Termyn8or
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Joined: 11/12/2005
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That's about what I spend a month, or four weeks. I tend to stock up on things when they're on sale. That's usually meat because it stays well in the freezer. I have not eaten a TV dinner in a very long time, I think they're total junk.
Laziness has driven me to the occasional hamburger helper, things like that. But for example I don't buy pork chops, I'll get a boneless pork roast and use a big knife. Seems to "chop" quite well. With a bone, I do have a bone saw. Same thing with beef.
I'll wait for the meat sales, usually one week in the month they have twofers. That almost doubles your money. That's when I stock up. Other things are perishable, veggies and salad fixins for example. They must be bought about every week. I've also found a few deals. A box of chicken you throw in the oven already breaded and seasoned is on par with KFC, three or four bucks for six pieces. It would cost alot more at KFC. I also found shrimp cheap. It's already breaded and spiced, and for three bucks you get 12 - 14 shrimp which are HUGE. That and some fries would be ten bucks at a restaurant at least. All that and they literally cook in two minutes in a deep fryer. Three bucks per person and a potato or two for fries.
The trick is to have a reserve. A deepfreeze is a very good investment. When the sales hit I might spend a hundred bucks on just meat. The other weeks all I need is usually produce, and if things go right I can be ahead of the budget. In the past I was never on a budget, but finances have changed. (alot of that going around huh) But really, I am probably eating better. At one point I almost always went out or ordered out. It got to be hard to find healthy food doing that, and the cost was higher. I could eat out or order for $12-20 a day. Math says this is not cost effective.
That has become important. Not so long ago if I didn't order or eat out I would not care what food costs. I had no problem paying $90 for a beef tenderloin and cutting seven or eight filet mignons out of it, and even pass them out, feeding whoever happened by. Those days are over, at least for now. Knowing how to cook really helps. Having a good assortment of spices is indispensable once one knows how to use them. I have about 50 different spices on the rack, and there are only a few I don't know how to use. Home cooking need not be bland. What's more I can almost totally avoid the use of sugar and table salt. The unrefined salt is something I also stocked up on, alot of it a long time ago. But it doesn't go bad, except for clumping. If the big bags of it are not sealed properly it turns into a big rock, and then I have to literally pound salt.
There are some things you don't save much on though. I mastered making pizza, and I mean on par with the best pizza places. However by the time I get done, it costs about the same as one from a pizza place. It also takes up some of my time, at the very least an hour. Sometimes I get pizza from Chicago via a truck driving buddy of mine. (I live in Cleveland, they will not deliver) The place is called Sergios something.
Another thing you might look into is a breadmaker. I used mine for pizza dough, but it also makes bread. You like french toast ? Well this thing makes a big square loaf and you cut it yourself. Cut it thick and use like two whole eggs for each slice. It kicks ass. I forego the syrup though, and only use butter on it. It seems costly, but if you normally eat a stack of say five or six, with this you'll be stuffed with three. Yes I know that's a half dozen eggs, but so what, it's good. The bread costs almost nothing compared to buying it at the store, and a dozen eggs is still under two bucks here. The math still adds up.
The meat slicer is a good idea too because if you like sandwiches you can just buy a cheap ham and have more lunchmeat than you even want. Same with turkey or chicken, beef, whatever. A philly steak is about ten bucks from the local eatery, plus delivery. I can make them alot cheaper. The only problem is that I am having trouble finding uncut hoagie buns. For the best results you V cut them at the top. Same for sausage or meatball sandwiches. Have a look at the prices of those and do the math. Two bucks a pound for sausage, a wee little bit of sauce and some pizza cheese and you're ready to throw it in the oven. I don't even want to go into burgers. That is ridiculous, the burgers I make would cost over five bucks at an eatery or whatever. And I can have them how I want when I want, even at fiour in the morning.
Laziness pervades, HH type skillet lasagna, I can make that but sometimes just buy it. A nice little trick with that is to put some pizza cheese on top and throw it in an oven or broiler for a few minutes. What they call stroganoff isn't, but I could make that almost as easily and better. And when it comes to chicken paprikash, there is nothing on the market. I have to make it and when I do I have to lock the doors. I used to give it away. I made it using seven whole chickens and it was gone in one day. I guess I can do that once in a while, but not all the time. Not any more. Another thing I don't save any money on is spaghetti sauce. It now costs me about forty bucks to make a pot of it.
Hopefully this thread will grow, and we'll catch some new ideas. Even with all the things to cook, sometimes I am literally sick of everything. I didn't stop buying those tenderloins and porterhouse steaks so much because of the price, I actually got sick of them. What's more I have this aversion to eating the same thing two days in a row. I will eat leftovers, but not the next day. It's gettimg to be time for nacho night soon. Ever eat nachos bel grande or whatever from Taco Bell ? Well my sinister and I have it down pat. Our's is so much better that we don't even consider buying it. And it's pretty easy to make. All the same stuff could also be used for tacos or burritos. It's another winner.
And there is so much more.
T
ETA : Oops I didn't formally answer the question....... My answer is buy the base ingredients. They don't put this stuff together for you for nothing.
T
< Message edited by Termyn8or -- 1/12/2011 1:32:05 AM >
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how much fresh healthy food could you buy for 200 dolla... - 
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