Eating on a budget! (Needing YOUR foods!)

ElizabethOakes2

Black Bean Soup:
2 cans black beans
2 cups frozen corn
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
(If you have fresh spinach, arugula or kale, you can chop that up and toss it in, too!)
Simmer it for about an hour so all the flavors blend and the kale disappears. Or you can make it in the crockpot while you're at work.
season to taste with chili powder, black pepper, oregano, a little red pepper, whatever takes your fancy, really.

Makes plenty of leftovers that can be eaten off for lunches all week long. I like to eat it topped with a little nonfat yogurt to give it some creamy flavor. You can also top it with a little grated cheese or hot sauce.

kes840

I like this cookbook, available free online, called "Good and Cheap."

mkakids

my favorite meals for cheap.....

broccoli and polish sausage. cut up 1 polish sausage per person into coins. Fry i a pan with a bit of water until, heated through. dump in a bag or two of frozen broccoli. Top with a handful of shredded cheese.

Dinner for two....$2.12
Polish Sausage come in a pack of 12 for $3.99 at aldi - $0.33 each....$0.66
frozen broccoli - $1 a bag
Shredded cheese - $1.99 a bag (8oz, use 2 oz)...$0.50

Spaghetti primavera
Chop fresh veggies and saute until al dente (or use frozen)....peppers, onion, mushroom, zuchinni...whatever.
.5lb spaghetti
.5 jar marinara

Dinner for 2......$2 (can be cheaper if you shop sales)
16oz spaghetti...$1...$0.50
1 jar sauce....$1...$0.50
1 bag frozen veggies...$1

Ramen with eggs and veggies
1 package of ramen, 2 eggs, 1 cup chopped veggies

Dinner for 1....$1
package of ramen....$0.25
2 eggs....$0.25ttl
1 cup chopped veggies....$0.50



Save all your scraps of veggies and all bones to use in making stock and soup. Just toss the scraps in a bag in the freezer and when its full dump it in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for an hour or 2 and strain.


Try to use everything and not let it go bad (obvious, i know...but easier said than done).


Try to cut back in other areas that may come out of your grocery budget, so yu have more money for food. My fav tip for this is to use half. It can be applied to just about every aspect of your life.

If your used to using a full cap of laundry detergent...try using half. If you clothes come out as clean as before then try using 1/4 cap. If they don't come out as clean, try using 3/4 cap.

If your used to using a big glob of shampoo, try using a quarter or dime sized glob depending on how long your hair is.

Dilute hand soap and use it in a foaming dispenser to use less hand soap. You can do that with dish soap too!

Try cleaning with vinegar and water only. No need to buy expensive cleaners (or if you have to have a cleaner...try switching to a cheaper brand).

Do you usually just pull a long strip of tp out when in the bathroom? Betcha don't need as much as you unroll.

Don't buy paper plates, cups or cutlery. Just wash what you have at home.

Don't buy paper towels or napkins. Use rags. You can cut up old cotton clothes or buy a 12 pack of cheap washcloths at walmart for $4.

Don't wash your clothes if they aren't dirty. If you only wore it for an hour...do you really need to wash it? Just hang it back up and put it away. Same with cleaning rags....if you just wiped down a relatively clean counter, do you need to wash it? Or can you hang it on the sink to use again later?

Andrewcpimpin

A lot of venison. Bullets are cheap

mkakids

Oh...and buy in bulk and freeze if you see a good deal! Meats, bread, milk, cheese,and lots more all freeze very well!

ericGold15

I'll give you a target you can reach for, and certainly come close with planning, doing your own cooking, and some effort:

Figure you eat 1600 kCal a day
Basic grains, beans, and lentils cost about $1 and supply about 1600 kCal a pound.

So there you are: $1 a day
Add another $1 a day for seasonal fruit and vegetables, spices and whatever occasionally takes your fancy.

Notice: no cans, nothing boxed, nothing processed or pre-cooked.

ericGold15

Andrewcpimpin wrote: »

A lot of venison. Bullets are cheap

Until the *other* moron shoots you.

Acacia_Evers

Everyone has all these cheap stores around them. Sausages here are like 7-10 a pack, beans are nearly 1.75 a can, fruit is...out of the roof expensive here. I'm jealous of the people who can eat healthy for cheap. Not everyone gets those luxuries.

ericGold15

Walmart ?
Or just buy bulk foods over the internet. You do have postal delivery, right ?

pamelamrowe91

This post is great!
But what about meals for a family on a budget?

And, to make things more difficult... .. I have a super picky husband. I mean, barely any onions, no peppers, little tomatoes, no mushrooms.. hates broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes... Mexican foods can sometimes hurt his stomach and same thing with beans (we've learned to only eat these on the weekend so it doesn't affect his work days/nights).. and soups don't fill him up enough. He does love green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, chicken, fish, and beef.... But I get so bored and feel so limited on what I can make.... Any suggestions??
And we really don't have the budget (nor do I have the time) for me to always cook my own meals.

Queenmunchy

Acacia_Evers wrote: »

Everyone has all these cheap stores around them. Sausages here are like 7-10 a pack, beans are nearly 1.75 a can, fruit is...out of the roof expensive here. I'm jealous of the people who can eat healthy for cheap. Not everyone gets those luxuries.

That's rough! Are things like cabbage and ground meat very expensive? We pretty much mix up our own sausage patties and flash freeze because they're usually a little healthier and easy to do. Homemade broth, dried beans, rice, potatoes are super cheap here as are tuna, canned sardines, and even eggs.

Adah_m

Seriously, shop at aldi! Super cheap awesome produce, cheap meats and seafood too. I also like the sales at sprouts. I also hit up publix and combine their bogos with coupons and mix sales, store coupons, and manufacturer coupons. This week I got almost $150 worth of stuff and spent $40. Granted, you don't see coupons for produce but I cut my cost for laundry detergent, bath soap, shampoo, and other household and hygiene products extremely low and it opens up more of the budget to food. We also love soups and stew, and we buy dry bulk goods like rice, lentils, beans, etc. Lentil soup is a good healthy meal that costs about $2 to make a huge pot.

MKEgal

Here's a cookbook put together to help SNAP (food stamp) recipients make the most
of the small amount they're given. Yummy healthy recipes, great photography, a nice
departure from the usual bland government output.
(ETA: it's 89 pages, so give it some time to open.)

https://8e81c55f4ebf03323905b57bf395473796067508.googledrive.com/host/0B2A2SnkA9YgxaHdzbEhGSmJOZDg/good-and-cheap.pdf

MKEgal

Generally, eating lower on the food chain is less expensive,
and eating less processed food is less expensive.
Bonus, they're also both healthier.

mkakids

Acacia_Evers wrote: »

Everyone has all these cheap stores around them. Sausages here are like 7-10 a pack, beans are nearly 1.75 a can, fruit is...out of the roof expensive here. I'm jealous of the people who can eat healthy for cheap. Not everyone gets those luxuries.

Prices might be different....but usually (not always) when the cost of living is higher...the income is higher and roughly the same percentage of income is spent on food.

You just need to wander the store, try new stores....make a list of the cheapest foods you like and plan meals around that.

mkakids

pamelamrowe91 wrote: »

This post is great!
But what about meals for a family on a budget?

And, to make things more difficult... .. I have a super picky husband. I mean, barely any onions, no peppers, little tomatoes, no mushrooms.. hates broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes... Mexican foods can sometimes hurt his stomach and same thing with beans (we've learned to only eat these on the weekend so it doesn't affect his work days/nights).. and soups don't fill him up enough. He does love green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, chicken, fish, and beef.... But I get so bored and feel so limited on what I can make.... Any suggestions??
And we really don't have the budget (nor do I have the time) for me to always cook my own meals.

My husband eats beef, broccoli, canned green beans, potatoes, plain pasta and bread. No other meats (except chicken but no more than once a month). No other veggies. No butter. No cheese. No beans. Only banannas for fruit....but i think he had one 4-5 months ago? Thats it.

I cook for me and the kids. He often has cereal for dinner. Or a pb sandwich.

Queenmunchy

Aldi IS awesome but have you looked at any international or foreign markets (that sounds so weird) around you? I get the best duck and produce at an Asian grocery. One of other grocers sells the best beans and spices.

MKEgal

pamelamrowe wrote:

But what about meals for a family on a budget?
And we really don't have the budget (nor do I have the time) for me to always cook my own meals.

It's inexpensive to cook for yourself, especially compared to ordering pizza, or eating out, or buying packaged.
Spend a couple hours on prep, meal planning, etc. and you'll be set for a week.

The slow cooker is one of the best cooking tools ever! Use less-expensive cuts of meat, and they'll end up
falling-apart tender, plus dinner will be waiting for you when you get home from work. For quick cleanup,
discover the magic of roaster bags. Line the crock, throw the mess away.

For some good, simple, tested recipes (of all kinds) that are always good, try Taste of Home.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/
Hover over 'recipes' in the top menu bar. You can look at healthy, or slow cooker, or by ingredient.
Using their advanced search, go down to 'additional recipe preferences', then 'publication', then
"Simple and Delicious".

MKEgal

Andrewcpimpin wrote:

A lot of venison. Bullets are cheap

You haven't shopped for ammo recently, have you?
But yeah, the ammo is relatively cheap compared to the gun, hunting permit,
and if you want clothing reserved for hunting (maybe stored outdoors so it
doesn't smell of human), or any special tools.
Then there's having it processed, wrapped, and having a freezer to store it.
Amortize the initial investments over their lifetime and the cost is reasonable,
but there is a sizable up-front cost for someone new to hunting.

ericGold15

MKEgal wrote: »

The slow cooker is one of the best cooking tools ever!

Unfortunately, the slow cooking destroys a lot of nutritional value along the way, in particular the vitamins. Pressure cookers are a *much* better tool.

My family eats a lot of lentils, beans and dry peas. The pressure cooker is wonderful, and doubly so because we live at 6300 feet.