Frugal Cooking

In this post, I proclaim that I am the creator of the phrase “formula cooking”. I’ve googled around and can find no other references to this that aren’t about something completely different. After this phrase catches on and gets it’s own Wikipedia page, you can say that you read it here first! Even if I actually am the first to use the phrase, I’m far from the creator of formula cooking and to some extent every professional and home cook does this every day. I wanted to explain my thoughts around formula cooking because it’s a fun way to cook and super frugal, of course.

I just read a great article in the South Bend Tribune (online) about how the comfort food of our parents and grandparents is coming back in style. It’s no surprise considering that dishes like tuna casserole and meatloaf were developed to weather bad economic times. Sound familiar?

There’s been enough news lately on various celebrities jumping on the frugal bandwagon that I should probably create a new category. The term “bandwagon” often has a negative connotation, much like the term “fair-weather fan” for sports. I actually think it’s great that so many people are finding frugality as something that helps you live a better life and feel good about doing it. The more celebs that spread the word the better as they seem to be role models for so many, for better or for worse.

It seems that with the economy down and continuing to slide further, many people are jumping on the frugal bandwagon. I’ve seen many articles lately about people saddled with credit card debt who turn to frugality to eliminate their debt and stay debt free. Even folks without a ton of debt are turning to frugality to live a better life for less. It seems chileheads are no different.

Now that Halloween is (almost) over, what are you going to do with all that candy? You could just put it in the pantry until you feel like a treat, but that would be boring. There are lots of ways to use that candy that’s better than just shoveling it in.

I just read that McDonalds had a big third quarter (2008) that’s being attributed to the economic downturn. Apparently, consumers are jumping on the frugal food bandwagon and think they’re being frugal by eating at McDonalds. Well, they very well may be. It really depends why they choose to go to McDonalds. True frugalites, frugalists and frugalistas know that frugality is much more wholistic than just saving a few bucks on a single meal.