What can I get for $1?

Gentyl

What does $1 look like?
12 oz soda pop = 180 calories
McChicken sandwich = 360 calories
A bag of beans, makes about 6 cups, one cup cooked = 150 calories
Can't get steak or much veggies or fruits with $1

Our bodies are programmed to get the most calories at the least amount of work. And with such a low budget for food, we would rather get the soda or sandwich. No wonder we are overeating but starving ourselves to death. We get a ton of calories without much nutrients. What do you think?

And This is the reason poor people are obese. It's not their fault. They need calories to survive. They cannot survive on a head of lettuce or a can of chicken. High carb/ high sugar meals go further. They are Not overeating.

ErinShannon

You can get
A head of lettuce and a cucumber
A bag of salad
Two cans of vegetables (or one giant can)
One can of fruit
A pack of turkey hot dogs
A can of beans (or a whole bag of dried beans)
A bag of rice
A can of tuna
A can of chicken
Seasonings
A bag of frozen vegetables

For a few more calories you can get
A loaf of bread
A few packs of ramen noodles
Two single serve packs of lunch meat
Regular hot dogs
Crackers

I'm sure there's more if I thought about it, but these are pretty much staples on my grocery list.

I live in Northern Maine near the Canadian border and can honestly say that I can't get half of these items for $1.00 each. A single cucumber alone is .89 cents at my Walmart.

I pay on average $1.49 per small avocado. I paid $2.49 per pomegranate last week. Head of lettuce was almost $2.50. I can't get a bag of lettuce for under $2.99. I paid $4.99 for a bag of apples. My grapes the other day were $9.00 (And I should note this is all regular produce - nothing organic)

That said, we do eat healthy but it is most definitely not cheap to do everywhere. We make sacrifices in other areas to be able to eat healthy.

bcattoes

You can get
A head of lettuce and a cucumber
A bag of salad
Two cans of vegetables (or one giant can)
One can of fruit
A pack of turkey hot dogs
A can of beans (or a whole bag of dried beans)
A bag of rice
A can of tuna
A can of chicken
Seasonings
A bag of frozen vegetables

For a few more calories you can get
A loaf of bread
A few packs of ramen noodles
Two single serve packs of lunch meat
Regular hot dogs
Crackers

I'm sure there's more if I thought about it, but these are pretty much staples on my grocery list.

Wow! Where I live only 2 of those items could be had for $1 (bag/can of beans and ramen noodles). A few small seasonings, maybe and a couple others occasionally on sale or with a really good coupon.

Hearts_2015

You can get
A head of lettuce and a cucumber
A bag of salad
Two cans of vegetables (or one giant can)
One can of fruit
A pack of turkey hot dogs
A can of beans (or a whole bag of dried beans)
A bag of rice
A can of tuna
A can of chicken
Seasonings
A bag of frozen vegetables

For a few more calories you can get
A loaf of bread
A few packs of ramen noodles
Two single serve packs of lunch meat
Regular hot dogs
Crackers

I'm sure there's more if I thought about it, but these are pretty much staples on my grocery list.

Where do you live!! I'm kind of jealous! Here, a pack of turkey hotdogs is about $4 (the buns for them are $3), a head of lettuce is about $3, and a loaf of bread is $3. In fact, the only thing I could buy on your list is the ramen noodles! Sometimes, cans of soup go on sale here for a dollar. Sometimes. I am green with envy, lol!

About the only thing you can buy here for a dollar is... a single apple or orange maybe?

Dude you need to find an Aldi's near you if you can. They have most of this and more for under a buck.

or a Dollar Store... or a Trader Joe's.. TJ's has bananas 5/$1.00

Eating healthy is not cheap but it can be done. The browning lettuce is usually on sale. Loaf bread here, 2.50 for the cheap stuff. pack of 6 bonless skinless chicken 31.00$! 2 litres of white milk, 4.08 chicken hot dog .99 lol but id rather eat nothing than chicken hot dogs lol

Personally I find eating healthy far less expensive than eating processed food. fresh chicken is less costly than canned as it will go much further. Frozen veggies are on sale here now for $.69 much cheaper than canned veggies with high sodium content.

I've found for myself it's where you shop and how you shop and more important than anything pre-planning your meals, making them ahead of time in bulk and then freezing portions.

We all have our own ways... this is discussion that comes up on MFP so often, it is interesting to see others responses. Check the archives for even more idea on how to eat low cost but healthy!:drinker:

AllTehBeers

You bought the whole bag for $1 (I get a one pound bag of beans for 68 cents) but you're only listing the nutritional content for one serving. If you get 6 cups of beans out of the bag then you are actually getting 900 calories for that dollar.

This weekend I bought zucchine for 99 cents/pound, apples for 99 cents/pound, bell peppers 3 for a dollar, rice for 89 cents/pound, pinto beans for 68 cents/pound, a bag of frozen broccoli for $1.25, frozen whole green beans for 96 cents.

I get tired of this propaganda that it costs too much to eat healthy and that fast food is the only way for poor people to eat. It's utter bullsh!t. People eat nothing but crap because they are too lazy to turn on a stove - and I believe there is room in a healthy diet for fast food, pizza and cheetos.

Edit to remove my three carts full of cheesy poofs and honey buns on food stamps rant.

That really depends on where you live. Bell peppers were on sale for $1.25/ea here, apples generally don't go below $1.79/lb, a bag of beans are rarely less than a dollar, rice is generally about $1.50/lb. I was so excited when fresh broccoli was down to $.99/lb. It's normally twice that here.
You can't look at your store prices and apply it to the whole country. Produce is generally more expensive in urban areas and even that varies greatly based on region.

I think it was more of a statement on lazyness. The beans, rice and peppers would make more then one meal and still cost less then a single meal at mcdonalds. Obviously, not every store is the exact same price, but in general, you can always buy more groceries then big macs with $5

bcattoes

What does $1 look like?
12 oz soda pop = 180 calories
McChicken sandwich = 360 calories
A bag of beans, makes about 6 cups, one cup cooked = 150 calories
Can't get steak or much veggies or fruits with $1

Our bodies are programmed to get the most calories at the least amount of work. And with such a low budget for food, we would rather get the soda or sandwich. No wonder we are overeating but starving ourselves to death. We get a ton of calories without much nutrients. What do you think?

And This is the reason poor people are obese. It's not their fault. They need calories to survive. They cannot survive on a head of lettuce or a can of chicken. High carb/ high sugar meals go further. They are Not overeating.

FALSE!! Whatever they chose to eat, if they are fat, they ate more calories then need to survive. Except for a few rare medical conditions, the only way to get fat is to eat more calories than your body uses.

AllTehBeers

I live in Northern Maine near the Canadian border and can honestly say that I can't get half of these items for $1.00 each. A single cucumber alone is .89 cents at my Walmart.

I pay on average $1.49 per small avocado. I paid $2.49 per pomegranate last week. Head of lettuce was almost $2.50. I can't get a bag of lettuce for under $2.99. I paid $4.99 for a bag of apples. My grapes the other day were $9.00 (And I should note this is all regular produce - nothing organic)

That said, we do eat healthy but it is most definitely not cheap to do everywhere. We make sacrifices in other areas to be able to eat healthy.

This was a list of things I can get for a dollar. I bet if you were to look around your store you could find things I couldn't get for a dollar either.

The general sentiment is that there ARE things you can get on a tight budget that is not a $1 menu item from mcdonalds.

sjohnny

What does $1 look like?
12 oz soda pop = 180 calories
McChicken sandwich = 360 calories
A bag of beans, makes about 6 cups, one cup cooked = 150 calories
Can't get steak or much veggies or fruits with $1

Our bodies are programmed to get the most calories at the least amount of work. And with such a low budget for food, we would rather get the soda or sandwich. No wonder we are overeating but starving ourselves to death. We get a ton of calories without much nutrients. What do you think?

And This is the reason poor people are obese. It's not their fault. They need calories to survive. They cannot survive on a head of lettuce or a can of chicken. High carb/ high sugar meals go further. They are Not overeating.

Wrong. The only way you get fat is overeating (more calories in than used).

I regularly see morbidly obese people with morbidly obese children buying multiple cartloads of cokes, Little Debbies, cheesy poofs, pop tarts, etc and whippping out the food stamps to pay for them. They can buy the same stuff I listed above because they're shopping at the same store. When my sister had to go on food stamps for a short period of time after her deadbeat ex left her with a toddler to support she managed to feed herself and her son fresh meat and vegetables using the same food stamps I see others using to purchase nothing but junk.

Eating too much and too much crap and getting fat is a choice just like eating the proper amounts of nutrient dense foods and being fit is a choice.

BamBam125

I get tired of this propaganda that it costs too much to eat healthy and that fast food is the only way for poor people to eat. ... People eat nothing but crap because they are too lazy to turn on a stove - and I believe there is room in a healthy diet for fast food, pizza and cheetos.

It's probably not just cooking that turns people off, although that is part of it. I can pay $15 - 25 for a dinner featuring risotto at a restaurant, or for about $2 of ingredients and 20 minutes of time, I can cook enough risotto for 4-6 people. Shoot, even if I want steak I can do it cheaper at home. Hamburgers probably too.

PLANNING what to cook is the bigger issue for me. When I plan ahead, I don't mind cooking. Having a plan also leads to bulk purchases instead of singles. If it's 7pm and I'm hungry and I haven't made a plan ahead for what I ought to cook, I'm more likely to step out for restaurant food, even thought that takes just as much time or even more time than cooking something myself does! (Drive, get seated, order, wait for it to be cooked, eat, wait for the bill, wait for receipt, drive home). Even fast food takes time and it's not very satisfying.

On the other hand, if I plan on the weekend when I'm shopping for groceries that on Wednesday I will cook XYZ and I buy all the ingredients and have them sitting ready to go in my fridge, then I'm significantly more likely to stay put and cook when I get hungry Wednesday evening.

Case in point, OP says a 12oz soda costs $1. To me that sounds like an impulse purchase out of a vending machine or a check out line's mini fridge.

However, my local grocery store's current weekly sale flyer shows 8-12 pack assorted Pepsi products selling this week at 3 packs for $10. Now, I don't like Pepsi (in fact I generally don't drink soda, and when I do I prefer Coke products), but lets do the math. (After all, experience says that Coke will probably be on sale a week or two after the Pepsi--like always.)

Assuming we like the 12 pack flavor, that's 36 sodas of 12oz a piece for $10. So $0.28 a soda. Clearly OP overpaid for his soda because he didn't plan ahead. Had he bought his soda on sale and brought it with him to work instead of using the vending machine (which here would actually cost me $1.25) he could have had nearly 4 sodas for the price of one.

Say we only like the 8 pack flavor instead, that's 24 sodas of 12 oz a piece for $10. So $0.42 per soda. At that rate he still could have had 2 sodas for the price of his one.

The story is true of healthy food as well.

I don't know that it's a failure to cook that's the problem. I think it's a failure to plan ahead that's the problem. People tend to be short sighted about a lot of things. We don't tend to plan very well. We're impulsive instead.

AllTehBeers

I don't know that it's a failure to cook that's the problem. I think it's a failure to plan ahead that's the problem. People tend to be short sighted about a lot of things. We don't tend to plan very well.

If you buy all the stuff and don't cook it, it spoils. So eventually you'd have to cook it to get the benefits.

I know plenty of times I had some kind of meat and vegetables at home ready to cook but they went bad because I was too lazy to cook and went out to eat.

angelique_redhead

The grocery store that's local to us (IGA) has green pepper at 4/$1, red and yellow bell peppers at .99, boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.68/pound and leg and thigh quarters are regularly .79/pound and .39-69/pound on sale. This past weekend they also had up to 12 cans of corn, green beans, or mixed veggies on sale for .33 each. You would be AMAZED how many chicken nuggets or tenders I can make with the chicken. It doesn't leave me much TV time unless I'm on the treadmill though. :laugh:

BamBam125

If you buy all the stuff and don't cook it, it spoils. So eventually you'd have to cook it to get the benefits.

I know plenty of times I had some kind of meat and vegetables at home ready to cook but they went bad because I was too lazy to cook and went out to eat.

I've done that too sometimes. But now I've gotten better because I started trying to consider going out for food to be a hassle. If I can think of leaving as a hassle, then the lazy option is to stay home in my cozy pants and cook instead. It's a matter of perspective and instant gratification. It would take me 15 minutes to go out for fast food or I can stay put and cook something yummier in about 20min--without even missing my TV show or pausing my Netflix movie.

Likewise, if I write down my menu plan for the week, then I can see how often I've put off using those veggies and meat, so I can kick myself to use them before I waste money by letting them rot in the fridge. I just have to take a couple steps to make staying home and cooking the easier and lazier option. But if I don't PLAN to make it easy, then I'm noticeably more likely to go out.

cuterbee

Dude you need to find an Aldi's near you if you can. They have most of this and more for under a buck.

I quit going to Aldi's after they fired a cashier in Kansas City for giving up the contents of her register to a gunman. They seriously expected her to refuse and/or fight the guy off.

That's been many years ago now, I don't know if they've changed that policy or not.

bcattoes

If you buy all the stuff and don't cook it, it spoils. So eventually you'd have to cook it to get the benefits.

I know plenty of times I had some kind of meat and vegetables at home ready to cook but they went bad because I was too lazy to cook and went out to eat.

Sounds like you need to buy more frozen and non-perishables. Frozen thin white fish like tilapia, instant brown rice and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables can make a healthy delicious meal from box/freezer to table in about 15 min.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

AllTehBeers

If you buy all the stuff and don't cook it, it spoils. So eventually you'd have to cook it to get the benefits.

I know plenty of times I had some kind of meat and vegetables at home ready to cook but they went bad because I was too lazy to cook and went out to eat.

I've done that too sometimes. But now I've gotten better because I started trying to consider going out for food to be a hassle. If I can think of leaving as a hassle, then the lazy option is to stay home in my cozy pants and cook instead. It's a matter of perspective and instant gratification. It would take me 15 minutes to go out for fast food or I can stay put and cook something yummier in about 20min--without even missing my TV show or pausing my Netflix movie.

Likewise, if I write down my menu plan for the week, then I can see how often I've put off using those veggies and meat, so I can kick myself to use them before I waste money by letting them rot in the fridge. I just have to take a couple steps to make staying home and cooking the easier and lazier option. But if I don't PLAN to make it easy, then I'm noticeably more likely to go out.

Well, plus prep time plus doing all those darn dishes. I still eat sandwiches a lot just because I hate dishes lol

I think in the end it just comes down to if you want it or not. It took a while for me to break my bad habits so I understand both sides.

AllTehBeers

If you buy all the stuff and don't cook it, it spoils. So eventually you'd have to cook it to get the benefits.

I know plenty of times I had some kind of meat and vegetables at home ready to cook but they went bad because I was too lazy to cook and went out to eat.

Sounds like you need to buy more frozen and non-perishables. Frozen thin white fish like tilapia, instant brown rice and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables can make a healthy delicious meal from box/freezer to table in about 15 min.

I but a lot of canned food just for this reason. I live alone so if I don't eat it, it doesn't get eaten. I also only have a mini fridge so the only thing I keep in that is fish filets.

That example was when I was still with my ex and neither of us wanted to cook

TR0berts

You bought the whole bag for $1 (I get a one pound bag of beans for 68 cents) but you're only listing the nutritional content for one serving. If you get 6 cups of beans out of the bag then you are actually getting 900 calories for that dollar.

This weekend I bought zucchine for 99 cents/pound, apples for 99 cents/pound, bell peppers 3 for a dollar, rice for 89 cents/pound, pinto beans for 68 cents/pound, a bag of frozen broccoli for $1.25, frozen whole green beans for 96 cents.

I get tired of this propaganda that it costs too much to eat healthy and that fast food is the only way for poor people to eat. It's utter bullsh!t. People eat nothing but crap because they are too lazy to turn on a stove - and I believe there is room in a healthy diet for fast food, pizza and cheetos.

Edit to remove my three carts full of cheesy poofs and honey buns on food stamps rant.

I was going to point out the bean issue, so thanks for beating me to the punch!


And yes, when on sale - or in the reduced produce section - I can also find a lot of good deals on food. In fact, I tend to get a lot of my bananas there - where they're down to 29 cents/pound, as opposed to 59-79 cents/pound. In other words, 3 pounds of bananas for less than a buck. Frozen bananas in smoothies rule.

melmonroe

Advance meal planning with sale ingredients will get some $1 meals. Around my current residence, they have $1 sales on produce, canned meats and olives quite often. Brown rice and lentils, beans fixed in different is an excellent way to stretch things. If using white rice, always rinse rice well -- I've read that it contains high arsenic.

I almost forgot! You can sprout lentils to which makes them a veggie.

stephdeeable

McChickens are 1$? They're 5 dollars in Canada.

AllTehBeers

McChickens are 1$? They're 5 dollars in Canada.

Sheesh.

Here, you can catch a whole chicken in the park for free.

leahestey

The point of the beans was the process of making them edible. I soak them overnight. The next day, for me I have to slow cook them to get the right texture. So it takes me a day and a half to get the beans edible. And yes, I mentioned only one serving size for calories because the other meals are also one time meals. Who do you know can eat a pound of cooked beans? I usually have to throw out at least half of the beans because I am the only one willing to eat them. The only fruit that is under $1 here is bananas. The shelf life of fruits and veggies is short as well. You can let an unopened bag of chips sit out for months but only days for fruits and veggies.
I, personally, don't buy junk food. Maybe a gallon of ice cream once a month. I haven't bought a candy bar for 3 months.

Like I said, we are programmed to eat as many calories as we can in the least amount of work.

sjohnny

If I soak beans overnight I can have them done in a couple hours. If I don't it takes at least four. I make a pot most Sundays when I'm going to be home all day anyway. Put them on mid morning with a hamhock and some onions, garlic, various other seasonings and let them simmer all day long. MMMM beans. Then you fry bacon in a cast iron skillet and cook some chorizo in the bacon grease and put some of the beans in and mash them while they fry in the bacon grease and chorizo and when they're all mashed up you put them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.


mmmmmmmmmmm

wadedawg

How much for 1 rib?

Shayztar

$1 breakfast at Ikea. Super-filling, right on budget.

DeeDel32

You can get
A head of lettuce and a cucumber
A bag of salad
Two cans of vegetables (or one giant can)
One can of fruit
A pack of turkey hot dogs
A can of beans (or a whole bag of dried beans)
A bag of rice
A can of tuna
A can of chicken
Seasonings
A bag of frozen vegetables

For a few more calories you can get
A loaf of bread
A few packs of ramen noodles
Two single serve packs of lunch meat
Regular hot dogs
Crackers

I'm sure there's more if I thought about it, but these are pretty much staples on my grocery list.

Where do you live!! I'm kind of jealous! Here, a pack of turkey hotdogs is about $4 (the buns for them are $3), a head of lettuce is about $3, and a loaf of bread is $3. In fact, the only thing I could buy on your list is the ramen noodles! Sometimes, cans of soup go on sale here for a dollar. Sometimes. I am green with envy, lol!

About the only thing you can buy here for a dollar is... a single apple or orange maybe?

Totally jealous. A loaf of bread is close to $3. I can only get a bag of brand name frozen veggies for $1.99 when they are sale.

For a dollar, a can of soup if you catch a sale and ramen noodles. We're totally getting jipped up here.

bonniecarbs

Rachael0440 - I've never heard of such things for $1 except when I was a kid 100 years ago. You are very very luck to be able to buy those things for that price. wow. I can't get them that cheap at the dollar store. I'm jealous also.

bonniecarbs

Sjohnny had my slavia glands activate by that bean recipe

FunnyGirl613

I don't know where you live, but I live in Brooklyn, NY and I don't think I could buy a single thing on this list for $1.00 with the exception of the dried beans. Pricing is all relative. I'll put approximate pricing for what we pay for similar items below

You can get
A head of lettuce - romaine loose is easily 1.29 or more, hearts of romaine is easily 3.00+
and a cucumber - generally 2 for 1.00
A bag of salad - bagged lettuce starts at 2.49/bag and goes up from there (fresh express or dole)
Two cans of vegetables (or one giant can) canned vegetables are in the $1.10 and up range depending on the cans
One can of fruit - okay this hovers around $1.00 depending on the fruit but also usually over $1.00
A pack of turkey hot dogs - kosher turkey dogs are expensive - $4.49/package of 8
A can of beans (or a whole bag of dried beans) - $1.10 for a can, dried bag maybe right around a dollar
A bag of rice - depending on size $2.00 and up
A can of tuna - easily $2/can
A can of chicken - you can't buy kosher canned chicken. Cheapest kosher chicken in my neighborhood is quartered on the bone for $1.98 per pound (a chicken usually costs about $9-11 each)
Seasonings - $1.50-$2.00 each
A bag of frozen vegetables - kosher frozen vegetables are EXPENSIVE. $5-7 for a two pound bag of frozen broccoli

For a few more calories you can get
A loaf of bread - $2.50/loaf
A few packs of ramen noodles - I wouldn't buy them, full of chemicals but in the $1.50 range
Two single serve packs of lunch meat - SUPER expensive - $3.00 a package
Regular hot dogs - $2.49 for "classic" kosher which is a blend of chicken and meat
Crackers - depends on the type but easily $2.50/box

I'm sure there's more if I thought about it, but these are pretty much staples on my grocery list.

Derpina7

http://rawon10.blogspot.com/

^ Has been a good site for me finding healthy recipies on a budget . I realize it's a vegetarian based site, I'm not vegetarian myself but try to 'eat clean' as much as possible.
I think it comes down to meal prepping and planning. I used to always pick up fast food, sometimes for every meal of the day :noway: - it's convenient, but it adds up quick! When I started cooking for myself, not only did I learn better portion control, but I saved money also. Granted I only shop for myself, I spend $30 a week on groceries - it gets me through the whole week!