c/budget-friendly-meals

I used to think canned beans were just as good as dried, then I did the math last month

For years I was all about canned beans because they were easy and I thought the price difference was minimal. But last month I actually sat down and compared costs at the WinCo in Phoenix. A one pound bag of dried pintos costs $1.50 and makes about 7 cups of cooked beans. A 15 ounce can of the same beans costs $1.20 and gives you maybe 1.5 cups. So for the same amount of beans, dried costs like 21 cents per cup and canned costs 80 cents. I was basically paying 4 times more for the convenience. Now I soak a big batch every Sunday and freeze portions in old yogurt containers. Has anyone else switched and noticed it saves a lot more than you'd think?

Unpopular opinion: frozen vegetables are better than fresh for budget meals

Last Tuesday in Chicago I was prepping dinner and realized my 'fresh' broccoli had gone slimy after 3 days in the fridge. I was so annoyed because I spent $4 on that head just to toss it. I grabbed a $1 bag of frozen mixed veggies from my freezer instead and threw them in my stir fry. They crisped up perfectly in the pan and I didn't have to worry about them going bad. Honestly, frozen stuff lasts way longer and saves me from wasting money on spoiled produce. Has anyone else switched to frozen for their weekly meal prep?

My daughter told me I was overcomplicating my cheap dinners

She pointed out that I was spending 20 minutes trying to stretch one pound of ground beef into three meals when I could just buy a bag of lentils for $1.50 and mix them half and half. Now I cook rice and lentils together as a base for everything from tacos to casseroles. Has anyone else found a simple swap that just clicked after someone said it out loud?

Hit $500 in grocery savings last month and I was shocked

I started tracking what I actually spend on food a few months ago. Last month I added up my receipts and realized I only spent $350 total for me and my partner. That's down from like $850 back in January. The big change was just cooking from what's in the pantry before buying anything new. Has anyone else noticed a bigger drop than they expected when they actually start tracking?

My slow cooker lid shattered while I was making lentil soup last Tuesday

I had to fish glass shards out of a pot of $3 worth of lentils and carrots for 45 minutes, has anyone else had a lid just explode for no reason?

Swapped out store-bought pasta for homemade this fall and saved $8 each week

I used to grab those $2 boxes of pasta at the grocery store every single week. Then I tried making my own with just flour and eggs from the bulk bin last September. Took me about 20 minutes to roll it out after a few tries. Now I spend $0.50 on ingredients and get way more servings out of it. Anyone else tried swapping out a common staple for a homemade version to cut costs?

I wasted $45 on those fancy meal prep containers last month

I saw all those Instagram posts about glass meal prep containers with the snap lids. Bought a set of 5 from a kitchen store near my place in Denver. Total waste. The lids started cracking after the second wash. One leaked all over my lunch bag and ruined my sandwich. I was trying to save money by prepping meals but ended up spending more on replacing the containers. Anyone else had bad luck with those pricier storage options?

Hit $50 a week on groceries for my family of 4 last month

I mean it took some planning but I got our weekly food bill down to $50 for me, my husband, and two kids. I was just curious one day and added up all my receipts for January and it averaged out. We eat a lot of beans and rice, buy marked down meat at the store, and I make my own bread now. It surprised me because I thought we were spending way more. Has anyone else actually tracked their weekly total and been shocked by the number?

My pressure cooker lid seal gave out mid-dinner and I actually prefer it that way

The rubber gasket split on my $30 pressure cooker during a batch of black beans last Tuesday and now the beans come out way better in a regular pot with a lid. Has anyone else had a cheaper appliance fail and end up liking your backup method more?

Co-worker told me to stop buying salad kits and I'm mad he was right

My desk mate Dave mentioned last week that he makes his own salad dressing with oil and vinegar from the bulk section. Said it costs him like 30 cents per batch instead of the $4 for a bottle of pre-made. I did the math on my lunch salads and realized I was throwing away $3 extra per meal on those bagged kits with the little dressing packet. Anyone else stubbornly overpaying for convenience stuff they could make in two minutes?

Took me three tries to make beans from scratch that weren't crunchy

Finally figured out yesterday that I wasn't soaking my dried pintos long enough after the first batch came out like gravel at hour 6, has anyone else messed up that badly on something so simple?

Found out a 5 lb bag of potatoes costs less than a single box of pasta now

Checked my grocery receipt last night and saw potatoes at $2.49 for 5 pounds while the store brand spaghetti was $1.89 for one pound, which got me wondering how many meals I could stretch out of those potatoes versus the pasta, anyone else notice this shift?

The $3 bag of dried beans changed my grocery budget completely

I always thought dried beans were too much work and not worth the hassle. Then I bought a 2 pound bag for $2.89 at WinCo, soaked and cooked them on a Sunday, and got the equivalent of maybe 5 cans out of it. That saved me around $6 and the texture was way better. Anyone else find a cheap staple they swore off that actually ended up being worth it?

The way most people portion rice is costing them money

I was over at my neighbor Carol's house last week helping her cook dinner, and I noticed she just scoops rice into the pot without measuring. She ended up making three times what we needed and threw half of it away. That got me thinking about how much I used to do the same thing. Rice is cheap per pound, but if you toss out a cup of cooked rice every week, that adds up to maybe $20 a year just down the drain. I started using a measuring cup and a simple finger trick for water, and now I never have leftovers I don't plan for. Has anyone else figured out a way to stop overcooking grains or pasta? I would love to hear what works for other folks.

Vent: The diner near my old office shut down and Im still salty about their $6 lunch special

I drove by the place last week and saw a for lease sign. They used to do a meatloaf plate with mashed potatoes and peas for 6 bucks even after prices went up everywhere else. I miss grabbing that on my break and just zoning out for 20 minutes. Does anyone else have a spot that closed that you still think about?

Dried beans vs canned beans after a $60 grocery bill disaster

I finally ran the numbers after a rough week last month where I spent $60 on groceries and barely got any meals out of it. Decided to try dried beans for the first time, a whole bag of black beans cost me $1.20 versus $2.50 for a single can. Soaked them overnight and cooked them low and slow, got about 4 cans worth of beans for that price. Anyone else made the switch and found it worth the extra time?

The week I fed four people for $32 using nothing but lentils and whatever was on clearance at Aldi in Pittsburgh

Tuesday night when the power flickered and I had to cook everything on a camp stove in the dark was actually the best meal of the week because the lentils soaked up the smoked paprika just right and my kid asked for seconds, has anyone else had a random cheap meal turn out way better than expected?

Was dead set against frozen veggies for cheap meals, now I'm converted

I always thought frozen vegetables were mushy and gross compared to fresh, so I avoided them for years. But last month I was broke after paying rent and grabbed a $1.49 bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions from Aldi to stretch a pack of ground beef. Threw them in a skillet with some cumin and garlic powder and honestly they crisped up fine and saved me like 3 bucks. Anybody else have a cheap ingredient they swore off but now use all the time?

Always thought dried beans were too much work, but a $2 bag of pintos fed us for three days

The canned ones cost four times as much for the same amount of food. Anyone have a good method for chickpeas?

Hot take: my grocery bill in Cincinnati went from $120 a week to under $70

I used to buy a lot of pre-cut veggies and those little salad kits, which added up so fast. Now I just grab whole heads of lettuce, a big bag of carrots, and a bunch of onions from the produce section. The change happened over about two months after I started planning meals around what was on sale. Anyone else have a simple switch that saved them a bunch?

A buddy told me my 'cheap' bean soup was actually costing me more than chicken, and he was right

Unpopular opinion: My friend's fancy dinner party in Chicago showed me how dumb expensive food really is.

They spent over $300 on ingredients for one meal, and honestly, it didn't taste any better than my $15 lentil soup. I watched everyone stress over plating while I was just hungry. Now I refuse to feel bad about my simple, cheap meals. Anyone else get judged for not 'elevating' their home cooking?

I thought using a whole chicken was just a hassle for saving maybe $3.

But after breaking one down myself last weekend, I got 4 meals for my family of three, plus a pot of stock, and honestly, why did I ever buy just breasts?

Bought a $40 vacuum sealer on a whim. It's saving me a fortune on meat.

My grocery receipt said $37.42 for a full week of dinners

I started writing down every single meal cost after my rent went up. This week I made a big pot of lentil soup, a whole chicken with roasted carrots, and black bean tacos. Adding it all up, the total shocked me. I thought I was spending way more. Has anyone else tracked their food costs and been surprised by the number?