THE Cheapest meal ideas

hbunting86

OK embarrassing but true... I'm totally broke. Not just 'a little bit short of cash' but bones of my *kitten* kind of broke - i.e. I have 80p in the world and no overdraft.

I need to find a way to eat for the next few weeks and I just have no clue how to do it! I was wondering if anyone had been in the same position before, and if so what they managed to live on. I'm not saying I've been rich in the past but I've always been in a position to be able to eat well, if not extravagantly so (which to be honest doesn't bother me at all).

I'm hoping to hear back from a job I was interviewed for yesterday and have another interview today - but still there would be a gap before I earn any kind of money. I've tried cutting down to eating once per day, but then I just end up hungry and miserable! Also not being able to eat gluten makes matters a bit harder, as the pasta which is gluten free is about 4 times more expensive than the home brand regular stuff!

Thanks - a miserable me

seltzermint555

Embarrassingly, I have no idea how much 80p is.

I've been dead broke before too and I usually wound up eating a lot of things like rice, beans, eggs, and just putting in veggies, cheese and/or meat very very sparingly to flavor the staples. Spices help too.

I know you may not have a ton of stuff in the house but I kind of view that as a challenge, personally. When I have just a smattering of random food items I'll occasionally try to see how long I can make it without buying groceries and just being creative with whatever odd stuff I have. Fortunately my fiance is cool with this too, and we wind up discovering weird new things like savory oatmeal with green onions and Sriracha.

Also breakfast can be quite cheap to cook for any time of day. I know gluten is an issue for you so this won't really apply but I've made a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread last for quite awhile in various arrangements...egg and toast, French toast, egg salad sandwich...

Do tortilla chips have gluten? I'm clueless....sorry. Tortilla chips aren't healthy, I know, but I like to make nachos in the oven with just a little bit of whatever I've got around...onions, small amount of cheese, tomatoes or salsa...when they're broiled with a bit of melty cheese on them, chips somehow seem a lot more filling and more of a meal. It also takes fewer to satisfy me than if I were just dipping them in salsa right out of the bag. Say, 10 chips versus 15 or more.

Honestly being single and/or on a strict budget, my biggest saving grace in the past (and even now) has been the fact that I do not mind eating the same meals over and over for several days in a row. It can be a lot cheaper to do that than to have something different every day. I'm also more likely to buy something a tiny bit expensive (feta cheese, butternut squash, etc) if I know it's going into 3-4 meals and not just used for one dish.

Good luck to you. I know it sucks being "poor" but you'll move past it I am sure.

fairie_marie

Hi there! Eggs are a poor mans friend they are cheap and great protien. ALso try lentel soup.. Just put in lentals, veggie or beef broth and what ever veggies ( maybe a bag of frozen mixed veggies?) and let it cook for a few hours in the crock pot or on low on the stove. If it is just you, then this could stretch for a few days. and maybe be under $5 for the whole pot.

DizzyLinds

Oats,
Batches of chilli/bolognaise
Eggs
Rice
Pasta
Frozen veg
Cheese
Milk
A whole chicken can be cooked and used a few times.

carrietehbear

Income wise: I would be taking any type of job that you could part time to supplement your income. I would also see if you could qualify for temporary assistance from the gov't for food stamp like programs.

Food wise: Do you have any stores like Aldi's or Save a Lot? Aldi's is really cheap and has their own "Fit & Active" brand. Save a Lot is also really cheap. Eggs for breakfast. Soups are really cheap to make per serving and can last several meals. I would also check out local churches for food pantries.

iamthecatsass

ARe vegetables cheap where you are?
If so use them to fill up.
dried beans and lentils are cheap. Just soak the beans over night.
I have been in dire poverty so I know how it feels.
A can of stewing tomatoes with some veg and beans or lentil is nice over rice, add curry.
Tofu even.
I stay away from meats when low on cash.
Frozen veg is often cheaper than fresh, here at least and better quality than imported fresh stuff.

dlw1464

I feel your pain.......

seltzermint555

Income wise: I would be taking any type of job that you could part time to supplement your income. I would also see if you could qualify for temporary assistance from the gov't for food stamp like programs.

Food wise: Do you have any stores like Aldi's or Save a Lot? Aldi's is really cheap and has their own "Fit & Active" brand. Save a Lot is also really cheap. Eggs for breakfast. Soups are really cheap to make per serving and can last several meals. I would also check out local churches for food pantries.

This post annoys me because A) Aldi, not "Aldi's" (petty I know) and I think the OP is in the UK, but in the USA you basically can't get food stamps as a single person. I tried once, many years ago when I lost my job due to the store I worked in closing down. I was basically laughed at. The rule then was something like as a single person you could not have earned over $400 in the last 12 weeks. Of course I had! According to my friend who works in the social assistance field things have not changed for singletons whatsoever...

Edited to add: Ok, so that was kind of snotty. Sorry. And yes ALDI is awesome. They do have it in the UK (not sure about the OP's region). I shop there for about 80% of my groceries and they're cheap and fantastic!

Chadomaniac

Instant noodles + Tuna

Breaking_Flab

Hi

I have been where you are!

I would buy some "value" products as they are much cheaper, and get creative! I know value meat and eggs aren't ethically brilliant- so if this offends your beliefs then stick to the grains/pulses etc...

Buy some value garlic powder, chilli flakes, curry powder, stock cubes- these are your friend for making food tastier on a budget!

Here's a few tasty but cheap meal ideas:

Biriyani- Rice+curry powder+ garlic+ chillis. add whatever veggies you like or can afford but I like spinach & aubergine. If you can add chicken or fish too- bonus!

Risotto- make using value rice, value stock, garlic, value cream cheese and whatever you like- I reccomend roasted butternut squash (In season!) or mushrooms.

Chickpea & Veggie curry

Lentil Daal/Dahl- google it, very cheap & easy and you can blend up leftovers to make lentil soup.

Eggs- scrambled eggs on toast, veggie frittatas, spanish omlette.

Tortilla wraps- can use to make tortilla pizzas, wraps, tortilla bake (using the tortillas in place of pasta). I make a nice enchiladas using broccoli mashed into low fat cream cheese, garlic, roasted green chillis, a little stock and stuffed, rolled and topped with low fat sour cream and a little grated cheddar.

latenitelucy

poorgirleatswell.com

She is awesome

nikkylyn

Crockpot surprise...lol.

Whatever u got throw in crockpot with some spices. I usually do chicken or beef rice or potatoes some veggies. Sometimes canned tomatoes beans whatever. U can freeze leftovers eat it all week. My family if 5 would have leftovers for a few days. Experiment.

Jacob_Whittle

Hot pot ...budget style

slice + boil a kg of potatoes with a stock cube
add some carrots/onions whatever else you have
add a tin of corned beef

simmer untill your too hungry to wait anymore

eat with crusts of bread

costs about £2 for around 8 portions of 200cals (not inc. the bread)

Jacob_Whittle

also im assuming your in uk

...http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/

knarr88

I assume as you have 80p you are in England! Own brand baked beans like basics or tesco value, own brand noodles, tinned veg. Go for own brand food! My onion yesterday cost 11p and a carrot is about the same!

amybrauch

Peanut butter sandwiches. Cheap & filling

Corjogo

Maybe you could work a few hours cleaning house, yard, windows, babysit, shop for someone who is home-bound (get creative)...for a few pennies to get you through or maybe only a meal (you could even cook it) I have shopped day-old breads, mark down veggies/fruits (a bit more work to prep - but allows for some variety), dented cans (safe as long as they are not bulging and eaten tons of legumes. Been there more than once...good luck in getting the job!

castadiva

Definitely worth looking for Food banks in your area if you need emergency assistance in the short term - often, but not always, associated with churches. Other than that, I'd echo what others have said - basics/value-range starches, cheese, dairy etc, tinned pulses, frozen or tinned veg if cheaper than fresh, eggs, and get to know when your local supermarket puts out its' 'reduced to sell' products, usually at the end of the day. And, as the poster above me said, are there any cash-in-hand jobs you could do nearby as a short-term 'fix' for your cashflow?

aNewYear123

Potatoes, rice. When I was broke I ate a LOT of spaghetti. A box of noodles and can of sauce can go a long way for one person.

LoraF83

80 pounds right? For the Americans, that's about $128.00.

I would suggest

Eggs
Rice
Beans (dry, not canned....make your own)
Canned/frozen veggies (whatever's on sale)
Instant noodles - Ramen
Oatmeal (add some cinnamon and brown sugar)

Breaking_Flab

80 pounds right? For the Americans, that's about $128.00.

I would suggest

Eggs
Rice
Beans (dry, not canned....make your own)
Canned/frozen veggies (whatever's on sale)
Instant noodles - Ramen
Oatmeal (add some cinnamon and brown sugar)

I think she means 80 pence, which is about $1.28

bcattoes

Gluten free pasta - look in the international foods section of your grocery or Asian market if you have one for rice noodles. The cheaper brands may not be labelled 'gluten free', but rice is naturally gluten free and rice noodles just as cheap or cheaper than regular pasta. Just check the ingredients to be sure rice is the only grain included.

Beans and rice are both super cheap and gluten free, and coincidentally, taste awesome together. Toss in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or frozen greens.

Eggs are a cheap source of protein. Canned tuna is usually fairly cheap too.

mslisatm

Wow, all of these ideas are awesome! You have covered what I would suggest, dry beans, a whole chicken garlic and onions go a long way as well as eggs. Its tough, I know! I lived off ramen for a summer. Not healthy mentally or physically!

Andreaviolet89

As a college student, I have learned how to eat on a budget. I dont know what prices are like where you are but grocery shopping at Walmart helps save a ton of money. Heads of iceberg lettuce and bananas are cheap. Also a huge bag of rice to be the base of most of your meals for a while. Canned tuna, beans and frozen veggies are cheap also. Good luck and try to take any job you can for a while. Many times you can atleast get some free coffee out of the day.

seltzermint555

This might sound like a silly thing to some...but what about letting a few of your nearest and dearest friends/family know that you're a bit broke at the moment and would love to join them for a meal?

I did that when I was in college and my workplace closed down (until I could find other work)...ate 2-3 dinners per week at my best friend's house or my mom's house. They didn't mind at all.

Honestly if someone I knew was broke I'd rather feed them than give them cash or a loan. I think many people feel similarly, even if they don't have a lot of money they may not mind you coming and having a portion of their dinner with them.

St_Paul

Rice, bags of dried beans, eggs, and sometimes day-old bread (cheaper), and whatever veg or fruits are on sale. Lots you can do.

_noob_

Ramen...bowl...water...microwave...BOOM

gonnamakeanewaccount

Ramen
Rice and beans
Frozen vegetables
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Pasta
Canned tuna
Oatmeal

hbunting86

Thanks for the ideas... I'm working my way through the cupboard and it's pretty bare!

SweetLilyR

http://agirlcalledjack.com

This woman is my freaking hero. She's a single mother living in poverty in the UK. Her writing is compelling and her recipes are all cheap and easy and based off what she could afford on the English version of food stamps and what she managed to get from food pantries. There may be some local stores (not chain stores) that might be persuaded to give you the day-old breads, older produce, and scratch & dent items for a reduced price or even for free. If you're starting to get desperate, look for a local "gleaner's guide" and start looking for "Freegan" groups. There may be places around where you live that open their gardens and farms to people to pick food for free.

There are always ways to earn money online - Swagbucks is how I pay for Christmas each year. Time spent online equals out to Amazon (and they have UK Amazon too) gift cards, which you can use to get some extra food online. Content writing isn't that lucrative but it's money you didn't have before and can be done from home. If you have internet, a phone and are willing to, being a phone companion is actually a lot of fun and can get you some cash fast. I don't recommend it if you aren't open and willing to talk about a wide range of topics. Lastly, I have a friend who is disabled and makes her income stretch by taking surveys and doing writing for Lionsbridge (not sure if it's available in the UK). Take it from someone who's been there - your pride is going to take some blows by asking for help from people and possibly by the work you do to get by...but it can be regained in the knowledge that you are doing EVERYTHING you can to keep you (and your family) afloat. And that's what's most important. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions....

777Gemma888

OK embarrassing but true... I'm totally broke. Not just 'a little bit short of cash' but bones of my *kitten* kind of broke - i.e. I have 80p in the world and no overdraft.

I need to find a way to eat for the next few weeks and I just have no clue how to do it! I was wondering if anyone had been in the same position before, and if so what they managed to live on. I'm not saying I've been rich in the past but I've always been in a position to be able to eat well, if not extravagantly so (which to be honest doesn't bother me at all).

I'm hoping to hear back from a job I was interviewed for yesterday and have another interview today - but still there would be a gap before I earn any kind of money. I've tried cutting down to eating once per day, but then I just end up hungry and miserable! Also not being able to eat gluten makes matters a bit harder, as the pasta which is gluten free is about 4 times more expensive than the home brand regular stuff!

Thanks - a miserable me

The last time you were on, you shared you were residing in NZ. From that loc stat, I would suggest you find Anglican Churches in NZ where Nuns serve. As a teenager, I was a Novice-in-training, so I did participate with forms of assistance directed at Young Professionals, Young Families, the Struggling Students and the Elderly, who'd oftentimes found it difficult to put a meal on the table, a day. The Anglican Sisters in NZ have an arm, which caters specifically to feeding (which is one meal), usually at lunchtime and on Sunday it's a big brunch. For the week, if you call-in, you should be able to get some groceries. NZ being NZ with a large population of Anglican Business Community in the Food Industry, you'll get a lot of packaged Watties, canned tuna and the like. If you are in Britain, then I would suggest, the Catholic ~ The Assumption Order. Good luck!!