Cooking big today, whether it’s a slow-roasted pork shoulder or a baked ham, means I’ve already cooked (and paid for) my main-dish protein for another day. When I serve up Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken Udon Soup —both of which are the delectable spinoffs of an original roast chicken meal—I get the rush of feeling I’ve gotten something for nothing. Having some cooked meat or a prepped dish stashed away in the freezer is really like finding a hidden treasure.

These main courses offer up brand-new meals to serve later in the week or stash in the freezer. Cook the Big Bang on day 1, then relay the leftovers into a whole series of main-dish spinoffs. Having an extra freezer in the house comes in handy for this kind of cooking, not just for stashing the leftovers, but also for stocking up when good deals hit your markets on turkeys or roasts.

This brings us back to the “free meals a day” concept. Whether you’re storing an uncooked roast, portioned cooked meat, or a completely prepped dish, you will already have covered the bulk of that meal’s cost. Just add a few veggies, herbs, or sides and you have a real meal deal.

1. Hit the pantry before you rev your engine.
It’s amazing how much I save just by taking a quick peek in my pantry and fridge before heading to the store. Building meals around what you already have and what should be cooked or eaten before its pull date makes sense and saves money. Don’t forget to check your freezer, too; frozen foods don’t last indefinitely and should be used and rotated regularly.

2. Shop in bulk.
When I see a good deal, or better yet, a sale, you can bet that I’m going to stock up! Warehouse stores offer great deals on bulk-packed items, as do regular grocery stores and even natural food and health food stores. The latter have fantastic prices on items such as grains and beans, so shop ’em all.

3. Cook big.
I often cook a pork shoulder or roast a turkey for dinner and then freeze the leftovers for another day. From big batches of sauces to a meatball mixture that becomes burgers, kebabs, and meatloaf, cooking in bulk saves money and time.

4. Have some switch-hitters in your lineup.
Knowing when you can use a substitute and having a mental list of alternatives makes good common sense. It allows you to take advantage of deals and sales, or to opt out of buying an item on your shopping list if it turns out to be overpriced.  And keep in mind that it is often possible to simply omit an ingredient if you can’t find it or it is simply too costly.

5. Learn to love your leftovers.
I am constantly reinventing my leftovers and turning them into snacks, lunches, or completely new dishes altogether. Leftover roasted vegetables, rice, meat, beans, and even soup can be rehashed in countless ways to create new meals from what you already have in the fridge.

6. Don’t cut out, cut back.
There are few things I enjoy more than a thick, juicy steak. Instead of shelling out big bucks on a pricey porterhouse, I turn to cheaper cuts, such as flank steak, which is incredibly flavorful and satisfying. I also stretch a pound of steak to feed many people by serving it wrapped in lettuce leaves or tortillas, or as an open-faced sandwich. If nothing else will do except for a big, juicy steak , then I’ll budget it in, and plan less-luxe meals for the rest of the week.

7. Try new things.
Opening up your world to new recipes and flavors increases the options you have for dinner while making your kitchen a more exciting place to be. When you make cooking fun, it becomes an activity the whole family will enjoy from start to finish.

Pantry dishes are easy to make because they rely on everyday ingredients as a starting point. Inexpensive building blocks such as flour, rice, beans, and even canned tuna become your kitchen superheroes: Just when you find yourself scratching your head wondering what to make for dinner, they swoop in at the nick of time to help you get food on the table no matter what you have in the fridge.

There are other ways the pantry can save you money, too. When my kids bring friends over after school, the first thing they do is open the cupboards and scrounge around for snacks. Nine times out of ten I’ll hear their friends complain “there’s nothing to eat in here!” because I don’t keep chips, candy, and other “snack” foods in the house. Besides being unhealthy, these foods are extremely expensive. Fortunately, my kids love to prove their friends wrong by showing them there are all kinds of things to eat—they just have to add heat.