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Some people have gone old school. Stove top cooking grains to make a porridge is very affordable. Grits, oatmeal, and Cream of Wheat type cereals are far cheaper and healthier than processed cereals. Dry rice and beans are another cheap source of food. Cooking beans from dry takes practice to get right but it’s a good source of fiber and protein among other nutrients. What’s good about cooking with dry beans is a small amount of meat, like sausage, can add much flavor without adding a lot of meat.
I recently went to a VA appointment across the street from a Wendy’s restaurant on a Walmart parking lot. I planned on eating at the Wendy’s to reduce my hunger shopping temptation. Was completely shocked by the price at Wendy’s. Their “value” menu of a quarter pound burger with cheese, medium fries, and medium drink was now more than $10, $11.34 after taxes. Even our local McDonald’s prices have driven us to ordering Happy Meals if we are in the mood for the convenience. Sometimes we order just the burger because of the prices. We rarely go to such restaurants and now go even less frequently because of prices.
When I scramble eggs for 3 adults, I often add either left over mac and cheese, or a can of hominy. Eggs have seemed smaller than usual lately, but it is winter.
If you'll add a dose of Milk to your beaten eggs before you scramble it will make them fluffier, prettier and go a lot farther. Many restaurants do this.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM
Some people have gone old school. ...I planned on eating at the Wendy’s to reduce my hunger shopping temptation. Was completely shocked by the price at Wendy’s. Their “value” menu of a quarter pound burger with cheese, medium fries, and medium drink was now more than $10, $11.34 after taxes....
I've used the value menu for 20 yrs, and enjoyed many $0.99 - $1.99 meals, but no more possible with new fares.
I usually just get a small chili. ($1.49 in some locations, and $3.09 in other locations)
Or a Jr Cheese with lettuce instead of bun ($2.49, was $1.29). But I have never had fries and a drink. Even at today's inflated prices, I've never had a Wendys bill over $5. Usually <$2.50. - of course I have my free frosty keytab. I usually shoot for a couple hundred free frosties / yr, but I give out a lot of key tabs and Boo Books for gifts (and to support the child adoption program).
The best fast food deal recently was Taco Bell value 'Cravings' box for $5, including fried Chalupa and Burrito and Taco, but they reduced that deal and removed the $4 Chalupa. So I'm back to budget buying (no drinks, no fries / charros). I limit dining out and entertainment to $10 / week (used to be $5) pre-covid. Still gets a very nice meal at the local 'Steak House' happy hour.
TB and Wendys often offer free senior drinks (over age 55) not that we need anything except water.
Potlucks still bring my best 'Save-Money-on-food' options. I attend at least (4) potlucks / month, and most are at rural ranch areas with LOTS of wild game (quite a bit of fishing in all my home areas), and grazed livestock / fresh garden and forest foraged produce. Tis the season for Smoked Salmon Chowder. (We ended up with 200# of wild Salmon this yr)
If you'll add a dose of Milk to your beaten eggs before you scramble it will make them fluffier, prettier and go a lot farther. Many restaurants do this.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flamingo13
I thought that was how you made them anyway???
Me too, always have added milk to scrambled eggs and omelets.
I often use sour cream in my scrambled eggs (which needs to be used up anyway). And plenty of cheese, peppers, bacon or ham. Usually spinach or kale too.
That's how my mother always made them. Then I read in some chef's column that the proper way to make them was with water. I told my mother the famous chef said we were supposed to use water, not milk. She looked at me as if I was a moron, and I slunk away.
Nowadays I rarely have milk in the house, but I do have half-and-half, so that's what I use!
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
13,060 posts, read 7,493,946 times
Reputation: 9787
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
I've used the value menu for 20 yrs, and enjoyed many $0.99 - $1.99 meals, but no more possible with new fares.
I usually just get a small chili. ($1.49 in some locations, and $3.09 in other locations)
Or a Jr Cheese with lettuce instead of bun ($2.49, was $1.29). But I have never had fries and a drink. Even at today's inflated prices, I've never had a Wendys bill over $5. Usually <$2.50. - of course I have my free frosty keytab. I usually shoot for a couple
hundred free frosties / yr, but I give out a lot of key tabs and Boo Books for gifts (and to support the child adoption program).
TB and Wendys often offer free senior drinks (over age 55) not that we need anything except water.
Potlucks still bring my best 'Save-Money-on-food' options. I attend at least (4) potlucks / month, and most are at rural ranch areas with LOTS of wild game (quite a bit of fishing in all my home areas), and grazed livestock / fresh garden and forest foraged produce. Tis the season for Smoked Salmon Chowder. (We ended up with 200# of wild Salmon this yr)
We used to do a couple of Chinooks on the Chief.
Now it's Costco's bland brand.
Mom used to make a killer a Salmon Head dish. Use everything.
McD's on a BOGO the other day. QP's were $5.89. It will be another 2 years until I do McD again.
Dungeness Crab at Freddy @$8.
New Year's I used to night stalk for clams at the Oregon coast. Weather tomorrow night should be pretty good, with a bright moon. Can't do it any more. Bad back and age. Gave up my Pioneer Fishing License when we moved to WA.
Couple of months, here in the PNW, one can forage for wild mustard, dock.
Making my own KimChee/lactic fermented cabbage, now that H-Mart (Korean Grocery) is close by for easy and cheap supply of daikon radish, napa-chinese, regular cabbage. Going to try Lassi now that I got too much lactobacilli(s) and Freddy has some near pulldate "milk" that I'll get when I get some wheels.
I have shopped at "Town Talk" in Fort Worth, Weatherford and Arlington Texas for decades. Never had any bad food.
Lucky to have one five minutes from my home - I get incredible bargains. My most recent bargain was six pound blocks of chicken breasts, nuggets and tenders from Chick-fil-a, priced at $1 a pound. And they also had the crosscut fries and the flour dust used as breading. Manager verified it was from CFA and the chicken is primo. Used USDA guidelines for thawing those six pound blocks of meat (one at a time, rest in freezer) and foodsavered the meat in meal portions and refroze or pressure canned. Used the flour dust and literally it is like going to CFA right in my own home.
I've purchased items and then researched the same items on Amazon and I just shake my head what folks pay.
Food is the one thing I don't cheap out on, but there are ways to save a lot if you shop smartly. Healthy, nutritious food is something everyone should have. How much is your health and the health of your loved ones worth?
There are some foods everyone should buy in organic form. I eat a lot of salads and try to get everything I can there organic. The toxins that are sprayed on plants do not wash off, they go into your body where they accumulate until you get bad stuff like cancer. They never leave once you ingest them.
Rather than eat dead animals that are fed grains which are sprayed w/ seriously bad chemicals and grown in hazardous fertilizers, I eat mostly wild caught fish. An 8 pack of filleted, wild caught pink salmon and the same w/ wild caught whiting is only about $20 for the two at Walmart. That's a seriously good deal. They have organic canned beans for about 10 cents more a can than the non organic beans. Organic eggs are under $5 a dozen there too.
Wheat is inflammatory and full of calories and sprayed toxins, so I don't eat bread or wheat based pastas. The Palmini pastas are delicious and made from hearts of palm. Only 20 calories a serving. Fresh pineapples are healthy and delicious, $2.25 for a huge pineapple. Apples are one of the most chemically sprayed crops. They sink into the stem part and can't be washed off, so you're eating the poisoned apples from fairy tales. Organic apples are essentially the same price, and the same w/ organic celery.
Eating like this is not that expensive, I only spend about $140-$160 a month. If I bought these things at Whole Paycheck they would be twice or even three times the price for the same food.
Last edited by stephenMM; 01-01-2024 at 03:42 PM..
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