Looking to save some money, but also want to eat well? Here we share 12 smart tips from real people on the internet on how to enjoy good food even when money is tight. Learn practical strategies to make the most of your budget while still nourishing your body.
Hearty Options
If you enjoy hearty food, you can't go wrong with a week's worth of rice, potatoes, and beans! Many diners are shocked at how much rice, potatoes, and beans they can buy for only $20. Sure, anyone would get tired of this diet after just a few days, but you can't argue with its logic.
Quantity Over Quality
Countless people cut right to the chase, revealing they would choose quantity over quality. According to many people, they would buy the most food they could for $20. As long as it is on sale, it wouldn't matter what kind of food it is. While these people wouldn't have the meal of their dreams at their disposal, they certainly wouldn't go hungry!
Go Vegan
Vegan cuisine isn't just healthy and good for the climate - it's also real cheap compared to a lot of other food! With a big bag of lentils, frozen veggies and maybe a bag of rice you can eat healthy all through the week - despite a very limited budget.
The Dollar Menu
While it would have been much easier living off the fast-food dollar menu 20 years ago, it's still doable today. Countless people admit they would spend their $20 only on dollar menu items from various fast-food restaurants.
Just Energy
One forum user had a simple solution to this problem: "I would buy milk, I would buy flour, I'd buy vitamins, I'd boil them down to little energy balls to sustain me" Add a few more ingredients, then this might just be a solid and quite tasty option, that also saves you a lot of time during the week! If nothing else, it's a great idea for snacks between meals during this week on the cheap.
Never-Ending Pasta
Let's be honest: $20 can buy a lot of pasta and sauce! Individual boxes of pasta can be found for around one dollar at grocery stores, with jars of pasta not much more expensive than that. However, this pasta strategy has one significant downside: By week's end, you will hate pasta with the passion of a thousand suns.
Simple Cuisine
When stretching the value of twenty bucks, valuing simpler foods is your best bet. "Rice and beans would be my go-to, and if I have any money left, I will buy chicken thighs since they're dirt cheap," reveals one savvy woman.
Asian-Inspired Goodness
Being handcuffed by a $20 budget doesn't mean your weekly rations have to taste bland. One woman reveals an impressive Asian-inspired menu to help her get through her week. "A bag of rice and that godly chicken-flavored seasoning powder they have in Thai stores is my plan," she reveals. "You can make rice soup with that stuff, and it's amazing! That's all I'd need for the week, and I wouldn't even be mad about it."
Legumes Are Your Friends
Beans and lentils are cheap, easy to buy in bulk, and good for you. If you have little money to spare, switching the meat for legumes is a surefire way to go. You will still get lots of protein and stay full, but you'll do it for much less.
Ramen and Eggs
Perhaps the most delicious and filling option on this list is also one of the most cost-effective: Ramen and eggs. Everyone knows ramen is one of the cheapest meal options available, and adding eggs makes it an even heartier meal!
Nothing But Eggs and Bread
Speaking of eggs, some people confess they'd be content subsisting on only eggs and bread for the entire week. While this plan definitely sounds the most boring to me, it would supply anyone with plenty of protein and carbohydrates to make it through a week without going hungry.
Frozen Deliciousness
One enterprising person can easily eat healthy while utilizing inexpensive frozen foods: "Bags of mixed frozen vegetables are around $1.50, so I'd buy about six of those," she explains. "Lentils are similarly priced, so about six of those as well. Aldi eggs are $2.30 for a dozen. Pretty easy and nutritious." I must be honest; this is one of my favorite strategies for stretching $20!
Source: Reddit
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