How to eat so cheap!?

[Paisley777]

Hello,

Sorry if this has been asked...

On the home page it lists estimated prices including $150-175 a month for food.  I know how to buy in bulk and freeze to save money, but how the heck do you eat healthy alone in a vehicle (no freezer) for that little?

Best,
Paisley

 

[TMG51]

Well, it is possible to have a freezer, first of all. But many people do so without a freezer. Dried foods like rice, beans, pasta are always an option. One can eat those foods for very little money.

Due to extenuating circumstances and a sudden need to save money, for the last two weeks I've been spending only about $3 per day on food. It is possible to live that cheap.

 

[Almost There]

$175.00 a month is just under $6.00 a day ($5.83 to be exact). That's not hard to do if you're not eating the higher priced cuts of meat and buying your sandwich meat at the deli.

It does take some creativity with the menu and also some good cooking skills but I don't think it's that hard.

Even without trying, my food costs here in Ontario where things are expensive is under $225.00 a month not including household items like toilet paper and laundry soap etc.

I designed my van interior specifically for 2 compressor fridge units so one can be used as a freezer because it's the one thing I can't see myself doing without on the road. As a single person I find it difficult to buy single portions of meat. Even a ham steak is big enough for me to get 3 meals out of it and I don't want ham 3 days in a row so portion freezing is a vital part of my food plan.

 

[compassrose]

I once was on a forum where a guy lived really cheap. He told us his diet. It would have literally killed me. High carbs with peanut butter and dried beans and lots of split peas. #1 I loathe dried beans. Split peas are even worse. If that was my diet I certainly would weigh less in a hurry because I would not be eating anything. I can only eat peanut butter in small amounts (I don't even care for peanut butter cookies). And I learned that I am hypo-glycemic (a condition many think is fake) when I went on a high carb-low fat diet once and got so ill on it I would pass out all the time.


For two people, we are spending between $200 - $250 per month on food. We do splurge in the groceries since we rarely eat out and never go to the movies (Redbox rentals and we buy the cheap movies from Wal-Mart and thrift stores). My daughter is a frugal person as well but since we don't tend to spend much money (because we don't have much money) we tend to roll that money back into our food budget and buy "special" and "luxury" foods. For her birthday, I bought a couple pounds of shrimp. She wants a shrimp boil for her birthday present. I also bake breads that I would not buy (like the cinnamon raisin bread I have been making recently). My bread is better than store bought. I can cook from scratch better and cheaper than most store bought. I figure you can's just pick one part of a budget, you have to look at it all. But food and entertainment are the two places you can usually cut back on easily. I do have a freezer (12cf) so I tend to cook up large family sized entrees/desserts and either cook them in 4 oz and 8 oz canning jars or pack them into canning jars after cooking (I make cardstock round label and drop them on top of the metal lids then screw the metal ring on). My Cajun-chiladas are individually wrapped and then frozen after cooking. I can take out anything I want for a meal. Microwave it to thaw/heat and I have a "fast food" dinner. What David & I really liked is that we could have different things that what the other was having plus we could have the single small portion or a double portion. My daughter & I now live together and she likes this set up too except she thinks my jars are too small. I also bake up large batches of rice and freeze them up in 1 cup bags. This type of cooking saves me time and money. I also tend to eat better. Right now, I have eaten down the freezer (I needed to defrost it) so I have been skipping meals a lot again. I need to get back to cooking... something other than bread.

I keep seeing cookbooks that you can make the equivalent of a box mix and then store it in a mason jar in your pantry. You might want to stop in a library and sit there going thru those type of cookbooks to see what might work for you. I used to make brownie & cake mixes to take camping. I just omitted the liquid stuff and added those when I was ready to mix them up. I kept a recipe book with the directions and the mixes were dumped into zip lock baggies and labeled/dated. You can find a lot of "mix" recipes online. They are often pushed as gifts.


http://www.budget101.com/frugal/mix-recipes-166/
www.cdkitchen.com   You need to do a search for "mixes"
www.hillbillyhousewife.com  you need to scroll down the page. On the right side you will see "Categories" look thru the drop down box to find the category you are looking for.
You can use any search engine and do a 'net search for mixes. There are lots out there. Some good, some not so good.

 

[Sameer]

My food budget is 200 bucks a month....I keep track of protein and carbs.  Protein is essential for the body and brain....

Here is a typical meal:
Pinto beans
Tortillas
Pico de Gallo
Goat Cheese

Dessert
1 can of chunk pineapple
2 tablespoons of Butter
3 tablespoons of Brown Sugar
Pound Cake
(all dessert ingredients from Dollar Tree)  This is called 'Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake'

This is a $4.50 meal.....if I had used another cheese it would have been cheaper.  Don't just shop Walmart for stuff.  Hit the Dollar Stores, Family Dollar, Dollar General etc.  Stock up with items you regularly use when they are cheap.  I eat a lot of pinto beans and a variety of cheese.  Or anything that tastes good in a Tortilla.  View attachment 4891View attachment 4892

 

[TMG51]

Do you buy the Pico de Gallo or make it? Everywhere I've found it prepared is like $5 per container.... that's the whole day's budget!

 

[Sameer]

I make the Pico de Gallo myself.
I make a lot at one time.
Serrano peppers
Jalapeno peppers
1 med onion
Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Fresh lime juice
...(no salt as this deteriorates the crispness of everything else...The lime juice preserves the freshness for at least a week or longer.)
I use it for everything to 'up' the taste.
Tablespoon on a grilled cheese
add it to soup
cook it with a little bit with butter and then add potatoes and fry it up
dip
add to scrambled eggs
add to Knorr Spanish Rice (1 buck)
ADD TO ANYTHING!
Cheap to make and expensive to buy! (the cheapest I have seen is at Walmart and it is crap at 3 bucks)

 

[Rugster]

I was reading another thread and it mentioned the person ate on $5 per day. I thought that was incredibly low but then realized my family of four spends about 100-110 a week in groceries, and that includes everything, toiletries, detergent, etc.

I had no idea we spent such a small amount per day per family member.

Where the heck does our money go?

 

[dhawktx]

I eat carb restricted and my main protein is eggs. When I get on the road I'll be packing OvaEasy crystalized eggs - they've gotten the best taste reviews so far.

http://shop.honeyville.com/ova-easy-whole-egg-crystals.html

 

[SoulRaven]

I have visited four food banks in the last 30 days .

The following are pics of my haul laid out like a drug bust.

 

[highdesertranger]

hawk I am curious. what's the difference between the Ova egg Crystals and the regular powdered egg mix. I have been using Honeyville powdered whole eggs for a few years for scrambled eggs but I mix 50/50 with fresh eggs. I can't tell the difference. highdesertranger

 

[WriterMs]

I checked out the link on the crystal eggs, too.

I know it is great for long term use and no refrigeration, but -- if my math is right -- the price per egg when you buy a #10 can is about 70 cents?

 

[compassrose]

I was in the local Dollar Tree yesterday. I noticed they have 6pack of eggs for $1. That's $0.166 per egg. You should be able to hold your eggs in a cooler with a small amount of ice for a couple of days in mild weather.

DollarTree has a fair amount of cheap things. Our local Semi-Super Walmart also sells eggs in 6 packs (either $0.98 or $1.18 can't remember for sure). The trick to Dollar Tree is to pay attention. Sometimes grocery stores have better prices. As for places like Family Dollar, right now my daughter's store is cheaper than the grocery store on eggs. She also told me they price match. Take a picture of the prices, make sure the product is in front of it and they will match. Take internet coupons. You can stack coupons (internet coupon - must be printed off-, manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon) and get a great deal. If you do this on $5 off weekend (on the receipt) you get a really good deal. Dollar General does the same thing.

 

[highdesertranger]

the price is why I was wondering the regular powdered eggs are like 1/3 the price. I use them to extend my eggs because I stay remotely for long periods. so with my method I turn 36 eggs into 72 eggs. plus you can use the powder in baking. highdesertranger

 

[Paisley777]

Thank you so much guys!

BTW - the USA is one of the few places that refrigerates eggs. Out of the chicken they can keep for months at room temps. Problem is the US washes off the protective coating and that allows in oxygen and bacteria. One suggestion I read is to reapply a coating... to dip them in mineral oil. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to do a few experiments with it to see how long they last since it's so darn simple to test if an egg is good. (drop an egg in water - if it floats, it's bad. If it stays at bottom, it's good.)
http://www.preparednesspro.com/safely-preserving-eggs

 

[ccbreder]

I am a guy on my own. I can't split any food cost across multiple persons. I want comfort. I want enjoyment. I want good food and drink. I will sacrifice other things for my comfort. Thanks Fully I can afford 100 plus a week for food and wine.

 

[gnarledwolf]

Lol...hell, my last two weeks between me and my brother add up to about $30... Mostly ramen, peanut butter and jelly, tea, coffee, and sugar. Thanks to a food bank we also got some soup and rice. Need a job soon!

 

[sephson]

I find that a good selection of my favorite spices and varying my cooking methods helps me keep my food budget down. Whether it's ramen, rice or steak, I can use the same basic ingredients for a week and by changing my seasonings and how I prepare the food I'm able to get a good variety of flavors without having to buy a huge variety of basic ingredients.

 

[Gary68]

beans,rice,potatoes,carrots,apples,corn,learn to cook it's easy,fishing pole, .22,the small farms around here will sell a dozen eggs for $1,when in rural ask the people with fruit and nut trees how much,food banks,churches,stop by a small farm and ask to trade labor for fresh veggies,job at restaurant,food stamps

 

[dhawktx]

hawk I am curious.  what's the difference between the Ova egg Crystals and the regular powdered egg mix.  I have been using Honeyville powdered whole eggs for a few years for scrambled eggs but I mix 50/50 with fresh eggs.  I can't tell the difference.  highdesertranger

The Ova product tests as 'identical' to fresh eggs even when prepared scrambled without any assists. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a fridge right away, so I have to make sure that my foods are a palatable as possible. I much prefer fresh 'real' food when I can get it, but I'm planning a worst case, no-room-in-the-cooler-for-eggs scenario.