STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

janey831 · Kate Spade

food on a budget

lsubatgirl · Gucci

Are you in an apt with a fridge/freezer? If so what you should do is get a copy of the sunday paper with all the ads in it and look for the grocery stores. See if what you like to eat is on sale and bring the ad to walmart and just get them to do a price match at the register. You could then get some freezer bags and freeze single chicken breasts or enough ground meet for a buger in the bags and grab them for meals. Look for bags of frozen veggies also. They are cheap and have 2 or 3 servings in each (same with cans). Just get the store brand not the name brand and you'll come out cheaper.

Also find a fruit stand in your town and get your fruits and veggies there. They will be fresher and cheaper than at the grocery store.

Jello is also cheap to make and you can get 4 servings out of a box so look into that. Pudding also but you have to have milk to make it.

Kel · Coach

I shop at super wal-mart. It saves me so much money. Also whatever you cook for dinner make some extra for lunch the next day.

f413 · Kenneth Cole

How much are you looking to spend? I spend about $40 a week and that feeds me and my husband. First of all Trader Joes ROCKS if you're fortunate enough to have one nearby. Anyways I always have beans+refries, pasta, tortillas, brown rice, shredded cheese, chicken breasts, fish, frozen-corn, spinach, brocolli, a bag of lettuce, onions, salsa, minced garlic,scallions, olives, tuna, cold cuts, vegan meatballs, yogurt, sour cream, bread, asiago, eggs, misc. snacks, baking ingred.,olive oil, spices, milk and cereal.

Anyways- with these you can make

Quesadillas

Rice/corn/pinto or black beans with cumin and garlic salsa/tortillas/cheese optional

chick peas,diced cuke/ tomato, balsamic vinegar/splash of olive oil/olives

tuna/pasta/tom./cuke/vin./mayo

chicken/yogurt/curry powder/garlic

fritatta

homemade mac and cheese

pasta/sauce/sour cream/fake meatballs/shred. cheese

baked chicken

baked fish

peanut noodles

meatless jambalaya

scrambled eggs with spin. or broc.

tuna melts

homemade muffins

I love cooking and improvise everything except for baked goods. I just started eating poultry and fish again after being veggie for 3 1/2 years. I could go on forever with recipes. Basically I would suggest getting some basics pasta, beans, rice, chicken, fish, tofu, canned tom, frozen veg. and play around with onions, scallions, garlic, curry, cumin. I totally "get off" on cooking cheap and low-fat. I don't know what your food preferences are so if anything peaks your interest I can give you more specific measurements. Also try M.stewarts Everyday Food magazine it has lots of cheap-easy recipes. Phew-Sorry this is so lengthy, good luck!

Lilykind · Hermes

I just wanted to echo the Trader Joe's recs. Everything is cheap and good and fresh!

Also, if you have a Costco membership (or a friend with one), getting produce from there is REALLY cheap, like you can get six heads of romaine lettuce for $2.69, and bananas are 99 cents a bunch. I also buy fresh salmon, chicken, and ground turkey in the big packs, cut them into smaller servings and put them in the freezer. A $9.00 thing of salmon will make four dinners for my BF and I. If you have friends who can pitch in, it's even better. Around here, there are tons of college students milling around Costco.

And don't subsist on ramen alone!

f413...how are the veggie meatballs from Trader Joes? Does they taste meaty and hearty? BF and I weren't brave enough to try them when our usual favorite turkey meatballs were sold out.

f413 · Kenneth Cole

As veggie "meat" can be kind of polarizing, if you are a fan I say they are pretty good, nice "meaty" texture, a tad on the salty side. If you aren't aquired to fake meat they might not be your "cup of tea". They are really filling too. P.S. Have you tried T.J's curried chic peas? mmmm

bliss · Dooney & Bourke

janey831 we've all been there and I feel your pain. I recommend Super Wal-Mart as well for meats and farmer's markets for milk and veggies, I live about a half an hour from the greatest farmer's market in the world and the meat is a lot cheaper there as well. Also store brands can save you a ton of money and the only store brand I like it Super G or Giant brands (not sure if you have one near you but they're great).

Also Trader Joe's is great as well. I recommend getting their hummus and quick meals in the frozen food section plus their meatballs are great (turkey and ground beef). Also put your bread in the fridge or freezer if you buy it from there, it lasts so much longer that way because they have like 0 preservatives. HTH.

janey831 · Kate Spade

thanks everyone! i did check out my local walmart, amazing deals! i got a lot of cans of tuna haha. going to check out trader joes this weekend too. thanks for all the tips!

f413 · Kenneth Cole

one last note: Make a list before you go to the store and plan a few meals ahead of time. It is so easy to blow money and become impulsive without a list. -cheers

-- Edited by f413 at 21:01, 2005-03-03

-- Edited by f413 at 21:02, 2005-03-03

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I just tried those veggie meatballs and they are GREAT! I used them for a meatball sub and I could not tell the difference at all.