You know how you can end up with little odds and ends in your kitchen? You make one meal and fragments of half the vegetables are left in your ‘fridge, often forgotten or worse, growing fuzzy. Half an onion, some garlic, a little bit of broccoli.

Right before a summer vacation can be the worst because if you go out for one meal, you have leftovers in your kitchen going to waste. Or, you get tempted to eat out, which isn’t good for your vacation fund or your gut!

This leftover situation happens in our household a lot; but I have a strict rule about not running to the grocery store until our cupboards are bare. On one specific occasion, we were getting ready to leave on vacation and I was determined to squeeze one last meal out of our odds-and-ends, saving that extra trip to the store.

So I pulled out everything on hand and made an incredible meal. I actually have several recipes that were total accidents, based on what was left in our pantry… and they’re now staples in our household!

Here’s a great idea for an easy-to-make recipe, but unlike one from a cookbook, you don’t go get the ingredients. Just use what you have around the house!

Side:
I took half an onion, broccoli, kale and garlic and sautéed it all together. There was some leftover quinoa in the pantry I cooked with almost half water and half butter. You could do this same recipe with rice or pasta! After it was cooked, throw the quinoa in with the sautéed veggies and voila!

Entrée:
Next I took still leftover chicken breasts and filleted, battered and cooked them up in some olive oil.

Salad:
I made a simple salad and finished it off with a sweet homemade dressing. The ingredients? Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of orange and some raw honey. SO EASY and so delicious. Add cracked pepper, sea salt or whatever seasonings you want and substitute with your leftovers in the ‘fridge and pantry fragments.

A little creativity in the kitchen can save you big bucks over time. The grocery store is one of the biggest money pits for people struggling to become financially independent. It’s so easy to justify and make an excuse, even if that food ends up furry or in the trash later.

My challenge to you this week is not to go to the grocery store! No excuses, no justifications. Eat out of your pantry for one whole week. Check out more of my personal tips and grocery list ideas to help you fatten your wallet.

Let me know below your tips for saving at the grocery store and still cooking like a millionaire! Hit Like and Share on today’s post to share these recipes with your friends, fellow chefs and family members.

If you’re looking for tips and strategies to save money, build wealth and decrease debt, join us on The Dani Johnson Show, where you can gain more inspiration to improve your life. You can find the show on your TV and radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right here on our website.

In great faith,

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