jus got paid n I'm already broke.help me put together the ultimate grocery list.

I figure Im going to have to make 100 dollars total last two weeks from today.

I love eggs. so that's a foregone conclusion. lots of eggs.

I'm relying on you, my du sisters and brothers to help me compile the cheapest longest lasting grocery list known to human kind.

i'll start:
72 eggs ($6)
2 pounds sumatran coffee ($16)<--- i cant go without my coffee sorry. ok maybe i dont need the best coffee in the world so if i must sacrifice this i must but i'd rather cut corners some other way:(

Please help me think of how to stretch my dollars out. two weeks ago i didn't plan so well and have been , how do you put it - losing weight.

i need all of your help, what do you typically get a lot of for a little? I know that i could go to the frugal living forum and post but I've lost my star and once I close some deals that's number one on my priority list but for now heeeyeeelp me with your brilliant ideas on stretching these dollars out!!!

Everything else is an optional luxury

quit smoking two years ago. . . as for beer. . . i'm going to have to rely on the generosity of others for the time being I'm afraid as far as that's concerned.

I didn't replace my car when it died. Every month I transfer the auto expenses I don't pay into the beer fund, or the music fund, or the lapdance fund. Life is good.

sigh. . . i guess i'll put that on my to-do list once i iron out the:

1.rent and bills
2. dog food
3. groceries
4. maybe get a car
5. lapdance fund<-------

just throwing stuff in the buggy without even pricing it first. It can definitely be done though. Clip coupons, find stores that are having sales on the things you like.

Mashed, baked, broiled/w cheese, potato salad and more!
Plus dirt cheap, starchy and full of vitamins!

great idea. thanks mainegreen!

Want another delicious recipe? Yeah I knew you did, so here goes:

Peel potatoes, cut them into pieces. Boil them in water with bouillon cubes and pepper.
Add optional chopped veggies: celery, onions, garlic, carrots, etc.

When it looks done, turn off the stove, add some milk and maybe even some sour cream if you have it!
:9

wow. and lookie the time my direct deposit just went in. cant wait to load up on all these ideas tomorrow!

This is too costly?:eyes:

Here's what: invite some friends over for dinner. Let's see whether you still think it's too costly, once you impress your friends with your good cookin'. They will love your cooking ability.

i just happened to glance at the time and see that my direct deposit just went in, the one that's all going to bills etc. you know that whole, hi money! bye money! routine. anyway. . . once things turn around I'm going to make my friends a feast they will not soon forget. for now though, im refraining from having them over and cooking for them. . though you bring up a good point - i really need to start a campaign of shopping my friends and their girlfriends for some homemade thai or tilapia.

Someone above mentioned potates, too, which is great because they are rather nutritious. I also recommend couponing; my spouse is the master of it, and we save at least 30% regularly on our grocery bill. If you google "printable coupon" you'll get a handful of good sites.

the thought of it is frightening but i suppose any port in a storm. . .

,,frightening??
Printables are good; but some stores won't take them. See if you can get some from someone's Sun. paper that does not want them, or get the Sun paper on Mon at a discount.
The key to couponing is doubling and careful use. If there is a two for one sale, get two coupons (from two papers) and use one on each item. Also, see if your store doubles the face value of the coupons. For ex.; the Food Lion I go to does not double, but has lower prices on average than the Harris Teeter nearby, which doubles up to a dollar.
ANYway, our very own demgurl has her own couponing site. It is slightly geared towards our area, since she lives toward me; but the Couponing 101 section is right on:

http://home.triad.rr.com/coupon

and here's another great coupon 101 if that is not helpful:

http://www.dealagogo.com/showthread.php?t=27621

Good Luck!

Good luck.

:thumbsup:

i couldn't believe it the cost of a pepper. . . these are some great ideas though thank you!@!

For less than $20.

I like to make my own tv dinners.



:hi:

i mean seriously you are my idol.

You can roast it one night with some mixed veggies on the side, and turn the leftovers into chicken soup or stew. It should get you through 3 or 4 days.

Instant oatmeal is pretty expensive.

Ramen ramen ramen!
Canned tomatoes. Much cheaper than pasta sauce, plus can be combined w/cream to make a good sauce.
Pasta.
Cabbage. Good braised or sauteed and cheaper pound per pound than lettuce.

canned tomatos. . . this i gotta try making my own pasta sauce. what is it just add some olive oil and spices?

Saute onions/calamata olives When yellowed add canned tomatoes. Simmer off some of the liquid.
Add Vodka (optional)
Add cream. Simmer until it thickens a bit (still liquidy though).
Add pasta!

thanks! though i'll probably have to forego the kalamata olives, expensive. but damn if they arent my fave olive!

Large jar/can pasta sauce or tomatoes.

Onions (Saute with a little margarine or butter and mix into the rice - Yummy. The onions get sweet when cooked. Tastes luxurious but is really inexpensive.)

ETA: If you are in a large city, shop the ethnic stores. Much better food and the prices are ridiculously low.

and that onion rice concoction i know all two well from the past two weeks;)

You can do anything with them -- southwestern, classic ham & cheese, dang. And don't forget cereal. I've lived off that during lean times.

One thing I do now for lunch, but mainly because I like it and feel better when I eat it, is plain yogurt with fruit (frozen berries), and cereal. Usually the cereal is Kashi Go Lean Crunch or even raisin bran crunch. I mix up the yogurt and berries in the morning then add the cereal at lunch so it stays crunchy. Yum!

And make a pot of bean soup! Cheap, healthy, and easy. (I think the gas thing is better if you do the quick soak of the beans rather than soaking them overnight. Rinse the beans, put them in a pot with a couple inches of water over them, boil for 2 minutes, then allow to sit an hour. Rinse very well with cold water, then make the soup. You'll fart less.)

this is a great call. i have a bag of beans but don't know how to prep them. . you have deciphered this mystery for me and for that i'm eternally grateful!!!

1# bag of beans (navy or great northern -- I like navy best) prepped like above

2 medium onions, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, sliced finely
2-3 carrots, sliced finely
S&P to taste

optional:

add a ham hock or salt pork or ham bone. I've also used pork ribs and cut them up for a meatier soup -- but if you're broke it's fine to skip this. I would do the ham hock though -- a lot of great flavor!

Throw it in a crock pot or large kettle. Cover with water to a depth of 2-3 inches. Cook for 4-6 hours on the stove or 6-8 in a crock pot. It's pretty hard to mess up.

Kashi products, while good, also cause a lot of flatulence for some. Not putting the poster down, but Kashi products too expensive for your budget, IMV.

or Costco -- cheaper than the main grocery stores.

and i'm all about healthy, believe me, but wow Kashi is some bland stuff. i'd need to put some frosting on it or something!

and sometimes walnuts or sunflower seeds. You're right though -- but itself its b-o-r-i-n-g!

i'm going to give that a try thank you!

They have amazing prices. But be prepared, they sell mostly their own private label and you need to either bring your own bags or be prepared to pay for them (I think 10 cents a bag). Also, you rent your cart, but your get the money back when you return the cart. If not an Aldi's, do you have a co-op? Are you a member at Costco (or someplace like that)?

Aside from Aldi's, buy staples that you can stretch--like buy ground beef/ground turkey on sale. I'll brown a pound of ground turkey and then mix it into 2 boxes of a hamburger helper (instead of only 1). That way, you have twice as much and you reaslly don't notice the missing ground beef/turkey. Pasta and rice are generally on sale and can go a long way. If you have spices at home and garlic, you can buy the cheapest spaghetti sauce and doctor it up yourself. If you don't have spices, don't buy them now. They can be pricy. Also, many times here, the grocery stores will have a family pack of ground beef/turkey/chicken pieces at a significantly lower price per pound. Buy that and separate into smaller packages and freeze. That way, it won't go bad before you need it. Buy as much generic as you can.

Buy only fresh produce that is locally grown and seasonal. That will be the least expensive. If veggies aren't drastically on sale, look for the store brand of frozen. They can be very reasonable. Buy frozen juice concentrate instead of regular juice.

It also might be worth collecting the grocery store circulars for your area and price shopping at all of them. In a tight budget crunch, I have found it well worth while to hit 2-3 grocery stores that are near each other to take advantage of the best sales. Definitely cut coupons. And try not to buy any more processed/junk for that you possibly have to. Oh, and do a google search, I know there are web sites out there dedicated to getting the most food bang for your buck.

Good luck. I've been there. It is tough, but definitely possible.

some absolutely great ideas in there.

Thats where i go for much of my stuff. Yes they have their own brands and you will see little in the way of known name brands. But their brands are most often 9 of 10 times as good as the comparable. I can go in Aldi's spend $100 and have a cart fulla stuff. I could get fat on $50 a wk budget shopping there. Their produce and meat selection are not the best though. You could even afford some snacks, like a big bag of jerky $2, Trail mix $2, large bags assorted types of chips .89, loaf of bread .65, huge danish (raspberry or cheese)$2. Also Aldi's pays their employees well. $10hr for cashier, which is more than any other cashier around here makes.

Ways to stretch are use a lot of rice, beans, and pasta. Make a big pot of chicken and rice, big pot of beans, pasta salad etc. These are things you can make for a few bucks(like $2-3)eat what you need and save the rest.

Shame i can't see your local papers. I'm so damned cheap, and practiced at this saving money thing i can feed a family of four, for a wk with $50, no shit. I have to get by n disability and food stamps and feed 5. We never go without, maybe not what you like all the time, but we always eat and have plenty of it.

Good luck! Shop cheap, and please be careful none of us like the idea of you missing any meals i am sure.

looking forward to being in a position where i can enjoy one of our favorite pastimes once again as well.

They've been a lifesaver for us. Their eggs and milk are usually much cheaper than anywhere around here. Their canned veggies go for around $.39 all the time here.

When we go, we usually only take a couple canvas bags with us for things I don't want squished and use their empty boxes for boxing the groceries. You can pick up empty boxes throughout the store as that's how the food is displayed and it's another way to keep costs down for the customers to use the boxes.

he's my first priority though and I have already got him squared away. he's my bro. great question though.

(all generic brands)

boxes of cold cereal
cheapest milk you can buy
20 cans of tunafish
few loaves of cheap bread
american cheese slices
macaroni and cheese
butter
mayo
assorted cheap canned veggies
assorted cheap canned fruit

There ya go. Have fun!

great calls all of them. i bet that would about do it.

I know all about eating cheaply. I finally gave in and applied for Food Stamps last month, and nearly cried for joy at being able to afford more fresh fruit and healthy meat for my kid. We were victims of a downsizing job loss in July. Things aren't going to get much better for us until January, when student aid reimbursement checks get sent out.

Good luck to you!

i've been on my own for about a year now, my fiance left suddenly last december - and i wasn't really in the mood to get a roomate, so here i am reaping the whirlwind of that decision;) things will get better though, a big change is right around the corner i just gotta hold on!

good luck with you too! college is a real bitch, but worth it in so many ways!

If you managed to qualify, you more than need them! Given how much we blow each day in Iraq, I'd rather see tax dollars going to take care of you and your family!

i just got a roomate lined up and some deals about to close so things are on the cusp of turning around for me. what a peculiar and frightening year its been though.

i have a costco though, but never considered them budget worthy.

.

Costco's right down the street. done.

Broth and spuds made potato soup along with a bunch of leeks and some milk.

Excess broth cooked with brown rice, skin, guts, and cartilidge makes food for the pooch. If you simmer the bones long enough the larger ones fall apart and the pooch can eat the marrow. Overnight is good.

Freeze 1/2 the meat coverd in some broth so it doesn't freezer burn. Quart freezer bags available at dollar store are ok if meat covered in broth.

I've got this cheap eats thing down.

.

:9

yikes!

A food processor is recommened,but I guess a blender would work.

Get a bag of dry garbanzo beans, cook 'em in salt (or bouillon cubes) & water til tender.
Grind the garbanzo beans with olive oil, a bit of paprika, and lots of lemon juice. (les'see... did I forget anything?)

A bag of garbanzo beans makes A TON of hummus. Make it yourself and save A TON of $.

this sounds awesome! i bet i could grind the garbanzo beans using my jetpowered coffee grinder. thank you for your sage wisdom!

You'll break it!:o

No matter what, do NOT put legumes in the coffee grinder! :o

that's totally something i would do too and then seriously regret it. so thanks for the follow-up.

:)

Good luck.

i think my blood pressure isn't so good (im 29 but years as a support tech turned my circulatory system into a cardiologists' worst nightmare). so while i appreciate the advice, Ramen would probably kill me.

that comes with the ramen noodles. The cheese gives you a complete protein. Flavor with the cheapest sauce you can find, add some red cabbage and cheap bread.

i'm probably going to wind up having to get a 2 pound bag for 7 bucks. but that should last me.

cheaper than regular noodles or pasta?

may be worth a shot.

any little bit of advice i can get helps. . .

You can usually pick up the entire chicken for about $4-$5 for the hen but that'll give you plenty of food to last 2-3 meals PLUS you can use some of the scraps to make a chicken broth. If there is meat left over you can make some chicken salad with the scraps.

And you can't go wrong with a box of Bisquik, they even have generic stuff too. You can use it for breading, for pancakes, for making bisquits and a host of other stuff.

The biggest thing is to buy cheap but also buy healthy. If you live near a city, many cities usually have produce stores where the produce is very inexpensive compared to grocery stores. Right now Tangerines and Clementines are in season and very cheap. I bought a box of Tangerines for $5 today that had 20 tangerines in them - they make good lunch snacks. Also you can probably get some Romaine lettuce for making salads.

20 for 5? aweomse. bisquick. now why didnt i think of that. thank you so much for these ideas lynnesin!

Boil whole chicken (remove the giblets!) for 1 hour in 8 cups water.

Remove chicken from water, strip all the meat from the bones and cut into small peices, return to water. add more water to bring back to 8 cups (make up for the water boiled off).

Add a couple bullion cubes, pepper and couple TBS of Ms Dash (or whatever spices you like) to taste.

Add 1 box of cooked pasta (I like macaroni or scroodles, but any kind will do), or 2 cups cooked rice.

Chop up carrots, celery, peppers, or whatever veggies you want. If you add potatoes, cut down on the pasta or rice.

A pot of this would last me an entire weekend. You can also put it into individual tupperware cups and freeze for weeks.

I know. I used to eat lots of mac & cheese, mixing w/cheese-pac and water. I boiled lots of eggs because I had salt but no butter to fry it in. I also owned a huge jar of peanut butter that my ex-mother-in-law gave me. That helped. I worked in a shoe factory. Starting pay- 3.65/hr I was 20 and on my own with a 16 month old child. It was hard but I made it. I lost alot of weight for lack of food but my daughter did well thanks to some excellent child care.


You can do this. It's hard but you can. I used to bring home $130.00 dollars in a 40 hour work week. My rent was 65/wk and daycare 45/week...but supposedly I made too much for any sort of help. On top of that,they kept saying I was on welfare! I received it for 4 months and considered it an embarrassing part of of my life. But they kept all of my ex-husband's garnished wages long after they should have. I got the retroactive money almost 2 years later. By then I was doing ok.

It may seem very hard but you can do this! Good Luck and God Bless! :hug:

i've never really had it any other way, though it was always easier with somebody i loved by my side. now i'm rather on my own which is cool in so many ways, but it makes the poverty that much deeper. i'm on the cusp of great things though so hopefully by mid december this will all be just a painful memory. i'm hoping that i can hold on to the resourcefulness ive gained this last 10 years and use it to be a more thankful person who wastes and consumes less and saves more. knowing my impulsiveness though it's going to be a real uphill battle holding onto this, because i want so badly to have what i want - regardless of practicality. when you're poor the wants stack up so fast it all becomes a blur.

Only fresh (and real) foods.

You wiull save if you buy only vegetables in season, though at this point, that only really leaves you with apples, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and squash, which is good, but not enough to build a whole diet on...

Lots of lettuce, rice, and good veggies.

You can also make soup very cheaply with the cheaper cuts of meat (if you eat meat) like arm chuck - just give it a good long braise, add some cheap marrow bones (or soup bones)...

Leek and potato soup is very cheap.

Rice is a good option for most things - a bowl of rice is wonderful, with some furikake, or if you don't have that, put some soy sauce or, better yet, some teriyaki sauce on it. You can even do a quick saute or blanch of some veggies to put on the rice.

:hi:

i've never made my own soup so i'm going to give your idea a try there.

Fresh food can be cheap if you have farmers market nearby.

I made a mean pasta salad, a whole chicken is great and can last a long time.

I bought in bulk when possible.

I never went hungry.

I like pinto beans, a big pot would last me for a week with cornbread.

If you were capable of buying in bulk, you were never poor.

I went from spending what I wanted to watching every penny.

I still live cheap, just can't bring myself to spend money.

Perhaps a dictionary will help you in your foray to Democratic Underground.

There are many good online ones - might I suggest "dictionary.com"?

If one cannot afford bulk, then one is utterly and truly dangerously poor.

And welcome to DU! :hi:

You don't know what poor is if you can't even do what is the most economical... buying in bulk.

But in my early days of poverty that WAS the case. Every bit of my money went to that particular week. I couldn't save and even when the shoe factory gave me more hours 50-60 it was catch-up time with the utilites and such

Though I only have a HS education, I know when I am being made fun of. Why? I'm sorry for whatever I've done

and to your joining this great community. don't take every little thing to heart, especially in the lounge which can be deceptively aggressive at times - kind of counter-intuitive really. I'm sure rabrrrr wasn't making fun of you, people are just free to be smartasses here, that's the beauty of the lounge and you are welcome, nay, ENCOURAGED, to respond in kind.

You are so gracious in light of your our troubles. I'm so sorry for making a mess of it all. Please forgive me and I wish you the best!

:hug:

have a great weekend!

I guess you're not poor, relatively speaking.

Redstone

ill probably have rice, 1 egg and cheese tonite for a late dinner. these are what remains until i restock tomorrow.

I don't know much about rice.

Redstone

Coffee, flour, dry beans, rice, spuds, (ok they prolly didn't have this:) dry pasta. Some bulk cheese, a little hamburger, some cheap piece of pork a couple whole chickens. Some ramen, tortillas (corn are better nutrition wise and more versatile IMO) your eggs and some onions, celery and carrots, maybe some cabbage - those all keep pretty well as do apples and citrus. Freeze the meat in portions or if you don't have room, save some money for intermittent bread, meat purchases and other fresh vegs so they don't rot on you. Hopefully you already have some seasonings, dry bullion and such.

Coupons: coupons are mostly good for over-processed "convenience" food, so unless you have them for stuff you can't live without they don't do you much good on the "outside" aisles of the grocery store (produce, meat, dairy) or for dry staples.

Make soups/stews in large batches and they will last several days, be nutritious and tasty, easy to eat after the fist prep day. Ramen for fast lunch or snack filler - also good to add scrambled egg, a little onion and any leftover bits of vegs or meat.

6 bucks. I'd cut down on the more expensive coffee. Get a 10 pound bag of potatos, a pork and/ or beef roast or a turkey and use it for several meals. Buy frozen vegetables, usually the store brand, in 2 pound or larger bags. ETC.

I think you can easily survive on 8 bucks a day for food if you don't eat out.

Safeway has them for 47/lb right now (gotta sign up for one of those damn cards, but where don't you?) Other stores may have them for even less sometimes you have to spend ten bucks first but that isn't hard to do.

A good sized turkey can make a huge number of meals for one person.

but you had to spend 30 bucks separately. I hate those kind of "deals" especially if you don;t need to stock up on anything. Otherwise I think it was about 80 cents a pound.

it practically costs me 25 - 30 bucks to pull into the parking lot so I always make the minimums.:rofl:

My extra fridge died so my current gripe is two for one gallons of milk - takes up too much room in the remaining fridge. Why can't a single gallon just be "half" price? Better yet why can't they just make the prices the same all the time and if they get a break take a little off. Quit jacking things up to then claim 50% off. Just be honest and say its 15% off. ok rant over.

I finally hit on a system to having enough cheap milk in the house. I discovered 1/2 gallon-size freezer containers last year. They stack well in the freezer(I have an up-right, though).
In my area, Aldi's has consistently been the cheapest for milk.

Or rather it doesn't thaw very well. OK for cooking but one kid drinks a lot of it - hence the need to have a gallon in the fridge at all times.

in the morning, if i dont have my sumatran - someone gonna die! and its not gonna be me. but i need to scale that down. great advice.

or dented can store if there is one around. Dollar stores usually have spices 2 for a buck and they also carry some staples.

Coupon clipping only works if you Remember the coupons...I always forget them. Check around town and compare prices. You can usually find good deals that way.

Good Luck!! Hope things get better soon...

i still have my health, and compared to what other people in this world are going thru my problems are nothing!

or not having the coupon when I need it

:)

Or I find I leave big coupons on the kitchen counter or someplace else and often don't have them when I need them.

Don't thank me; I didn't do it. Just happened to notice it.

You should probably buy powdered milk rather than whole. It's cheaper. If you want something more like whole milk (or cream) just add in more powder.

There appears to be a farmers' market in Orlando; as mentioned above, this is highly recommended.

You all have posted so many wonderful and practical ideas that are really going to help me get by. keep them coming if you can.

and to Lady Effingbroke who donated to DU and gave me my star back. What a generous gesture, and one I will pay forward when I get thru this time that you all have helped me get thru. Thank you Lady Effingbroke!

All of you are why this place is a second home to me, all of your thoughtful considerations mean so much.

:patriot:

Right now Safeway will sell you a frozen turkey for $6 as a thanksgiving loss leader. Sweet potatoes are also probably cheap.

Roast the turkey as instructed on the wrapper. Do NOT open the oven while turkey is cooking. If you don't care what it looks like roast it breast down for juicier meat. You now have about 9 lbs of meat. Make tacos. Lots of tacos.

Roasted sweet potato, believe it or not, makes an excellent taco stuffing along with the turkey and is loaded w/vitamins and fiber. And buy some brown rice and 3-4 cabbages to make slaw with. Feast.

indeed. friend. you are speaking my language. sweet potato tacos? why the hell not? in my recent brushes with poverty i have found that the tortilla is one of humankind's greatest inventions. this turkey and roasted sweet potato taco sounds like pure heaven.

what's safeway? by the way.

used to see a lot of them around here in Arkansas, but I haven't seen one in years....


Not trying to be a smart a$$. :)

i always think its funny to go to different places and see the weird names of different grocery stores. and they are so familiar to the people living there yet so alien to you when you go.

Thin sliced cabbage, lime or lemon juice, red onions, canola oil, salt and paprika. It's a specialty at San Francisco burrito shops.

Safeway is West Coast for Piggly-Wiggly, upscale supermarket chain.

and thanks for the clarification on the safeway . .. and piggly-wiggly theres a name i havent heard in years

and the furbaby will love the juice. This is not an exact science- keep tasting it- add what you think it needs to make it yummy for you, just don't let it burn while simmering.

Get a big, deep pot.

Stew meat is usually cheap, get one regular pack in the meat dept. I think it's about 2 lbs or less.

One can of each of the following:
peas
green beans
corn
lima beans
(any veggies you love and think would be good, beans are good too)

one bunch of carrots and one bunch of celery

two-three potatoes

cut up the potatoes, put them in boiling water, leave the skins on, vitamins! drain it down to about two cups when the meat is done browning-
brown the meat, when it's done, dump it in with the potatoes and water, dump in the veggies, except for the carrots and celery.

cut up the carrots and celery while the pot cooks (there should be enough water from the cans of veggies to cover the ingredients, if not, add water. Add salt and pepper to taste. (not much)

when done cutting up carrots and celery really small, drop them in. Keep it simmering until it tastes good. Tastes better on day two. Keep in the fridge until about an hour before you want to eat again- add water as needed to keep from burning bottom of pot.

My mom used to make this when I was a kid and we were on food stamps- it lasted forever and I loved it. Still do. Really good in a bread bowl- which you can get easily from a bakery cheap- Day Old bread makes excellent bread bowls.

lots of times some kind of cheap lean roast will be cheaper than cut up stew meat. Take into account waste like lots of fat or bone, although bone makes better broth for soups and stews (even for roasts)

at my local store "london broil" was $1.88 lb, stew meat much more. Cut it your self and save.

maybe some soup too.

so filling. definitely going on my list

Also, how many are you feeding?
Do you have a Co-op near by? Usually you don't need to be a member and they are great for bulk item.

Check here http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

but i do have a ton of spices. sauces. that kind of thing

$100 is more than enough to eat well for two weeks.

stay away from packaged/heavily processed shit and you should be alright.

Apples are in season now....you can get some of those cheaper...especially farmer's markets...

The pasta and stuff mentioned here is good but you don't want to get all bound up...fruit and veggies should be included..

thank you lars.

1 Box of powdered milk
1 large box of cereal
1 jar peanut butter
2 packages of dried beans or peas
2 cans of tuna or salmon
2 cans of fruit
2 cans of vegetables
1 can corned beef or beef stew
1 lb. box of pasta
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
3 boxes of mac-n-cheese
2 boxes Jello or complete cake mix

This should feed a family of four for one week.

mikey_the_rat

I am always amused at recipes and such that say four servings. These people do not live with healthy active teenagers. My younger son is in a growth spurt - he eats a huge dinner and is back looking for more in about ten minutes.

without crackers or bread, how would the family eat it? By the spoonful? On pasta?

Ok, yes, one of my boys would eat it plain, but still, a family of 4? :)

but the only way I can stand it is in cookies. :evilgrin:

It can be used in some ethnic type cooking - Thai and African. but I don't much care for it.

Yban -- ground coffee in a can -- well-rated as a best for the money kind of coffee

Also, go to specialty stores that sell bulk coffee beans and see if they sell "mystery coffee" - beans that have been bagged and abandoned by a customer so they don't know what kind of coffee they are. It's a gamble that you might end up with decaf when you need a buzz or vice versa, but I've usually seen it for half price or less.

Although I'm damn broke myself -- doctor bills mounting, you know! Coupons always save me, so get the paper on Sunday and start clipping, scaredy-cat. Baked beans on toast, bean burritos, beans in general, all very filling. And if you need to borrow my Sam's Club card, I'll be down on Wednesday! :D

Pinto beans........goes with everything and they are cheap
Potatoes
whatever kind of meat is on sale
carrots
celery and onion for potato salad, potato soup
canned veggies if they are really cheap
go to the bread store, they usually have good deals on bread, buy a few loaves, freeze well
tortillas, or make your own....good with beans
a big bag of shredded cheese, goes on everything
a gallon of milk
Kool aid hey, just pretend it's real juice
raman noodles
tuna fish cans
a big container of oatmeal or some of that malt o meal cereal
pasta if it's on sale
tomato sauce cans
that should do it for a week
signed
another broke shopper.....

very comprehensive thanks Carly!!

wassup? how're things??!??!! pm me now!!

Several times while in grad school I bought enough beans and rice to feed myself for the rest of the week by returning beer bottles.

Here's my basic recipe. I encourage you to modify it to suit your taste.

1 lb. small red beans (dry)

1 medium onion

2-4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

About 1 tbsp oil.

2-3 bay leaves

2 packets Goya Sazon con Achiote y Culantro

2 tsp red wine or malt vinegar (optional)

white rice

About a 1/2 lb of smoked meat. It can be sausage, or ham hocks, but I like to get cheap smoked pork necks or turkey necks.

Pick through the beans and wash them, then put them in a large pot and cover them with about a quart of water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover and let sit for an hour.

In the meantime, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion, oregano, and cayenne, and saute just until it becomes aromatic.

Add salt, Sazon, sauteed ingredients, bay leaves, and meat to the beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about two hours, or until the beans are tender. Add vinegar, if using. If desired, you can mash 1/3 of the beans or blend slightly with a hand blender to thicken it up. Serve over rice, and eat cheaply off of the leftovers for a week. It gets better in the fridge after about 2-3 days.

Here's a cabbage and pasta dish that also helped out during my grad school years:

http://www.starchefs.com/ASchwartz/spaghetti.html

I like to use Savoy cabbage, and I usually cheat and use marinara sauce from a can or jar instead of the tomato paste. Ironically, I think I had a much healthier diet on my grad school budget.

thanks deuce!

First, check around for the cheapest sources of food - Here in SoCal, we have Big Lots, "99 Cent Stores" which include a halfway fresh bulk produce section, Food For Less...

You'll need -
1 pack firm or extra firm Tofu. The Tofu will act as both noodles and protein.

(To prepare the tofu - open the pack, drain, and slice the Tofu thin (about 1/4" slices). Take cookie sheets, either two very clean pieces of thick cloth (towels?) or four layers of paper towels that can cover the sheets; sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, basil along the bottom layer of towels; lay down the slices on top of the towels and spice mixture, put the next layer of towels, then cookie sheet over the tofu and put a weight down over the top cookie sheet; press for between 1 or two hours so the spices get pressed into the tofu and the water gets pressed out.)

1 can Italian "spaghetti" sauce with extra goodies in (like garlic and herbs, veggie); we find that Hunts and/or Del Monte have some decent 24 oz cans for under a dollar. You'll probably only use 1/2 the can, so you can save some for spaghetti later on. If you make your own spaghetti/pasta sauce, you'll use between 3/4 and one cup.

1 thin sliced zucchini or yellow squash
1 brown onion, diced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 hard boiled egg, sliced or diced
3/4 to 1 cup sliced mushrooms
16 oz of ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheese; I use a mixture of "mexican grated" and mozzarella.
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 8" x 8" pan, lightly greased. Preheat oven to 375 / 400 degrees (depending on how hot your oven stays over an hour)

Lay out the tofu so it covers the bottom and goes up the side for about 1/2". Layer bottom with 1/3 of the cheese, 1/2 of the onions and mushrooms, 1 layer squash, then spread lightly with sauce. Next, ricotta or cottage cheese. Then 1/3 more cheese, all the egg, rest of onions/mushrooms,and top with layer of squash. Add a light layer of sauce. Top with what is left of the tofu, olives, another layer of sauce and rest of the cheese.

Bake for 1 hour. Cheese should be nice and crispy golden-brown on top. Turn off oven, crack door, let sit in oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Tastes great as left-overs.

To make your own tomato based pasta sauce, sicilian style -

1 can (14 oz) or 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (with juice)
8 oz tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons basil
1/2 diced medium brown onion
3/4 cup of other "fillers" either individual or mixed; sauteed ground meat, diced cooked chicken, salami/pepperoni, cooked shrimp, spiced tofu, mushrooms, squash, asparagus, etc...
1/4 cup Parmesan or romano cheese

Add tomato's, oil, garlic, carrots, and spices. Bring to boil, then simmer over medium/low heat for two hours. Add onion and whatever fillers you have chosen for your sauce, continue simmering for another half hour to hour. Remove from heat, add cheese. Serve or store (can be kept frozen for 6 months)

Makes about 2 1/2 cups filling and healthy sauce for under two dollars; good for around three - four meal servings over rice, pasta, tofu, roasted veggies, etc...

I know how you feel; I'm trying to feed three humans and five critters for between $75 and $100 a week myself. Bagged frozen veggies, shopping carefully with coupons, buying bulk (If you have a Wild Oats store around, you can get all sorts of spices and dry items bulk for pennies on the ounce) and preparing a lot of my own food is the only way to go.

I'm lucky living in SoCal; I can find local produce fairly cheaply.

Haele

and i definitely feel your pain. i can't imagine being in a similar boat with other people depending on me (aside from my faithful furfriend Carmine). so you're definitely in my thoughts!

Bag of dried peas.
Cheap ham. Doesn't matter if it's fresh or canned.
Onions, carrots, what ever you like.

Put in crock pot if you have one.

Leave it to cook all day.

It's dirt cheap and lasts for three days.

;-)

dirt cheap is just what the chef ordered this next month.

Have it with some raisins and milk.

potatoes
dried beans
rice
barley
whatever produce is on sale


If it's just you you're worrying about, $100 for two weeks shouldn't be too bad. Not fun, but at least you should be able to survive.

The dumpsters behind grocery stores are pretty much a smorgasbord, too.

Or, you can call a pizza place and order something gross sounding, like pineapple, garlic, hot peppers, and anchovies, and then just not pick it up. They'll probably throw it away eventually, and you can dig it out of the garbage.

Happy Hour Buffets
Ramen Noodles
The Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Coop for Vegetables - especially Cabbage.....
I would go to the Whole Foods Market precursor, Fresh Fields, and eat samples
Beans, Tuna and Rice
Multi-Vitamins
Shoplifting
More Happy Hour Buffets
Pork Neck Bones
Ham And Bean Soup
Pasta

hehehehe. great info there.

Hell...that'd last me three days.

Well, maybe a little longer but DEFINITELY not two weeks.


:scared:


Find tuna on special somewhere. And bread. And milk. And margarine/butter (lots of specials on that this time of year). Make creamed tuna on toast.

Hamburger, sour cream, mushroom soup and rice (hamburger stroganoff)

Round steak. Lots of things you can do with round steak. Get some soy sauce. Round steak, brocolli, soy sauce...beef brocolli. Over rice. Tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes. Hell, just diced, stewed tomatoes. Add a little flour, a little dill and onion and pour it over the round steak and bake it for about an hour. Serve this one with either rice or noodles.

Pasta. Macaroni.

This time of year, lots of stuff goes on sale. I just picked up hamburger for 1.00/lb at Albertson's. Butter/margarine's on sale a lot of places. Same with sour cream. Round steak's usually pretty inexpensive. So are stewed, diced tomatoes.

Good luck.

but i may have to. i grossly miscalculated how much money i have this upcoming two weeks

i did some miscalculations, and have some collectors calling non=stop so i may have overestimated my budget.

it's quite possible that much of what i thought were going to be budget purchases are moving into luxury land themselves.

I prefer premium coffee too, but for the canned kind, Folgers is good.


Eggs are a great choice. Also:

Dry pasta
Cheapie pasta sauce (like Hunts in the can)
Oatmeal (cook your own, not instant)
Couple of loaves of bread (or make your own) - put one loaf in the freezer. If you can get bread for a buck or so, it's probably cheaper than making your own
Peanut butter (might seem spendy but it's filling and full of protein)
Beans
Rice
Typically inexpensive produce, like apples and bananas

im going to look this up online and make some. that's gotta be cheap. and im really in need of uber cheap solutions - almost stone-age solutions at this point. in fact i may just have to resort to barbarism as much as i hate to.

You need flour, liquid, shortening and/or butter, salt, sugar, and yeast. If you keep those things on hand anyway, you're golden. If you don't, in order to stretch your money for a couple of weeks, it would be cheaper to buy a couple of store-brand loaves of bread.

is that pricey?

you can make two loaves with one package.

Old-Fashioned Low-Yeast Bread:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/familybread.htm#overnightbread

I'm still exploring her site...she does some interesting things. :hi:

thanks Lars!

chickens you are going to buy:
boil the bones with water, celery (you will have this to snack with the peanut butter), onion and any spices you feel you may like. Freeze the stock in single serving portions (I recycle the water bottles).

Buy a case of ramen noodles (around here, 24pks go for $1.50). Use your chicken stock to cook the ramen (no seasoning packet required) and throw in any fresh/canned/frozen veggies.

Use chicken stock to cook your rice for a change of pace.

Buy a jar of peanut butter on sale, snack on it with some celery, make sandwiches, etc. Apples are cheap right now and are tasty dipped in PB.

Best wishes!

thank you for the kind wishes too!

Egg sandwiches - Pack of 10 egg patties and pack of 10 sausage patties w/American cheese slices and grape jelly on English muffins or bread from the discounted bread store (mine also sells huge bags of pasta shells and has a deal for a free bag when you buy spaghetti sauce for $2).

Beef stew in crock pot or I bought a frozen Complete w/meat for 4.98 lasted two days for 3 people w/bread and Country Crock. Bisquick, as stated, can be made into a variety of carb bisquits, pancakes

Whole chicken or big bag of breasts/thighs/wings and for quick fixin' - already cooked Rotisserie bird cut into 1/4s that makes a large pieces for 1 meal and some put aside to cream w/a pack of frozen mixed veggies over toast. One can get these cooked birds for about the same as an uncooked bird of larger size that will need to cook a few hours in the oven (remember to also conserve energy. Bones et al can be make broth for Ramen noodles.

Turkeys will be inexpensive but sometimes there's catches as you know and you'll need freezer bags and/or wrap(way expensive)to freeze (don't forget to label and date).

Southern beans or greens w/ham cubes and corn bread (from bagged packages in baking aisle or from scratch(comes in a container like oatmeal)....ummmmmm - add potato pancakes (grated potatoes w/onion, egg and a little flour? Squash is also healthy and relatively inexpensive, acorn w/sausage and apples/spaghetti squash w/sauce and small meat balls. You can also blanch fresh green beans, califlower, or brocoli and freeze it on a cookie sheet and bag if you find a good price and the freezer bags.

Pork & beans w/little cocktail weenies (sometimes on sale) - called the "Saturday Special" at our place.

Carrot slaw - grate/add raisins and home-made sweet and sour dressing (we bought a huge jar a Hellman's recently at GFS and improvise w/spices already on the shelf.

Kielbasi is relatively inexpensive and can be combined w/taters and sauerkraut and/or eggs.

Choose cereal/trail mix in bulk for a healthy snack that satisfies the "crunch" cravings.

Peanut butter is useful but a large container will set one back about $8.00 - I'd rather have my good coffee.

Bought some left-over Trick/Treat H. kisses on sale for $1 to ease the chocolate cravings; you might also buy choc. chips for this too--just to take the edge off.

Apples are in abundance - enjoy keeping the doc away. Look for produce sales

Don't use paper towels/wash rags or those blue towel wipes are better cause they can be washed and used again and again.

You can get a hugh bag of rice at the Indian/Pakistani grocery and spices are also less expensive. Pita bread lasts a long time in the fridge and can double for sandwich bread - stuff w/tuna/canned salmon (on sale?).

Coupon clip and watch the leader items at the stores in your area. Good luck!

good call on halloween candies.

i absolutely love eggs and will definitely be heeding your advice on some egg sandwiches.

and massive props on the "hugh bag of rice" lol!