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picklejars posted:I know many have mentioned vinegar for cleaning, and wanted to add that you can save a ton by making your own laundry detergent. My kids have really sensitive skin and we switched to homemade soaps and cleaners and it's great for the environment, your skin, and works great. I do the same, but I just finely grate a bar of soap (I usually use Zote - it's a Mexican brand) with a cup each of soda and borax, and then just use that powder. Very convenient and inexpensive. Admiral Snuggles posted:I have to add that I completely disagree with this point. McDonalds is basically carbs, protein, and salt. These are things your body needs. Eat this poo poo if you're poor it will keep you alive. You have solved the problem of inner city food deserts and poor nutrition. How could we have been so blind to such a simple solution? ----------------
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Oct 24, 2011 16:12
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My go-to dish for when I am hungry, busy, and don't feel like spending any money is rice and lentils. I buy short grain brown rice; brown, black, or green lentils; and a thing of garam masala spice mix. If you have an Indian or even mediterranean grocery store near you you can usually find spices crazy cheap ($4 for a jar the size of a soda can). In the morning throw it all in a rice cooker with water (or some stock if you are feeling fancy) and set a timer so it will be ready when you get home. If you don't have a rice cooker then a big lidded pot works great as well: just cook following directions for brown rice.
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Oct 24, 2011 16:33
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Admiral Snuggles posted:I went through several pages of that blog looking for some new recipes and it was 80% side dishes 20% expensive main courses. They're only "sides" if you're intent on eating a slab of meat every night. 3/4 of the front page dishes would make a fine main meal.
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Oct 24, 2011 16:50
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lucked out at big lots, found a ten pounder of oatmeal for six bucks. one of my favorite foods is oatmeal with peanut butter. i like to sweeten it with honey. it's a filling and nutritious dish if you can find the ingredients cheap.
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Oct 24, 2011 18:00
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dino. posted:Mixed rice... I'd like to hear more about these mixed rice recipes, please.
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Oct 24, 2011 19:47
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Thepossiblelight posted:lucked out at big lots, found a ten pounder of oatmeal for six bucks. one of my favorite foods is oatmeal with peanut butter. i like to sweeten it with honey. This is absolutely true, and the best oatmeal is either steel-cut oats toasted in a bit of butter before adding 1 part milk and 1 part water to 1 part oats, or whole oat groats coarsely chopped by whizzing for a second or two in a food processor and soaked overnight in the fridge (same liquid to oats ratio) then simmered on the stove the next morning for a few minutes to the desired thickness. You can also soak steel-cut oats overnight so it only takes about five minutes to cook in the morning. Additional money-saving tip that may sound gross but totally isn't: you can get big sacks of whole oats at a feed store.
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Oct 24, 2011 21:59
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Feed stores are also good places to save money on lube 
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Oct 24, 2011 22:41
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Thanks dino, I would love to have some rice recipes please. Really, great help with the rice thing. That was my problem, I added all the spices and flavoring AFTER cooking. I'm really still just learning how to cook, but I'm just loving soaking it all in. My extra cash from my long weeks has gone to some good cooking wares, spices and more food. So when I get really strapped for cash again, I'll have a good stock of stuff to keep us going. This has seriously been LIFE-CHANGING. The amount of money I have been spending has gone down drastically, We have steered away from bland, boring, and repetitive frozen Boston Market meals and my bf is so happy to have a different lunch every other day. I'm sure we are both getting quite healthier too, working in a factory for 12 hours a day really burns you out and a nice filling homemade meal, although a pain in the rear end to make after work, is definitely worth it.
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Oct 25, 2011 02:18
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I found some whole chickens at Kroger tonight for 39 fuckin' cents per pound. 39 CENTS! I bought the last two they had. They were around 1.50 each for entire rotisserie-sized chickens. Definitely keep eyes on those sales.
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Oct 25, 2011 05:27
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nm
wormil fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Oct 25, 2011 |
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Oct 25, 2011 07:36
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noblesse posted:I found some whole chickens at Kroger tonight for 39 fuckin' cents per pound. 39 CENTS! I bought the last two they had. They were around 1.50 each for entire rotisserie-sized chickens. Definitely keep eyes on those sales.
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Oct 25, 2011 08:24
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Those were the saddest, beakless-est chickens that ever feebly attempted to cluck out their pain in their tiny wire cages.
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Oct 25, 2011 10:07
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I didn't read the thread (which I will do later when I need another midterm break), so hopefully this isn't a rehash. As a broke rear end college student, I find myself in a similar predicament to you quite often. Now, I'm far from a good cook but I get compliments from my fellow college students since they all subsist on poo poo and fast food. It's amazing what lurking GWS and stalking my mom can do. -Buy stuff in bulk; find someone with a Costco or Sam's club membership and buy oil, vinegar, eggs, spices, etc, in large quantities so you don't have to do it often. I buy 60 eggs for about five bucks at Costco. It's really a good deal. -Get lots of sauces and spices. These will make similar ingredients turn into drastically different, flavorful meals. Sirarcha (spicy), oyster sauce (salty/savory), fish sauce (super salty and loving AWESOME), soy sauce, Tapatio (slightly spicy), cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, salt, black pepper, sesame oil, bean curd sauce (a tablespoon with garlic makes a great base for vegetable stir frys), peanut butter (to make poor/lazy man's thai food), Old Bay or some kind of allspice, and thyme. Note: some of these items require an Asian market but are well worth the price and will last you a long time if you can get any -Buy a big rear end bag of rice and ramen. I like Jasmine rice. It's great and can be used with pretty much anything. It's cheap as gently caress, too. Too tired to cook? Heat some rice and eat leftovers. No leftovers? Make some ramen. Dash of fish sauce, sirarcha, black pepper, fresh lime, a few fresh vegetables*, and an egg means you'll have a delicious and cheap meal. Just to clarify, I rarely eat ramen unless I absolutely have no time to cook so my huge (and cheap) supply lasts me several months easily. I generally make a ton of noodles (Italian and Asian) at once if I know my meals need it during the week. *mushrooms, beansprouts, and spinach are great. -If you make meat, buy it on sale or only as bulk and don't cook it often. Beans and tofu make cheaper protein sources and can be made totally awesome pretty easily. Sauteed garlic, ginger, or onions will make beans and tofu absolutely awesome. Your mean can be cooked with those three, too. Use spices and sauces to adjust the taste of everything. -Get a wok. It will make stir frys easier to do. Basically you just super heat the wok and cook meat or tofu and throw your vegetables on and finish it off with sauces. You can mix and match vegetables and sauces to create entirely different flavors to keep your palette satisfied. Sesame oil, fish sauce, and black pepper will taste very different from oyster sauce, sirarcha sauce, and lime. Both combinations can use any combination of bean sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, or whatever you feel like throwing in there. -Don't be afraid to buy frozen vegetables. They are always on sale and will give you a supply of ready-to-use vegetables if you don't have time to prep or cook the others properly. Use these as additions to soups or just heat them and add some pepper and salt for a quick side dish. Now on to a couple recipes for which I have no accurate measurements nor timings (sorry, I eyeball everything). These both can be made in huge bulk, are easy to make, and don't require too many ingredients. Let me know if you have any questions. Sadly these are both meat dishes since my vegetarian ones tend to be impromptu stir frys. Adobo Ingredients 4 chicken thighs (pork works too)** 1tsp Black peppercorns 3-4 garlic cloves (use less if you don't like garlic) 3-4 lovely bay leaves soy sauce vinegar There are a lot of approaches to making good adobo but the way I like to do it is simple. Throw everything in the pot. Add soy sauce and vinegar until the meat is covered and there's a nice tan color to the sauce. Remember, lighter color means a stronger vinegar flavor so adjust based on how strong you want that, too. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45min, or until chicken is tender. When it's done, eat with a side of white rice and chopped up tomatoes with a dash of salt and red pepper flakes. Adobo will be good for days after you cook it because of the vinegar and garlic and any extra sauce makes a great topping for rice if you want a quick snack. **thighs are my favorite part but you can use any part of the chicken. Butcher your own if you don't want to buy a pack of 10 thighs since it's way cheaper Tinola Ingredients 4 chicken thighs 1 large piece of ginger, sliced about 1/4 inch thick 2-3 cups or cans of chicken stock/broth (stock is better of course) 2 potatoes, cut 1 large onion diced a couple dashes of fish sauce (add according to taste) spinach Brown thighs. Sautee ginger and onions. Combine and add potatoes and chicken stock. Chicken should be covered completely. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45min or until potatoes fall apart and chicken is tender. Add fish sauce. Drop spinach into the soup when finished. Serve over rice. And remember, a great way to add intense flavor to your food is marinate it overnight. It's a simple way to turn something boring (like chicken breast) into something amazing. Be creative- there's no harm in experimenting, especially since your taste buds have no where to go but up. 3 DONG HORSE fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Oct 25, 2011 |
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Oct 25, 2011 10:57
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Kenning posted:Those were the saddest, beakless-est chickens that ever feebly attempted to cluck out their pain in their tiny wire cages. Don't buy 39 cent chickens.
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Oct 25, 2011 15:54
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My Little Puni posted:Another thing, Potatoes are awesome. I bought a 10 lb bag and it's lasted me for 2 weeks so far. I've made hash browns, au gratin, scalloped potatoes, put them in soups, mashed potatoes. potato pancakes. POTATO PANCAKES. Shredded potato with shredded onion, some milk, eggs, flour, and fried. Delicious, cheap, and reheatable. But I would not have thought of this if I wasn't planning to make them tonight with dinner.
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Oct 25, 2011 16:41
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yeah so i went to my local (4 blocks away) hispanic market. (i live in southern NM so we just call them markets) they had bangin deals on fresh meat. fresh cut local bacon 1.79 a pound. cheap whole chickens, all that jazz. and like everyone else says, great prices on spices. oh also the other day i got ten lbs of quaker oats for six bucks at big lots, not sure if thats a good deal
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Oct 25, 2011 23:55
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Mr. Wiggles posted:I do the same, but I just finely grate a bar of soap (I usually use Zote - it's a Mexican brand) with a cup each of soda and borax, and then just use that powder. Very convenient and inexpensive. Zote soap is literally the best thing ever to happen to laundry. I have yet to find the stain a little zote soap can't take out, including several week old blood (it was an injury, rushed to the hospital, rushed to a specialist in another city situation, I don't just leave stained clothes around for days) I truly just assume it appears on an alter somewhere and is cut up into cubes and marketed.
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Oct 26, 2011 00:41
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Don't buy 39 cent chickens. Well, the thread is about being poor and affording to eat, so I'm just trying to contribute some ways for people to be able to eat affordably. V  V There have been several mentions of megamarts and giant bulk stores already in this thread, which honestly are about the same on the morally corrupt scale if we're looking at it that way.
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Oct 26, 2011 01:15
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noblesse posted:Well, the thread is about being poor and affording to eat, so I'm just trying to contribute some ways for people to be able to eat affordably. V If you're poor enough that 2 dollars will break you in the price of a chicken, then by all means eat the battery chickens - people come first. But it should be a morally difficult decision, and anyone who can afford to buy better owes it to human morality to do so. And people shouldn't shop at most megamarts and bulk stores either, but for different reasons. ----------------
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Oct 26, 2011 02:35
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I'd like to spend less money on food, but I'm not living paycheck-to-paycheck. So what ARE the things it's okay to buy cheap, and what things should I avoid buying the very cheapest version? Here's what I (think I) know: Eggs: Buy free-range Grains/rice/nuts/whatever: Buy in bulk Meat: I don't know? I like buying my meat in bulk from Costco and freezing it but I have no idea where they get their meat. Milk and other dairy: No idea Processed items: Stop buying them, they're expensive and way more gross than what you can make at home
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Oct 26, 2011 03:05
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Hawkgirl posted:I'd like to spend less money on food, but I'm not living paycheck-to-paycheck. So what ARE the things it's okay to buy cheap, and what things should I avoid buying the very cheapest version? Here's what I (think I) know: look into CSAs/farmers markets.
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Oct 26, 2011 03:24
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Hawkgirl posted:I'd like to spend less money on food, but I'm not living paycheck-to-paycheck. So what ARE the things it's okay to buy cheap, and what things should I avoid buying the very cheapest version? Here's what I (think I) know: Good. quote:Grains/rice/nuts/whatever: Buy in bulk Probably perfectly fine. quote:Meat: I don't know? I like buying my meat in bulk from Costco and freezing it but I have no idea where they get their meat. Costco, aside from their other issues don't shop at Costco does not carry the highest quality meat. The best thing is to find a local butcher - depending on where you live, this may be a kosher butcher, halal butcher, carniceria, etc. It's more than likely going to be an ethnic joint, though - this is good! They're serving communities which demand a certain quality. Ask these butchers questions, get to know them. Find out where they get their meat and how they treat it - they'll probably be very proud and happy to tell you after they figure out that you're not from PETA or something. Once you have this relationship built, you will be able to get super high quality, ethical meat at prices which are in almost all cases even better than Costco. I raise and butcher most of my own meat, but for those times when I don't have something on hand, I have a local Mexican butcher who gets me very high quality, local meat. quote:Milk and other dairy: No idea This one is going to be a little more tricky, as the USDA has a total hard on for shutting down small dairy producers. But ask around at co-ops, farmers markets, etc. and you'll see who in your area is producing good quality stuff, and where you can get it. Sometimes you can luck out - where I am, the big local dairy company gets about half it's milk from the valley I live in, from cows that I can go visit. And the other half comes from dairies just like the ones here in my valley. So I can feel pretty good about getting the local big dairy company milk and butter. On the other hand, we're installing a new gray water system on the ranch in order to water a pasture where we're going to have some milk cows, so it's not like there isn't always room for improvement. quote:Processed items: Stop buying them, they're expensive and way more gross than what you can make at home There you go! ----------------
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Oct 26, 2011 03:34
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The whole roast chicken is a great idea. Lots of leftovers for a family of 3. I usually make a side of rice with it for leftovers that I take to work. Plus its fairly cheap as you can find whole chickens for a lot less than buying individual cuts.
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Oct 26, 2011 17:50
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This thread is fantastic and couldn't have come at a better time. I currently have an income of $0.00 now (well, $240 a month from the VA), so I've been trying to get some ideas on how to eat cheaply. I'm going to try rice and beans for the first time tonight and I hope it turns out well. One thing I'd like to mention, as others did, is how insanely different food prices can be depending on the area you live in. I walked to the store today (Albertson's) with the intention of stocking up on dried beans. They were $3.50 a pound for store brand red, black, pinto, whatever.  I instead got one pound of lentils for $1.99. Luckily I still have some beans, which are now soaking, so I can experiment with my dinner. Basically, gently caress "the man" (grocery stores).
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Oct 26, 2011 20:43
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I know a few people have said this already, but beans. They're a cheap, healthy source of protein and they're great in a lot of regional dishes.
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Oct 26, 2011 21:19
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If you're somewhere with an Albertson's, you're somewhere with Mexican grocers. Go there.
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Oct 26, 2011 21:20
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dollar type stores are decent. they sell rice beans all that good stuff
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Oct 26, 2011 21:46
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MasterFugu posted:unless you live in the mountains, there's probably a farm somewhere near you. This actually drives me crazy. I live in a town where there are literally more horse trails than there are paved roads, and yet the closest farmer's market is the next (much more urban) city over. What?! The CSA's near me all close down for the winter, so I have bad timing. But I will check up on them in January when they start opening again. Mr. Wiggles posted:The best thing is to find a local butcher - depending on where you live, this may be a kosher butcher, halal butcher, carniceria, etc. I would be so happy if there were a kosher butcher around. I can't even find bagels, around here. Bagels! And not "the only bagel place is lovely," no, more like "there are literally no places to get bagels here." (Bagels from the grocery store are not considered bagels for the purposes of this post, or for the purpose of eating.) However with some googling I did find a halal butcher nearby with some fantastic reviews about the quality of their meat.  Thanks!
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Oct 27, 2011 02:12
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I made something today that was simple as hell, cheap, and drat good. It was mayonnaise. See, we don't use enough mayo to justify getting the store bought jar, and I'm wary of the ultra cheap crap too. If you have a blender or a food processor, then it's worth looking into doing. Supper tonight was open faced chicken salad sandwiches using leftover roasted chicken, fresh baked bread, and homemade mayo. 
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Oct 27, 2011 03:17
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Hawkgirl posted:This actually drives me crazy. I live in a town where there are literally more horse trails than there are paved roads, and yet the closest farmer's market is the next (much more urban) city over. What?! Good for you! You've taken an important step. ----------------
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Oct 27, 2011 03:46
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Mr. Wiggles posted:The best thing is to find a local butcher - depending on where you live, this may be a kosher butcher, halal butcher, carniceria, etc. It's more than likely going to be an ethnic joint, though - this is good! They're serving communities which demand a certain quality. Ask these butchers questions, get to know them. Find out where they get their meat and how they treat it - they'll probably be very proud and happy to tell you after they figure out that you're not from PETA or something. Once you have this relationship built, you will be able to get super high quality, ethical meat at prices which are in almost all cases even better than Costco. I agree with the part about finding a local butcher, but if you're finding very cheap meat, there's a very high chance it was factory farmed. Raising cattle is an expensive business, especially if you want to do it ethically. Ethnic butchers by no means guarantee better quality meats than your supermarket. However, they will often offer cheaper cuts than supermarkets. If you're poor and you want to eat meat, it's going to be unethically raised. There's very few exceptions to this.
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Oct 27, 2011 04:13
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ma i married a tuna posted:If you're poor and you want to eat meat, it's going to be unethically raised. There's very few exceptions to this. Then eat cheaper cuts of meat or eat less meat.
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Oct 27, 2011 04:30
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Iron Chef Ricola posted:Then eat cheaper cuts of meat or eat less meat. I agree - I just wanted to point out there's not really an ethnic butcher loophole.
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Oct 27, 2011 04:49
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old dog child posted:I didn't read the thread (which I will do later when I need another midterm break), so hopefully this isn't a rehash. As a broke rear end college student, I find myself in a similar predicament to you quite often. Now, I'm far from a good cook but I get compliments from my fellow college students since they all subsist on poo poo and fast food. It's amazing what lurking GWS and stalking my mom can do. How would this adobo do with a pork tenderloin?
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Oct 27, 2011 05:01
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edit again: ^ That adobo would be a waste of a pork tenderloin. Roast or grill that piece of meat. Adobo is for shoulders and knuckles, or chicken legs etc. I do it with ribs fairly often. I don't mean to derail, but honest question: What's wrong with Costco? I love that store. edit: Besides the obvious fact that their bulk meats and eggs etc. are coming from massive animal abuse factories. I meant in terms of what's wrong with buying giant tubs of Tide or 50-packs of condoms. US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Oct 27, 2011 |
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Oct 27, 2011 05:43
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ma i married a tuna posted:I agree - I just wanted to point out there's not really an ethnic butcher loophole. Or you could, you know, talk to the butcher. Maybe you have lovely butchers in your area? But when I go down to La Chapala and buy meat, it's from cows raised in this valley, by ranchers that I know. So yes, there is an ethnic butcher loophole, if you're willing to take the time and investigate things further. You know, like I said earlier. So if you're poor and want to eat meat, you can eat perfectly ethically raised meat. You just have to do your homework. As for Costco - they run local businesses out just like Walmart does, with the added bonus of treating you like a thief every time you enter their crappy store. And on a personal level, they don't sell a single thing I'm interested in buying. ----------------
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Oct 27, 2011 06:16
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DownByTheWooter posted:50-packs of condoms. Well paying for condoms is for chumps. Go to a health services place and they'll hand them out by the giant paper bag full.
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Oct 27, 2011 06:19
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bolo yeung posted:I'd like to hear more about these mixed rice recipes, please. Here are two of them. Another two commonly loved ones are lemon rice, biriyani, and tamarind rice. They're all big-time favourites in the south. :P
dino. fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Oct 27, 2011 |
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Oct 27, 2011 13:07
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It was truly a day of revelation when I discovered the spice selection in the Hispanic section at the grocery store. Same loving spices they're charging upwards of $5 for in the spice aisle can be found over there for like a dollar. Amazing. I told everyone I know. I now have a very nice selection of spices and it barely cost me anything. Also if you have secondhand stores near you, they often have a housewares section with small appliances, every time I've ever been to Goodwill there is always a crock pot or a rice cooker there for super cheap. The crock pot is my best friend when we are low on cash and still a bit away from payday.
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Oct 27, 2011 14:13
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Mr. Wiggles posted:So yes, there is an ethnic butcher loophole, if you're willing to take the time and investigate things further. Investigate things further may mean "find out what kind of meat that ethnicity really cares about." I am saying this because Chinese stores don't give a crap where their beef and pork come from (re: buying wholesale from lovely meat-packers), but we really give a drat about good chicken (oh and fish. Fresh fish from tanks, YEAAAH). "Yellow-hair chicken" or "walking chicken" are basically free-range birds who have really lean, delicious meat. And yeah they cost more but you can literally talk to the guy who raised them who will happily butcher and defeather one for you on-the-spot. So ethnic grocery stores are cool, but not a guarantee of finding that loophole. Shopping farm stands though, go do it. localharvest.org is an amazing resource, use it. But this is a derail because cheap food =/= better food. Just that, if you can afford so, buying local tastes better, feels better and is better for you.
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Oct 27, 2011 14:38
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