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I don't think that many of you are understanding that the meals aren't meatloaf or the usual things that people eat for dinner. The average person isn't going to have exotic spices (African, Vietnamese, etc) or fancy cheeses on hand. Even for American recipes like Cajun chicken pasta, there were so many ingredients in minimal amounts.
The poster who said that one recipe is higher end and the others aren't is kind of right but at the same time, I have found those recipes that seem cheaper become stars. One was a grilled cheese sandwich with preserved lemon inside, another was a homemade pizza with figs, arugula and prosciutto. I loved them so much and still make them. The recipes are ones I would have come across in a magazine and said I should make that ...but I never would. I also learned about different pan sauces.
I don't get them anymore bc after a year, I got tired of the same cycle of recipes but I do make a lot of the recipes on my own. I enjoyed it and really got to try a bunch of different things. I remember something with chickpeas, grains, kale, sweet potato and a crazy good Ethiopian spice.i found the recipe
Not necessarily big spenders. Food and restaurants pricing varies dramatically across the nation. Where I live, spaghetti and meatballs costs at least $10.95. There's no sides. No salad. Most places don't even offer bread. You literally get a bowl with spaghetti, pasta sauce, and 2 meatballs for 11 bucks. And that's at the cheapest place for this dinner. I've seen it up to $17.95 for the same thing at other local restaurants!
$11+ for a bowl of just spaghetti is crazy to me! I could make enough to feed an army for that!
Now, I can understand restaurants charging that much for lasagna -- if it's a GOOD lasagna. My lasagna doesn't cost that much per serving. However, it IS a pricey and time-consuming meal to make. After all, all of that meat and cheese just isn't cheap.
FINALLY! I don't understand how people don't understand that you can't spend money you don't have. If you have $50 per week to spend on food, that means aren't able to save up $150 worth of food money unless you don't eat for some of that time.
And even when people are trying to save up a bit to try to stock up, they still need to have a good month and don't get hit with an unexpected car repair or dental bill, etc. And of course, not having the money to have routine preventative care or car maintenance means that those unexpected expenses are even more likely to occur.
The reality is that it takes money to be able to save money. Anyone who doubts this should read Nickeled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America for an eye opening glimpse of what living in poverty is really like. It was written almost 20 years ago, but things haven't improved a whole lot since then for those at the bottom on the economic ladder in our society
I was getting almost $200 in food stamps. When I started cooking, I spent easily $50 on spices alone. By the time I was finished buying the other stuff I needed (that I'd never bought before), I could barely afford to buy the food to use it with. That first month trying to cook was brutal. One of my friends was helping me out by giving me some food. I'm by myself, so I could do it, but I'd never do that and watch my kids go hungry.
Now, of course, everything runs out at different times so I'm not making the original purchases over every time I shop and it's much easier.
The other thing is, some people live in motels and places where they only have a hot plate, if that. Others have roommates, which means whatever they buy and cook gets eaten by someone else who probably won't pay for it. If you have to share your fridge with other people, there's only so much you can fit in it.
Home cooking is definitely cheaper, but unless you've been cooking, it takes a large outlay in cash to start. And that cash is then not available to buy the food for that month.
And as Emm says, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a book written by Barbara Ehrenreich and is an excellent book to read
I was getting almost $200 in food stamps. When I started cooking, I spent easily $50 on spices alone. By the time I was finished buying the other stuff I needed (that I'd never bought before), I could barely afford to buy the food to use it with. That first month trying to cook was brutal. One of my friends was helping me out by giving me some food. I'm by myself, so I could do it, but I'd never do that and watch my kids go hungry.
Now, of course, everything runs out at different times so I'm not making the original purchases over every time I shop and it's much easier.
The other thing is, some people live in motels and places where they only have a hot plate, if that. Others have roommates, which means whatever they buy and cook gets eaten by someone else who probably won't pay for it. If you have to share your fridge with other people, there's only so much you can fit in it.
Home cooking is definitely cheaper, but unless you've been cooking, it takes a large outlay in cash to start. And that cash is then not available to buy the food for that month.
And as Emm says, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a book written by Barbara Ehrenreich and is an excellent book to read
That was because you didn't know you didn't need all those spices and seasonings. I think the problem is nobody taught you about cooking.
The large majority of households find their spices are out of date they use them so seldom.
Salt and pepper are not expensive. If you cook "Italian" you might buy ONE spice of "Italian Seasoning" and it lasts months if not a year. But even Italian chefs only use very sparing seasonings if any at all.
Mexican? Fine, buy some cumin and call it a day - or one of those "all in one". Or Creole? Pick up a Tony Chachere's.
Each of those is about $2 to $3.00. Badia Seasoning Louisiana Cajun -- 2 oz is $1.39. And that's in a JAR. Grocery stores sell Badia in cheap little packets, too.
No it doesn't take "a large outlay in cash to start". The expensive part is choosing the economical way. For example instead of buying expensive fresh vegetables, you'd chose a large bag of frozen or canned. And avoid the "steamer bags" the new scam they came out with. And avoid the "sauced" frozen veggies. The large bag or the old school solid block of broccoli is fine.
Milk? Buy powdered. But someone has to tell you you need to let it chill before it tastes normal.
Milk for cooking? Use evaporated but someone has to tell you it has an after taste out of the can but is the best choice for cooking.
Cheese? You buy the store brand block NOT the "shredded". Better quality because shredded is dry and doesn't work right and the block is more economical.
Some other produce is high. Like lemons and limes. Naval oranges. So you have to use bottled juice if you can't afford it. Or make something else. Tomatoes. But you can use canned, too.
WHAT were you making that you needed $50 of spices?
I can't remember the last time I even opened a jar and I cook A LOT.
I think my grandmother had two spices besides S&P. Celery seed for potato salad twice a year or so. And Poultry Seasoning for Thanksgiving/Xmas. And a box of Spatini Spaghetti Sauce packets LOL. Maybe a parsley but I doubt it.
My Greek family members don't use much of that stuff. The ones in Greece never even heard of it. They MIGHT use a touch of oregano because they grow it there. And cinnamon for some recipes. Other regions over there use different ones like cumin. The ones who came from near Turkey.
In conclusion, you don't need "spices" to make a healthy meal of a protein, vegetable and starch. And even fruit. You arguably might need information and experience, though.
Here's an actual FREE book telling you how to eat on SNAP at $4.00 per day. Includes spices! LOL
Do they really think we can't add? I have skinless chicken in organic tomato soup, with half a dozen glasses of red wine with water and cranberry juice added. Its definitely less than $9.95 and tastes great. I haven't really been doing any exercise yet weight is stable at 145 lbs. My blood tests are excellent.
I think you should finish cooking before you start drinking.
I know right? While I find the claim of $10 being cheaper than home cooking for a plate, 14 meals at $10 (including spices, onions, garlic, etc. etc.) sounds like a bit of a stretch.
You have touched on something important here: seasonings.
Once you have a good collection of herbs, spices, and other staples, you can make good meals this cheaply, or close to it. It's the start-up cost that hurts. Then again, it depends on where you shop. We have Aldi here, and I can buy eggs for 29 cents a dozen, for example. No lie. A couple of months ago, I got 10 lbs. of chicken leg quarters for $3.90. I think it was at Kroger, when they had a sale.
I think there are so many big spenders these days on food that 9.95 a plate sounds like a bargain.
Today for lunch I had a salad kit and banana for 2.50 and for dinner huge can of beans and potatoes for like 2.00
The big can of beans had 50 grams of protein with lots of fiber, iron and vitamins, I had four servings of veggies and a serving of fruit for half the price of one of these meal-kits.
Many of these meal packages say they are 9.95 a meal but it seems like they usually send out 6 portions a week for around 60 dollars.
I notice that many of these packages have one expensive meal that many would consider worth the 10 dollars a portion and following that for the other 4 out of 6 portion a week is something that fancy sounding but extremely cheap to make.
Another one comparing apples and elephants. Eating a can of beans and (canned?) potatoes for a meal isn't remotely the same as eating one of the gourmet meals that come in these meal services. They are pretty much not even on the same planet meal-wise.
Another one comparing apples and elephants. Eating a can of beans and (canned?) potatoes for a meal isn't remotely the same as eating one of the gourmet meals that come in these meal services. They are pretty much not even on the same planet meal-wise.
The term gourmet is just a marketing thing. You can Google so called gourmet recipes and make the same thing yourself.
Because people who are on a very tight budget only have so much to spend every week. While buying bulk is generally less expensive per pound, not everyone can afford to pay $20 for a huge bag of rice up front. They have to buy the more expensive per pound rice that only costs $3.50 because they have to be able to buy the rest of their groceries for the week with the rest of their grocery budget. Been there, done that.
My mother fed a large family on very little money. I learned from her how to stretch our food budget and create meals where nobody else would think there was a meal to create. I definitely can make a nice dinner for 2 people for less than $9.95.
Your choices aren't limited to EXTREMES of either 50 lbs or some unknown small amount you forgot to list @$3.50.
You don't have to get a $20.00 bag of 50 lbs. @ $.50 per lb.
You can get a $10.00 bag of 20 lbs. @ $.50 per lb. from Walmart.
Costco? Long Grain, White, 50 lb. – $19.99 (.40/lb.)
You can get a $12.00 bag of 15 lbs @ $.85 per lb. And other increments. Even on Amazon.
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