[WhoInTheWhatNow]

I'm living on a budget, and I am trying to make the very best food per dollar without it being ramen.
Anyone have any secrets, or meals they'd like to share that is cost efficient but also not going to be all carbs?
Up until recently I was buying bagged chicken nuggets for around 3 dollars for 32 oz. It was lasting about 3 meals give or take depending on which side food I had with it. I know eggs are another cheap food but what else is there that I could try that is cost effective, and possibly not super unhealthy? Any frivolous spenders got a go to food/brand/store/item that they use to eat well but cheap?

[larryberry]

I love this post! Im also in the same situation so I'd be interested in hearing other people's responses.  Ive recently tried to limit foods with too many preservatives too so it's a little trickier to spend less, but its definitely doable.
One thing i found was that eating vegetarian can be more expensive if going with alternative meats, or cheaper if going with proteins such as beans, lentils, edamame etc.
The key for me is to use good seasonings/make a good sauce.  Ex. Curry lentils, chicken (or mushroom kelp) broth porridge with edamame and pickled vegetables.
Another general tip would be to buy during sales and freeze (uncooked or cooked, depends on the ingredient)

[WhoInTheWhatNow]

Oh! That reminds me. Target has these BIG tubs of salad for 3 dollars regularly on sale (Regular price here is 4 bucks). But they last 5+ servings. As long as you aren't opposed to the same 2 combo's they make them in. XD

Same problem for me here. So many preservatives. Broth porridge with edamame and pickled veggies sounds good. I'm going to try that. What store do you recommend for sales on freezable food?

[larryberry]

It probably depends on your location but usually I'll look out for weekly ads or coupons for regular grocery stores like safeway, ralphs, etc.  I also like shopping at Japanese/korean supermarkets like Mitsuwa, HMart etc.

A couple months ago I could get something like 6 ears of fresh sweet corn for $1.  So I got them, cooked it all and froze all the kernels that I didn't immediately eat.  It's super easy to just toss in the frozen kernels into anything.  Knowing when things are in season is great for saving money and getting better quality at the same time.

[WhoInTheWhatNow]

I like that corn kernal idea a lot since I tend to mix in things that I find cheap to make the meal more filling. 99 cent package of baby bella mushrooms for instance. It's a relatively big size. But I will add 2-3 slices worth to each meal. They somehow squeeze in about 8-9 of them at Aldi's where I live. True. I forgot about location differences affecting the prices. I'll have to look up if we have a Ralph's. Thank you!

[Blee337]

welll idont think so gaga