Cheap, and I mean CHEAP recipes

Make a soup with:

1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans chicken broth (or 1 can broth and 1 can cream of chicken soup)
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles

Season it with some cumin and chili powder. Add some light sour cream & low fat cheese if you have it. One person can eat on this for days & you can use all store brand items to make it even cheaper.

I haven't seen any mention of dried beans and peas and lentils. You can buy a pound of any for $1.00 at a dollar store or Walmart. It will feed you for several days. Cook according to directions and add dried onion, herb seasonings or southwest seasonings and any vegetables you have, carrots, celery, potatoes, squash. They are a good source of protein, high in fiber. Lentils cook in a very short time and when seasoned well are very delicious. Look online for recipes.

In Australia there's been a campaign to raise money by living on $3 a day. Here's the link to a sample menu. You could tweek this each day - the chicken wings are probably not so great for weight loss, but I can't see the rest of the day being that calorie laden, so no doubt you'd have spare cals for them?

http://www.fromcuptocrop.com.au/the-challenge/recipes/lyndey-milans-3-per-day-menu/

*BUMP*!

So many of you have awesome tips!! I'd love to try some out. I'm trying to spend as little as possible on food because I'm saving for my wedding.

I just thought of something else...sometimes the grocery store will seriously mark down meats if its the last day of the "sell by" date. The meat is perfectly fine if you use it or get it in the freezer right away and I've saved big money that way.

In Australia there's been a campaign to raise money by living on $3 a day. Here's the link to a sample menu. You could tweek this each day - the chicken wings are probably not so great for weight loss, but I can't see the rest of the day being that calorie laden, so no doubt you'd have spare cals for them?

http://www.fromcuptocrop.com.au/the-challenge/recipes/lyndey-milans-3-per-day-menu/

Sounds very interesting I never would have thought that would be possible.....Thanks I'll have to check it out also because sometimes I'm cooking just for myself and it can be wasteful.

bump great ideas!!

i make a pot of veggie chilli- very cheap.. and it lasts for like a week. if you want the recipe ill give it to you

can you post it?? thanks!!

bump... for later

PEPPER AND EGG SANDWICHES
GRILLED CHEESE/TOMATO SOUP
TUNA SALAD SANDWICHES (ON ENGLISH MUFFINS/USE EGGS FROM CARTON BOUGHT FOR PEPPER&EGGS)
TUNA TOSSED WITH LETTUCE AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR(CAN ADD HARD BOILED EGGS)
PASTA WITH SAUCE
MEATBALL SPLASHES/SUBS(MEATBALLS MADE WITH SAUCE FROM ABOVE)
PIZZA MADE FROM LEFTOVER SAUCE(ON ENGLISH MUFFINS)
CHEESE QUESADILLAS
BEAN TOSTADOS
CHILI
SLOPPY JOES(USE SOME OF THE GROUND BEEF , YOU ARE MAKINGMEATBALLS WITH)
ENCHILADAS
TACOS
RICE/ BEANS

IF I ONLY HAD 20 DOLLARS...HERE IS WHAT I WOULD BUY....LETTUCE ...75 CENTS
TOMATO..50 CENTS
BANANAS ...1.00
BROWN RICE 1.50 EACH
TUNA 2/1.00
CHICKEN...3.00
MUSHROOMS 1.00
SPAGHETTI NOODLES 2/1.00
GROUND BEEF..2.00
TOMATO SAUCE 2/1.00=2.00
CUCUMBER .50
SOUP 2/100= 2.00
TOMATO....50
CHEESE LOWFAT SWISS...1.00(from deli)
oatmeal... 1.00
bread .50
1/2 doz eggs..... .50
lemon. 50
i believe this comes to $20.25 and with it you have...1. salad with cucumber/tuna 2. toast/eggs 3.oatmeal 4.grilled swiss with soup 5.pasta with meatballs 5. meatball splash 6 pasta with diced tomatoes(and tuna) 7. grilled chicken and cold pasta salad with cucumbers and tomato 8beans and rice with chicken.(leftover grilled chicken) 9.rice and lemon soup with chicken broth(from other can of soup) 10.egg salad sandwich 11.oatmeal and bananas 12. grilled banana on toast 13.hamburger with swiss 14. use last of chicken with last of chicken broth, last of eggs, last of bread and make a casserole of homemade stuffing(use up your spices in your cupboard and toss with bread and egg , place in baking dish put leftover chicken add last of swiss cheese and bake) 15chili with tomato sauce,beans and ground beef (can serve over rice) 16man in the middle of the raft(fried eggs inside a piece of bread you cut a whole in) 17 grilled cheese with mushrooms 18.last of sauce with sauteed mushrooms over pasta..................... hope this helps!!!!!!!!