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Real Food. Spend Less.
Real people cooking real food on a realistic budget.
Follow for easy recipes, shopping tips, and meal planning
ideas to help you spend less and eat better.

Cooking at home doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Real Food. Spend Less. is where real people find real solutions for eating well on any budget.
All Posts


Don’t Be Afraid to Cook New Things — Your Kitchen Is a Classroom
Don't be afraid to try new things in the kitchen If you’ve been cooking the same meals over and over, it’s easy to fall into a rut. You...
Rex McKee
Sep 293 min read


5 Grocery Store Secrets That Will Save You Money Every Week
It’s happened to almost everyone:  you run into the store for “just a couple of things” and come out $60 lighter — with snacks, random...
Rex McKee
Sep 263 min read


The Humble Potato: Your Kitchen’s Best Friend
When you’re cooking on a tight budget, few ingredients punch above their weight like the potato. It’s cheap, filling, and flexible enough...
Rex McKee
Sep 243 min read


Be Adventurous in Your Cooking — Without Breaking the Bank
Most of us fall into routines in the kitchen. We make the same dishes, buy the same groceries, and repeat the same cooking methods week...
Rex McKee
Sep 233 min read


Who We’re Here For: Real People Cooking Real Food on a Realistic Budget
A family stretching their budget. If you’ve ever stared at a receipt and wondered how groceries got so expensive—or opened the fridge and...
Rex McKee
Sep 213 min read


$25 Weekend Meal Plan: 5 Dinners from One Rotisserie Chicken
Introduction Picture this: You’ve had a long week, you don’t feel like cooking from scratch, and yet you want to stretch your grocery...
Rex McKee
Sep 192 min read


The True Cost of Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats vs. Cooking at Home
Cooking at home saves money and promotes family togetherness. It’s late, you’re tired, and your phone is in your hand. In less than five...
Rex McKee
Sep 154 min read


Stretching Your Meals: The Art of Cooking Once and Eating Twice.
If you’re like most people, you don’t have the time—or the energy—to cook a full meal every night. But here’s the good news: you don’t...
Rex McKee
Sep 82 min read


Always Broke? Here’s Why Eating Smart Matters
Don't complain about being "Broke" do something about it! We all know someone who always says, “I’m broke.”  The paycheck is gone before...
Rex McKee
Sep 52 min read


Break Free from Food Ruts: Why Creativity in the Kitchen Saves You Money (and Makes Life Tastier)
Creativity Makes Life Interesting If you walk through any grocery store today, you’ll see the same scene over and over: carts filled with...
Rex McKee
Aug 292 min read


Break Down a 10-lb Chicken Bag Like a Pro
How to portion, freeze, and plan 7+ meals from budget leg quarters If you’ve glanced at chicken prices lately, you’ve seen it: boneless...
Rex McKee
Aug 273 min read


Waste Less, Eat More: Turning Leftovers into Savings
Leftovers can be a life saver! When it comes to stretching your grocery dollar, leftovers might be the most underrated tool in your...
Rex McKee
Aug 253 min read


Why Some People Save on Food — and Others Don’t (Even When They Should)
Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see it: one shopper carefully comparing prices, pulling out coupons, and putting back items that...
Rex McKee
Aug 222 min read


Ditch the Cart Full of Convenience Foods — Shop Smarter, Eat Better, Spend Less
Everyone fills their carts up with convenience food. There is a better way. When I walk through the grocery store, I can’t help but...
Rex McKee
Aug 202 min read


Pantry Power: How Staple Ingredients Save Your Meals (and Your Budget)
Introduction We’ve all had that moment: you open the fridge, hoping for inspiration, only to find a couple of half-empty containers and...
Rex McKee
Aug 183 min read


From Scratch, Fast: Homemade Staples That Beat Store-Bought
Make Your Own. It will be less expensive, healthier and better tasting! Sometimes it’s not about cooking a full meal — it’s about having...
Rex McKee
Aug 152 min read


Kitchen Myths That Waste Your Time, Money, and Flavor
Kitchens are full of bad advice. Some of it’s been passed down for generations, some of it comes from TV chefs trying to look fancy, and...
Rex McKee
Aug 113 min read


Waste Less, Eat More: The Smart Way to Use Leftovers
Let’s be honest: leftovers get a bad rap.People treat them like second-class food — something to “tolerate” instead of something to use....
Rex McKee
Aug 83 min read


Fats: Unhealthy… Maybe. But That’s Where the Flavor Is
Somewhere along the way, fat became the villain of the kitchen. Blamed for everything from heart disease to tight jeans, it was pushed...
Rex McKee
Aug 53 min read


Waste Less, Eat More: The Smart Way to Use Leftovers and Reduce Food Waste
Food waste isn’t just a kitchen issue — it’s a wallet issue. When we toss out food, we’re throwing away money, time, and effort. And it’s...
Rex McKee
Aug 43 min read
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