# Eating on the cheap



## The Atomic Ass (Jun 24, 2011)

It has come to the point where I have so little income as to want to maximize it's use. New gear purchases are breathing down my neck to be made. 

Right now I'm taking home <$100 weekly. My major expense, therefore, is food. I'm trying to come up with a healthy, cheap diet that also jives with my desire to not spend time cooking.

My first thought was plain rice (white or brown), but this would probably be nutritionally-lacking in some aspect, most notably protein. So, I'd like to know what people here think would be essential to a low-cost diet. Anything that could be cooked with rice would be a plus, and I have no food allergies, though I prefer to avoid yellow corn. White corn is fine, though.

I'm also going to try to have only stuff that can be kept at room temperature, so I can unplug my fridge. That isn't a set-in-stone requirement, though.

So, any suggestions?


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## The Grief Hole (Jun 24, 2011)

Rice is pretty devoid of nutrition but I guess it fills a hole.

Firstly try and stop eating convenience store snacks, packaged foods etc. They can eat holes in your pocket. Eat a banana or an orange instead of candy or chips. a banana can fill you up and will slowly release energy into your body. Also you can keep most fruit and things like eggs and bread at room temperature. 

I eat a lot of tinned sardines on toast with sliced tomatoes and ketchup. The sardines are really good for you. Tomatoes are good for the heart and ketchup tastes good. (But most people hate them).


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## Thrashmanzac (Jun 24, 2011)

potatoes and sausages - poor student food


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## jymellis (Jun 24, 2011)

neighborhood animals.


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## MUTANTOID (Jun 24, 2011)

jymellis said:


> neighborhood animals.


 Cause they are good for the hands...


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## Scar Symmetry (Jun 24, 2011)

Chilli Con Carne + rice.
Peri peri Chicken + rice.
Sushi.

Basically what I live on.


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## Winspear (Jun 24, 2011)

The cheapest rice and pasta in the store. The cheapest oatmeal for breakfast. That area should be just penies per day.

The expensive part will be fruit and veg, though that can still be cheaper than a lot of things people eat!

You mentioned protein, no protein rich food is cheap, really. The cheapest source of protein is whey protein, by a mile. If you can stand eating dinners with no 'main course' such as rice with no chicken.


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## Aaron (Jun 24, 2011)

Ramen.


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## Blake1970 (Jun 24, 2011)

I just had ramen the other night and added two eggs 




Aaron said:


> Ramen.


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## The Atomic Ass (Jun 24, 2011)

The Grief Hole said:


> Rice is pretty devoid of nutrition but I guess it fills a hole.
> 
> Firstly try and stop eating convenience store snacks, packaged foods etc. They can eat holes in your pocket. Eat a banana or an orange instead of candy or chips. a banana can fill you up and will slowly release energy into your body. Also you can keep most fruit and things like eggs and bread at room temperature.
> 
> I eat a lot of tinned sardines on toast with sliced tomatoes and ketchup. The sardines are really good for you. Tomatoes are good for the heart and ketchup tastes good. (But most people hate them).


After going to an organic diet, CS snacks went bye-bye. I still eat some packaged foods, but not much. I bought a bag of oranges once. Lets just say I fail at oranges, even with Google, and leave it at that. 

Bananas are going on the list. I've been looking around for bread recipes to see if it's cheaper to make my own bread, or just buy it pre-made. As for sardines, I'm a little wary of seafood at the moment. (and probably for a good few years yet).


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## Guitarmiester (Jun 24, 2011)

Buy a big back of boneless chicken. It should last a few days and your options are limitless, from stir fry with rice and vegetables, chicken Parmesan, chicken cordon bleu, shrimp chicken, chicken gumbo, chicken chicken, bubble gum chicken... 

Bananas are great source of potassium and energy and usually dirt cheap by the pound. The other week they were $0.49 per lb. As a runner, they make for a great, cheap _"snack."_ You can make your own protein bars, which is way cheaper than buying them. Oats are dirt cheap, too. Whey protein can be a bit costly, but still beats out paying $2-$4 per protein bar.


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## ry_z (Jun 24, 2011)

Rice and lentils. Extremely cheap, ridiculously versatile, and together they're a complete protein.


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## Razzy (Jun 24, 2011)

I was in a similar situation when I was in California, and this is a nifty trick to make Ramen noodles not taste like shit.

Ramen noodles, cook in microwave, drain the water, throw the seasoning packet away, mix with refried beans, and reheat it.

If you can afford it, cheese is a nice addition, but I was so poor in California, I couldn't afford it.


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## ellengtrgrl (Jun 24, 2011)

When I was a poor college student a long tim ago, and also when I was going through rough financial times between 1999 & 2004, I used to eat quite a few peanut butter sandwiches. Peanut butter has a fair amount of protein, and you don't have to spend a bundle for it. You can get all high fallutin about the bread, but you don't need to. Ditto for macaroni & cheese. You can use milk to make it, but you don't have to. 

Cold cereal is another good low cost meal. You don't have to eat it just for breakfast. And, if you stay away from the high sugar, and high fat content types (like granola), and stick to the house brand instead of namebrand (Kellogs, Post, etc.) cereals, you can get by surprisingly cheap. 

In general, unless it tastes absolutly awful, try to avoid buying namebrand food products. If you want fresh, get it from a farmer's market, it's cheaper, and and fresher than the stuff at the supermarket. Also, try to stay away from the deli counter, since the stuff sold there is kind of pricey. Specialty stores like Whole Foods sell cool natural/organic stuff, but it's uber pricey IMO, so I stay away from them.


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## Overtone (Jun 24, 2011)

Try eating vegetarian foods made from scratch. For starters you should learn how to make sauce from canned tomatoes... that way as long as you have canned tomatoes, garlic, seasoning, a splash of oil/butter and one more ingredient (say pasta, or green beans, or eggplant) you can make a meal. Also learn to prepare dried beans... it's easier than it sounds, and they are one of the cheapest ingredients available. Try... spicy black beans, cannelini bean dip with garlic, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil, cannelinis cooked with canned tomatoes and greens (kale or swiss chard preferably), and bean salad (one to three types of beans, plus diced onions, peppers, cilantro/parsley, vinegar, olive oil, cucumber/tomato optional). Potato salad is another easy one... try doing it with a homemade mustard vinaigrette (cheaper than mayo), diced shallots and parsley. That reminds me, learn to make your own salad dressing, it's easy. Finally I agree that lentils are great. They cook faster than beans and are just as good. I like an Arabic dish called mujadarra a lot, but lentil soup and daal are both great as well. Eggs too are cheap and easy.

Having most of your meals be based around legumes, grains, etc. will make it so you don't have to spend as much on dairy and meat. 

Finally think about Costco if you can get the fee money together.


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## Gryphon (Jun 24, 2011)

ry_z said:


> Rice and lentils. Extremely cheap, ridiculously versatile, and together they're a complete protein.



Yes, you don't hear enough about this.


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## cwhitey2 (Jun 24, 2011)

Thrashmanzac said:


> potatoes and sausages - poor student food



i live on this shiz


also buy spices...you can cook the same thing all week and just change the flavor  thats what i do


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## highlordmugfug (Jun 24, 2011)

Rice, lentils, and potatoes are awesome and cheap.

There are tons and tons of chili variations that you could make that cost ~$20 and would last 4 days (assuming you have a big enough pot and a fridge that can hold it).


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## eclipsex1 (Jun 24, 2011)

Get girlfriend who can cook and hang out at her house all the time? 

Have you checked to see if you qualify for foodstamps or any other sort of welfare?


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## SirMyghin (Jun 24, 2011)

Try not to eat too much grains, grains are pretty worthless nutritionally. Rice,pasta,oatmeal, etc are all high starch and calories, but overall not too grand. Oatmeal (whole oats) is probably the most nutritious on the list.


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## Overtone (Jun 24, 2011)

If you're on a budget calories for cheap isn't so bad.... better to get it from whole grains than from processed food. Brown rice, barley, quinoa are all pretty nutritious. Finally rice is filling and when you combine it with beans/lentils you get a complete protein. There are so many rice + ____ dishes where you can cook one thing and some rice and you have a whole meal.


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## Pooluke41 (Jun 24, 2011)

Make shitloads of soups. Veg soup is Cheap and you can add powdered soup to THicken it.

Add your Lentils to it Onion some Taters and maybe carrots few spices. Boom taste explosion.


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## The Atomic Ass (Jun 24, 2011)

eclipsex1 said:


> Get girlfriend who can cook and hang out at her house all the time?
> 
> Have you checked to see if you qualify for foodstamps or any other sort of welfare?


First suggestion is good, second, not so much. Government, (aside from being a conspiracy theory), is unstable, and ultimately unreliable.

Now if I can only find a woman to cook for me... Damn that's gonna be tough.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 24, 2011)

Potatoes are pretty much the go to poor food.


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## Mordacain (Jun 24, 2011)

I agree with the rice, lentils and the dried beans. Since part of your requirements were not too labor-intensive (in the kitchen anyway) you can get by with canned beans. Making sauces from canned tomatoes is super-easy. I used to get by on $25 a week when I first moved out on my own.

Doing it healthily is not difficult, but you will need to spend more time in the kitchen then you are used too. 

Cheap veggies are onions, celery and green peppers and are all very good for you and are usable in just about everything.


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## eclipsex1 (Jun 24, 2011)

The Atomic Ass said:


> First suggestion is good, second, not so much. Government, (aside from being a conspiracy theory), is unstable, and ultimately unreliable.
> 
> Now if I can only find a woman to cook for me... Damn that's gonna be tough.



First one hasn't failed me yet. Since my truck was effectively stolen from me, I've been relying mostly on my girlfriend for food during the day. I don't cook myself, so I mainly call her and get her to make me something to eat.


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## Explorer (Jun 25, 2011)

Overtone said:


> Try eating vegetarian foods made from scratch.



A big +1 on that!

I greatly suggest you rethink your strategy of not using refrigeration. You can sometimes find some great, HUGELY energy efficient refrigerators on Craigslist. If you don't use a refrigerator/freezer, you are requiring that all your food be in single servings, which will drive up the price. The pennies you'll save on refrigeration will be false economy. 

I make a huge pot of some kind of legume every week. A pound of dry black beans or garbanzos (chickpeas) costs less than a dollar, and will make from 6 to 7.5 cups cooked. The energy cost is also fairly small, so you've made three pounds of core protein for about a dollar total. 

Once it's cooked, I put it in the fridge, and then put cooled beans/garbanzos into square 8 ounce plastic containers in my freezer. Once the two containers have frozen completely, I twist them like an ice cube tray, pop out the frozen bricks, and put them into a huge plastic ziplock bag in the freezer. I do this over and over until it's all frozen or eaten. 

Then I use the beans/garbanzos for whatever recipes I want them for. That cuts down cooking time when I am making dinner. Garbanzos can be made into all kinds of stews/soups, or tossed in the food processor (Goodwill or yard sale for $10) with garlic and cumin for hummus, and so on. If I know I want a particular thing later in the day, I just pull a brick out of the freezer in the morning, and put it into the container it was frozen, leaving it in the fridge to thaw while I'm at work. 

Tortillas are super cheap, less expensive than tortilla chips, and keep at room temperature. 

----

I like the dig at finding an assistance program. If ever your hunger is greater than your pride, and you can get over your "government = unreliable conspiracy theory" ideology, such programs can help people get on their feet. 

----

Which makes me wonder... didn't you just post about putting up a a bunch of recordings, and doing all kind of projects? How are you paying for internet access, and how do you have the time for the recording stuff, when you should be getting a better job? 

What's up with that?


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## theo (Jun 25, 2011)

Porridge for breakfast. I buy 700g of quick oats for $1.20, lsa (linseed, sunflower and almond meal) for $4 (only use half a Bag per 700g of oats personally and a bag of dried fruit mix. Takes 3 minutes to make breakfast, its healthy and super cheap


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## Chickenhawk (Jun 25, 2011)

Explorer said:


> I like the dig at finding an assistance program. If ever your hunger is greater than your pride, and you can get over your "government = unreliable conspiracy theory" ideology, such programs can help people get on their feet.
> 
> ----



Better than I could have said it.

No matter how 'unreliable' or 'unstable' a government is, I have this strange feeling if you qualify for assistance, you'll get a sandwich or two out of them before the economy collapses.


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## Fiction (Jun 25, 2011)

The Atomic Ass said:


> First suggestion is good, second, not so much. Government, (aside from being a conspiracy theory), is unstable, and ultimately unreliable.
> 
> Now if I can only find a woman to cook for me... Damn that's gonna be tough.



I can only imagine how terrible the government is in assland.


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## Greatoliver (Jun 25, 2011)

Pulses are where it's at. Dried beans, lentils etc. will give you a protein source. Brown rice is good, but it pretty much is just carbohydrate - that's ok, but don't think of it as any more than that.


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## The Atomic Ass (Jun 25, 2011)

Explorer said:


> A big +1 on that!
> 
> I greatly suggest you rethink your strategy of not using refrigeration. You can sometimes find some great, HUGELY energy efficient refrigerators on Craigslist. If you don't use a refrigerator/freezer, you are requiring that all your food be in single servings, which will drive up the price. The pennies you'll save on refrigeration will be false economy.


Not necessarily. I already cook pasta, and leave the extra on the stove to cool down instead of refrigerating it. (half-pound of pasta and 1 jar of sauce makes 2-3 meals, depending on how hungry I am, and not sticking it in the fridge makes it warm up faster with less tending.)



Explorer said:


> I like the dig at finding an assistance program. If ever your hunger is greater than your pride, and you can get over your "government = unreliable conspiracy theory" ideology, such programs can help people get on their feet.


Heh, if I ever get hungry, I'll go back to not being lazy, and dumpster-diving. Which I'll probably do anyway, as it's a good way to make extra cash.

Those programs are designed to make people dependent. They don't always work, of course, as some people naturally get back on their feet. And, several years ago it was mentioned to me all the info you had to give out just to sign up, which I checked out. WAY too much info they want there. 

And of course, I'll direct you to the quotation in my sig. 



Explorer said:


> Which makes me wonder... didn't you just post about putting up a a bunch of recordings, and doing all kind of projects? How are you paying for internet access, and how do you have the time for the recording stuff, when you should be getting a better job?


It's called priorities.  Internet is very affordable, (especially if you're using someone else's), and those recordings were mostly made earlier this year, or last year, using equipment I've owned for a while. Dissonant Perfector was entirely made and recorded in GuitarPro6.


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## The Grief Hole (Jun 25, 2011)

Guitarmiester said:


> Buy a big back of boneless chicken. It should last a few days and your options are limitless, from stir fry with rice and vegetables, chicken Parmesan, chicken cordon bleu, shrimp chicken, chicken gumbo, chicken chicken, bubble gum chicken...
> 
> Bananas are great source of potassium and energy and usually dirt cheap by the pound. The other week they were $0.49 per lb. As a runner, they make for a great, cheap _"snack."_ You can make your own protein bars, which is way cheaper than buying them. Oats are dirt cheap, too. Whey protein can be a bit costly, but still beats out paying $2-$4 per protein bar.



f you buy a pre-cooked chicken you can get a couple of meals off of that. Strip of the last bits of chicken and put them in a bowl. Afterwards put the bones in a pot of water and simmer it for a couple of hours. Drain out the bones/bits, add carrots, onions, leeks and at the last potatoes. Salt pepper. Bang. Chicken Soup. Can freeze it or eat it with hot bread. \cost effective.


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## Waelstrum (Jun 25, 2011)

Packet mi goring, frankfurts, mandarines, milk, muesli, and milo when I'm rewarding myself - my shopping list.


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## Daggorath (Jun 25, 2011)

Just makes sure food never goes to waste. If you buy vegetables and don't eat them very quick, then make into a soup or whatever and freeze.

Meat is the expensive part, at least in England as a student that means not buying steak, lamb etc. Turkey over here is really cheap for the weight, and when you're just making curry or whatever, it's pretty good.


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## Explorer (Jun 25, 2011)

AA, you really should avoid just relying on carb-based meals. If you're relying on carbs like pasta and rice, you are setting yourself up for problems. 

I think that's the point of most people's advice to you, myself included; they want you not only to eat, but to eat in a way which feeds you sustainably. 

When I have time to cook for myself, I wind up cooking all my meals, packing lunch for work, and spending less than $23US a week on food. I also spend about $59 every three months for power, which is all electricity for music, refrigerator/freezer, and stove/oven/microwave. That's less than $30 a week total on food altogether, and includes the occasional chocolate, baked salmon, curried lamb and so on. 

Not refrigerating food is idiocy, plain and simple. 

Food Illness FAQ - What Is The "Food Temperature Danger Zone?"

So... not lazy, and making less than $100 a week. You need to rethink your priorities, because working 40 hours a week, even at minimum wage, should earn you a bit more. Are you working? You're talking about using a friend's internet as well, which makes me wonder if you're paying for where you live. I hate to assume, but it sounds like you're actually not investing any effort in your own wellbeing... and which doesn't make sense combined with your other assertion, vis a vis the government. It's starting to sound like laziness is actually on the part of any given individual, and that in your case specifically, we can rule out the government having made you lazy. 

I've commented before on how certain individuals lack insight, and that others can perceive that lack of insight. This case is sounding like that to me more and more. 

"Government makes people lazy." 
"I use a friend's internet."
"I don't refrigerate food."

I hear this kind of stuff from homeless guys when I give them a fiver. Sure, they maintain they're making it on their own, living off of others while pretending they're not. I've heard all the stuff about being free, not wanting to work for "the man" but willing to accept a handout from "him," instead of getting a fuckin' job. 

It's sounding like you've bought your ticket, and are ready to ride off the rails on that particular train. You might want to give that some thought.

Good luck!


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## The Atomic Ass (Jun 26, 2011)

Explorer said:


> AA, you really should avoid just relying on carb-based meals. If you're relying on carbs like pasta and rice, you are setting yourself up for problems.


I do intend to get more than carbs on the list... But they're so damn cheap. 

Question: what kind of tomato has a bit of crunch to it, so that biting into it is crisp, like biting into an apple? I've had exactly 2 slices of such a tomato in my life, the rest of which merely gooshes, which explains my distaste for them. 



Explorer said:


> When I have time to cook for myself, I wind up cooking all my meals, packing lunch for work, and spending less than $23US a week on food. I also spend about $59 every three months for power, which is all electricity for music, refrigerator/freezer, and stove/oven/microwave. That's less than $30 a week total on food altogether, and includes the occasional chocolate, baked salmon, curried lamb and so on.


This entire thread deals not just with the short term, but is also being filtered into my long term plans which preclude the availability of electricity, (due to the complete collapse of society), and as such, refrigeration. I appreciate the concern, though.

My curiosity bothers me, though, what's your KWh usage @ $58/qtr?



Explorer said:


> So... not lazy, and making less than $100 a week. You need to rethink your priorities, because working 40 hours a week, even at minimum wage, should earn you a bit more. Are you working? You're talking about using a friend's internet as well, which makes me wonder if you're paying for where you live. I hate to assume, but it sounds like you're actually not investing any effort in your own wellbeing... and which doesn't make sense combined with your other assertion, vis a vis the government. It's starting to sound like laziness is actually on the part of any given individual, and that in your case specifically, we can rule out the government having made you lazy.


I'm pulling a John Galt style of selective laziness. 

I do occasionally bring home more than $100, but it's not predictable or reliable. My 2010 income was about $6,800, so slightly over $100/wk.

I never mentioned who was providing my Internet. I honestly don't know who. Were we to be talking of a per-use type of service such as water, gas or electric, then my use would cost them, (the utility consumer whom I shared with) causing me to be a mooch if I did not reimburse them. Internet is very much a different story, especially here. My apartment complex has un-metered fiber, so everybody has megabits to spare. I maintain a strict policy of not shitting the bed (no torrents), and my browsing does not impact the usability of their service. Morally, I cannot distinguish my use from non-use, given the lack of any negative affect on those paying for said service.

As for living accommodations, cardboard boxes are surprisingly low in rent and spacious these days. 

Being serious for a moment, I signed a 3-year lease in 2008. I paid upfront. When the lease comes up, I'm moving elsewhere, not merely because of money, but due mostly to my distaste for Ohio.

The gear purchases I have in mind are not entirely musically-related, either, some of them are in the vein of purchasing out-right future living accommodations of a modest nature. Those latter are naturally of a slightly higher priority.

A little less concerned on my future I hope? 



Explorer said:


> I've commented before on how certain individuals lack insight, and that others can perceive that lack of insight. This case is sounding like that to me more and more.
> 
> "Government makes people lazy."
> "I use a friend's internet."
> ...


To this day, I've done work for every dollar to grease my palm, (with the exception of birthday money when I was a young child), and I don't intend to change that. But you'll be the first to be informed w&#822;h&#822;e&#822;n&#822; if I take a handout.


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## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

Nuts and pulses such as beans are king for cheap protein. Eggs are good, as well. 

By way of veg, just don't bother taking more than a portion of each nutrient. Once you're past what your body needs, it will stop taking in more so you're wasting money if you eat a huge salad bowl full of only greens. Work out how much of each food it takes to obtain all the nutrients you need from it and don't exceed that. Then just fill yourself up with carbs or protein, if you so desire.


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## theo (Jun 27, 2011)

buy some chickens, eat their eggs, when times are tough kill and eat them. Be a real man, kill your own dinner.


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## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

theo said:


> Be a real man, kill your own dinner.



Just like Mark Zuckerberg.


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## theo (Jun 27, 2011)

Not gonna lie, I have no idea who Mark Zuckerberg is. But if he's killing his own dinner, I have no problem with him.


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## Solodini (Jun 28, 2011)

He's the founder of facebook. He's vowed to go a year eating only what he kills.


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## Gryphon (Jun 28, 2011)

Solodini said:


> Nuts and pulses such as beans are king for cheap protein. Eggs are good, as well.


 
I think you have this backwards, eggs are king (I spend a little extra for the natural ones, but if you are on a budget, you can get the basic eggs) and nuts and pulses are good as well.


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## Konfyouzd (Jun 28, 2011)

I pretty much just eat chicken/rice/brocoli or breakfast foods like bacon/eggs/sausage/toast...

These aren't terribly expensive I don't think...

I still fall victim to eating out and at convenience stores, though. I need to stop.


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## Black_Sheep (Jun 28, 2011)

I've been trying to eat more cheaply as well. I was amazed at how much money goes for food. Too much! 

Rice and/with chicken is what i've eaten lately, some can food as well but that's not something i'd recommend.  ...Oh, and instant noodles are pretty good.


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## Overtone (Jun 28, 2011)

This may actually be very informative

What the World Eats, Part I - Photo Essays - TIME
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Part II - Photo Essays - TIME


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## Solodini (Jun 28, 2011)

Gryphon said:


> I think you have this backwards, eggs are king (I spend a little extra for the natural ones, but if you are on a budget, you can get the basic eggs) and nuts and pulses are good as well.



I was thinking king in terms of cheapness. I prefer pulses to eggs, personally. I just find them easier to use in most dishes.


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## Gryphon (Jun 28, 2011)

Solodini said:


> I was thinking king in terms of cheapness. I prefer pulses to eggs, personally. I just find them easier to use in most dishes.


 
cool, that'd make sense then


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