The Peaceful Mom

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Save Money With Your Slow Cooker (week 4)

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Save Money With Your Crock Pot--The Peaceful Mompinitphoto credit: John Kasawa

Save Money On Groceries!

Need to save on your grocery bill? Each week I’m sharing one simple tip that you can implement to start saving on your grocery bill right away.

Many of the tips will be familiar, but if you take the Save Money on Groceries Challenge with us, you will actually take the steps each week instead of just filing them in the “I should do that” file. 🙂

[Click here to see all the tips in this series.]

 

Save Money On Groceries--Easy Tips from The Peaceful Mom

Today’s Tip:


Save time and money by using your crock pot! Life is busy and sometimes it’s all you can do to keep everyone fed and clothed. One of my favorite time saving tools is my crock pot, but did you know you can also save money with a slow cooker?

 

Why It Works:

 

Allows You To Use Cheaper Cuts of Meat

One great money saving advantage of the slow cooker is that it allows you to purchase cheaper cuts of meat. The longer cooking time tenderizes tougher cuts and turns them into something delicious.

 

Enables You To Make Cheaper Homemade Foods

Did you know that you can make homemade applesauce, granola and yogurt in your crock pot for pennies on the dollar? Check out our Crockpot Granola recipe here and our Easy Crockpot Pasta Sauce here.

 

Keeps You From Eating Out

Using a crock pot saves you time because you can throw everything in, set it and forget it, and this is one of the main reasons it saves you money. After a long hard day, when you absolutely don’t feel like cooking anything, dinner is waiting for you so you aren’t tempted to order Chinese or pizza.

 

You also save electricity, which lowers your power bill each month!

 

If you need a new slow cooker, Amazon has the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker on sale.

 

Sign up HERE for The Peaceful Mom Weekly eNotes for weekly money saving secrets & organizing tips PLUS awesome free gifts!

 

 

New Save More Clip Less eBook - The Peaceful Mom

For more ideas to save money on groceries, check out my ebook Save More–Clip Less: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half  Without Extreme Couponing.

Click here to see what others are saying.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patty says

    My favorite way to use my slow cooker is for either ham and beans (I like Great Northerns) or lentils and ham. I don’t have an exact recipe. I use about 1 1/2 pounds of beans (I soak the Great Northerns overnight, lentils don’t need to be soaked) and add a ham bone is I have it. If I don’t have a ham bone, I use Burger’s Smokehouse Ham for Seasoning. I make a pan of cornbread to go with it, and there is our meal.

  2. teresa says

    Hello, I follow you on FB. Our favorite meal is BBQ chicken…it is so tender, and falls off the bone. Thank you, Teresa

  3. Angela Rainwater says

    BBQ Pork Chops but I never follow a recipe 😉 Just use your favorite BBQ sauce, I always add extras like, hot sauce, bit of vinegar, Heinz 51, A1, butter or olive oil, etc…yummy!

  5. Jen H. says

    One of my favorites is stuffed peppers – the cheater’s way.

    Mix:
    2 lbs. ground beef (raw)
    1 cups instant rice
    1 egg
    Onion to taste
    salt and pepper to taste
    Make into large meatballs a little larger than baseballs.

    Pour tomato sauce into crock – place meatballs in crock, cut up green pepper on top in large chunks (I usually just cut in 1/2) and cover everything with more tomato sauce – let cook all day on low. enjoy!

    I usually make a double batch of the meat mixture and put 1/2 in the freezer for another.

  9. Victoria Willard says

    I love making taco soup. It’s the cheapiest meal that even my picky kid will eat. I always make double and store the rest in the freezer for a future meal.

  10. Rhonda says

    Liked you on FB.
    Beef Barley Soup
    1 lb browned ground beef
    Aseptic container beef broth
    2 tsp dried onions
    1 can carrots drained
    1 can cubed potatoes with broth
    1 can green beans with broth
    1 can diced tomatoes
    1/4 cup pearled barley
    2 cups water
    salt and pepper to taste
    Cook on low 4-6 hours

  11. Diane S says

    I like to cook beef roast and veggies in the slow cooker. I love all the information you share with us. Thank you.

  12. Amanda A. says

    I follow you on Facebook. I guess my favorite recipe is pot roast. Everyone in the family loves it. My daughter would eat all the carrots and meat and my son would eat all the potatoes and meat. There is something for everyone in that meal.

  13. Barbie says

    I love making a chili blanco in the crockpot. I am always looking for new crockpot meals. I also keep a crockpot in our motor home it makes camping so easy…..

  16. Beth W says

    My favorite crockpot meal is chicken & dumplings. It’s a real easy recipe that used refrigerated bread dough as the dumplings.

  17. Amanda says

    I just started following you a few days ago! I love your site and all your money saving tips. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with others! 🙂

  18. Diana lawless says

    Love the crockpot. I vegetables and one of my favorite is homemade applesauce. It is so easy. Core and cut up apples, add half cup pure apple juice and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Put on lid and cook on low.
    Check every so often and stir. No sugar needed

  20. Becca Bunnell says

    I really like crockpot lasagna. It’s so easy and good. I like to make it before church on Sunday so we’re not tempted to go out for lunch!

  21. Jenny says

    Our favorite crockpot meal is pulled pork. Sometimes it doesn’t even make it to the rolls! I enjoy your newsletters, thank you for what you do.

  22. kathy says

    sorry but i dont tweet. pot roast is my favorite in the crock. or corned beef or salsa chicken/ hard to decide

  25. Bryan says

    My favorite recipe in a crockpot is my chili. I make it extra spicy! I’d share my recipe but then I’d have to kill ya! Jk! It seriously not a set recipe and I seriously just throw stuff together and season to taste. Love your ideas! Thanks for all you do!

  26. TinaB says

    Our fav slow cooker recipe is pinto beans. Just plain & simple.
    1 lb bag of pinto beans (looked, soaked & drained))
    1 slice bone-in ham steak (approx. 12-16 oz)
    Water to cover beans.

    Wash ham steak & place in bottom of slow cooker.
    Pour beans over top of ham steak.
    Then cover with water to 1″ over top of beans.
    Cook on low 8-10 hours. ENJOY!

  27. Kim W says

    I already like you on FB & My favorite slow cooker recipe is “Cilantro lime chicken” on Allrecipes.com! I serve it either over rice or shredded for tacos. It’s de-lish!!

  28. belle says

    i have a handful of go-to crock pot recipes:
    1- take an already eaten (not gnawed on! just meat picked off) rotisserie chicken, throw in crockpot with an onion/celery/garlic/carrot/whateever you like, let it cook all day or all night. strain it into a soup pot then pick out the yummy tidbits of meat that have fallen off the bone and then toss in noodles when it reaches a boil (or cut up canned biscuits or homemade noodles, whatever floats your boat), i serve this over mashed potatoes. i know, carb overload but hey, yummy, filling, perfect for a rainy winter day! and by the time the potatoes are ready to mash, the soup is done.

    2-throw an onion in the crockpot with a package of chicken thighs and 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce. at the end of the day, pull out the chicken and cover with the other half of the bottle…. serve on buns of some sort with mayo and pickles and coleslaw or salad or chips and dip if you’re super tired! voila!

    i’m not currently on facebook or twitter 🙁 but i adore your blog!

  29. Amy Massengale says

    I love using my crockpot. My favorite recipe is probably a roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots. I would love to win because I need some new ideas/recipes 🙂

  32. Felicia Newlin says

    My favorite is beef stew, only because I don’t know many crock-pot recipe. I need to spruce up my options!

  35. Sherry says

    My favorite crockpot recipe is for bbq nachos and sometimes I have enough meat left over for bbq beef enchiladas!

    • Kimberlee says

      Hi Crystal! It is actually a stock photo so I am not sure. I searched around a bit online, but couldn’t find anything like it. I guess it’s vintage. 🙂

  40. Megan says

    My favorite crock pot recipe is Cilantro Lime Chicken! I actually made it as a freezer meal, so it was that much easier the day of.

  42. Katie says

    I like to cook chicken in the crockpot and then shred it. The possibilities are endless with shredded chicken! We use it for BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken pizza, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas & lots more!

  44. Christy Bennington says

    Our favorite is called ‘Tasting is Believing Chicken’:

    2lbs boneless chicken breasts (or about 6 pieces of bone in chicken)
    1 can whole cranberries
    1 bottle Russian salad dressing
    1 envelope onion soup seasoning

    Put in chicken, dump the rest on top, set on low for the day. I know, it sounds awful, lol. Just reread the name and try it. I serve it on rice.

  45. Mary Beth says

    The crock pot has saved me time and money multiple times! I need to learn to use it more. Favorite thing to make is vegetable beef soup. Already “Like” you on Facebook and click through/read many of your posts!

  47. Dee says

    I love to make Greek chicken with whole chicken legs, potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, lemon & oregano. Cook on low for 5-6 hours and it’s so tender it slides right off the bones!

  51. angie mccort says

    my family loves slow cooker sausage and peppers…. I have a ninja 3 in 1 slow cooker that lets me brown the saugsage in the slow cooker and then I add chopped oninon and peppers and a can or two of crushed tomatoes, salt pepper, oregano and let it slow cook all day….can serve in sandwiches or over pasta

  52. Alison says

    My favorite (and my husband’s) is crockpot fajitas!
    2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
    2 tbsp vegetable oil
    2 cups salsa
    Fajita seasoning
    1 onion, sliced
    1 bell pepper, sliced
    Throw everything into the crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low or 4 on high!

  53. Jennifer says

    I love putting frozen chicken breasts, one packet of taco or fajita seasoning and one jar of salsa in the crock pot. Just set it on low in the morning and that night you have yummy chicken to serve on a salad or in tortillas. Super Easy.

  56. Rebekah says

    I LOVE my crock pot and use it at least 2-3 times a week. With a family of 7 and after school activities, it is a must! My favorite recipes come from the Fix It and Forget cook books. Chili, BBQ pork chops and Creamy noodles are among our favorites!

  58. Stephanie says

    I have many crockpot favorites, but one of the best is “refried” beans using unsoaked dry beans. They taste great, are good for you, freeze great, and are super cheap to make!

  60. Kim Catapane says

    My favorite crockpot recipe is:
    Veggie Chowder
    Place in crockpot:
    3-4 cubed potatoes
    1 lb cubed ham
    2 cans cream of celery soup
    Cook on low 5-6 hrs or high 2-3 hrs.
    Add 1 bag frozen broccoli, that has been thawed
    and 1 cup of milk and cook for 1 more hr. on high.
    Serve topped with shredded cheese. Yummy!

  61. Jewel says

    Red Beans and Rice, with sausage.

    I have changed this from the original recipie, by using brown rice and turkey sausage.
    Just started doing it and everyone at home loves it.

  62. Danielle Jenkins says

    My favorite crock-pot recipe is simple pinto beans. I always manage to let it boil dry and scorch if I cook it on the stove. My grandmother’s crock pot is the best at this soup!

  63. Robin Jones says

    I already “like” you on Facebook and my favorite slow cooker recipe is Chicken Fajitas.

  64. Nicole says

    One of my favorite crock pot recipes is Salsa Chicken. 2 ingredients, can’t get much better than that! I like peaceful mom on fb.

  66. Katie says

    I’ve been following you on Facebook for a while, and just followed you on Twitter! 🙂
    I am pretty intimidated by cooking/baking but the Crock Pot is a wonderful invention! I think my favorite Crock Pot recipe is a simple pot roast covered in beef broth. I then add red-skinned potatoes (sliced in half), baby carrots, and big slices of onion (I don’t like to eat onions, but I love the flavor! LOL)

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