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Mr. Wiggles posted:What was wrong with the stove? I typoed pretty big, up there. He only had the microwave and a fridge. Dude always ate pretty basic, anyway On a slightly different subject, has anyone else found that the more you pay for instant ramen; the grosser it always turns out to be?
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Sep 28, 2012 21:17
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redmercer posted:On a slightly different subject, has anyone else found that the more you pay for instant ramen; the grosser it always turns out to be? I've generally found the opposite. The noodles tend to be thicker with a better texture and the broth is better and more complex. Like, I can't stand Maruchan after having had Nong Shim and Myojo Chukazanmai. Are you talking about cup noodles or the square packets that you have to do with a stove and pot? What exactly don't you like about the brands you've tried? Mach420 fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Sep 28, 2012 |
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Sep 28, 2012 21:38
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The Lord Bude posted:I would imagine that kedgeree has the eggs because it is traditionally a breakfast food, and the Brits who invented it couldn't stomach the thought of not eating eggs at breakfast. It does make sort of (weird) sense to add egg slices if you put the kedgeree in a shallow dish like the Edwardians would have used for serving breakfast - you'd get a couple slices with your helping and they'd sit on top. It is really messy and nasty if you cook it in a pot like a normal person though.
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Sep 28, 2012 21:55
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redmercer posted:I typoed pretty big, up there. He only had the microwave and a fridge. Dude always ate pretty basic, anyway How much are we talking? Nong shim is usually great stuff
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Sep 28, 2012 21:59
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redmercer posted:
As mentioned, Nong shim owns. Also the Japanese nissin is good. I like the xo sauce, tonkotsu, miso, and Tokyo shoyu flavors. They used to make a sukiyaki one that was awesome but I haven't seen it in a while. They also have fresh noodle instant ramen at my stores. The ajisen stuff is about 2bux each, but worth it. Tung-I and mama brands are pretty alright too.
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Sep 28, 2012 22:58
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The Indomie brand of Indonesian style noodles is usually pretty good, too, and super cheap. Mi Goreng Satay, curry, etc. All the good flavours, little packets of fried shallot, etc.
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Sep 28, 2012 23:07
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GrAviTy84 posted:They also have fresh noodle instant ramen at my stores. The ajisen stuff is about 2bux each, but worth it. The fresh ramen tends to be amazing, and well worth it for a "special occasion" ramen meal. Sun Noodle brand makes a tonkatsu version that has the most amazing broth paste packet that I've ever tasted, short of an actual good restaurant.
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Sep 28, 2012 23:19
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Caxixi posted:Thanks! I forgot to mention that my rice cooker also works as a slow cooker, so hopefully that can widen the range of what I can make. Toaster ovens and hot plates aren't allowed in the dorms, but the microwave meals are helpful! I think I said this in this thread before, but this rice cooker recipe got me though a summer of zero income while away from home on an internship. It is extremely good. Despite eating it almost every day for a year, I still make it every once in a while. Gather 1 can black beans (or soak them using your favorite method), one can diced tomatoes with green chilis (you can dice your own tomatoes if you want, but this is faster/easier), one 'rice cooker cup' of rice. Dump all of this on your rice cooker with the appropriate amount of water and press the button for cheap eats 15 min later. Eat it by itself with or without hot sauce, or you can use it with a slow cooker 'salsa chicken' recipe to make a metric poo poo-ton burritos that you can freeze until the oncoming apocalypse.
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Oct 1, 2012 14:36
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To close up on ramenchat: The ones I've tried are the Nongshim bowls (noodles were weird and spongy) and some of Nissin's chow mein bowls (too oily). Also, I don't care for the "spoonable noodles" in Nissin's Big Cup. I just like the simplicity of the OG: Styrofoam cup, long noodles, seasoning and freeze-dried meat & veg. Now, getting well the gently caress off that: Rice cookers! Don't have an oven? Want to bake bread? Rice cooker's got your back, yo!
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Oct 2, 2012 16:27
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redmercer posted:To close up on ramenchat: The ones I've tried are the Nongshim bowls (noodles were weird and spongy) and some of Nissin's chow mein bowls (too oily). Also, I don't care for the "spoonable noodles" in Nissin's Big Cup. I just like the simplicity of the OG: Styrofoam cup, long noodles, seasoning and freeze-dried meat & veg. I'd stay away from bowl noodles in general if you have a stove and pot for the packet noodles. Stuff just doesn't cook right when you only pour in a cup of boiling water, and manufacturers probably have to do some weird things to their noodles to make sure that they get soft enough, aka gross. Also you can't put in real veggies, meats, and eggs for an actual, more rounded meal.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:46
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Mach420 posted:Also you can't put in real veggies, meats, and eggs for an actual, more rounded meal. This. A poached egg, some shredded bok choy or bean sprouts, some halved vietnamese meat balls, and some minced scallions really makes packet ramen much much better.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:53
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Pookah posted:I've been making Kedgeree recently since my oven conked out -I started with this recipe: Kedgeri is both an Armenian and Indian recipe. The Indian uses poached eggs and the Armenian does not, but uses fried up beef or lamb. The "yankee" version I grew up with uses hot cooked rice, flaked white fish, Parlsey, milk and salt and pepper with chopped hardboiled eggs: mix together and reheat and serve. Not great but a cheap and fast comfort food for those that can stand rice casseroles.
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Oct 3, 2012 02:54
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I made a fantastic Jamie Oliver recipe last night which was both good and cheap. All you do is chuck pieces of chicken in the oven with tomatoes, garlic, chilli and basil and let it cook for ages. The end result tastes utterly amazing. I've never been happy with any previous attempts I've made at cooking thighs or drumsticks before but this is foolproof. http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/tender-chicken-legs-with-tomatoes
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Oct 3, 2012 19:06
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This is something I've been throwing together for a few years. It's probably the most inexpensive meal I cook and my favorite thing to eat. Basically, chicken drumsticks and thighs are the best kept secret in the grocery store. They are cheap, tasty and versatile. We buy massive ones in packages of 4-6 for around $3. Prep time is under 10 minutes and cost is under $10 (provided you have the usual ingredients standing by). Feeds 3-4. 4-6 chicken drumsticks/thighs Brown potatoes, peeled and quartered (1 per person) 3-4 medium sized onions, peeled and quartered 5 gloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife Olive oil Lemon juice Chicken broth White wine Oregano Salt and pepper Take the chicken, potatoes and garlic put them in a gallon zip-lock bag. Put in enough olive oil to thoroughly coat it all (maybe 1/8-1/4 cup). Put in salt and pepper to also cover it all [to taste]. Put in enough oregano to coat it all (a few tablespoons should do it). Zip it up and mix it up until it's visibly well coated with everything. Dump that in a 13x9 baking dish. Throw the onions into the baking dish. Mix 1/4C lemon juice, 1/4C white wine, 1/4C chicken broth together and put it around the edges of the baking dish (don't pour it over the chicken and friends or you wash off all the goodness). You can add a few TBSP of butter into the mix if you want. Once everything is in the pan, I like to give it another quick dusting of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover this with foil and bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Uncover it and continue baking for another 40 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes start to brown and roast up a bit. That's it. You get a really fragrant dish that has perfectly cooked potatoes, juicy chicken, mild onions and a lemony white sauce that is drinkably good. Have bread standing by. Cell phone pics before I covered it with the sauce.  
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Oct 4, 2012 17:09
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qxx posted:Take the chicken, potatoes and garlic put them in a gallon zip-lock bag. Looks tasty. You can also just toss the chicken-n-taters in a bowl with the olive oil and seasoning, save on a ziploc bag you'd have to throw away.
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Oct 4, 2012 22:57
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If you need meat, you can get a large amount of chicken for pretty cheap at Costco. The bandoliers of chicken are $1.99 a pound (I think even less for thighmeat) and using techniques such as "a poo poo ton of starch and beans" you can stretch that a really long time. They come in sealed pouches, 2 breasts each, and freeze without a thought. That of course requires a Costco membership which costs money, but there are ways to get guest passes. I've also found that going to an Asian grocery store can be a ton cheaper for some things. They have huge packs of noodles and rice for much cheaper than grocery stores, to the point where you might need to save a few weeks to fit it in your budget, but the savings are worth it. If you get any kind of ramen, a really simple and cheaper meal is to make the ramen and put an egg in (either as it boils, or cooked separately and put in).
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Oct 5, 2012 00:33
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Saint Darwin posted:If you need meat, you can get a large amount of chicken for pretty cheap at Costco. The bandoliers of chicken are $1.99 a pound (I think even less for thighmeat) and using techniques such as "a poo poo ton of starch and beans" you can stretch that a really long time. They come in sealed pouches, 2 breasts each, and freeze without a thought. I can get a ten pound bag of chicken leg quarters for $.89/lb. The ten pound bag of split breasts goes for like $1.69/lb. This is all skin-on, bone-in stuff, so $1.99 seems expensive for that (compared to what I pay), but good for boneless skinless breasts, if that's what you're after. I've dealt with these bandoliers of Costco chicken before. The individually packaged aspect is fantastic if you're freezing and using them one at a time, but if you're doing a large-scale barbeque, the packaging can go die. We told the guy doing the buying to get bulk bags of chicken parts from the butcher in the city's food district (where I buy my cheap-rear end food), buuut he went to Costco instead and got the individually wrapped ones and opening a million of them and trying not to spill the water everywhere loving SUCKED. Also speaking of cheap meat, a good thing to do is to take advantage of crazy sales on large hunks of meat. I got an 11 lb pork loin for $20 during a sale. This is equivalent to three to four good-sized roasts or a giant mountain of pork chops. Usually for big-rear end hunks of sale meat like this, the butcher will cut it up however you want for free. If it's too much or too big for your freezer, go half and half with friend. quote:I've also found that going to an Asian grocery store can be a ton cheaper for some things. They have huge packs of noodles and rice for much cheaper than grocery stores, to the point where you might need to save a few weeks to fit it in your budget, but the savings are worth it. If you get any kind of ramen, a really simple and cheaper meal is to make the ramen and put an egg in (either as it boils, or cooked separately and put in). I was beginning to become a fan of ethnic markets, and then I read this thread and now I swear by them. I've found that our local Asian market has by far the cheapest cilantro and ginger in all the land. Also their bulk rice is dirt loving cheap. The Italian market is the place to get pasta and fantastic bulk olive oil, as well as the best price in the city for Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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Oct 5, 2012 06:23
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Authentic You posted:I can get a ten pound bag of chicken leg quarters for $.89/lb. The ten pound bag of split breasts goes for like $1.69/lb. This is all skin-on, bone-in stuff, so $1.99 seems expensive for that (compared to what I pay), but good for boneless skinless breasts, if that's what you're after. I've dealt with these bandoliers of Costco chicken before. The individually packaged aspect is fantastic if you're freezing and using them one at a time, but if you're doing a large-scale barbeque, the packaging can go die. We told the guy doing the buying to get bulk bags of chicken parts from the butcher in the city's food district (where I buy my cheap-rear end food), buuut he went to Costco instead and got the individually wrapped ones and opening a million of them and trying not to spill the water everywhere loving SUCKED. This was from a butcher, I assume? I don't think there's one anywhere close to me. There's one about half an hour where I used to live that has crappy hours (closed at around 5-6, I don't even get out of work until 6) so that's iffy but I really should see if they have anything nice. The problem is also that since we don't go through things that quickly, freezing is a huge boon for large amounts of food.
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Oct 5, 2012 08:05
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Authentic You posted:I've found that our local Asian market has by far the cheapest cilantro and ginger in all the land. Also their bulk rice is dirt loving cheap. This. Oh my god, this. Walking into Hong Kong Supermarket in Queens, NY was a revelation. They had an entire aisle of just noodles. AN ENTIRE AISLE. Made of all different things, like beans, rice, wheat, whatever. They were all amazingly cheap. I can generally score a 5 lb bag of those wheat broad noodles for like $3. Cilantro I can find 2/$1. Same with scallion. Ginger is anywhere between 3lb/$1 all the way up to 2lb/$1. It's crazy. Yes, it's a schelp and a half from Washington Heights, but who cares? You do it once in a while, get a bunch of dried goods, get a few fresh things (ginger, scallion, cilantro) and freeze the leftovers. One time, I scored a 5 lb bag of ginger in the manager's special bin for $1. I sliced it up and pickled that summbitch. So delicious.
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Oct 5, 2012 16:10
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dino. posted:Cilantro I can find 2/$1. Why so expensive?  edit: vvvv nah, californians automatically win. GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Oct 5, 2012 |
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Oct 5, 2012 18:07
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I love this thread but is this going to turn into another two week contest to see who can get vegetables the cheapest? Edit: ^^^ I'm pretty sure that last time at least a week was spent arguing about what part of California has the lowest prices. I guess I can continue to pay like $10 for cilantro and start a fantasy California supermarket league or something. mystes fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Oct 5, 2012 |
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Oct 5, 2012 18:09
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qxx posted:Chicken goodness
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Oct 5, 2012 18:27
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Ok, so, I try to eat cheaply because I don't like spending more money than I should, but recently I've noticed that cheap meats are just kind of gross. Does anyone else feel the same way? I've mostly noticed it with cheap chicken thighs compared to more expensive organic stuff. Anyways, just to keep with the thread I'll post what I've been eating cheaply for a while; arroz caldo. It's a filipino dish that my mom never taught me how to cook, but once I started following Ragnarok86's filipino food thread and GWS wiki articles... I just can't stop eating it. http://www.goonswithspoons.com/Arroz_Caldo I modify that recipe slightly with my own stock instead of water. Stock usually helps me get use out of older veggies and garlic I wouldn't normally use and/or chicken carcasses either from roasts or raw and parted out. I've used shrimp shells ginger and onions one time for a pretty great stock, but the arroz caldo did have a seafood flavor. Actually, now that I think about it, using stock with non organic chicken made the soup MUCH better.
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Oct 5, 2012 18:37
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blowingupcasinos posted:http://www.goonswithspoons.com/Arroz_Caldo The recipe basically has you make your own stock, as it is a whole bone in skin on chicken it calls for. I made some earlier this week and have been eating it every day pretty much. It's awesome. Here it is with cilantro, scallions, pork mince, and chili oil. 
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Oct 5, 2012 19:30
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dino. posted:This. Oh my god, this. Walking into Hong Kong Supermarket in Queens, NY was a revelation. They had an entire aisle of just noodles. AN ENTIRE AISLE. Made of all different things, like beans, rice, wheat, whatever. They were all amazingly cheap. I can generally score a 5 lb bag of those wheat broad noodles for like $3. Cilantro I can find 2/$1. Same with scallion. Ginger is anywhere between 3lb/$1 all the way up to 2lb/$1. It's crazy. Yes, it's a schelp and a half from Washington Heights, but who cares? You do it once in a while, get a bunch of dried goods, get a few fresh things (ginger, scallion, cilantro) and freeze the leftovers. One time, I scored a 5 lb bag of ginger in the manager's special bin for $1. I sliced it up and pickled that summbitch. So delicious. You can freeze cilantro and scallions?
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Oct 5, 2012 19:33
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Cilantro - chop, mix with a little water, stick in an ice cube tray.
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Oct 6, 2012 03:51
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Most herbs will freeze in a usable manner like that. Either in water or tossed in a very small amount of oil. Sure they aren't super great for garnishing, but the flavor stays amazing.
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Oct 6, 2012 17:35
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Well poo poo, it's not like it's hard for me to get to an H Mart but the less I have to go shopping the better. Thanks for that tip!
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Oct 7, 2012 04:16
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Saint Darwin posted:Well poo poo, it's not like it's hard for me to get to an H Mart but the less I have to go shopping the better. Thanks for that tip! H mart loving rocks, I use them mainly. I go by the warf and butchers one a month to get what I want, but H mart kicks rear end.
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Oct 7, 2012 23:11
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SilentD posted:H mart loving rocks, I use them mainly. I go by the warf and butchers one a month to get what I want, but H mart kicks rear end. I probably source 70-80% of my groceries between H mart and Great Wall (more Chinese based) here in Duluth, GA. It definitely saves me lots of money on vegetables and meat. Just never ever by American groceries at either.
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Oct 8, 2012 17:27
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HFX posted:I probably source 70-80% of my groceries between H mart and Great Wall (more Chinese based) here in Duluth, GA. It definitely saves me lots of money on vegetables and meat. Just never ever by American groceries at either. I've been to H Mart a few times before but it didn't really kick in just how much cheaper it is until the last time I went there. Seriously I think their fresh salmon is as cheap or cheaper than what I pay for bulk frozen, unfortunately I need to stick with frozen for now due to "doesn't go bad." Also, here's hoping the whole chicken I bought last week that said "sell by Oct 7th" is still edible today, I have Big Plans after rereading this thread. So everyone loves slow cookers here and I understand that, but I think it's worth mentioning that grilling allows you to do some super excellent things pretty easily, quickly, and cheaply. When I was in college I was gifted one of those small camping grills, the rectangle kind that use the cylinders and come with a lid. They're cheap and great and I found that one of my favorite meals was to cut chicken breasts into inch cubes, cut up onions into quarters, cut up red and green peppers into, inch pieces. I'd throw the chicken into a plastic bag with a bottle of Italian dressing and let it marinade for a half hour, then slam it all onto skewers and grill for 10 minutes. It's a bit more expensive than a lot of the other dishes here what with the grill and chicken breasts, but it's also very great and easy. My food budget was the same as the OP, but it was only me, so I could afford crazy things such as the biggest pack of chicken breasts they had (which would then be parceled and frozen; this was before I discovered the magic of Costco.
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Oct 8, 2012 17:41
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qxx posted:This is something I've been throwing together for a few years. It's probably the most inexpensive meal I cook and my favorite thing to eat. Basically, chicken drumsticks and thighs are the best kept secret in the grocery store. They are cheap, tasty and versatile. We buy massive ones in packages of 4-6 for around $3. Thank you for posting this. I made it tonight and it came out great! Adding it to my repertoire.
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Oct 9, 2012 00:36
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I was inspired by the super easy slow cooker pork recipe(s) here and in the slow cooker thread, so I stopped by H Mart and grabbed a butt. I got the smallest one, which means it's a monstrous 7.5 lb hunk of animal. I hope I can get even half of it in the cooker at once, which means I gotta save the other half. What are other cheap applications involving a pork butt? With luck I can get at least 3 dinners out of this thing, I would reckon, if not more (assuming all 4 people in my house are partaking each night) edit: My friend reminded me I have a smoker, which is not a big deal to use, but I wanted some more ideas for when I don't want to brave the snow to use it. Adult Sword Owner fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Oct 9, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 15:56
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Saint Darwin posted:I was inspired by the super easy slow cooker pork recipe(s) here and in the slow cooker thread, so I stopped by H Mart and grabbed a butt. Pork shoulders are often cut up into strips, which are commonly called "country style ribs." They're perfect for things like char siu and other roasting recipes.
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Oct 9, 2012 20:50
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Beep Street posted:I will be making this one next time. I think the key is cook the thighs and legs for as long as you'd cook a whole chicken for so they turn crispy on the outside and tender inside. I used to drown chicken pieces in a marinade which never stuck, baked it for 40 minutes and the skin was always still slimy and the chicken didn't really taste of anything. Definitely the last 40 minutes uncovered gets the chicken all crispy and potatoes all browned and great. Quisty posted:Thank you for posting this. I made it tonight and it came out great! Adding it to my repertoire. Awesome! Happy to hear it. qxx fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Oct 10, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 21:00
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Mach420 posted:Pork shoulders are often cut up into strips, which are commonly called "country style ribs." They're perfect for things like char siu and other roasting recipes. Char siu is the first thing that came to my mind, too. If you have the ingredients, or can get them cheaply enough, I highly recommend this recipe from the wiki. It's a lot of work if you want to make the buns too, but the pork is drat good on its own.
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Oct 10, 2012 05:35
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I assume since you're working 12 hour days you probably have at least 3 days off, right? One thing that works well for me is to plan a few meals for the week, and premake what I can that day to pop in the fridge for later. It works well with casserole dishes like enchiladas, shepherd's pie, etc. Also meatloaf and soups and gumbos hold up well for this as well. If you have any friends with gardens you can jack from, you can make some really wonderful seasonal things. Stir frys cook up quickly and you can use a lot of veggies in them over rice. I'm currently getting green peppers still from my mom's garden, and I steam them until they're bright green, stuff them with ground turkey and yellow zucchini and tomatoes (stuff I'm also getting still out of her garden) and top with some cheese and pop in the oven for a bit until the pepper is soft enough to cut with the side of a fork and the cheese is melty. I've also stuffed them with bbq pork out of the slow cooker, and rice. You can stick whatever catches your fancy, really. They also freeze well, so if you get a bunch of them made, freeze some for future dinners! Cheaper cuts of beef like top round can be made into a nice london broil. I do a dry rub some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and all-spice. You can also try some worschestershire sauce if you'd like. Pop it under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side (depending on how thick it is) and you have supper that night you can pair with mixed veggies and a baked potato if you have time (scrub the outside, stab a few times with a fork, then lightly coat the outside with olive oil and salt, bake for 1 hour), fajitas the next day if you fry up some onion and peppers with some cumin and garlic powder and chili powder, sammiches for lunch... Roasts have been covered, but I'll n'th the amazingness of a slow cooker or a pressure cooker and a roast. Bone in roasts make for a more flavorful roast, and you can do fun stuff with it later too.
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Oct 10, 2012 08:56
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therattle posted:We at GWS want you to eat well. That includes eating good-quality food. If you are buying meat and fish on a budget, especially if you aren't buying the cheaper cuts like people here recommend, chances are you are buying poo poo: factory-farmed, artificially-fed, hormone- and anti-biotic pumped meat, and destructively-harvested fish that is not so good for you, definitely not good for the animals involved, and bad for the environment to boot. I know it is easy for me to preach from a position of relative wealth and privilege, but I do believe that if you can't afford to buy "good" meat (i.e., meat that has been humanely reared and killed - usually but not always organic) then you shouldn't eat meat - well, not often. Rather eat better, less frequently, or buy cheaper cuts of decent meat and, with skill, make them into something delicious. Eating a more vegetarian diet is DEFINITELY cheaper, and better for the world - and for you. edit:accidentally posted too soon Now, I get that the intent here is to be helpful, but one of the best things I learned from my poor-to-begin-with boyfriend when I went from being a middle class kid to a poor adult is this: you are poor before you are ethical, you are poor before you are an environmentalist and you are poor before you are a health nut. The let's all be organic locovore free range all the time thing is great if you can afford it, but not so practical if you are dirt poor. In terms of health, just try to eat a variety of food and unless you have allergies or intolerances, in the long run you will be fine. If you're really concerned about micronutrients, it's good to learn the cheaper (if less classy or health food street cred) sources of that stuff - which yeah, sometimes means beans or lentils for protein, eggs for the stuff you might normally buy meat for, etc. But it also means potatoes (evil white food/evil carbs) for vitamin C, or crappy bread/cereal that's fortified with everything they can think of. Sure, it's not natural, but it's cheap and easy and your body doesn't know the difference beteen Vitamin D from hand-grown organic vegetables and Vitamin D from Cornflakes. Given that people have pretty much done the healthy/homecooking advice I would normally give - stock for soup, growing herbs etc - I'll speak up for the crappier options that can make the world of difference if you're tired as gently caress after a long day's work and really can't be arsed with cooking 'properly'. Ramen-plus, as someone mentioned, is a great way of getting vegetables inside you with little hassle. Just simmer it in a pan, throw in fresh or frozen veg (I tend to go with carrots, peas, soy beans and broccoli) and you're done! A quick and dirty version of spanish omelette makes a good quick, protein-filled meal - skipping any steps you can't be arsed with, it goes like this: Slice up potatoes thinly and fry in a deepish frying pan til more or less cooked. Add garlic/garlic salt, salt, pepper, and or any spices you think might work - paprika's a good one here. Add diced onion and anything you fancy out of: sweetcorn, peas, peppers, broccoli, spinach, you get the idea. While that's going, whisk up two-three eggs per person or whatever you think will fit in your pan. Pat down the veg so it lays more or less flat in the pan, then cover over with eggs (might wanna add more salt/pepper/paprika to the eggs before pouring). When they've cooked like that for a couple minutes, stick it in the oven for a few more, til the top is golden brown. Optionally, add grated cheese on top while it's in the oven. That poo poo is the bomb. Also, it's a small thing but makes a difference in the long run - I like to wash stuff like potatoes and carrots, then cook with the skin on. Not only do you save time peeling, but you get more flavour and fiber from your vegetables into the bargain. If you find that you save money with this new plan, treating yourself to a no-cooking night once per week (either readymeals or good value takeaway) can do wonders for your stress levels and energy to cook the rest of the time. Also, if the worst comes to the worst, having apples, cheese and crackers in the house does wonders for me if I hit 'can't cook' mode but want a meal with food groups. loki k zen fucked around with this message at 12:37 on Oct 13, 2012 |
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Oct 13, 2012 12:19
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My weekly budget for food is about $30. A good rule is never eat out. Cook everything yourself and you'll save lots of money. Those $4 Taco Bell runs twice a day really add up fast. I live alone so I only know taking care of myself. But this is what I do with my local prices: Meat - Whole chicken, lasts a week. Less than a dollar a pound. about $4.50 each - Pork shoulder. Less than a dollar a pound. About $10-11-or $12 but you get a lot of food - Broth. Save your chicken and pork bones and stew in a crock pot for 24 hours. Free - Big tubes of ground beef..70% lean is cheapest. A big one can last 2 weeks. $8 - Lard, the butcher renders me enough for a month for free. It is your friend when you don't get enough calories. Put it in the skillet, stir in your vegetables. - Shrimp.. Fresh $3.50/lb. Just eat like 1/3 a pound a day, boiled in your broth and continue to enjoy the shrimp flavor broth. - Organ meat.. Experiment to see what you like. I got a bunch of Cow Spleen for 0.88 a pound. By itself it's no good, but ground up and boiled in your broth? It's fan friggen tastic chillie. Vegetables: - Cabbage, will last more than week for about $1 a head or 0.40/lb - 3 lb bag of onions for $1.50 - Collard Greens - Today I got about 40 big leaves for $2.50 - Celery. $1 a bag - Pie pumpkins - $1 each. Cut that bitch in half put it in the oven for an hour with cinnamon, put a little butter on it. Beautiful. Drink: - Water. Free. - A lb of chamomile flowers cost about $10. That'll make you happy. Then that's all you need to survive. If you get into stuff like bread, you're getting caught up in a big money trap. If you like rice and beans, go for it, but at least for me that is hard on my gut and it's the prisoner diet. Also little cheap things like fresh ginger and garlic cloves make food taste fancy if you know how to use it. *edited because I forgot to add something crikster fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Oct 20, 2012 |
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Oct 20, 2012 21:23
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| # ? May 15, 2024 18:19 |
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I know this has probably been mentioned a thousand times in this topic but you just can't beat a pound of dry beans + some remnants of meat + something with a bone in it + some veggies. I picked up enough for two big old pots of ham and beans for less than 10 dollars. This could be brought a lot lower if you have a friendly butcher who will throw pieces of meat in a pack and sell it for super cheap because it's "not pretty".
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Oct 21, 2012 00:28
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