How to Spend Little to No Money on Food?

[YoshiMoshi]

One of my goals is to spend as little as possible on food without being malnourished or hungry. It's not that I can't afford to spend a couple hundred a month on food, I'd just rather use that money for something else or save it.

So I know I can buy ramen noodles dirt cheap, probably less than 0.20 dollars a packet. The only problem is that when I do that, it's very salty and I need to eat at least two per meal. I was thinking of adding eggs to the soup to get some protein.

I was also thinking of other cheap foods I could eat. I know that beans are cheap, cabbage, rice, and that's were I'm stuck.

How can I eat very cheaply without being malnourished? I've heard of people spending less than a dollar per meal as an experiment and still being healthy and not hungry, which sounds amazing! What mathematical formula can I use, in terms of food to eat and buy to spend little to no money on food?

 

[StoneTemplePython]

I'd suggest (at least) one meal a day of oatmeal (whole rolled oats or steel cut) with fruit in it, plus something with fat mixed in (chopped up nuts, coconut milk or whatever).

Your comment on ramen reminded me -- don't do something stupid and end up with scurvy like Sam Altman did. Other than raw calories, ramen has no real nutritional value. Same with ice cream.

- - - -
For historical perspective, you might look up 'the diet problem' which was one of the first pushes for linear programming -- and used in context of feeding US troops during WWII. Keep in mind making sure soldiers are nourished enough to fight well is not exactly the same as making sure you are 'eating well.' Malnourished can mean a lot of things.

 

[andrewkirk]

I've heard it said that a large number of people in the Indian subcontinent live fairly healthily on mostly just dal (lentils) and rice. That should be cheaper than noodles, and much healthier, as it supplies carbohydrates, complete proteins, fibre and plenty of vitamins. Adding cabbage - also cheap - should supply most or all of the vitamins not supplied by the above. Carrots are usually cheap, so you can add them for vitamins A and D in case the others don't have enough of that.

I think those would cover all your needs except for vitamin B12 and some minerals - maybe iron and calcium might be deficient. One way to cover those might be to get a cheap bottle of multivitamins and minerals that can last a long time. Another would be to research which cheap foods have the missing items.

At many greengrocers near me they carry trays of 'imperfect produce' that are sold very cheaply because they are mis-shapen or have blemishes. That makes them hard to sell at full price but they are just as tasty and nutritious. If food retailers near you have that then topping up with picks from those trays - the contents of which will vary weekly and by season - can supply very inexpensive food, and variety too. It's also good for the environment buying from the imperfect produce trays, as it reduces food waste.

More generally if you go through supermarkets keeping an eye out for bargains on nutritious food, you can often find them. If they're non-perishable you can stock up when they're very cheap and use them over a sustained period, to fill in any nutrition gaps.

 

[DS2C]

Carbs like oats and rice will fill you up for the cheapest. Like you said, add aome eggs into your ramen. I used to do that all the time. Eggs and rice is good as well.

 

[Choppy]

I recommend aiming for a healthy, balanced diet, about fifty percent of which should be real vegetables and fruits, and junk food kept to a minimum.

You can save money by:
- avoiding restaurants or take-out
- planning your meals
- purchasing non-perishables in bulk
- coupon clipping and taking advantage of sales
- not all grocery stores are created equal - find the less expensive ones

That said, scrimping on your actual diet to save money is generally a bad idea. Sure in the short term, it might make sense, but it's important to think about the long-term effects. For one, if your diet is compromised, it could make you lethargic or otherwise keep you from doing everything else you need to do in life at a peak level. I think one of the biggest mistakes I made as a student was not eating well, which in hind sight made me sleepy in lectures - even ones I really otherwise enjoyed.

There are also long term health consequences to consider. A steady diet of salt and carbs isn't going to do you any favours later in life.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

If you have a spare acre of land you can grow most of your food :)

 

[Hawksteinman]

I just eat soup with bread or noodles with bread, and the occasional other type of food like pie [emoji22]

 

[StatGuy2000]

I recommend aiming for a healthy, balanced diet, about fifty percent of which should be real vegetables and fruits, and junk food kept to a minimum.

You can save money by:
- avoiding restaurants or take-out
- planning your meals
- purchasing non-perishables in bulk
- coupon clipping and taking advantage of sales
- not all grocery stores are created equal - find the less expensive ones

That said, scrimping on your actual diet to save money is generally a bad idea. Sure in the short term, it might make sense, but it's important to think about the long-term effects. For one, if your diet is compromised, it could make you lethargic or otherwise keep you from doing everything else you need to do in life at a peak level. I think one of the biggest mistakes I made as a student was not eating well, which in hind sight made me sleepy in lectures - even ones I really otherwise enjoyed.

There are also long term health consequences to consider. A steady diet of salt and carbs isn't going to do you any favours later in life.

I agree 100% with @Choppy here. Eating a healthy, balanced diet need not be expensive, and one can save considerable money by avoiding eating out and finding less expensive grocery stores (if you live in a large, ethnically diverse, you would have a good selection of grocery stores that are available for you with less expensive food items). I would only add that it is important not to overbuy any specific food item(s).

 

[DS2C]

Not sure where you guys are shopping. But $4 for a bundle of bananas here is hardly cheap!

 

[WWGD]

I agree 100% with @Choppy here. Eating a healthy, balanced diet need not be expensive, and one can save considerable money by avoiding eating out and finding less expensive grocery stores (if you live in a large, ethnically diverse, you would have a good selection of grocery stores that are available for you with less expensive food items). I would only add that it is important not to overbuy any specific food item(s).

I agree with most, but not quite with the eating out, specially if you go to self-serve places with cheap (and healthy) specials. For one, these places buy in bulk, they have industrial electricity rates. Besides, if you stay home you will most likely use additional services such as electricity ( heating or A/C , maybe watching TV or listening to radio, and, of course, for cooking). Besides, at home you may eat something else just because it is there and there is little cost associated to eating it; at the restaurant the cost of eating more is immediate, so you are less likely to overeat. Of course, this does not apply if you go to a sit-in place where you have to leave a tip (mostly a U.S thing). And for the rest, you need to be very disciplined to eat what you buy and not let it spoil -- you will have to do much better than average here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/10/half-world-food-waste

 

[kyphysics]

Cereal (I buy Fiber One with very high fiber and low/no sugar flavors) and eggs are pretty cheap.

Eggs, in particular, are great for you and filling (so you don't get hungry and don't eat as much on average if you have them daily and early in the morning):



pretty cool 6-min vid above that everyone should check out on eggs' benefits...you'd be surprised...helps with memory and mental concentration too!

Not sure about Fiber One's nutritional value, but I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the time when I'm busy and chilling in the library or at some random place studying.

 

[kyphysics]

You can save money by:
- avoiding restaurants or take-out
That said, scrimping on your actual diet to save money is generally a bad idea. Sure in the short term, it might make sense, but it's important to think about the long-term effects. For one, if your diet is compromised, it could make you lethargic or otherwise keep you from doing everything else you need to do in life at a peak level. I think one of the biggest mistakes I made as a student was not eating well, which in hind sight made me sleepy in lectures - even ones I really otherwise enjoyed.

There are also long term health consequences to consider. A steady diet of salt and carbs isn't going to do you any favours later in life.

100% agree on the importance of nutrition for work performance. Make sure you're not hurting yourself in anyway, OP, if you're going to go the cheap route with food.

I "save" on restaurants/carryout by getting those meals reimbursed (and paid for surveys afterwards, so that it's a free meal + fee) as a secret shopper. I don't do it as much during the academic Fall/Spring semesters (no time for the reports/surveys), but this summer I practically ate out every other day for free (sometimes three meals a day) and got paid to do it.

I'm big on filling and healthy foods right now:

apples
cereal with whole grains, high fiber, and low sugar (tasteless, but filling and good for nutrition)
eggs
carrot sticks
a mixture of brown and white rice for a starch staple (I never eat Ramen and rarely bread outside of an occasional bagel)
sea salt popcorn (expensive, but filling and good-tasting and not that unhealthy)

are a few things that come to mind for me...I frequently have cereal and popcorn on campus in my backpack. Can whip it out as a snack or straight up meal.

 

[Evo]

I have added oranges to my diet and eat the peels, most of the vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and flavonoids are in the peels same goes for lemon peels, I steep them in sweetened green tea to soften and sweeten them. If they are not organic, be sure to scrub them clean. They also fill you up when eaten prior to a meal.

 

[CynicusRex]

How about not eating one day in the week? This intermittent fasting thing looks promising and saves money.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3680567/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28715993

Alas, as usual, it needs further research, but at least: "Overall, evidence suggests that intermittent fasting regimens are not harmful physically or mentally (i.e., in terms of mood) in healthy, normal weight, overweight, or obese adults."

I try not to eat for 24 hours every Sunday (oatmeal in the morning, and nothing else until the next day), and find it to be a unique experience.

 

[ISamson]

Milk and oats for breakfast.
Pasta or rice with Vegemite. Cheap and best for lunch.
Bread with cheese or a bit of ham for dinner.
Some fruit throughout the day and lots of water.
Easy!

 

[russ_watters]

I agree with most, but not quite with the eating out, specially if you go to self-serve places with cheap (and healthy) specials. For one, these places buy in bulk, they have industrial electricity rates. Besides, if you stay home you will most likely use additional services such as electricity ( heating or A/C , maybe watching TV or listening to radio, and, of course, for cooking). Besides, at home you may eat something else just because it is there and there is little cost associated to eating it; at the restaurant the cost of eating more is immediate, so you are less likely to overeat. Of course, this does not apply if you go to a sit-in place where you have to leave a tip (mostly a U.S thing). And for the rest, you need to be very disciplined to eat what you buy and not let it spoil -- you will have to do much better than average here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/10/half-world-food-waste

It is unlikely that any economy of scale at any restaurant will ever beat "free", which is the cost of the labor to make and serve your own food.

Also, while energy rates will be cheaper at a restaurant, the HVAC requirements are more substantial (they are required to have exhaust and make-up air, and houses aren't), making it unlikely that they could actually save money on HVAC/energy.

One could always spend time somewhere else to save on HVAC energy, but if you're spending your afternoon at the library (free!) to save a quarter on air conditioning your apartment, you may have won the battle, but you've lost the war.

 

[WWGD]

It is unlikely that any economy of scale at any restaurant will ever beat "free", which is the cost of the labor to make and serve your own food.

Also, while energy rates will be cheaper at a restaurant, the HVAC requirements are more substantial (they are required to have exhaust and make-up air, and houses aren't), making it unlikely that they could actually save money on HVAC/energy.

One could always spend time somewhere else to save on HVAC energy, but if you're spending your afternoon at the library (free!) to save a quarter on air conditioning your apartment, you may have won the battle, but you've lost the war.

I think I have the answer: prepare your food at home and have it microwaved elsewhere. What do you think about the extra consumption at home? If you have something laying around, you may just eat it, as you don't feel the cost of doing that. In a restaurant, you have to pay for anything extra. I tell you this because I tried to save on sodas by buying a large bottle that I kept at home or work. Problem is that having the soda so easily available at home meant that I would drink significantly more than at restaurants, where I had to pay for any extra.

 

[WWGD]

How about not eating one day in the week? This intermittent fasting thing looks promising and saves money.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3680567/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28715993

Alas, as usual, it needs further research, but at least: "Overall, evidence suggests that intermittent fasting regimens are not harmful physically or mentally (i.e., in terms of mood) in healthy, normal weight, overweight, or obese adults."

I try not to eat for 24 hours every Sunday (oatmeal in the morning, and nothing else until the next day), and find it to be a unique experience.

Do you stay indoors? It seems , at least in the U.S, that food is so easily available and one is bombarded with so much advertising for it that , at least for me, the siren call of eating is difficult to resist. But I agree with you, I used to do this on Sundays and I would feel lighter throughout the ensuing week, and would digest better (won't give details here :) ).

 

[Mark44]

I think I have the answer: prepare your food at home and have it microwaved elsewhere.

I think this is almost certainly a false economy. If your average-sized microwave uses 1200 W. and you use it 12 minutes a day and pay $.10/KWh for electricity, the cost is 73 cents a month or slightly over 2 cents a day. See http://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_microwave.htm.

 

[Mark44]

One of my goals is to spend as little as possible on food without being malnourished or hungry. It's not that I can't afford to spend a couple hundred a month on food, I'd just rather use that money for something else or save it.

So I know I can buy ramen noodles dirt cheap, probably less than 0.20 dollars a packet. The only problem is that when I do that, it's very salty and I need to eat at least two per meal. I was thinking of adding eggs to the soup to get some protein.

As already mentioned, substituting ramen noodles for real food is a bad idea, since the noodles are little more than straight carbohydrates with virtually none of the minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that human require. You probably wouldn't be much worse off if you ate styrofoam peanuts instead of the ramen noodles.

I think the idea of spending as little as possible on food is a good one, but if you are eating unwisely, you are spending less than what is necessary to sustain life. As a metaphor, if I want to save money on gasoline to power my car, each time I gas up, I fill the tank 90% full, and then fill the rest with water. The money I save on gas will be more than countered on what I'll have to spend on getting my car repaired. The same is likely true if you don't put enough good food in your body.

 

[WWGD]

I think this is almost certainly a false economy. If your average-sized microwave uses 1200 W. and you use it 12 minutes a day and pay $.10/KWh for electricity, the cost is 73 cents a month or slightly over 2 cents a day. See http://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_microwave.htm.

I was assuming you would microwave _ instead of_ cooking with a burner at home. So you are, by doing this, saving on electricity used to cook your food, AC/heating , radio/tv you may be watching. Your time may be better/more productively spent : studying/working/etc. than by cooking. And your total amount of food consumed is likely to be lower when you eat outside. Consider all this in an argument and I will take that claim more to heart.

 

[Mark44]

I was assuming you would microwave _ instead of_ cooking with a burner at home.

But you didn't say this. I would guess that the majority of homes or apartments that have a stove also have at least a small microwave oven.

So you are, by doing this, saving on electricity used to cook your food, AC/heating , radio/tv you may be watching.
Your time may be better/more productively spent : studying/working/etc. than by cooking. And your total amount of food consumed is likely to be lower when you eat outside. Consider all this in an argument and I will take that claim more to heart.

Going elsewhere to cook or heat your food seems like a waste of time, if you're walking both ways, or of money, if you include the cost of gas or bus fare.

If I were studying or working, I wouldn't have the TV on, and probably not the radio, either, but that's just me. Do you have any figures comparing the cost of turning off the AC/heat while you're gone, with the cost of getting to and from some place with a microwave? In any case, it seems to me that going somewhere else to microwave your food would be time or money that could be more profitably spent in some other way.

 

[WWGD]

I was assuming you would microwave _ instead of_ cooking with a burner at home.

But you didn't say this. I would guess that the majority of homes or apartments that have a stove also have at least a small microwave oven.

Going elsewhere to cook or heat your food seems like a waste of time, if you're walking both ways, or of money, if you include the cost of gas or bus fare.

If I were studying or working, I wouldn't have the TV on, and probably not the radio, either, but that's just me. Do you have any figures comparing the cost of turning off the AC/heat while you're gone, with the cost of getting to and from some place with a microwave? In any case, it seems to me that going somewhere else to microwave your food would be time or money that could be more profitably spent in some other way.

Ok, maybe I did not make my assumptions clear. You are right. I meant ( but did not state) that if you must go elsewhere, which may be the case for most people, I assume. Just if you must go work. I live in NYC, so I have two places within walking distance with a publically-available microwave. I can quickly prep the food at home , pre-cooked rice, chicken, take them , nuke it , throw some vegetables in. But remember OP also wanted to save time in general. Should s/he then spend time cooking?

 

[CynicusRex]

Do you stay indoors? It seems , at least in the U.S, that food is so easily available and one is bombarded with so much advertising for it that , at least for me, the siren call of eating is difficult to resist. But I agree with you, I used to do this on Sundays and I would feel lighter throughout the ensuing week, and would digest better (won't give details here :) ).

Fortunately my neighborhood isn't infested with advertisements. I'm sometimes more likely to cave when I'm inside rather than doing something outside. Also, it's rather surprising that my performance in sports doesn't suffer on a fasting day. I'd even say I have more stamina. A friend of mine fasted for 5 days in a row, and only experienced a decline in physical performance on the second or third day (I think the latter). The only negative thing I can think of is that I fall asleep later, and sleep less during that night. I will hopefully fix that slight nuisance by starting the fast on Saturday evening and eating again on Sunday evening; because proper sleep is quite important.

PS I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has done intermittent fasting. It sounds like pseudo science—like so many other food and diet fads—but it really isn't.

 

[WWGD]

Fortunately my neighborhood isn't infested with advertisements. I'm sometimes more likely to cave when I'm inside rather than doing something outside. Also, it's rather surprising that my performance in sports doesn't suffer on a fasting day. I'd even say I have more stamina. A friend of mine fasted for 5 days in a row, and only experienced a decline in physical performance on the second or third day (I think the latter). The only negative thing I can think of is that I fall asleep later, and sleep less during that night. I will hopefully fix that slight nuisance by starting the fast on Saturday evening and eating again on Sunday evening; because proper sleep is quite important.

PS I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has done intermittent fasting. It sounds like pseudo science—like so many other food and diet fads—but it really isn't.

My ( attempt at an ) explanation is that, unless you are either eating organic food and/or exercising daily, drinking clean water, your system's natural defenses are ultimately overwhelmed by the barrage of toxins coming either from outside or being generated by your own body. I admit I have no data to support this, though.

 

[Mark44]

I live in NYC, so I have two places within walking distance with a publically-available microwave. I can quickly prep the food at home , pre-cooked rice, chicken, take them , nuke it , throw some vegetables in. But remember OP also wanted to save time in general. Should s/he then spend time cooking?

We'll have to ask the OP whether there is a microwave available where he/she lives. If so, schlepping your food elsewhere would be a waste of time and/or money. It might be good exercise, but that's not what this thread is about.

 

[waternohitter]

If you have a spare acre of land you can grow most of your food :)

I was going to say the same thing. Here at my home, when I go out the yard, there's lemon, coconut, tomatoes, papaya and eggplants. growing your own food might be the cheapest and healthiest alternative.

but then again, ramen? the instant ones are not healthy at all.
read this:

http://www.care2.com/causes/did-you-know-instant-ramen-noodles-were-this-bad-for-you.html

Plan your meals well. Saving money is not worth it when your health will be in peril.

 

[Krunchyman]

I used to survive on bananas, rice and eggs. A month's worth would cost me around $20. I'd spend another $40 to $50 on milk, fruits, vegetables and whatnot, in addition to whatever free food I could find around campus or get from friends.

 

[WWGD]

I was going to say the same thing. Here at my home, when I go out the yard, there's lemon, coconut, tomatoes, papaya and eggplants. growing your own food might be the cheapest and healthiest alternative.

.

So you live in a farm? Or in Hawaii?

 

[NascentOxygen]

There are a surprising number of weeds that are nutritious and taste okay, so provided you have access to a garden area, even neglected, you should have a supply of clean fresh greens through at least 3 seasons of the year, enough to ward off scurvy. If in the city, and there is no private yard, you may be able to help at community gardens, where your labor and bonhomie will be rewarded with fresh vegetables and fruit...and morning tea. Free.