eating cheap

[JoeW]

Re: eating cheap

You had MUSTARD for sandwiches? Lap o' luxury! We were lucky to get bread sandwiches!

You had bread for your sandwiches? ... oh never mind.

 

[JoeW]

Re: eating cheap

I'll eat any of that stuff except pigeon. As a city kid we thought of pigeons as flying rats.

 

[TPD211]

Re: eating cheap

We had "Stoned" soup in college also, but it wasnt due to a rock.....<br /><br />Mustard n cheese sandwiches.<br />Lots of Mac n cheese n hot dogs in college and there after.<br />I would look in the "thrifty" magazines for fast food coupons. My favorite was Der Weinerschnitzel (sp?) fast food, they had a coupon for 3 chili cheese hot dogs for a buck.<br />I quit smoking and drinking when money was tight.<br />No soda, plenty of water. Tea or coffee was a luxury. Lots of hamburger or tuna helper dishes.<br /><br />Man, this brings back memories...

 

[TPD211]

Re: eating cheap

Man, we used to hunt pigeons in Peru when I was a kid with sling shots. Take the breast meat and crock pot it in mushroom soup, searved over a bed of rice or noodles....yum.......

 

[JasonJ]

Re: eating cheap

Growing up we went through a bad patch, lost everything, and popcorn for dinner was not uncommon. It was also not uncommon to go days on end without food at all. That lasted almost a year until we recovered from it and got back on our feet. Because of that I have serious food issues and will not miss a single meal ever.

 

[roscoe]

Re: eating cheap

Rice has lots of possibilities.<br />Pancakes.<br />Oatmeal. (just had some an hour ago when I got home)<br />You can zest these up with a few raisins, berries, cinnamon, fruit, etc.<br /><br />And the Ramen nooldle, open the spice cabinet and experiment.<br />Add a scoop of frozen veggies from a large 2# bag of frozen, a few spices, and you can have a great quick veggie soup in 5 minutes.<br /><br /><br />Mom used to make fake maple syrup with water, sugar, and a few drops of imitation maple flavoring. Tastes better than the corn syrup crap they sell in the store.

 

[John Carpenter]

Re: eating cheap

MellowYellow hit the nail on the head. A freezer is the key to eating well AND cheaply. When pork loins are on sale for $1.79 lb., why would you eat boloney? Buy the pork loin, cut it up in portions that suit you and freeze it. Same with turkey breasts, chickens, roasts etc. Buying the meat cheap is the key.<br /><br />The second key is learning to cook from scratch. Convenience packaged foods are always more expensive. As mentioned by others, dried rice, beans and pasta are an inexpensive way to extend the available meat. Besides, white beans cooked with a smoked ham shank with cornbread is a meal fit for a king

 

[cajun555]

Re: eating cheap

Good ole beans and rice. Our favorite cneap meal. If you want to get real fancy, fried tators and onions with beans are great. The best thing about beans is later you get to share them with everyone.

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: eating cheap

I realise there is a bit of effort in it, but one of the better ways to cut the tucker bill is to have a big veg garden, plus grow a few fruit trees.<br />Then just buy the carbohydrates like noodles, rice, bread etc, and cheap cuts of meat in small amounts.<br />Learnt to do it years back, and although we don't need to economise now, can cut our grocery bill to 1/3rd and live really well.<br />The 10yr old runs the garden now, and over last 2 weeks have used his surplus tomatos to make 1 years supply of:<br /> tomato suace (better than shop stuff),<br /> tomato relish<br /> green tomato pickle.<br />Freezer is full of corn, beans, peas mango etc.<br />As i said, a bit of work tho. Substitute skill for effort and persistance and it will work out fine.<br />Cheers<br />Phillip<br />Cheers<br />Phillip

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: eating cheap

Another trick from the GG childhood...Use a fork to eat your cereal, you can re-use the leftover milk <br /><br />Seriously, hunting and fishing saved us from some really lean times for a couple year stretch.

 

[tylerin]

Re: eating cheap

Did you say CEREAL

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: eating cheap

Originally posted by tylerin:<br /> Did you say CEREAL

ya DUDE

 

[neumanns]

Re: eating cheap

Mike, I'm serious about the hogs. I think there is no limit no season and no licensce on hogs in florida. To put 2lb of good meat on your table every day for a year all you would need is to shoot a 100-150 (good eating size) hog once a month. A pawnshop rifle at less than a $100 and a box of shells would put your cost of 700 lbs of meat at $.17/lb . Any one that hunts could show ya how to dress and butcher and most hunters would be glad to show ya how. Or ya could have a butcher shop do it for ya and your cost would still be less than $1/pound, then you could pick it up from them in cellophane wrap...where most people think meat comes from anyways.<br /><br />Or if you have room buy a calf and raise it, thats whats in my freezer. there is no comparison between a fattened steer and the beef you could buy at the supermarket. At a tenth of the cost. Even my wife was not sure if she could eat a calf we raised until she had the first meal, now she wants to know when were gonna raise anotherone.My definition of hard times is when I gotta eat that stuff they call hamberger ya get at the supermarket. <br /><br />Once you were back on your feet your only gripe would be that you didn't have time to hunt and you wish you had some "good meat" to eat. Yeah I may be a countryboy but one thing country boys have in common is most all of them like Good food and pleanty of it.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: eating cheap

My all time favorites were condiment sandwiches. Day old bread from the store for 1/2 off; soy sauce, Bbq sauce, Ketsup, mustard, and some times just butter

 

[KennyKenCan]

Re: eating cheap

Onion Sandwich's!<br /><br />Get a nice sweet onion, sliced thick, a little mayo on 2 peices of bread, and, wah-la, a meal fit for a king!<br /><br />Of coarse, most kings don't have to do much socializing, so the smell doesn't bother anyone, but if you have plans of going out on a date or something, I wouldn't recommend it.<br /><br />Unless, of coarse, she's eating Onion Sandwich's with you, then it don't matter.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: eating cheap

man, you guys are good.... but i gotta say, ive eaten and still eat mustard sandwiches, bbq sauce sandwiches, etc.. and never thought anything of it.... i must be getting bad<br /><br />ive made stews and soups from ramen noodles with like 4 or 5 paks, some frozen veggies and a few lil bits of meat that lasted for a week and only cost about 3 bucks....less than 50 cents a day...<br /><br />keep em coming... <br /><br />i used to live on a houseboat and would put out a line witha small peice of hotdog each night and would eat the catfish(saltwater, mind you) that was on it the next morning...<br /><br />im an unemployed, father of 2,(the wife works) full time college student who still has an addiction... its called buying outboards..... <br /><br />as far as "getting back on my feet", man , this IS my feet.. this is how i ALWAYS eat and cook

 

[oddjob]

Re: eating cheap

Originally posted by neumanns:<br /> Mike, I'm serious about the hogs. I think there is no limit no season and no licensce on hogs in florida. To put 2lb of good meat on your table every day for a year all you would need is to shoot a 100-150 (good eating size) hog once a month. A pawnshop rifle at less than a $100 and a box of shells would put your cost of 700 lbs of meat at $.17/lb .

Thats correct...I plan on taking some summer sausage very soon...I dont know about Texas but in Florida the ranchers put out bathtubs full of mollassas for the cattle during the dry season....The hogs love to fill up on it as well.....A lot of times I smell um before I hear or see them...or we just go and ambush em at the tubs

 

[magster65]

Re: eating cheap

I too had 'lean times'. I lived on pasta noodles, butter, salt and cod I jigged off the the nearest dock (and the odd care package from mom). It was ok but it truly gave me life experience to appreciate any creature comforts that came my way since. I'll never forget those days.

 

[one more cast]

Re: eating cheap

If you have 2 kids then you need to kick your addiction in the a55 and feed your kids healthy meals, That should be the most important thing in your life.

 

[chunkachange]

Re: eating cheap

Food for a fishing trip......Bake a dozen big potatoes at home. Cool....split open and stuff with canned chile, (Wolf Brand if ya got it) shredded cheese, chopped onions and one jalapena pepper. Wrap in heavy foil and put in cooler chest. When ready for a meal, take out and place very close to edge of fire, not directly in it. Heat 10 minutes per side and enjoy a super supper! Chunk