BaddieValentina
20158
383
9
About $1.50 worth of potatoes, home made flour tortillas (probably in the cents range), $1 corn, $6 pork chops. Feeds a family of 4.
Jul 19, 2026 1:31 PM
BaddieValentina
20158
383
9
About $1.50 worth of potatoes, home made flour tortillas (probably in the cents range), $1 corn, $6 pork chops. Feeds a family of 4.
spinbutton3
Grits are great cheap food, as are dried beans or lentils.
stonetemplefox05
There's a very informative cooking show on tubi called struggle meals. Dude makes meals for under $2 a serving. The real juice is the techniques he shows you to pretty much cook from scratch
cousteau
I'm so glad I opened my list of "easy and affordable recipes" I had around because there were some I had completely forgotten about. "Rice with yogurt, curry, and sausages" was completely off my radar. Quite affordable too.
cousteau
Pasta (fussili/rotini) with tomato sauce and diced and fried bacon or chorizo (cured, easy to get around here but maybe not so much in the States) - cost under €1 per person in Ireland, but food was dirt cheap there. The trick is to let the tomato sauce simmer in the bacon and oil for a while before adding in the cooked pasta. (Also add some diced onion if the sauce doesn't have it.)
InablueMule
Geez ,Get to work so You can have Rib eyes and Lobster tails like that dick in Texas.
or0b0ur0s
Pork chops around here are damned near $6 for ONE. You can get the super-thin "loin chops" with the inconvenient bone (that's half their weight) for about $3 / lb, but they're hardly worth it.
gtotherizzle
I am sad to say that I judged the stove over the pans or the corn. Mostly because I have had that exact cheap stove in so many apartments
BaddieValentina
Stove was given to me by my parents years ago. White pan was income tax money spent about 10 years ago. "Hex" pan is a knockoff from Ross.
Fitzapollo
me too, though they were always covered in scratches and stains and the burners were all at 25 degree angles in varying directions. This one looks like they actually take literally any amount of care of it!
NunyaBizness
ConsumingHate
Potatos are filling as heck. Rice and beans also come large quantities for decent pricing.
littlespooner
Beans, lentils, rice.
tentaclefriendly
It was only later in life that I realized the nights when we had pancakes for dinner it was because we were fucking broke
Mec26
I friggin loved spaghetti as a kid.
Still like it, but know it’s the “well, I have $3 and hungry kids…” option.
wetsquirrel
This a bomb meal!
GeorgeCostabaplaps
I love you and you're amazing.
This should be what you choose to eat, not what you're forced to afford to eat.
FlatPlutoSociety
Also, if you're like me in your 40s and have bad memories of terrible frozen veggies when you were a kid, you should know that frozen veggies are WAY better now than they used to be. Even the store brand stuff is pretty damn good these days, and you can load your freezer up for not much money at all.
Birdman79
Chicken thighs. Rice. Carrots. Red Potatoes. All can be had on the cheap. And it’s phenomenally healthy as well. Most of the processed crap that we eat is expensive.
SuperfluousMeh
I got a tortilla press but I haven't yet made myself make some flour tortillas. I need large ones for my meal prep burritos and I'm tired of buying them. They're always so damn stiff.
ignotoCiResto
so you like em soft? if so, if you live in europe, try to find this brand (here in Italy I find em at the ACTION point). They stay very soft even after cooking em at 600W for four minutes. BTW, it's a german brand so if you live in germany they should cook faster.
Sorry about the photo quality, my phone is... well it's a phone.
No, I wont elaborate.
Greenmagegirl
A bag of carrots is like 2 dollars and gets you enough carrots for like 4-6 meals. Might as well get some actual vegetables too.
BaddieValentina
This is one meal dude. Don't judge what you don't know.
ignotoCiResto
carrot have a good amout of sugar and that's a good source of calories for working people. Gatta watch yourself *how* you eat em, thoo! Raw and cooked carrots influence differently the bowel movements!
BeaverOnFire
I love to use my rice cooker with one large or two small diced yellow potatoes, a diced carrot, can of corn sometimes, 1c beef broth, and whatever leftover protein I have. I will toss in whatever spices I have that match the protein. Turns it into lazy 30min stew and costs $2-3.
BasinStreetDesign
When I was a kid in the 1950's my dad taught us that ketchup was spaghetti sauce.
datphone777365
Hamon(k pork chops) con papas y elote? Hell yeah toss in some salsa made from roasted tomatos and tree chilis into the burrito and your eating real fucking good!
spooktree
Floofaficionado
Canned stew over rice got me through rough times
ForlornHopeful
I like tougher meat cuts braised or slow-cooked with beans, tomatoes and whatever herbs (fresh or dried) I have laying around. I'll often get chop up a hardier cabbage variety and stir that through near the end.
Tray bakes can also be a good way to eat on the cheap and will often work best with the cheaper cuts (like this one https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/sausage-chicken-and-squash-traybake)
LeekofLegend
I've been thinking of doing something similar with recipes I come up with from the food pantry donations! This is a thing most of us could use rn 👍 chickpeas are evidently huge in my area, so I've gotten weird with those for sure😁
BaddieValentina
YES! That's what I'm thinking too. Cause there's tons of great food people can make on a budget!
LeekofLegend
I haven't had the guts to try to make homemade tortillas yet. My end of the spectrum I literally cannot handle dough textures lolol do you have any tips for that?
BaddieValentina
Maybe gloves? Like latex or nitrile. I've done that before to keep my hands clean.
BaddieValentina
I did make the corn into a kind of escote (similar to an elote) with butter, chipotle powder, light mayo.
akelamishari
You may mean esquites, prepared like the elote but the corn isnt on the cob anymore. We put lemon (what you call lime) on them too
datphone777365
Telling my gf about lemon lime naming conventions in spanish is always hilarious...
akelamishari
Quite a thing, isnt it?
datphone777365
Funnier if your pocho, ill switch between the two at random. Drives folks nuts.
SnarfyMcSnarferson
Lots of rice, beans, and chicken
pilomotor
Extra-firm tofu is high in protein and very affordable, if you aren't a picky eater.
datphone777365
Fry it. The thin crispy crust is awesome.
Camelspotting
Sometimes I mix it up and make beans and rice
cousteau
Beans and rice are a well known smart combination. Beans are not a complete protein because they're missing one essential aminoacid (can't remember which) - but guess what, there's plenty of it in rice.
Voxius
Big ass bags of Egg Noodles or Instant Rice. They are some of the easiest meals to make and some of the easiest meals to doctor, innovate or fix up with additional ingredients. Hell, even just buttered noodles is pretty good.
ignotoCiResto
I found a brand of noodle that cost 30 cent at bag, but you need two to feel full. Rotate the daily garnish (potatoes, eggs, a can of tuna, carrot, a can of spam*, frozen king prawn tails for about 70 cents/plate) and you can eat enough to feel full until dinner.
For dinner I use a single piadina (1.5€ for a six pack that weigh 600 grams), half a pack of ham (150gr/1.5€ precut ham, so 75cent).
If you have solar panels the microwave bill is 0.
Grand total of 2.3€ for a day meals for each person.
ignotoCiResto
*I wrote spam because I dont know how it's called the meat in jelly. Basically it's this https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/o-IAAOSw8XBgo83r/s-l1600.jpg and a three pack of 75 grams cost about 2€
Matrixbeast
Pork chops and potatoes get me through so many hard times, even today. Never thought of making homemade tortilla though. Definitely gotta look into that
datphone777365
Mixing salsa of roasted tomatos and tree chilis into the taters really hits the spot. Best bit is ya can make it in bulk and use it for tons of stuff.
thatlamer
Don't sleep on soups, OP. 2-3 chicken quarters boned and bones boiled for broth, meat diced along with 2-3 onions and as much garlic as needed to feel alive again, throw in some carrots and celery if you'd like, season well with herbs and spices of your choosing (I like sage and tarragon), and make it fill the stomach by throwing in pinto beans, potatoes, or rotini. Or a wedge of bread on the side. Been subsisting on variations of this formula for about 6 months due to hour cuts and the job mkt.
lozeldatkm
Soup does in fact sound like a horrible way to fill a water bed...
thatlamer
My actual favorite blend so far has been cayenne (to taste, I'm a bit of a spice wimp), tumeric, chili powder, cumin, and coriander powder. Comes out sort of curry-ish, and goes well with all of the above ingredients. I add beans to it to give it a light "chili soup" vibe. Rosemary and thyme are also an obvious choice, and can be self cultivated very easily even if you're not great with plants. Dry beans can be bought in bulk for as cheap as rice, fill the belly better, and can be simmered 1/2
thatlamer
overnight on the lowest setting along with tougher (cheaper) cuts of meat as well. 2/2
MattoJanai
Learning to break down chicken is a MASSIVE money saver. A whole chicken costs way less than deboned skinned breast and the bones are great for making stock that's way tastier than shelf stock. Also another one me and my wife do is green curry paste. It lasts for years in the fridge and you barely need any to make curry. Just sauté whatever cheap veg/protein and add a can of coconut milk (costs like $3). Really yummy and cheap with no food waste
Munchman347
Break down a Rotisserie Chicken from the store. Usually cheaper than fresh, it's pre-cooked and seasoned. The meat makes sandwiches, and salads, while the carcass makes great soup...
Grimmrog
People forget most cheap food is not really nutritious over a long term. Bone brothes are very important, there is a lot of important nutrition in it
pctech3573
Great idea. I’ve been doing similar with a whole chicken for decades. A weeks worth of meals for $10-$15 😎
AGirthyPoro
fukn saved
InappropriateElephant
Soup has been one of my go to lately since chicken legs are about the least expensive thing i can usually find. Boil the legs with a quartered onion some crushed garlic cloves and some oregano for about 40 minutes, remove legs, strain broth, toss what was strained out into compost, put leg meat into broth, some carrots, celery, i like some potato and add appropriate amount of bouillon. cook till carrots and potato are done.
SinStar87
10lb of chicken leg quarters, 8 2lb packs of frozen mixed veg, 2 5lb packs of rice, a thing of salt and pepper is my desperation list. costs about 40 bucks(when veggies aren't all in recall bc republicans are morons) and you can make soup, a bowl of rice with stuff in it, or a plate of meat with sides for a couple weeks.
RicheTheBuddha
Home made flour tortillas? I'll have to look that up
TI99Kitty
Funnily enough, I saw a post with the recipe, about half an hour ago.
BaddieValentina
RicheTheBuddha
Lard? No wonder they taste so good
BaddieValentina
I substitute with smart butter
RicheTheBuddha
I haven't tried that before. I guess I'll pick some "smart butter" up when I hit the grocery store on Friday.
datphone777365
Save the chop drippings or if ya buy fatty cuts of beef make tallow... even if just for flavor abit does alot.
RicheTheBuddha
Good idea, thanks! I'm making hamburgers tonight. I think I'll try the grease from that
ScreamingAphid
Not bad!
I remember the cheap meals my parents would make, just fried canned mushrooms that we'd put on toast. My dad would get the mushrooms from a truck driver buddy of his. A case or two would always get "damaged" in shipment.
It was disgusting at the time, but 30 years later its one of those nostalgic dinners I'll make for myself when I'm penny pinching.
DaveSamsonite
In college, I ate only air popper popcorn (required no oil) and "gravy" made from cornstarch and bouillon cubes for 3+ weeks when my roommate died and I was evicted because he did not pay his part of the rent.
After that I made tomato "soup" at mcdonalds from hot water, creamer packets, ketchup, mayo, salt and pepper.
In the mean time i went to class, worked at a grocery store where i could sleep in a back storage area and wash up in the janitor's sink. I smelled like moldy mop heads.
DaveSamsonite
It was pretty easy to grab food to eat in the store but really hard to keep clean.
At the the time you had to wear a white shirt at the store. I stayed there 8 days until I had $130 to make a partial rent payment snd they let me move back in.
I sold blood and platelets to keep alive until I found a new roommate.
Everyone else i knew was just as poor. Reagan was elected in 1980 and in got a fuckton worse. Got worse soon after.
ItsFRONKENsteen
Peas and cheese and rice was me and my sister’s go to.
InablueMule
Grandma made canned salmon and boiled potato's at the farm. I had to ask about the bones. Later realized salmon was cheap in the 1960s
MrStealYourGiF
For me it was beans on toast, due to a quirk in some store price wars, where two chains and sometimes a third wanted to say they had cheapest beans or bread, they were often only a penny each. So yeah major component of college diet there. Then my wife said in her fam, somehow a check got overpaid by a small amount for years, & to claw it back it got stopped for months, somehow had unlimited eggs & taters by similar means as others mention, and got sick of those.
Mokisan
Pinto beans with onions (the kind that soak overnight) sometimes with cornbread. It's still a go-to. The other was canned tuna with potatoes and onions, fried like pancakes or croquettes. In college, tuna and ramen was a staple. FWIW, fresh mushrooms and onions fried in butter on toast is STILL one of my favorite snacks, so... I'm not sure I would have minded. Keep on keeping on!
jayman0123
my dad had 4 kids that were mostly grown by the time i was born and my whole childhood he cooked like he was always cooking for 6 people so I always had the big quantities of relatively cheap meals too. A couple of them are quite good. If you can swing a single pound of hamburger, combine it with about a pound of rice, part of a chopped onion, and 3 cans of condensed mushroom soup and you can eat for like a week. Similar idea, 2 pounds of egg noodles, 3 cans of mushroom soup and 3 cans of tuna.
NaughtButOne
Rice and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Some extra diced (canned) mushroom if you have it. I'd douse it with soy sauce and that was the height of gourmet eating to me as a kid. Even today, it's very solid.
DaveSamsonite
The soup and rice part sounds great, but canned mushrooms always seem to have that rubbery texture.
Maybe just add the seasoning packet from some Ramen.
When I've been tight for money, making simple soups to fill my belly has kept me alive.
It's no longer a problem
TI99Kitty
When I was first living on my own (early '90s), it was browned hamburger meat (when it was <99 cents/lb), whatever canned vegetables I had on hand, and whatever starch (potatoes, rice, pasta) I had on hand. With a beef bouillon cube, if I was feeling particularly rich that week.
When I worked at Walmart, after my divorce (mid-'00s), it was a jar of cheap peanut butter and a spoon. Also lasted a week.
TI99Kitty
And cost about the same.
datphone777365
I make something like that cus its good.
Ground beef browned and seasoned then added to a blended salsa of roasted tomatos garlic, tree chilis and beef bouillion with peas carrots and diced taters.
Served with bread. Hearty n filling. Pasta is one ima try.
datphone777365
The soy sauce intrigues and confuses me... i get the salt and umami but knowing its from soy sauce is the confounding part.
NaughtButOne
It works really well, imo. Depends somewhat on which soup you use, obviously. We always used Campbells; there were a few things my old man insisted was worth the money buying brand name, and that was one of them.
But for context, I've always been a huge salt fiend all my life, much to my GP's chagrin.
datphone777365
Mmm salt.
BaddieValentina
Our go to meal was fried potatoes, beans, fresh tortillas. We always had potatoes because my dad worked in a potato factory.
Discgolfing
What is a potato factory? I grow my own and don't understand, just curious
BaddieValentina
Well, a warehouse. Where they take the harvested potatoes and package and ship them. We worked from fields to harvest to warehouse.
AFallenDragon
Our go to was always ramen noodles, they still make me sick to my stomach and it's been years since. I now I have to be in a mood to eat them & I prefer pairing them with rice and veggies, actually helps with the salt & makes them more filling.
AtleastIvegotthatgoingforme0
I love potatoes.
karlostroski
Tortilla recipe? I want to make some.
BaddieValentina
You can also substitute lard (manteca) with butter. I use smart butter.
karlostroski
Gracias
PennysWorthOfTea
Can you share your tortilla recipe/process?
BaddieValentina
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PennysWorthOfTea
THANK YOU!!!