How can I eat for cheap as a broke grad student?

[lawlifelgbt]

Posted that chicken recipe to my blog so I can find it again! Partner is working this week, so we'll be able to stock up. Although it's very hard not to immediately want to go out to eat; we haven't been able to afford "dates" lately. And I love some steak!

[WifeofBill]

Check the clearance section of your grocery store. Last year after the holidays I was able to get bags of chestnuts, almonds, and walnuts for $1 each. I also was able to get huge cans of pumpkin for $1. I use the canned pumpkin mixed with a box of cake mix to make pumpkin muffins. You don't need oil or eggs or anything else. They are filling and provide fiber, plus I'm sure they can be frozen (family of 5 so they don't last long here).

I'm glad your partner will be bringing a slow cooker, those make life so much easier. Also, while your partner is still looking for a job hopefully they can make up several meals for the freezer, so when you both get busy you'll have some ready to go meals.

[ari_belle]

I only use dried onions and garlic. That way, I don't spend so much on them, and I can use as I need to and not worry about things going bad. They taste just fine, too! I also used dried bell peppers.

[defraudingjezebel]

I'll echo everyone else and say that a crockpot will be the best $20 you'll spend as a grad student! Speaking as a poor and busy graduate student myself, I stock up on frozen chicken breasts when they're on sale and cook them in all kinds of sauces at least once a week in my crockpot. You can make an italian-style chicken with tomato paste/sauce, peppers, onions (or whatever veggies you want), and italian spices. Or a thai chicken curry sauce made with a few tablespoons of curry paste and coconut milk. I eat my chicken usually with lentils or couscous (super fast to cook and cheap) and another vegetable on the side (usually microwave-steamed carrots or broccoli). Crockpot recipes are the easiest and there's an abundance of easy, simple crockpot recipes all over the internet. Start with allrecipes.com and go to their slow cooker section.

[Walking Cat Bed]

A crock pot is one of two of the best things a grad student can own -- the other, for me, is a rice cooker.

I'm a big advocate of food pantries. If your university has one, go; also, find one that receives and distributes nearly-expired bread, produce, and meat. Between those (and a roommate who seriously gardens) I've been able to eat pretty well since spring. That also frees up grocery money for things like seasonings and particular ingredients (and I shop for ingredients 90% of the time).

My go-to dinners are either a good soup each weekend or a beans/grain/veggies combination that takes about 20 minutes to make, most of that waiting. I just cook 1-2 cups each of pasta/rice/couscous/quinoa, beans, and whatever veggies work (I've been using corn and diced tomatoes). It's very filling and super easy to mix up with different ingredients. I just try to have 2/3 veggies in any given meal.

I also love stir-fry with chicken and veggies, cooked in olive oil.

I use a lot of canned veggies and beans, but I rinse them very thoroughly.

[Geechee Girl]

For years I've had a $50/wk grocery budget which includes meals & snacks for myself and teen GG. Proper food storage goes a long way to keeping your hard-earned $$ from going into the bin. Celery wrapped in tin foil will remain a lovely green & crisp for weeks in the bin. Limp lettuce can be perked up in an ice bath. Onions & potatoes should never be neighbors. They prefer their own cool, dark place. I hang my onions in pantyhose with a knot in between each one. Berries will last weeks if stored in glass. A Blu Apple in the produce drawer doesn't hurt.

Don't forget to utilize the freezer, too. Freeze berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to ziplock bags. I also portion family packs of fish into individual filets wrapped in Stretch-Tite, then into a Ziplock bag. When I make pancakes, muffins, or waffles, I double the batch and freeze the excess between layers of waxed paper.

We eat a pescetarian diet, and seafood isn't always cheap. We fortify our meals with lots of beans, peas, tofu, and nuts. I buy the bulk of my produce, spices, and grains from ethnic markets. The produce usually wouldn't pass muster in a big box store due to the size, discolorations, and/or a few blemishes. Rice is insanely cheap at Indian and Asian markets.

Our crock pot is used for veggie chili, caramelized onions, beans/pea, and hummus. The wok is also a heavy hitter here for stir fries and fried rice. Having many condiments and spices gives new flavor profiles to veggies. On the weekends, I roast trays of veg to use for quick meals during the week. I add them to soup, salad, quiche, omelets, pizza, etc. We do weekly fridge cleanout soups and fried rice.

Can you eat yogurt? It's a great multi-use ingredient, not only for breakfast. We use it as the dairy component for pancake batter, as a sub for sour cream, dip/dressing base, dessert, and smoothie component.

Our go-to snack is trail mix or nut butter & banana on toast. We have breakfast for dinner often. A favorite meal of ours is pupusas topped with black beans. We use masa for pancakes, too.

[utter solitude]

I know this advice probably doesn't matter to the OP anymore, but since it's been revived I just have to chime in about the foodstamps/SNAP, as I have experience here.

The most humiliating thing about it for me was the process of getting them. In Ohio, you fill out a form (you can do it online) and then of course they require proof and you must do a phone interview. That was the most humiliating for me. I felt looked down upon by the case workers, especially the second time. (I was living with my exhusband but paying him rent and everything was separate. The woman was so incredulous about this it was just insulting. And then later actually made me send proof of divorce after trying to claim we were one household and she was going to cut off my benefits, but that's another story) Of course, this wouldn't be a thing if you have a decent human being for a caseworker. You then send in proof of everything, income, bills, etc and once you're approved you get a letter saying how much you'll be getting, and the card.

The card looks a lot like a debit card, it's about half a silly cityscape logo. Says "Ohio Direction Card" across it, it looks like it could be a custom debit card, YMMV. You'd only notice that if you were examining the card up close. I've never had a cashier comment on it, nor anyone I was in line in with (I admittedly have a habit of covering the "face" of the card while swiping it, that probably helps). To do so would be in incredibly poor taste, and every store I've cashiered for has let us know that you do NOT say things to people with SNAP or WIC, and I don't know anyone who would.

My point is, if you qualify for the program, that most likely means you need it and if you need something, there's nothing wrong with using it. You don't have to look poor to accept what's available to you! :) I don't think I look like the stereotype of someone needing government assistance, nobody's ever said anything to me. Don't be afraid to not accept help because of embarassment.

[lawlifelgbt]

Thanks for more ideas!

I'm staying away from yogurt- I have a bit of trouble with milk, and when I was really struggling with an eating disorder, I ate a lot of yogurt, so yeah, bad association. If it was cheaper, I would try soy yogurt, or quark (German yogurt-ish product at some natural food stores).

I went to the co-op today and got some bulk granola though, and that'll be great for breakfast. It's vanilla-almond flavored and I'm all "don't just eat it dry, self!" because it's very delicious. Then again, I have been down to two meals a day lately, because money and keeping weird hours (I have August off after summer class/work, plus I've been having a lot of light sensitivity lately and headaches, so I keep Dracula-type hours and sleep thru breakfast).

Not exactly sure what to do about cheap produce though; we're not so great about having fresh food, and buy most things from Target, which sometimes has less produce. Sometimes I buy apples, and my parents are going to give us some berries. They bulk-pick them where we vacation, and freeze for winter.

But honestly, since August is always so tight around here, bulk instant mashed potatoes and frozen potato items (I know, I know, not healthy), are staples, just because so cheap and filling. But we also always get the steam-in-bag $1 veggies and split them as a side maybe 3x/week.

[Geechee Girl]

Do you live where there's a sizable immigrant or migrant worker community? If so, check their local markets/bodegas for affordable produce. Also, I find a decent selection of produce and pantry items at .99cent and dollar stores. I also used to stock up & freeze rolls, buns, etc from the bread outlet. If you don't have a local day-old bread store, look for a clearance shelf in the bakery section of the big box supermarket.

How do you feel about grits?

[lawlifelgbt]

I have never had grits- MN born and raised here, it's just not a thing! My city has one of the largest Somali populations outside of you know, Somalia, and I live near that minority-majority neighborhood. However, that focus seems to be more on meat, since there's something like kosher they follow. Also, the neighborhood is kind of rough for someone like me- petite, female, and really really gay. But I could ask around to see if there's anything worth going in for, and take a friend.

I'm genuinely not afraid of crime or violence or going into bad areas, and I only avoid them because I know intellectually that I should. However, I am absolutely terrified of even the smallest bug! I'm odd like that.

[lilith]

If you can find out when your local supermarket or green grocer marks down stock that's nearing the end of it's saleable life you can save a fortune on fruit and veg, and you can freeze it if you get super good deals. When I was really struggling as a single mum I very rarely payed full price for fresh food - I asked the produce manager at a local supermarket what days and what times they did the markdowns, and I'd go in on those two evenings. Same for meat and dairy, although dairy was marked down by a different schedule and required a separate trip. But it literally cut the price I was paying for fresh foods in half and allowed me to buy more expensive fruits and meats that I never could have afforded at full price.

If you do find good deals on fruit blending it for smoothies, with or without milk, is a great way to make it last and take up minimal freezer space. If you purée your fruit mix and freeze it in ice cube trays before storing in zip lock bags you can just grab a few cubes to blend with milk/soy/almond/whatever milk in the mornings for a quick breakfast. Works with greens too if you're into green smoothies.

Sometimes I think I managed to feed my kids better then, when I was trying to get the most nutritional value and bulk from every dollar, than I do now, when I have much more money but less time and less motivation to squeeze the best meals I could put of every purchase.

[Coco]

This article goes into some detail on how to avoid toxic food while trying to live within a tight budget: eatlocalgrown.com/article/12153-what-to-eat-when-you-re-broke.html

and it's true that the ethnic shops will have cheaper foods. We lived in TX and i'd always try to go to the local Mexican grocery store. They seemed to get bruised produce a lot but who cares if you can get twice as much for the money!

and some ideas for meals on $100/week (could probably be even cheaper than her suggestions) meetpenny.com/2014/03/100-grocery-list-week/

[2xx1xy1JD]

Frozen fruits and veggies are a nutritious alternative to fresh. They don't go back, so there's no expensive waste, and I find that you are far less likely to buy stuff that is already starting to rot. It's especially useful in the winter when local produce just isn't available.

How much would it be for a 10 lbs bag of potatoes? It may be cheaper than the instant stuff, and properly stored potatoes will last for a while.

[shedemei]

Second the frozen vegetables. I ate a lot of that in my poor phase. The mixed ones are great for quick stir fries.

Speaking of that time in my life, I really regret not pursuing public assistance. It night have helped me get back on my feet faster.

If you're up for it, take a look at some of the once-a-month cooking blogs for tips on buying and using things in bulk, which is often (but not always) cheaper.

[Walking Cat Bed]

I'm gonna talk up food pantries again. Yesterday I got a bag of individually-wrapped frozen chicken boobs, fresh asparagus, stuffed mushrooms...and half the freezer is bread. Also, tons of cucumbers, which my roommate will probably use for pickles.

Seriously. Check food pantries.

[Coco]

oh just remembered bountiful baskets! i found out they have this program in my area, it rocks. Haven't signed up yet but friends who have it love it. blog.bountifulbaskets.org/

[tuesday]

I know this is an old thread, but budgetbytes.com has saved my partner and I. It isn't a fundie site and still give a lot of ideas on how to keep the food budget in check. Also, if the original poster is still interested it seem like a lot of the recipes here would meet your needs. And the Beth, the woman who runs it, answers any questions that one might have.

[Becket70]

Make your own microwave popcorn. I never buy the stuff they sell in the boxes anymore...too expensive, too many chemicals and not that tasty. My grocery store sells a bag of unpopped corn for $1.00. When we want popcorn, we take a brown paper bag, add some popcorn, add about 1 tsp. of oil, fold the bag and microwave it for about 2:40. You have to play around with the time and you also need to put the bag on a plate...I use a paper plate because a regular plate gets too hot. It's a great snack for literally pennies.

[Reverend Ladypants]

Beans and rice!

Forreal. They make a complete protein together (is it only lentils and rice or any kind of bean? My degree is divinity not food science lol).

I can make a big pot of beans with rinsed and soaked black eye peas (or great northerns, or butter peas, or lima beans, so cheap when bought dry!). Rise, soak, and rinse again. Add to pot with a few cups of water. Add spices: salt, pepper, coriander, GARLIC. I also add onions (raw, plop 'em right in) and fresh garlic if I have it. Let them cook at a low simmer for an hour and a half or until tender.

Serve over brown rice. Make sure you get plenty of juice in there! Drizzle some olive oil or my favorite, butter, over the rice to give this some fat.

BEAN AND RICE AS GROUND BEEF:

Mix equal parts lentils and brown rice and cook according to brown rice directions, with taco seasoning in the water. When it's done, it's almost exactly like taco meat.

Put that business in tortillas for tacos, corn tortillas for enchiladas (but without the cheese, which is sad, but cheese is pricey where I'm at). Filling for a taco salad over lettuce, etc.

TACO SOUP: YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED THIS IN YOUR LIFE:

If you can afford ground beef/turkey/etc, cook a pound of it with taco seasoning. If not, skip this step.

If you have an onion and no beef, saute it with a little oil and some taco seasoning. If not, skip this step.

If you have None Of Those Things, totally cool. Toss with their liquid: a can of black beans, kidney beans, corn, lg can diced tomatoes into a pot with taco seasoning. Let it heat up. Add some water so it's kind of soupy. TA DA.

Okay, it's better with the meat. If you don't have the meat, the onion will make a big improvement. No worries either way.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TACO SEASONING:

I feel you, young padawan. Here's what's in most taco seasonings: chili powder (got some for .88 at Wal Mart last weekend!), garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt. Maybe cumin if it's really eclectic.

So add a few shakes of chili powder, a few shakes of garlic, and a few shakes of onion powder. Taste. You'll probably want to add more chili powder-- that is what makes the "rustic" (IDK?!) taste of the taco seasoning we all know and love. The cumin makes it a little more aromatic. Don't buy cumin if you don't have it. The real important player here is the chili powder.

FRESH STUFF:

Do they have sale papers in your area? You know, grocery stories showing what produce they have on sale tucked into the newspaper and whatnot? Those things advertised are *loss leaders*. A loss leader means the store is taking a loss on that produce item to get you in the store to buy other things. This almost guarantees you'll get the best price on that item at that store-- they are already losing money on you, but they want to be sure to have the best deal to get you in the door.

If you're going to buy produce, do it that way. Things that get good gastronomic mileage are STURDY GREENS my friend.

WHAT DO I DO WITH CHARD AND WHY DO I WANT TO EAT IT:

Because I said so. It tastes a little like beets. Just buy it when it's cheap and serve it over brown rice or with your beans and rice. Trust me.

Rinse it and slice the whole shabang, leaf and stalk, and throw in a medium heat skillet with oil olive, salt, pepper, and LEMON JUICE. Just a splash. The cheap squeeze kind will do. I find this brightens the flavor to where literally anyone will eat this. If you can't afford lemons, you'll just taste a little more beets. Still delicious, still so good for you.

Throw greens in with your beans. Look! Ya done something different!

I AM READY FOR SOME MEAT NOW

I hear ya. Cube steak is often a great bulk buy. Package it to freeze (great tips earlier: first plastic, then foil). Cook on moderately high heat for SHORT periods of time and you'll have a tender steak. OR, crock pot that mess with mushrooms, leftover wine (lol leftover wine? I KNOW I'M HILARIOUS), a squirt of mustard or mustard powder (which lasts forever in your pantry but is friggen expensive), cloves or sprinkles of garlic, a beef boullion cube if ya got it, and maybe some water to get it moist and happy. Low and slow. Get that business tender. Now pull it out when it's done, and you have a non-stew-but-still-meat dish.

MEAT ON SALE: IT PROBABLY WON'T KILL YOU

You know that steak or roast they have at the end of the meat counter they are trying to get rid of? Maybe it's slightly brownish or a little out of date? Yeah, that won't kill ya. Meat is supposed to get brown as it oxidizes or whatever that process is after it's not on the cow anymore. The only reason we're used to buying red meat is because of chemicals. So buy that brown meat and grill yo' self a steak. Because it's Friday and that business was on sale for $2.14 a pound.

Hope this was in some way helpful and at least a little smile giving. I'm living on the beans-and-rice budget though I have a Costco membership and boy when I get an honorarium check do I enjoy spending her on some sweet bulk meat products at the Temple of Wholesale Wares.

[lawlifelgbt]

Thanks for the laugh! I am completely freaking out right now, because I have four dollars or so left in my checking account, and the fall student money might not disburse for as late as another week and I have to buy books and pay the electric bill and and and...August sucks for students. There's enough food for another few days, but I worry a lot about whether there's enough. I try to keep the food storage areas as full as possible, and have really easy/no prep food, but if money's tight, we can't really do that.

Ah, anxiety. Anyway, thanks for all the tips, guys.

[Arete]

When your money comes available, get back on this thread and we will help you stock a pantry with non perishables that will help you get through 2-3 weeks of no money suckatude. Hint: it starts with cans of evaporated milk, a good supply of pasta, rice, canned tomatoes and broth, and you build the non perishable pantry from there. Together with your freezer it will save your sanity in the lean times.

[Maggie Mae]

When your money comes available, get back on this thread and we will help you stock a pantry with non perishables that will help you get through 2-3 weeks of no money suckatude. Hint: it starts with cans of evaporated milk, a good supply of pasta, rice, canned tomatoes and broth, and you build the non perishable pantry from there. Together with your freezer it will save your sanity in the lean times.

I can honestly say I have never had a time when I needed evaporated milk. Money or no money, what on earth is it used for? [emoji1]

[lawlifelgbt]

I don't know what evaporated milk is used for either! Anyway, I have now gotten my disbursement, and the first thing we did was pay rent through December (maybe not the smartest decision, but this way I know whatever's left in my account is for non-rent things), then buy books and shop.

We always have pasta and rice, and sometimes canned tomatoes (to add to jarred pasta sauce). We also got a lot of frozen food, since generally that's very easy to cook and is something to have when you're tired. Anyway, there's lots of frozen chicken and frozen bagged veggies, plus frozen pizza for a treat.

As for the fridge, we have a lot of almond/soy milk (it was on a bulk sale), two loaves of bread, a dozen bagels, cheese (both block and bagged pre-shredded,) juice, eggs, butter, turkey bacon, regular milk, yogurt, and lunch meat, assorted condiments, and half a bottle of Absolut.

Pantry-wise, there's several boxes of pasta, two boxes of brown rice, three jars of sauce plus three cans of tomatoes, flour, sugar, brown sugar, cooking oil, peanut butter, Nutella, two different cereals, instant potatoes, canned fruit, chips, honey, granola bars, and tea.

So there's lots of options right now, but I wasn't thinking ahead enough to a nonperishable pantry for lean times- definitely open to ideas besides keeping pasta and rice in the pantry (believe me, that gets very dull!)

[Arete]

Evaporated milk is used as a 1:1 substitution for fresh milk. The whole reason for having it is you will get the same calcium, vitamin D, and cooking use as fresh, but with the added bonus of its extremely long shelf life and pantry storage.

1. Excellent taste in mashed potatoes/

2. Excellent taste and always available for French toast

3. Make roux with butter and flour, wisk in evaporated milk over heat until thickened, and you have bechamel aka white sauce. This replaces all nasty cream of crap soups in casseroles. No msg, no additives, etc. So boil your noodles, add your tuna, frozen veggies, and white sauce you just made, mix, stick in oven for tuna noodle casserole. Use the white sauce in any casserole a can of cream of whatever is called for.

4. Keep no boil lasagne noodles in pantry. Make bechamel, add Parmesan at the end off heat. Sauté frozen or fresh veggies in a little oil or garlic. Layer dried noodles, layer of cheese sauce, layer of veggies, repeat till you end with cheese sauce on top of last set of noodles. Into the oven. Special dinner out of your freezer and pantry.

5. Rice pudding, use evaporated milk. Nice pick me up breakfast with a bannana.

The only thing I wouldn't use it for is drinking straight up cold. You can definitely use it in hot coffee.

I'm honestly surprised it's not more prevalent in your neck of the woods, Maggie Mae, because I assume all your fresh milk has to be brought in.

[Arete]

Tomorrow I'll put down my thoughts on a pantry. You definitely have a start. You'll need some things like low sodium low fat chicken broth, some canned tuna or salmon, whole canned tomatoes, things like that can be spun into meals. It's best to aquire them slowly on sale.

Believe it or not, with the holidays coming up a lot of staples go on sale, like broth, flour, sugar, canned tomatoes, etc.