Mom’s Money

Grilling Out Is Fun And Can Save You Money This Summer

Is your grill collecting cobwebs?  Does the thought of firing up the grill leave you feeling a bit nervous or troubled?  If you knew grilling could save you a few dollars this summer would you pick yourself up by the bootstraps, haul that grill out, and reacquaint yourself with your grill?

There are a couple of schools of thought here.  Whether you have a gas grill or a charcoal grill, it doesn’t really matter.  You have a super-hot cooking machine at your disposal that does not heat up your house!  And, if you are running an air conditioner, you know what that means.  So, any time you can cook outside is a good time.  In other words, the number two reason many folks cook on a grill most of the summer is to avoid heating up their house.  What’s the number one reason?  It tastes good.

But, besides reducing the pressure on your poor air conditioning unit to keep your house cool, how does grilling out save money?  Your hot grill will pump out a whole lot of heat, even after you are done using it.  You can use that heat for several meals, not just one.  First of all, while you’re grilling, use the room around your meal for extra food, like baked potatoes.  Then, even after you shut the gas off, or close the vents on your charcoal grill, you still have a hot oven for a long time.

What many frugal grillers suggest is that you have something ready to put inside your grill to cook that you don’t have to watch.  This would be something that could cook at a lower heat, as the grill will cool down as time goes by.  This is the perfect opportunity to make up something for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner;  something that could be eaten cold the next day or just warmed up slightly.

For instance, surround your barbecued ribs with enough foil wrapped potatoes so that you have extras to cut up for potato salad the next day.  Put extra corn on the grill so you’ll be able to cut the kernels off for corn chowder or salad.  When you take your ribs off the grill and shut it down, slip a couple fish fillets wrapped in foil on the grill.  By the time you finish your dinner, your fish will have steamed nicely in their foil and will be ready for a salad for tomorrow’s lunch.

There are many grilled meals that require a super hot grill, as much as 450 to 500 degrees.  You wouldn’t dream of using your inside oven at that temperature for one or two pieces of chicken, now would you?  You most likely would never want to heat your oven to that temperature on a hot summer’s night either.  So, using your grill makes perfect sense as a way to save money and cook frugal meals.

Go ahead, give it a try.  Besides keeping your house cool, providing great meals, and cooking extra food frugally, cooking outside is just plain fun!