TKOG #93: The kind of relentlessly frugal mistress of the house who can wine and dine the masses on a single blooming potato and spends nary a cent on her daily food budget.
I am: a busy/lazy urban 20something with no great affinity for scrubbing pots and pans.
I am not: even the mistress of a decent-sized apartment.
The Scene: My kitchen, surveying with distress my bare pantry shelves after I idiotically decided to embark upon this challenge. Fun fact: if you want to stretch your creative lady of the house muscles, you might want to consider going shopping first. To wit, my only foodstuffs: a few boxes of dry pasta; jars of peanut butter in every conceivable denomination of crunchitude; two pounds of frozen chicken drumsticks; the rest of a freezer full of flash-frozen spinach and kale; five pounds of onions and a few peppers; an apocalypse bunker’s worth of canned beans; various spices and condiments. And, of course, about sixty cans of Fresca, because I don’t care what my landlord says: the water in Brighton may be potent, but it sure as heck isn’t potable.
Ran this experiment over the course of a week back when I was full-time unemployed, and this much I’ll say for it: once you get tired of all the food you own, snacking to while away the long hours of unemployment becomes infinitely less appealing.
This much I’ll also say: dude, three meals a day is kind of a lot more food than you’d ever imagine. Especially if you aren’t brilliant enough to keep a bar of emergency chocolate around.
Spent an afternoon cooking up barbecue chicken drumsticks and a pot of the best damn vegan barbecue chili ever, and was on the verge of deciding, ‘dude, I am a total friggin’ culinary slash domestic genius!’ when the crazy went in. I don’t know if you’ve ever jolted awake at 2am to rifle through the pockets of seventeen pairs of jeans, praying for a stale old butterscotch candy but … uh, but neither have I? Ahem.
Also, life-saving technique: once you’re down to nothing but pasta and frozen vegetables, might I heartily recommend the world’s easiest peanut sauce (which is to Thai food as Kraft Easy Mac is to Italian): 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter; 1/4 cup hot hot hot water; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar; pinch of brown sugar. Whisk ’til it’s creamy and smooth. Dump liberally on everything you eat.
The Verdict: Dude, unfortch, I think it was the peanut sauce that did me in. Contrary to my broke-ass 20something nature, I’ve never been a huge pasta fan, but after I ran out of real food, I reverted to peanut noodles. Despite the fact that I’d cut sugar, pizza and anything fried out of my daily stats — to say nothing of the fact that I was so bored with my limited food options that I really wasn’t eating much — I managed to put on like five pounds over the course of the week that I have yet to shake.
That said, it was a good reminder to actually friggin’ cook every day, if for no other reason than to stop spending $7-12 daily on food of questionable nutritional value. I’m pretty proud of myself for living across the street from the best damn pizzeria in Boston and only violating my strict budget once (to stress-eat a Milky Way after the worst job interview ever).
Okay, though, spill, guys. What do y’all eat when the budget is lean? ’cause I’m saving up for a trip to Barcelona, and sadly see many, many more days of spend-free eating in my future…
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My college staples were wheat thins with Prego spaghetti sauce – I don’t think I’ve had either one since. Or there’s always the dreaded ramen noodles – 10 for $1! (shudder) But good cheap eats that I do still eat – eggs, lentils, risotto, potatoes…
Meh. I’m getting bored just listing all of my tan foods.
Peanut butter noodles?? I don’t think I’ve ever had to go that far, but it sounds delicious!!! When I’m strapped for cash (or lazy) I usually go the beans route. I make a crock pot at the beginning of the week, and spice it up in a variety of different ways throughout my weekly meals. Ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch, onions, jalapenos, corn, salsa, tabasco… I try to make it different every time. When I get tired of beans I move to eggs… or cheese and crackers. And I keep a variety of peanut butter in my closet too, so next time maybe I’ll try out this peanut sauce with noodles that you speak of.
Korean ramen (Shin ramyun?) with poached egg floating inside. and a glass of milk.
each packet is 85 cents
glamourous!
Dude, at first I misread that to mean that you cooked the ramen in milk instead of water and — is it totally gross that that sounded DELICIOUS?!
The best pizza in Boston? What is that exactly? I’m definitely not going to admit my love for Rice a Roni on your blog. No way.
Well, okay, in all honesty, it’s not actually the best pizza in Boston — I just happen to live across the street from a corner pizza joint that sells my fave kind of pizza (huge slices, chewy crust, on the greasy side — perfect for hangovers and House marathons). Plus the fact that everyone who works there knows and loves me doesn’t hurt its appeal.
When I was student teaching, I lived on Saltines and the free coffee in the teachers’ lounge! When I am low on cash, I just make a vat of spaghetti sauce and freeze it – all you really need for that is tomato sauce/paste and spices that you probably have already, and meat or wine depending on your recipe. Homemade pasta sauces are really your friend. Alfredo or garlic sauces are really easy to make, and you can change it up by adding different meats or vegetables. That peanut sauce sounds really good.
There should be some hot sauce or chilli powder in the peanut sauce, but doesn’t everyone make peanut sauce that way (or at least with crunchy PB)?
Oh, you’re totally right! There’s supposed to be hot pepper paste in the sauce, but I didn’t happen to have any during the week, and I completely forgot about it.
See, I’m one of those people who tends to have several bottles/jars of assorted hot sauce, curry powders, cayenne pepper… in the house at all times, even when I can’t afford (or source as applicable) chillies. In fact, unless pre-warned, I should never be allowed to cook for anyone who is not a total chilli-head!
I lived on homemade noodles and canned off-brand chicken for several months after I bought my home. Other, more disgusting options are: tuna helper (with off-brand tuna), spaghetti sauce in jar (Ragu is usually pretty cheap and not God-awful) and whatever noodle is currently on sale.
Seriously though, learning how to make homemade noodles was a life saver when I was living on $10 a week. They’re super cheap to make and just cost your time. Plus you can make a ton and freeze them for later.
omg, homemade noodles?! Do they take ages?! BLOG YOUR RECIPE!
Seconded, just because I don’t have a home-made noodles recipe!
My gift to you TKOG:
Per person:
1 egg
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of herbs of your choice
Make a mound using the flour and make a reservoir for the eggs and herbs. Mix by hand until well incorporated. Dump dough ball on a floured surface and knead, beat the sh!t out of and roll until the dough is no longer tacky.
Roll dough out thin and cut with a pizza cutter or non-serrated knife.
Toss into boiling water. Noodles will be ready in 2 mins or less.
Holy gosh, I am making this then blogging it! Amazing!
Thank you {Callie}x. I was sure it was a simple recipe, but it’s one I just plain didn’t have!
Further thoughts on this; I can see how to do the red part of tricolere by mixing in tomato puree, but what sort of quantity of spinach would you need to add to get the green (and which sort of spinach anyway; I’m thinking “creamed”)?
Since others have shared their methods of frugal nutritional sustenance, my I suggest you have other avenues available when it comes to protein. No! Not that,…and try to keep your mind out of the gutter.
You have all those handout fattened squirrels that are nearby and acclimated to people. It couldn’t be that hard to wrangle a few for a hearty stew. Besides, I have a funny feeling you’re not the kind of girl to eat a squirrel so it would fit in nicely with the overall theme.
Mmmm. Gamey. Although a bit awkward you think I’m NTKOSquirrel-Eater, seeing as how I’m finishing a big bowl of chipmunk ragout as we speak…
Would you be interested in a recipe for sauted Fulmar, or would the free-climbing to collect the seabirds put you off?
Peanut noodles are the BEST. I eat them probably twice a week regardless of my fridge situation. Unfortunately my most common meal is hummus on a pita, or general tso’s tofu from the place across the street, because while I’m a pretty excellent cook I’m also very, very, debilitatingly lazy.
That said, if I’m really low of cash I make a big batch of three-bean dal. Anything legume-y will keep you full for a while.
Dried beans/lentils and brown rice bought in bulk from a co-op or healthfood store. Spice with a little meat and/or canned tomatoes.
Buy a breadmaker off Craigslist. Make your own whole wheat bread for a fraction of store prices. Feel superior about it.
Shop at ethnic markets. Asian stores are the best for affordable produce and spices.
Avoid the ramen/pasta route, unless you want your ass to grow in direct proportion to how little you spend. Trust me on this one. I know from fact.
Beanies and Weenies with brown bread. Much more delicious than it sounds. Very cheap, but also great for back-packing and camping!
Me personally? I’m a rice lover . . . I can eat many, many ways.
My favorite way possible (which will also ease that sweet craving you have!): steamed rice with sugar and milk.
WALA. You have a breakfast and a dessert, to say the least.
And, it’s DE-LIC.
Egg-fried rice (new cooking discovery)! You just fry an egg with your rice and it makes it 10 times better than regular rice. Plus, no need to buy expensive spices, curries, other condiments for the rice. The only thing you need is rice, two eggs, and salt and pepper. Soy sauce if you’ve got it. And I guess you can put in vegetables, but that’s kind of optional.
Ooooh, that sounds good, dude. What kind of saucepan situation do you cook it in?
Any average-sized frying pan should be fine, but feel free to rock out with your wok out if you’re so equipped. My fried rice usually involves an egg, a cup of frozen mixed veggies, and usually some sort of meat (or quasi-meat, like hot dogs). In addition to soy/salt/pepper, some sesame oil will give the whole thing (and by “thing” I mean “one mile radius”) a ridiculously awesome aroma.
Personally though, even that’s usually too much work for me, because I have to actually cook the rice (the instant variety is anathema). But as a bonus, fried rice recipes also generally work for fried ramen!
Generally though, my budget menu consists of pot pies (so good), frozen pizzas, and corn dogs. Maybe a can of soup with Asian noodles once in a while. Yeah, who has two thumbs and still lives like a college student? THIS GUY.
Guys we don’t want to lose you (especially you TKOG), so if you’re going to make fried rice using left-overs from tonight’s meal tomorrow, put the rice in a bowl and refridgerate overnight. There’s a real risk of a nasty form of toxic “food poisoning” if you keep cooked rice at room temperature overnight.
Veg, and/or any of canned tuna, cooked shellfish and deli sausage (any type as long as it’s cooked; uncooked ones are best fried separately, then stirred in at the last minute) would be options.
As Dhsu says, use a medium frying pan (skillet?) for one or 2 people, and go up in size for more portions.
Oh, oh! I have suggestions for good eating on a budget.
But first, thank you for your comment about my blog over at 20sb! It made my day.
Ok, so moving on.
Dried beans (black eyed peas, chick peas, lentils, split peas) are friends. They are cheap and you get lots of them. Soak them over night in cold water or soak them for a few hours in boiling water before cooking them however you like. I like to make mine into soups and chili.
Noodles? Go for whole grain noodles whenever possible. Most stores are making an offbrand for them, so the price shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Offbrand wheat pasta is typically ten to twenty cents more expensive than offbrand white pasta, so you won’t notice the cost difference too much. Plus, they are easier to digest and will contribute more to your overall well being and less to your thighs. Same for rice – always opt for brown.
For produce, I recommend farmers markets or co-ops first. They will have the cheapest staple produce like tomatoes, spinach, and herbs. For leafy herbs like basil and cilantro, it really is cheaper to buy herbs fresh when you need them – most people will pay three bucks for a tiny shaker-bottle of some dried spice they are only going to use once in a blue moon. You end up paying more money AND the dried stuff probably won’t be as effective the next time you use it.
If you don’t have farmers markets or co-ops near by (or if you do and they are still expensive as hell – which in that case, wtf, mate?) then websites like http://www.couponmom.com
come in handy. That site is hard to navigate, but once you figure out where everything is, then it’s a great tool for saving money. They also send out a weekly mailing of all the major grocery store chains and the specials/sales that are happening.
I have also found some great budget eating recipes from Real Simple magazine that won’t make you keel over and die.
Ramen is good for a pinch, but it’s not especially nutritious.
Basically, plan meals! Get some tupperware! Make large quantities of everything and freeze what you aren’t going to immediately eat. Don’t be afraid to cook – it’s fun. And if you need inspiration, check out food blogs like SmittenKitchen or Everybody Likes Sandwiches – their recipes are delicious and their food photography inspires me to get off my lazy ass and cook!
Hmm You can never go wrong with cereal! I also ate a lot of tuna and pb&js =)
When we’re running out of food, we eat Egg-In-A-Basket (a fried egg cooked in a piece of bread). Or cereal. Or pasta with some cheap kind of sauce. Or we drink shit-tons of vodka.
And I don’t have multiple personalities, by the by. “We” means my husband and I.
When I lived in Spain I was on a super tight budget…I remember a day at the end of the month when I ate Couscous for breakfast…with cinnamon on it…because it was all I had left.
Also did a lot of Grilled cheese…and chickpeas in things that normally chicken would be in…soups…pasta with veggies…etc. Sometimes the challenge is fun! I’m trying to “eat down” my kitchen right now with what I have. Tonight is Zatarains dirty rice…with the pound of ground beef I bought yesterday.
Welllllll my mother gave me some food to stick in my freezer for emergencies / when I have no life and no one with which to spend money I do not have. Like, turkey and chicken and minced beef and stuff I can stick on bread or just season and broil. Basically, I always try to keep bread and milk around. You can do various wondrous things with bread and milk, and not necessarily together. Toast has come a long way for me!
Too bad my kitchen’s too small for a toaster! (I really wish I were joking.)
Man, one thing I’ve gotten out of these amazing comments: I need to do a much better job getting to the store once a week for at least staples like milk, eggs and bread. Definitely beats my frozen-spinach-with-peanut-sauce meals.
That honestly sounds pretty appetizing right now.
Ah, lack of kitchen space. Classic Boston problem. I pretty consistently bemoan my lack of counter space, which is problematic since I freaking love to cook, man.
I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I once ate about 1/3 of a jar of mayo when I was too lazy to go to the store. I’m even more embarrassed to admit that it was like one of top ten best “meals” I’ve ever had.
I doubt that’s helpful, so I will say that white bread is always great. Here’s my recipe:
take 1 piece of white bread out of bag
fold bread in half (folding it in half makes it seem more mealish)
let cool for 3 seconds
eat slowly (this makes it last longer)
Iron Kids bread is preferable as it has iron in it.
My dad once told me he made a mayo/chocolate syrup sandwich to see what it tasted like. 1 bite later he had his answer.
homemade hummus is also awfully cheap, and also nice n’ filling with some cheap-o wheat pita to go along with it. i use this recipe – makes a BIG OL’ bowl of hummus. basically the only expensive park is cumin or paprika, if you don’t already have it (and i’m pretty sure i’ve made it w/o either spice before anyway):
Ingredients
2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish [i never manage this part]
Preparation
1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.
I have always wondered….where the hell do you find tahini in the grocery store?!
i had to ask someone in my store to help me find it, but it was in the regular ol’ giant by my house!
Beans on toast. A-Mazing.
Rice. Rice. Noodles. Rice. Steamed veggies.
Grits are super cheap too…
I’m all about quick, cheap, and easy… especially since I’m usually only cooking for me, or for 10 people. It’s hard to get fancy with those numbers.
Do you live across the street from T. Anthony’s, really the best pizza in Boston.
Damn girl!
I am damn good at frugally food shopping and cooking. I gotta share some secrets with you!
And as Alice said, making hummus is simple and super cheap! Buying/cooking in bulk makes like SO easy.
Dude…I lived off of Ramen Noodles, Mac-N-Cheese, and Popcorn. (Did you know that popcorn has almost everything you need to meet your daily nutritional quota?)
One food staple that will last FOR-FUCKING-EVER and can be used to make a shit ton of shit…tofu. For real. It’s less than $2 for a block and will freeze for about 6 months. You can scramble it, bbq it, marinade it in some soy sauce and throw it in with some rice and vegetables. Tofu got me through some pretty sparse money times.
Also, since I always seem to have an abundance of dry pasta lying around, tossing it with some sort of oriental sauce and edamame is definitely one my go to meals.
I live on soup. really. I LOVE the stuff! And if I run out of soup then i basically take a little bit of everything I have and stirfry it, I keep some tortillas around to put the resulting mess on, otherwise I just have it plain.
Once I chopped up an onion and stirfried it with some frozen peas, two chopped up fishsticks and a tablespoon of mayonnaise, and it was AWESOME!
This made me LOL. And you know, the mayonnaise makes me wrinkle my nose at this idea, but I would totally give it a shot with some of the szechuan hot sauce in my refrigerator.
When I was super-broke the summer between junior and senior year, I resorted to eating pasta with olive oil and parmesan cheese. That was dinner every day for 5 days until I could afford more groceries.
Made right (just enough oil to coat the pasta, but no more) “pasta a la oglio” is a classic Italian dish, so no disgrace there. Ok, I’ve said before that I don’t like it, but I don’t really like the flavour or texture of olives! I might try other oils though, maybe sesame oil?
Huh, look at me, making a classic Italian dish, and I didn’t even know it!
Isn’t sesame oil kinda spicy? Could be interesting.
mmm fresca.