Back in my first apartment, I tried to stretch a single pack of ground beef for a week
I was in my kitchen in Spokane, trying to make a giant pot of chili, and I accidentally dumped in a whole container of chili powder instead of a tablespoon. The pot was basically inedible, so I had to rinse the beef under cold water and start over with just some onions and a can of beans. What's the biggest cooking mistake you've had to salvage on a tight budget?
My roommate in college once used salt instead of sugar in a batch of oatmeal cookies. We had to scrape off the frosting and eat them plain because the grocery money was gone. It feels like those messed up meals teach you more about cooking than the perfect ones ever do. You learn to fix things and get creative with what's left in the cupboard.
Oh man, rinsing spiced beef is brutal. I've saved a too-salty soup by tossing in a whole peeled potato to soak it up while it simmers, then fishing it out. What else have you tried when a dish is just way over-seasoned?