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Shagg · 10-05-2008, 02:59 PM

If you have the time to actually cook, it isn't too difficult. Also easier to plan for a month than just a week at a time. Watching sales is a big help.

Just an example here, I got 2 tri-tip roasts with a total weight of five and a half pounds for 17 bucks on Friday (sale price). If I was just cooking for myself, I could probably get 6 (or more) very tasty sandwiches out of a single roast. I love this cut of meat and I eat it all the time, many people don't like it because they don't know how to cook it.

Whole chicken is something else that's cheap. Roast a chicken, save the carcass for making chicken stock. Make a big batch of chicken stock and freeze it, use as needed.

Basic spices are cheap, garlic at 40 cents a bulb, onion is usually inexpensive. If you have space for a couple of plants, rosemary and basil are simple to grow. A bulk size container of coarse ground pepper set me back all of 6 bucks last week and is easily enough to last me a year or more.

Most of the staples are pretty reasonable. Rice, beans, flour, corn meal, potatos. Butter and margarine can be reasonably expensive, but you don't necessarily need to buy it every week.

Living on an average of $25 a week isn't difficult, but it does take time and planning. If you work 40 hours a week and are willing to give up a decent chunk of a day to cooking, you should have no problem. If you have say... a family of 4, one provider, stay at home parent and 2 kids; having 400 bucks for the monthly food expenses can allow the family to eat reasonably well. Problem is, you have to work at it, most people are not willing to invest the time to learn how to cook. They would rather watch tv or hang with friends. You will need to spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen to make it work.

I will say that it is damn near impossible to conveniently eat for 25 bucks a week. My food bill is probably my single highest expense, but it's from choice not necessity. I frequently plan meals a couple hours before I am about to cook and end up spending more than if I would have planned in advance, fortunately I am well enough off that I am able to do this. In years past when I wasn't so fortunate, I put a lot more care into my shopping and was still able to really enjoy food.

Having a couple of really good cookbooks also helps big time. How to Cook Everything and the New Homes Cookbook are 2 of the best cookbooks ever written. They have tons of simple recipes with clear, easy to follow instructions.

10-05-2008, 02:59 PM	#31 (permalink)
Shagg What day is it? Location: Downey, CA	If you have the time to actually cook, it isn't too difficult. Also easier to plan for a month than just a week at a time. Watching sales is a big help. Just an example here, I got 2 tri-tip roasts with a total weight of five and a half pounds for 17 bucks on Friday (sale price). If I was just cooking for myself, I could probably get 6 (or more) very tasty sandwiches out of a single roast. I love this cut of meat and I eat it all the time, many people don't like it because they don't know how to cook it. Whole chicken is something else that's cheap. Roast a chicken, save the carcass for making chicken stock. Make a big batch of chicken stock and freeze it, use as needed. Basic spices are cheap, garlic at 40 cents a bulb, onion is usually inexpensive. If you have space for a couple of plants, rosemary and basil are simple to grow. A bulk size container of coarse ground pepper set me back all of 6 bucks last week and is easily enough to last me a year or more. Most of the staples are pretty reasonable. Rice, beans, flour, corn meal, potatos. Butter and margarine can be reasonably expensive, but you don't necessarily need to buy it every week. Living on an average of $25 a week isn't difficult, but it does take time and planning. If you work 40 hours a week and are willing to give up a decent chunk of a day to cooking, you should have no problem. If you have say... a family of 4, one provider, stay at home parent and 2 kids; having 400 bucks for the monthly food expenses can allow the family to eat reasonably well. Problem is, you have to work at it, most people are not willing to invest the time to learn how to cook. They would rather watch tv or hang with friends. You will need to spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen to make it work. I will say that it is damn near impossible to conveniently eat for 25 bucks a week. My food bill is probably my single highest expense, but it's from choice not necessity. I frequently plan meals a couple hours before I am about to cook and end up spending more than if I would have planned in advance, fortunately I am well enough off that I am able to do this. In years past when I wasn't so fortunate, I put a lot more care into my shopping and was still able to really enjoy food. Having a couple of really good cookbooks also helps big time. How to Cook Everything and the New Homes Cookbook are 2 of the best cookbooks ever written. They have tons of simple recipes with clear, easy to follow instructions.