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By coincidence my grocery receipt today came out to exactly $30, which I thought was funny, so I took a picture of it, and I guess it would make sense to post it here to make everyone jealous of California produce prices and also to underscore how much sense it makes to shop at ethnic grocery stores. The basmati rice is a 10 lb bag, "Faragello Peas" is a bag of frozen peas, and the tomato paste is a 25 oz jar, so as you can see some of the more expensive things are items I won't have to purchase again for a while. Prices on produce are per lb except the herbs and leafy greens which are per bunch.
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May 28, 2014 03:44
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TychoCelchuuu posted:By coincidence my grocery receipt today came out to exactly $30, which I thought was funny, so I took a picture of it, and I guess it would make sense to post it here to make everyone jealous of California produce prices and also to underscore how much sense it makes to shop at ethnic grocery stores. The basmati rice is a 10 lb bag, "Faragello Peas" is a bag of frozen peas, and the tomato paste is a 25 oz jar, so as you can see some of the more expensive things are items I won't have to purchase again for a while. Prices on produce are per lb except the herbs and leafy greens which are per bunch. Today I paid $1 for the saddest bunch of cilantro you'd ever see and it was the best of the lot I hate you. e: 50 cents for 1 lb of carrots  Today I went and I don't think I have the receipt anywhere but it's not shocking either way. $3.99 a lb for chicken breasts, $4.99 a lb for chuck roast, cilantro mentioned above. On the cooking side of things, I made Aloo Gobi today and it's pretty cheap and extremely good. Potatoes, califlower, onion, cilantro, spices. Adult Sword Owner fucked around with this message at 04:22 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 04:09
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I'm starting to think the only viable answer to the dilemma in the thread title is "move to Southern California". I just looked at the grocery store near me (DC metro area) with the cheapest produce and kale is $1.99/bunch. Cilantro is the same. I have a lot of Asian markets near me, but if I recall correctly they really aren't much less. I buy a lot of my bulk dry goods from Amazon 
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May 28, 2014 06:01
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Adult Sword Owner posted:Today I paid $1 for the saddest bunch of cilantro you'd ever see and it was the best of the lot If it was wilted, place it in a big bowl of ice cold water for a while. It'll soak up and get springy and fresh again. Also it's a convenient way to wash it off. All my fresh coriander is wilted when I buy it, it looks like it's freshly picked after an hour or two in water.
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May 28, 2014 08:49
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It wasn't wilted but it was pretty small. A little bit bigger than this, I'd say 
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May 28, 2014 14:58
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Sjurygg posted:If it was wilted, place it in a big bowl of ice cold water for a while. It'll soak up and get springy and fresh again. Also it's a convenient way to wash it off. All my fresh coriander is wilted when I buy it, it looks like it's freshly picked after an hour or two in water. We literally do this at the grocery store. Works with any leaf lettuce, any herbs, even carrots and asparagus. It works even better if you trim the bottom of the herbs, or the butts of the lettuce. Plus then you get to make piles of jokes about butts which, I assure you, never gets old.
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May 28, 2014 20:27
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dino. posted:Your rice should be done to perfection. Just made the tastiest rice of my life. Thanks.
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May 29, 2014 11:30
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Adult Sword Owner posted:I've never heard of a 99 cent store with vegetables, where is this? Santa Barbara, in uh, California. I got a pound of asparagus, a couple of portabellos, a pack of 5 roma tomatoes, and a pound of grapes for a buck apiece. On the other hand, rent is really expensive.
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May 29, 2014 16:28
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Darryl Lict posted:Santa Barbara, in uh, California. I got a pound of asparagus, a couple of portabellos, a pack of 5 roma tomatoes, and a pound of grapes for a buck apiece. On the other hand, rent is really expensive. I've seen veggies at a .99 store in my town, but they look really sad. I remember dumpster diving and finding better produce.
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May 29, 2014 22:49
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Darryl Lict posted:Santa Barbara, in uh, California. I got a pound of asparagus, a couple of portabellos, a pack of 5 roma tomatoes, and a pound of grapes for a buck apiece. On the other hand, rent is really expensive. Holy poo poo gently caress you. I live in an area with inexpensive everything, but man.
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May 30, 2014 00:07
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Darryl Lict posted:Santa Barbara, in uh, California. I got a pound of asparagus, a couple of portabellos, a pack of 5 roma tomatoes, and a pound of grapes for a buck apiece. On the other hand, rent is really expensive. Rent's pretty expensive here but no cheap food A good trade off??
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May 30, 2014 03:30
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Slimchandi posted:Just made the tastiest rice of my life. Thanks. Hooray! Glad to be of service.
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May 30, 2014 06:07
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Back when I was in college lifting weights and trying to get big on a poor college student's budget I followed the directions off Animal Pak's website article "Big on a Budget". Evan Centopani (pro bodybuilder) even did a YouTube video titled big on a budget where he shows how to stock up on food with a $50 budget. I also bought in bulk at SAM's Club (worked there while in college) and this helped immensely.
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May 31, 2014 03:31
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Just popping in to say thanks for all the information in this thread.
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May 31, 2014 16:00
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Adult Sword Owner posted:Today I paid $1 for the saddest bunch of cilantro you'd ever see and it was the best of the lot Aloo gobi is bomb, I like to throw in some garbanzo beans too for extra protein, but I'll add 'banzos to pretty much anything.
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Jun 2, 2014 03:56
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Just popping in to say that red curry powder is my new favorite thing. Put a dab in a bowl of ramen and it completely changes the flavor. Another great use for it is to mix ketchup, sriracha, and some red curry powder to make a spicy curry ketchup - you'll never want to eat regular ketchup with anything again. Try it with tater tots or on a burger. Awesome! Don't buy it online, head to an oriental market and get a big jar. I got one the size of a jar of peanut butter for $4.
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Jun 2, 2014 04:32
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What's the best lunch to bring to work? I'm sick of sandwiches. I only have access to a microwave at work, so can anyone suggest something that (a) reheats well and (b) doesn't stink up the whole office? I mainly stick to cooking Chinese, Thai, and Indian, but I'm willing to branch out.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:17
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beans and rice. it's really tasty, endlessly variable, and reheats great. soup. stew.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:33
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I've had good times with quesadillas. Can make a nice big batch over the weekend and just grab 'em from the freezer on your way out the door. Just mind what you're putting in them if smell's a concern.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:47
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dino. posted:beans and rice. it's really tasty, endlessly variable, and reheats great. soup. stew. Can't believe I didn't think of soup, I have a hot and sour recipe I've been meaning to try. Thanks! Twerp posted:I've had good times with quesadillas. Can make a nice big batch over the weekend and just grab 'em from the freezer on your way out the door. Just mind what you're putting in them if smell's a concern. That is such a good idea! I made some black bean quesadillas last week that would be perfect for work.
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Jun 10, 2014 23:51
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PUGGERNAUT posted:What's the best lunch to bring to work? I'm sick of sandwiches. I only have access to a microwave at work, so can anyone suggest something that (a) reheats well and (b) doesn't stink up the whole office? I have a bunch of frozen one-serving containers of black beans all seasoned and ready for tacos/burritos/etc. Often, I take in a pre-made salad of spinach, tomatoes, and cheese. At work, I heat up the beans in the microwave and dump them on my salad. Boom, delicious salad.
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Jun 10, 2014 23:52
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PUGGERNAUT posted:What's the best lunch to bring to work? I'm sick of sandwiches. I only have access to a microwave at work, so can anyone suggest something that (a) reheats well and (b) doesn't stink up the whole office? I do stuff like curries and rice. Among my regulars are this red kidney bean curry and this coconut red lentil curry. I generally have rice made -- it's easy to make even without a rice cooker, which I don't own, and it goes with lots of stuff, so I just make more when I use it up. All of the stuff in those is pretty cheap. I've seen zucchini get really expensuve sometimes -- if that happens to be true when you're shopping you can sub in yellow squash no problem, and I bet eggplant would be good too. I buy basmati or jasmine rice, but you can use whatever. I get jumpy about microwaving plastic, so I have a small glass Pyrex bowl, and I have a set of backpacking silverware that I bring, so I'm not wasting money (or natural resources) on disposable stuff. I generally like a little more food than that, and some different textures or tastes; a cup of yogurt is a nice accompaniment. I made this chickpea tabbouleh recently too, and have been eating that on a pita (again, with a cup of yogurt), which has been tasty, and no reheating necessary. It's a bunch of ingredients, though, and might not be cost-effective. You didn't mention it, but I assume it's a concern since you posted in the budget cooking thread. Jambalaya is also a nice way to use up whatever you have lying around, and another way to use up the celery that you bought for the tabbouleh. I can never find a way to use up all the loving celery in a bag before it goes bad. All of that is one-pot meals (not counting the rice) for easy cleanup, and should be easily a full week's worth of lunches. They also have beans for protein and whatnot, are vegetarian (I think vegan, actually, right? If you omit meat from the jambalaya, that is, which I do) if you care about that (and meat tends to be more expensive), and are pretty healthy to boot. The tabbouleh took me a while to make (probably just that I'm slow at prep, though) but everything else cooks fast if you use canned beans. Good planning (or a pressure cooker) can keep dried beans from disrupting your schedule as well. The red lentils don't need any of that anyway -- dried cooks really fast without soaking. I've struggled to find good packed lunches that aren't sandwiches, but a couple months ago I hit my stride and have been very happy with what I'm bringing to work. guppy fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 11, 2014 01:36
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Speaking of zucchini, now is the time to get on the good side of any friends/coworkers who grow the stuff. They always end up with too much and would love to give it away.
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Jun 11, 2014 02:23
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A nice go-to for me on counting-change-and-no-time-to-eat days lately has been a dry sausage (there's this linguica brand in my area that is especially cheap at $2.50 for a good amount), the head of a hearty leafy green like kale or chard, some onion and garlic, bay leaf, and maybe something else. Fry loose sausage with garlic, add halfway boiled or steamed greens and bay leaf, add diced garlic about a minute after so it stays a little raw. Cook down just until the greens soften and serve on a bed of rice with an egg on top. The sausage gives most of the flavor and spice to the dish so you don't have to buy or use too many spices. About four servings in ten minutes for about six bucks. Avocado sandwiches are pretty great right now too since they're pretty cheap at the moment (I guess they're in season? I'm not a ...plantologist...), a lot to build with. My girlfriend likes hers with tomato, sprouts, salt, and pepper, and i'm partial to melted oaxacan cheese, thinly sliced raw onion, and plenty of lime. Self check out is a godsend for broke people because that little change funnel doesn't care about how many pennies I am using to pay for two organic grapefruits that I punched in as the cheap white kind LIKE A FUCKIN' REBEL. I've also been slicing cucumbers and muddling mint and putting them in a pitcher of ice water and have been able to pretend i'm some kind of queen of england or something instead of some sweaty dude dying in the middle of summer. The best part is that you get the cucumber as a snack when you finished drinking it! for sale fucked around with this message at 11:34 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 11, 2014 11:20
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for sale posted:Self check out is a godsend for Thieves because that little change funnel doesn't care about how many pennies I am using to pay for two organic grapefruits that I punched in as the cheap white kind LIKE A FUCKIN' THIEF. I fixed that for you.
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Jun 11, 2014 13:33
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I think he more means that cashiers get annoyed when you try to pay for poo poo with a bunch of pennies.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:55
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:I think he more means that cashiers get annoyed when you try to pay for poo poo with a bunch of pennies. And I think he means that ringing up grapefruit as a cheaper type is stealing.
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Jun 11, 2014 20:01
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Stealing definitely cuts down on one's grocery budget, that's for sure.
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Jun 11, 2014 20:32
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If you are looking for a cheap lunch, I highly recommend making a whole lot of these burritos. I doubled the recipe, which made for a relatively expensive grocery bill, but I made enough burritos for months. They end up being less than $1.50 per burrito and you could stretch it further by cutting corners on cheese, using cheaper tortillas, not using canned beans, and increasing the beans to meat ratio. If you freeze them, you'll always have a meal on hand ready to be microwaved or stuck in a toaster oven. I grab one every morning before I run out the door to work.
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Jun 11, 2014 20:43
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The Lord Bude posted:I fixed that for you. Thanks, I forgot this forum was half autistic.
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Jun 11, 2014 20:44
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for sale posted:Thanks, I forgot this forum was half autistic. thanks for sharing your gripping tale of how you fooled an uncaring machine, you paragon of social redress 
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Jun 11, 2014 20:59
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for sale posted:Thanks, I forgot this forum was half autistic. Somebody reading a thread discussing how to spend less on food spent $10 of their own money to change words on a screen. SA had really outdone itself this time.
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Jun 11, 2014 21:03
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As a serious point, you should not use self checkout stations, as they take away jobs from people who need the work and yet provide almost no tangible benefit. Rather, you should support grocers where the employees are unionized or at the very least work in a coop type system. This way the workers, you included, are all supporting each other against the system which is rigged against them!
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Jun 11, 2014 23:17
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Mr. Wiggles posted:As a serious point, you should not use self checkout stations, as they take away jobs from people who need the work and yet provide almost no tangible benefit. Rather, you should support grocers where the employees are unionized or at the very least work in a coop type system. This way the workers, you included, are all supporting each other against the system which is rigged against them!
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Jun 12, 2014 00:09
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Mr. Wiggles posted:As a serious point, you should not use self checkout stations, as they take away jobs from people who need the work and yet provide almost no tangible benefit. Rather, you should support grocers where the employees are unionized or at the very least work in a coop type system. This way the workers, you included, are all supporting each other against the system which is rigged against them! In our area, the very first grocery store to have self checkout was the unionized one of the two locally owned and operated grocery stores. It was maybe a year after they did it that the local Walmart was torn down and rebuilt into a super Walmart with self checkouts. Then the other locally owned and non-unionized grocery store added them. Frankly, I see just as many cashiers and customers as I did before at the two local places, whereas Walmart seems to have taken a few away. If anything, it's benefited the local guys, who can now process more customers faster, while the Walmart ones are apparently shittily built, and always broken down.
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Jun 12, 2014 02:53
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for sale posted:Thanks, I forgot this forum was half autistic. You're welcome! Now if only I can give all my customers red texts as well I'll be a happy man. (Maybe they can appear on their foreheads or something.)
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Jun 12, 2014 03:40
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MasterFugu posted:1930 called, they want their logical fallacy back It's not a logical fallacy you dolt, it's less grocery checkout jobs available for people who may not have anywhere else to work, an extremely localized issue. Someday, when we have an educational and social system which will see to it that every person has the opportunity to do meaningful work and that nobody is in danger of poverty, then bring on the self check out aisle. Until we've solved our social structural problems, though, it is literally reducing the pool of available jobs in a given locality.
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Jun 12, 2014 03:57
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Mr. Wiggles posted:It's not a logical fallacy you dolt, it's less grocery checkout jobs available for people who may not have anywhere else to work, an extremely localized issue. Someday, when we have an educational and social system which will see to it that every person has the opportunity to do meaningful work and that nobody is in danger of poverty, then bring on the self check out aisle. Until we've solved our social structural problems, though, it is literally reducing the pool of available jobs in a given locality. Wait, you were serious? Hahahaha
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Jun 12, 2014 04:09
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I remember reading that it doesn't really eliminate jobs because a lot of places keep the same number of cashiers on deck since the automated lanes are always screwing up and a lot of customers can't manage to work them properly without assistance even when they are working fine.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:12
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In my experience they primarily serve as a buffer to soak up excess customers during a random surge so we don't have to pull people from other departments and stick them on a register every 20 mins or so. You still have plenty of people (especially older folk) who won't use them, they absolutely suck to use if you have more than half a dozen or so items, and you still have to have a staff member or two standing by to discourage stealing/ perform overrides/answer questions and of course to ensure nobody can leave the store without being searched like they would at a full service checkout.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:43
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