I’m sitting here, enjoying the daylight savings time and contemplating what to make my family for breakfast today. Making breakfast from scratch is a good way to save money. Cold cereal, while we do love it, can get pretty expensive. And we also have a tendency to overeat it, since it isn’t very filling. Pancakes are great, but sometimes we want something different.
Of our frugal breakfast choices, here are items on the menu. These are breakfast foods that I have made so many time that I can probably make them in my sleep.
Scrambled eggs and cheese
Eggs are still a good economical choice for breakfast, even if prices have risen over the last few years. I still mourn the time when I could get 18 eggs for only 79 cents! The cheese does raise the cost of this breakfast, but I find that it ensures that the kids eat the eggs, so include it. Even with the cheese, this breakfast costs less than cold cereal or eating out.
Bagels
This is a really cheap breakfast, even if we add a dab of butter or cream cheese to the bagels. I use our bread maker to form the dough, and then it is a matter of shaping, rising, boiling and baking. This can be a little time consuming, so I have to make sure I am up early. Homemade bagels are a real treat, though. They taste so much better than store bought ones.
Muffins and quickbreads
I have a large muffin repertoire under my belt. From chocolate chip, which are the kids favorites, to raising bran muffins, this breakfast can be inexpensive and easy to take along on busy mornings. I usually make a double batch, and they are all gone by the next day. The biggest expense here is the use of butter. Applesauce can be substituted in some recipes.
Baked oatmeal
We buy our oatmeal in bulk, and I take every advantage of using it. It is a filling, healthy food. There is no butter in this, just a little oil, plus eggs and sugar, so the cost is well under control. Raisins are added, too, but buying them in bulk also well reduces the cost.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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