c/budget-friendly-meals

Got called out by my partner for buying pre-chopped veggies, now I save $12 a week

My wife finally sat me down last month and showed me the receipt from our grocery run. I was spending like $15 on pre-chopped onions and bell peppers every week. She said "you're paying triple for someone to cut a vegetable" and honestly she was right. Now I spend 10 minutes on Sunday chopping everything myself and bagging it up. It's a little extra work but I save about $12 per week (or $48 a month which adds up). Has anyone else found a specific pre-made item that was secretly killing their budget?

Just found out a bag of dried beans costs less than a buck per pound but takes 8 hours of my life I'll never get back

Ran across a USDA stat last night that said beans have gone up 12% since 2020 but they're still the cheapest protein on the shelf, though I'm still bitter about soaking a pound of pintos for 6 hours only to burn them on the stove in 20 minutes... anyone else got a go-to bean recipe that doesn't feel like a science experiment?

Finally switched from canned tomatoes to whole ones after a cook friend yelled at me

My buddy Mike who works at that Italian spot in Denver told me I was wasting money on crushed tomatoes because they're just lower quality scraps blended up. He said to buy whole peeled for $1.50 a can and crush them myself with a potato masher. Tried it on my chili last Sunday and the texture was way better for the same price. Has anyone else noticed a difference in other recipes like pasta sauce?

Broke my immersion blender on lentil soup last night

Was making a big batch of red lentil soup to stretch groceries for the week and the plastic shaft just snapped clean off mid-blend. Anyone found a sub $30 blender that doesn't give out after three months?

Tried meal prepping with dry beans vs canned beans for a month

Okay so I always used canned beans cause theyre easy but my grocery bill was getting wild. Last month I bought a 5lb bag of dry pinto beans at Aldi for like $3.50 and decided to give em a shot. Soaking overnight and cooking them in my slow cooker took some planning but honestly not that bad. The texture came out way better than canned beans too, not mushy at all. I made a big batch of burrito bowls and froze half of them for lazy days. After a whole month I saved about $20 just on beans alone. Anyone else made the switch and have tips for other dry staples? Like lentils or split peas?

That cheap meal prep kit deal cost me 40 bucks and a ruined Saturday

I saw a deal for 10 freezer meals at 4 bucks each from a local delivery service, thought I was saving money. Turns out the portions were tiny and two of the bags leaked all over my fridge. Anyone else get burned by one of those grocery delivery kits that sounded too good?

My grandma's 50 cent stew starter changed how I cook...

I was at her place in Pittsburgh last fall and she pulled out a jar of her own canned tomato base she's been making since the 70s... Tossed it in a pot with some cheap veggies and it tasted better than anything I spend $20 on now, anyone else got a family trick that saves money?

My meal prep Sundays went from $80 to $35 after I stopped buying pre-chopped veggies

Switched from frozen veggies to the discount produce bin 3 months ago

I used to grab the $3 bag of frozen broccoli every week. Now I buy the marked down bell peppers and onions for 99 cents. What's your go-to cheap produce hack?

Finally caved and bought dried beans after years of canned

I saw this video from a food blogger showing how a 1 lb bag of dried black beans ($1.50) makes the same amount as 4 cans ($4.00). Has anyone else switched and found a good trick for remembering to soak them the night before?

Took me 3 months to realize I was overpaying for chicken thighs at the grocery store

I kept buying bone-in skin-on thighs for $3.49 a pound at my local Kroger in Nashville. Then last week I walked past the meat counter and saw they had a whole tray of skinless boneless for $1.99. I asked the butcher and he said they run that deal every Tuesday morning because they overorder. I was mad at myself for not asking sooner. Now I just go Tuesdays before 10am and save about $6 a week. Has anyone else found a weird store day or time that cuts your meat bill in half?

Just saw the price difference on canned tomatoes vs fresh at my local Aldi

I was at Aldi in St. Louis last week stocking up for chili season and noticed something wild. A 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes was $0.95 while the same weight in fresh roma tomatoes was almost $3.50. I always thought fresh was cheaper but I guess not for something cooked down like sauce or soup. Found a breakdown from a food blogger who did the math on 5 recipes and canned stuff saved like 60% on average. Now I'm rethinking my whole approach to winter meals. Has anyone else seen big gaps between fresh and canned for other veggies like corn or beans?

Just found a $3 bag of lentils that made 4 meals

I stopped by the Bulk Barn in Halifax last week and grabbed a bag of red lentils for $3.20. Cooked them up with some onions and a can of tomatoes I had in the cupboard. Got 4 solid dinners out of it and still have half the bag left. Anyone else find a cheap ingredient that just keeps going?

My roommate said "beans are boring" and I lost it

I was meal prepping on Sunday and my roommate walks in, sees my pot of pinto beans simmering, and goes "ugh beans are so boring." I didn't say anything but inside I was screaming. Like girl, I stretched that $2 bag of beans into 8 meals last week with just some onion, garlic, and a ham hock I got for $1 at the butcher. Have you ever had refried beans on a crispy tortilla with salsa? Boring is not the word. What's your go to cheap bean recipe that shuts people up?

Changed my mind about frozen veggies after visiting a local market

Honestly, I used to think frozen veggies were just for when fresh stuff was out of season. But last month I stopped by the farmers market in Austin and saw a guy selling bags of frozen collard greens for $2.50 each. He showed me how they blanch and flash freeze them within 2 hours of picking, which keeps more nutrients than the wilted stuff sitting on a shelf for days. I bought a bag, cooked it up that night, and it tasted just as good as fresh. Now I'm grabbing frozen broccoli and spinach there too, saving like $8 a week. Has anyone else found a good source for locally frozen produce?

Spent 3 years overcooking rice before a roommate from Vietnam set me straight

PSA: Freezing leftover tomato paste in ice cube trays saved my wallet

I got so tired of buying a can of tomato paste for a recipe that only needed a tablespoon and then throwing the rest out a week later. Tbh it felt like throwing dollar bills in the trash every single time. Finally tried scooping the leftover paste into an ice cube tray and freezing it. Each cube is roughly 2 tablespoons so I just pop one out when I need it. No more wasted paste and I don't have to buy a new can every time I make chili or spaghetti sauce. Has anyone else tried this with other canned stuff like chipotles in adobo or coconut milk?

Hot take: That $40 bag of frozen chicken breasts was a total bust for me but my friend swears by them

I bought a big 10-pound bag of frozen chicken breasts from Costco for $40 last month, thinking it would save me money on meal prep. But every single piece came out dry and tough no matter how I cooked it, even after brining. My buddy in Chicago says she gets the same bag and her chicken stays juicy every time. Anyone else have wildly different results with the same bulk buy?

Had a week where I stretched a single whole chicken into 8 meals

My aunt told me my chili was too watery so I stopped adding canned tomatoes straight

She came over for dinner last week and after one spoonful said it tasted like soup. I always just dumped a whole 28oz can of crushed tomatoes in without draining anything. Now I drain them first and add a little beef broth instead of water. Has anyone else had to adjust their chili game based on a blunt family member?

Just found out my $1.50 bag of dried beans equals 7 cans worth of protein

I was meal prepping yesterday and got curious about how much I'm actually saving by using dried beans. So I went online and looked up the conversion on the USDA website. Turns out one pound of dried pinto beans makes about 7 cups cooked, which is basically 7 of those $1.50 cans from the store. That's like $9 saved for every bag I cook. Has anyone else done the math on other dried staples like lentils or chickpeas?

My mom told me I was wasting money on pre-shredded cheese and she was right

She pointed out that a block of cheddar is $2.50 at Aldi vs. $4 for a bag of shredded stuff, and I save about 30% on every taco night now. Has anyone else switched to block cheese and noticed a big difference in their grocery bill?

Vent: My cheap rice cooker from a garage sale last month almost burned my apartment down.

The cheap plastic plug melted into the outlet after I left it on for 20 minutes to make a big batch of beans, so now I'm looking for a safe, affordable way to cook in bulk, any ideas?

Heard my niece call a bag of dried beans 'weird pantry stuff' and it took me back

Honestly, my mom's lentil soup was a Tuesday staple growing up and cost maybe $3 to feed all four of us. Has anyone found a good way to get kids interested in those basic, cheap ingredients?

Okay, I just had to pick between a $4 bag of salad mix or a head of lettuce and some carrots. I went with the bag because I was tired. Big mistake.