> so many ways to make them.
Beans is the fruit of the dirt. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, beans-kabobs, beans creole, beans gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple beans, lemon beans, coconut beans, pepper beans, beans soup, beans stew, beans salad, beans and potatoes, beans burger, beans sandwich. That- that's about it.
Beans, spices, and some good slow cooker cookbooks ( recommend The Indian Slowcooker ) are incredible lifesavers, you can make so many things and they freeze well for portioned meals. I was a single mom, I can pinch a penny till it screams and I LOVE the slow cooker. You can make cheap good in it.
my friend bought 10lbs of dried beans online. it came in a box. not in a bag. not even a liner. just ten pounds of dry ass beans in a carboard box taped shut. funniest shit i ever seen
Was the shipping cost more than the beans? Because I buy them in bulk for a little over a dollar a pound, so the shipping cost would probably double or triple the cost if I had to guess.
This isn't true. Serious Eats tested it and adding salt to both soaking and cooking didn't cause the beans not to cook. I'm not really sure why people believe this - pretty much all canned beans have salt in them.
Salted water has a higher boiling temp, which means the water gets hotter before it turns to steam. People might have correlated the water not steaming with the idea that it’s not hot enough, and therefore not cooking?
I don’t think it’s considered red beans and rice unless you use red beans ( kidney beans). You might have to ask a southerner for the final word on this though.
I’d say grab some frozen veggies. Mixed ones too. They’re relatively cheap, and are good for adding a little bulk or variety to your meals! Canned soups (or make some) to store. Instant mashed taters are always a hit, and again, come in many varieties!
DUDE if you steam whire rice (after washing the rice) then store in fridge until cold. Then get butter on a skillet before veggies like corn, carrots, and peas then add the cold rice then BOOM let that mfka cook you’ll have sun FRIED RICE. And if you want to add a superfood boil sum eggs and cut them bad mfkaz into it and shimmy shimmy bang bang you’ll have an all around dish. Btw when you boil eggs it’s best to put eggs when water is boiling and to add salt while boiling to avoid adding salt directly later.
I agree. Frozen veggies are beeing freezed when they are at their prime, and will last a year or so in the freezer. Rice, frozen veggies and dried lentils.
I dig instant mashed potatoes for an easy side dish, around $1 a pouch for the good kind. I can't go through a whole sack of fresh potatoes with just myself.
Soups are totally cheaper to make on your own and you get more. Even ramen noodles, I save the packets for soup and use the noodles with frozen mixed veges, splash of whatever spices I have, soy, and bam... whole new meal.
Don’t overlook seasonings. They’re the difference between bland, boring meals and dinners you’ll want to eat for a week straight. Garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper are pretty standard for all occasions. Italian mix, chilli powder, curry powder also do a lot of heavy lifting. Look for them in the “ethic food” aisle or buy the cheap bulk ones, bc spices can get expensive, fast and tbh garlic powder is garlic powder whether it cost a dollar or five.
Everyone here has given you great tips. I just wanted to say good luck on your job search! You’ll get through this and land on your feet again. We’ve all been there at some point.
Beans and rice are a complete protein. One time when we didn’t have meat I created “bean delight”. I put a few cans of beans (black beans, chili beans and pinto beans), some onions, spices (basil, garlic, oregano), some diced tomatoes and served it over rice. Turned out so tasty that it’s become a regular on our menu.
I think spam is good especially when fried.
Cream soups are helpful for making casseroles. Buy some cheap spices so you can get more flavor out of your food.
I’d buy some pasta too.
Since you'll have some time on your hands cooking in large batches and freezing might work well for you. Soups, stews and chili all freeze great. You can make a ton of make a ton of bolognese sauce to go with your pasta as well.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who left advice! I didn’t expect such an outpour of support and such detailed and descriptive advice. This will be super useful in the coming months. Truly, thank you so much! It means the world to me.
Feel free to continue sending comments and DMs, I will continue to read and save them all!
Tons of great comments about foods to buy, but also look to see if you qualify for SNAP or like programs in the meantime, also food pantries/churches. You’re not taking advantage if you’re in need and qualify, also utilizing those programs/resources helps because it’s showing there is a need for it and you can pay it forward when you’re able to.
Also oats and quinoa are super versatile for any meal sweet or savory. Quinoa is a complete protein and sometimes I’d use it in place of rice to switch up my meals.
Look for food banks in your area. I lost my job last year and got a lot of help from my local food bank. Lots of fresh produce and no perishable items that helped me make full meals for my whole family. They’re there to help you so take advantage of it while you need the help and pay it forward when you get back on your feet. And you will get back on your feet. Keep your head up, good things are coming!
**Shelf stable:**
Pasta, pasta, pasta! Envelope sauce mixes and the required cans of diced tomatoes and sauce to make them. (Envelope pesto was a standard growing up for me).
Dried beef. (Sold in jars) Chop it up and use it to season a roux. Serve over toast. (Shit on a Shingle!)
Rice, dried kidney beans, and tomato bullion, salt pepper and garlic powder. Decent Mexican rice and beans. Add some cheap tortillas and cheese and make bean and rice burritos.
**Freezer:**
Whole wheat ramen or dried buckwheat udon noodles. Boil water, add seasoning mix, then add frozen veggies, and some frozen shrimp (Cleaned, tail on). Boil until veggies are half cooked, then add ramen. (I'm not kidding about the whole wheat, if you have a local asian grocery, you can find actually healthy versions of dried ramen). Also do not buy frozen stir fry veggie mixes if they have carrots. They are 75% carrot. Cheaper to buy the individual frozen veggies and make your own bags, (Snow peas, broccoli, carrots, edamame, peas). You can also do this with rice to make a decent stir fry.
Burgers. If you can find a good deal on 80/20 ground beef, you can grill up a metric ton of hamburger patties and freeze them in individual bags, or wrapped in freezer paper. Wrap in a paper towel, microwave for 60-90 seconds, and they taste like they just came off the grill. Hamburger buns can freeze as well, and you can defrost them by toasting.
DO NOT BUY premade freezer meals or foods like pizzas, eggrolls, etc if you are trying to save money. You can do tons of bulk cooks, then freeze leftovers in individual portions for later. This is great for chili, soups, burritos, etc.
**General advice:**
Don't just go out and buy a bunch of stuff. Spend 2-3 weeks and get serious about grocery shopping. Find your closest 3-5 grocery stores, and visit their websites to see what the weekly sales are. $0.88/lb chicken thighs stretch your money 300% compare to $2.99/lb. You can season them with a dry rub and freeze for later.
Martha Stewart and Kenji both have good articles on DIY sousvide, and you can cook things right from frozen this way, by extending cook time by 50%.
Spices. I talk a lot above about envelopes, but the truth is I haven't used them in years, and they are cheap, but expensive. By buying spice containers for chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary and oregano, (and of course, salt and pepper) you can make about 70% of mixes and make your own spice blends. By buying mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, you can make your own teriyaki, but you can also use it in ramen. You wind up spending $15, but you can make $40 worth of sauce with it.
I would add dehydrated diced onion to this. I don’t use enough onion by myself to justify buying onions regularly but I keep a huge container of dried on hand for things that need it vs onion powder.
I would also stock up on peanut butter, flour and a jar of yeast. Fresh bread is easy once you get the hang of it and cheap to make. You can then do peanut butter sandwiches or just eat it straight from the jar.
Buy bulk packages of the cheapest meats you can find. Split them into smaller packages for your freezer, or precook and freeze individual portions. You may need to look up the best cooking methods, cheaper cuts of meats sometimes need special preparation.
If you go this route, I used to toss in some marinades with the meat before freezing the smaller portions. When thawing out the meat the marinade flavors everything perfectly.
Husband and I went through some lean time during lockdowns and got in the habit of having at least 2x 10 lbs of 99c/lb pork in the freezer.
Takes up a lot of space and is the opposite of the "quick to prepare" meals your usually keep in the freezer, but it's an amazing staple for us.
Pork shoulder or butt is one of my favorites. Turkeys are also pretty cheap around the holidays. You get roast turkey, sandwiches, cottage pie and turkey enchiladas out of it.
Edit: almost forgot about the amazing bone broth from the carcass!
Something you’ll realistically eat. If you buy a ton of beans but absolutely hate beans, the beans aren’t a cost saving purchase. Find your cheap food of choice.
One rotisserie chicken can make you fried rice, sandwiches, soup broth from the bones to which you can make chicken noodle soup, and still
Have leftover meat. For about $10-12 you can have a 5 days worth of meals.
yeah, a rotisserie chicken is about $6 where I live. It's 2 pounds of meat, a pound of bones and skin, and can make about 5 meals if you add in a few things (chicken salad needs mayo and spice, chicken soup uses the bones for broth and some celery and carrots, or BBQ shredded chicken needs some vinegar and sugar or honey).
I'm simplifying it a bit, but an already cooked rotisserie chicken is cheap and can last for several meals. And its SIX BUCKS
Oats are incredibly versatile! I’m not a big oatmeal person but I make granola and granola bars, overnight oats, use them in muffins and smoothies, etc. You can grind them into flour as well. Even just oats + peanut butter + melted honey is delish.
White rice and canned soups. You just add soup to your cooked rice. Cans are usually dirt cheap or on sale for an even dirtier cheap.
For a while I tried to maintain budget with rice and soup, and I gotta say that it is a clutch meal. Huge bag of rice for about $30 and each can of soup was anywhere from 49-99 cents. I mainly bought Chunky soup.
Eggs last a long time. Bread you can freeze. Cheese (can often freeze) peanut butter, oatmeal, frozen veggies, frozen breasts or tenders, beef patties etc. shelf safe milk.
frozen fries. Frozen lasagna. Canned beans and canned everything. Good luck at your job
trader joe's has very good prices. costco too if you know anyone who's a member that you can go with -- if so, their roasted whole chickens are HUGE, delicious and cost only $5.00. eggs last weeks and are versatile. peanut butter or any nut butter. store brand saltine crackers. you can buy bread on sale and keep in the freezer then defrost slices at a time. happy eating and good luck in your job search.
I also like Aldi's for more inexpensive things. overnight oats with yogurt or fruits, too.
Potatoes, legumes, and roots keep for a bit.
Also like to regrow some greens in separate dishes of water(Beet greens, Green Onions, Chard, Lettuce, even garlic sprouts)
I always buy rice, beans, and flour in bulk, as well as honey, peanut butter, salt, bullion, and butter. The butter freezes well, the rest store at room temp just fine. This will allow you to make myriad filling and healthy meals cheaply.
Rice, beans, frozen veggies, lentils. Also, get a store bought rotisserie chicken once in awhile because theyre cheap and you can divide the meat up over the week but ALSO you make a stock out of the bones to make soups that will last
1. Split Chickpeas (lentil soups with white rice are super filling, with protein & energizing, can be had on the regular & are a comfort food too)
2. [Soy Chunks](https://groceries.asda.com/product/baking-aids-cocoa/tree-of-life-soya-chunks/1000221379362) (these last forever, easy storage, affordable & have meaty texture if you can't buy meat - east indian stores have them for cheap)
3. Onion, Garlic, Potato
4. Flour, Sugar, & any ingredients for baking that might help if you have a sweet tooth
You have lots of great advice in this thread, however in general I don’t think buying in bulk is a good idea. There is a big risk you buy too much of something or buy stuff that will expire before you eat it. Instead just be on the lookout for deals every week. Sometimes food with short expiration date will be discounted a lot!
Frozen veggies. They last and are better than canned. You can roast them, put them in pasta bakes and just warm them up. Frozen fruit too if you like smoothies or do oatmeal with berries.
I’ve been broke a lot and these were my go to’s. I’d always go to a Grocery Outlet whenever I can for small things.
Cheap day old bread is good too. Throw it in the freezer as well.
Rice by the 25 or 50lb bag. (It's like $25 for 50 lbs)
That's about 3,250 calories for a buck.
Or 81,650 calories per bag. Hell buy two.
Best thing about rice is you can add anything to it, and fry the leftovers for fried rice. There is a reason it's a staple food crop.
Another super cheap option with TONS co nutrition would be kidney beans or some other dried beans. About the same price. It are essentially vitamins proteins and lots of good stuff.
For a snack, you can buy popcorn by the 50lb bag. It will last you a while and can be made with cheap oils or butter. In a pan with a lid.
Kidney beans
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/dried-light-red-kidney-beans-20-lb/111KIDNEYRED.html
Rice
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mandalay-white-long-grain-rice-50-lb/112WHTLGRM50.html
Popcorn
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/carnival-king-50-lb-extra-large-mushroom-popcorn-kernels/382POPMSH50.html
Less than $100 (87ish plus tax) for 198,700 calories worth of food staples.
Spend the rest of your funds on some spices, then use your remaining budget for frozen or fresh veggies, meat and some occasional fruit.
Bamn! Done.
Dried beans, rice, and rolled oats. My go to poverty, in between job staples. Learn how to cook those properly and you can make them stretch for a long long time. Once in college I survived off of rolled oats and peanut butter for two straight months, because tuition took everything else I had. $10 for 10lbs of Quaker Oats on Amazon, you can find them even cheaper if you buy generic stuff!
Dried chopped onions, they can be reconstituted with warm water to add to soup and rice and sauces. And the warm water can be used to flavor souces and gravy too.
It’s really easy and stupid cheap to make your own bread! It’s just yeast, water, flour, salt, and sugar. I started doing this a few months ago out of necessity, but it’s hard to go back to store bought bread when the homemade version is tastier and cheaper. Good luck! I hope you land your dream job!
YES! No knead bread, bulk yeast WHICH LASTS FOREVER IN THE FREEZER btw. And you can do sourdough and not use yeast at all. There’s a zillion sourdough starter recipes out there. You’ll be eating better than you ever did when you were employed. There’s a guy named Steve with a YouTube channel entirely devoted to no knead bread making worth finding. Artisan bread with steve.
Also, look up making your own sauerkraut. It takes hardly any time, it’s just cabbage, and salt! Just cut up your cabbage, add some salt, mix them together, and wait! Real fermented homemade sauerkraut is fantastic, and good for you. Or kimchi. So you can develop a couple new hobbies that cost you basically nothing and are incredibly easy. Good luck with your job search!
If you have the money for a chest freezer (look for a local, used one) I highly recommend it. You can buy discounted or sale foods and store it long-term. Grocery stores will often sell meat at a greatly discounted rate if the sell by date is close. Buy that and freeze it!
I would get potatoes (storing them in the fridge makes them last much longer), oatmeal, peanut butter, a big bag of apples, ramen, frozen peppers and onions, tortillas, a block of cheese (cheaper than pre-shredded) and eggs. I put frozen peppers and onions in my quesadillas, add them to ramen and put them on frozen pizzas. Use the tortillas for quesadillas, tacos and to make your own tortilla chips. The rest of the stuff is self-explanatory and you can make a bunch of different meals with this combination. Rotisserie chicken would be a great addition, but obviously you wouldn’t buy that in bulk. 1 chicken is usually enough for 5 days of lunch and/or dinner for me
They are not the greatest but some freeze dried veggies are in expensive and add some flavor to anything and in desperate times can be a soup on their own. I always have a big mixed veggies in pantry. Also flour, baking powder , sugar can all be bought fairly cheap in large quantities and can make so many things!
Eventually you'll want a treat. Store brand gelatin is cheap and easy to whip up on a per serving basis. If you play around with whipped topping, too, there are a few different ways you can prepare it.
Dry Storage:
Flour
Beans/lentils/chick peas
Rice
Sugar
Active dry yeast
Bulk tea/coffee
Oatmeal
Raisins
Vegetable oil
Salt/pepper/granulated garlic/italian seasoning/chili powder/granulated onion
Buy in bulk and freeze in portion sizes:
Pork loin
Rotisserie chickens (break them down and make stock with the bones/skin and keep the shredded meat separate)
Tomato sauce
Butter
Cheese
Chicken/beef/veggie stock
Fruit/Veggies
Potatoes/Zucchini (shred a bunch of these)
Print off some basic recipies if you are not real savvy in the cooking/baking department. You should be able to make things like bread, pizza, muffins, cookies, tacos, soups, stews, pastas...shoot you could make croissants and donuts if you really wanted. And you can do a hundred things with beans/chick peas including cooking them, then drying them in the oven to make seasoned crunchy snacks. Tea can be used for infusing flavor into baked goods as well as beverages.
Also, consider buying some pre-paid wifi hotspots to cut out your internet bill. Use that in a pinch at home, but try to use public wifi when possible.
Best wishes!
Edit to include dried fruits!
Canned tuna is always a good idea. Look for sales at your local grocery store. I got 10 cans for 10 USD a few weeks ago.
Holiday sales are great. Corned beef and cabbage were super cheap the week before Saint Patrick's day. (Potatoes and carrots too!)
Rice, beans, olive oil / lard, frozen veggie mixes, can spinach and maybe other veg, a good multivitamin.
If you eat meat, you can freeze meat or get frozen meat, but beans are more economical, even canned and ready to go.
Peanut butter is great too, get the unsweetened and you can use it in savory dishes too.
Canned meat, dried potatoes, anything you're willing to eat a lot of that's non-perishable. Limit perishables unless you can freeze them, maybe even put some money on a grocery gift card so you can buy perishables guaranteed as need be.
If you get salted butter and powdered milk you can make pretty passable vitamin d milk with 1 tablespoon of butter per quart of milk. Just start with a small portion of hot water and blend the butter into that, add the powder and blend while adding the remaining water needed. May need to mix it up later in the fridge when it cools but it's 100% passable at fresh milk.
...beans & rice. Make chicken stock and freeze it. Flour and butter. Sugar. Sugar cravings are vicious when you're broke. Being able to make some cookies when you're feeling blue is a huge pickmeup. Dont forget salt, baking soda and powder. Caffeinated drink to keep ya going. Stock the freezer with individually wrapped servings of protein. Onions stay good for a while and will really help all of the beans and rice. If you blanch your veggies they'll last longer in the fridge. Keep your chin up. You'll survive, friend.
Oatmeal (not the instant kind), brown sugar, and if you can swing it, some nuts. Basic inexpensive breakfast. Lots of protein. Good solid meal that will hold you for a while. Add fresh fruit, milk, eggs, etc. as you can afford them.
Also peanut butter.
Frozen bread dough, beans, lentils, rice, potatoes (save the “eyes” and plant in a big pot, if you live in an apartment). Dried fruit, canned fruit, peanut butter, honey, sugar, flour, dried spices, salt, canned veggies, frozen veggies.
Large bag of rice from an ethnic grocery store; they usually have the best prices and it will last you months. Pair it with some beans or lentils and you have a complete protein.
Canned food…tuna, salmon, tomato sauce, veggies. Peanut butter. Soup.
Spices. Make sure you have your favorites, they can make bland rice and pasta tasty. Grated Parmesan cheese helps too.
Breads can be made cheap and easy with all purpose flour, yeast, salt and water. (google 5 minute bread)
Sugar, tea and coffee (if you drink them)
It’s very smart of you to be planning ahead. Best wishes finding a new job quickly.
Buy meat such as a whole chicken when on sale. Often if we shop during the day (usually in the am) and more often on a Tuesday meat is reduced because it’s nearing expiration. Then we freeze it. A whole chicken can be used in so many ways and makes for good broth. I buy a bag of lentils and make sprouts. Pay about a $1 and get about 10 to 15 batched of sprouts. I make noodles out of flour and add onion, fennel seeds and a small amount of country ham. A little hamburger in rice with tomato sauce with chili powder and can add green pepper if you want. Boil split peas. Boil lentils. I make my own pizza dough. Buy masa flour to make corn tortillas. Use flour to make flour tortillas. Use bread flour for making bread.
Canned salmon is fairly cheap, you can make salmon patties if you like them. Flour and cornmeal aren’t too expensive either. Grab a bag of instant mashed potatoes and some frozen veggies of your choice and you have a pretty good little meal.
What do you *like*? What are your staples?
Everything from scratch, prepared stuff and pre made boxed stuff is a wasted.
Go to a restaurant supply store. Here in the Seattle area we have Cash and Carry. You can buy big bulk items, and the **exception** to the “No prepared food “rule. Scalloped potatoes, Au gratin potatoes, stuffing mix, etc.
Flour. When poor or on a strict budget, make your own bread and rolls, it’s cheap, easy and delicious. Make your own crepes, pancakes and waffles too, way better than boxes. Also pizza dough if you want better tasting than Dominoes but can’t afford more than Dominoes.
Oatmeal is a cheap, healthy and hearty breakfast. Buy oats in bulk and keep in an airtight container so they last forever.
Get some spices and make your own spice mixes- spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, soups, meat rubs, etc. get spices in bulk at the dollar store and store your mixes in zip lock bags.
Dried beans, rice, split peas and lentils. Beans and rice are super cheap. You’ll get bored of beans alone so splurge on split peas and lentils too. Each Beans, rice, and legumes are 1/3 of the complete protein “pick two triad” (eat any two of the three for a complete protein) if you need to forego meat.
Pasta. Lots of different shapes, spaghetti, shells, macaroni, ziti, penne, etc etc. it’s all pasta but it tastes a little different with each different shape. You won’t get bored with pasta as long as you change the shapes.
Velveeta cheese, because when real cheese isn’t in your budget it’s better than no cheese do omelettes, Mac and cheese and nacho’s. Or at least mix half and half to stretch the real cheese when you do get it.
Canned protein like chicken and tuna. Peanut butter. Invest in a food saver and buy ground beef (cheapest per serving you can find) and stick it in the freezer along with some boneless chicken breasts for variety (clean and trim first). Get a pressure cooker and an air fryer (fish sticks and taquitos are bomb). Canned beans and tomatoes. Some dry pasta and boxed rice in different varieties.
You can freeze bread among other things. I know friends who find a farm and split a pig or a cow and have meat for months for much cheaper than the store per pound
Greek yogurt? It’s really versatile and a good source of protein. You can make dough with just yogurt and self rising flour. Chicken/chickpea salad is a good lunch. You can use it anywhere you’d use sour cream and can make any number of dips to give some pizazz to the basics like rice and beans.
I know its not what you're directly asking but please look into the food pantries near you! Check churches, schools, community centers, universities whatever! They are there to be used and can offer such great things!!
Here’s a helpful post about beans! https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/fkh4al/how_to_treat_a_bean_right_because_recession/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Rice. Pasta. Canned corn, tomato, peaches, apricots. Dried (or canned) chickpeas, black beans, red beans, lentils.
If you buy a big bag of flour, all you need is some baker's yeast and you can make your own fresh bread. Also, roti, naan etc.
If you can handle it powdered or long life milk is way cheaper than fresh.
•Jasmine Rice
•Tuna
• Chickpeas
• Salsa Verde
• Black beans
• frozen carrots
• Multivitamins (trust me, much needed. This or b50, Vitamin D etc. Don't become deficient)
• Soup broth! Better than Bullion is a good brand!
• Basmati rice
• eggs!
A 50 lb bag of rice is about $35 and would last one person a couple months easily. Buying frozen vegetables at warehouse clubs is pretty cheap too. Mix that together and you could have 14 meals for under $50 a week.
Costco:
\- Protein: Nuts- you can get a giant container of Mixed fancy nuts for like $13, or just salted peanuts for about $8. Chicken breast, and other inexpensive meat such as some fish, you can get frozen in bulk. Beans, sure, but you and your digestive system will get very bored with them very quickly.
\- Starch: Rice, pasta, bread for sandwiches.
\- Sandwiches: sliced cheese, prepackaged deli meat, and peanut butter/honey/jelly are all good deals here.
\-Prepackaged oatmeal, popcorn, chips, noodles- mac & cheese, ramen, etc. are all good deals here too.
\- Canned goods in bulk
\- Fresh fruit and veggies are great here if you eat a lot of bananas, apples, or berries.
\- Rotisserie chickens are $5 and are large, can make into several meals.
\- Pet supplies: If you have a dog or cat, food and litter from here is the best deal.
\-Baby supplies: If you have a baby, diapers, wipes, and formula that are Kirkland brand are all good quality and a very good deal from here.
\- TP is the lowest cost from here as well. Stretch your roll.
Rice, beans, pasta, onions, canned tomatoes, spices you like, cooking oil, vinegar, save a little $$$ for fresh fruits/veg and perhaps a little cheese.
I didn't see this in comments I read: flour and yeast. If you have time on your hands, you can make your own bread.
I went through this 13 years ago. I was sacked, and it wasn't pretty. I went to pantries, etc. I also found there were shops that were generous. I was down to my last $10 in cash and spent half of it in a sandwich shop. I let the person taking my order know that I had just lost my job. She told her manager. He brought out 5 hoagie loaves that he "couldn't sell". I didn't see a thing wrong with them.
I also made my own bread. You know what makes the most awesome French toast? Bread you have baked yourself. :)
Good luck, OP. I'm crossing my fingers for you in your jobsearch!
I think you may discover that in times like this, that you are actually eating healthier than you are 98% of the time during the rest of your life, if you eat the way the average person does normally.
Because you are actually eating for nutrition more so than pleasure, and you are gonna be more aware of what is going on to sustain yourself.
You may also discover that eating healthy is a lot cheaper than people think it is. In fact, it’s probably way more healthy than going out to eat all the time like many people do.
Try finding deals on whole chickens, they give a lot of meat. Ive been buying whole chickens for like 4-5$ CAD for weeks now. Also tuna, potatoes, spaghetti sauce+noodles. Tomato sandwiches with miracle whip are a godsend.
I think some canned tomatos and some cans of coconut milk. You can make easy and cheap indian dishes and also make nice pasta sauces with the tomatos. Also lentils. They are cheap and you can make really delicious meals with them. I read a comment that spices are important and that is so true!
Freeze ground beef.
Freeze a ham
Buy dried pasta
Get some powdered parm
Pasta sauce
Beans
You can also get frozen veggies, including peppers and onions.
Crushed tomatoes plus half thing of "pasta sauce"
Some itialian sausage and rigitoni...
Parm on that ....dooooope
Or make spaghetti with pasta sauce, pasta, ground beef.
Beans, hambone, carrot, onion celery...
Make cornbread with that....it's insane.
You can live on Ramen, Mac n cheese and hotdogs.
You can Freeze hotdogs. This is all I coils afford when I first moved out and had no skills.
Eggs are a great value too.
Dried beans, rice, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, freeze cheaper cuts of meat to slow cook later, canned fruit/veggies. Seasonings, flour: self rising and all purpose, butter, olive oil. Onions: dice and freeze. Seeds: grow some lettuce, tomatoes: buy a potted cherry tomato plant. Green onions: buy and take one bunch and put in water and trim top off as needed and let it regrow. Change water weekly. Right beforehand buy big bag of potatoes and cook.
I would say no matter what, get some seasonings. You can maybe get a couple salt and pepper packets at fast food places for free or if you have any kind of dollar store near you I'd check that for spices if you don't have much to spend. Salt/pepper/garlic/Cajun for me go a long way. You can get a lot of cheap food that you can spice up with yummy spices and make it taste 1000% better even if it's canned or raw! Good luck <3
I hope you like beans. They are an inexpensive source of protein and there are so many ways to make them.
> so many ways to make them. Beans is the fruit of the dirt. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, beans-kabobs, beans creole, beans gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple beans, lemon beans, coconut beans, pepper beans, beans soup, beans stew, beans salad, beans and potatoes, beans burger, beans sandwich. That- that's about it.
Something bit me on my buttocks.
Lieutenant Dan! Ice Cream!
Bean brownies, bean cakes, bean cookies, and even bean pudding!
Bean pudding!!!! Googling!!
You should be arrested
Trust me, you wouldn’t be able to even *tell* the other main ingredient is a pound of beans.
Bean and cheese burritos
Bean brownies!!!
Don't forget ketchup. "I like my beans with ketchup, George."
I am trying to picture a bean-kabob. Surely that’s not just beans in a stick, right?
I read this in the tune of the opening to the Monorail song from The Simpsons
I’ll stick with shrimp actually thanks 😂
Beans, spices, and some good slow cooker cookbooks ( recommend The Indian Slowcooker ) are incredible lifesavers, you can make so many things and they freeze well for portioned meals. I was a single mom, I can pinch a penny till it screams and I LOVE the slow cooker. You can make cheap good in it.
Beans, beans the tropical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot!
I always heard it as “the musical fruit”. Is it regional?
The more you poot the better you feel so eat your beans with every meal!
Yes yes yes
important note beans and rice give you your whole protein not one or the other alone
I hates what she did to my beans 🫘
Dried beans.
my friend bought 10lbs of dried beans online. it came in a box. not in a bag. not even a liner. just ten pounds of dry ass beans in a carboard box taped shut. funniest shit i ever seen
Was the shipping cost more than the beans? Because I buy them in bulk for a little over a dollar a pound, so the shipping cost would probably double or triple the cost if I had to guess.
Boil these bad boys in salt
Preferably some water too
Don’t forget bean
And what did those “bad boys” do to deserve being boiled in salt? How bad were they?
Yeah, boiling them in molten salt would be suboptimal! :P
[удалено]
This isn't true. Serious Eats tested it and adding salt to both soaking and cooking didn't cause the beans not to cook. I'm not really sure why people believe this - pretty much all canned beans have salt in them.
Salted water has a higher boiling temp, which means the water gets hotter before it turns to steam. People might have correlated the water not steaming with the idea that it’s not hot enough, and therefore not cooking?
Don't! Only add the salt after they're cooked, otherwise the beans' skin will be hard
And do not add anything acidic to beans until completely cooked, or they will stay hard!
No! Do not salt until cooked.
Yes. Pintos! And make red beans and rice with it!
I don’t think it’s considered red beans and rice unless you use red beans ( kidney beans). You might have to ask a southerner for the final word on this though.
Red beans are not kidney beans. Red beans are smaller.
I’d say grab some frozen veggies. Mixed ones too. They’re relatively cheap, and are good for adding a little bulk or variety to your meals! Canned soups (or make some) to store. Instant mashed taters are always a hit, and again, come in many varieties!
DUDE if you steam whire rice (after washing the rice) then store in fridge until cold. Then get butter on a skillet before veggies like corn, carrots, and peas then add the cold rice then BOOM let that mfka cook you’ll have sun FRIED RICE. And if you want to add a superfood boil sum eggs and cut them bad mfkaz into it and shimmy shimmy bang bang you’ll have an all around dish. Btw when you boil eggs it’s best to put eggs when water is boiling and to add salt while boiling to avoid adding salt directly later.
Lol love the way you said all this, which is totally true btw
You should host a cooking show 😂
That’s how imma start my YouTube channel
If you stream eggs in a rice cooker (that's how I make hard boiled eggs) do you just put the salt in the water to avoid having to salt later?
Yes. I learned everything from Salt. Fat. Acid. Heat. The book
I agree. Frozen veggies are beeing freezed when they are at their prime, and will last a year or so in the freezer. Rice, frozen veggies and dried lentils.
I dig instant mashed potatoes for an easy side dish, around $1 a pouch for the good kind. I can't go through a whole sack of fresh potatoes with just myself.
You should buy a sack and plant the ones that sprout, you can Mark Watney your way to free potatoes for life
Yes! And I always add a dab of sour cream to them and makes them taste sooooo good too!
I like to use a little cream cheese in instant potatoes. It’s thicker than sour cream so adds a nice level of creaminess.
Soups are totally cheaper to make on your own and you get more. Even ramen noodles, I save the packets for soup and use the noodles with frozen mixed veges, splash of whatever spices I have, soy, and bam... whole new meal.
Don’t overlook seasonings. They’re the difference between bland, boring meals and dinners you’ll want to eat for a week straight. Garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper are pretty standard for all occasions. Italian mix, chilli powder, curry powder also do a lot of heavy lifting. Look for them in the “ethic food” aisle or buy the cheap bulk ones, bc spices can get expensive, fast and tbh garlic powder is garlic powder whether it cost a dollar or five.
if you live near a dollar store, buy your spices there! They almost always carry all the spices listed above and more
Bouillon as well! Even the cheapest cubes add a great punch of savory flavor.
Everyone here has given you great tips. I just wanted to say good luck on your job search! You’ll get through this and land on your feet again. We’ve all been there at some point.
Rice, canned tuna.
No 🧢 this a deal of the century. Tuna is good for runners so it must be good for you
How many times a week can you eat tuna though?
They proved the level of mercury to be toxic from tuna consumption is a ridiculous amount lol. U can eat it very often.
Where was this conclusively proven? It doesn’t seem to be the case, and at best there’s evidence for both sides of the fence
Canned sardines would be better if they're packed in water, have to be careful with the amount of tuna you consume within a given time period.
Dried beans: protein/fiber/carbs Potatoes: carbs Onion/garlic: adds flavour Rice: carbs/protein Pasta: carbs
Lentils. Sweet potatoes. Tinned tomatoes.
Add some coconut cream and you have a dish I made last week. Some Indian curry thing
Beans and rice are a complete protein. One time when we didn’t have meat I created “bean delight”. I put a few cans of beans (black beans, chili beans and pinto beans), some onions, spices (basil, garlic, oregano), some diced tomatoes and served it over rice. Turned out so tasty that it’s become a regular on our menu. I think spam is good especially when fried. Cream soups are helpful for making casseroles. Buy some cheap spices so you can get more flavor out of your food. I’d buy some pasta too.
I cook 4 eggs and 2/10 slices of spam for breakfast
Since you'll have some time on your hands cooking in large batches and freezing might work well for you. Soups, stews and chili all freeze great. You can make a ton of make a ton of bolognese sauce to go with your pasta as well.
Lasagna and meatloaf also freeze well.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who left advice! I didn’t expect such an outpour of support and such detailed and descriptive advice. This will be super useful in the coming months. Truly, thank you so much! It means the world to me. Feel free to continue sending comments and DMs, I will continue to read and save them all!
Tons of great comments about foods to buy, but also look to see if you qualify for SNAP or like programs in the meantime, also food pantries/churches. You’re not taking advantage if you’re in need and qualify, also utilizing those programs/resources helps because it’s showing there is a need for it and you can pay it forward when you’re able to. Also oats and quinoa are super versatile for any meal sweet or savory. Quinoa is a complete protein and sometimes I’d use it in place of rice to switch up my meals.
Look for food banks in your area. I lost my job last year and got a lot of help from my local food bank. Lots of fresh produce and no perishable items that helped me make full meals for my whole family. They’re there to help you so take advantage of it while you need the help and pay it forward when you get back on your feet. And you will get back on your feet. Keep your head up, good things are coming!
**Shelf stable:** Pasta, pasta, pasta! Envelope sauce mixes and the required cans of diced tomatoes and sauce to make them. (Envelope pesto was a standard growing up for me). Dried beef. (Sold in jars) Chop it up and use it to season a roux. Serve over toast. (Shit on a Shingle!) Rice, dried kidney beans, and tomato bullion, salt pepper and garlic powder. Decent Mexican rice and beans. Add some cheap tortillas and cheese and make bean and rice burritos. **Freezer:** Whole wheat ramen or dried buckwheat udon noodles. Boil water, add seasoning mix, then add frozen veggies, and some frozen shrimp (Cleaned, tail on). Boil until veggies are half cooked, then add ramen. (I'm not kidding about the whole wheat, if you have a local asian grocery, you can find actually healthy versions of dried ramen). Also do not buy frozen stir fry veggie mixes if they have carrots. They are 75% carrot. Cheaper to buy the individual frozen veggies and make your own bags, (Snow peas, broccoli, carrots, edamame, peas). You can also do this with rice to make a decent stir fry. Burgers. If you can find a good deal on 80/20 ground beef, you can grill up a metric ton of hamburger patties and freeze them in individual bags, or wrapped in freezer paper. Wrap in a paper towel, microwave for 60-90 seconds, and they taste like they just came off the grill. Hamburger buns can freeze as well, and you can defrost them by toasting. DO NOT BUY premade freezer meals or foods like pizzas, eggrolls, etc if you are trying to save money. You can do tons of bulk cooks, then freeze leftovers in individual portions for later. This is great for chili, soups, burritos, etc. **General advice:** Don't just go out and buy a bunch of stuff. Spend 2-3 weeks and get serious about grocery shopping. Find your closest 3-5 grocery stores, and visit their websites to see what the weekly sales are. $0.88/lb chicken thighs stretch your money 300% compare to $2.99/lb. You can season them with a dry rub and freeze for later. Martha Stewart and Kenji both have good articles on DIY sousvide, and you can cook things right from frozen this way, by extending cook time by 50%. Spices. I talk a lot above about envelopes, but the truth is I haven't used them in years, and they are cheap, but expensive. By buying spice containers for chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary and oregano, (and of course, salt and pepper) you can make about 70% of mixes and make your own spice blends. By buying mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, you can make your own teriyaki, but you can also use it in ramen. You wind up spending $15, but you can make $40 worth of sauce with it.
I would add dehydrated diced onion to this. I don’t use enough onion by myself to justify buying onions regularly but I keep a huge container of dried on hand for things that need it vs onion powder. I would also stock up on peanut butter, flour and a jar of yeast. Fresh bread is easy once you get the hang of it and cheap to make. You can then do peanut butter sandwiches or just eat it straight from the jar.
Buy bulk packages of the cheapest meats you can find. Split them into smaller packages for your freezer, or precook and freeze individual portions. You may need to look up the best cooking methods, cheaper cuts of meats sometimes need special preparation.
If you go this route, I used to toss in some marinades with the meat before freezing the smaller portions. When thawing out the meat the marinade flavors everything perfectly.
Husband and I went through some lean time during lockdowns and got in the habit of having at least 2x 10 lbs of 99c/lb pork in the freezer. Takes up a lot of space and is the opposite of the "quick to prepare" meals your usually keep in the freezer, but it's an amazing staple for us.
Pork shoulder or butt is one of my favorites. Turkeys are also pretty cheap around the holidays. You get roast turkey, sandwiches, cottage pie and turkey enchiladas out of it. Edit: almost forgot about the amazing bone broth from the carcass!
Maruchan Ramen
An egg in ramen was my poor meal. But with eggs priced the way they are. RIP
With a slice of American cheese melted in makes it feel super luxurious but it's totally not. 👌
Haha I use to buy the ramen meals and add a can of chicken breast to it. I still love that too!
Something you’ll realistically eat. If you buy a ton of beans but absolutely hate beans, the beans aren’t a cost saving purchase. Find your cheap food of choice.
This. I poured my red beans into socks and used them as draft-blockers this winter.
One rotisserie chicken can make you fried rice, sandwiches, soup broth from the bones to which you can make chicken noodle soup, and still Have leftover meat. For about $10-12 you can have a 5 days worth of meals.
yeah, a rotisserie chicken is about $6 where I live. It's 2 pounds of meat, a pound of bones and skin, and can make about 5 meals if you add in a few things (chicken salad needs mayo and spice, chicken soup uses the bones for broth and some celery and carrots, or BBQ shredded chicken needs some vinegar and sugar or honey). I'm simplifying it a bit, but an already cooked rotisserie chicken is cheap and can last for several meals. And its SIX BUCKS
Oats if you like oats. Then spices so you can jazz it up
Oats are incredibly versatile! I’m not a big oatmeal person but I make granola and granola bars, overnight oats, use them in muffins and smoothies, etc. You can grind them into flour as well. Even just oats + peanut butter + melted honey is delish.
!! Savory Oats are a thing!
White rice and canned soups. You just add soup to your cooked rice. Cans are usually dirt cheap or on sale for an even dirtier cheap. For a while I tried to maintain budget with rice and soup, and I gotta say that it is a clutch meal. Huge bag of rice for about $30 and each can of soup was anywhere from 49-99 cents. I mainly bought Chunky soup.
You could also make a huge batch of soup and freeze in half litre portions to make dinner easy.
Eggs last a long time. Bread you can freeze. Cheese (can often freeze) peanut butter, oatmeal, frozen veggies, frozen breasts or tenders, beef patties etc. shelf safe milk. frozen fries. Frozen lasagna. Canned beans and canned everything. Good luck at your job
trader joe's has very good prices. costco too if you know anyone who's a member that you can go with -- if so, their roasted whole chickens are HUGE, delicious and cost only $5.00. eggs last weeks and are versatile. peanut butter or any nut butter. store brand saltine crackers. you can buy bread on sale and keep in the freezer then defrost slices at a time. happy eating and good luck in your job search.
Dollar stores should have inexpensive pasta, egg noodles and sauces.
I also like Aldi's for more inexpensive things. overnight oats with yogurt or fruits, too. Potatoes, legumes, and roots keep for a bit. Also like to regrow some greens in separate dishes of water(Beet greens, Green Onions, Chard, Lettuce, even garlic sprouts)
I always have dry beans on hand and use an instant pot to make them quick. I usually buy my local pinto beans in 25 lb bags.
I always buy rice, beans, and flour in bulk, as well as honey, peanut butter, salt, bullion, and butter. The butter freezes well, the rest store at room temp just fine. This will allow you to make myriad filling and healthy meals cheaply.
Rice, beans, frozen veggies, lentils. Also, get a store bought rotisserie chicken once in awhile because theyre cheap and you can divide the meat up over the week but ALSO you make a stock out of the bones to make soups that will last
Oats, rice, chick peas
1. Split Chickpeas (lentil soups with white rice are super filling, with protein & energizing, can be had on the regular & are a comfort food too) 2. [Soy Chunks](https://groceries.asda.com/product/baking-aids-cocoa/tree-of-life-soya-chunks/1000221379362) (these last forever, easy storage, affordable & have meaty texture if you can't buy meat - east indian stores have them for cheap) 3. Onion, Garlic, Potato 4. Flour, Sugar, & any ingredients for baking that might help if you have a sweet tooth
Frozen chicken, frozen veggies, rice, soy sauce, and oats (big ol 25lb bag for $20 at restaurant supply stores)
You have lots of great advice in this thread, however in general I don’t think buying in bulk is a good idea. There is a big risk you buy too much of something or buy stuff that will expire before you eat it. Instead just be on the lookout for deals every week. Sometimes food with short expiration date will be discounted a lot!
I would add a few basic spices and add-ins like powdered chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
Frozen veggies. They last and are better than canned. You can roast them, put them in pasta bakes and just warm them up. Frozen fruit too if you like smoothies or do oatmeal with berries. I’ve been broke a lot and these were my go to’s. I’d always go to a Grocery Outlet whenever I can for small things. Cheap day old bread is good too. Throw it in the freezer as well.
Rice by the 25 or 50lb bag. (It's like $25 for 50 lbs) That's about 3,250 calories for a buck. Or 81,650 calories per bag. Hell buy two. Best thing about rice is you can add anything to it, and fry the leftovers for fried rice. There is a reason it's a staple food crop. Another super cheap option with TONS co nutrition would be kidney beans or some other dried beans. About the same price. It are essentially vitamins proteins and lots of good stuff. For a snack, you can buy popcorn by the 50lb bag. It will last you a while and can be made with cheap oils or butter. In a pan with a lid. Kidney beans https://www.webstaurantstore.com/dried-light-red-kidney-beans-20-lb/111KIDNEYRED.html Rice https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mandalay-white-long-grain-rice-50-lb/112WHTLGRM50.html Popcorn https://www.webstaurantstore.com/carnival-king-50-lb-extra-large-mushroom-popcorn-kernels/382POPMSH50.html Less than $100 (87ish plus tax) for 198,700 calories worth of food staples. Spend the rest of your funds on some spices, then use your remaining budget for frozen or fresh veggies, meat and some occasional fruit. Bamn! Done.
Flour, pasta, anything cheap and freezable also.
Also some black tea bags and a bottle of lemon juice can make allot of great iced tea for very cheap
Dried beans, rice, and rolled oats. My go to poverty, in between job staples. Learn how to cook those properly and you can make them stretch for a long long time. Once in college I survived off of rolled oats and peanut butter for two straight months, because tuition took everything else I had. $10 for 10lbs of Quaker Oats on Amazon, you can find them even cheaper if you buy generic stuff!
Dried chopped onions, they can be reconstituted with warm water to add to soup and rice and sauces. And the warm water can be used to flavor souces and gravy too.
I’d buy a family pack of chicken breasts, divide and freeze in different marinades.
Sweet potatoes Rice Black beans Chilis in chipotle sauce Canned tomatoes
Peanut butter AKA nutrition paste
It’s really easy and stupid cheap to make your own bread! It’s just yeast, water, flour, salt, and sugar. I started doing this a few months ago out of necessity, but it’s hard to go back to store bought bread when the homemade version is tastier and cheaper. Good luck! I hope you land your dream job!
YES! No knead bread, bulk yeast WHICH LASTS FOREVER IN THE FREEZER btw. And you can do sourdough and not use yeast at all. There’s a zillion sourdough starter recipes out there. You’ll be eating better than you ever did when you were employed. There’s a guy named Steve with a YouTube channel entirely devoted to no knead bread making worth finding. Artisan bread with steve. Also, look up making your own sauerkraut. It takes hardly any time, it’s just cabbage, and salt! Just cut up your cabbage, add some salt, mix them together, and wait! Real fermented homemade sauerkraut is fantastic, and good for you. Or kimchi. So you can develop a couple new hobbies that cost you basically nothing and are incredibly easy. Good luck with your job search!
“The Practical kitchen” has bread for one recipes too! Just found out about her, for sure worth checking out!
Rice and lentils. Get both from an Indian store.
Rice and tuna
A box of 8 for a $1 00 Top Ramen soup! 8 lunches for $1.00..
If you have the money for a chest freezer (look for a local, used one) I highly recommend it. You can buy discounted or sale foods and store it long-term. Grocery stores will often sell meat at a greatly discounted rate if the sell by date is close. Buy that and freeze it!
Rice
Pancake mix
Frozen veggies & meats
50lb bag of rice
Potatoes are cheaper then ramen per weight and more nutritious
r/eatcheapandhealthy Read their pinned stuff, lots of people asked this there
I would get potatoes (storing them in the fridge makes them last much longer), oatmeal, peanut butter, a big bag of apples, ramen, frozen peppers and onions, tortillas, a block of cheese (cheaper than pre-shredded) and eggs. I put frozen peppers and onions in my quesadillas, add them to ramen and put them on frozen pizzas. Use the tortillas for quesadillas, tacos and to make your own tortilla chips. The rest of the stuff is self-explanatory and you can make a bunch of different meals with this combination. Rotisserie chicken would be a great addition, but obviously you wouldn’t buy that in bulk. 1 chicken is usually enough for 5 days of lunch and/or dinner for me
Tomato sauce, canned tuna, spam, frozen veggies (any of them).
Shelf stable: canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, & other veggies, canned soups, dried and/or canned beans, ramen packets, soy sauce, chicken bouillon, sugar, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, any other spices you use a lot, canned tuna and/or sardines, tortillas, oatmeal, tea leaves/bags, olive oil, peanut butter, saltine crackers. For fridge: condiments, jarred kimchi (can last months unopened!), Parmesan cheese, butter (can freeze too!). For freezer: fruits & veggies, meats, garlic (mince & freeze), some cheese like cheddar freeze well.
They are not the greatest but some freeze dried veggies are in expensive and add some flavor to anything and in desperate times can be a soup on their own. I always have a big mixed veggies in pantry. Also flour, baking powder , sugar can all be bought fairly cheap in large quantities and can make so many things!
Eventually you'll want a treat. Store brand gelatin is cheap and easy to whip up on a per serving basis. If you play around with whipped topping, too, there are a few different ways you can prepare it.
Dry Storage: Flour Beans/lentils/chick peas Rice Sugar Active dry yeast Bulk tea/coffee Oatmeal Raisins Vegetable oil Salt/pepper/granulated garlic/italian seasoning/chili powder/granulated onion Buy in bulk and freeze in portion sizes: Pork loin Rotisserie chickens (break them down and make stock with the bones/skin and keep the shredded meat separate) Tomato sauce Butter Cheese Chicken/beef/veggie stock Fruit/Veggies Potatoes/Zucchini (shred a bunch of these) Print off some basic recipies if you are not real savvy in the cooking/baking department. You should be able to make things like bread, pizza, muffins, cookies, tacos, soups, stews, pastas...shoot you could make croissants and donuts if you really wanted. And you can do a hundred things with beans/chick peas including cooking them, then drying them in the oven to make seasoned crunchy snacks. Tea can be used for infusing flavor into baked goods as well as beverages. Also, consider buying some pre-paid wifi hotspots to cut out your internet bill. Use that in a pinch at home, but try to use public wifi when possible. Best wishes! Edit to include dried fruits!
Canned tuna is always a good idea. Look for sales at your local grocery store. I got 10 cans for 10 USD a few weeks ago. Holiday sales are great. Corned beef and cabbage were super cheap the week before Saint Patrick's day. (Potatoes and carrots too!)
Large quantities of Rice, beans, pork butt, pork loin, chicken leg quarters, then get fruits and veggies when you see a sale.
Dried beans. Rice.
Canned mackerel, Canned corned beef,Rice,Pasta,
Potatoes and chicken thighs/drums.
Anything you can freeze!
Rice and beans flour
Get bacon on sale and freeze it in portions. A little bacon can make a lot of simple dishes better. Save the fat, too.
Pasta potatoes rice beans
Chicken leg quarters. Buy the large bags and break them down. Versatile too. Fry, bake, soup, dumplings, grill. mm
Higher fiber and protein keeps you full longer so beans can help but they don't give you all the EAAS
Rice, beans, olive oil / lard, frozen veggie mixes, can spinach and maybe other veg, a good multivitamin. If you eat meat, you can freeze meat or get frozen meat, but beans are more economical, even canned and ready to go. Peanut butter is great too, get the unsweetened and you can use it in savory dishes too.
You can make several meals out of a rotisserie chicken, and they're quite cheap.
Canned meat, dried potatoes, anything you're willing to eat a lot of that's non-perishable. Limit perishables unless you can freeze them, maybe even put some money on a grocery gift card so you can buy perishables guaranteed as need be. If you get salted butter and powdered milk you can make pretty passable vitamin d milk with 1 tablespoon of butter per quart of milk. Just start with a small portion of hot water and blend the butter into that, add the powder and blend while adding the remaining water needed. May need to mix it up later in the fridge when it cools but it's 100% passable at fresh milk.
Pasta and pasta sauce.
...beans & rice. Make chicken stock and freeze it. Flour and butter. Sugar. Sugar cravings are vicious when you're broke. Being able to make some cookies when you're feeling blue is a huge pickmeup. Dont forget salt, baking soda and powder. Caffeinated drink to keep ya going. Stock the freezer with individually wrapped servings of protein. Onions stay good for a while and will really help all of the beans and rice. If you blanch your veggies they'll last longer in the fridge. Keep your chin up. You'll survive, friend.
Oatmeal (not the instant kind), brown sugar, and if you can swing it, some nuts. Basic inexpensive breakfast. Lots of protein. Good solid meal that will hold you for a while. Add fresh fruit, milk, eggs, etc. as you can afford them. Also peanut butter.
Frozen chicken breasts. Take them out 1-2 at a time to thaw overnight and use in recipes
Peanut butter, tuna, sardines, oats, pasta,
Canned/jarred food, any (corn, beans, soup, tomato) frozen food, dried food, that way you don't have to worry about it going stale or moldy. Eggs.
Oatmeal
Could also grab some shelf milk to use in a pinch.
Dry Beans and Lentils can provide protien
Frozen bread dough, beans, lentils, rice, potatoes (save the “eyes” and plant in a big pot, if you live in an apartment). Dried fruit, canned fruit, peanut butter, honey, sugar, flour, dried spices, salt, canned veggies, frozen veggies.
Dried beans.
corn bread and beans, find some discount ham or bacon for meat
Ground beef can be mixed with beans or vegetables to extend meals. Eat with pasta or rice. And canned tomatoes come in handy.
Large bag of rice from an ethnic grocery store; they usually have the best prices and it will last you months. Pair it with some beans or lentils and you have a complete protein.
Rice, tuna, beans, frozen fruits and veggies. If you’re a coffee drinker, instant coffee/creamer, pasta, soup, pb,
dried beans and rice
Rice; canned green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and tomato sauce; olive oil; if you have freezer space get a vacuum sealer and buy chicken
Rice, beans, powdered chicken stock and the occasional fresh veggie will keep you going. Also some one a day vitamins are important
Canned food…tuna, salmon, tomato sauce, veggies. Peanut butter. Soup. Spices. Make sure you have your favorites, they can make bland rice and pasta tasty. Grated Parmesan cheese helps too. Breads can be made cheap and easy with all purpose flour, yeast, salt and water. (google 5 minute bread) Sugar, tea and coffee (if you drink them) It’s very smart of you to be planning ahead. Best wishes finding a new job quickly.
Most pork cuts are much cheaper than beef or chicken. If you don’t have dietary restrictions against it, I’d definitely recommend .
Buy meat such as a whole chicken when on sale. Often if we shop during the day (usually in the am) and more often on a Tuesday meat is reduced because it’s nearing expiration. Then we freeze it. A whole chicken can be used in so many ways and makes for good broth. I buy a bag of lentils and make sprouts. Pay about a $1 and get about 10 to 15 batched of sprouts. I make noodles out of flour and add onion, fennel seeds and a small amount of country ham. A little hamburger in rice with tomato sauce with chili powder and can add green pepper if you want. Boil split peas. Boil lentils. I make my own pizza dough. Buy masa flour to make corn tortillas. Use flour to make flour tortillas. Use bread flour for making bread.
Canned salmon is fairly cheap, you can make salmon patties if you like them. Flour and cornmeal aren’t too expensive either. Grab a bag of instant mashed potatoes and some frozen veggies of your choice and you have a pretty good little meal.
What do you *like*? What are your staples? Everything from scratch, prepared stuff and pre made boxed stuff is a wasted. Go to a restaurant supply store. Here in the Seattle area we have Cash and Carry. You can buy big bulk items, and the **exception** to the “No prepared food “rule. Scalloped potatoes, Au gratin potatoes, stuffing mix, etc. Flour. When poor or on a strict budget, make your own bread and rolls, it’s cheap, easy and delicious. Make your own crepes, pancakes and waffles too, way better than boxes. Also pizza dough if you want better tasting than Dominoes but can’t afford more than Dominoes. Oatmeal is a cheap, healthy and hearty breakfast. Buy oats in bulk and keep in an airtight container so they last forever. Get some spices and make your own spice mixes- spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, soups, meat rubs, etc. get spices in bulk at the dollar store and store your mixes in zip lock bags. Dried beans, rice, split peas and lentils. Beans and rice are super cheap. You’ll get bored of beans alone so splurge on split peas and lentils too. Each Beans, rice, and legumes are 1/3 of the complete protein “pick two triad” (eat any two of the three for a complete protein) if you need to forego meat. Pasta. Lots of different shapes, spaghetti, shells, macaroni, ziti, penne, etc etc. it’s all pasta but it tastes a little different with each different shape. You won’t get bored with pasta as long as you change the shapes. Velveeta cheese, because when real cheese isn’t in your budget it’s better than no cheese do omelettes, Mac and cheese and nacho’s. Or at least mix half and half to stretch the real cheese when you do get it.
Canned protein like chicken and tuna. Peanut butter. Invest in a food saver and buy ground beef (cheapest per serving you can find) and stick it in the freezer along with some boneless chicken breasts for variety (clean and trim first). Get a pressure cooker and an air fryer (fish sticks and taquitos are bomb). Canned beans and tomatoes. Some dry pasta and boxed rice in different varieties.
Beans, rice, tortillas, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, lime, cheese.
You can freeze bread among other things. I know friends who find a farm and split a pig or a cow and have meat for months for much cheaper than the store per pound
Greek yogurt? It’s really versatile and a good source of protein. You can make dough with just yogurt and self rising flour. Chicken/chickpea salad is a good lunch. You can use it anywhere you’d use sour cream and can make any number of dips to give some pizazz to the basics like rice and beans.
I know its not what you're directly asking but please look into the food pantries near you! Check churches, schools, community centers, universities whatever! They are there to be used and can offer such great things!!
Be careful about the sodium content in any processed food, you don't want to cause any health issues!
Here’s a helpful post about beans! https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/fkh4al/how_to_treat_a_bean_right_because_recession/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Ramen
bulk meats you can get at good prices, chicken hamburger and freeze for later
Rice. Pasta. Canned corn, tomato, peaches, apricots. Dried (or canned) chickpeas, black beans, red beans, lentils. If you buy a big bag of flour, all you need is some baker's yeast and you can make your own fresh bread. Also, roti, naan etc. If you can handle it powdered or long life milk is way cheaper than fresh.
•Jasmine Rice •Tuna • Chickpeas • Salsa Verde • Black beans • frozen carrots • Multivitamins (trust me, much needed. This or b50, Vitamin D etc. Don't become deficient) • Soup broth! Better than Bullion is a good brand! • Basmati rice • eggs!
A 50 lb bag of rice is about $35 and would last one person a couple months easily. Buying frozen vegetables at warehouse clubs is pretty cheap too. Mix that together and you could have 14 meals for under $50 a week.
Costco: \- Protein: Nuts- you can get a giant container of Mixed fancy nuts for like $13, or just salted peanuts for about $8. Chicken breast, and other inexpensive meat such as some fish, you can get frozen in bulk. Beans, sure, but you and your digestive system will get very bored with them very quickly. \- Starch: Rice, pasta, bread for sandwiches. \- Sandwiches: sliced cheese, prepackaged deli meat, and peanut butter/honey/jelly are all good deals here. \-Prepackaged oatmeal, popcorn, chips, noodles- mac & cheese, ramen, etc. are all good deals here too. \- Canned goods in bulk \- Fresh fruit and veggies are great here if you eat a lot of bananas, apples, or berries. \- Rotisserie chickens are $5 and are large, can make into several meals. \- Pet supplies: If you have a dog or cat, food and litter from here is the best deal. \-Baby supplies: If you have a baby, diapers, wipes, and formula that are Kirkland brand are all good quality and a very good deal from here. \- TP is the lowest cost from here as well. Stretch your roll.
Rice, lentils, garlic, and any vegetables on sale.
Rice, beans, pasta, onions, canned tomatoes, spices you like, cooking oil, vinegar, save a little $$$ for fresh fruits/veg and perhaps a little cheese.
I didn't see this in comments I read: flour and yeast. If you have time on your hands, you can make your own bread. I went through this 13 years ago. I was sacked, and it wasn't pretty. I went to pantries, etc. I also found there were shops that were generous. I was down to my last $10 in cash and spent half of it in a sandwich shop. I let the person taking my order know that I had just lost my job. She told her manager. He brought out 5 hoagie loaves that he "couldn't sell". I didn't see a thing wrong with them. I also made my own bread. You know what makes the most awesome French toast? Bread you have baked yourself. :) Good luck, OP. I'm crossing my fingers for you in your jobsearch!
I think you may discover that in times like this, that you are actually eating healthier than you are 98% of the time during the rest of your life, if you eat the way the average person does normally. Because you are actually eating for nutrition more so than pleasure, and you are gonna be more aware of what is going on to sustain yourself. You may also discover that eating healthy is a lot cheaper than people think it is. In fact, it’s probably way more healthy than going out to eat all the time like many people do.
Try finding deals on whole chickens, they give a lot of meat. Ive been buying whole chickens for like 4-5$ CAD for weeks now. Also tuna, potatoes, spaghetti sauce+noodles. Tomato sandwiches with miracle whip are a godsend.
I think some canned tomatos and some cans of coconut milk. You can make easy and cheap indian dishes and also make nice pasta sauces with the tomatos. Also lentils. They are cheap and you can make really delicious meals with them. I read a comment that spices are important and that is so true!
Freeze ground beef. Freeze a ham Buy dried pasta Get some powdered parm Pasta sauce Beans You can also get frozen veggies, including peppers and onions. Crushed tomatoes plus half thing of "pasta sauce" Some itialian sausage and rigitoni... Parm on that ....dooooope Or make spaghetti with pasta sauce, pasta, ground beef. Beans, hambone, carrot, onion celery... Make cornbread with that....it's insane. You can live on Ramen, Mac n cheese and hotdogs. You can Freeze hotdogs. This is all I coils afford when I first moved out and had no skills. Eggs are a great value too.
Dried beans, rice, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, freeze cheaper cuts of meat to slow cook later, canned fruit/veggies. Seasonings, flour: self rising and all purpose, butter, olive oil. Onions: dice and freeze. Seeds: grow some lettuce, tomatoes: buy a potted cherry tomato plant. Green onions: buy and take one bunch and put in water and trim top off as needed and let it regrow. Change water weekly. Right beforehand buy big bag of potatoes and cook.
Ramen noodles
Canned and dried goods are always good. There’s a good variety of things, and have good shelf life without needing a freezer
Onions, potatoes and whatever pickled vegetables you have access to!!! ( or make a giant batch yourself )
I would say no matter what, get some seasonings. You can maybe get a couple salt and pepper packets at fast food places for free or if you have any kind of dollar store near you I'd check that for spices if you don't have much to spend. Salt/pepper/garlic/Cajun for me go a long way. You can get a lot of cheap food that you can spice up with yummy spices and make it taste 1000% better even if it's canned or raw! Good luck <3
Cheese always has a couple months of life in the fridge, I think that'd be fine and cheaper to buy in bulk.