c/cheap-eats-showdown

That $3 bag of lentils beat my $8 soup kit

I grabbed a fancy lentil soup kit at the farmers market last weekend and it was bland, then I made a basic pot with a 1 pound bag from the dollar store, same spices and time, and it had way more flavor. The kit's pre-measured spice packet just tasted like salt, while my own cumin and garlic powder did the real work. Has anyone else found that the plain version of an ingredient beats the expensive prepared one, and what's your go-to base for building a cheap soup from scratch?

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laura_white99•1d ago

The grocery store price tag lie I just caught in Ohio

I was checking out at Kroger last Tuesday and noticed the shelf tag said $3.49 for the store brand beans, but the register rang up $4.15. I asked about it and the cashier said the tag was from last week's reset, nobody updates them. Maybe it's just me, but how many other people are getting overcharged like this without catching it? Has anyone else found a price mismatch that big?

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linda335•2d ago

That $15 spiralizer sat in my cabinet for 8 months before I tossed it

I bought one of those cheap spiralizers at a big box store last spring, thinking I'd save money making zucchini noodles every week... but the thing kept jamming on every single veggie and took forever to clean. Finally threw it in the donation bin this past Tuesday after using it exactly twice. Anyone else have a kitchen gadget that seemed like a money saver but just ended up wasting your time and cash?

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elizabethf85•2d ago

The 99 cent corn tortilla trick backfired on me at the Denver food bank line

I overheard a volunteer whisper to another that the bulk bags of tortillas people donate are usually near the expiration date, and my go-to move of buying 3 packs for a dollar was basically a gamble. Last Tuesday I grabbed a stack from a discount bin and by Friday they were cracking into shards, not even soft enough for quesadillas. What I took away is that the real hack is checking the sell-by stamp before you stock up, or just freezing them the same day you buy. That little bit of extra effort saves me from wasting $4.50 a week on throwaway carbs. Anyone else find a better cheap tortilla source that actually lasts? Or do you just make your own masa mix?

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sandra693•3d ago

Why did I fight with canned tuna for years before trying the pouch?

I used to buy the 88 cent cans at the dollar store in Phoenix and spend ten minutes draining and squishing them, getting oil all over my hands. Last month I grabbed a 1.29 pouch on a whim and it changed everything, no mess, no draining, just tear and dump into my pasta or rice bowl. The flavor is honestly better too, less metallic, and I can pack one in my lunch bag without a can opener. Am I the only one who wasted years on the cheaper cans when the pouch saves time and cleanup for like 40 cents more?

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dixon.ryan•3d ago

Rant: My aunt shamed my $2 bean burrito at Thanksgiving dinner

So my Aunt Carol saw me making my usual budget lunch before the big family dinner, a can of refried beans plus some shredded cheese and a tortilla, cost me about $2 total. She goes "you know that's not real food, right?" in front of everyone. I told her it's 20g of protein and fills me for 4 hours, and she just laughed. She then spent $60 on a turkey that half went to waste. Who's the real winner here? Am I wrong for defending the bean burrito, or should I have just stayed quiet to keep the peace? Has anyone else had family crap on their cheap eats like that?

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ben827•6d ago

Rice cooker oatmeal hack cut my breakfast spend to 18 cents

I read on a budget blog that you can make steel cut oats overnight in a rice cooker, so I tried it last Tuesday. A cup of oats and 3 cups of water costs me about 18 cents per serving, versus the $1.50 instant packets I used to buy. Anyone else done this with barley or other grains?

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noahtaylor•7d ago

I finally cracked the code on dried beans with a $4 rice cooker

Took me 6 months of mushy lentils and hard pintos to realize the keep-warm setting does the slow cooking for you, no soaking needed, just 3 cups water to 1 cup beans and walk away for 4 hours, so has anyone else tried this or am I late to the party?

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rivera.jesse•9d ago

TIL the hard way that dried beans need an overnight soak, not 20 minutes

My neighbor Pete, who cooks for a living, told me to soak pinto beans overnight before cooking them. I thought he was just being fussy, so I tried a quick 20 minute soak and cooked them for 4 hours. They came out crunchy and my chili was basically a bowl of pebbles. Has anyone else had a similar fail with a shortcut that sounded too good to be true?

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grant.jade•11d ago

My $28 meal stash lasted exactly 3 days, that math scared me straight

Tbh I thought I was being smart buying bulk rice, beans, eggs, and frozen chicken for $28 at Aldi. But after tracking each meal, I burned through it in 72 hours flat, which works out to over $9 a day just for me. That hit different when I realized eating cheap still means planning portions, not just buying cheap. Anyone else actually count how many servings they get from a single shop? I need real numbers before I trust my own meal prep again.

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roberts.troy•11d ago

My $45 grocery run fed me for 11 days, I still dont believe it

So I tried that cash-only challenge last month after seeing it in a frugal living group, and I hit a number that shook me. I set aside $50 for the week, but somehow stretched it to 11 days on rice, eggs, frozen spinach, and a massive bag of oats I got on clearance at Aldi in Columbus. The kicker was realizing I had been throwing away maybe $30 a month on random snacks and impulse buys that never filled me up. It makes me wonder how much of my old budget was just habit instead of hunger. Anyone else hit a milestone like this where you suddenly saw your food costs in a whole new light?

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kelly.robin•13d ago

Rice cooker died mid-boil, salvaged dinner with a skillet

My $18 rice cooker from Target gave up last night right when the rice was half done, leaving a soggy mess and hungry kids. I dumped it into a cast iron pan with some broth and butter, cooked it like risotto for 15 minutes, and honestly it tasted better than normal. Has anyone else had a kitchen gadget fail and accidentally find a better backup method, or do you just toss it and eat toast?

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hill.christopher•13d ago

Vent: 35 cents a pound for dried beans but I still bought canned for 3 years straight

My coworker in Austin finally showed me that an $8 bag of pinto beans makes about 6 times more food than the $1.89 can, and I did the math while waiting for the bus, so why am I still grabbing cans out of habit and does anyone else just forget to soak beans the night before?

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spencerfisher•14d ago

Spent 2 Hours Trying to Peel a 69 Cent Butternut Squash

I bought a squash for 69 cents at the H-E-B on South Congress, thinking I'd whip up some cheap soup. After 45 minutes of wrestling with the peel and nearly losing a finger, I looked up a video and learned you're supposed to stab it and microwave it first. Total time from counter to edible: 2 hours and 14 minutes, and my arm still aches. Anyone else got a produce trick that took them way too long to figure out?

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the_sarah•16d ago

Stopped buying bagged greens after my $9 salad went bad in 2 days

I kept grabbing those pre-washed spinach bags because they felt like a shortcut. But every single week I'd throw out half of it. Then I did the math at my local Kroger in Columbus. I was spending like $9 a week on greens that mostly rotted. Switched to a head of romaine for $1.29 and it lasts me 5 days easy. Plus I wash it once and pat it dry. Way less plastic too. Am I the only one who fell for the convenience trap for way too long?

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kevin_wells46•18d ago

Frozen veggies beat fresh for my wallet, and I was wrong about taste

I used to swear fresh broccoli was the only way, but after 3 months of tossing out half my bag every week, I tried a $1.29 frozen bag from Aldi. It holds up way better in soups and stir-fries, and honestly I can't tell the difference once it's cooked. Anyone else made the switch and found a frozen veggie that actually tastes better than fresh?

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ray_carr•19d ago

Frozen veggie bags went from mushy to crisp after I started roasting them straight from the freezer

Tbh I used to steam them and got sad limp broccoli every time, but since I switched to a 425 degree oven with olive oil and salt for 20 minutes, the texture difference is night and day, anyone else try this trick with mixed bags?

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rowank83•20d ago

Dried beans finally won me over after 8 months of canned

I always figured the soaking and simmering was too much hassle, but last Tuesday I tried a bag of pintos and honestly, the texture is way better than canned for about 80 cents a pound. It took maybe 10 minutes of actual work, then I just let them go while I did laundry. My burrito bowl tasted like I actually tried, and the leftovers froze perfect for lunches. Anyone else make the switch and find a bean they refuse to cheat on?

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victor_carter51•21d ago

The $2 bag of lentils that turned my kitchen into a foam party

Last Tuesday in my studio apartment, I tried to speed-boil lentils for a budget curry and forgot the lid, so the pot erupted like a science fair volcano and sent foam across the stove, onto the floor, and into my roommate's open laptop, but the curry was still edible and I saved $14 by skipping takeout, so has anyone else had a cheap staple go completely haywire mid-cook?

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jordan_webb49•21d ago

The $6 gram scale that changed how I portion leftovers

I always thought freezing leftovers was cheap and easy until I kept throwing out mushy containers that nobody wanted. Bought a tiny kitchen scale at Walmart and started weighing out single servings before freezing, now I actually eat everything I cook. Anyone else find that portioning stuff out ahead of time beats the whole 'freeze it and pray' approach?

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alicecooper•22d ago

Got 14 meals out of one $9 pork shoulder last week

Bought a 4 pound shoulder on sale and just threw it in the slow cooker with salt, pepper, and a can of cheap salsa. Ate tacos Monday, pulled pork sandwiches Tuesday, then froze the rest in single portions for work lunches. Did the math and each meal came to about 64 cents, which is less than half the cost of the instant noodles I was living on. Anyone else doing the big roast once a week trick, or am I late to this party?

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the_spencer•23d ago

The lady who scoffed at my 47 cent beans and rice bowl

Last week at the bus stop on 5th and Main, this woman saw me eating my usual budget bowl of black beans, rice, and a squeeze of lime and said, "You know that's basically dog food, right?" I just laughed and told her it costs about 47 cents a serving and keeps me full until dinner. She then bragged about her $14 quinoa salads while I nodded. Has anyone else gotten judged for eating cheap in public, and how do you handle it without making a scene?

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quinnj24•24d ago

My $3 rice cooker insert is the real MVP of cheap meal prep

Bought a spare insert for my 10-year-old rice cooker at a thrift store for $3, now I can cook beans and rice at the same time without wiping out my whole Sunday, anyone else double up on cheap kitchen tools?

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thomas_roberts•25d ago

The $25 Instant Pot knockoff from the pawn shop, biggest win of 2024

I grabbed a dented pressure cooker at a pawn shop near Tacoma for $25 because my old one died and I refused to pay retail. That thing has cooked at least 60 pounds of dry beans and chuck roast stews that used to cost me double in takeout. Anyone else had luck rescuing tired kitchen gear from secondhand spots instead of buying new?

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sullivan.riley•26d ago

Grocery store guy changed how I view day old bread

I used to ignore the discount bakery rack at my Kroger in Louisville until a stocker told me he grabs the day old loaves every Tuesday morning and freezes them for toast. He showed me how the $1.29 sourdough reheats perfect in a damp paper towel, and now I plan my weekly meals around that rack. Anyone else got a hidden cheap aisle tip from a store employee that stuck with you?

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