c/frugal-foodies

I used to think dried beans were a waste of time until my power got cut for two days

My fridge died, so I had to cook a bag of pinto beans I'd bought for 79 cents. Just boiled them with some onion and a ham hock from the freezer. They were so much better than canned, and the whole pot cost maybe $3. I've been making a big batch every Sunday now. Anyone have good ideas for using the leftover bean water?

I was talking to my neighbor who works at a food bank yesterday and she said they're seeing a 40% jump in people needing help just since January.

That hit different because it made me realize my 'stock up when it's cheap' strategy isn't just about saving money anymore, it's about making sure my family eats if things keep getting tighter, so what are your absolute bare-bones pantry staples that can stretch for months?

My bean soup went from bland to great after a trip to the Spokane market

For years my cheap bean soup was just beans, water, and a bay leaf, super boring. Then last fall I went to the Spokane farmers market and got a smoked ham hock for $3. I tossed it in the pot with the beans and let it simmer all day. The flavor was totally different, rich and smoky without needing fancy broth. What's your favorite cheap ingredient that makes a simple dish way better?

Changed my mind about making my own veggie broth from scraps

I thought it was a quick way to save cash, but simmering it down to a rich flavor without it tasting like compost water actually took me four separate tries over two weeks to get right.

Overheard a guy at the store say he 'can't afford' to eat healthy

I was in line at the Food Lion in Durham and this guy was telling his friend that eating healthy costs too much. He had a cart full of frozen pizzas and soda. It made me think about my own budget. I feed my family of three on about $80 a week, and we eat tons of veggies and beans. The trick is buying dry beans in bulk (like $1.50 a pound) and whatever produce is on sale that week. Last week, I got a huge bag of carrots for $2 and made three meals from it. Has anyone else had to explain that eating cheap doesn't mean eating junk?

My giant pot of lentil soup turned into a salty disaster last Tuesday

I was trying to use up a ham bone from Christmas and threw it in with two pounds of lentils and a bunch of veg. I guess the bone was way saltier than I thought, because after it simmered all day, one taste nearly burned my mouth. I saved it by dumping in three peeled, chopped potatoes and letting them cook for another hour to soak up the salt. Has anyone else pulled a soup back from the brink like that, or did I just get lucky?

Bought a $30 vacuum sealer on a whim and it's already saved me more than that

Found a cheap one at the hardware store and figured why not. I've been freezing bulk chicken and extra veggies from the garden, and nothing's gotten freezer burned yet. What other cheap kitchen gadgets have actually been worth it for you?

Thought I'd save money by growing my own herbs on the windowsill.

Bought a basil plant from the grocery store for $3.99. It got huge, then all the leaves turned bitter overnight. My pesto tasted like medicine. Learned that basil bolts if it gets too hot. Anyone know a good, cheap herb that won't freak out in the sun?

I just realized I've been wasting half my celery for years

I was chopping some for soup last night and my roommate walked by and said, 'You know you can eat the leaves, right?' I always threw them out thinking they were bitter. Tried a leaf raw and it's just like parsley, maybe even better. I've been tossing the best part into the compost bin this whole time. Anyone have other veggie scraps they actually use?

My sister called my 'frugal' dinner a 'sad plate' and it got me thinking.

She came over last Tuesday and I was eating my usual cheap meal, just a can of black beans heated up with some plain rice. She looked at it and said, 'Dan, that's a sad plate. You're just eating brown on brown.' I argued it was protein and carbs for under a dollar fifty, but she pointed out I could fry an egg on top for twenty cents or chop a green onion from the window sill. It hit different because she wasn't telling me to spend more, just to think about making the cheap stuff feel less like punishment. I've been so focused on the lowest cost per meal that I forgot eating should be a little enjoyable too. Now I'm trying to keep one cheap 'finisher' like hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon on hand. What's your go-to cheap add-on that makes a basic meal feel complete?

My sister called my 'fancy' grocery store habit a waste of money

Honestly, I was at her place last weekend and she saw my receipt from that new market downtown. She flat out said, 'You're paying double for the same carrots.' Tbh, it hit me because I'd just spent $8 on a bag of organic baby carrots and a fancy loaf of bread. She showed me her receipt from the discount place across town, where she got a 5lb bag of regular carrots, onions, and potatoes for $4 total. I always thought eating well meant buying the nicer stuff, but she's feeding her family of four on way less. It made me rethink the whole 'cheap food is bad food' idea I had in my head. How do you guys balance quality with actually keeping your bill low?

My $15 rice cooker finally gave out after eight years of heavy use

I bought that little guy for fifteen bucks at a discount store back in college. It was a basic model with just a cook and warm switch, but it made rice, steamed veggies, and even small batches of soup. It probably cooked a thousand meals for me. The non-stick coating inside finally wore down to the metal, so I had to let it go. I was worried about finding a good cheap one again, but I found a similar model on sale for eighteen dollars last week. It feels like a small win to replace a workhorse for about the same price after so long. Has anyone else had a small kitchen gadget last way longer than you thought it would?

PSA: My $1.50 bag of dried chickpeas turned into a kitchen flood

I decided to try cooking a huge batch from scratch to save money, but I forgot they expand a ton. I put two cups of dried ones in my regular pot with water, went to watch a show, and came back to find foam and water all over my stovetop in my apartment. Learned you need a much bigger pot and to watch them close at the start. Anyone have a good trick to stop the boil-over mess?

Hot take: My attempt to make homemade seitan from scratch turned into a 4 hour kitchen project

I wanted a cheap meat substitute, so I followed a blog recipe using vital wheat gluten from the bulk bin. What was supposed to take 45 minutes ended up involving a ton of kneading, simmering, and cooling before I could even use it. Is making your own seitan ever actually worth the time versus just buying a block of tofu?

Pro tip: I used to buy those little bags of pre-cut veggie mix for stir fry, but now I just grab a whole cabbage and a couple of carrots.

Back in 2010 I thought buying pre-cut veggies was a huge time saver, now I just grab a whole cabbage for like $1.50

Overheard a guy at the Kroger meat counter talking about 'soup bones'

He was telling the butcher he wanted the big beef bones they cut off roasts, the ones they usually just toss or sell for dog treats for like $2 a pound. I asked him later and he said he simmers them for a full day to make a rich broth, then uses that as a base for bean soups all week. I tried it and got a gallon of broth for under $4. What other cheap cuts do you all use for broth?

My aunt's garden in Tucson showed me how stupid I was about herbs

Honestly, I was at her place last summer and she had mint, basil, and rosemary just growing wild in old yogurt containers. Ngl, I used to buy those tiny plastic packs for $4 each. What's the easiest herb for a total beginner with a sunny window to start with?

My grocery store had a 'manager's special' on chicken that was a total game changer this week.

I got 8 pounds of perfectly good chicken thighs for just $4 total because the sell-by date was the next day. Has anyone else found a crazy good deal like that recently?

My attempt at a 'cheap' lentil loaf turned into a crumbly mess

I followed a recipe online that promised a hearty meatloaf alternative for about $3 total. It called for brown lentils, oats, and a few basic spices. I cooked the lentils myself, mashed them, and mixed everything as instructed. After baking for the full 45 minutes, it looked perfect coming out of the oven. I let it cool for 10 minutes like the recipe said, but when I went to slice it, the whole thing just fell apart into a pile of crumbs. I think my mistake was not adding any sort of binder, like a flax egg or even some tomato paste, to hold it together. The flavor was actually really good, but the texture was a disaster. Has anyone else had this happen and found a reliable way to get a lentil loaf to actually slice?

Appreciation post: My $12 grocery haul fed me for a whole week and changed how I shop

That week I spent $12 on groceries and ate better than ever

It was a weird challenge I gave myself after a tight paycheck. I had a bag of dried beans, some rice, a few onions, and a bunch of cheap carrots and celery. I made a huge pot of bean and vegetable soup that lasted me four days straight. The key was using the celery leaves and onion skins to make a broth first, which added a ton of flavor for free. I felt full and healthy the whole time, and it made me rethink what I really need to buy. Has anyone else done a super low-spend week and been surprised by the results?

Just realized how much cheaper a real chicken is compared to the pre-cut stuff

I was looking at a receipt from 2008 I found in an old cookbook. A whole chicken was $4.50 back then, and the same store now sells a pack of just chicken breasts for $12. I learned from a local butcher that you get about three meals from one bird if you use the bones for stock. Has anyone else gone back to buying whole birds to save cash?

I thought the 'dollar per pound' rule at the grocery store was just a silly saying

My friend in Cincinnati swore by only buying produce under a dollar a pound, and I figured it was too simple. After tracking my receipts for two months, I found my average meal cost dropped by 30% when I stuck to carrots, onions, and cabbage that week. Has anyone else found a basic rule like that actually works?

I used to think making your own bread was a total waste of time and money. My electric bill went up $15 a month when I tried it.