10 things never to buy and 5 things that are worth buying.

Ready made on a strict budget is usually a bad thing,  

Ten things never to buy

1. Salad kits .   It's so easy to put a quick salad together.  
2. Microwave popcorn---how many ways can we spell nasty!   Air popped popcorn is a lot cheaper and healthier.   
3. Cookies -   Easy and inexpensive to make 
4. Salad dressings - you can  control the type of oil ( not hydrogenated ) and cut costs too.
5. Bread crumbs, : why pay for  someone else's dry bread.   
6. Spice Mixes - easy, Peasy and a lot cheaper.   
7. Croutons - the dry  bread again 
8. Ready made tea. -- tea is really cheap.   Why pay ten  times the amount for a little work.   
9. Pizza crust - another simple , easy recipe that's so much better,    
10. Refried beans- simple recipe, better nutrition, no oil.    

Five things to buy 

1. Tortillas 
2. Tortilla chips. 
3. Pasta sauce : with coupons and sales, it's cheaper than scratch 
4. Salsa - unless you can grow your own, tomatoes cost more than the ready made.  
5. Pasta   You can find good pasta , some with double fiber and  pronto for anywhere between .38 and .75 a pound,     It's not worth the effort to make it scratch,