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c/budget-friendly-meals

19

lee.diana•21h ago

My aunt swore by rinsing canned beans to save money, I finally tried it

She told me last month that rinsing canned beans makes them stretch further in soups and tacos because you're not paying for all that salty liquid weight. I finally did it with a can of black beans for chili on Tuesday and I swear I got almost an extra half cup of beans out of it. Has anyone else done the math on how much rinsing actually saves over a year?

23

jade885•2d ago

Hit $75 a month on meal prep... worth it or overkill?

Tbh I started tracking how much I spend on groceries back in March and was shocked to hit exactly $75 a month on prepped meals. That covers breakfast and lunch for 30 days from Aldi in Chicago. But my friend says I'm missing out on variety and flavor by sticking to the same 3 recipes. What do you all think, is $75 a month on basic meals a win or am I sacrificing too much for the budget?

17

luna519•2d ago

Finally caved and bought a bag of dry beans instead of canned after my grocery bill hit $112 in one week

I used to think the time and effort of soaking and cooking dry beans wasn't worth it, but last Tuesday I made a pot of black beans for $1.50 that lasted me five days and now I'm honestly mad at myself for not switching sooner, has anyone else found a specific bean that's way better from dry?

24

james92•3d ago

Stopped by an Aldi in Phoenix and found a whole new way to meal prep

I was visiting my sister out in Phoenix last week and we ran into Aldi for a quick grocery run. I usually just grab basic stuff there, but this time I noticed they had these big bags of frozen mixed vegetables for like 99 cents each. Seriously, a 2-pound bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots for under a dollar. My sister said she buys a few bags every week and tosses them into soups and stir-fries to stretch out her meals. I grabbed two bags myself and made a giant pot of veggie and bean stew that lasted me four dinners. Have you guys found any cheap staples at Aldi or other discount stores that really helped cut down your grocery bill?

1

the_ruby•3d ago

Took me a whole afternoon just to figure out why my rice was always mushy

I kept making rice for my budget meal prep and it came out like paste every single time. I thought I was doing everything right, same brand, same pot, same water. Turns out I got a new electric stove a few months back and the burner runs way hotter than my old one. So I was essentially boiling the rice on high instead of a low simmer. It took me something like 4 or 5 ruined batches and a good 3 hours of staring at YouTube videos to finally connect the dots. Now I set the dial to like a 3 instead of a 5 and it comes out perfect. Anyone else have a random kitchen appliance throw off their whole routine like that?

10

michael519•4d ago

Tried bulk beans from Aldi vs the fancy brand and actually saved $4 a week

I usually grab the big name black beans at Wegmans for $1.50 a can. Last month I picked up a 4 pack of Aldi brand for $2.80 total. That's like 70 cents a can. I made my usual chili recipe with both and honestly could not tell a difference. The Aldi ones were a little softer but that worked fine for chili. Has anyone else found a store brand swap that actually holds up?

3

king.lisa•4d ago

Frozen veggies vs canned: which is the better budget buy when the power goes out?

Last summer during a storm, my power went out for 2 days in Austin. I had a freezer full of frozen broccoli and peas that all went bad. That cost me about $12 worth of food I had to toss. I ended up using some old canned green beans I had in the pantry for soup instead. Do you guys stock up on canned stuff for emergencies or do you stick with frozen and hope the power stays on?

12

willowc60•5d ago

PSA: The fancy grocery store near me marks down meat at 10 AM not 7 PM

I went to that trendy organic market downtown thinking I'd score cheap steaks at 7 PM like everyone said on here. Got there and the meat case was already picked clean with nothing marked down. Finally asked the butcher and he laughed said they do markdowns right when they open at 10 AM because the morning rush buys it all up. Now I drag myself there on Saturday mornings and grab ground beef for $2.50 a pound. Anyone else find their store does markdowns way earlier than the usual evening time?

23

david_henderson6•7d ago

The $3 bag of dried beans I ignored for years finally won me over

I always bought canned beans because I thought dried ones were too much work for no payoff. Then last month I had a slow Saturday and figured why not try a pound of pintos from Aldi. Soaked them overnight, threw them in the crockpot with some onion and garlic, and ended up with enough for 4 meals for about 75 cents each. Has anyone else been converted from canned to dried, or am I late to the party?

26

nathan_webb•9d ago

I switched from buying canned beans to cooking dry ones a few years back

For years I grabbed store brand canned black beans at $1.29 a can, but last year I did the math on a 2 pound bag of dry beans for $2.50 and it makes over 6 cans worth. I soak them overnight on Sunday and they take about 2 hours to simmer, which is way more time upfront than opening a can. Has anyone else found it's worth the extra work to save money on staples like rice or beans?

13

the_julia•9d ago

My mom swore by bagged frozen veggies instead of fresh for meal prepping

She told me I was wasting money buying fresh broccoli that goes bad in 4 days. I finally gave in and grabbed a couple bags of frozen mixed vegetables for $2 each last week. Turns out she was right, I used half the bag and the rest is still good in the freezer. Fresh produce has been costing me around $15 a week just for sides that rot half the time. Has anyone else found specific frozen veggies that work better than fresh for certain meals?

27

cooper.viola•11d ago

Why does no one talk about beans as a meat substitute in tacos?

I had taco night last week and tried using black beans instead of ground beef to save money. My partner said they were boring, but I thought they were fine with enough seasoning. Three years ago I used lentils in spaghetti sauce and nobody noticed the difference. Am I crazy for thinking beans can replace meat in most dishes, or do you think texture really matters that much?

5

nina_sullivan61•11d ago

Frozen veggies vs canned ones for budget meals which saves more?

I got into it with my sister last week over whether frozen or canned vegetables are the better deal. She swears by canned green beans at 80 cents a can but I pointed out the sodium and mush factor. I picked frozen broccoli for my stir fry at $1.20 a bag and it came out fine but the bag took up half my freezer space. Has anyone crunched the numbers on which one actually stretches further per meal?

28

nathan_webb•11d ago

Unpopular opinion: that $1.50 ramen hack everyone raves about is actually more expensive per meal

My coworker Dave cornered me by the break room microwave last Tuesday and went on about his 'gourmet' ramen upgrades. He adds eggs, frozen veggies, and sesame oil. I did the math while he was talking. Eggs are like 30 cents each now, frozen veggies another 50 cents, the oil adds up. His 'budget' bowl was probably close to $2.75. I pointed out that a simple bean and rice burrito from scratch is about 80 cents and just as filling. He got defensive and said it's about 'taste'. Has anyone else done the actual math on these so called budget hacks or am I being too picky?

26

haydenp95•13d ago

Heard a cashier at Aldi say something that changed my meal prep

This lady in line behind me was talking about how she stretches a $15 grocery haul into 10 meals. She mentioned using cabbage as a cheap filler for everything. I tried it last week with a $1.50 head of cabbage and added it to ground turkey tacos and stir fry. Ended up getting 8 servings out of a $4 pack of meat. Anyone else use cabbage like this or got another cheap veggie hack?

21

fisher.mason•14d ago

Saw my mom's old bean recipe cost about 40 cents a meal

I dug out my grandmother's handwritten cookbook last weekend and made her navy bean soup from the 1970s. One bag of dried beans, a ham hock, and some celery and carrots. Whole pot cost maybe $4 and fed me for a week. Has anyone else gone back to cooking like it's the 70s and found it actually tastes better?

14

jake_walker•16d ago

Unpopular opinion: canned beans are better than dry beans for budget meals

I was at a food swap last week and this lady swore dry beans save money long term, but my $1.50 can of black beans fed me for three dinners with rice. Am I missing something with all that soaking and boiling time, or are cans the real MVP?

28

the_richard•17d ago

Hit $50 a week on groceries for two people and it felt like a win

I started meal planning around the sales flyer at my local ShopRite in Newark after my budget got tight in January. Last month I actually managed to keep our weekly total under $50 for three weeks straight, including lunches. Anyone else ever try the "cook once eat twice" method and notice a real difference in their weekly spending?

6

lily394•17d ago

My cheap rice cooker finally gave up mid-meal last night

I was making dinner for my roommate and me, and the thing just stopped heating halfway through. $15 from a thrift store in Portland lasted about 6 months before it died. Had to finish the rice in a pot on the stove and it came out all mushy. Anyone found a decent rice cooker under $30 that actually lasts more than a year?

7

lilychen•18d ago

Warning: that $1.50 bag of lentils from Aldi taught me something about my cooking habits

I was chatting with the cashier at my local Aldi in Austin last Thursday after she rang up my 3 lb bag of lentils for $1.50. She laughed and said she sees people buy them all the time but never come back for more because they don't soak them overnight. Has anyone else noticed dried beans and lentils get ignored even though they're the cheapest thing in the store?

5

wadea53•18d ago

I used to just dump all my veggies in one pot for soup

I always thought tossing carrots, celery, and onions in at the same time was fine until I tried staggering them last month after a friend said it changes the texture. Now I add the carrots first, then the celery 10 minutes later, and the onions near the end. Anyone else notice a big difference with timing your soup veggies?

7

the_robin•19d ago

Spent 45 minutes trying to get dried rice out of a colander because I didn't rinse it right after cooking

It took three rounds of soaking in soapy water and a toothpick to clear each little hole, and by the time I was done the leftover pasta I was gonna eat for lunch had gone cold anyone else had this happen with their colander?

6

xena_miller31•20d ago

Just realized my 'cheap' chili recipe cost more than takeout after I added it up

My buddy Mark swore by this chili recipe he found online, said it would save me a ton on groceries. I tried it last month, throwing in canned beans, tomatoes, ground beef, spices, and even a splash of beer. After I shopped for everything, the total came to around $18 for six servings, which seemed decent. But then I figured out the per-serving cost was about $3, which is basically what I pay for a bowl at the local diner on special. So I'm wondering if his advice was actually bad or if I just bought pricier ingredients. Has anyone else had a 'budget' recipe that secretly cost as much as eating out?

2

wadea53•20d ago

Just found out canned tomatoes are actually cheaper than fresh ones per pound at my local Aldi

I was comparing prices while meal prepping last night and realized the 28oz can of whole tomatoes was $1.19 while fresh ones were $1.50 per pound, so has anyone else switched most of their cooking over to canned veggies?

5

butler.mark•20d ago

Lentil soup turned into a rock-hard brick because I left it simmering too long

I was making a big batch of lentil soup last Tuesday to stretch my grocery budget for the week. Threw in some cheap red lentils, carrots, and an onion I got on clearance. Left it on the stove while I ran to grab my kid from the bus stop. Came back 45 minutes later and the whole pot was a solid, dry mess. Stuck my spoon in and it stood straight up. I scraped it into a container, added some broth the next day, and it actually turned into a halfway decent dip for crackers. Has anyone else salvaged a soup that went way too far?