c/budget-friendly-meals

I stopped buying those $2 seasoning packets after a cooking class at the community center

Went to a free cooking demo at the rec center downtown last month. The instructor showed us how to make taco seasoning from stuff we already had in the cupboard. Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder - it took maybe 3 minutes to mix up. Those packets are mostly salt and anti-caking agents anyway. Has anyone else found other mixes you can make at home for way less?

Switched from buying pre-cut veggies to whole and it cut my grocery bill by 30 bucks a week

I used to grab those bags of pre-chopped onions and peppers at the store every week because I hated cutting stuff. But then I noticed I was spending like $8 a bag and using half of it before it went bad. About three months ago I started buying whole onions, bell peppers, and carrots instead. Now I spend Sunday afternoon chopping everything for the week and store it in containers. It takes me about 30 minutes but I'm saving close to $30 a week on produce. Plus the whole vegetables last way longer in my fridge. Anyone else make this switch and find it worth the extra prep time?

Burnt my rice three times before I figured out the lid trick

My mom told me my chili was too watery and it stung for a week

She said 'honey, this is soup, not chili' and I realized I never let it simmer long enough to thicken up. Now I cook it on low for at least 45 minutes uncovered and it's a whole different meal for about the same cost. Anyone else get honest feedback that totally changed their go-to recipe?

Spent 45 minutes trying to open a can of beans before I saw the pull tab

I was making budget chili last Tuesday and grabbed a can of generic kidney beans from the No Frills on Main St. I stood there stabbing at the top with a manual can opener for like 20 minutes before my roommate walked in and flipped it over to show me the pull ring was right there. How long did it take you to realize you've been overcomplicating something simple in the kitchen?

Pro tip: I stopped buying canned beans and started cooking dried ones after my grocery bill hit 45 dollars a week on just pantry staples

After a 3 month comparison, dried beans cost me 79 cents a pound while the same amount in cans ran about 2.50, and the flavor difference was huge - has anyone else made the switch and noticed a similar savings?

Went to the new discount grocery on College Avenue and walked right back out

I had heard good things about this place, supposed to be 30% cheaper than the regular stores. But I walked in and the produce section smelled like old wet cardboard. Like something was rotting behind the displays. The meat counter had chicken packaged two days past the sell by date with a manager special sticker on it trying to hide it. I get that we all want to save money but there's a line between budget and unsafe. Has anyone else run into this at those smaller discount chains or did I just catch them on a bad day?

My slow cooker lid shattered while I was making chili last Tuesday

I had a big pot of chili going for Tuesday dinner, trying to stretch a pound of ground beef into a week of meals. Around 4 PM I heard this loud crack and looked over to see the glass lid on my old slow cooker just split right down the middle. It was a cheap one I got at a yard sale for 5 bucks a couple years ago, so I guess it had a hairline crack I never noticed. I had to scramble to transfer everything into a big pot on the stove and finish cooking it that way. The chili actually turned out fine, but now I need to figure out if I should buy a new slow cooker or just keep using pots. Anyone else had a kitchen gadget break at the worst possible time?

My $15 blender died mid-smoothie yesterday

I was blending frozen berries for a cheap breakfast and the motor smoked out on the third use - now I'm back to mashing bananas with a fork, anyone find a decent blender under $30?

I always added the oil first when making pasta sauce until my roommate stopped me mid-pour last night

She said the oil just coats the garlic and keeps it from releasing flavor into the pan, which explains why my sauces always tasted flat even with fresh ingredients anyone else cook with this wrong order their whole life too?

Tried bulk-bin spices for a month and one ruined my soup

I was at WinCo last month and grabbed a bag of their bulk bay leaves for like 60 cents. Felt good about saving money until my lentil soup tasted like I dumped a whole pine tree in it. Turns out those leaves were super old and way too strong. Had to toss the whole pot, which cost me about $8 in ingredients. Now I’m wondering if anyone else has had bad luck with bulk spices or if I just picked the wrong batch. Do you stick to name brands for certain things?

Just figured out why my rice was always mushy after 2 years of cooking it

I kept making rice that turned into paste and thought my pot was just bad. Turns out I was rinsing it way too much and then not letting it steam off the heat for 10 minutes after. Tried it right last night with a cheap bag of store brand rice ($1.50) and it came out perfect for the first time. Anyone else spend way too long fixing a simple thing?

Tried making beans from dried vs canned for a week straight

I've been trying to cut my grocery bill without eating sad sandwiches every day, so I did a little experiment last week comparing dried beans to canned ones. Got a 2 pound bag of pinto beans at the local WinCo for around $3, and a 6 pack of canned pinto beans was about $5.50. Dried beans need soaking overnight and then about an hour of simmering with some onion and garlic, but honestly it's mostly just waiting around. The flavor was so much better, like the broth got thick and savory on its own. Canned beans always taste a bit flat and watery to me. I made enough for burrito bowls and soups for 5 days of lunches, and it cost me roughly $0.40 per serving instead of $1.20 with cans. What kind of beans do you all think give the biggest payoff from cooking dried?

Hot take: My "30 minute" budget meal took 2 hours and I'm still mad

I tried that new sheet pan recipe with chicken thighs and frozen veggies last Tuesday, thinking it'd be a quick weeknight win. But between defrosting the chicken, chopping the carrots cause the veggies were in a huge block, and scrubbing the burnt pan after, I was in the kitchen for 2 hours. Has anyone else found a real set it and forget it dinner that actually takes under 30 minutes with cleanup?

Why does nobody talk about how meal prep containers never stack right?

I was in my tiny kitchen in Buffalo last night trying to pack lunches for the week and my third container of chili tipped over and spilled all over the counter. Turns out those cheap plastic ones I bought at the dollar store warp in the dishwasher and then nothing stays put. Has anyone found a brand that actually stacks without turning into a disaster zone?

Bought a 10-pound bag of onions for $3.99 and it backfired

I figured buying in bulk would save me money on meals for the month, so I grabbed a massive bag of onions at Costco. Turns out they all sprouted green shoots within a week because I stored them wrong in my damp basement. Has anyone found a cheap way to keep onions fresh longer without them going bad?

Bought a 50 pound bag of lentils for $45 and now I'm stuck with lentil everything

Saw a bulk bin at the grocery outlet in Regina and thought I was being smart. 50 pounds of green lentils for under 50 bucks. That was three months ago. I've made lentil soup, lentil burgers, lentil curry, lentil salad, and I still have maybe 40 pounds left. They last forever but my family is starting to stage an intervention. Anyone else ever commit to a mega bulk buy that backfired?

The elderly lady at the farmer's market who taught me about dry beans

I was at the farmer's market in Eugene about two years ago, and an older woman was buying a huge bag of pinto beans. I asked her what she did with so many, and she laughed and said they were her secret to feeding a family of four on under $40 a week. She told me to soak them overnight, then cook a big batch on Sunday and freeze the extras in small bags. I tried it myself, and one bag of dry beans makes about the same as three cans, but costs a dollar instead of two. She also mentioned adding a bay leaf and a splash of vinegar to cut the gas, which really works. I now use dry beans in chili, soups, and even as a taco filling. Has anyone else found a good tip from a stranger at a market that saved you money?

The day my rice cooker taught me I was a fool for 5 years

I was making my usual Tuesday night rice and beans, same $1 bag of rice from Aldi. I always measured 2 cups of rice and filled the water to the second knuckle on my finger, that's how my mom did it. Then my buddy Dave comes over and says why are you washing it in the pot like that, you gotta rinse it in a strainer first. I rinsed it and the water came out cloudy for like 3 rinses, all that starch was making it mushy the whole time. Anybody else grow up doing some method that turned out to be totally backwards?

I compared meal prepping on Sunday vs Wednesday and one was way better

So I tried doing my meal prep on Sunday for a month, then switched to Wednesday for a month to see which worked better. Sunday prep always left me with sad, mushy veggies by Thursday and I ended up ordering takeout on Friday because nothing looked good anymore. With Wednesday prep, my food stays fresh through the weekend and I actually eat everything I make. The big difference was that Wednesday prep means my lunches only sit for 2-3 days instead of 5-6 days. I also spent less money because I wasn't throwing out half-eaten containers of rice or wilted spinach. Has anyone else noticed a big difference based on what day you do your prep?

Almost threw out $40 worth of chicken that expired yesterday

Checked the sell by date and it said yesterday but it smelled fine and looked okay so I cooked it up with some rice and beans. Turned out perfectly and saved me a grocery run. Anyone else risk it with meat past the date?

Finally figured out why my rice was always mushy

Kept seeing people on here say to rinse rice until the water runs clear. I was doing that but my rice still came out clumpy. Last week I actually timed myself and realized I was only rinsing for like 20 seconds. That's not enough. Grains need like a full minute of agitation to get the starch off. Has anyone else found a specific technique that actually works better than just watching the water color?

My freezer meal prep last Sunday turned into a mess of wasted food

I tried to save money by batch cooking 12 servings of chili last Sunday. Used dried beans and canned tomatoes from the store, spent about $8 total. But I forgot to label the containers and now I have 3 unidentifiable bricks in my freezer. How do you guys keep track of what's actually in those frozen blocks without ruining a whole meal?

The $1.50 bag of dried beans changed my whole meal prep routine

I used to buy canned beans all the time because I thought dried beans would be too much work and not taste as good. Last month I grabbed a bag of pinto beans at the grocery store for $1.50 and soaked them overnight. After simmering them for about an hour with some garlic and salt, they came out way creamier than any canned version I've had. Now I'm making big batches every Sunday and using them in tacos, soups, and even mashing them for refried beans. Has anyone else found a specific type of dried bean that works better than the rest?

That one week I lived off $1.50 frozen pizzas and it was actually awful

Last month I had a crazy week where my paycheck got delayed by 3 days and I had like $12 left for food. I bought a stack of those cheap frozen pizzas from the grocery store for $1.50 each thinking I'd be fine. By day two my stomach was wrecked from all the grease and salt but I had no choice. I remember eating one at 11pm Tuesday night and it tasted like cardboard soaked in oil. It made me realize that budget meals don't have to mean total garbage food if you plan better. Has anyone else had a rough stretch where you just eat the same sad thing over and over because that's all you could grab?