The Wonders of Slow Cooking

Brief Background:

I work long hours at work. I also work second shift, which is 3p-11p. So, naturally, I leave home around 2p, arrive a few minutes early, and often have to stay late because things just don't go right. Half the time I don't take full hour dinner breaks, and when I actually take time, I hit up some form of Panda Express or soup kitchen. I'm generally hungry when I get back and at midnight, one does not usually feel like cooking anything.

Well, that all changed when I decided to buy a Crock Pot.

Today's Money Saving Tip? I made my first pot roast and, for anyone interested, here's how I did it. 

Ingredients Required:

• Crock Pot ($14.98 at Walmart, which lasts YEARS)
• 1.25 lbs of pot roast ($8) or 1.25 lbs of rump roast ($3.50)
• One can of condensed cream of mushroom soup ($0.99)
• 0.5oz of dried onion soup mix (optional), comes in 1oz packets, four to a box. ($2.49 for a box of four 1oz packets)
• Frozen vegetables (again, optional, but they're really good) ($1.99 for a large bag, 2 recipes)
• 1.5 cups of water (something like $0.005/gallon) 

Servings:

• For me? 3ish. If I'm really hungry? 2.

Average Price per Serving:

• Cheap. Around $1.93

Notes before we start:

• With the water, I measured it with dry measuring cups, so take that into consideration if you're anal-retentive. 
• The Crock Pot says that its important to have the Crock Pot at least half full, so be sure to adjust your recipe accordingly.

How To:

• Dump the water, soup, dry soup mix, and vegetables in the Crock Pot.
• Stir until the condensed soup doesn't look like a blob of fat tissue.
• Trim any fat off of the roast. Seriously, don't eat that crap.
• Rinse off the roast. E. Coli is dangerous, I hear.
• Put the chunk of meat in the middle of the nasty looking crap. Cover it completely with said mixture.
• Turn Crock Pot on LOW setting, cover with lid, and let it sit there for a good 10 hours.

Finally:

• Eat. It's delicious and makes its own gravy. 1.25 pounds is enough meat to fill me up and give me two Zip Lock containers for work. Leave them in the fridge after cooling and consume before it tastes bad. 

Panda Express Dinner: $8.35 with drink
Crock Pot Dinner: $2.50 with  drink (see drink money saving tips here!)

Average Savings: $5.85/meal = $58.50 after 10 meals.

Your mileage may vary.