RE: What can you knock up cheap?

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SweetCheri -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:39:46 PM)
quote: Although if she is going to sell it, I think everyone who gives a recipe should get a free copy! These are recipes for when money is tight, we can't afford to buy the book. LOL!! I agree!

ChatteParfaitt -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:42:12 PM)
Fishermen need freezers!! I looked for one used for a couple years and had to break down and get one new. I am not displeased, it's just a small chest freezer but for 2 people it is quite adequate.

xxblushesxx -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:43:50 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom No denying that it is healthier to cook for yourself, depending on if you cook healthy choices, but I don't see how it's cheaper when pre packaged shit costs less than the ingredients for cooked from scratch. Many people say it is not cheaper, but it is. Specially when the junk food or canned pre prepared items regularly come with sales like buy one get one free or stuff like that. You can get two bags of potato chips or two cans of pre made soup, or the list goes on and on, for the cost of one healthy item. Even with out the buy one get one free deal, junk is just simply cheaper at least up front than healthy foods. Especially if the healthy stuff is items that go bad in 3-4 days of buying an you have to go buy regularly like once a week. Like fruits and veggies and other perishable items, if you want it on hand regularly. Edited to add, also not all of us can have chest freezers lying around to fill to the brim with stuff to freeze for later. I also always find the fresh stuff that my dad grows and then freezes is mushy and gross after he freezes it, I am sure he's doing something wrong, but I sure wouldn't buy fresh tasty yummy crunchy veggies and ruin them by freezing them and having them come out mushy and gross. I'd eat those fuckers fresh lol. quote: ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt The cheapest way to eat is to learn how to cook well and make everything that you can from scratch. Stop buying premade and processed food and snacks, and make it yourself. Not only is it cheaper, it's better for you. Once you have all your spices and your dry goods stocked up, it is less expensive than buying pre-cooked. But there is an investment in the beginning. Edited to add, that frozen vegetables are often almost indistinguishable from fresh. (especially compared to canned)

ChatteParfaitt -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:49:28 PM)
I agree. I shop generic whenever I can. I also buy all my spices in bulk form my local health food store. Yes, I have to come up with my own bottles to store them in, but the savings are very significant. When I look at people's food eating habits, I can often see poor shopping habits. A habit is hard to break, but if you can do it, you can eat very healthy food for cheap.

LafayetteLady -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:52:41 PM)
Oh man, when my son was living with his dad for a while a bunch of years back, I was waiting tables. I worked nights, usually from 4 or 5 to about 2 in the morning. The stove where I lived was propane but old, so even when I wasn't using it, it used up propane. Since I ate at work most of the time, I had them disconnect the propane. I rarely had much food in the house, so on my rare day off, I had hardly any food and no stove, lol. I would make mac n cheese with a "hot shot." It boils water a cup or two at a time (didn't have a microwave either). So I would run that twice into a container with the pasta, and let it cook. Once I added pre-cooked boneless hot wings into it, another, I actually cut up Slim Jims! Definately not healthy, but it was food, lol. I was younger and a lot more active then. I would never do that now. In fact, I will rarely make pasta. Too many carbs for a diabetic.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:54:58 PM)
Laying around was a turn of a phrase, aka not all of us have room in our houses or our property for chest freezers. When we lived in one of those tiny trailers that looked like a twinkie at a trailer park, because it was all Daddy could afford, and at the time i was not living full time with him, it barely had room for Daddy and I, let alone much else, and we had no yard to speak of or extra space, just a " slot to park in" Our land lady would not have allowed us to have a chest freezer sitting out side our trailer, and even if she had there was no external plugs to plug it into, and i imagine the shadier residents of the park people would have always been trying to steal either it or the food in it, though that's where padlocks come into it. We can barely afford to shop as it is now some months, let alone " shop more often" quote: ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt And no, freezers are not just laying around. You would be hard pressed to find one used, b/c they are so cost-effective. A small chest freezer costs about $150 bucks and will pay for itself in less than a year.

barelynangel -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:59:21 PM)
I completely suck at shopping AND cooking. I have little patience for both and my budget notices. I really think people who learned how to shop, freeze stuff and then take that and make meals are awesome. It's a skill i never learned. I am with TFTB, i suck at freezing things. I don't have a lot of patience so my cooking suffers as does my wallet. Luckily i have never been in a situation -- (knock on wood) wherein i had to really watch my money when buying food. I eat out a lot, but this month i am trying an experiment -- i am going to only eat out one day (lunch and dinner) a week and the rest of the time i am going to cook at home and bring lunch. This seriously is new for me and it will be interesting to see if my bank account and waistline shows a significant difference. In the end, i can learn to do this and it would benefit me lol but i need to make it a priority. Until i do, the choice is mine to not do it. It is a bit overwelming when you look at it all and think okay what do i learn from this -- but in the end everything is doable with a little concentration and a will. In college one of my cheapest meals was ramen noodles baby! I would cook some up and add chicken and frozen veggies to them. I could have many flavors and depending on what i had a feel for either soup or pasta. Grant it, it wasn't gourmet lol but it was cheap meals. angel

Fornica -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 6:59:42 PM)
Ok, I'm totally going to do this! I was thinking I'll compile them all, put 'em in a pdf and give a copy to all the peeps that contributed? I want to make sure that I have the permission of everyone who posted...so how about this: If you would like to include a recipe for the Cheap Kinky meals cookbook, PM me your recipe and directions :D Coolio?

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:01:22 PM)
Have you tried the dreamfield or what ever brand pasta specially for diabetics, i've read in a lot of diabetic magazines it's a good choice cause it's something like only 5 carbs for a cup. quote: ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady In fact, I will rarely make pasta. Too many carbs for a diabetic.

ChatteParfaitt -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:01:54 PM)
Small chest freezers do not take up that much room, but really, I am not going to argue with you. We are not in the same head space. If you want to fill your body with junk, then do so. If you don't have money to eat, look for government support. Or maybe YOU could make some money. But don't whine to me about how you can't do better. People do what it is important enough for them to do. 'Nuff said.

LafayetteLady -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:06:35 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt Although I respect your right to disagree with me, I think you need to learn a lot more about cooking and freezing healthy foods. Yes, you can find junk on sale. You can also find high quality healthy food on sale. You know those pesky perishable meats and produce? You can buy them half price off once they reach their sell by date. I admit you need to shop often to pick up good bargins. You need to know not just how to shop but how to cook what is about to go bad so you don't waste money on perishables. And no, freezers are not just laying around. You would be hard pressed to find one used, b/c they are so cost-effective. A small chest freezer costs about $150 bucks and will pay for itself in less than a year. If you don't have a freezer, you have to shop more often. Not a bad thing for someone who needs to learn about good food, IMO. I agree with most of what you said, but here's the thing....most poor people don't have room for even a small chest freezer. I know we don't have the space right now (although it would be great once we move). We don't even have a decent sized fridge. Neither of us drive, but we shop once a week. I just finished going through the sales circular for this week. Lots of stuff on sale that I will buy to stock up, especially some meat (to use for some of the recipes here, yum). We ALWAYS get fruit. Usually apples, clementines when they are one sale (I love those) and this week, fresh blueberries are on sale. But poor people are on food stamps. Depending on where you live, it really is tough to be able to get healthy foods on a budget of less than $200 bucks a month (which is the amount for some people), and not want to eat soup a lot. Before Angel Food Ministries stopped doing their food thing, I would buy from them regularly and you would be amazed at how much easier it was to eat healthy when you got the "standard" box that was $30 bucks and had enough food to feed a family of 4 for a week. You could also get the fruit/veggie box for like $25 bucks and there was no way to purchase those items at a grocery store for that amount. A person's quality of life is very much attached to being able to eat reasonably well. I had a client whose food budget was $40 dollars a week for her AND her teenage daughter. Once she was able to use AFM, they were eating so much better. There is a ton of pasta recipes here. Pasta every night is far from healthy, but a lot of poor people end up eating it 4-5 times a week. No, it is never better to buy a couple of bags of chips for five bucks instead of some fresh fruit, but it isn't as simple as you seem to believe either. So yea, when you can get 2 cans of pre-made soup for a buck, it is way cheaper than making it yourself. Is it healthier? No, of course not. But it IS more affordable.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:09:04 PM)
when you live in a tiny tin trailer that didn't even have a stove some of them did have a stove but then you had no toilet you had to use the parks facilities ,with no yard just a dock to pull into , something like a chest freezer, they are not "not that big" when your home is a tiny mobile trailer. Has any one seriously ever tried living 24/7 in one of those and not just as a vacation" travel trailer" It sucked big time. But it was his space, away from his brother and sister in law whom he had been living with and it was PEACEFUL him not living with them any more! I have a challeng for some of you who think they're "not that big" "thheyy don't take up that much room"get a traveel trailer that looks like a ttwinkie, where you can almost touch both walls with your arms out streatched, it'ss that narrow, and small, with no yard, just a docck to pull into, aand you're not allowed fuurniture stuff outside and tell me where it's going to fit and still have you live tthheere too. hint? IT'S NOT GOING TO. Not with you living in thhere tooo.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:14:01 PM)
I can't get food stamps. They won't give me SSI and food stamps both they claim I make to much to qualify for food stamps, I tried because it would help , so some poor people don't even get that. quote: ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady But poor people are on food stamps. Depending on where you live, it really is tough to be able to get healthy foods on a budget of less than $200 bucks a month (which is the amount for some people), and not want to eat soup a lot.

ChatteParfaitt -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:20:50 PM)
Please do not preach to me. How do you think I learned how to eat cheap? It was from sheer necessity. Yes, I could have eaten junk. I chose to go a more healthy route. I spend perhaps $75 a week on food for two people This includes all breakfasts for two, all lunches for me, all dinners for two. I could do it for $50 if I had to w/o sacrificing health. I would have to sacrifice some quality and some variety in our diet. This entire issue is about a mindset, not about limited resources.

ShaharThorne -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:27:17 PM)
I have a small travel trailer with a large room build onto it. We recently sealed off the trailer and using the room for storage. Grandma used to live in it until she died. It had a GREAT ac unit. She had a microwave and the stove in it and she used propane for the heater and the stove. When I lived in an apartment on my second marriage, we had a small upright freezer. Kept the microwave on top and I would get the meats at the beginning of the month (I was working for the state then). When Albertson's had their butcher block closing at the end of the day, I got several pounds of ground beef at cheap prices. When we go to town Monday, I am checking the produce section out. I am hungry for yellow squash and need green onions for baked potatoes. Mom needs to make an apple pie and cake soon...she makes those from scratch.

LaTigresse -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:28:15 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom when you live in a tiny tin trailer that didn't even have a stove some of them did have a stove but then you had no toilet you had to use the parks facilities ,with no yard just a dock to pull into , something like a chest freezer, they are not "not that big" when your home is a tiny mobile trailer. Has any one seriously ever tried living 24/7 in one of those and not just as a vacation" travel trailer" It sucked big time. But it was his space, away from his brother and sister in law whom he had been living with and it was PEACEFUL him not living with them any more! I have a challeng for some of you who think they're "not that big" "thheyy don't take up that much room"get a traveel trailer that looks like a ttwinkie, where you can almost touch both walls with your arms out streatched, it'ss that narrow, and small, with no yard, just a docck to pull into, aand you're not allowed fuurniture stuff outside and tell me where it's going to fit and still have you live tthheere too. hint? IT'S NOT GOING TO. Not with you living in thhere tooo. Yes I did live in one, with my exhusband. In a KOA campground just outside Rawlings WY during the winter of 1978-79. I was also pregnant, sick, anemic, 16, and 1,000 miles from home and family for the first time in my life. We cooked every day. Rarely ate junk food because we could not afford it. We ate a lot of potatoes and eggs. Lots of fried egg sandwiches. Fresh fruit was always in the trailer. We almost never ate out. KFC was a treat about once every month or two. We chose that because it was nearby, and with a coupon we could get enough to last for a couple of days. It was a tiny old piece of shit with little wing things on the side, but it was home.

LafayetteLady -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:29:55 PM)
Actually, when my son was still young, we ate so much pasta, I really can't stand it anymore. Chatte, While I don't totally disagree with you, you just don't get it. So let me explain to you how much room a "small" chest freezer would take up. We have what is barely more than a galley kitchen at the moment, that has two overhead cabinets and two lower cabinets. The room is about 12' long and maybe 6' feet wide. When two people are trying to prepare food, you have to "scootch" by each other. Put the smallest chest freezer in there and you aren't going to be able to open the cabinets, the fridge or the oven, depending where you put it. There is no basement, just a crawl space. The bedrooms are 10'x10' and 9'x9' respectively. There is 2'x4' feet of floor space in the bathroom. The living room is about 11'x11' foot. The house was built sometime in the 40s as a summer bungalow and so the bedrooms have one outlet apiece and the living room has maybe 3. The kitchen has an outlet by the stove and one by the doorway. Many people have even less space than we do. Their living rooms are only 8'x8' (not joking). So exactly where would you propose a small chest freezer go? As for the refridgerator? Not even 18 cubic feet. You are right, you aren't in the same head space, because obviously you have never lived somewhere there just isn't room or available transportation to go to the health food store, buy things in bulk and have somewhere to put them. I have no idea what you do, but you obviously have no idea what poverty is like. See my other post about "government support." She wasn't "whining" to you, but explaining something you honestly don't understand and would apparently prefer to remain blind to. So really, while you couldn't "give a rat's ass," lose the attitude about something you are so obviously clueless about. "Nuff said for you to "get it" now?

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:31:11 PM)
Shahar, we didn't have the option to "build on" we lived in a travel trailer park and all we had was a slip to dock in and that was it. quote: ORIGINAL: ShaharThorne I have a small travel trailer with a large room build onto it.

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:37:12 PM)
Ours didn't even have wings, Now, I didn't say you couldn't cook in one , I said you couldn't get a freezer chest in there , ,even one that "wasn't very big" because even at their smallest, they're still almost as wide and long as the "living space" in the trailer, and still live in there. We didn't have a stove, and our fridge was full by time you put 10 items in it, but I did get us a crock pot, and there was room for a small microwave. And now and then a neighbor with a bigger trailer would let us use her grill to grill up some scrambled eggs and we'd share the food with her. And ironically as small and cramped as it was, we were very happy. I'd never willingly do it again, but I was with someone I loved and he was out from under his brother and sister in law's thumb, because when he lived there, they were very controlling, always trying to tell him having a gf was a waste of time he should dump me and focous on work only, or telling him why do you always have to call her, or otherwise putting their nose in. quote: ORIGINAL: LaTigresse [ Yes I did live in one, with my exhusband. In a KOA campground just outside Rawlings WY during the winter of 1978-79. I was also pregnant, sick, anemic, 16, and 1,000 miles from home and family for the first time in my life. We cooked every day. Rarely ate junk food because we could not afford it. We ate a lot of potatoes and eggs. Lots of fried egg sandwiches. Fresh fruit was always in the trailer. We almost never ate out. KFC was a treat about once every month or two. We chose that because it was nearby, and with a coupon we could get enough to last for a couple of days. It was a tiny old piece of shit with little wing things on the side, but it was home.

LafayetteLady -> RE: What can you knock up cheap? (12/2/2011 7:39:20 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LaTigresse Lots of fried egg sandwiches. It was a tiny old piece of shit with little wing things on the side, but it was home. And you didn't have room for a "small chest freezer." But EGGS! We need more egg recipes. I keep fresh fruit in the house all the time, even if it is just apples. We have salad stuff in the house usually about 5 out of 7 days. We usually run out a couple days before we are going shopping again. We eat a lot of salads. Oooo, how about some good salad dressing recipes?

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