How would I get my food expenses down?

[Squisher]

Rice and dried beans are the two cheapest food stuffs.

Incorporating them into any diet will cheapen it up.

Black beans and corn make both a great side dish when fried with some onions and cumin or as a salad with a vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar.

I'm not a big fan of white rice, but was raised on Armenian pilaf. Brown some fine egg noodles in some butter and then pour on chicken broth and rice to cook.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: QueBert

You can make a 1/4lb burger at home cheaper?...

Meat $0.52 (Average 85% pound around here is $2.08)
Bun $0.28 (Sara Lee Large Sesame Seed topped $2.25/8)
Cheese $0.13 (Kraft Singles $1.99/16)
Use bread instead of buns and save another ten cents.

$0.93 for a 1/4 pound home made burger that can be cooked in 6 minutes. Far less time than it takes to drive to McD's sit in the drive through, and drive back home. Another 4 minutes cleaning up 1 pan, 1 spat, and a plate.

At least for me. To each their own. I know if I go to McD's I'll end up with 2 McDoubles, Fries and a Medium drink, so I choose not to go there.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver

Originally posted by: QueBert

You can make a 1/4lb burger at home cheaper?...

Meat $0.52 (Average 85% pound around here is $2.08)
Bun $0.28 (Sara Lee Large Sesame Seed topped $2.25/8)
Cheese $0.13 (Kraft Singles $1.99/16)
Use bread instead of buns and save another ten cents.

$0.93 for a 1/4 pound home made burger that can be cooked in 6 minutes. Far less time than it takes to drive to McD's sit in the drive through, and drive back home. Another 4 minutes cleaning up 1 pan, 1 spat, and a plate.

At least for me. To each their own. I know if I go to McD's I'll end up with 2 McDoubles, Fries and a Medium drink, so I choose not to go there.

Our BK almost always has double cheeseburgers for $1. It's about 1/4 mile from work, so I'll sometimes walk there and buy just one for lunch. With two slices of cheese, it would actually be more expensive to make one at home. However, if I had to drive from home to the closest BK (8.5-mile, 24-minute round trip), then I would definitely choose the cook-at-home burger.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: illusion88
Breakfast

3 Eggs - $.31 ($1.86/18eggs)
Toast - $.13 ($2.50/20slices)
Splash of oil - ~ $.02 (not gonna actually figure it out)

Fry them eggs up and put it on a piece of toast. That cost $0.44 to make.

Lunch

2 slices of bread - $0.26 (2 slices of bread)
1 can tuna - $0.79 (1 can white albacore)
1/2 stalk celery - $0.15 (I dice it up and mix with the tuna)

Turn this into a sandwich and you made it for $1.20

Dinner

2 Chicken (bone in with skin removed) - $0.83 ($5 for about 12 piece breasts
1/2 cup rice - $0.48 (I spent $4.86 on 2lbs of rice)
Frozen veggies $.50 (1/2 a pack)

That's $3.44 for the day. Not the most balanced diet, but you get the idea.

Thats not close to 2000 cals tho

That's true. It's about 1300 calories and a bit under half come from carbs (low GI though). Add in some fruit and some fresh veggies and you get closer to 2k. Beef can be found pretty cheap, substitute that for the chicken and you added about 150 more calories.

Spend an extra $2 on fruit/veggies a day and you are pretty close you 2k calories. That puts the OP $1.44 over budget, but well under $10. At $5.44 it saves the OP ~$136 a month on food.

 

[moshquerade]

ramen

 

[Anghang]

great thread :thumbsup:

health issue aside...

white castle
dollar menus
ramen
pasta
tap water

 

[Oil]

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Boxes of cereal high in fiber. Eat it as a snackfood without milk. I like Post Honey Shredded Wheat. Its cheap, keeps the system regular, low in calories, very filling and comes in several varities.

Yep get a high fiber, low sugar cereal and add a piece of fruit (banana, peach, etc). Delicious

 

[sindows]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: sindows

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

I was wondering the same thing. Must be nice, spending that kind of money on food everyday.

 

[MrDudeMan]

This thread is hilarious. I can't tell if it's a joke because it's so stupid of a question to be asked seriously, but you never know here.

OP, you fail pretty hard at life. I'm sorry, but it's true.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: sindows

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

I was wondering the same thing. Must be nice, spending that kind of money on food everyday.

Yeah, $30 a day is fucking retarded. My wife and I eat very well and we spend $250-300/month on food. Other than eating steaks every day, $20-30 per day just means you don't have any idea how to buy food or think what you need is just that expensive. We vary the menu frequently and buy enough for the whole month in one trip. I don't even know how to spend $30 per day while cooking at home.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: sindows

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

I was wondering the same thing. Must be nice, spending that kind of money on food everyday.

Yeah, $30 a day is fucking retarded. My wife and I eat very well and we spend $250-300/month on food. Other than eating steaks every day, $20-30 per day just means you don't have any idea how to buy food or think what you need is just that expensive. We vary the menu frequently and buy enough for the whole month in one trip. I don't even know how to spend $30 per day while cooking at home.

It's easy to spend that much, I live alone and my breakfasts at home typically run me about $4 to make. And breakfast tends to be the cheapest meal of the day. I spend about $15 a day without even eating Rib Eye or something pricey. If steak's involved it'll jump up another 7 or so bucks. For 2 people $30 seems reasonable if they're eating really well. I don't keep close tabs, but I know I spend close to, if not over $20 a day and that's just for one person.

 

[BoberFett]

How on earth do you spend $4 on breakfast? Do you fly to Florida and hand pick a group of virgins to squeeze your orange juice into a chalice every morning?

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
How on earth do you spend $4 on breakfast? Do you fly to Florida and hand pick a group of virgins to squeeze your orange juice into a chalice every morning?

Well, biscuits and gravy with 3 grand biscuits = $2.00
3 strips of bacon = .75
3 sausage links = .75
Large egg = .25
Naked O-J = $2.50

I forgot the OJ in my estimation, so actually my breakfast is around $6-7. Breakfast is an important meal you shouldn't skimp on it

 

[lifeobry]

I've spent $61 on groceries so far for the months of Sep. and Oct.

I eat lots of pasta and rice.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: QueBert
switch to the dollar menu, you don't want to eat healthier you want to eat cheaper. I ate 2 1/4lb burgers the other day, $2.16 with tax. They had all the fixings, if I had bought the shit from the grocery store to make my own at home they would have came out to be about the same price, maybe a few cents cheaper. I cannot eat cheaper from a grocery store. Rice of any sort doesn't fill me up for longer than a few minutes. I can get 2 1/4lb burgers and fries for slightly over $3 from a fast food place. If I factor in potatoes, oil to fry them and the cost for cheese, buns, lettuce and the meat. Eating at home might actually cost me more money. If there was a savings it wouldn't be enough to count.

this.

dollar menu it up, and you can go far.

before this damn diet, i would get the mcdouble and mcchicken and make the mcgangbang regularly. it was good.

do the same at wendys for same effect.

basically, you stick to the 99 cent stuff and it's generally more food than you get by ordering higher up on the menu. (for the same price).

also, the "Big Cheeseburger" at Jack in the Box is way better than the price would make it seem.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
This thread is hilarious. I can't tell if it's a joke because it's so stupid of a question to be asked seriously, but you never know here.

OP, you fail pretty hard at life. I'm sorry, but it's true.

You'd be surprised what parents don't teach their kids these days... like how to feed themselves or make and keep a budget.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: sindows

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

I was wondering the same thing. Must be nice, spending that kind of money on food everyday.

Yeah, $30 a day is fucking retarded. My wife and I eat very well and we spend $250-300/month on food. Other than eating steaks every day, $20-30 per day just means you don't have any idea how to buy food or think what you need is just that expensive. We vary the menu frequently and buy enough for the whole month in one trip. I don't even know how to spend $30 per day while cooking at home.

how the fuck do you buy enough for a whole month in 1 trip?

some meals require fresh fruits or vegetables, and those add up. and they're not good after a week or so.

(i dont think an avocado will keep for more than a few days, tbh.)

i dont see $30 a day, but maybe $20 a day, easy.

every time i go out and buy ONLY the materials to make one meal (for 4 people), it's generally around $25. and that doesnt even include some of the other parts of the meal. (frozen chicken, spices, etc.)

 

[kalrith]

My wife and I buy chicken, rice, dry beans, pancake mix, and peanut butter in bulk. Our local grocery store has 5 bagels for $1.50; a dozen eggs for $1.15; and a loaf of bread, hot dog buns, and hamburger buns for $.78 each. We can make a wide variety of meals with these items. I also have Ramens or PBJs for lunch, which are both very cheap. I'd estimate that we spend about $150 on groceries per month for both of us. I could see spending double that but not 4-6 times that much unless you're buying stupidly expensive items (lobster and steak for dinner every day), overpaying for items (I've seen a dozen eggs for $4 before), spending too much on expensive drinks (alcohol, Fiji water, etc.), or spending a lot on "nutrition" items like Muscle Milk.

 

[tasmanian]

Originally posted by: lifeobry
I've spent $61 on groceries so far for the months of Sep. and Oct.

I eat lots of pasta and rice.

I love those. 1 dollar rice / pasta box's that are a whole meal, and all they need to make is butter milk and water.

 

[surfsatwerk]

One thing I won't skimp on in my budget is food. I don't know how you can live on dollar menu and hamburger helper. I make a point to eat well and enjoy the food that I eat. Frankly I feed my dog better than the crap you people are eating in this thread.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: surfsatwerk
One thing I won't skimp on in my budget is food. I don't know how you can live on dollar menu and hamburger helper. I make a point to eat well and enjoy the food that I eat. Frankly I feed my dog better than the crap you people are eating in this thread.

I feed my dogs, cats, and chinchilla better than the crap I eat too

 

[oogabooga]

Originally posted by: Fayd

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: sindows

Originally posted by: bignateyk
$3-5 a day? jesus christ.. how about 3 meals of ramen noodles?

I spend about $30 a day cooking for myself and my wife every meal, and am trying to cut back to around $20.

What on earth on you guys eating? Seafood and steak everyday?

I was wondering the same thing. Must be nice, spending that kind of money on food everyday.

Yeah, $30 a day is fucking retarded. My wife and I eat very well and we spend $250-300/month on food. Other than eating steaks every day, $20-30 per day just means you don't have any idea how to buy food or think what you need is just that expensive. We vary the menu frequently and buy enough for the whole month in one trip. I don't even know how to spend $30 per day while cooking at home.

how the fuck do you buy enough for a whole month in 1 trip?

some meals require fresh fruits or vegetables, and those add up. and they're not good after a week or so.

(i dont think an avocado will keep for more than a few days, tbh.)

i dont see $30 a day, but maybe $20 a day, easy.

every time i go out and buy ONLY the materials to make one meal (for 4 people), it's generally around $25. and that doesnt even include some of the other parts of the meal. (frozen chicken, spices, etc.)

Pretty easy with Costco. You buy your meats, veggies, rice/beans, breads, etc.

Cut up and prepare what you're using for the next week, prep everything else for the freezer.

It's what I would do in college, just too lazy to shop.

 

[BoomerD]

Fuck...$10/day? on JUNK FOOD? Sheesh...if I go for fast food, $10 barely feeds ME for one meal...let alone for the day.

(I AM Boomer the Hut!)