Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46182
Advertisements
I will take an opportunity to list a few of my frugal morsels, please add your own so we can share bargain recipes.
I often use 100g (1/4#) for serving size, as it is a diabetic std of measure. I usually feed 2 on less than $100 / month.
Some benchmark pricing, just in case things go up .... ($ per Lb)
I buy stuff on sale - but these are current available prices locally
Bob's Steel Cut Oatmeal $.68
Cheese $1.50
Carrots $.50
Lettuce $1.00 (head)
Cabbage $.39
Other Veggies $.69
Fruit $.59 (apples / oranges / bananas / Pineapple)
Pears $.29 (up from $.19 )
Costco Rotisserie Chicken $4.99 (3# minimum, I get ~ 20 servings / including soups)
Milk $2/ gal
Eggs $.99 / doz
Don't forget those small Pot Pies, which lately have been going for 59 cents each . Filling, warm, economical, ( not exactly super healthy ) and yes you can make your own pot pies...with dinner leftovers ..
Kool-aid 8 cents a package. Makes a whole jug of beverage.
Dollar menu items . ( Some are healthy )
Loaf of bread ( I found a store that sells it for 99 cents ) This makes alot of sandwiches, toast, hot open faced sandwiches, croutons, and the all time favorite P B and J !
Ramen a good staple ( some don't like it )
I buy a pizza on sale ( big one ) and cut out portions, lasts about 5 days for me....( yes, you can make your own pizza but after you add up all the ingredients, it seems more economical to get a frozen one on sale OR do some of the Pizza Chains 5 dollar pizzas.
Two slices of bread: $0.24
Egg: $0.25
Total: $0.49
Lunch: Tuna Fish or PB&J
Tuna fish $0.79 per can
Chewy bars on sale: $0.35 per bar (much cheaper than vending machines)
Yes I am cheating by not adding the negligible amount of salt, pepper, ketchup, butter, and mayonnaise that I add.
I've seen pasta as low as $0.77 a box so I stock up on that when I get the chance and stock up on soups, stocks, and sauces (or make it at home).
This is all based on what I've gotten for sale. Bought the bread for $1.99, eggs for $2.99, and tuna fish was $0.20 cheaper than normal at the grocery store. I think Wal-Mart sells tuna fish for $0.78 a can but I don't normally go there.
March is frozen food month so hopefully there'll be some good deals for stocking up on frozen food items like chicken pot pie. Not the healthiest, but having it on hand once in a while won't hurt. Also try to stock up on either frozen or canned veggies. I'm just waiting for chicken and meat to go on sale since it's been so expensive.
Last time I was visiting at my Mom's she had this great soup which was almost a stew. Surprisingly, she got it from Weight Watchers; it was so good I never would've expected that.
I've made it a couple times since. Last time I doubled the recipe; with careful planning, it only cost me a little over $10 for the ingredients. Even a single batch makes a lot, the double batch filled most of our 20 quart stock pot (it's HUGE). I eat large servings & still got over 40 servings from that batch or about 25 cents apiece; more normal servings would probably run about 15-20 cents each.
Weight Watchers Taco Soup (more like a stew - single recipe below)
1 # ground turkey (browned w/1 med. Onion chopped)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can stewed tomatoes (I used large can of diced tomatoes instead)
1 envelope Hidden Valley ranch dressing
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 cup water (I use more)
Directions:
1. Brown turkey & onions
2. Instructor did not say to rinse/drain anything, so I didn't drain anything as it thickens up when it cooks anyway.
I buy most of my stuff when it's on sale & stock up to prepare (i.e. dry pinto beans when on sale at Mexican grocery, large can of diced tomatoes at Costco, large container of taco seasoning at Costco). I add a little garlic with the turkey & onion & will experiment with variations of the ranch dressing. My girlfriend doesn't like this as much as me as it gives her gas; it just makes me as regular as Charlie Sheen getting picked up with hookers. It tastes great to me & I'll often have it with some of Costco's tortilla strips to accentuate it. A double batch is two weeks of meals, easy.
I let it simmer for a few hours, tho it's probably overkill. For some reason it's always better as leftovers/the next day. It's never as good right when you make it, some of why I let it simmer longer for everything to blend/mix.
Last edited by delgadobb; 03-03-2011 at 05:52 PM..
Yum! I can't wait to try that. The recipe also complies with 4 Hour Body recommendations. I can see making this for breakfast. One batch should last the week. Thanks for sharing.
I've always like ramen noodles but I toss the spice packet, which if full of stuff I can't pronounce (plus we are veggies and they often contain meat by-porducts).
I make my own veggie stock by saving vegetable trimmings. I just get a big zip-loc freezer bag and toss carrot tips, celery tops, leek trimmings, mushroom stems etc etc in as I cook through the week. Once the bag is full I heat a bit of olive oil in a pan, toss in some onion and garlic plus my "trimmings", sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, cover with water, and boil for ~ 35-45 min. Strain, cool,and freeze in small containers. Instant veggie-stock!
For a ramen-noodle soup, I might add some miso paste (not cheap, but keeps well in the fridge), a dollop of tamari, and some sliced scallions. Want to bump up the protein on the cheap? Here's a tip I learned from a Chinese grad student: drizzle a beaten egg into the broth for a hearty "egg-drop" soup.
Ramen noodles can also be used to make fun Asian-inspired salads. Think peanut sauce tossed with edamame, carrots and broccoli.
Quote:
I buy a pizza on sale ( big one ) and cut out portions, lasts about 5 days for me....( yes, you can make your own pizza but after you add up all the ingredients, it seems more economical to get a frozen one on sale OR do some of the Pizza Chains 5 dollar pizzas.
If you want to make "homemade" (which we do every Friday in our house) check your local mom-and-pop pizza shop. We buy dough balls for $1-2! Cheaper than I can make at home, cheaper than the stuff in the grocery store! And fresher too. I buy 3-4 at a time and freeze them. We get two nice-sized pizzas out of every dough ball. To keep costs down, use in-season ingredients. You can make a simple red-sauce with canned tomates, olive oill and garlic. Top with whatever veggies and meat (for the meat eaters) you happen to have on hand. If you have an Aldi nearby they sell fresh mozzarella balls for ~$2.00=enough for two pizzas.
Sorry if I didn't break my stuff down to cost-per-serving. We are not on that tight of a budget. I DO, however, like to eat well without spending too much.
Every weekend I make a big batch of homemade legume (navy beans, lentil or split pea) and vegetable stew. I go to the bulk food aisle of a local Persian owned food store. They have barrels of all sorts of beans for less than $1 per pound. One pound of dry legumes makes a huge amount. After soaking the beans for 6+ hours and then rinsing them out and adding fresh water for cooking, the beans need about 60 to 90 minutes of cooking. In the last 40 minutes of so of cooking, I start adding in the extras. A half cup barley, 3 or 4 diced carrots, half an onion, some diced potatos, a big spoonful of minced garlic, chili pepper, black pepper and a spoonful of tahini. This stuff lasts almost a week. I pour the stew into glass pyrex bowls that have plastic covers so I can freeze the stew. During the week I defrost a bowl of stew and re-heat and it tastes fresh cooked every time. This is a super healthy, low fat meal that fills you up but does not add a lot of calories. Lots of fiber and protein.
I've always like ramen noodles but I toss the spice packet, which if full of stuff I can't pronounce (plus we are veggies and they often contain meat by-porducts).
I make my own veggie stock by saving vegetable trimmings. I just get a big zip-loc freezer bag and toss carrot tips, celery tops, leek trimmings, mushroom stems etc etc in as I cook through the week. Once the bag is full I heat a bit of olive oil in a pan, toss in some onion and garlic plus my "trimmings", sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, cover with water, and boil for ~ 35-45 min. Strain, cool,and freeze in small containers. Instant veggie-stock!
For a ramen-noodle soup, I might add some miso paste (not cheap, but keeps well in the fridge), a dollop of tamari, and some sliced scallions. Want to bump up the protein on the cheap? Here's a tip I learned from a Chinese grad student: drizzle a beaten egg into the broth for a hearty "egg-drop" soup.
Ramen noodles can also be used to make fun Asian-inspired salads. Think peanut sauce tossed with edamame, carrots and broccoli.
If you want to make "homemade" (which we do every Friday in our house) check your local mom-and-pop pizza shop.
Quote:
We buy dough balls for $1-2! Cheaper than I can make at home, cheaper than the stuff in the grocery store! And fresher too.
I buy 3-4 at a time and freeze them. We get two nice-sized pizzas out of every dough ball. To keep costs down, use in-season ingredients. You can make a simple red-sauce with canned tomates, olive oill and garlic. Top with whatever veggies and meat (for the meat eaters) you happen to have on hand. If you have an Aldi nearby they sell fresh mozzarella balls for ~$2.00=enough for two pizzas.
Sorry if I didn't break my stuff down to cost-per-serving. We are not on that tight of a budget. I DO, however, like to eat well without spending too much.
Mmmmmm, veggie pizza! i love it when i can stuff my face and not feel guilty at the same time! save even more money and grow your own food! this year we're getting a dehydrator so when the carrots and other stuff get soft and would normally get thrown to the pile we're gonna cut up and dehydrate them and make soup/stew mixes. i love being cheap!
sorry, didnt post a recipe. go out to your garden and get a bunch of green beans, grab an ear of corn, a carrot or 2, some wild onions, broccoli, clean out your freezer and throw it in (the frozen stuff, not your freezer), etc. throw all of this in the crock pot with 2 cans of cream of whatever-you-like soup, water, stock or milk, and season to taste. and since i dont use a cook book its never missing an ingredient! cream of veggie soup rocks!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.... ($ per Lb)
- but these are current available prices locally
)
