I grew up on Hamburger Helper and Tuna Helper. 🤣 I actually tend to like the generic Great Value better (maybe it's just me, but I swear it has a cheesier flavor), and I like to swap out tuna for packaged salmon in Tuna Helper, plus add a few seasonings of my own. 😋 I do the same with Great Value three cheese shells boxed macaroni and cheese (again, for some reason I like their brand better than Kraft and find the flavor to be better). Not bad for a boxed dinner!
Otherwise, I usually like to buy pasta, rice, and soup mixes like Knorr and Bear Creek for something quick, easy, and cheap.
I also like to buy meat and produce and cook home cooked meals of various sorts. If you buy non-organic produce that isn't pre-chopped, it usually isn't very expensive to feed you for a week or more, IME.
I like to make Mississippi pot roast, which can last me several days, as well. Chuck roast, packet of ranch dressing mix, packet of au jus mix, 5-7 pepperoncini peppers, and half a stick of butter on low heat in the Crock Pot for 8 hours. 😋 If you want it to be extra filling, you can boil egg noodles in some beef broth and water, and serve it over the top. Perfect!
I've made the aforementioned roast with a pork roast as well, and it was also great!
I like to make salads and sandwiches during the week as well. The ingredients usually don't cost much and last awhile, and they're pretty healthy depending on the ingredients you use.
That food in that plate? I'd be hungry still and I'm skinny lol...
. we migjt have to cook to budget wisely, in most countries, .. save the mostby cooking at home... since I don't want to eat the same thing daily... well simply not buying ready made meals... we can buy multiple whole foods that last us a week or more for the price of a meal.. can also be healthier and still tasty.
A few ideas of Ingredients and cooking styles to alternate with.
Cheddar Cheese.
Carrot
Flour
Macaroni
Rice
Egg (can be used to create both dessert or appetizer)
Dry peas (chickpeas)
Milk.
Channa
Ginger
Sugar and Powder seasoning vs fresh (not sure which is the better quantity to price but most seasonings are cheap)... garlic... salt.. pepper... masala, curry powder
Meals
1) potatoe fritters (I hate boiled potatoes unless they're put in a casserole or something
2) mac and cheese
3) sandwich
3) curried potatoes and channa
4) Naan (seasoned tasty flat bread)
5) curried stuff goes well with rice
6) Pancakes
7) caseroles
Dessert
1) Carrot cake
2) Ginger cookies
3) brains starts to malfunction from thinking so much
HH= 99¢
Ground pork = $1.99/#
Salad = free from Food Pantry excess
Dressing = 1/16 of $1.00 = $0.0625
Milk for the HH= 1/8 of $1.17 = $0.14625
Garlic bread = Bread free from food pantry excess
Butter for bread= 1/32 of $1.99 = $0.0621875
Garlic powder = 1¢
Total for four servings of HH. = $3.251 + tax.
My target is usually $1.00 per serving for the main course, and 25¢ for each side, for everyday eating.
But, I would be more likely to make some pre-cooked, seasoned ground pork in some pasta, canned + scratch sauce, salad (no bread though, usually - there are other carbs I prefer or just omit that).
Or another is broccoli/cheese soup, ala Panera Bread. 1 T flour, 1 T butter, 3 c milk, 4 oz shredded cheese, broccoli minced, so this is under $1.00 serving for two.
I make my own pork "sausage" - ground pork, brown sugar, sage, Kosher salt, pepper, pinch of red pepper/shake of hot sauce, garlic powder, marjoram, paprika. Form into patties and cook, or drop in a big pan, keep sautéing and breaking up about 10 minutes until done. Layer on cookie try, let cool, put in freezer about 1/2 hour+, put bits in freezer bag = instant meat for meals. So, $1.99 + "walk through the pantry" = about $2.40 for 4, 3 ounce "after cooked" patties, or, about 60 cents each.
I don't have the calculations here but honestly depending on how much time you have to prepair your meals..
If you make more things from scratch like the bread for example and then choose less expensive meat (or some other type of protein /- B12). You could probably bump it down to under 10 maybe even below 5USD/meal.
Here's a good youtube series called "what you can cook for" by Pro Home Cooks:
https://youtube. com/playlist? list=PLt_lOWx8jR_OB8aEmBuonqc2Rx5aoYWFc
It usually land you at around 2$/meal.
Opinion
42Opinion
Ramen/cup of noodles (Add stuff to it!)
Soup (soup is the best food if you're poor/don't have much, you can boil kitchen scraps and get the nutrients out of it! Use whatever you have, meat, bones
Buy whole chickens and cheap mixed/frozen veggies, cheapest soup)
Potatoes
Deer (between hunting and road kills I get almost all of my meat for free, obviously you have to process it)
Foraging (there's free wild onion and garlic anywhere, watercress is in pretty much every stream, there are other cresses and wild edibles you can make soup out of or stir frys)
You can make stir frys out of pretty much anything, just oil and veggies, instant noodles, meats
Make flour from walnuts and acorns (in the fall)
There’s a few different recipes I personally love that are super cheap (all high in protein though)
1) egg fried rice: cook rice in bulk with light soya sauce, eggs, and frozen green peas. I like to add canned tuna for extra protein
2) beans on toast. Classic one really can’t go wrong with it. Canned baked beans with toast, maybe grate some cheese on it or eggs on side
Other dishes can’t think on the top of my head but as for carb sources oats, pasta, potatoes and rice will always be super cheap. Protein: eggs, canned tuna, chicken, ground mince meat. Fats: peanut butter, regular butter, cheese
20 $ is a lot for me! Not a budget meal but luxury these day (as unemployed) :D. I can get a decent steak with sides for that money. Or a quality sushi roll from my fav restaurant <3. I am not judging, just saying everything is relative and my life and economy is different :).
I personally go meat free if on a budget. My go to meal is noodle soup from a big noodle pack ~1,50 $, with whatever fresh vegetables I have, an egg, good spices (ginger, curry) and lemon juice. If I am more hungry I eat a piece of rye bread with cheese. Less than 10 $ for sure. I also do burger for like 10-15$ now and then, yum yum. Cheaper if meat free (homemade chickpea pattie)
Yeah but that steak and two sides will only last a day. Where as the hamburger helper will last 3 weeks. Not left overs but I usually buy large pack of organic turkey meat and only use part of it each time. Boxes of hamburger helper is 1-2$. So the remainder meat I freeze I just take it back out and open a new box. Where as spending $20 a day is $100 a week plus gas ⛽️. Gas prices are high right now
aha I see.. I did not catch it was for more than one meal, maybe because I have not heard of hamburger helper before :D. but yeah, there are many reasons to be able to budget these days.
Yeah my grandmother says going out to eat is cheaper too. I'm like really you're spending $30 •a day.. but she never liked eating the same thing every day so it worked for her. Plus the gas prices have gone up. I use to spend $20 and got a full tank now it's $45 since the whole Ukraine ordeal
haha, going out to eat saves time, not money xD
I luckily do not have to drive, but gas/energy prices affect prices of almost everything else so I feel it
Soup.
2 cans of pinto beans $3
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes $2
vegan ground beef $5
Girl that looks bomb. I've never thought of that. What juice is that? Broth or pinto?
Rice and beans. Chop up a ham steak and saute with a diced onion and sofrito (I always have this in my fridge or freezer homemade but you can get it premade in the grocery store) until the onions are translucent. Add a can of your beans of choice, drained, a small (8 oz) can of tomato sauce, some green olives and sazon and adobo (again I mix my own from seasonings in the cupboard but you can buy the packets/jars of seasoning). Once that comes up to a simmer, add 2 cups white rice and let cook for about 60 seconds. Add 2 cups water, stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Altogether you'll likely spend less than $10-15 on ingredients and you'll easily get 4-6 meals from it.
I've never heard of sofrito or sazon or adobo, so I'm afraid you lost me with those. Also, I don't have to mix seasonings; all I need is a salt shaker. :-)
Hamburger helper, tuna sandwiches, buddig lunch meat and store brand everything. That was the kind of stuff I lived in growing up. In a way growing up broke can make you a good cook. Because it can make you really creative in the kitchen. You know you have to use everything you have and do your best to ensure meal time does not get boring or repetitive.
Agreed! I also buy mostly generic store brand ingredients. I've talked to truckers, grocery store staff, and factory employees who have told me that many of the name brand and generic stuff is actually the same stuff. To me, it mostly tastes the same, but sometimes the generic is even better (in my opinion, their versions of Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and macaroni and cheese are usually better than the Betty Crocker and Kraft versions).
Along with the fact that we now have the technology to look up recipes at any time (and I believe there are also sites where you can enter the ingredients you have on hand and they will give you recipes you can make with them), you can learn to be a very creative cook with limited ingredients!
My meals are Pasta with Meat sauce / Skinless chicken breast/ I'm thinking of making a Meatloaf with Potatoes, and carrots with it.. I make foods that stretch for me and my cousin cause I can not afford to make all these meals also we eat lunchmeat with cheese sandwiches
Do you make your meatloaf from scratch?
@uptowngirl88 Yeah, I make my meatloaf from scratch
Some sort of stew or soup in a crock pot, makes a lot so I have left over so long I can never eat it all. Feeds both my dog and myself for a week.
Usually, potatoes, onions, carrots, misc. veggies, some sort of meat, roast or hamburger, can use whatever I have around the house from beans to pasta of some sort.
Omg I haven't had stew in forever sounds good
Back in my broke days, when shit got REALLY real, like choosing between food or electricity in my home, I would buy “just add water” pancake mix, a bottle of maple syrup, and a pack of bacon. I could usually survive off of pancakes/waffles for a few days to get by👍
Carbonara - you can get eggs, cheese and ham/rashers pretty cheaply if you're not concerned about quality
Vegetable soup made with addition of frozen veggies - honestly one of my favourities
Egg fried rice with whatever veggies or meat I can spare
Spaghetti with some kind of store bought sauce comes out cheat every time
Pancakes are also cheap to make and quite filling
Grilled cheese and tomato toasties, soup, lentils, bolognaise and pasta, vegetable stirfry. You can get still good discounted food from some grocers towards the end of the day too. Then of course, you have cheap noodle packets, bags of frozen vegetables and rice and canned beans which are cheap on a budget.
Wraps. Get a pack of them for a couple of bucks then you can throw whatever you have in your kitchen in them: tuna, beans, salad, spam. Or you spend like $5 on salad mix and roll of mixed meat. $10 for 2 days of (4) meals.
Wraps? What type of wrap?
@Uptowngirl88 like tortilla wraps, or the style of wraps you can get at a Subway or KFC.
Here’s a leading brand: https://www.missionfoods.com/products/wraps/
Aaaahh never thought of that from home that's smart
When I am alone sometimes I will just grab a "Members Mark" chicken sandwich out of my freezer, nuke it and eat it with a handful of chips. I get these from Sams Club! A box of 10 runs for around $19.
I just throw stuff together I have around the house and hope it works. Eg this weekend I made lasagna of sorts, lasagna pasta which I cut in pieces, mince meat, tomato sauce, bbq sauce and chilli cheese balls. Last week I made pasta salad - pasta, tuna, mayo, capers, and chilli.
I mean, I'm not on a budget.
But if I was, then my go to would be baked beans, brown rice and broccoli.
Cheap as hell and healthier than 99% of the population.
You're definitely correct. I do occasionally splurge on something, but prefer to cook homemade meals with whole ingredients the majority of the time. I've gotten to where I don't care much for many premade and/or overly processed foods compared to what I can cook at home.
Hash browns and eggs.
Spaghettio's.
Spaghetti.
Fried potatoes and spam.
banana and peanut butter or celery, or pick from garden some green beans.
I used to enjoy hh as a kid, haven't had in decades.
Turkey and cheddar burritos. I make them all the time. When my chica and her neighbors go crazy for em you know it's good. Especially since they're all Mexican. "Gringo can cook!" They tell her. They beg me for em lol.
Depends on the definition of budget... In college I made a lot of gormet ramen noodles with some frozen vegetables and cheese for less than $4. The struggle was real...
Soup. What kind depends on what I have on hand and how tight my budget is. I can make a huge pot of chicken soup for under $10.
What do u put in besides the chicken?
I use a packet of Knorr vegetable dip seasoning and throw it in a large pot of boiling water, add the pulled chicken (I'll use a store bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed), and at the end I'll add pasta or rice.
To make pasta you just need eggs and flower. That's it. And what ever extra you have you trow that in and you have a meal
Sounds like and Olive 🫒 evening to me.
🪑 👧 🍸 🍸 👦 🪑. 🚪 🛌
Hamburger Helper, but with half or a quarter of the meat to keep costs down.
That's true too. Sometimes I get the organic turkey meat half
It's cheaper
I do mac n cheese. A box with all the ingredients is around $3. All I have to add is milk.
What is this cooking thing of which you speak?
I've also never heard of beans on toast. Doesn't even sound good.
I looked it up apparently it's a British thing
Spent a little time over there. That sounds about right. Although I never saw it on any menus on the high street.
Rice and beans as a basic staple.
Eggs are highly versatile. Spinach omelette with chili flakes is the bomb.
Generic tips. Buy basic, don't buy anything processed if you can help it. Cook your meals. Meat is a luxury.
Drunken Noodles. I can put all my leafy greens and protein in them and I love broad rice noodles in general.
Macaroni casserole. All you need is macaroni a tin of tomato's some cheese if you have some cut up hotdogs or a few slices of ham you have it made.
Spaghetti aglio e olio.
In other words, spaghetti + garlic + olive oil + parsley.
And no, there should be no parmigiano nor pecorino grated on it.
Spaghetti. Jar of sauce and pound of spag nets two meals for less than $10.
Yeah spaghetti can last a week. I always mess up the noodles tho🤦🏽♀️🤣
Spaghetti its pretty easy to make and tasty, just need tomato sauce and meat with it
Spaghetti kicks ass 🍝 🦵 🍑
At university it was Hamburger Helper and Ramen noodles
There are multiple ways to cook with a few potatoes, eggs and veggies
Choice steak, ramen noodles, and a baked potato or corn. Off the top of my head I'd say about $3.60 a meal.
My meal on a budget " Sorry for you Carb Haters Lol " is Linguini and red meat sauce with fresh green peppers and red onions and black olives.
£20 isn't a meal on a budget. That's a weeks food allowance to some people
Fried potatoes, onion and something meaty. Could fry mince with the potatoes, for example.
Straight cheese burgers (I know how to cook them right...) or a roasted chicken (very cheap here) and a salad
Fried potato (diced) with scrambled eggs, meatballs, and white rice 🤣 drizzle some ketchup on top, sprinkle some chilli powder.
Pasta with canned bolognese sauce.
Sausage with grilled chicken breast.
Mac & cheese, bread and cheese sandwick a grilled cheese
That's expensive actually, maybe switch to Tuna and save a few bucks huh? The tettrazzi is really good, my favorite!
m tortillas and chicharrones... lmao
@TransAm85 if I ever go with salsa... definitely verde
@TransAm85 me neither lmao... I am not used to it, never liked it really
Well tbh I have a budget just cheapskate I can feed my family of 8 with 3 eggs.
Dam thats a hell of a budget!
🤣 I know most people don't know this secret🤷🏽♀️. I also buy a bag of frozen tilapia 30 for $8, bag of potatoes for 3.99, and salad for 4.99. Meal for the week.
My wife actually likes tilapia better than sole. We simply broil it with butter, lemon and salt. Simple and fast.
@SinceYouAsked I get is at Costco and do the same or pressure cook it in lemon.
Seems ok, I can always do peanut butter and jelly
I need a full cooked meal though. I heard people eat fried PBJ. Mever tried it though
Never tried that, only toast the bread
I love PB&J on toast!
@TrueConfection Yeah it seems better that way
I'm never ever on budget for food
Pasta or Rice. Cheap and fast to cook
Lunch pasta , breakfest eggs and bread
mac n cheese with hotsauce and some peppers
Rice with sriracha sauce
What is that? Sriracha sauce sounds familiar
It's the somewhat thick red sauce you often get with Korean dishes. Pretty spicy, made with chili and garlic.
It's cheap and gives a ton of flavour, so even just plain rice doesn't just taste like despair. If you google the name, I have seen the exact same bottle all over the world, haha
I think I know what that is. Is it in Chinese buffets? I swear I think I've put that on my shrimp fried rice
Interesting. I'd always thought sriracha was Hispanic. Mox nix for me, though. I can't do spicy foods. Bad GERD.
mac & cheese, Spaghetti, soup
I always mess up on the spaghetti noodles🤦🏽♀️
@uptowngirl88 How do you mess them up? Do you undercook or overcook them? I always boil my water first (you can add salt to the water too if you like, many people prefer it), then add the noodles, then set my timer for the lowest recommended time on the box for perfect al dente pasta. If your noodles are sticking together, adding a small drizzle of olive oil usually helps with that, though some people believe it doesn't allow the sauce to stick to the noodles as well.
@awesomeness I usually overcook them but I just did what you mentioned by letting the water boil first. It worked
Glad to hear it! :)
@awesomeness girl yes thank you. Glad I read your comment before cooking 😂🙌🏾. Otherwise I would've been doomed
No problem! I am a huge pasta lover, so have gone through quite a bit of trial and error with it! 🤣
🤣🤣
Chicken breast, chicken thighs, and rice
Pork tenderloin and asparagus.
Looks delicious 😋
I know im craving it now at work😩
A McDonald's $ memu...
Noodles or eggs lol
Beans on toast
Rice
rice and i'll eat every other day
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