about how much meat you’re getting for the price?  For that price you could probably get a decent rib eye steak at a lot of restaurants.  You’re not trying to be a savvy consumer; you’re splurging on a delicious meal.  And yet ribs are generally considered one of the poor cuts of meat.  The secret is seasoning.

Kansas City Barbecue, Mexican food, many Asian foods, and countless other culinary varieties all have this in common: The secret to their flavor is not the food itself, but what’s used to season it.

Whether your applying a salt rub, adding a little sauce, stirring in some peppers, or sprinkling on some Turmeric, learning to incorporate spices other than the overused salt-and-pepper routine will turn boring meals into delicious recipes you’ll be willing to eat and share again and again without getting tired of them.

A quick primer on some basic spices and seasonings

Crushed red pepper is a good, all-purpose seasoning that will give almost any recipe an edge.

Paprika is a red spice that is used in a lot of chicken recipes. It’s popular in many parts of the world, and adds excellent color and flavor to most chicken dishes.

Turmeric is a yellow spice that is also a key ingredient in Curry powder.  A little bit will go a long ways toward giving your meals a spicy flare without a peppery taste (and it provides an aesthetically pleasing, yellow tint to many recipes).

Oregano, Sweet Basil, Marjoram, and Garlic are all staples of Italian cooking.  Save money by purchasing cheap spaghetti sauce and dressing it up with these fine ingredients (just be sure that the sauce isn’t too watery; Walmart’s Great Value sauce is a nice balance of thick consistency and low prices).

Learn to use these basic, inexpensive spices and seasonings, and you may find your meals will have a rich taste that outperforms many people who have been cooking for years.

3. Make a Budget and Stick to It

Make a realistic grocery budget, and stick to it. The goal behind learning to cook on a shoestring budget is to prepare good meals at minimal cost.  Knowing exactly how much you plan to spend on groceries will help you determine what you cook, what brands you buy, and what special treats you can afford this week. The big thing is being realistic: A single adult might make it on a grocery budget of $20 per week; a couple is going to need a minimum of $20-$40 per week; a family of 4 will probably need at least $60-$80, and if some of the members of that family are teenage boys, the figures are only going to increase. Cooking on a shoestring budget is relative to 1) Your income and 2) The number of people you’re cooking for.  Be realistic. You can always adjust your budget later.

4. Make a Plan

If you’re serious about cooking good, healthy food on a shoestring budget, you’re going to need a plan.  If you made a grocery budget, you’re already half way there.

Like most things in life, successfully planning your meals for the week requires you to start at the end product and work backwards.  You want to prepare delicious meals this week for little cost.  To do that, you’re going to need to figure out what you want to cook before you go grocery shopping.  Plan your meals; decide if you want chicken stir fry, vegetarian lasagna, and spaghetti this week.  If you do, you’ll need some spaghetti sauce, frozen vegetables, and chicken.  Make sure those things are within your shoestring budget, then hit the grocery store.

I understand if you hate planning ahead; sometimes it feels a lot easier just to browse the aisles at the grocery store, grabbing whatever food catches your attention.  It may take a little less effort to do things that way, but you’ll end up spending more for lower caliber food.  Don’t do it.  Spend a little time (even just 10 minutes) thinking about what you want this week, then make a grocery list and go shopping.