Forums | MacLife

Dal.
Makhani is my fave, but there are other types too.
Lentils come cheap; all up I can make a batch of this stuff for under $5 and that's usually enough for 4+ servings.
Eat it with rice or bread if you want a cheap side.
Also, Chili and home made soup.
Drink cold tea with honey instead of soft drinks or mix some lemon juice with a bit of water.

Denali, I'm so sorry to hear that!  I hope you and your husband are able to find good jobs quickly.  With a little luck, you'll end up better off than you were before.

Here's a nice link or two:

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cheaper-Mea … etail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Ten-Meals-on-10/detail.aspx

Sorry to hear this.


Lots and lots of spaghetti. It's dirt cheap to make and will go a long way.

I love meatloaf! My wife's version is awesome.
Get familiar with Mexican cuisine. Once you get to know the basics you can make all manner of wonderful and dirt cheap things to eat. I often make my own tortillas and its easy. Beans and rice are cheap, healthy and good for you.
The ironic thing is that eating cheaply, following peasant cooking styles not only saves money but gives you a healthier diet than the typical American diet of mostly prepared, crappy, fatty fair.
Italian styles also offer a wide range of cheap but great foods.
If you enjoy cooking just make this an adventure to learn new and enjoyable foods to prepare.

justine wrote:

Also check with your grocer. Here, they have a 'clearance' section in the meat department. I've gotten some meats like New York steak and fajita meats for 50% off and more.

That reminds me. Our custom of making meat the featured item in a meal really inflates the cost. You don't need to go vegetarian to benefit from getting familiar with meat free cooking. Meat can be an addition to a meal rather than the main course.

Thanks for the link Malkin, will check them out tomorrow when I have more brain power.

Garden is great, and I almost planted one this year.  At least I bought all the seeds.  To say the least, we are landscaping, and a garden would only get run over, or ruined.  However grandpa has a garden, and he always grows too much food.  I always benefit from his stuff, and I do plan to plant some spinach along one fence that should be a safe zone.

I'll look for cheap meats I remember seeing them before, just not lately.

We do have a fishing license, so I am hoping to do lots more fishing (LOTS more) I could never get tired of fresh fish, and that will help with the costs as well.  I know adding meat to a meal adds costs, I have tried to cut back on that now too by making a large salad and accenting it with left over chicken strips.  Not as filling as a big meal, but probably better for you.

Pasta is good, but I'd think about getting whole-wheat pasta if you don't want to both put on some weight.  I'm a big fan of oatmeal - the store brand, in a tube kind - I buy a box of splenda for flavor.  That will usually get me through until lunch, maybe with a fruit for a snack.

Husband already has 2 jobs he is interested in.  He has an interview set up next week with one company, but needs to brush up on SQL.  I'm going to a place to too far from here today to put in an application.  I have no doubt we will find something soon.  Thanks for all the support.

W2ttsy, I just need to teach my husband not to eat so much.  The more I make, the more he eats.  He's not overweight or anything, just likes a good home cooked meal.  I have started making smaller portions, which will probably be good for the both of us.

All recipes has helped a lot already found tonight's dinner, and have tomorrow's planned.  We are invited out on Sunday, so it's a free meal.  I think thing will work out given time, we're just in panic mode with everything that has happened.  We are glad he's rid of his job, it was just a bad place to work, just too bad he couldn't replace it before they canned him.

Get a wok and try some stir-fry cooking.

Omelets for dinner are yummy and cheap. Heck, "breakfast" for dinner is good. My wife and I don't really care for big breakfasts in the morning because they make us feel like going back to bed again so we make eggs and pan cakes or waffles, with bacon and stuff like that for dinner occasionally cuz we love that stuff, but not in the morning.

If you're poor, it's best to give up and become a vegetarian, imho. Beans and rice are tasty enough, and tofu is quite a bit less expensive than a similar amount of decent meat.

Oatmeal is also very tasty with brown sugar.

It's not to late to plant some seeds and grow some produce. Tomatoes are easy, and green beans happen to be a family tradition for me. Spending some time outside might also improve your mood. Apartment? You can grow some things inside. Cucumbers don't need a lot of sun, iirc.

Good luck.

dvpierce wrote:

Oatmeal is also very tasty with brown sugar.

(And I'm making beans and rice right now)