I was making a big batch of budget chili with dried beans (to save like $4) and I forgot to soak them long enough... next thing I know the steam valve gets clogged and BOOM. Red beans and tomato sauce everywhere, including a big splatter on the ceiling fan. I spent an hour scrubbing it with dish soap and a sponge mop, and my apartment still smells like a chili factory. The worst part is I ruined 3 pounds of beans I bought bulk for $2.50. Anyone else had a kitchen gadget fail in a spectacularly messy way?
I stopped by the Piggly Wiggly near my place in Memphis around 8 PM last Tuesday and found a bunch of marked-down veggies and bakery bread for like 50 cents each. Has anyone else figured out the best hour to snag those clearance tags?
Last month I tried that whole Sunday meal prep thing after hearing it praised for years. Spent $45 on ingredients and 4 hours cooking, only to have everything taste bland by Wednesday. I'd rather just buy a $5 rotisserie chicken and some frozen vegetables on my way home each day - saves time and I waste less food. Am I missing something or does anyone else find prepping ahead just doesn't work for real life?
I was at Aldi in Nashville last Wednesday and thought I could make a big pot of chili last all week, but I forgot to buy any seasoning packs or meat and ended up eating plain rice and beans for three days straight. Has anyone else had a grocery planning fail that left you eating sad meals?
Turns out bulk bins at the co-op cost more per pound than the 20-pound bags at the ethnic grocery store, but the savings disappear if you don't have a dry pantry spot and half goes to weevils, so which do you pick when storage space is tight?
I tried both for a month each and my $3 bag of oats lasted me 12 days while eggs were gone in 4. Have you actually compared the cost per serving or just going with what's popular?
Last Wednesday I decided to try that whole 'beans and rice for a week' thing everyone praises, and honestly I thought it would be boring. But I used canned black beans, some cheap frozen peppers, and a jar of salsa I had in the fridge, and every meal actually tasted different and good. Has anyone else found a way to make super cheap staples not feel like punishment?
Went to Costco last week in Akron and grabbed a big bag of rice and a huge box of oats cause it was on sale. Got home and realized I already had three half-used bags of rice from previous bulk runs sitting in the back of my cabinet. Ended up giving one bag to my neighbor and now I'm stuck eating oats for breakfast every day til June. Has anyone else wasted money duplicating stuff you already had?
I always threw kidney beans straight from the can into my chili. One night my 8 year old asked why the beans were so mushy and falling apart. Turns out you're supposed to rinse them first and add them at the very end. Now my chili actually holds together and tastes way better. That one change turned a $4 meal into something I'm not embarrassed to serve guests. Anyone else have a cooking habit they just accepted until someone called them out on it?
I always made canned black beans with just salt and pepper, and they tasted like nothing. Last week I threw in a spoonful of cumin and a squirt of lime juice while they were heating up, and it turned a $1.50 meal into something I actually looked forward to. Anyone else got a cheap spice trick that levels up basic stuff?
He said the stores throw out perfectly good food just because the label is crinkled, and I found a whole shelf of canned tomatoes and beans for half price at Grocery Outlet last Tuesday. Has anyone else scored on dented cans or are you paranoid about botulism like I was?
I spent 3 years buying boneless thighs for $4.29 a pound before she pointed out whole chickens are 99 cents a pound and I just needed a knife.
I tried it for three weeks straight last month and ended up throwing out half the food because I got sick of eating the same chicken and rice by Wednesday, so now I just cook fresh each night and spend less than $35 a week total, anyone else find meal prep overrated?
I heard someone at the grocery store say they freeze tomato paste in teaspoon portions on wax paper and then pop them into a bag. I tried it last week with a can that cost $1.20 and now I have six little paste pucks ready for future recipes. Has anyone found a good way to freeze other common ingredients like canned coconut milk or buttermilk?
I made this huge pot of red lentil soup with onions, carrots, and garlic last Monday. Threw in some spinach at the end like I always do... but by Friday it had this weird film on top and smelled sour. Turns out red lentils break down way faster than green ones and leftover spinach releases something that makes it spoil quick. Now I only make half batches with red lentils and I add the spinach fresh when I reheat each bowl. Has anyone else had lentils go bad on them faster than you expected?
I was just tossing carrot peels and onion ends in the trash for years until my friend Jen said 'you know that's free broth right' and now I have three quart bags of scraps in my freezer, any of you actually keep a dedicated scrap container on your counter or is that too much?
I started using the apps for Safeway and Fred Meyer about 3 weeks ago and clipped every digital coupon I could find, and my last receipt showed I saved almost $18 on one trip alone. Has anyone else found that the store-specific apps are way better than generic coupon sites, or is it just because I'm shopping during the markdown times?