khorum
Murder Apologist
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Did the Albrechts sell Trader Joe's off recently? Aldi's bought TJ a while back and last I checked they still sell the same house brands.
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The Eating on a Budget Thread
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
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Zapatta
Krugman's Fax Machine
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Rice and beans - Wikipedia
You can eat well 3x a day for $.80 a serving. I did it 5 days a week in college, Top Ramen fags were Jelly.
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Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Honestly, the biggest expenditure for eating cheap (and not hating life) is the initial expenditure on spices/equipment. After that, it's just going with flavor profiles and making bulk dishes, like soups. Getting a professional kitchen grade box of Morton's Kosher Salt and a big ass pepper corn bottle with attached grinder (like 8 bucks at costco) can take you a really long way. Just simmering shit in it's own juices (especially stuff like beans and rice) is going to make you genuinely dislike eating.
But there's always some caveats. Trader Joe's too far? Well there goes the easy small-frozen meats that you can buy most likely in walking distance. Costo costs money to have a membership; is that included in the pricing? Local market only stocks one genre of food (happens a lot in Cali; you get some places with a couple of miles around the only store which is Mexican or Asian and not much else) or you have dietary needs that make it difficult to eat certain cheap/readily available foods? (people with grain/rice/gluten allergies come to mind, as does being lactose intolerant)
WIthout trolling, I'd say purchasing rice and beans is a solid foundation. A 25lb bag of long grain white rice and a 25lb bag of pinto beans will cost you a total of 20-30 bucks from most bulk sellers (and likely a lot less.) Get the salt/pepper I mentioned above (another 15-20 bucks maybe) and grab some seasonings for your preferred flavor profiles. Most non-white folk stores will have little baggies of seasoning for like a dollar or two, and depending on what you are doing those can last a pretty long while. Or if you have access, get a couple of those big plastic jug deals they sell seasoning in to restaurants. Garlic powder comes to mind as a solid choice, as does "italian herbs" (mix of 2:1:1 basilregano:thyme) if you can get them for cheap.
Then, it's just purchasing something you wouldn't mind eating for a week. Chicken thigh meat (even boneless) is very cheap. You can supplant it by also buying some of the thinner/fattier cuts of pork or beef. Low end ground beef is also fairly cheap (Turkey is really nice... but also expensive comparatively) and can be used with ingredients you already have. Carrots/celery/onions for your mirepoix (this just adds a solid flavor base to any soup, and also sneaks in more veggies) should cost you a couple of bucks for the week. After that, just make food that tastes good and lasts awhile, and your weekly expenditure (until you run out of rice and beans or seasonings) will be in the 10-15 dollar range vs. 10 dollars a day average for a lot of people "eating cheap."
There's probably cheaper, and probably better ways. But the above covers a solid foundation to work from and will keep your monthly food expenditures under $100 a month easily. Then, you can trim where you want while still having options since you already have the basics laying around.
But there's always some caveats. Trader Joe's too far? Well there goes the easy small-frozen meats that you can buy most likely in walking distance. Costo costs money to have a membership; is that included in the pricing? Local market only stocks one genre of food (happens a lot in Cali; you get some places with a couple of miles around the only store which is Mexican or Asian and not much else) or you have dietary needs that make it difficult to eat certain cheap/readily available foods? (people with grain/rice/gluten allergies come to mind, as does being lactose intolerant)
WIthout trolling, I'd say purchasing rice and beans is a solid foundation. A 25lb bag of long grain white rice and a 25lb bag of pinto beans will cost you a total of 20-30 bucks from most bulk sellers (and likely a lot less.) Get the salt/pepper I mentioned above (another 15-20 bucks maybe) and grab some seasonings for your preferred flavor profiles. Most non-white folk stores will have little baggies of seasoning for like a dollar or two, and depending on what you are doing those can last a pretty long while. Or if you have access, get a couple of those big plastic jug deals they sell seasoning in to restaurants. Garlic powder comes to mind as a solid choice, as does "italian herbs" (mix of 2:1:1 basil
regano:thyme) if you can get them for cheap.Then, it's just purchasing something you wouldn't mind eating for a week. Chicken thigh meat (even boneless) is very cheap. You can supplant it by also buying some of the thinner/fattier cuts of pork or beef. Low end ground beef is also fairly cheap (Turkey is really nice... but also expensive comparatively) and can be used with ingredients you already have. Carrots/celery/onions for your mirepoix (this just adds a solid flavor base to any soup, and also sneaks in more veggies) should cost you a couple of bucks for the week. After that, just make food that tastes good and lasts awhile, and your weekly expenditure (until you run out of rice and beans or seasonings) will be in the 10-15 dollar range vs. 10 dollars a day average for a lot of people "eating cheap."
There's probably cheaper, and probably better ways. But the above covers a solid foundation to work from and will keep your monthly food expenditures under $100 a month easily. Then, you can trim where you want while still having options since you already have the basics laying around.
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Brahma
Obi-Bro Kenobi-X
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This fuckin thread changed my life!!
There is an Aldi's off to the side at the local mall near me, that I have avoided like the plague because of the clientele I see going in there. We had our 1st snow here in Boston, so everyone's hitting Market Basket, S&S etc Friday evening. I couldn't find a parking spot that wasn't two miles away it seemed...Aldi's was empty in the parking lot so I said fuckit. I'll mingle with the common folk.
This place rocks!!! Cheap as fuck. I really don't care if something is off brand except cereal. I even laughed at the names as I was like throwing it in the cart.
I usually spend about 75 bucks a whack at Market Basket 3x a week. (Another twenty five at Whole Foods once a week). I spent 30 bucks for comparable groceries at Aldi's. Myself nor the kids could tell the difference with the few things we tried.
The deli was a little lacking. (No deli counter) I hate bagging my groceries, and there was ONE...ONE register open. My 3 gripes. All forgiven with that sort of savings though. I may even stop my Whole Foods trek across four towns!
I did go to Whole Foods though. I just couldn't take a chance on the chicken salad I like just yet. Got the kids some Aldi's chicken salad. Stuffed the WF's chicken salad in the back of the fridge.
Time to grab some reusable bags. Brahma's got a brand new spot.
There is an Aldi's off to the side at the local mall near me, that I have avoided like the plague because of the clientele I see going in there. We had our 1st snow here in Boston, so everyone's hitting Market Basket, S&S etc Friday evening. I couldn't find a parking spot that wasn't two miles away it seemed...Aldi's was empty in the parking lot so I said fuckit. I'll mingle with the common folk.
This place rocks!!! Cheap as fuck. I really don't care if something is off brand except cereal. I even laughed at the names as I was like throwing it in the cart.
I usually spend about 75 bucks a whack at Market Basket 3x a week. (Another twenty five at Whole Foods once a week). I spent 30 bucks for comparable groceries at Aldi's. Myself nor the kids could tell the difference with the few things we tried.
The deli was a little lacking. (No deli counter) I hate bagging my groceries, and there was ONE...ONE register open. My 3 gripes. All forgiven with that sort of savings though. I may even stop my Whole Foods trek across four towns!
I did go to Whole Foods though. I just couldn't take a chance on the chicken salad I like just yet. Got the kids some Aldi's chicken salad. Stuffed the WF's chicken salad in the back of the fridge
.Time to grab some reusable bags. Brahma's got a brand new spot.
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Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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it might've been a busy time, and snow might've done in some employee's but keep going to Aldi b/cThis fuckin thread changed my life!!
There is an Aldi's off to the side at the local mall near me, that I have avoided like the plague because of the clientele I see going in there. We had our 1st snow here in Boston, so everyone's hitting Market Basket, S&S etc Friday evening. I couldn't find a parking spot that wasn't two miles away it seemed...Aldi's was empty in the parking lot so I said fuckit. I'll mingle with the common folk.
This place rocks!!! Cheap as fuck. I really don't care if something is off brand except cereal. I even laughed at the names as I was like throwing it in the cart.
I usually spend about 75 bucks a whack at Market Basket 3x a week. (Another twenty five at Whole Foods once a week). I spent 30 bucks for comparable groceries at Aldi's. Myself nor the kids could tell the difference with the few things we tried.
The deli was a little lacking. I hate bagging my groceries, and there was ONE...ONE register open. My 3 gripes. All forgiven with that sort of savings though. I may even stop my Whole Foods trek across four towns!
I did go to Whole Foods though. I just couldn't take a chance on the chicken salad I like just yet. Got the kids some Aldi's chicken salad. Stuffed the WF's chicken salad in the back of the fridge
Time to grab some reusable bags. Brahma's got a brand new spot.
1. even if you had one cashier, they are fast as shit
2. you lucky your Aldi even has a deli!!!, the two Aldi's by me are deli-less
3. like i said about the groceries, just cave man your cart into your trunk
i mean you have kids, so i'm sure you have one of these
fuck, just take the whole damn thing w/ you when you shop and put it in the cart, it's got two handles!
also try the Aldi's chips, they're called "Clancys", i posted in the fast food thread, theyre the best bbq chips ever.
The snacks aren't junk, for comparison purposes i bought the Aldi's cookies and fake oreos, and i went to the dollar store and bout the shit. Holy fuck, the Aldis tasted like chips ahoy and the dollar store stuff was cardboard.
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Brahma
Obi-Bro Kenobi-X
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it might've been a busy time, and snow might've done in some employee's but keep going to Aldi b/c
1. even if you had one cashier, they are fast as shit
2. you lucky your Aldi even has a deli!!!, the two Aldi's by me are deli-less
3. like i said about the groceries, just cave man your cart into your trunk
i mean you have kids, so i'm sure you have one of these
fuck, just take the whole damn thing w/ you when you shop and put it in the cart, it's got two handles!
also try the Aldi's chips, they're called "Clancys", i posted in the fast food thread, theyre the best bbq chips ever.
The snacks aren't junk, for comparison purposes i bought the Aldi's cookies and fake oreos, and i went to the dollar store and bout the shit. Holy fuck, the Aldis tasted like chips ahoy and the dollar store stuff was cardboard.
Sorry...Deli lacking means no deli. They had a section with pre-packaged meats and stuff. That "bag" is pretty cool. Will snag one.
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Tholan
Blackwing Lair Raider
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Probably not transposable to USA, but I could bring my food budget down by planning my meals a week ahead, and not popping in store every 2 days, buying stuff I didnt need while hungry.
Then I decided only to buy veggies from local farmers, prices are very very low and quality is ok.
That left me with meats, and here I don't mind spending a bit more for local cows / chicken. Buying half a cow will give you plenty of meat, even lower cuts you didnt know existed and that are delicious. I've stopped eating lamb at home because they are hard to come by around here, and so is pork.
Having a good freezer and knowing how to use it is also a good way to reduce costs.
Drink tap water. You don't need anything else and it's basically free.
Then I decided only to buy veggies from local farmers, prices are very very low and quality is ok.
That left me with meats, and here I don't mind spending a bit more for local cows / chicken. Buying half a cow will give you plenty of meat, even lower cuts you didnt know existed and that are delicious. I've stopped eating lamb at home because they are hard to come by around here, and so is pork.
Having a good freezer and knowing how to use it is also a good way to reduce costs.
Drink tap water. You don't need anything else and it's basically free.
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TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
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I think people like Trader Joes because they've never seen an HEB or Aldi.
It's hard to explain it if you're not here. Texas pride is part of it, HEB being located in only Texas, is *hugely* specialized around Texas only things (eg: you can buy an iron skillet shaped like Texas, or buy Texas shaped tortilla chips). They source most everything for their own brands from Texas farmers, etc. Every store is decorated around why Texas is the best, etc. Plays into the local attitude.
But aside that, their stores are just great experiences. They have a full time chef cooking, chatting with customers, to cook you up a sample, or to answer common cooking questions. If you wanted a spice recommendation for some dish you're making they can help you. If you wanted a wine pairing for a food, they will do that too. They also have their own culinary academy. They have a sushi bar, really really fresh meats, and great seafood. You can even get king crab legs at most HEBs.
HEB here is custom-tailored to the location of where it is. If you go to the hood of Austin, you're going to get a lot of cheap shit generally. I live in whiteland, so everything at mine is really nice for example two rows of wine selection, and a cheese selection that is almost as big as the bakery. Fresh olive bar. Produce is all fresh and solid, and overall their selection is top notch.
Not only that, their generic brand stuff is outstanding. Most people here actually prefer HEB brands over normal brands, and it's cheap as fuck. They have a gigantic variety of fully cooked food too, that is just delicious.
I guess if I had to compare it, it's like Aldis. Just a great experience, great products, really high quality brand, and extremely cheap.
Dog that looks like Central Market. My HEB (Parmer/Tech Ridge) doesn't have any of that shit.
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AladainAF
Best Rabbit
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Lambourne
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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One tip I have is to stop buying pasta sauce and make your own, it's utterly trivial. All you have to do is buy 500g of tomato puree, add 2-3 teaspoons of sugar to take the acidity off, then just season as you like. Generally some salt, basil and garlic works fine.
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ZyyzYzzy
RIP USA
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Nah, it's fine. It's basically how my Italian American family makes it. We add black pepper, sautéed onions and olive oil, and skip the basil. Bring to boil and simmer for an hour. If you like, brown some cheap, tough cuts of beef, add and simmer for another two hours. Tenderest, tastiest beef you will ever have. Oh, and add a canful of water at the start, because a lot will be lost in the process.
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Hatorade
A nice asshole.
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Now that yall discovered Aldi you can also check out 99 Ranch markets(asian grocery stores) and stop buying that fried ramen bullshit and get the real stuff like: 99 Ranch | Wu-Mu Ramen Original Flavor Noodles - 99 Ranch Market or the bulk packages of the circle ones they run like 3-5 bucks depending on the brand and are actually healthy. Some spice, soy sauce etc, frozen veggies and boiling water in a bowl. Wu-Mu is for a whole patty, shitty Maruchan ramen below is for half...
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Hatorade
A nice asshole.
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If you love beans and rice like I do get yourself a pressure cooker/instant pot, cuts bean making down from 8 hours to 45 mins. Make in bulk and meal prep, I have an endless mountain of premade burritos frozen for when I don't feel like cooking. We cook either Saturday or Sunday night for the week and eat the cooked food for lunches or dinner and fill in with whatever is frozen or the ramen above. Been doing this for the past 10 years or so.
Use Flipp app to shop local sales, pickup chicken/pork etc in family packs on sale, divide into cooking portions by wrapping in plastic wrap and then tin foil to freeze. Be sure and write what is inside and the date you wrapped it.
Use Flipp app to shop local sales, pickup chicken/pork etc in family packs on sale, divide into cooking portions by wrapping in plastic wrap and then tin foil to freeze. Be sure and write what is inside and the date you wrapped it.
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Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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i clicked on one of their circulars, they seem more taiwain import based, also the fuck is this shit?
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Brahma
Obi-Bro Kenobi-X
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Asian markets smell like fuckin octopus ass. I will draw the line at Aldi's.
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