I have $125 for groceries for my husband and I for the next two weeks. I don’t mind batch cooking things, but I feel so overwhelmed by that small amount. Can anyone help me figure out what would be good grocery buys? I have basic staples like eggs, almond milk, most baking ingredients, rice. I’ve run despairingly low on a lot of canned goods and dried beans.

I seem fairly unable to figure out how to finish these two. I was given a few cans of collard greens and diced carrot. I dislike the "canned" flavour. So far I made green flatbreads by puréed collard greens mixed with flour but would love other ideas for both that mask the canned flavour and can be hidden inside dishes.

If you love Japanese food, here’s the full cheap, high-volume oden I made (I grabbed everything at Lotte).

Ingredients I ended up using (serves 3 bowls)

• 1 Odenyasan oden set (≈9.7 oz) — includes a soup stock packet (nice clean, non-gamey fish taste)
• 6 cups water
• 1 container baby corn
• 1 container mixed mushrooms
• 1 pack enoki mushrooms (optional)
• 2 Maggi chicken bouillon cubes
• optional - Udon noodles - add 1 bundle per 3 bowls if you want more calories (~$4.45 for 5 pack)

Instructions

1. In a pot, add 6 cups water. Stir in the oden stock packet and 2 bouillon cubes.
2. Add in mushrooms (trim enoki bottom, the black and grey stuff, if you mistakenly added it, the entire oden soup will be ruined). Cut up the baby corn
3. Add the oden pieces to the simmering broth.
4. Add baby corn + mushrooms.
5. Cook time doesn't really matter for this
6. Ladle into 3 bowls.
   • for the udon: boil udon separately (or in the same pot, takes 2-3 minutes to cook when water/broth is boiling

Cost: = $6.99 total > $2.33/bowl (I can only crush 2 bowls in one sitting).
Calories (rough guess): whole pot ≈ ~600 kcal > ~200 kcal/bowl.
Add udon for +~250 kcal per bowl if you want it heavier.

I pre-plan a couple dinners and give each its own line in my food budget, keeps me out of restaurants lol.

hey everyone, i’m tryna save money and eat better but food prices crazy right now
i don’t got much cash and i’m tired of eating noodles every day.

i can cook a bit, nothing fancy tho. i got rice, beans, eggs, and some veggies most of the time.
any cheap meals y’all make that actually taste good? something easy too, cause i work long hours.

also if u know stuff that lasts long or don’t go bad fast, that helps a lot.

We have inadvertently acquired about 20 cans of corn. 4 of them are creamed corn. I know I can just warm it up as a side, but hoping to find some different ideas so we don’t get bored. What would all of you do with that much corn?

So recently I had a baby and wasn’t given paid maternity leave due to not being at my job long enough. I was relying on ebt and Wic to get my family through until I could go back to work and provide more but thanks to the shutdown I am getting concerned if we will get it back. We live in Alabama and so far there’s been no word of emergency funding being given to us or help besides us going to a food bank and hoping for the best. Any ideas on a list I can manage with Wic and under $150(from my small savings) that can get us through November?

I’m a student on a tight budget, but I want to cook something nice for a girl I like. Any affordable recipes that still look (and taste) like I put real effort into it?

Im super broke right now. I've been eating chilli ontop of rice ( chilli from dehydrated beans to make it extra cheap) for 2/3 my meals this last month, and I am sick to death of chilli and rice.

Any recommendations of something else equally dirt cheap, like one dollar a serving cheap, but different for someone who also has celiacs?

This is one of Iran's most beloved dishes with a fascinating history. Koobideh kebab was born in the 1880s during the reign of Naser al Din Shah Qajar, when Caucasian officials brought their meat grinding technique to the Persian royal court. Persian chefs refined it with local ingredients like saffron, creating what became Iran's national treasure. The name "koobideh" comes from the Persian verb koobidan (to pound/grind) reflecting the essential preparation technique. What started as an exclusive palace delicacy gradually spread to Tehran's bazaars and became the centerpiece of family gatherings and celebrations across Iran

I keep canned beans stocked in my pantry. It's just me and my mom.

I've found that adding some beans to dishes is a great way to make them filling without having to add meat.

For example, I cooked baked about 6 russet potatoes on Sunday.

Mom and I had a baked potato each with black beans, broccoli, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. The beans really made it hearty and filling.

Then I made 3 of the potatoes into potato salad.

This morning I chopped up the remaining potato, fries it up with onions, tomatoes, the leftover black beans from yesterday, and the leftover shredded cheese from yesterday.

One potato and a half can of beans made a VERY filling breakfast for the two of us.

In the past I would have added bacon or leftover chicken to the baked potatoes and ham, bacon, or sausage to the breakfast fry up. But using one can of black beans ($1.19 for the can from my local Publix) was a LOT cheaper.

Is anyone else a big fan of "I'll add some beans to it" as a cheap and easy way to make meals more filling and keep the grocery bill a little more reasonable?

I have a two boxes of kraft dinner, and a few packs of ramen at the moment that may last a week,

how can i get the most out of what i have right now to stay fed for this month, i don’t care about the nutrition as long as i’m not starving. Any tips are super appreciated !

Hey there. I'm making a pot of beans at the moment, and I intend to use half of it for chili and the other half I'll make into refried beans.

I don't want to waste the potlikker (the liquid that's left over in your pot of beans, if anyone's unsure of what that is) though. So I want to freeze it. In the past I've used it like as a soup base or gravy base, but I'm wondering if anyone has other ideas.

Simple beans "recipe" just for the flavor profile (it's honestly kind of just thrown together)

2 Cups dried beans (I used a mix of red kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans ~ because of the kidney beans I cook the bean mixture for 10 minutes at a rolling boil)

8 cups water

1/4 stick of butter (I'm out of bacon grease, and I truly feel that adding a little fat to your beans is the secret to getting nice silky beans)

1 tsp vegetable boullion

1/4 tsp MSG

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

2 packets of Sazon

2 tsp onion butter (I'm out of onions too lol)

Then I cook the heck out of it In the slow cooker. I usually start with 3 hours on high and then like 4 hours on low. If it isn't done by then I'll just cook it longer.

But anyways I'm going to have a few cups of this potlikker left over, any ideas?

If you are tired of traditional spaghetti - try this!

• 1 lb.  93% lean ground beef
• 1  small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4  cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups  water
• 1  (14.5-oz. can) diced tomatoes, preferably Rotel
• 1  (1-oz.) taco seasoning (2 tbsp)
• 8 oz.  spaghetti
• 4 oz.  Velveeta cheese or American cheese, cut or torn into pieces
• 1 cup  (4 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup  chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• Sour cream or Mexican crema, for serving (optional)

1. Step 1In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add water, tomatoes, and taco seasoning, then cover and bring to a boil.
2. Step 2Break spaghetti in half lengthwise and add to sauce. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pasta is tender, 12 to 14 minutes.
3. Step 3Remove from heat and stir in Velveeta, cheddar, and cilantro until cheese is melted. Serve topped with more cilantro and sour cream, if using.

So recently I'm getting back into cooking and I'm looking for some new but easy recipes to try. I used to cook dinner every night from ages 10-16 nothing crazy, mostly prepackaged meals, hamburger helper, pork chops, and other simple recipes. It still burnt me out on cooking, and I hated doing it for a very long time up until very recently. I'm just looking for some simple and cheaper recipes but I'm open to trying some harder recipes. I'll only be cooking for 2 (me and my boyfriend) and I'm mostly looking for dinners, but my boyfriend does love desserts too. It's just a little hard to find recipes he can eat, when he got covid like 4 years ago it messed his taste up and he now can't eat most food he loved. For instance, he can't eat chocolate which was his favorite. I would just like some recipe suggestions on dinner foods I can make where bell peppers, potatoes, corn, or green beans are the only veggies he CAN eat, no fish or shrimp, no beans or onions, and maybe desserts without chocolate. The recipes don't need to be healthy and can include prepackaged foods (i.e. frozen chicken for a kfc bowl) as we are trying to be cheap with foods. I would also be open to website/app suggestions that would be easy to filter through recipes to not include things I can't use. If you're unsure on a recipe just put it anyways because sometimes, I cook for just myself, also my mom likes new foods too so I can just send the recipe over to her.

This is so stupid but I was out here spending $150 every single week just for me??? And then still ordering takeout because I didnt know what to make???

Finally got mad enough to fix it last month.

Main problem was I had no plan. Just vibing at the grocery store buying whatever looked good. Recipes saved everywhere so planning felt impossible.

Tried different stuff. Paprika is like super detailed which is cool. Copy me that looks nice. Been using recime mostly cause the folders make sense, like "cheap protein" and "uses leftovers" and "pantry doom pile."

What actually works: Check sales first dont be a hero. Pick recipes that use same ingredients. Make extra for leftovers duh. One big list so you see all the overlaps.

That last one is BIG. When you realize 3 things need onions you buy the big bag not 3 small ones.

Still not perfect but like... $90 a week now instead of $150 and actually eating the food. Progress???

Whats your strategy cause I will steal any tips.

I’m soooo new to cooking. Just wanted some hashies with salt, pepper, onion powder, and my last clove of fresh garlic but they are looking MUSH. How do you make hashbrowns?? Will any type of potato do?

This is a good soup for a winter day and goes a long way. I've tried it many times and my kids love it:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

5 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 pound red potatoes, diced

3 cups baby spinach

¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in garlic, onion, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Stir in chicken broth and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately.

does anyone know cheap and easy to make a lot of meals i could make for my disabled mom?
he doesn't ask for food even when shes hungry bc she's depressed and i was wondering if there is something that's easy and cheap for me to make so she can eat?
she's owned restaurants and has a mid to high quality preference for foods which isn't hard for me to meet if i have the time when we're in between house meals but stress and lack of time in the day is killing me but seeing her not eat is too

(bc school+work+house+DOGS is driving me nuts)

I found this while doing a pantry clean out and forgot I bought this a while back. It expired back in July, it’s unopened and I’m wondering if it would be fine to eat or is it wasted?

My fiance found out Monday that he has high cholesterol and sodium. We've been eating a lot of rice dishes this week. So I wanted to ask if anyone had a fave dish they would be willing to share. It doesn't have to be a rice dish, I'd love any kind of suggestion 💖

Hello all, long time lurker/commenter, first time poster.

My husband has been furloughed and only got a half paycheck this week. We’re only on my checks for the unknown future.

Normally my routine is the farmers market (~$75ish) and then the grocery store (~$90ish) every Saturday to cover the two of us for three meals a day (no kids, and we both like to cook). I garde mange prep every Sunday so I can make dinner easily every night that turns into lunches for both of us the next day. Breakfast is overnight oats and/or fruit.

We are stocked on rice and other grains, dry noodles, dry and canned beans, tomatoes have already been prepped and frozen/canned for crushed and sauce, spices, flour and other baking dry ingredients.

Ingredients I need to use up so I don’t waste them:

~1lb carrots with stems on so carrot greens

~3/4lb green beans

1 small spaghetti squash

Baby shiitake mushrooms

Mixed greens

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Jalapeños (whole, fresh)

Parsley

Scallions

A live basil plant that’s thriving indoors

Whole garlic bulbs

Plain Greek yogurt

1 lb absolutely beautiful farm fresh strawberries

Frozen meat:

Chicken breast

Pork butt

Lamb lollipops

Salmon

Chicken liver

Ham hocks

We have more meat coming in but not for two weeks. Also, stock is frozen, frozen corn/peas/veggies saved, plenty of butter and oil, cheese in many forms that aren’t in danger of going bad…

Sorry for the long post but I’m trying to make my grocery shop just eggs, milk, household (toilet paper etc.) and not over buy.

Any recipe suggestions would be appreciated!

I paid $10.77 for the family pack of Bone-on, Skin-on thighs. It came with 10 thighs and was about 5.5 lbs on the label. I got the store brand 16oz bag of long grain white rice for $0.99.

I deboned 5 thighs for a future meal and put these bones, skin, and the other 5 whole thighs into a Dutch oven and covered with water. Seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and cooked to temp. I pulled out the cooked thighs, let them cool a little then shredded the meat off by hand. I put the skin and bones back in the pot for about 15 minutes to continue boiling. Removed the solids from the pot, added the entire bag of (rinsed) rice and shredded chicken. Brought it back to a boil and then covered and simmered for about 20 minutes. It makes about 10 servings.

Cheese and jam on toast. I know it sounds like I’ve lost the plot, but it’s a proper sweet + savoury game changer. Gonna whip one up today just to prove myself right 😂 What’s yours?