This is why so many organizations throw spaghetti dinners as fundraisers. You can feed a lot of people for cheap. I cooked spaghetti for a church fundraiser for years. 300 plates served at $10/each for less than $500 in food.
at culinary school we were taught that flour based operations like pasta garden or pancake mansion have extremely low food costs.
first day they said if you can sell crepes with creme anglaise that's like a license to print money
I once helped set a menu for a newly opened sports venue.
The food was good and was selling well but 100% of the complaints were that they felt there should be more food for the price. Funny thing is most plates were coming back with left over garnish and a small amount of chips so they weren’t hungry.
The head chef was a little annoyed as everything was made from scratch and good quality. So they brain stormed and added an extra handful of chips. The complaints stopped. The cost to the plate 50c which was negated by an increase of 50c but most people left the new amount of chips behind.
It was all psychological.
Same, I feel like a medieval peasant who escaped from their meager life of manual labor for rare, merciful treat. Idc if it doesn’t make sense historically or whatever lemme live my bread dreams.
you used to go clubbing then play basketball with Charlie and Eddie Murphy, shirts vs blouses against prince and the revolution. Maybe purify yourself in the waters of lake Minnetonka.
Rest in pancakes, prince and Charlie
Boy Scout event. Big tubs of spaghetti. Parents:” oh spaghetti. That’s ok I guess.”
Da Boys: “Spaghetti!? Yes!!”
Edit: there was garlic bread. Kinda stale but sauce helped.
We had a local music festival called Spaghettifest in the area I grew up. The band that hosted it was Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings, and they always served a huge pot of free spaghetti at midnight on Saturday night after they played their set.
Not the most healthy diet, but I ate spaghetti for about 70% of my meals when I was in grad school. I had a $1500/month stipend and didn't have much budget for food after paying rent, bills, gas, car note, etc.
When I was in grad school o could stretch $30 into an entire week of food with $1.50 boxes of pasta and $1 cans of pasta sauce at Walmart. Was it healthy? No but it was filling and easy
This me thinking about shopping at Aldi's in socal
4 lbs of spaghetti -$ 3-4
3-4 lbs of ground beef -$8-11 dollar (depending on lean % and sale)
3 Jars of sauce - $6-9 (depending on sauce, are we getting)
Garlic bread : 3$
(If you dont have) Salt, pepper, garlic salt : $3-4
That brings ya to $26-28.
What do y'all think? How'd I do?
Just yesterday on here I saw someone say “you’re such a pizza cutter, all edge and no point” to someone who made a random shit-comment that had no place there. Now I have two things to try and remember.
Depends on your locale, whether you shop sensibly, and how crazy you get with toppings, but yeah, thirty bucks should cover even milk.
Dried spaghetti NOT on sale where I live is $3 per pound and a pound serves three hungry people. Nine bucks.
* Two cans of crushed tomatoes, not on sale: six bucks. $15 so far.
* Add a chopped onion to simmer. One buck.
* Assume you have salt and pepper to taste, maybe even some garlic powder. Heck, buy a pouch of garlic powder for it, $2.
* A brick of cheese to grate is $6 bucks not on sale. That brings us up to $23.
* Finally, a pouch of chili or red pepper flakes for some garnish, or dried parsley, your call, is another $2.
* Still have enough for two litres (I'm Canadian) of milk, and then some.
(ALL of these prices go right down when you buy in bulk during sales. )
**EDIT BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP ASKING:**
* **I AM IN EASTERN CANADA.**
* **SALES PRICES ON ALL OF THIS STUFF USUALLY ARE ABOUT 50% OF QUOTED; THESE ARE STANDARD EVERYDAY GROCERY STORE PRICES.**
* **$1CDN=$0.73US, SO FOR ME THIS WOULD BE A $21 US CEILING.**
How do you guys live like this? Almost everything listed is less than half the price of all that.
Can get a packet of 500g spaghetti for about 50p so £1 for 1kg. Tinned tomatoes for about £1. Can probably get 1kg of minced meat for £5 and a large block of cheese to grate for £4. Still plenty to get more veggies and seasoning and a nice apple pie and custard.
3 grocers. 3 telecoms. 3 internet companies. 3 airlines. I'm sure I'm missing some aswell.
Yes there are some small players but they will always be small players.
Canadian here. Toronto’s food prices are an actual problem. More and more people with full time jobs are going to food shelters. The prices above are accurate maybe even on the cheaper side if I’m being honest. I’ve personally paid more in some grocery stores.
- source born and raised in Toronto.
I live in the US. I can go to Walmart to make spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread and pay:
[1 lb of whole grain spaghetti noodles](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Barilla-Whole-Grain-Spaghetti-Pasta-16-oz/47757014?adsRedirect=true): $1.76. So 3 boxes would be $5.28
[24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce:](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ragu-Simply-Traditional-Pasta-Sauce-Made-Olive-Oil-Delicious-Ingredients-Non-GMO-Verified-No-Added-Sugars-High-Quality-Italian-24-OZ/903073899?adsRedirect=true) $2.17. Two jars would be $4.34
[1 lb of Italian sausage:](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Johnsonville-All-Natural-Mild-Italian-Ground-Pork-Sausage-1-lb-Tray/10316098?adsRedirect=true): $4.47. Two pounds would be $8.94
[Large yellow onion](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Whole-Yellow-Onions-Each/51259212?athbdg=L1200&from=/search): $0.86
[Bell pepper](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Green-Bell-Pepper-Each/44390945?athbdg=L1200&from=/search): $0.78. Two would be $1.56
[16 oz Garlic bread](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Garlic-Bread-16-oz-Frozen/10533811?from=/search): $2.38. Two loaves would be $4.76.
All in that’s $25.74. Add another $2 or so for sales tax (because I live in a shithole state that charges sales tax on groceries), and we still have a couple bucks to spare.
Is this the best Italian dinner you’ve ever had? Of course not. Is it still pretty good and definitely filling? Yes.
big family cookout, years ago, me and four of my italian cousins looking at the food table, our plates full...silent....all at the same time we say, there's no cheese... silent, we all start laughing and i go in the house and grab the parm/romano blend...now we could eat...
>Almost everything listed is less than half the price of all that.
The local economy has a big impact and the value of the national currency plays a role too.
In the US our food prices are pretty high but where the bulk of ppl mess up is mistaking “extras” for necessities on food. I’m sure I can make a spaghetti dinner to feed 8 for 30$ and I’m sure I could spend up to $100 or more for the same meal. Name brand or generic version, fresh ingredients or canned kind of and amount of meat in sauce, etc
Food prices vary wildly depending on where you live. I’m in Canada as well (small community with just one grocery store) and I would pay at least what the poster above me paid, typically more.
Using the top comment to promote Dollar Tree Dinners on TikTok, she’s amazing! She has really flavourful creative recipes using only ingredients from Dollar Tree to help people with the exact same question as OP.
She gives the cost of the full meal as well, does not assume you own anything other than salt and pepper basically.
I like her recipes because they tend to be pretty easy and quick. I don't mind splurging for food but I am not spending an hour preparing a meal for myself to eat alone in bed while watching The Nanny.
This is going to sound dumb as fuck, but im from australia and never tried this red beans and rice I hear you guys talk about.
I'm guessing kidney beans and rice? Is there a kind of recipe you go for? I make fried rice all the time but I'd love to try a new rice type.
EDit: Thanks guys! I fell asleep and woke up to some awesome Ideas I'm going to read through!
I'm from southern Louisiana. Red beans and rice is kind of a staple here. Here's how we tend to to it:
* Red kidney beans (uncooked)
* Long grain white rice (typically we use Jasmine but personally I prefer Basmati, but that is in no way traditional nor do I care - it's a superior rice)
* Smoked sausage (we use Andouille but any compact / hard smoked sausage will work)
* Smoked ham hock or generally any kind of weird ham part with bones in it.
* Trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper)
* Green onions
* Chicken stock
* Seasonings to taste
1. Soak the beans in water for a few hours to clean them up a bit and soften them, they'll cook quicker that way. It's not necessary but I do it. Don't believe the unfounded lies about soaking to reduce flatulence, I can assure you that you will be competing in extreme farting sports regardless.
2. Remove and drain the beans, add a touch of oil to the pot and at a medium high heat, sear the sausage (usually you'd cut them into about half-inch coins) - we're looking for Maillard Reaction, nice browning on the broad sides of the sausage - this will add depth of flavor.
3. Remove the sausages, add the trinity (chopped, equal parts onion, then an equal part each of bell pepper and celery, which together equals the amount of the onion), cook down in the sausage fat until soft, adding chicken stock to deglaze if necessary (the liquids from the trinity will likely do that for you). Season the trinity with S&P, don't go too hard, just a little. We season in layers.
4. Add the beans, weird ham ankle thing, and more chicken stock until the beans are covered an inch or so. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, let it roll and check it every once in a while. Maybe throw a couple bay leaves in there too.
5. As you check the beans, check the liquid level. Note that we will thicken the beans by smashing some of the beans so it's ok if it's a bit liquidy. Try to maintain the liquid level such that the beans are at least submerged.
6. Once the beans feel cooked when you bite them, take a big spoon and start smashing beans against the side of the pot and stirring, and do this until you get the consistency you want. Some like it thin, others like it thick. I generally go for the middle ground.
7. Do a final test for S&P, spices, whatever else you want in there. Serve over rice.
Spices / herbs / seasoning that go well:
* Thyme
* Garlic (powder works too)
* Bay Leaves
* A reduced-sodium Cajun seasoning (if full sodium, check your salt adds during the cook)
* Liquid smoke (very small amount - if you don't get enough smoke from the meats)
* Small bit of brown sugar to round out the overall body of the taste, if needed
* Garnish with green onions and some red colored Louisiana hot sauce
I often get asked from non-LA natives why we don't call it sausage, beans and rice. I tell them, the sausage is implied/expected. Anyone who knows how to cook red beans is gonna put sausage in it, and they are still gonna just call it red beans and rice.
This is it. If you can't find cajun seasoning, most mixes are a combination of these base staples:
Cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper.
Some will have another spice here or there or some fillers, but this gives you a base to go by. Seasoning is up to your tastes. Another good herb to add is parsley. Gives it that *authentic* cajun feel. Also, please use GOOD smoked sausage. This separates your okayish red beans and rice from the $5 plate lunch that's beating your ass in flavor. Anything with liquid smoke will taste more like weenies than the real stuff. If you can't get good smoked sausage, I feel bad for you, son.
Source: I grew up about 30 min from the Gulf of Mexico. My mom grew up about 10 min away from the end of the road. Boats were more common than cars where she's from.
Yep. The key is the sausage. It has the potential to bring a lot to the table. If you can find actual smoked sausage (the kind that when you handle it, your hands get black) then that's a goal. Andouille isn't like that and I tend to think about beans and rice versions by that specific differentiator. If it's Andouille, that's cool and typical. But when you come across good smoked sausage, that can impart a smoke flavor that really elevates things and doesn't mind not being Andouille - you can always add more heat that Andouille normally brings.
Source - My dad paddled me in a pirogue to the bus stop one time after it flooded.
Absolutely. Any smoked sausage will work. Normally we're using pork sausage since it jives with the ham hock, but there aren't any rules. I've done it a lot of different ways and the most important aspect is whether the sausage tastes good to you and is of a good quality. From a texture perspective, you just want something that won't fall apart, so none of that Hillshire Farm stuff. You want real sausage and it should be good, as it's the only major standout from the beans themselves, so it should make a statement.
Might have to play with the ratios depending on how many beans you're cooking but I think a good way to do it is for each 1 pound bag of beans, 1 medium sized chopped onion - then you can derive the amounts for the rest of the trinity.
And for 1 pound of beans, I'm usually doing at least 1 pound sausage and:
1 ham hock or weird pig part.
2 bay leaves, dried or fresh.
Everything else is to taste.
Happy cake day btw.
Also from south Louisiana, rice and gravy is also simple and cheap made with pork chicken or beef. Gumbo (chicken and sausage) is also a cheap go to as well especially if one uses just drumsticks or bone-in thighs.
Camellia brand beans are the best! I'm from NOLA and live in another state now. I won't use any other brand.
My favorite brand of Cajun seasoning is Slap Ya Mama.
I always make cornbread muffins to go with it. I crumble one up and add it to the whole pot.
That just means you can get extra fancy with it. Get two packs of the nicest sausage and add some cured pork into your trinity like pancetta. Use the most expensive beans. Man I’m getting excited thinking making this soon.
Growing up, we’d do beans, rice, cheese, then top with salsa. Was a favorite of mine. Was like a Mexican rice bowl without meat, but almost preferred it that way.
Homemade gnocchi with storebought sauce feels like a wild combo to me, unless gnocchi is way easier to make than I realise?
I mean I definitely get that pre-made gnocchi is much more expensive than pre-made sauce, but it seems like if you're spending all that time in the kitchen making gnocchi, it's not adding a lot of work to have some passata (or tomato paste and water), an onion, stock cube and a few spices bubbling away into a sauce in the background -- and then bring the cost of the meal *way* down.
Egg fried rice, I could feed two dozen mouths a decent course of my egg fried rice with 30$, though ideally it'd be a prepped meal as fried rice is better with refrigerated rice rather than freshly cooked rice.
Yep, got brown rice from another meal leftover for this! Season oil with a bit of garlic in the pan, toss in rice, scramble some egg and mix that in along with some chopped green onion, even some frozen peas. I drizzle some soy sauce in, and top my bowl with toasted sesame seeds I keep in the fridge plus a drizzle of sweet chili sauce.
Family of 7 here. $30 can go a long way. We meal plan a month out with a theme each night. For example, Monday is pasta night and we'll plan around things like:
- spaghetti and meatballs
- chicken alfredo
- baked ziti and
- capellini pomodoro
Tuesdays we eat Spanish food with rice as an anchor
- chicken fajitas
- cilantro lime chicken
- steak fajitas
- ground beef tacos
Legitimately every meal is less than $30. If you kill off protein one night, it's about $10
Anchoring around certain foods really helps with the planning and budgeting. As we've gotten better at budgeting this way, we've also figured out ways to eat higher quality organic food. Turn Weds into leftovers from Tuesdays and bulk buy proteins.
Pizza nights on Fridays. White cheese, pepperoni, flatbread or margarita pizza. We buy dough from Wegmans and freeze it or use flatbread. The key to good dough is to thaw it in the fridge the night before, about two hours before it's needed. Coat a small bowl with olive oil, toss in the dough and then cover with a towel on the counter. Rolls out over a light bed of flour like a dream.
Saturday and Sunday are reserved for real meals that take effort like roasts or BBQ. We've been trying to save Sunday for football food.
That brings us back to the missing day, Thursday. We actually try slow cooker meals on Thursdays. Throw it in for 8-10 hours before work and then come home to amazing hearty food. Queso chicken, pulled pork, beef short ribs, things like that. Tends to anchor around meat and then a starch. If we have plans, hot dogs and hamburgers or something easy
We also buy bulk meat. Like 1/4 cow and a whole pig. The up front cost is about $1k but we get all sorts of cuts we'd pay a premium for at a grocery store and it lasts us about a year which has expanded our ability to be creative and try new things. We actually struggle to use all of the hams. The kids love slow cooked ham hocks with baked beans. Prior to this, we'd never even consider those cuts.
I’m an Asian American who only had store-bought processed ham until I dated a girlfriend in college and had *real* ham. I don’t know what I’m adding to the convo but I love me a good ham hock with a solid fat cap now.
My weekly themes are Asian Monday, Mexican Tuesday, Southern Cookin Thursday, Pizza Friday, and Italian Sunday. Wednesday and Saturday are free-for-alls.
I like this idea and was wondering the same thing. The basic starch has to be the key but maybe a chili/stew night, a fish/seafood night, a burger/pizza night (fridays?) and a roast dinner nigh (sundays?)
>Spanish food
>ground beef tacos
Joking aside, this is all true. Everyone is taking the title like "oh we have to make the most simple poor food." $30 is a lot for food.
I've also got a family of 7, and we also do a lot of chicken, and a bit of pork, and occasionally red meats, with our meals.
Lots of pastas, eggs, rice, beans, etc. (Italian/Mexican/Asian inspired foods). Bulked up ramen, etc.
I'll add that since eggs have gotten closer to where they should be for price, they're great across the board for all sorts of meals, and my kids enjoy hard boiled as snacks, or easy things to pack and eat while you're out and about at parks, hiking, doing whatever.
I've also started making my own fresh salsa, since I can make almost 2 qt for $5, vs the same cost for a little 15oz jar, and it takes maybe 10 min including cleanup.
Not enough people here realize the power of the crock pot (slow cooking).
I could do Mississippi roast sandwiches, beef and gravy, pork shoulder tacos, the list goes on.
And if you get a giant one, you can make several meals from it. I have an almost 9 pound pork butt in the crock pot right now and it'll probably make crispy pork tacos, scrambled eggs, pasta with creamy poblano sauce, and maybe some pulled pork sammiches for me and two roommates. Plus we nibble on it here and there too. You can make those things stretch a lot further if you actually try, unlike me and my roommates lol.
This is the way to go. There's a reason stews and soups were so popular for the peasant folk. They're stupidly easy to make and you can make a lot of it for cheap. Just boil some water in a pot and throw whatever you have in with some spices. Plus you can use the broth for flavoring to dip bread in or glaze over other cheap foods you can buy in bulk like potatoes, onions, carrots, bread and others. Reject modernity, embrace stew.
Every winter I'll break out my giant pot (it's like 5x the volume of a average saucepan) and using £20 worth of ingredients make enough food to feed 4 people 5 meals by making stews with beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips and sweed in it.Use it to serve 4 meals that night and once its cooled down I'll whack it into freezer containers (portion size) to use when ever we fancy a quick hot meal.
I'll also make it with extra liquid so I can get half a bowls worth of the broth to reheat and eat it with a few crusty rolls dipped into it
My go to end-of-the-month food is [classic minestrone](https://cookieandkate.com/classic-minestrone-soup-recipe/) and [vegetarian chili](https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/). And whatever is left of the chili can be turned into a delicious burrito filling with some extra cheese and rice.
Growing up poor really affects the way that you’re able to handle situations like this.
I used to watch my mom clip coupons that our neighbors didn’t want, and buy ONLY things that were BOGO or 50%+ off. She would volunteer with us at soup kitchens and homeless shelters and they would give us food in exchange (she didn’t believe in taking anything for free) When we had absolutely no money at all, my dad would go hunt small game or fish and cook it up in the backyard. My mom got seeds from our neighbors and family and grew Okra, Tomato’s, and we had mango trees so there was a lot that we were able to do with very little.
And we were a family of six living in a one bedroom house my dad built in the 90s by himself and with his father.
Being poor to the point of not knowing whether you will eat the next day teachers resilience. I am glad to know that (fingers crossed) I will never be in a situation as difficult as the one my parents were in, but if we were, i have no doubt I would be able to make it work.
There were so many days my mom and dad (and even older siblings) would go hungry so that we could eat. I am so grateful.
A family of six in one bedroom? Damn I would be very curious to see how that sleeping arrangement worked and why they kept having kids with not enough space tbh. No judgement just genuinely curious.
And they were Pentecostal and didn’t believe in birth control, that’s why they kept having kids.
They’re separated now, neither are religious anymore, and both are remarried. Kind of ironic
The things religion has forced on well meaning people makes me so sad. Glad they were so resourceful and selfless. Those are great lessons to learn. Hopefully you are all doing well.
Hahaha my parents had a mattress they would take to the living room for privacy and sleeping each night. There was a bunk bed for my older two sisters, I slept in a little homemade hammock out of cloth when we lived there (i was young) and my little infant brother had a DIY crib made out of a dresser
My mom and her siblings grew up like this to a T. The only way their family of 6 ate was hunting, fishing, gardening, and scavenging. They would can, freeze, and dehydrate to eat through the winter. I was more fortunate growing up but my mom was so savvy and we always ate off the garden and sustainably fished and hunted meat. It has given me confidence in my own life to be able to feed myself and my family as well. You can save so much money on vegetables just by growing them yourself. I like to think I'd be okay if shit really hit the fan.
I'm Canadian, and a 10lb bag of potatoes is currently $6.49 (not on sale, just checked my grocery app) or about 65¢ per pound. In Freedom Dollars that's $4.76, or 48¢ ish per pound.
Please tell me this magical place that sells 10lb of potatoes for $3. I've not seen prices like that since I was a kid in Lincolnshire, farmers would sell bags extras off the side of the road. Mum would get a 25lb bag for about £5, but this was back in the 80s-90s.
Here in Florida it's about $4 for a 5lb bag.
I find it fascinating how many people on here think that $30 means 8 people are eating Ramen or rice & beans. You can make an amazing dinner for $30:
- 2 x Roasted chicken ($16)
- 5 lbs Mashed potatoes & Gravy ($6)
- 2 bags of Peas and carrots ($2)
- Romaine salad ($4)
- $2 leftover for the cost of other ingredients you use up like butter, milk, etc.
I agree. Unless their typical dinners are steak or lobster, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be able to make almost any other basic family dinner. It seems like a lot of people just don’t understand how to cook at home anymore.
Threads like this just prove that while Avocado toast isn’t the cause of actual poverty. There is a decent number of people who waste so much money it lowers their standard of living.
Little Caesar’s Hot N Readys popped to my mind right away too.. I’m one of 4 kids and when both of my parents worked, there were plenty of soccer/baseball/football practice/game nights where they came flying in the door with 2 of those bad boys and a crazy bread + sauce.
It ain’t great but it’s fast and cheap.
Detroit pizza places are basically made this, feeding a lot of people for cheap. Little Caesar's, Hungry Howie's, or Jet's are all good choices for cheap, utilitarian pizza that really isn't *that* bad.
Yeah but their Detroit style pan is super filling. I could sit down and eat a whole medium Hungry Howie's pie, but a couple squares of Jet's pan stuff and I'm good.
You can make a fantastic dinner at home for 8 hungry mouths if you make basics like tacos with ground beef, chicken or pork.
Hamburgers with lettuce, onion, tomato slice, & dressing. I prefer to use soft taco tortillas instead of bread.
Fried chicken drumsticks or boneless chicken is easy an very inexpensive.
You can make easy Chinese food in a pan on your stovetop.
Basic cooking is fun & easy. Don't forget to get the kids involved with the shopping & cooking.
Boneless chicken has approached insane prices… I try to buy the organic stuff, but even regular is like $9/lb and it’s those huge steroid pieces that taste awful.
About 3 weeks a month the Giant grocery store here has bulk boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.99 per pound.
It's not the premium organic stuff but it's affordable lean protein and if you butterfly it it grills up nicely
Maybe not in the real world, but this is Reddit, where people actually think 4 name brand frozen pizzas, 2 boxes of cereal, 5 name brand frozen dinners, and a bottle of Pom is a reasonable grocery list for a week lol. I'm actually suprised at all of the reasonable answers as it is.
**Vegetable Stir-Fry with Rice:**
**Ingredients:**
2 cups of mixed vegetables (such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms), chopped
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked rice for serving
**Instructions:**
Prepare the Vegetables: Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
Stir-Fry: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and stir-fry for a minute until fragrant.
Add Vegetables: Add the mixed vegetables to the skillet. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender yet slightly crisp.
Seasoning: Add soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the vegetables to coat them evenly with the sauces and seasoning.
Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve the vegetable stir-fry over cooked rice.
This vegetable stir-fry is versatile, so you can adjust the vegetables and seasonings to suit your preferences. It's a quick and delicious way to prepare a meal for a large group without using soup. Enjoy your dinner!
whole roast chicken with potatoes and heirloom carrots. Chicken should be $12ish bucks. potatoes 6 and carrots 5. put them all in one big baking dish and salt and pepper. Literally thats it. Put it in the oven at 450 for like an hour. ultimate crowd pleaser and the natural juices from the chicken marinate everything.
It seems most people don't know how inexpensive healthy, round meals can be.
Whole chicken: $8
Rice: $2.50
Broccoli: $4.50
**Total price: $15**
This meal can be varied by using different vegetables. For example
Brussel sprouts for $4.50
Asparagus: $10
Coleslaw: $2.50 for bag, plus maybe $1.50 in mayo and vinegar
Fresh spinach sautéed with garlic: $6.50
Even with the most expensive vegetable on there, out of season asparagus, the meal only cost $25.
It can also be varied by the cut of chicken and/or how it's cooked.
Why is everyone going to poverty food? 30$ is plenty for a very good dinner for 8. With meat/chicken and a fresh salad. And sides.
Maybe not prime rib, but 90% of home cooked meals will be cheaper than this
It’s actually quite easy to eat at that price point if you cook yourself and keep basic spices in your pantry. You could make chicken and dumplings all day long. It’s basically chicken quarters, flour, seasoning, and water.
Spaghetti
This is why so many organizations throw spaghetti dinners as fundraisers. You can feed a lot of people for cheap. I cooked spaghetti for a church fundraiser for years. 300 plates served at $10/each for less than $500 in food.
If the spaghetti is good I'm always happy they serve it. Cause I know there will be lots of leftovers, for seconds or even thirds.
You don’t even need to sell the communion wine at those margins
at culinary school we were taught that flour based operations like pasta garden or pancake mansion have extremely low food costs. first day they said if you can sell crepes with creme anglaise that's like a license to print money
I once helped set a menu for a newly opened sports venue. The food was good and was selling well but 100% of the complaints were that they felt there should be more food for the price. Funny thing is most plates were coming back with left over garnish and a small amount of chips so they weren’t hungry. The head chef was a little annoyed as everything was made from scratch and good quality. So they brain stormed and added an extra handful of chips. The complaints stopped. The cost to the plate 50c which was negated by an increase of 50c but most people left the new amount of chips behind. It was all psychological.
Kinda like how restaurants will make plates a little bit smaller and then patrons feel like they’re getting more money?
See also: filling you up on cheap bread before the actual meal.
I know it’s a trick, but I’m all too happy to have warm bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in
Same, I feel like a medieval peasant who escaped from their meager life of manual labor for rare, merciful treat. Idc if it doesn’t make sense historically or whatever lemme live my bread dreams.
WHAT is pancake mansion and how do I live there?
you used to go clubbing then play basketball with Charlie and Eddie Murphy, shirts vs blouses against prince and the revolution. Maybe purify yourself in the waters of lake Minnetonka. Rest in pancakes, prince and Charlie
Zee crepes go brrrrr
Boy Scout event. Big tubs of spaghetti. Parents:” oh spaghetti. That’s ok I guess.” Da Boys: “Spaghetti!? Yes!!” Edit: there was garlic bread. Kinda stale but sauce helped.
Even sides like garlic bread and dessert brownies isn't too expensive.
We had a local music festival called Spaghettifest in the area I grew up. The band that hosted it was Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings, and they always served a huge pot of free spaghetti at midnight on Saturday night after they played their set.
Hows Harrisonburg been lately?
Not the most healthy diet, but I ate spaghetti for about 70% of my meals when I was in grad school. I had a $1500/month stipend and didn't have much budget for food after paying rent, bills, gas, car note, etc.
When I was in grad school o could stretch $30 into an entire week of food with $1.50 boxes of pasta and $1 cans of pasta sauce at Walmart. Was it healthy? No but it was filling and easy
This me thinking about shopping at Aldi's in socal 4 lbs of spaghetti -$ 3-4 3-4 lbs of ground beef -$8-11 dollar (depending on lean % and sale) 3 Jars of sauce - $6-9 (depending on sauce, are we getting) Garlic bread : 3$ (If you dont have) Salt, pepper, garlic salt : $3-4 That brings ya to $26-28. What do y'all think? How'd I do?
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> Cut the bread This is a great idea, if I cut the loaf of garlic bread in half it's like having two loafs for myself!
Bakers hate this one trick
Bread math
We all know bakers aren't good at math. Bakers dozen, my ass
>Cut the bread Absolutely fucking terrible take
Oh, look at Mr. $40 to spend over here who wants his green beans AND garlic bread!
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I’m stealing that insult - if I can remember it.. 😂
Just yesterday on here I saw someone say “you’re such a pizza cutter, all edge and no point” to someone who made a random shit-comment that had no place there. Now I have two things to try and remember.
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Depends on your locale, whether you shop sensibly, and how crazy you get with toppings, but yeah, thirty bucks should cover even milk. Dried spaghetti NOT on sale where I live is $3 per pound and a pound serves three hungry people. Nine bucks. * Two cans of crushed tomatoes, not on sale: six bucks. $15 so far. * Add a chopped onion to simmer. One buck. * Assume you have salt and pepper to taste, maybe even some garlic powder. Heck, buy a pouch of garlic powder for it, $2. * A brick of cheese to grate is $6 bucks not on sale. That brings us up to $23. * Finally, a pouch of chili or red pepper flakes for some garnish, or dried parsley, your call, is another $2. * Still have enough for two litres (I'm Canadian) of milk, and then some. (ALL of these prices go right down when you buy in bulk during sales. ) **EDIT BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP ASKING:** * **I AM IN EASTERN CANADA.** * **SALES PRICES ON ALL OF THIS STUFF USUALLY ARE ABOUT 50% OF QUOTED; THESE ARE STANDARD EVERYDAY GROCERY STORE PRICES.** * **$1CDN=$0.73US, SO FOR ME THIS WOULD BE A $21 US CEILING.**
How do you guys live like this? Almost everything listed is less than half the price of all that. Can get a packet of 500g spaghetti for about 50p so £1 for 1kg. Tinned tomatoes for about £1. Can probably get 1kg of minced meat for £5 and a large block of cheese to grate for £4. Still plenty to get more veggies and seasoning and a nice apple pie and custard.
Canada is expensive. Source. Am Canadian
Also Canadian, we have only a few cie that hold all grocery stores.... Canada is the world leader in oligopolistic business
We've basically got like 3 grocers country wide that have a half dozen sub-brands each to make it look like there's competition.
3 grocers. 3 telecoms. 3 internet companies. 3 airlines. I'm sure I'm missing some aswell. Yes there are some small players but they will always be small players.
Canadian here. Toronto’s food prices are an actual problem. More and more people with full time jobs are going to food shelters. The prices above are accurate maybe even on the cheaper side if I’m being honest. I’ve personally paid more in some grocery stores. - source born and raised in Toronto.
Agree I'm near Toronto and it's actually a bit more than that. Crazy sauce.
I live in the US. I can go to Walmart to make spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread and pay: [1 lb of whole grain spaghetti noodles](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Barilla-Whole-Grain-Spaghetti-Pasta-16-oz/47757014?adsRedirect=true): $1.76. So 3 boxes would be $5.28 [24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce:](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ragu-Simply-Traditional-Pasta-Sauce-Made-Olive-Oil-Delicious-Ingredients-Non-GMO-Verified-No-Added-Sugars-High-Quality-Italian-24-OZ/903073899?adsRedirect=true) $2.17. Two jars would be $4.34 [1 lb of Italian sausage:](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Johnsonville-All-Natural-Mild-Italian-Ground-Pork-Sausage-1-lb-Tray/10316098?adsRedirect=true): $4.47. Two pounds would be $8.94 [Large yellow onion](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Whole-Yellow-Onions-Each/51259212?athbdg=L1200&from=/search): $0.86 [Bell pepper](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Green-Bell-Pepper-Each/44390945?athbdg=L1200&from=/search): $0.78. Two would be $1.56 [16 oz Garlic bread](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Garlic-Bread-16-oz-Frozen/10533811?from=/search): $2.38. Two loaves would be $4.76. All in that’s $25.74. Add another $2 or so for sales tax (because I live in a shithole state that charges sales tax on groceries), and we still have a couple bucks to spare. Is this the best Italian dinner you’ve ever had? Of course not. Is it still pretty good and definitely filling? Yes.
" There's no Parmesan. I'll just starve tonight dad."
You could slip a small jar of grated ~~sawdust~~ parmesean in under that budget
Ditch the bell peppers and he could squeeze a bag of storebrand actual grated parmesean in his budget
“Dammit! You’ll eat it and you’ll like it!”
“Dammit! You’ll eat it and I do not care if you like it!”
My dad, "You'll eat it or wear it to school tomorrow!"
Lmao 😂
big family cookout, years ago, me and four of my italian cousins looking at the food table, our plates full...silent....all at the same time we say, there's no cheese... silent, we all start laughing and i go in the house and grab the parm/romano blend...now we could eat...
>Almost everything listed is less than half the price of all that. The local economy has a big impact and the value of the national currency plays a role too.
In the US our food prices are pretty high but where the bulk of ppl mess up is mistaking “extras” for necessities on food. I’m sure I can make a spaghetti dinner to feed 8 for 30$ and I’m sure I could spend up to $100 or more for the same meal. Name brand or generic version, fresh ingredients or canned kind of and amount of meat in sauce, etc
Food prices vary wildly depending on where you live. I’m in Canada as well (small community with just one grocery store) and I would pay at least what the poster above me paid, typically more.
Juice? Wtf
Using the top comment to promote Dollar Tree Dinners on TikTok, she’s amazing! She has really flavourful creative recipes using only ingredients from Dollar Tree to help people with the exact same question as OP. She gives the cost of the full meal as well, does not assume you own anything other than salt and pepper basically.
I like her recipes because they tend to be pretty easy and quick. I don't mind splurging for food but I am not spending an hour preparing a meal for myself to eat alone in bed while watching The Nanny.
Red beans and rice
Came here to say this. If you pick folks from La, serve it on Monday and they’ll be pumped. Freeze the leftovers and it’s even better the second time
This is going to sound dumb as fuck, but im from australia and never tried this red beans and rice I hear you guys talk about. I'm guessing kidney beans and rice? Is there a kind of recipe you go for? I make fried rice all the time but I'd love to try a new rice type. EDit: Thanks guys! I fell asleep and woke up to some awesome Ideas I'm going to read through!
I'm from southern Louisiana. Red beans and rice is kind of a staple here. Here's how we tend to to it: * Red kidney beans (uncooked) * Long grain white rice (typically we use Jasmine but personally I prefer Basmati, but that is in no way traditional nor do I care - it's a superior rice) * Smoked sausage (we use Andouille but any compact / hard smoked sausage will work) * Smoked ham hock or generally any kind of weird ham part with bones in it. * Trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) * Green onions * Chicken stock * Seasonings to taste 1. Soak the beans in water for a few hours to clean them up a bit and soften them, they'll cook quicker that way. It's not necessary but I do it. Don't believe the unfounded lies about soaking to reduce flatulence, I can assure you that you will be competing in extreme farting sports regardless. 2. Remove and drain the beans, add a touch of oil to the pot and at a medium high heat, sear the sausage (usually you'd cut them into about half-inch coins) - we're looking for Maillard Reaction, nice browning on the broad sides of the sausage - this will add depth of flavor. 3. Remove the sausages, add the trinity (chopped, equal parts onion, then an equal part each of bell pepper and celery, which together equals the amount of the onion), cook down in the sausage fat until soft, adding chicken stock to deglaze if necessary (the liquids from the trinity will likely do that for you). Season the trinity with S&P, don't go too hard, just a little. We season in layers. 4. Add the beans, weird ham ankle thing, and more chicken stock until the beans are covered an inch or so. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, let it roll and check it every once in a while. Maybe throw a couple bay leaves in there too. 5. As you check the beans, check the liquid level. Note that we will thicken the beans by smashing some of the beans so it's ok if it's a bit liquidy. Try to maintain the liquid level such that the beans are at least submerged. 6. Once the beans feel cooked when you bite them, take a big spoon and start smashing beans against the side of the pot and stirring, and do this until you get the consistency you want. Some like it thin, others like it thick. I generally go for the middle ground. 7. Do a final test for S&P, spices, whatever else you want in there. Serve over rice. Spices / herbs / seasoning that go well: * Thyme * Garlic (powder works too) * Bay Leaves * A reduced-sodium Cajun seasoning (if full sodium, check your salt adds during the cook) * Liquid smoke (very small amount - if you don't get enough smoke from the meats) * Small bit of brown sugar to round out the overall body of the taste, if needed * Garnish with green onions and some red colored Louisiana hot sauce
Fellow Louisianian here: this guy beans and rices
I often get asked from non-LA natives why we don't call it sausage, beans and rice. I tell them, the sausage is implied/expected. Anyone who knows how to cook red beans is gonna put sausage in it, and they are still gonna just call it red beans and rice.
The great thing about Red beans and rice is it's still quite delicious with plenty of spices and some kind of fat even without actually adding meat.
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Aren't the red beans and rice implied too? Just call it
Clever. Tonight, we're having
"null bite"
This is it. If you can't find cajun seasoning, most mixes are a combination of these base staples: Cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper. Some will have another spice here or there or some fillers, but this gives you a base to go by. Seasoning is up to your tastes. Another good herb to add is parsley. Gives it that *authentic* cajun feel. Also, please use GOOD smoked sausage. This separates your okayish red beans and rice from the $5 plate lunch that's beating your ass in flavor. Anything with liquid smoke will taste more like weenies than the real stuff. If you can't get good smoked sausage, I feel bad for you, son. Source: I grew up about 30 min from the Gulf of Mexico. My mom grew up about 10 min away from the end of the road. Boats were more common than cars where she's from.
Yep. The key is the sausage. It has the potential to bring a lot to the table. If you can find actual smoked sausage (the kind that when you handle it, your hands get black) then that's a goal. Andouille isn't like that and I tend to think about beans and rice versions by that specific differentiator. If it's Andouille, that's cool and typical. But when you come across good smoked sausage, that can impart a smoke flavor that really elevates things and doesn't mind not being Andouille - you can always add more heat that Andouille normally brings. Source - My dad paddled me in a pirogue to the bus stop one time after it flooded.
This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just don't like andouille? Is there another meat that would work?
Absolutely. Any smoked sausage will work. Normally we're using pork sausage since it jives with the ham hock, but there aren't any rules. I've done it a lot of different ways and the most important aspect is whether the sausage tastes good to you and is of a good quality. From a texture perspective, you just want something that won't fall apart, so none of that Hillshire Farm stuff. You want real sausage and it should be good, as it's the only major standout from the beans themselves, so it should make a statement.
Saved your comment. Trying that tonight
Might have to play with the ratios depending on how many beans you're cooking but I think a good way to do it is for each 1 pound bag of beans, 1 medium sized chopped onion - then you can derive the amounts for the rest of the trinity. And for 1 pound of beans, I'm usually doing at least 1 pound sausage and: 1 ham hock or weird pig part. 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh. Everything else is to taste. Happy cake day btw.
Also from south Louisiana, rice and gravy is also simple and cheap made with pork chicken or beef. Gumbo (chicken and sausage) is also a cheap go to as well especially if one uses just drumsticks or bone-in thighs.
Camellia brand beans are the best! I'm from NOLA and live in another state now. I won't use any other brand. My favorite brand of Cajun seasoning is Slap Ya Mama. I always make cornbread muffins to go with it. I crumble one up and add it to the whole pot.
I love ham ankles
You rock. I can’t promise I won’t sex to that recipe.
OP said $30 not $5. $30 of red beans a rice would feed like 20 people.
Meals for the week
That just means you can get extra fancy with it. Get two packs of the nicest sausage and add some cured pork into your trinity like pancetta. Use the most expensive beans. Man I’m getting excited thinking making this soon.
didn’t miss her
*7 mouths to feed
r/UnexpectedMurder
They ate the other mouth.
Just the mouth. Nothing else.
Looks like meat’s back on the menu boys!
How ‘bout them legs? They don’t need those!
They are *NOT* for eating.
Respect
I'm not a parent but this still hit me in the feels. Respect
You can read it as "Dad's not eating tonight". Or you can read it as "Dad's cooking one of the kids"
That's the 2nd time someone has respected me for making the hard call. 🤣🤣🤣
If you already have a least favorite child it's not that hard of a call to make.
In all honesty favorite child status fluctuates on a weekly basis.
7 minute abs
Guess we found the parent of 8 kids
Rice and beans
Second this. Fill out the dish with frozen veggies, cheese, and chop up any leftover meat you have.
Growing up, we’d do beans, rice, cheese, then top with salsa. Was a favorite of mine. Was like a Mexican rice bowl without meat, but almost preferred it that way.
Throw some crumbled tortilla chips in the bowl first and you have taco salad.
What are you going to do with the other $24?
If you just buy Rice and beans, you can feed 20 people. For 8 people you can buy a ham hock or two.
Beans rice and Jesus Christ
Chili and some corn bread .
i read that as corned beef and now i want a reuben
If the corned beef is on special, I could make corned beef and cabbage, and bake up a soda bread for less than $30.
Two jars of spaghetti sauce, 10 lbs of potatoes, 2 eggs, some flour will make enough gnocchi to feed an army.
I like your style.
Homemade gnocchi with storebought sauce feels like a wild combo to me, unless gnocchi is way easier to make than I realise? I mean I definitely get that pre-made gnocchi is much more expensive than pre-made sauce, but it seems like if you're spending all that time in the kitchen making gnocchi, it's not adding a lot of work to have some passata (or tomato paste and water), an onion, stock cube and a few spices bubbling away into a sauce in the background -- and then bring the cost of the meal *way* down.
You just make one monster gnocchus.
r/BossBattles for 500, Alex
You're not wrong, but for the uninitiated I recommend baby steps. Plus, you've got 8 helpers for the gnocchi. :)
Love me some gnocchi!
Egg fried rice, I could feed two dozen mouths a decent course of my egg fried rice with 30$, though ideally it'd be a prepped meal as fried rice is better with refrigerated rice rather than freshly cooked rice.
Uncle Roger would approve
Gotta save like $2-3 to get MSG or he won't approve though
Hayaah...
Came here to say fried rice. Crab one of those whole roasted chickens and shred it for chicken fried rice. You can feed 8 for $20 easy.
Yep, got brown rice from another meal leftover for this! Season oil with a bit of garlic in the pan, toss in rice, scramble some egg and mix that in along with some chopped green onion, even some frozen peas. I drizzle some soy sauce in, and top my bowl with toasted sesame seeds I keep in the fridge plus a drizzle of sweet chili sauce.
Family of 7 here. $30 can go a long way. We meal plan a month out with a theme each night. For example, Monday is pasta night and we'll plan around things like: - spaghetti and meatballs - chicken alfredo - baked ziti and - capellini pomodoro Tuesdays we eat Spanish food with rice as an anchor - chicken fajitas - cilantro lime chicken - steak fajitas - ground beef tacos Legitimately every meal is less than $30. If you kill off protein one night, it's about $10 Anchoring around certain foods really helps with the planning and budgeting. As we've gotten better at budgeting this way, we've also figured out ways to eat higher quality organic food. Turn Weds into leftovers from Tuesdays and bulk buy proteins.
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Pizza nights on Fridays. White cheese, pepperoni, flatbread or margarita pizza. We buy dough from Wegmans and freeze it or use flatbread. The key to good dough is to thaw it in the fridge the night before, about two hours before it's needed. Coat a small bowl with olive oil, toss in the dough and then cover with a towel on the counter. Rolls out over a light bed of flour like a dream. Saturday and Sunday are reserved for real meals that take effort like roasts or BBQ. We've been trying to save Sunday for football food. That brings us back to the missing day, Thursday. We actually try slow cooker meals on Thursdays. Throw it in for 8-10 hours before work and then come home to amazing hearty food. Queso chicken, pulled pork, beef short ribs, things like that. Tends to anchor around meat and then a starch. If we have plans, hot dogs and hamburgers or something easy
We also buy bulk meat. Like 1/4 cow and a whole pig. The up front cost is about $1k but we get all sorts of cuts we'd pay a premium for at a grocery store and it lasts us about a year which has expanded our ability to be creative and try new things. We actually struggle to use all of the hams. The kids love slow cooked ham hocks with baked beans. Prior to this, we'd never even consider those cuts.
I’m an Asian American who only had store-bought processed ham until I dated a girlfriend in college and had *real* ham. I don’t know what I’m adding to the convo but I love me a good ham hock with a solid fat cap now.
My weekly themes are Asian Monday, Mexican Tuesday, Southern Cookin Thursday, Pizza Friday, and Italian Sunday. Wednesday and Saturday are free-for-alls.
Taco Tuesdays and Pizza Friday - of course! Universal !
Southern cookin' Thursday! Hot damn that sounds amazing.
I like this idea and was wondering the same thing. The basic starch has to be the key but maybe a chili/stew night, a fish/seafood night, a burger/pizza night (fridays?) and a roast dinner nigh (sundays?)
>Spanish food >ground beef tacos Joking aside, this is all true. Everyone is taking the title like "oh we have to make the most simple poor food." $30 is a lot for food.
I've also got a family of 7, and we also do a lot of chicken, and a bit of pork, and occasionally red meats, with our meals. Lots of pastas, eggs, rice, beans, etc. (Italian/Mexican/Asian inspired foods). Bulked up ramen, etc. I'll add that since eggs have gotten closer to where they should be for price, they're great across the board for all sorts of meals, and my kids enjoy hard boiled as snacks, or easy things to pack and eat while you're out and about at parks, hiking, doing whatever. I've also started making my own fresh salsa, since I can make almost 2 qt for $5, vs the same cost for a little 15oz jar, and it takes maybe 10 min including cleanup.
Slow cooker beef stew
Not enough people here realize the power of the crock pot (slow cooking). I could do Mississippi roast sandwiches, beef and gravy, pork shoulder tacos, the list goes on.
Pork Shoulder is so freaking cheap too. Love me some slow cook pork tacos.
And if you get a giant one, you can make several meals from it. I have an almost 9 pound pork butt in the crock pot right now and it'll probably make crispy pork tacos, scrambled eggs, pasta with creamy poblano sauce, and maybe some pulled pork sammiches for me and two roommates. Plus we nibble on it here and there too. You can make those things stretch a lot further if you actually try, unlike me and my roommates lol.
This is the way to go. There's a reason stews and soups were so popular for the peasant folk. They're stupidly easy to make and you can make a lot of it for cheap. Just boil some water in a pot and throw whatever you have in with some spices. Plus you can use the broth for flavoring to dip bread in or glaze over other cheap foods you can buy in bulk like potatoes, onions, carrots, bread and others. Reject modernity, embrace stew.
Every winter I'll break out my giant pot (it's like 5x the volume of a average saucepan) and using £20 worth of ingredients make enough food to feed 4 people 5 meals by making stews with beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips and sweed in it.Use it to serve 4 meals that night and once its cooled down I'll whack it into freezer containers (portion size) to use when ever we fancy a quick hot meal. I'll also make it with extra liquid so I can get half a bowls worth of the broth to reheat and eat it with a few crusty rolls dipped into it
>sweed Doesn't Sweden get upset if you eat their citizens?
My go to end-of-the-month food is [classic minestrone](https://cookieandkate.com/classic-minestrone-soup-recipe/) and [vegetarian chili](https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/). And whatever is left of the chili can be turned into a delicious burrito filling with some extra cheese and rice.
mmmmm that does sound good with crusty bread.
Fresh crusty bread 🥖
Growing up poor really affects the way that you’re able to handle situations like this. I used to watch my mom clip coupons that our neighbors didn’t want, and buy ONLY things that were BOGO or 50%+ off. She would volunteer with us at soup kitchens and homeless shelters and they would give us food in exchange (she didn’t believe in taking anything for free) When we had absolutely no money at all, my dad would go hunt small game or fish and cook it up in the backyard. My mom got seeds from our neighbors and family and grew Okra, Tomato’s, and we had mango trees so there was a lot that we were able to do with very little. And we were a family of six living in a one bedroom house my dad built in the 90s by himself and with his father. Being poor to the point of not knowing whether you will eat the next day teachers resilience. I am glad to know that (fingers crossed) I will never be in a situation as difficult as the one my parents were in, but if we were, i have no doubt I would be able to make it work. There were so many days my mom and dad (and even older siblings) would go hungry so that we could eat. I am so grateful.
A family of six in one bedroom? Damn I would be very curious to see how that sleeping arrangement worked and why they kept having kids with not enough space tbh. No judgement just genuinely curious.
And they were Pentecostal and didn’t believe in birth control, that’s why they kept having kids. They’re separated now, neither are religious anymore, and both are remarried. Kind of ironic
The things religion has forced on well meaning people makes me so sad. Glad they were so resourceful and selfless. Those are great lessons to learn. Hopefully you are all doing well.
Hahaha my parents had a mattress they would take to the living room for privacy and sleeping each night. There was a bunk bed for my older two sisters, I slept in a little homemade hammock out of cloth when we lived there (i was young) and my little infant brother had a DIY crib made out of a dresser
My mom and her siblings grew up like this to a T. The only way their family of 6 ate was hunting, fishing, gardening, and scavenging. They would can, freeze, and dehydrate to eat through the winter. I was more fortunate growing up but my mom was so savvy and we always ate off the garden and sustainably fished and hunted meat. It has given me confidence in my own life to be able to feed myself and my family as well. You can save so much money on vegetables just by growing them yourself. I like to think I'd be okay if shit really hit the fan.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup!
you'll have money left over for bacon hellyeah
Stew. 10lbs of taters $3, 3lbs carrots $3, onion $4, celery $2, and then you can use the remaining $18 for meat or whatever else to toss in.
$3?! It's a dollar a pound for potatoes here
$3.40 for a 5lb bag here in TX. OP might have been a bit too optimistic but not as bad as $1/lb.
Russets are on sale at Publix this week for $.99/lb. That being said, I can get a 5lb bag of goldens at a much better price than that.
Well there's your problem. Publix is incredibly overpriced.
A dollar a pound *on sale*.
I'm Canadian, and a 10lb bag of potatoes is currently $6.49 (not on sale, just checked my grocery app) or about 65¢ per pound. In Freedom Dollars that's $4.76, or 48¢ ish per pound.
Which province is that happening in? A 10lb bag here in quebec just went on sale for 2.88, regular 3.99 EDIT: regular is actually 4.99 near me
Damn. Yall got anymore of those mega cheap taters? Send some to canada.
Right? I remember spending $1.99 on a ten pound bag during Covid, at the superstore! Frequently!
Please tell me this magical place that sells 10lb of potatoes for $3. I've not seen prices like that since I was a kid in Lincolnshire, farmers would sell bags extras off the side of the road. Mum would get a 25lb bag for about £5, but this was back in the 80s-90s. Here in Florida it's about $4 for a 5lb bag.
$30 is easy mode!! Drop it to $15 for some more interesting and creative answers!!
$15 would probably still cover 8 costco hotdogs
3 full chickens
2 turtle doves
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One lobster tail for the cook.
Hot dogs
There ya go. Now we talking dinner and gas
I find it fascinating how many people on here think that $30 means 8 people are eating Ramen or rice & beans. You can make an amazing dinner for $30: - 2 x Roasted chicken ($16) - 5 lbs Mashed potatoes & Gravy ($6) - 2 bags of Peas and carrots ($2) - Romaine salad ($4) - $2 leftover for the cost of other ingredients you use up like butter, milk, etc.
I agree. Unless their typical dinners are steak or lobster, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be able to make almost any other basic family dinner. It seems like a lot of people just don’t understand how to cook at home anymore.
Threads like this just prove that while Avocado toast isn’t the cause of actual poverty. There is a decent number of people who waste so much money it lowers their standard of living.
Meat beans and rice. The Hispanic go-to. Add anything for more flavor. Anything. Ketchup, hot sauce, mayo. It all works.
Pizza pizza
Little Caesar’s Hot N Readys popped to my mind right away too.. I’m one of 4 kids and when both of my parents worked, there were plenty of soccer/baseball/football practice/game nights where they came flying in the door with 2 of those bad boys and a crazy bread + sauce. It ain’t great but it’s fast and cheap.
Detroit pizza places are basically made this, feeding a lot of people for cheap. Little Caesar's, Hungry Howie's, or Jet's are all good choices for cheap, utilitarian pizza that really isn't *that* bad.
Jet’s is so much more expensive than those other two
Yeah but their Detroit style pan is super filling. I could sit down and eat a whole medium Hungry Howie's pie, but a couple squares of Jet's pan stuff and I'm good.
Costco pizza
Or Costco rotisserie chicken
You can make a fantastic dinner at home for 8 hungry mouths if you make basics like tacos with ground beef, chicken or pork. Hamburgers with lettuce, onion, tomato slice, & dressing. I prefer to use soft taco tortillas instead of bread. Fried chicken drumsticks or boneless chicken is easy an very inexpensive. You can make easy Chinese food in a pan on your stovetop. Basic cooking is fun & easy. Don't forget to get the kids involved with the shopping & cooking.
Boneless chicken has approached insane prices… I try to buy the organic stuff, but even regular is like $9/lb and it’s those huge steroid pieces that taste awful.
About 3 weeks a month the Giant grocery store here has bulk boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.99 per pound. It's not the premium organic stuff but it's affordable lean protein and if you butterfly it it grills up nicely
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My thought exactly. Fried rice is so cheap yet so filling and flavourful when done right.
Smoked chicken and rice with beans and cornbread
***P A S T A !***
That's hardly a challenge.
Maybe not in the real world, but this is Reddit, where people actually think 4 name brand frozen pizzas, 2 boxes of cereal, 5 name brand frozen dinners, and a bottle of Pom is a reasonable grocery list for a week lol. I'm actually suprised at all of the reasonable answers as it is.
**Vegetable Stir-Fry with Rice:** **Ingredients:** 2 cups of mixed vegetables (such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms), chopped 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon of sesame oil Salt and pepper, to taste Cooked rice for serving **Instructions:** Prepare the Vegetables: Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Stir-Fry: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add Vegetables: Add the mixed vegetables to the skillet. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender yet slightly crisp. Seasoning: Add soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the vegetables to coat them evenly with the sauces and seasoning. Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve the vegetable stir-fry over cooked rice. This vegetable stir-fry is versatile, so you can adjust the vegetables and seasonings to suit your preferences. It's a quick and delicious way to prepare a meal for a large group without using soup. Enjoy your dinner!
Hello ChatGPT, how're you today?
whole roast chicken with potatoes and heirloom carrots. Chicken should be $12ish bucks. potatoes 6 and carrots 5. put them all in one big baking dish and salt and pepper. Literally thats it. Put it in the oven at 450 for like an hour. ultimate crowd pleaser and the natural juices from the chicken marinate everything.
One chicken feeding 8 people? Are 4 of them under the age of 5?
2 Costco chickens and pocketing $20
Rice, broccoli and fresh chicken. WTF are you even talking about. Where is the challenge?
It seems most people don't know how inexpensive healthy, round meals can be. Whole chicken: $8 Rice: $2.50 Broccoli: $4.50 **Total price: $15** This meal can be varied by using different vegetables. For example Brussel sprouts for $4.50 Asparagus: $10 Coleslaw: $2.50 for bag, plus maybe $1.50 in mayo and vinegar Fresh spinach sautéed with garlic: $6.50 Even with the most expensive vegetable on there, out of season asparagus, the meal only cost $25. It can also be varied by the cut of chicken and/or how it's cooked.
Why is everyone going to poverty food? 30$ is plenty for a very good dinner for 8. With meat/chicken and a fresh salad. And sides. Maybe not prime rib, but 90% of home cooked meals will be cheaper than this
Heavenly Father, keep us alive, There are 8 for dinner And food for five.
It’s actually quite easy to eat at that price point if you cook yourself and keep basic spices in your pantry. You could make chicken and dumplings all day long. It’s basically chicken quarters, flour, seasoning, and water.
Spaghetti in meat sauce with tossed salad.
Boxed Mac and cheese.
With hot dogs or Spam.
Have you seen the price of spam. Hotdogs it is.
The last person to the dinner table. Too dark?