Invest in a Deep Fryer

Word spreads fast in an RV park of 18 lots and it wasn't long before all of our neighbors had heard that we didn't have propane tanks, a microwave or really anything to cook with. We really had only lived in our little RV for two days and hadn't had a chance to purchase these items yet. One of our neighbors stopped by and asked if we wanted some old cooking appliances she was going to donate to a thrift store. Beggars can't be choosers and we definitely weren't picky so we were more than happy to accept the gift.

What she brought us then was a griddle (Like a big stove top) and a deep fryer. These were beyond wonderful and were a huge key in us living in the RV park to this day without the purchase of propane tanks. ($17 is a lot when rent is double the amount you make in two weeks)

Now after using a Deep Fryer for 80% of my meals since, I firmly believe every family on a low budget needs to invest in one. (Seriously, they're like $10 at your local Goodwill) The AMAZING thing about Deep Fryers is that you can deep fry almost ANYTHING. I'll find things in my fridge and wonder, "Huh... Bet I can deep fry this." and usually it turns into a quick and tasty meal.

Go out and buy yourself a bag of potatoes for less than two dollars, cut them up (Thin or Thick) and you have french fries and chips for the rest of the month! Tonight I was looking around my small kitchen for something to make for dinner when I spied a $2.59 package of discounted pork strips. A little more searching returned a bag of nearly expired crackers and then an idea popped in my head.

I crushed the crackers into a bowl until it was a fine powder, sprinkled some seasoning into the mix, breaded my strips of pork and had Pork Strips and French Fries for dinner. The entire meal took me about 15 minutes to make and fed both me and my boyfriend. Total cost of the meal? Less than $3.00!!

So if you haven't already, you are truly missing out on the most useful tool any broke blogger could have! (Or really anyone on a tight budget)