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So the cheese thread reminded me that I wanted to ask this about yous guys.

Scenario! You don't have a lot of money, but you decide it would be a good idea to eat anyway. You go to the store and you purchase ____!

FILL IN THE BLANK


Personally, I like spaghetti. I can get the noodles and a can of sauce for just over 2 bucks, and I can eat that for a few days.

PB&J is alright too, but I usually like milk with it which can make it a little more pricey. about 5 bucks for the PB and the J, another dollar for bread, and between 3-4 dollars for the milk. It'll last a while though, so it can save me some money in the longer run.

I am seriously going to town on a box of Wheat Thins right now.

Foie gras.

I was really pleased to find out that I love ramen at about the same time my recent poverty hit.

Also, eggs are SO CHEAP. Love it.

Also, when I feel fancy, I like hamburger helper ($.88) with ground turkey ($1.49/lb)

ALSO since I moved to Texas, I'm a no beans chili hound which can be ~$1.25 a can. I like making this and pouring it on before-mentioned ramen.

ALSO even more recently (days ago!) I found out I love canned tuna.

Spaghetti + ketchup + cheese = instant meal.

North_Ranger said:

Spaghetti + ketchup + cheese = instant meal.

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Cheese can be a little expensive.

Pinto Beans. $3 and I can eat fairly well for nearly a week.

Now that I've been cooking for business parties and family gatherings... It will be a big part of my Thanksgiving contribution.

The entirety of the Wendy's $1 menu.

I'm tempted to say "your mother", but I won't.

Ramen is great. You can find cases of the really crappy flavored kind for super cheap. I used to just eat the block of noodles without cooking it and toss the flavor packet.

Rice, so friggin awesome I can't even describe it.

The other cheap food is paste, but that I don't enjoy ~_~

Charlie Dont Surf said:

I was really pleased to find out that I love ramen at about the same time my recent poverty hit.

Also, eggs are SO CHEAP. Love it.

Also, when I feel fancy, I like hamburger helper ($.88) with ground turkey ($1.49/lb)

ALSO since I moved to Texas, I'm a no beans chili hound which can be ~$1.25 a can. I like making this and pouring it on before-mentioned ramen.

ALSO even more recently (days ago!) I found out I love canned tuna.

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Our fridges must look similar on the inside!

I only realized like a year ago that eggs are just the cheapest thing. My HEB had a dozen jumbo eggs for just a buck.

How do you make your tuna? I use mayo, mustard and sweet relish. I know some people get crazy with it though, and do like almonds n' stuff in theirs.

Shakey said:

Ramen is great. You can find cases of the really crappy flavored kind for super cheap. I used to just eat the block of noodles without cooking it and toss the flavor packet.

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Mmmm, Ramen for sure. I love to cook it, toss in the packet, then drain the liquid completely and just eat the sticky noodle. :uhhuh:

Charlie - Ramen and Chili Beans? Really? I have both in my cupboard right now and would totally try it.

Shegokigo said:

The entirety of the Wendy's $1 menu.

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You can make literally everything on here yourself for cheaper than $1!

Shakey said:

Ramen is great. You can find cases of the really crappy flavored kind for super cheap. I used to just eat the block of noodles without cooking it and toss the flavor packet.

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Ugh! I tried eating them raw at work and couldn't finish I just put them away and went home and boiled 'em.

Denbrought said:

Rice, so friggin awesome I can't even describe it.

The other cheap food is paste, but that I don't enjoy ~_~

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Ooooh. Forgot rice. My investment in a rice cooker has remained one of my best purchases ever.

phil;278997][quote=Charlie Dont Surf said:

I was really pleased to find out that I love ramen at about the same time my recent poverty hit.

Also, eggs are SO CHEAP. Love it.

Also, when I feel fancy, I like hamburger helper ($.88) with ground turkey ($1.49/lb)

ALSO since I moved to Texas, I'm a no beans chili hound which can be ~$1.25 a can. I like making this and pouring it on before-mentioned ramen.

ALSO even more recently (days ago!) I found out I love canned tuna.

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Our fridges must look similar on the inside!

I only realized like a year ago that eggs are just the cheapest thing. My HEB had a dozen jumbo eggs for just a buck.

How do you make your tuna? I use mayo, mustard and sweet relish. I know some people get crazy with it though, and do like almonds n' stuff in theirs.[/QUOTE]

I am new on the Tuna, so far I have only ventured into the sunkist premade tuna salad. I'm gonna try to make some tonight.

Shegokigo;279000][quote=Shakey said:

Ramen is great. You can find cases of the really crappy flavored kind for super cheap. I used to just eat the block of noodles without cooking it and toss the flavor packet.

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Mmmm, Ramen for sure. I love to cook it, toss in the packet, then drain the liquid completely and just eat the sticky noodle. :uhhuh:[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I am also not a fan of the liquid part of ramen. Just the noodly part.

Charlie Dont Surf said:

ALSO even more recently (days ago!) I found out I love canned tuna.

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Make kraft mac & cheese and add in a can of drained tuna. Mmmmm....

Charlie -

The Wendy's thing? Yeah $1 is a bit, but for $5 I eat for the whole day with no cooking/prep-time. When I've got a WoW raid or something I hit Wendy's before if the GF isn't going to be home.

The Ramen/Chili Bean thing, do you just make it, drain it and skip the flavor packet and toss the beans over it? Dry or with their juice?

spicey ramen noodles and habanero tabasco sauce for me

PB&J

Oh man, I forgot about rice as well. I like to mix in some soy and sweet n' sour sauce. It took me a while to get the cooking down just right though. Mushy rice is not good rice.

Bones said:

spicey ramen noodles and habanero tabasco sauce for me

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Yeah, I use Habanero Tabasco on my sticky ramen too. Really adds the kick it needs.

Shegokigo said:

Charlie -

The Wendy's thing? Yeah $1 is a bit, but for $5 I eat for the whole day with no cooking/prep-time. When I've got a WoW raid or something I hit Wendy's before if the GF isn't going to be home.

The Ramen/Chili Bean thing, do you just make it, drain it and skip the flavor packet and toss the beans over it? Dry or with their juice?

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I hate beans. I take a can of Hormel NO BEANS chili. Put it in a big bowl in the microwave about when the water's boiling. Then heat it up, put the ramen in the boiling water. No flavor packet, toss that shit in a colander about when the chili's done, then put the noodles in the chili and stir vigorously.

phil, do you consider sticky rice good?

That is my favorite way. If I am doing stir fry and laying it on a rice base, I still want to be able to use my chopsticks.

Charlie Dont Surf;279014][quote=Shegokigo said:

Charlie -

The Wendy's thing? Yeah $1 is a bit, but for $5 I eat for the whole day with no cooking/prep-time. When I've got a WoW raid or something I hit Wendy's before if the GF isn't going to be home.

The Ramen/Chili Bean thing, do you just make it, drain it and skip the flavor packet and toss the beans over it? Dry or with their juice?

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I hate beans. I take a can of Hormel NO BEANS chili. Put it in a big bowl in the microwave about when the water's boiling. Then heat it up, put the ramen in the boiling water. No flavor packet, toss that shit in a colander about when the chili's done, then put the noodles in the chili and stir vigorously.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm, VERY interesting, I may be trying this out tonight as I'm home alone again.

OK Charlie...

Tuna, drained Ramen, Flavor Pack, Italian Dressing, spice for flavor. One of my fave ramen recipes.

I have a vicious reaction to Ramen for some reason. Even the smell makes me want to hurl - and I was never a poor enough student to have it as one of my four main food groups.

Shegokigo said:

[
Hmmm, VERY interesting, I may be trying this out tonight as I'm home alone again.

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I mean, it's no gourmet meal or anything, but it's pretty filling for ~$1.35 of food.

sixpackshaker said:

phil, do you consider sticky rice good?

That is my favorite way. If I am doing stir fry and laying it on a rice base, I still want to be able to use my chopsticks.

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I like sticky rice. I have not fried it in forever though, I might try that again soon. I wish I could use chopsticks without looking like a jackass. I envy those who can.

Eggs. Spaghetti of all kind (I am Italian after all). Ramen. Dollar value menus at fast food places. The usual. But something I don't see many people mention?

Fruit. Seriously. I really only go this hog-wild in the fall, when orchards open up and it's all beautiful outside. But go to your nearest apple orchard and you can stuff giant bags full of apples for cheap. Apples are the best because they're pretty filling for their size; the issue being, they're that filling because they've got a decent amount of fiber in them. So be prepared for the gastro backlash.

Yo, what would happen if I took some canned tuna, and just put it in ramen.

Do so with the vegetable flavoring kind, not the meat flavoring kind.

The Knorr side packets are good if you make em and add a can of chicken to it. I suppose tuna would work too. It's gonna be a bit more expensive than ramen though.

Charlie Dont Surf said:

Ooooh. Forgot rice. My investment in a rice cooker has remained one of my best purchases ever.

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This. Got me a fuzzy logic model that can also do a nice batch of oatmeal for those chilly mornings.

I like popsicles. My favorite flavor (banana) is really cheap at walmart.

Can't stand ramen anymore, but in a pinch I do the whole pb&j. I always splurge on milk.

Chicken. Boned breasts, thighs, whatever. A full week worth of dinner for like 5-6 bucks. Add in a frozen vegetable to steam (bag worhth about 4-5 meals of mixed veggies is at most like 2.50) and you are set for a full week of healthier dinners for liek 8 dollars. Mix in cheap rice or whatever if you want it.

When I started dieting and hitting the gym early last year, I discovered that i could get over a week's worth of full healthy food for like 20 bucks o so. Low fat wheat waffle for breakfast before work with OJ or milk, those special k 90 calorie crisp bars for a snack, can of tuna plain for lunch, and chicken or turkey and vegetable for dinner. Bam, healthy eating on the cheap. (though, to be fair, i was also having a protien bar for last break at work at 3 because of hitting the gym daily at 5..those dont really fall itno the cheap part).

Weight dropped quick and stayed off pretty much, felt great, and my wallet felt even better on all the money I was saving from not eating fast food and crap all the time. Those good habits continue to this day, though, I will be fully honest, i have slipped a bit recently. Getting back at it now.

Cheap food is great. I still do not really spend a lot on my food budget.

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Charlie Dont Surf said:

Yo, what would happen if I took some canned tuna, and just put it in ramen.

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Hahahahah, the salt in that meal would be nuts, for what you get out of it

Shannow said:

Hahahahah, the salt in that meal would be nuts, for what you get out of it

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I don't use the ramen flavor packets 9/10 times

Even the noodles are like 60% salt.

-Spaghetti and red sauce
-Turkey Chili
-Lentils and rice
-Beans and cornbread
-Red beans and rice

I can live off ~$40 a week, and still eat pretty good, but I have a stocked spice shelf and plenty of sugar, flour, etc. I could cut that back a bit more if times get a bit tougher.

I spend most of my time working out of town, and living out of hotel rooms, so needless to say I've long ago tired of most of my old favorites.

I still do enjoy certain brands of ramen, moreso the kind that comes ready in a microwaveable bowl, not as cheap but necessary usually.

Cereal, minimal sandwich ingredients (bread/meat/mayo), there are other things but I'd have to be hungry now to really have it come to mind.

chicken thighs om nom nom nom

A 90 cent bag of lentils lasts me an entire week. That and bananas.

I practically live on baked potatoes. Cheap and filling.

Baked potatoes are totally awesome! I like to bake them for ~ 30 min and then finish them on the grill. Delicious!

Oh hell yeah. I steam or bake at least 2 sweet potatoes per week. It's so energizing and tasty.

all i have is a microwave because i live in a dorm.

I actually do not like baked potatoes at all but at least it is food.

Ooh, sardines! 1$ per can, and it's packed with protein and deliciousness. Keeps me full forever.

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You can buy a whole raw chicken for about $5, and it's so easy to prepare.

All you have to do is season and oil it and throw it in the oven for a while. You can eat roast chicken every week and have different seasonings every time. All hail chicken.

Plus, then I boil the carcass and make a delicious soup.

I just made some rice with a hard boiled egg chopped up in it

Charlie Dont Surf said:

I just made some rice with a hard boiled egg chopped up in it

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I just made this face

Gusto said:

I am seriously going to town on a box of Wheat Thins right now.

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I like 'em with hummus.

rice with eggs is something I make often
with a pepper it's one of my favorite cheap/quick foods to make

Here's a quick, healthy, relatively cheap meal I like to make. First, caramelize some onions. Toss in some canned tuna (I like to cook just long enough to get a nice little sear on the bottom). Microwave some frozen broccoli (or some other veggies), toss it all together with some salt and pepper, and serve on a bed of rice.

Also, something even easier: rice (or pasta) with butter and soy sauce. It sounds gross, but I find it pretty tasty. Although, it's best to use good soy sauce. I tried a generic store brand once, I couldn't believe how horrible it was.

Slice of New York City pizza. For 2-3 bucks a filling meal with some good fresh meaty toppings and greasy drippy yummy cheese and a sweet tangy sauce.

Buttered carrots with curry.

yesterday i fried half an onion and one of these. breakfast: total cost, >$2.50 (CAD)

Fried chicken at my local grocery store (vons) is $0.20 an ounce.
Coupled with a $0.69 36 oz Gatorade and celebration is sweet.

Gurpel said:

yesterday i fried half an onion and one of these. breakfast: total cost, >$2.50 (CAD)

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Mmmmmmmmm, kipper snacks!

Here's my favorite, utterly disgusting, poverty food; you take a can of cream of mushroom soup and about 1-2 cups of cooked minute rice and mix em together. My old roomie when I was gigapoor nicknamed it poor man's risotto. It's heavy and keeps you full for a good amount of time. Only problem is it always gave me heartburn.

Last year when I was a student cooking for myself, if I ran out of money I would buy a pack of basmati rice, some onions, some pasta and sauce, and some eggs. That could last me a hell of a long time. If I had any money left I'd add a few other vegetables and some cheap meat to the rice and onions, and make a stir-fry.

Anything with canned cream of mushroom soup in it makes me .

Having nachos for dinner tonight!

Canned tuna. Little salt n' lemon juice, excellent snack.

For something more hearty but still cheap, canned beans. Definitely eating a bowl right now. Aw, yeah.

Money baw? Now that's a thread tag -

Canned tuna... Ugh, too many memories from the army. It was one of the few things that came in small enough tins that we could take with us on bivouac. God, fifty guys in tents for a week, eating tuna and farting into the night...

Frankie said:

Here's my favorite, utterly disgusting, poverty food; you take a can of cream of mushroom soup and about 1-2 cups of cooked minute rice and mix em together. My old roomie when I was gigapoor nicknamed it poor man's risotto. It's heavy and keeps you full for a good amount of time. Only problem is it always gave me heartburn.

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My mom makes a casserole like this, but it also has chicken in it. Though I have to agree with CG about cream of mushroom soup being gross.

Cereal and milk. Not just a breakfast food.

Man you're not kiddin. I could eat bran flakes any time of the day.

I eat puffed rice cereal like I'm getting paid for it

You aren't being paid for it, Allen? You aren't?

Mashed potatoes that I make myself, ramen, sandwiches.

drawn_inward said:

You aren't being paid for it, Allen? You aren't?

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:eagle:

bhamv3 said:

Cereal and milk. Not just a breakfast food.

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Since when is cereal cheap? Even Malt-o-meal is expensive enough to have coupons now.

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches, Toast with butter and jelly, Dippin' eggs (Over easy/medium and dip toast in the yolk.), Fried egg and cheese sandwhich... Ramen every once in awhile.

I fucking love hamburger helper...

I may have to try it with turkey like charlie said above, I can't do the tuna helpers because I friggin hate tuna... My sister has made tuna and mayo sandwiches before and it took every bit of will to not throw up just smelling and seeing it. Tuna and Mayo are two of the worst smelling and tasting things in the world imo.

pasta with milk and pepper/salt/some spices

Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, napa cabbage, zucchini/courgette, canned tomatoes... Lots of fresh vegetables are really cheap when you buy them at the right time, usually less than 1 euro for a kilo. I also buy loads of frozen hamburgers at about 1.80 euros for 12 burgers.
I rarely spend more than 12 euros a week on food.

Typical cheap meal for me: stirfried green beans and onions with soy sauce and peanuts, chopped up baked hamburger and plain basmati rice. Probably costs just under 1 euro.

Rice and beans. A bag of each will run like 2-3 bucks, and could last me about a week or maybe two. If i have some hot sause and onion then its really tasty.

Dave;279004][quote=Charlie Dont Surf said:

ALSO even more recently (days ago!) I found out I love canned tuna.

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Make kraft mac & cheese and add in a can of drained tuna. Mmmmm....[/QUOTE]

Add to this a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup... CASSEROLE!!! You can some potato chip crumbles if yer feelin fancy and like the crunch.

I may just try that one day.

WHO came up with macaroni and tuna?! Bluh... bluh bluh bluh.

figmentPez;279634][quote=bhamv3 said:

Cereal and milk. Not just a breakfast food.

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Since when is cereal cheap? Even Malt-o-meal is expensive enough to have coupons now.[/QUOTE]

you can bake your own cereal

Or you could make hot cereal like oatmeal. A large can of rolled oats is less expensive than dry boxed cereal.

Cajungal said:

Or you could make hot cereal like oatmeal. A large can of rolled oats is less expensive than dry boxed cereal.

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and make it edible with sweetner from your local ihop :clap2:

Or some salt and honey.

Taco bell. I know taco bell is an insult to genuine Mexican food connoisseurs but I enjoy it anyway. I like to say it was, at one point, inspired by Mexican food.

chakz said:

Taco bell. I know taco bell is an insult to genuine Mexican food connoisseurs but I enjoy it anyway. I like to say it was, at one point, inspired by Mexican food.

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you do know that there is no fast food in existence that you can't make yourself for much cheaper, right?

When I first bought my condo, I lived on dollar menus, ramen, and tuna.

Since my fiance moved in, and loves grocery shopping, I've been eating like a regular human. It's a good thing.

I didn't care for the tuna + mac and cheese combo. I love both things separatly, but together it was a truly unwelcome union in my mouth.

Tuna + bbq sauce + potato chips (crumbled for texture) = pretty good.

Charlie Dont Surf;280956][quote=chakz said:

Taco bell. I know taco bell is an insult to genuine Mexican food connoisseurs but I enjoy it anyway. I like to say it was, at one point, inspired by Mexican food.

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you do know that there is no fast food in existence that you can't make yourself for much cheaper, right?[/QUOTE]

Hmmm that sounds like it requires motivation and effort and I'm just not into that kind of thing.

We call that paying for convenience.

I just think it's a misnomer to call any fast food "cheap"

I think you're right. Not only is it not that much food/nutrition for the $, but you might have some hefty medical bills on your hands if you eat it enough.

Cajungal said:

Or you could make hot cereal like oatmeal. A large can of rolled oats is less expensive than dry boxed cereal.

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I almost put that caveat in my post. I do like oatmeal, but it's steel-cut oats for me. Rolled or :blech: instant oatmeal is not to my liking.


I like fig bars as cheap eats. If I recall the store brand is like a buck or two for a pretty big stack.

I prefer steel cut too, but they don't always have that at the store by my house. Irish oatmeal sticks with me longer.

5 dollars at the mall gets enough Chinese food to eat for two decent meals, or one extravagant one.