The crock pot to cook tougher, cheaper pieces of meat until they're edible, and the chest freezer to be able to take advantage of deep sales and stock up. (Even those pieces of meat that are otherwise expiring the next day and have that 'manager special' discount.) Try to avoid over-carbing, because your body processes carbohydrate calories quickly, and you get hungry again sooner. Adding a bit of fat of some sort will help stretch feelings of satiety, so don't feel you have to always remove all the fat before cooking meat.

And this is not advice, but an observation - I don't throw out canned foods just because they're past their expiration date. Unless they bloat out, or they smell, taste, or look bad when I open them up, I've been known to eat them up to 2-3 years past expiration with no ill effects. But I'm not going to advise anybody else to do that for liability reasons.

ETA: Some of the 'prepper' websites can actually have some decent advice as well, as long as you ignore the blather about guns. And there's a good series of blog posts over on daily kos on 'foraging', recognizing various edible plants that might be growing nearby that you can harvest from public lands.

try https://www.dailykos.com/news/foraging, or https://www.dailykos.com/news/frugal or https://www.dailykos.com/news/survivalism for good posts.

also a wok or skillet and run the meats you crock pot really fast to get a sear (improves flavour)

onions i use a lot (personal choice)
if you got the room at home...bulk bulk bulk, sacks are cheaper than bags, bags are cheaper than small packs

and if you have them in area ...farmers markets

yes, the prepper sites have some good info too (and here i thought i was the only one using that resource)

i also like a toaster/toaster oven combo for fast heating

stale bread bought cheap still makes good french toast
or toast and beans
or dried bread and what ever food you want to dip the bread into

canned cans usually have 10 years, but yeah smell test

thanks for all the cool tricks

I grow a lot of garlic and black raspberries mainly, trying to get my apples to the point I can eat more of them without having to dig out bugs. Obviously, large gardens only work for those of us who still have land or public gardening space available to us, but I've grown green onions in a mug with water covering the roots on a windowsill. Cut off pieces to use in cooking, and let them regrow, changing the water every couple of days.

have you tried square foot gardening?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_foot_gardening

companion planting helps me for apples


and a good trick there on green onions
thanks


assuming you compost at home?
have you checked the keyhole gardens and fertilizer+grass/straw (under glass sometimes) for heated/warmer winter growth?

I like things I can stick in the ground and ignore until harvest time. And, of course, things I can save the seeds from to plant for next time, so I'm not rebuying them. As to the apples, I get lots of small ones (because I don't prune enough of them off) but they're all buggy long before they're ripe. I've been told I need to find old pantyhose and make little 'bags' to tie around the flowers as soon as they are fertilized so as to keep bugs from putting eggs into the apples. I'm going to try that next year. I also liked the 'underground gardening' idea, where you dig a (fairly deep and wide ) trench and run plastic tarps over it, but I'm afraid I'd wind up with someone falling into it and injuring themselves. I've used straw for nasty winters for the garlic after I lost half my crop a couple of years back, but I'm hearing we're supposed to have a pretty mild winter where I am this year. Btw, 'carmine jewel' bush cherries are great. I bought two about 4 years ago, and one died almost immediately, but the remaining one just started fruiting out this year in any quantity, and made for a fantastic jelly.

have you tried leaning sticks + plastic (cheapo greenhouse) against house walls?

Because the lead paint chips and flakes got into the soil up near the house from the first few decades of housepaint that went on it before they got rid of lead in paint.

I'd love to try LED red/blue gardening inside, to start peppers, tomatoes and the like early, but I never seem to be able to scrape the money together before I need it for something else. Most recently, I'd been trying to save up to get a tooth crowned that's had a gaping hole in it for a couple of years now, but my glasses got mangled and getting a new pair sucked down the cash I had set aside. So the LED grow lighting season extension experiment keeps getting put on hold until I find regular work again.

ewwww toothache + glasses issue

i hear you been there

cloves help a little with toothache (keep by toothe) (old trick (eugenol what dentists use for small pain killing))

i'm sure you've tried dentist schools in your area

running a 'valid' compost under the beds of plants helps..it increases temp quite a bit
cellulose+water+bacteria/fungi from compost or fertilizer


plant light vs reflectors, tried alu foil? and covering in plastic foil (or growing in pet bottles)


i'ma just tossing ideas man

The hole is in it because an older filling crumbled away. If it gets to the point it starts hurting, I'll go in and at least get it cleaned and refilled on a credit card. They had just warned me when I went in before that if I do that, I might not have enough left for them to do a crown later. But really, I've gotten used to that hole, and probably could just get used to having the tooth pulled out entirely if it came to that.

Actually, one of my strawberry beds is overtop of some cherry wood I buried, and that bed was the most productive of the lot this year. The wood is decomposing nicely, and probably helped keep things a bit warmer. I may try another bed like that, I just cut down one of my two remaining cherry trees, since I'm starting to get more fruit from the cherry bush than I ever was getting from the trees between brown rot, birds, and bugs. I've still got a lot of maple wood too from another tree i had down, and was thinking about trying some mushroom inoculations in an old shed out back. I hear they like hardwoods.

sad it isn't covered on medicare/medicaid


you may want to try the 'long season' growers on composting beds (Beds of growth where you are composting under neath)

I've only been covered by medicaid for the last year or so, since my governor agreed to expand it to broke-ass adults even thought the legislature was dead set against it. So I never even thought to ask if I have any dental or vision benefits. I'm going to really kick myself if it turns out I could have gotten the glasses cheaper, or could have gone in and had the dental work done as soon as I was covered.

at least get your prescription so you can order online next time . They even have specially like bifocals etc
Eyeglass stores can be real rip offs IMO

Not sure about glass vs plastic

my work i need glass not plastic lenses (grinding metal will make swiss cheese outta plastic lenses)

also glass vs plastic on (transitions....5-6 years on plastic..more on glass)

if you could find out that'd rock!

I always have a big pot on the porch of green onions except in winter, and use them, chopped, often when I would have used onions..esp.. in Chinese dishes.
I just stick the bottom of store onions into the dirt and water.

They both do well for me, and if I don't water them in summer they just go dormant, but I can still dig them up and have a bulb, though they are small. If kept watered I have green onions.

I was always trying yellow or red type things that were supposed to get big and globular.

I'm in Northern Calif. We get frost and sometimes snow, but not but a few inches since I've lived here. If you want to try some, if you PM me your address I could put some in the mail. I also have lots of chard, kale, arugula and lettuce seed I could share. I just leave the onions in the ground until I want to use them. The walking onions form little bulbs on a stalk instead of flowering. The multiplier onions will sometimes flower but not often for me, they just multiply by division and become very tight bunches if left a while.

We had a week at around -10 degrees that cost me half my garlic a couple of years back.

I've read about using bales of straw around a bed then putting old sliding glass doors on top for winter greens in cold climates. Sorry to hear about the garlic loss.

It's really a "best if eaten by" date, not an expiration date.

Assuming the can remains sealed, the food is safe for an extremely long time. Like decades if the food is not acidic. It just won't taste very good.

A couple of years out from the dates, the liquid seemed to be eating through the cans and leaving nasty black goo on the carpet where I had them sitting.

can be used to marinade/tenderize meats

Can't afford healthy foods. I eat a half pound of pasta with 3 slices of imitation sliced cheese everyday. Not healthy but cheap.

and I am, now.

I assume you've hooked up with every possible support service you can think of, but I'm guessing you live in a red state where they don't believe in feeding poor folks, but just want them to die off?

is there a way you can get to 4x4 foot of land, on a balcony even

or anything?

Seriously, though, check into volunteering at a food pantry. Check out farmers markets and your local grocery store. There always seem to be leftovers that can't be saved, but are too good to be thrown away.

Find someone who has a garden. Offer to help in exchange for some veggies. Grow your own if possible. I know that's hard to impossible in some situations, but even a couple of plants help.

On a personal note, a volunteer shift at my local hospital gets me a free meal (up to $9 worth of food).

guerilla gardening


hide your veggies in other people's flower gardens

most people wouldn't recognize spinach for instance to save their lives


also (as poster over square foot gardening) and bucket gardening


volunteer at local soup kitchen gets me 3 meals
the one i made and two more
often the 2 more are portable! (get a pot with tight fitting lid for soups and stews)

They 'guerilla gardened' their pot along the edge of the driveway next to the house I was renting. I didn't even recognize it or realize what it was til the local cops showed up to uproot it.

It can cook lots of things like rice, pasta, meat, potatoes, etc and quicker than a crockpot.

They are cheap and healthy, but definitely get boring.

need to change it up


lentils
beans
chick peas
rice
bread
make veggie burgers from lentils and beans (or falafel) or hummus

and even so not a good solution long run

Once cooked, it can be soups, dips, spreads, loaves, patties, and other preparations. They're limited only by the size of your spice collection and creativity. Some can be sprouted to provide you with enough vitamin C to avoid pricey fruits at the supermarket. The fiber will keep you regular and the gas will decrease as your body acclimates to them.

Start here to open your brain to some of the possibilities: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/bean-recipes-we-love.html

Beans and grains give you the biggest bangs for the food buck and their amino acids combine to give you complete protein you might think you can get only from meat. I've lived for years at a time on beans and grains when my health went into the pan and money ran short. There is nothing cheaper than dry beans, bulk grains, and root vegetables.

There are also tons of websites for crock pot dishes you can make ahead and freeze. For instance, you can buy and make up these packets which would allow you to use veggies with a little in this packet or another packet. Say you make up one for roast/potato/carrot/onion/celery main meal/beef stew, beef/noodles, one for veggie soup. You have all the veggies you need. Dried beans (navy) are inexpensive and filling. You can throw in a ham bone for flavor, potatoes/onion/ carrots for soup. Make up meatloaf for individual loaves, take out of freezer and wrap in foil to bake (spray or oil foil first), make large batch mac/cheese and divide in foil packets as side dish. Same with goulash or pasta dishes. If you are heavy on the carbs, adding a large salad will help. Also, you say you are very active, so that also helps.

It isn't cheap to eat a lot of fresh fruits/veggies, but necessary. Watch for specials by season and fix recipes to freeze. Right now, tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli are cheaper and there are tons of recipes for casseroles or use heavily in salads. You could buy tomatoes and make your own spaghetti sauces or just cook up and bag the tomatoes for later addition to soups. Egg dishes also make for a satisfying main dish like scrambled, souffles, overnight casseroles w/sausage, etc., and warm up individual servings, when desired. Eating breakfast type dishes at night is a nice change and can be cheap/satisfying.

When I was first married, a butcher told me that you could take cheap cuts of beef and add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to make it tender while cooking. I've used that for over 50 years and it works. I also use that for barbecued ribs by pre-boiling with vinegar/water until the meat starts to pull away from the ends of the bones, then bake (covered) until tender. That gets rid of a lot of the fat and the meat practically falls off the bones. Pork is a whole lot cheaper than beef and usually on sale at this time of year due to farmers "unloading" their hogs before winter. I just bought a "rack" of pork ribs cut into pork chops for $30. The shop cut/wrapped for free and I was amazed at how many packages I got (2 huge bundles). I'm set up in pork for winter. They can be used in many dishes, like skillet dinners. Brown chops in heavy skillet, add new potatoes, green beans, carrots on top of meat, cover with heavy lid and cook in oven until done. Try not to lift lid in process. Many varieties can be made by changing veggies.

any acid will 'tenderize meat' (orange, tomato, vinegar)

i'm so glad you are here welcome

tender as all get out, but still dry - until I finally learned that my meat shouldn't be sitting in liquids, but should be supported and essentially steaming above the liquid. That was a trick I wished I'd learned about a dozen years earlier than I did.

I think searing it first also helps, but yeah, I was covering it and essentially boiling it in beef broth, and then choking it down because it was dry as sawdust once I took it out.

right?

My go to vegs for crockpot anything are potatoes, carrots, celery & onions, mix& match as on sale. The beef goes on top, with another layer of onions on top, cuz that's how I roll. I really haven't noticed dried out veggies.

If anything, my potatoes get kinda waterlogged. Must be some difference in the cell structures of animal vs plant and how they change under prolonged heat.

i know you got more tricks

so share sister please
share!

... at this link.


It's a .pdf file.

(Not one attached to a grocery store)

When they slice up the primals, there's leftover hunks of meat that are generally not sold in the store. They used to be called "butcher's cuts" because they were the meat the butcher ate, since he couldn't sell it.

Also, it can be a source for fresh bones, which do a great job flavoring stocks and soups. They may be inexpensive since they're normally thrown away.

then drop them into either buttermilk (acidic), kefir (acidic) or lemon/lime juice (acidid) to make them nicer

then drop them fast through a soy+pepper sear and then into a slow cooker

the bones i can get cheap, i freeze into icecube blocks that i then store in ziplock bags


drop 2 -3 cubes into a pot and chicken stock adds flavour

Really helps preserving the bulk buys.

It was a few years back, and I still see them on occasion. I haven't actually used it (we seldom have anything to save, and regular zip lock bags work for that). It's the plainest one, without the extra jar sealing attachment, but it works -- I've used it to make smaller cellophane bags for craft stuff.

Oddly enough, I got a couple of boxes of bags at another store, I think for $1 each. If the garden goes well next year, I hope to be able to try freezing stuff.

My guess is you'll recover that in about 12 - 18 months.

Last edited Fri Oct 9, 2015, 01:22 AM - Edit history (1)

budgetbytes.com, worth a browse.
my 2 favs, so far...
Dragon Noodles

Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
15 mins
Total Cost: $2.04

Cost Per Serving: $1.04

Serves: 2
Ingredients
•4 oz. lo mein noodles $1.13
•2 Tbsp butter $0.20
•¼ tsp crushed red pepper $0.02
•1 large egg $0.25
•1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
•1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.02
•1 Tbsp sriracha (rooster sauce) $0.08
•1 handful fresh cilantro $0.22
•1 sliced green onion $0.06
Instructions
1.Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes).
2.While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
3.In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat.
4.When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green onions and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve!


I have made this with angel hair pasta when I don't have lo mein noodles. I have also chopped up dry roast peanuts for topping. I have also put cubed tofu, left over chicken bits and a few shrimps for extra protein. I tried drained tuna, on top, but I didn't care for it.





Italian Wonderpot
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins



Ingredients
•4 cups vegetable broth $0.52
•2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
•12 oz. fettuccine $1.33
•8 oz. frozen chopped spinach $0.79
•1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes $1.73
•1 medium onion $0.43
•4 cloves garlic $0.32
•½ Tbsp dried basil $0.07
•½ Tbsp dried oregano $0.07
•¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.02
•freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
•2 oz. feta cheese $0.87



Instructions
********1.Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
2.Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
3.Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
4.After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.( I use whatever cheese I may have on hand)


******I do brown the onion, garlic and spices before I add the veg broth, I think the flavor is better. I was out of spinach once, so I used frozen greenbeans. I have added grated zucchinis and grated carrots. I have added cubed tofu for more protein.

I have just recently discovered the awesomeness of pressure cookers. I can make amazingly tender meat in no time, and can cook a spaghetti squash in 15 minutes (vs an hour or more in the oven).

I'm not organized enough for crock pot cooking, and am not crazy about leaving one plugged in and unattended all day. I have always been afraid of pressure cookers, but it turns out that they are perfectly safe as long as you understand them.

But all you really need is a stove and some basic pots and pans. I have a crock pot (gift from mother in 1981), a pressure cooker (gift from mother about ten years ago), a microwave, and one of those little indoor grills (this one is about seven or eight years old).

What do I mainly use? Regular stove, pots and pans. Some stuff I do in the microwave (easy for rice), though we're using it less now. I love my cast iron pan (had it at least a couple of decades) and use it often.

Back when I was with the ex-D(amned)H, I found a book in the library called "Good Recipes for Hard Times". It's from the 70s, by a woman who grew up in the Depression. The book has lots of recipes for cooking basic foods, many from other cultures, with ideas on stretching things past one meal, and an amusing section about food budgets in the back.

I learned to make biscuits from this book, and still use the cake and pancakes recipes. I looked the book up on Amazon once, and it was selling for $35! That's crazy.

I find lots of recipes on the Internet. I cook from scratch as much as possible, with basic ingredients. I make up my own spice mixes (chili powder, Italian seasoning, Ranch dressing mix -- which is awesome over chicken and baked), will often make pizza dough and there's this one recipe that makes the most delicious buns...

We don't eat fancy stuff like ribs, roasts or much fish, or many fresh fruits or vegetables. I know we should, but the money only stretches so far. Farmers markets here are outrageous on prices, and mostly the stuff doesn't look as good as what's in the stores.

When things are really tight, I will mix ground turkey with ground beef to stretch it. Turkey is half the price, so a couple of pounds mixed with five pounds of hamburger helps. I've done it half-and-half, too. I don't care for ground turkey on it's own (too many bad memories from the low-cal, low-fat days).

We can get two meals from a whole chicken (.95 a pound at Aldi), and my son will make stock from it, too. I usually use about 3/4 lb of ground beef in many recipes, and we don't really miss it. That's for four people, three of them hungry grown men. We just had three meals from a bag of chicken breasts (from Aldi), because the pieces were pretty large so I only made one apiece.

I try to keep dinner at $5 for the four of us. Sometimes it runs more, but usually around there. We don't have breakfast as a rule, since everybody has different schedules. Sometimes my youngest will make breakfast burritos, or I'll have a bowl of grits, or occasionally some eggs (from our hens) and sausage links (1.09, Aldi).

Another thing I like for breakfast is some sausage links with Mozzarella on them. Diced tomatoes if I have any.

Lunch is leftovers, or Ramen noodles. Again, different schedules so we don't have set meals. I often just do a late breakfast, with whatever I can find. Sometimes a cheese stick with some peanuts will do me, or I make a breakfast quiche (low carb idea), and that will last me three or four days.

Okay, post is getting really long, and I need to get back to sleep. Love this group so far!