Alright, folks. Things aren't looking good for the Jenn job-wise and we're going to need to start clamping down on stuff. Quick ask:
I'm going to need to start saving cash, and with inflation, AND the fact that I make fancy foods, I'm gonna need to clamp down on groceries. What are your very cheap, college-level, devastating for your health but heaven for your wallet, meals?
@dolari if you have a set of scales, Jack Monroe writes great low cost and actually pretty healthy recipes: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/
@dolari also, I forgot to say they're super queer too, which is an obvious bonus.
Jazzing up the box method mac n cheese and instant noodles/pastas.
Any roasted veggie (all you need is said veg, olive oil and salt for the savory ones)
Go back to buying bone in, skin on chicken breast as they both taste better and are cheaper due to everyone wanting boneless, skinless chicken breast. If you want something boneless get chicken thighs instead
If you are cooking with olive oil, you dont need extra virgin.
Chuck roast is a good cheap roast. For beef roasts and is quite tasty
Marinading with different types of pop (namely coke/pepsi for beef) is really useful and dirt cheap ofc.
I dont think i have to tell you theres no difference in most generic goods since youve been cooking before i was born but putting it here for anyone else who doesnt cook.
Valveeta is a household staple and can be put on nearly anything to jazz things up.
You can recycle used cooking oil if you are very desperate. On one hand it tastes better but its so not as good for you. But is something my grandmother still does.
Im not fully versed with this skill but youll probably have to learn how to stretch an expirstion date be it from freezing, or just knowing when a food is "just edible enough" right before it goes bad. (Tho cook the questiobable yet still edible stuff a bit more thuroughly ofc)
Certain offal cuts are quite tasty but some take way more work than others. Liver and onions is still quite a food staple where i live despite never having it myself.
Scrapple is also dirt cheap if you ever find yourself on hard times. Cornmeal itself is one of the most versitile pantry goods
Always keep atleast a pound of rice on hands at all times.
Always keep a healthy canned goods section at home for emergencies.
Stale bread can be made fresh by baking it in the oven for like 10 mins at 300°.
Coffee makers are just hot water dispensers. And can be used for way more things than just coffee (like cup noodles.
Its better to make not enough instead of too much and having it go to waste.
Make every shopping trip deliberate: only grab what you need for the next few days tops
Avoid deli meats as they are both bad for you and often overpriced. Canned processed meats are equally shit for you but can be put in way more than just a hot/cold sandwich (look at how the hawaiians integrate spam into so many different dishes)
Canned tuna plus pasta in olive oil (plus seasoning) = super easy cheap dinner (made in under 15-20 mins to boot).
Soups/stews can last for weeks and stretch a bunch of nothing into something for weeks. Esp if its like the aforementioned potato soup.
Might add some more in due time but heres a few cooking tips ive learned within the past 10 years. Im not the greatest cook but i do try to cook on a budget a lot and my family likes my cooking atleast
@dolari
Houkime's cheapest food list:
* Pancakes
* Oats with raisins/a few fresh berries
* Polenta with same
* Rice with onions/potatoes/carrots
* Soy sauce is ok if bought in big bottles
* Peas to make pea soup. Baking soda helps
* Apples. I make a salty-sour salad with them, and eat with rice.
* In general, rice and pasta are cheaper than bread
* Baking is an option
Depending on local prices:
* Lentils
* Beans (dry)
* Spinach
* Miso
* Wakame
* Tomatoes are ok in cheap tomatoes season
@dolari That are diabetic-friendly? Well, eggs were there at one point, but they are no longer.
Low-budget, low-carb... that's tricky enough.
Definitely start with bouillon. If you can get it in a decent bulk, it'll last a while, and the stuff will help stem cravings.
If you can get a fryer chicken at the store for a respectable price (I find halfway through the evening is the best time to look), it's worth your while. Those things are a lifesaver.
Marked down mushrooms won't get you much nutrition outside of the micronutrients, but they can be a major bonus in an omelet, beefing it up and giving it a bit more flavour. And onions, too, will always be a favourite, alongside garlic. The marked-down packages of mushrooms aren't bad at all, either, so long as you use them right away and wash them right.
A big frozen bag of mixed vegetables is a must. I wouldn't eat them on their own, but they'll especially bolster any grains you have, as well as a soup - particularly if you make one out of the aforementioned fryer.
While it sounds gross, keep an eye on a meat department for anything that's marked down -- specifically, anything like prepackaged deli meats. Those little things which make maybe two sandwiches each? Get them at .25c and freeze them, they do surprisingly freeze well and you can just pull them out when needed.
Peanut butter. If you find it on sale (Shoppers will typically have it on for a song every couple of weeks) then stock up, and use it all over. It's higher-carb than most people assume due to the added sugar, and the fat content's nothing to be sneezed at, but it's a classic staple for a reason, and peanut butter cookies are not only calorie (and carb) dense, but sealed properly they do last forever.
Tea is cheaper than coffee and ironically has a higher caffeine content in some circumstances. If you find yourself with just low-quality stuff, then you can stuff six to eight teabags in a 2L pot on low, cover, and leave them bubbling away for the better part of a half hour. Be warned: unless you have a high caffeine tolerance this can be legitimately dangerous. (It's also no friend to teeth or tongue, but it'll keep you awake.)
If you have a dehydrator, I'd definitely make extensive use of it when it comes to fresh fruit which turns out to be on special. That can be mixed into nearly anything, even reconstituted and baked, so it's a good resource.
Cereals might be largely for crap, but I've found that farina wheat porridge can be comparatively cheap, and again, goes with everything. Higher-carb though depending on how you do it up. Oatmeal, too, and that's much cheaper.
Lemon juice is very much your friend.
As disgusting as it might sound, chopping up a few hot dogs into a box of KD and topping it with something tomato is usually a pretty good choice.
And lastly, for a go-to, a half a pound of ground meat, an onion, a green pepper, a couple mushrooms, can of kidney beans and a can of diced tomatoes, and you've got the basis for a few meals right there, probably without capping $15.
@dolari soup!