Who doesn't love a hot, fluffy loaf of bread, fresh from the oven, drenched in salted butter, so tender it nearly melts in your mouth? The store-bought stuff in those cellophane bags doesn't even seem like the same species of food once you grow accustomed to delicious, fresh-baked bread. But, to buy it from a bakery can be costly and to make it from scratch can be time-consuming.

My pro-tip for weekly fresh-baked bread on a dime? A bread machine can save you both time and money and can be a real boon for frugal foodies. I claim I'm not a kitchen gadget person, but my bread machine, crock pot, and air fryer get a whole lot of use.

When I was in Europe the last time around, most meals were served with a slice or two of freshly made bread. I noticed that the stores had the cellophane bags, but they don't call it bread. The bags were labeled "toast" as Europeans are pretty picky about their baked goods and wouldn't dream of aligning the two products. After spending the better part of the year with all the decadent bakery items a bread-lover could want, I tend to agree.