Frugal Foodie Family

5 frugal substitutes for foodie ingredients.

Are you a foodie on a budget?

Here are 5 frugal substitutes for fancy ingredients.  Swap and save!

1.  Asiago for Parmesan. Subbing asiago cheese for parmesan can save you over double what you would pay for parmesan (typically around $5.99/lb vs. $11.99+/lb).  And for more savings, buy cheese whole and slice/grate it yourself instead of buying it pre-grated.
2.  Sweet savings!  Swap a Maple/Agave Blend for 100% Real Maple Syrup on your french toast, pancakes or yogurt and save 20-30%.
3. Firing up the bbq for grilled fish?  Making fish tacos?  Replace ahi tuna, tilapia or cod for mahi mahi and save 15-40%.  You can find ahi or cod for between $5-7/lb versus $8-12/lb for more expensive white fish.
4.  Let them eat beef!  Go for chuck eye, flank or skirt steak instead of more expensive cuts and save dramatically!  A good marinade will be your friend as these cuts can be a bit more tough but on the grill, in your favorite Mexican dish or served over rice, these steaks will be a crowd-pleaser that will make your budget happy too.
5.  For quiches, tarts, pastas or casseroles, substitute swiss cheese for gruyere and save some dough without sacrificing flavor.  Gruyere can run upwards of $8 per pound, compared to $4-5 for Swiss.

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