Cheap and Easy Finger Foods

Convenience foods and restaurant fare are quick when time is short, but if you have some cheap and easy finger foods on hand, you can keep your household budget under control.

Apples are cheap and easy to eat quickly.

Just because a food is prepackaged does not mean it is necessarily more expensive. If you invest a little time in planning your snacks, you can have cheap and easy finger foods without spending a fortune. Keep items like the following on your list of prepackaged fast foods:

• Pickles
• Crackers
• Cereal bars
• Flavored gelatin
• Fruity toaster pastries
• Cold cereal
• Air-popped popcorn

Some of these items have the potential to be expensive unless you do your homework. To cut down on the costs, doe the following:

• Buy generic, especially when it is on sale.
• Clip brand name coupons and use in combination with a sale.
• Look for mail-in rebates and use with sales and coupons.
• Stock up when the price hits rock bottom.
• Comparison shop even generic brands for the best price at the stores you regularly visit.
• Ask a store to do a price match for an item if you have an advertisement with a lower price. Many grocery and discount stores will honor a competitor's price if you bring in the ad. It saves you time and gas money.
• Once you get home, portion out any bulk items, like cereals and crackers, so you only get one serving at a time instead of two or three.

Nonperishable shelf items are perfect for keeping in the car, your purse or the diaper bag for times when you are running errands and need a quick snack.

While many of the prepackaged foods are fast and convenient, they may not be as healthy as some of the cheap diet foods that are available. Even if you do not have time to make a salad, you can still snack on:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumber sticks
• Apples
• Bananas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Grapes
• Seasonal fruit

If you do not have your own garden, look for these items at farmers' markets or on sale at your local grocery store. Prep any necessary purchases as soon as you arrive home in order to make grabbing these foods even easier when you are pressed for time.

People who have a little extra time on the weekends can make cheap finger foods that will be easy to grab and go during the week. Homemade foods require additional time but are often tastier and cheaper than what you can buy in the store.

Making your own food is a great way to save money that most frugal people acknowledge. These finger foods are good to make ahead for a quick snack or mini-meal:

• Pancakes: Whether you use a cheap box mix or make your own from scratch, they are cheaper than the premade frozen ones. Simply freeze and pop one in the microwave to reheat; skip the butter and syrup to make the pancake finger-friendly and portable.
• Hard-boiled eggs: Hard boil a carton of eggs on Sunday and eat one or two for breakfast the following week. As long as you have a garbage can nearby for tossing the shells, you can eat the eggs on the run.
• Beef jerky: Make your own beef jerky using a food dehydrator or an oven recipe. Try using different spices for a variety of flavors.
• Breads and biscuits: Stir up a quick batch of bread or biscuits using quick-rise yeast. Spread a little peanut butter on a slice for a fast snack with little fuss that you can eat with one hand.
• Snack bars: Stir up six cups of cereal with a bag of melted marshmallows and a little melted butter or margarine, spread in a 9x13 pan and let cool. Slice them into small squares for a quick snack on the run. Use cereals with high fiber content for a healthy boost that keeps you fuller longer.

Each of these items does require a little extra time to make, but if you dedicate a few hours each weekend to baking, you will have little to do the rest of the week when you need cheap and easy finger foods.

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