c/budget-friendly-meals

Showerthought: After a week of eating nothing but beans and rice, my grocery bill dropped to $23

Last Tuesday I realized I actually felt better and had more energy than when I was buying all those pre-made meals and fancy snacks, so has anyone else noticed their body just gets used to a really simple diet after a few days?

Can we talk about buying bulk rice from the asian market?

I dropped $25 on a 25-pound bag of jasmine rice at the H Mart near me, and it's lasted me like 4 months already. Way cheaper than those little boxes at the regular grocery store, and I just portion it into jars to keep it fresh. Anyone else swear by a specific bulk buy that saves you cash?

Can we talk about those cheap non-stick pans that only last 3 months?

I picked up a $15 frying pan from the discount store back in February because my good one got scratched. By April the coating was already peeling off into my eggs. I ended up just throwing it out and going back to my old cast iron skillet from a yard sale. Has anyone else had better luck with a truly cheap pan that actually holds up?

I quit buying pre-chopped veggies for 2 months and my grocery bill dropped by 35 bucks

The time I made a $3 casserole that tasted like a million bucks... until the lid popped off

Last Tuesday I threw together a budget casserole with canned tuna, leftover rice, and some frozen peas I found in the back of the freezer. Everything was going great until I put the glass lid on too tight and it exploded in the oven at 375 degrees, sending tuna rice flying across my kitchen floor. I spent 45 minutes cleaning up the mess and ended up eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner instead. Has anyone else had a cheap meal backfire in a spectacular way like this?

Cheap rice cooker died mid-dinner last Tuesday

I was making black beans and rice on a $18 cooker from Walmart and it just stopped heating halfway through. Has anyone else had a budget appliance fail right when you needed it most?

That $10 bag of 'cheap' frozen veggies was a trap

Grabbed a giant bag from a no-name brand at the discount store. Looked fine in the bag. Cooked them up for a stir fry. Tasted like soggy cardboard. Watery mess. Threw half the bag out. Lost $10 but more mad about wasting the rice and sauce I mixed in. Anyone else get burned by off-brand frozen stuff?

PSA: I was salting my pasta water way too late this whole time

I'm making spaghetti last week for the kids and I always throw the salt in right when the water starts boiling. My neighbor who used to cook at a restaurant in Portland stopped by to grab a tool and saw me do it. She laughed and said I was wasting salt because it doesn't dissolve properly if I add it that late. She showed me to put the salt in the cold water before it even heats up, then bring it to a boil. Tried it that night and the pasta actually tasted seasoned all the way through instead of just salty on the outside. I've been cooking pasta for like 12 years and never knew this. Anyone else been doing it the wrong way too or have another pasta trick I'm missing?

Hot take: meal prepping every Sunday is overrated

Last Tuesday I just threw together a pot of beans, rice, and whatever veggies were left in the fridge. It cost maybe $4 total and tasted way better than the soggy chicken and broccoli I'd prepped on Sunday that was already bland by day three. I don't get why everyone acts like one big cook day is the only way to save money. Has anyone else found that cooking small on the fly actually wastes less food?

I finally had a chat with my grandma about her depression meals

She was telling me about living through the 80s recession and how she'd stretch a single pack of ramen with frozen peas and a beaten egg. She said it fed four people for under two bucks and she still makes it when she feels nostalgic. I always thought budget meals were about saving money, but she framed it as resourcefulness and making do. Made me wonder if anyone else's family has those weird cheap meals that just hit different.

Why does everyone boil their chicken when you can just roast a whole one for less money?

I was over at my sister's place in Tulsa last weekend and she was boiling chicken breasts for tacos. It hit me that she spends like $8 on boneless skinless breasts when I can grab a whole bird for $4.50 and get way more meat plus stock out of it. Been doing this since I started cooking for myself five years ago and I swear people just never think past what the recipe says. Am I missing something or is there a reason everyone defaults to boiling?

My neighbor Deb showed me her freezer stash and I felt like a total fool

I was over at my neighbor Deb's place last Saturday borrowing a wrench and she opened her freezer to get out some ice. I saw like 20 little containers of sauce and chopped veggies and cooked rice. She said she spends one Sunday a month just making big batches of cheap stuff and freezing it in portions. I asked her how much she spends on food a week and she said around 40 bucks for herself. I spend like 80 or 90 and I'm still eating takeout twice a week because I'm too tired to cook after work. She showed me her system of labeling everything with dates and I realized I've been ignoring the freezer my whole life like it was just for ice cream and frozen pizza. I bought a bunch of those little deli containers yesterday and I'm gonna try doing her thing this weekend. Anyone else have a neighbor or friend who made you feel like you've been doing groceries wrong this whole time?

Took me 3 tries to figure out lentils don't need soaking

I kept soaking my lentils like they were beans and wondering why they turned to mush every time. After ruining three batches of soup I finally looked it up and realized you can just rinse and cook them straight away. Anyone else waste time doing extra steps with cheap ingredients?

My grandma told me to always save the water from boiling potatoes. I thought it was just an old habit, but I've been using it to make soup bases for a year now.

Serious question, has anyone else tried the 'one pot' pasta method with a cheap jar of sauce?

I was down to my last $20 for groceries this week and just dumped a box of store brand pasta, a jar of the cheapest marinara, and some water into a single pan. Cooked it all together for about 15 minutes, and it actually came out perfect, no separate pot to wash. Does this work with other types of sauce, or did I just get lucky?

I finally tried that 'one pot pasta' thing from a blog called Budget Bytes

I was sure it would just be a soggy mess, but I made the lemon pepper chicken version with a $3 pack of thighs. It came out perfect in about 25 minutes and used just one pan, which saved on cleanup (and water, I guess). Has anyone else tried a one pot recipe that actually worked and didn't taste bland?

PSA: My local grocery store started putting 'soup packs' in the produce section

I was at the Food Mart on Elm Street yesterday and saw a new bin of pre-cut vegetables labeled 'Soup Starter Pack' for $3.99. It had a potato, a carrot, an onion, and a stalk of celery. It made me think, you could buy those same items loose for about half that price. The cashier even said they've been selling a lot of them to people who are busy. I get the convenience, but it seems like a budget trap for something so simple to chop yourself. Has anyone else seen these kinds of prepped veggie packs popping up, and do you think they're ever worth the extra cost?

My mom said to always buy a whole chicken and I finally listened

I mean, I used to just grab the packs of chicken breasts because it felt easier, you know? But my mom kept telling me for months that a whole bird is way cheaper per pound and you can use every bit of it. I finally got one on sale for like $6 at my local Food Lion last Thursday. I roasted it for dinner, which gave us two meals right there. Then I boiled the bones with some old veggies from the fridge and made a ton of soup that lasted three more lunches. I even saved the little bits of meat from the back for a chicken salad sandwich. It felt kinda wild getting so much food from one thing. Has anyone else tried breaking down a whole chicken and have tips for making it less messy?

Heard a guy at the hardware store say he makes a big pot of bean soup every Sunday for under ten bucks

It made me realize I spend more than that on one takeout lunch, so I'm going to try his method with a bag of pinto beans, an onion, and some leftover ham from the freezer.

The price of a simple pot of beans really hit me when I looked at my grocery receipt from 2019.

My brother kept telling me to buy the big bag of rice, said it was the only way to save. I finally did and it changed my whole approach.

My big pot of chili turned into soup halfway through cooking

I was making a double batch in my slow cooker last Tuesday to freeze some for later. I added the usual two cans of beans and a can of tomatoes, but I forgot to drain the liquid from the beans. After four hours, it looked more like a bean soup than a thick chili. I didn't want to waste it, so I mixed in a cup of cornmeal from the back of my pantry and let it cook for another hour. It thickened right up and actually tasted really good. Has anyone else saved a meal with a simple pantry item like that?

Question about stretching a single chicken breast into two meals

I had a single chicken breast left and had to choose between making a small stir fry just for myself or trying to stretch it into a soup for two nights. I diced it super small, added a ton of carrots and potatoes from my pantry, and made a big pot of chicken and veggie soup that actually lasted for dinner and lunch the next day. What's your best trick for making one small piece of meat feed you for more than one meal?

Shoutout to the library book that showed me how much I was overpaying for dried beans

I found a 1970s cookbook at the Cedar Rapids public library that had a chart showing you can get a pound of cooked beans for under 50 cents if you buy them dry, which is way cheaper than I thought, so has anyone got a favorite bean recipe that doesn't take all day?

My grocery bill dropped by almost $40 a week after I started planning around sales

I used to just buy whatever looked good at the store, and my weekly bill for two people was hitting $130 easy. About three months ago, I started checking the store flyer on my phone before I went and building my meal plan from what was on sale that week. Last week, chicken thighs were $1.99 a pound, so we had those three different ways, and broccoli was on sale too. I'm now averaging about $95 a week, and we're eating just as well. Has anyone else had luck with this method, or do you use a different trick to cut the food budget?