by: Beth Scott

Don't have the money to make delectable dishes?

Or just don't know the secrets of flavoring with spices and herbs, and making food stretch?

The former is not right no matter what your income is.

If you have the income to buy enough food to at least feed your family then your income is large enough to make whatever you feed them enjoyable, even if it's a vegetable dish.

Yes, with the right spices or herbs, and recipes, the children in your family will come to love vegetables. My family has several favorite veggie dishes, that our kids like so much they want seconds. And the main secret to them are the different spices we use.

These dishes range from ratatouille, eggplant parmigiani, to stewed tomatoes and stuffed zucchini.

Just as they do with vegetables; spices, herbs, and sweeteners are the secrets to making all foods delicious.

These three food miracle workers can be relatively inexpensive if you know where to look.

In most health food stores (and in select supermarkets in growing numbers) there is a wondrous invention called a BULK section.

I'm sure everyone knows what this is, but in case you don't I'll explain:

It's a section of a store that has all types of different flours, beans, cereals, spices, herbs, and much more.

Each of which are in separate containers or large plastic buckets with a scoop, that allows you to buy as much or as little as you want of what ever spices or other food they carry.

The store provides you with bags and twist ties, for your convenience.

Spices are an excellent example of how cheap it can be to shop in this section of the store. Most small jars of spices or herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc... cost any where from 2 dollars a bottle to 4.99 (which is technically 5 dollars a bottle).

In a bulk section you can buy these same spices, getting twice as much (or more) for less than a dollar or a little over.

Talk about savings! Herbs and all kinds of spices are much cheaper bought this way than paying the extravagant prices you are charged for a pre packaged bottle of the same spices.

Flour and other cooking and baking necessities are also much cheaper if bought in this section of the store.

Note: buying in a bulk section does not mean you have to buy a lot of everything! You could buy only one cup of flour in if you wanted to, or just one tablespoon of any spices or herbs.

Ideally you should shop around at whatever different stores in your area have this special section, and compare prices to make sure you're getting the cheapest price.

Bring a calculator to the store and be prepared to do a little brain work to figure it out.

Another money saving trick is to substitute ground turkey for ground beef in recipes. You might prefer the taste of beef but in terms of the money you save it will certainly taste heavenly to your budget.

You can spice up bland omelets, scrambled eggs, soups, meat patties and more with the correct spices, and herbs.

Here is a recipe for deliciously spicy eggs, that won't dent your wallet:

For scrambled eggs try using:

1/4 teaspoon thyme and pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano

3 eggs

Mix the eggs, spices, and herbs together in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat until very hot, then add your oil (preferably olive oil or coconut oil) to the pan. Wait a few seconds until the oil starts to smoke, then pour the eggs from your bowl into the pan.

Have a fork in your hand ready to scramble the eggs with, because they'll start cooking instantly. Scramble the eggs for 30 seconds to a minute. Then use a spatula to scoop them out onto a plate.

Do yourself a favor and follow these tips to start saving today, and still manage to cook delicious dishes.