I used to hate cooking. After four years in college with easy access to a dining hall and a Postmates dependency I just can’t seem to quit, learning to love preparing my own food has been an ongoing struggle. But the truth is, nobody can live on takeout forever. Beyond the fact nothing beats a home-cooked meal, it’s expensive to constantly outsource your food. Indeed, learning to budget for groceries is an important part of adulting. It’s also a common topic of conversation on Reddit, because there are a lot of shady ways grocery stores make you spend money.
Recently a thread garnered more than 12.6k responses to the question, “What do you eat when you are short on money?”
While many responses were a bit extreme (no judgment, but eating a “bread sandwich” just doesn’t sound too appealing or healthy) many users have some insane hacks to elevate very simple dishes. If you’re looking for ways to save so you can spend more on having adventures, bar hopping, or shopping, you should try sticking to a more limited grocery list.
We rounded up some of the least expensive food ingredients that can help stretch your budget. And just because these foods are bargains, doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious. See below for some great recommendations, so you can feast on the cheap.
1. Spaghetti
Many people, on a now-viral Reddit thread, could relate to turning to a nice warm bowl of Spaghetti for a cheap, yet filling dinner in times of financial stress or between pay periods.
“My mom was a single mom for most of my childhood and we were poor. You could always tell when money was super tight, because she’d either make a huge pot of spaghetti or homemade chicken noodle soup which would feed us for a few days,” a Reddit user commented.
Others applaud how many meals you can make from a box of pasta.
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“If someone is really ambitious they could make a ton of homemade sauce and can or freeze it. A little time and you could have sauce for less than half the price you would pay in a store,” another replied, noting that most sauce and noodles are under $2 and “both basically free” and “incredible.”
2. Soup
In terms of convenience and finding something super affordable, canned soup ranks at the top of the list.
One Redditor shared that her choice of soup is Borscht, a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. And Borscht, which is filled with fresh red beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage, can be amazing. Another Reddit user notes, though, “Borscht, like meatloaf, is [only] amazing when made right.”
3. Eggs
Luckily, you can cook eggs in so many different ways.
With so many different ways to make the dish, from scrambling to boiling, this is a fun way to budget, or even elevate a dish, like ramen.
“Eggs are easily the cheapest source of protein out there. Cook your ramen, crack an egg into the pot 30 seconds before you turn the heat off, maybe throw in some spinach if you can swing it,” a Reddit commenter advised.
Others shared even more combinations to pair with eggs, like rice!
4. Rice
Rice is a popular side option for protein.
So it makes sense that you can find it at a pretty reasonable price. Plus, it’s so filling and only takes up a fraction of your budget. There are endless things to add to this tasty and affordable dish. And if you can afford to splurge a bit more, grab brown rice. According to US News & World Report, “It’s… high in fiber and has important minerals, such as magnesium and manganese. If someone has celiac disease, rice is a great non-gluten option. It can help with appetite control due to the fiber content and may help with lowering cholesterol levels.”
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5. Potatoes
The potato is arguably the most versatile and tastiest veggie.
One user shared his all-around amazing recipes, including one for Mediterranean Potatoes in Tomato Sauce. Redditor /u/loath-engine recommends; “Fry onions in olive oil until soft, add garlic, potatoes, tomato sauce and enough water to cover the potatoes, season with oregano, salt, and pepper, cook for about ½ hour or until potatoes are cooked through, stirring from time to time.”
6. Free Snacks
Honestly, this might be considered stealing, so we’re not totally advising this one, but see below.
“A tip for people in or near Cleveland if you are ever broke and hungry go to the Hotel 9 and go up to the 12th floor there is a room with free food snacks and drinks and the security won’t care as long as your not dressed like a complete bum,” one Reddit user from Cleveland advised.
7. Pinto Beans
This is one meal that never has to taste flavorless.
Plus, pinto beans don’t have cholesterol, and they’re super inexpensive just about everywhere. Budgeting definitely prevents some shoppers from purchasing some healthy foods, but not in this case. However, Money Crashers suggests skipping the canned bean version (which is way more convenient, we know). Apparently, the canned kind has “up to 20 times the amount of sodium as dried beans and [it] is more expensive.”
An extremely helpful Reddit user has the best piece of advice for pinto beans, “Add salsa. Salsa makes sad meals festive.”
8. Rotisserie Chicken
It’s pre-made, and you can’t beat that.
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Sometimes it’s better to invest in something delicious and full of protein, like a rotisserie chicken, and savor every part of it. And this extremely resourceful cook knows all about that. In fact, most store-bought chickens are designed to serve six, according to Yahoo Lifestyle. So if you buy one, expect to get the right bang for your buck.
9. Tacos
They won’t let you down.
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If you ask most people about the food they can’t get enough of, many of them will vouch for tacos. You can add nearly anything to them. And vegetarians and vegans can enjoy them, too. These Reddit users were no exception, as many of them proclaimed the amazing and super easy ways to make tacos on the cheap.
10. Pulled Pork
Are you a fan of barbecue sauce, recipes with less than two-ingredients, or sliders?
Then go ahead and invest in a hunk of pork and “cook it until it is falling apart, then shred, mix with bbq sauce and consume,” recommends to one Reddit user. “The last one I did was Sunday and my girlfriend and I have gotten 14 meals combined out of it for $18.”
11. McDonald’s
We can’t deny how cost-effective McDonald’s is.
But our heart aches for the poor traveler, who lost his debit card on a trip to Japan and described having to spend all his money eating McDonald’s for the rest of his trip. “It was depressing as hell to eat hamburgers in the land of sushi and ramen,” the Reddit user recalled of his time eating just hamburgers for 100 yen.
12. Chili
We support this one 100 percent.
Nothing beats the convenience and ease of making this meal, which can easily last a week and packs in the protein. The great thing about all chili recipes is all you have to do is cook once and microwave it for the rest of the week. One Reddit user, in particular, was pretty emphatic about it being her go-to budget recipe mentioning, “You can make it for like $20 and it lasts forever. You can even put it into containers and freeze it like a microwave meal.”
13. Ramen
You didn’t really think we could round up all the most budget-friendly meals and not include the classic Ramen, did you?
“Ramen is literally always my go-to,” one Reddit user chimed, in addition to the silent chants of thousands of college students. Cup of Noodles, or any form of instant ramen, is quick to make and cheap. Instant Ramen was originally created by Momofuku Ando after WWII to help feed the survivors of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now, it’s a college staple because of its delicious taste and cheap price tag.
14. Hot Dogs
While we get eating a budget isn’t fun, hot dogs are such a classic American summertime pastime.
And they are super delicious! What’s amazing is this is no longer a meal that isolates vegetarians and vegans. In fact, IKEA sold over two million Veggie Dogs to shoppers in the product’s first two months of existence and five million since last August 2018 at only 75 cents, according to Business Insider.
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15. Frozen Vegetables
This is good news.
According to U.S News & World News, frozen veggies can have just as much, if not more, nutrient content as fresh vegetables, often at a fraction of the cost. And since they’re frozen, you don’t have to worry about them spoiling in a few days before you can use them,” Taylor Wolfram, a registered dietitian and nutritionist in Chicago told the outlet.
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16. Oatmeal
Yes, that old childhood staple.
You’ll never have to ask yourself in the morning what you want for breakfast when you realize how delish and easy it is to make yourself a warm bowl of oatmeal. One user advised, “Oatmeal for breakfast every day. You can make it with milk for additional nutrients. I use almond milk, but water works fine. Sweeten it with maple syrup, cocoa powder, and sugar, cinnamon, etc. Doesn’t feel so plain… [It] fills your belly and having a warm drink warms the heart when finances suck.”
The reason you feel so full after this meal, according to Healthline, is because oatmeal has a “high fiber content, and [it can] soak up water.”
17. Homemade Pizza
I can’t believe we didn’t think about this earlier!
Who knew making homemade pizzas could be so enjoyable? And can be way better than ordering one or heating a frozen one. One Reddit user wrote, “I buy the dough, tomato in a can, a little bit of cheese, olive oil, 20 minutes in the oven and *ding* it’s ready to eat.”
18. Peanut Butter
This backpacking staple is a staple for kids, travelers, and college students for a reason.
It tastes great, holds up well, and it’s flavorful. Did we mention it’s also packed with protein? Plus, you can literally throw peanut butter in a blender to sweeten a smoothie or mask the taste of protein powder. You can also make it into a fun snack, like “Ants on a log,” a Reddit user suggests.
We hope these suggestions help you save and snack wisely!
