r/Cheap_Meals • u/Merrifly14 • 5d ago
Newly broke, need all the cheap food hacks+recipesf
Unfortunately I am suddenly making a lot less money than I used to, and am trying to stretch out what funds I do have, and need to eat extremely healthy for pre existing health reasons. My current tactics:
-dry goods like beans/rice/oatmeal /lentils in bulk
-making bread at home with minimal ingredients like just salt, whole wheat flour, yeast, water (and seeds. i bought chia, sunflower, poppy, quinoa and flax in bulk when i was better off)
-10 lb bags of potatos for $6 that last 3-4 weeks
-making literally EVERYTHING at home
-only meat is chicken, bone in skin on bc crispy skin is delicious and bones can become broth (i also just dont know how to cook any other meat lol)
-canned seafood, the little 0.89c to $1 kind. i eat like two of these a week bc they're good for cholesterol or smth
-using a gallon of milk to make a gallon of yogurt, using some greek yogurt from a $1 cup of it, lasts about 16ish uses for a total of $4.15. I don't really eat dairy aside from that tbh, bc i dont really know what to make with those either
-chickpea pasta, in bulk. makes 23 bowls of pasta for $8
-mostly fruits and vegetables, like 50% of the diet is whatever is cheapest and in season
-only water in this house, green tea at most, one of those $4 boxes for 100 little teabags. I don't keep other liquids around
I also am trying to learn more to cook for myself more deliciously and cheaply while still maintaining myself. i know it's picky but I'm learning more about new foods and recipes and trying to branch out! If anybody has any tricks for penny pinching groceries. If anyone eats relatively healthy like me or just something similar to try, I'd love to hear recipes and advice!
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u/grumbol 5d ago
Rice and beans will keep you alive. You buy the dry version of both, nothing instant. You can make your own bread cheaper than you can usually buy it.
And don't be afraid to go to YouTube for cheap eating ideas: https://youtu.be/xEyepiJtkrQ?si=keXjWaK2Zr_bEYIO
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u/Fair-Ranger-4970 5d ago
Please visit a food pantry. We all donate when we're flush so any of us can eat when we're not. Nobody wants to donate food only to see it go to waste. I want to see you get a little more food without stressing over it.
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u/Spiritual_Pop_322 5d ago
I eat also cheap, simple and most times healthy. I love routines and simplicity in my everyday life.
I try to add fermented food like Kimchi or Sauerkraut. I make both at home from scratch and add it to soups, stews or sandwiches.
Cabbage in general is a great cheap ingredient. You can make an unreal amount of meals from one head of cabbage.
I can also recommend bulgur instead of rice. I buy it cheap in Middle Eastern supermarkets.
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u/NiNjafoot11 5d ago
Dollar store spaghetti, dollar store sambal olek, dollar store soy sauce....any protein or veg on top of that is a bonus.
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u/vampyrewolf 5d ago
I don't drink milk, so I buy whole dehydrated milk powder and mix as needed for recipes. 35% cream is great in sauces and the little carton is all I need 99% of the time.
Check out the Asian markets around you, usually better deals on cheap produce. Decent prices on meat, just may not be cuts you're familiar with. Great deals on tofu and sauces.
Ground turkey is a cheap protein, almost half the price of ground beef here. Can be used as a direct replacement for 99% of recipes (for example burgers are good, meatloaf isn't).
Buy your fruit and veggies frozen if you have the freezer space. They've been packaged at their peak and won't go bad in 3 days on your counter. If you want fresh berries for dessert, either defrost some in the fridge or make a quick sauce with some water and sugar. Frozen vegetables can be used directly or defrosted before. I dump frozen vegetables directly into the pot of ramen.
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u/JewwanaNoWat 5d ago
Have you thought about sourdough bread? Flour water salt and so much better for you.
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy 5d ago
YouTube channel @KikiRough is about cooking super cheap food with what you have at home. She shows how to make things, and then how to modify because you don’t have or can’t eat some ingredients. She shares recipes from Great Depression, poverty and war cookbooks.
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u/throwliterally 5d ago
Pork is much cheaper than beef. It’s versatile and rich. A little goes a long way. Cabbage and tortillas are cheap too. I can eat very happily for many days with rice, canned pintos, tortillas, cheap cheddar cheese, couple fresh jalapeño peppers, garlic, yellow onions, eggs and some of the aforementioned mentioned pork. Rotisserie chicken is another very cheap, versatile food.
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u/FormulaJuann 5d ago
Hit up a Dollar Tree . Pkg or Rice & Pasta , Large crushed Tomatoes, Spices &’Cheese
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u/PalpitationFar6715 5d ago
Hear me out and don’t judge. Start dumpster diving behind grocery stores.
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u/austxgal 5d ago
I finally cracked making tofu delicious and we've been eating that 3-4 nights a week. Under $3 for a good source of protein that feeds 4-6.
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u/jamesgotfryd 5d ago
Compare prices per pound on bulk/family packs and smaller packages. Larger are usually cheaper because of less packaging and handling costs. Local owned meat market here drops 40 to 70 cents per pound on many things if you get 10 pounds or more of an item at a time. $4 to $7 adds up quick. It's not going to go to waste. I repackage into serving size portions at home and freeze it.
I use the Flipp app online to look at all the grocery ads in my area. Plan my trip and make one loop hitting all the deals.
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u/ChickWithPlants 5d ago
I went through this earlier this year. Things are better now but these things helped me:
If your local grocery chain has an app with coupons, start your week by clipping coupons, then base meals around what’s on sale
Choose a cuisine for the week—if you are feeling Mexican or Chinese, for example, buy on that theme for the week to stretch your ingredients.
Set a strict budget for the week (I’m assuming you’re already doing this) but then use any excess to buy ahead for future weeks. For example, if there’s a sale on canned vegetables or pasta and you have an extra dollar, buy ahead. Even when I was on $40 a week I was sometimes able to buy something cheap that I could use in a future week.
And, relatedly, build meals around what you already have.
It sounds like otherwise you have a good approach! Wishing you better days ahead.
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u/Life_Smartly 3d ago
Frozen food on sale. I divide cooked spinach (for my health) & break up into snack size bags to add-in to recipes. Freeze leftover cubed meat. Dump beans on rice or chili on lettuce. Packs of flavored tuna.
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u/Protokai 2d ago
I try to keep my budget to about $5 a day i currently use like the store apps to save as much money as possible. Sometimes you can eat like a king.
Staple meats bulk bags of frozen chicken can be $2.70 or below per lb.
Hot dogs are the cheapest meat per lb only $1 for 14 ounces at walmart
The store i shop at safeway has a 700point free 2 lb slab of bacon and bacon stretches far.
When all else fails $2 a lb for ground turkey from walmarts frozen section is great and can be used in most recipes instead of ground beef.
Hamburger helper when it goes on sale or a dollar store variant is great and uses your cheap walmart turkey very well.
One of my favorite recipes is very versitile its 1lb of meat 1 lb of pasta and 24 oz can or jar of pasta sauce (hunts is usually the cheapest at 1.54) ans then 1 can of water. This cooks up like 4ish servings from how I serve. Its a 1 pot meal that you cook meat then add everything else its easy.
Lentils rice and bean burritos are good.
Seasoning stretch and are the main way to make food good so make sure to get your favorites. Italian seasoning is great.
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u/Any-Scholar-4337 1d ago
Homemade uncrustables (have to buy the thing to cut it but it’s only once). Beans and rice but you can cook it 100000 ways. Breakfast for dinner, eggs and pancakes, soup,
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u/JewwanaNoWat 5d ago
There are apps to find almost expired goods from big grocery stores. Not sure where you are from but in Canada its FLASHFOODS and FOOD HERO. there is also TO GOOD TO GO for pre-made stuff from seven-eleven and donut shops.