Well, despite dropping lots of money for an end-of-the-month trip to Jamaica (or, perhaps, because of it), I typically live a frugal (does that sound better than “cheap-ass”?) lifestyle. This is no news to anyone who stops by here often, as I always have fun proving you can eat vegetarian/high protein/organic for not that much. So this week is another What I Ate Wednesday, Budget Edition–Complete with tips! I know most of these are pretty obvious, but they really add up (or, rather, don’t add up) fast.
Breakfast: Spinach-and-Egg Skillet
I remade Monday’s recipe–using frozen spinach instead of fresh.
Free eggs from my backyard chickens ($0.00). Frozen organic spinach ($0.37).
Tip: Get it fresh-est. If you can grow your own/raise your own/scavenge from those who do, do.
Tip: Get it frozen. Out of season (and even in season) fresh goods are expensive. Fresh conventional spinach? $4 for a bag that cooks down to 3 servings at most. Frozen and organic? $1.50 for 4-ish servings of the same thing.
Snack: Protein-Oats
Oatmeal ($0.07). Chocolate pea protein powder ($1.09). Hemp seeds ($0.69).
Tip: Buy in bulk. 10lbs of brand-name Quaker oats from Costco? $7.89. 1lb of the same oats from Publix? $4.58. That’s $.07 per serving versus $.42 for the same thing. Seriously.
Tip: Buy online. Non-perishables like protein powders, hemp seed, TVP, flax seeds, etc. can be found for ridiculously low prices on sites like Amazon or iHerb.com. Plus comparison shopping online is beyond easy.
Lunch: TVP-Curry
TVP ($0.23), organic pumpkin puree ($0.32), sweet potato ($0.19).
Tip: Use it up! Have odds and ends hanging out in your fridge, freezer and cabinets? Clear it all out for an “everything goes” stew, chili or curry. I blended leftover baked sweet potatoes with the bottom of a can of pumpkin for this soup’s base. Added curry powder and a cabinet find–TVP. Bam! Soup.
Tip: Cook in bulk, save for later. Bulk is always cheaper. And easier! Make tons, freeze the rest, pull it out a few weeks later when it’s new and delicious again!
Dinner: Thanksgiving Reboot
Homemade burger ($0.50) topped with shredded and sauteed brussels ($0.40) and mashed up organic cranberries ($0.30).
You only get a prep photo. Because I was hungry. And it was good.
Tip: Eat against the grain. Brussels and cranberries? Insanely cheap right after the holidays!
Tip: Assemble your own. Premade veggie burger cost around $1.25 each, are often full of junk and don’t even taste all that great (Okay, okay–so I have a box or two of those in my freezer for lazy days, but you know…). A bag of organic beans? $2.25 for 10+ servings of beans (or 10 bean-based burgers!).
Dessert: Greek Bonanza Bowl
Organic Greek yogurt ($0.79), cinnamon and half a banana ($0.05).
Tip: Get it while it’s good. That yogurt? Manager’s special. Bananas? I buy the big cheap bags of almost-too-brown ones ($0.15 a pound!)–just peel, slice and freeze. Items on closeout/special/must sell now can almost always be frozen, if you aren’t going to eat them right away.
Tip: Choose your store. Obviously some chains are cheaper than others (*cough*WholeFoods*cough*), but my low-income-area Kroger consistently has cheaper fresh veggies and vegetarian products than the higher-end-area Krogers. Sometimes it pays to head to (or live in…) the rougher areas of town.
Grand total? Exactly $5.00!
And that’s with lots of organic options, protein powders and other high-end shing-ma-dings.
And for comparison, I asked my coworker what he spends on a meal. This morning it was $4.73 for breakfast alone–a not-that-great-for-you 4-piece Chick-Fil-A Chicken Minis and a Diet Coke.
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What are some of your favorite tips for eating cheap and eating well?
HAHA. You always read my mind!!! Just this week I’ve been like F. I need to really focus on my budget. Big time. Starting with food!!!
That just means it’s time to fill the freezer and stock up on dried stuff
I love it when you do these posts! I went into Kroger the other day and searched for manager’s specials but sadly, didn’t find any. But even if you buy expensive things at the grocery store, it’s still so much cheaper and healthier than eating out!
True! Cooking your own is always cheaper, that’s pretty much money saving tip #1: Don’t eat out for every meal.
That is absolutely awesome! I’ve become a big fan of frozen produce- especially artichokes, bell peppers, berries, and Brussels sprouts- because it’s such a better deal [and lasts longer]! But I definitely could do a better job of using everything up before buying more of something else and cooking in bulk… I’ve never really been a fan of leftovers but I could and should cook more grains ahead of time.
Oh my gosh, I have to look for artichokes the next time I’m in the freezer section! I love them, but WOW, fresh ones are insanely expensive, so I haven’t had any in ages. And YES, cooking a bunch of basics is a great thing to do–If you have tons of grains/veggies cooked up, it’s so easy to make soups, pizzas, salads, etc. over the course of the week without getting bored.
Dang you ain’t kidden a budget…my coffee bill is usually $5 ( i know i know I should be making my own which I do…but I worked hard for 29 years dang it and I love my coffee…so blah
)
Hey, some things ARE worth the splurge…like good coffee.
More than frugal, I think I’d describe you as smart! With a little bit of thought, it’s so easy to save an extra buck here and there…and they all add up! And hey, eating on a budget is probably WHY you can randomly book flights to Jamaica! One of my biggest tips is knowing when to be a brand snob. There are some foods which taste the same whether bought from the supermarket’s generic brand or a known one e.g. Bran Flakes. As for Ketchup, I have to buy Heinz….I can notice the difference
!
That’s such a smart point–I’ve found that I actually like store brands MORE in many cases, although yeah, some brands do matter! Especially when it comes to ketchup…
We have only recently started making a “clean the fridge” stew on occasion and it’s the best idea ever!! You are a smart, frugal foodie.
And you end up with the best stews that way–a little of everything, and combinations you might not have tried otherwise.
I love this post! Great tips + advice! So many of my clients say eating healthy is expensive, when truly it is not and with these tips which I will share with them, there really is 0 excuse! Think of all the money you save
Love + Shine Court
I’ve never been good at doing things on the cheap. Like, at all. I’m beyond impressed with $5. Sheesh.
I’m impressed, that is NOT a lot of money! And totes delicious foods that I would eat..
My Kroger and publix has really crappy produce and limited organic selections, but luckily I have the farmer’s market! Other than that I don’t pay much attention to cost… but I don’t have cable! LOL!
I love these posts because I always get great ideas to save money, this is what I need in my life
I thought you’d appreciate this one! I’m all about cheap, and passing on the cheap to others ;D
I need to start calculating price on my food. I know I’m a cheap date.
You crack me up (“You only get a prep photo. Because I was hungry. And it was good.”) and for the record, I like the sound of cheap ass better.
I’m a huge proponent of buying in bulk (I even have containers I bring to the store now for my bulk oats, flours, pumpkin seeds, flax, etc), cooking in bulk (freeze and save some for later when it is new), and clean out the fridge soup (or even a smoothie). My Cobb Salad used only half an avocado, so the other half went into my smoothie the next day. Score.
I do need to learn how to make a decent veggie burger though. I am shelling out ridiculous sums of money for the packaged ones, without chemicals. Thank god, I only buy them like three times a year, but I need to start making my own. Know any good recipes?
I’d be much better at food photography if I could control myself around cooked food. But it’s there, hot, and ready to go. Who has time for this “camera” business??
These “cutlets” are pretty much my all-time favorite bean-based-patty-shaped things: http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/ (And pretty much any of the burgers from The ppk are pretty dang good)
Also, I’ve never made any of these, but I generally love the NY Times Recipes for Health: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/a-vegetarian-burger-bash/
These days I pretty much just mash up whatever I find in the fridge (beans, quinoa, random veggies, leftover stew), bind it with something or other–egg or vital wheat gluten or some sort of healthy flour, and spice it somehow or other–italian or curry or mexican, etc.
You’re the best. Thank You!
Love these cheap tips! I really need to work on preparing TVP. I have some in my pantry but haven’t actually used it yet! It’s such a cheap source of protein!
I love how oatmeal is so cheap and yet Starbucks manages to charge a fortune for it -.- Love all these tips and I never knew that frozen spinach is that cheap. I generally refrain from getting spinach because it can be pricy when bought fresh… I’ll reconsider that.
Everytime I see “cheap tips,” I think it says, “cheap TRIPS.” Travel on the brain much?
You are seriously the goddess of cheap eats. I go through phases like this [especially when I'm home alone] mostly because it’s just dang easy more than it’s cheap.
$5, are you kidding me? You are so awesome!
TVP Curry… I’d love to know this recipe. I recently bought a bag and haven’t opened it at all.
So simple! I just made a “base” out of pureed sweet potato (or just use a can of pumpkin and some water), curry powder, turmeric and pepper, then tossed in the tvp and heated it. Hardly even a recipe, but mmmm, so delicious!
I’m pretty sure we would be the best-eating, cheapest-living duo around. When I see a manager special sticker at Kroger it is like a Hallelujah chorus in my mind.
Never thought to check out Amazon for things I usually buy in bulk…excellent tip.
Plus free shipping and no tax, so it’s even cheaper on top of that! They have some killer deals on Bob’s Red Mill stuff and similar basics.
Wow! $5 is amazing! I want to know more about TVP! How do you use it?! I was thinking about trying it, but I’m not really sure what to do with it haha.
I love, love, love, love, LOVE these proteiny budget posts. It’s like someone asked me, “What if you could learn about anything in the entire world? What blog post would you want to read?” God, it’s like freaking magic.
Seriously, I know I’ve said this already, but you are a meal planning champion! I’m so jealous of your clean, mega-healthy, mega-delicious eats.
Still wanna give those chickens a big hug! squack!!
I LOVE when you do posts like this and prove that eating healthy can be super cheap when a little thought is put in!! More people need to be reading this! (hence why I tweet, tweet, tweeted it!) hehe Have a great night Allie!
Your tweet made me happy! Glad you love the cheap & healthy posts too–I just love busting the myth that healthy is unaffordable!
I love bulk buying for things that don’t spoil!