c/frugal-foodies

My aunt told me I was crazy for buying whole chickens instead of just breasts

I used to ONLY buy chicken breasts on sale for like $3.99 a pound. My aunt watched me one time and said 'You're paying for bones and skin you don't even use? That's wild.' She showed me how to break down a whole chicken for $1.29 a pound at Aldi here in St. Louis. Now I get 2 meals from the meat plus 3-4 cups of broth from the carcass. I freeze the livers and hearts for my cats too so literally nothing goes to waste. Has anyone else switched to whole birds and actually tracked the savings per month?

Learned the hard way about buying bulk spices at the dollar store

I grabbed a bunch of those little spice jars at Dollar Tree thinking I was saving big. Turns out the oregano was mostly stems and the cinnamon tasted like cardboard. Ended up throwing three jars out after one use each, so that's about $4 down the drain. A coworker told me the bulk bins at Winco are way cheaper per ounce and actually taste like something. Now I buy just what I need for a recipe from there instead. Anybody else get burned by cheap store spices?

debate with my roommate about frozen veggies vs fresh

So my roommate swears fresh veggies are always better and cheaper. I told her a bag of frozen broccoli is $1.50 at Aldi and lasts weeks. She hit back with her $2 head of fresh broccoli that she uses in 2 days. But I did the math - frozen spinach is $1.20 per pound and fresh is $3.50 for a bag that wilts in 3 days. She said fresh has more nutrients, but I read freezing locks them in right after harvest. Which side do you guys lean on for saving money and eating well? Any frozen veggie tricks that changed your mind?

TIL frozen veggies can actually be cheaper AND last longer than fresh

I kept throwing out half my fresh spinach and bell peppers every week because I couldn't use them fast enough. Finally timed myself one night after work - took me 45 minutes to chop and freeze everything I bought that week. Now I just buy frozen bags and save about $12 a week on produce I was wasting. Anyone else switched to frozen and noticed a big difference in their grocery bill?

Almost ruined a whole batch of lentils with a cheap spice blend

I was making my usual lentil soup last Tuesday in my tiny kitchen, and I grabbed this dollar store chili powder I had bought a few months back. Had no idea it was mostly salt and filler, so I dumped in two tablespoons like a fool. The soup turned into a salty brine that literally made my lips pucker, I had to toss the whole pot and start over. I lost about $4 worth of lentils and veggies plus an hour of simmering time. Now I only buy spices from the bulk bins at my local co-op where I can see the ingredients listed. Has anyone else gotten burned by those super cheap seasoning packets?

Switched to frozen vegetables over fresh for soup nights and saved $12 this month alone

I had to decide between buying fresh broccoli and carrots every week or grabbing a big bag of frozen mix for $3.50 at Aldi, and after three tries the frozen ones actually tasted better in my chicken soup since they didn't turn to mush. Has anyone else found a swap like this that worked out better than expected?

PSA: I was throwing away money every time I bought a rotisserie chicken

For years, I'd grab a $7.99 rotisserie chicken for a quick dinner. Told myself it was a good deal. Then last Tuesday, I saw whole raw chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound. A 5-pound bird was under $5. I realized I was paying a $3 premium for someone to turn my oven on. I roasted it myself with just salt, pepper, and some old potatoes. Tasted way better, made way more food, and I got a pot of stock from the bones. How did I not see this before? What other 'convenience' foods are actually a total rip-off?

Just realized my weekly grocery bill dropped under $40

I started buying dried beans in bulk from the co-op and making a big pot of soup every Sunday. Last week I spent $38.75 at the store, which is the lowest it's been in years. Has anyone else found a single change that cut their food costs this much?

Tbh, I always bought the cheap store brand canned beans

But last week I grabbed a bag of dried pinto beans for $1.79 and cooked a huge pot. The flavor was way better and it made like four times as much food for the same price. Anyone have other cheap dried bean recipes?

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