What happens when you try to save money?

You end up having to buy stuff anyways for dinner because your parents go out to eat and leave you with mini pizzas that will still leave you hungry at the end of the night............I'm trying so hard not to spend money, and this keeps happening. Maybe I should apply to Buc ee's and hope I get a job. After all, if their minimum wage is $10.75, I don't care what I'd be doing. In fact, for that, I'd definitely do carts....too bad they don't have any, but the point still stands that i'd probably do anything else.
Now I must say goodbye to another $20 for dinner........I feel like this is happening to me

 

you could always just not eat if it bugs you that much

 

Yeah, sometimes we all feel like George Jetson...

But seriously, I'm in the same boat as you. I left work temporarily for school which ideally leaves free time to "study" but instead I'll be wanting to play vidya games and whatnot and now I don't have income for that. And let's not mention overpriced university food D:

 

fyi, it's a lot cheaper to buy food at the supermarket than to eat out?? $20 for a meal is NUTS, I've been living off $28 of groceries for a few days now, with plenty more to come.

 

Most of my paychecks are directly deposited into the bank. So I'm earning money and interest.

That and I never really buy anything anyway. [My job allows me free groceries within reason.] I don't go out shopping a lot and I don't see movies. I don't eat out a lot.

Rollin' in the money.

 

Dollar Menu diet, bro.

 

What's considered within reason?

 

Learn to cook and ration food kid.
That or start dealing cocaine of all the dosh

 

Well, I don't walk out with enough groceries to feed a family of four to put it mildly.

 

You want to come and look at what's in our fridge and see if it's possible to make something, be my guest. Otherwise, no talking about cooking and rationing food. If you're able to make a meal out of condiments and that's it, send me the recipe

 

Why don't you just make another minipizza for when you get hungry later? Like, eat one at 6 for supper and one at 9 or 10 to hold you until supper?

That said, buying groceries is way cheaper than eating out. Ground pork, frozen peas and rice. Fry up the pork, boil and strain the peas, cook the rice, mix and enjoy. A package of ground pork should last for 2 of these meals, the peas for 10 or so, and the rice for waaay more, depending on the size of the bag. All for around $20.

Actually, rice is the best thing to buy when on a budget, even better than instant ramen. And you can add anything to it. Fry a steak? Rice. Bake chicken? Rice. Old rice? Fried rice.

 

I totally agree with the rice bit, it's all I eat everyday, and you could also learn to cook a few dishes. Once you do that you'll survive.

 

Two words: Ramen Noodles. While going out to eat is fast and often times delicious your pocket and your body would much prefer you buying something from the grocery and cooking it at home. Any pre-processed food is going to be a health hazard. I'm no nutritionist, I like to eat out myself, but I can buy chicken dinner at the grocery a lot cheaper than at KFC and it's healthier. js

-Shiranui

 

Poor people tips: pasta, rice, and ramen are all very cheap options that are still quite filling & can last you a long time. Pasta is the most expensive of the bunch because plain pasta is boring, whereas instant rice and ramen has flavoring. You can get things like pasta sides or just cheap pasta toppings.

Pizza is fantastic and can also be remarkably cheap to make. Dough is only a dollar or two, cheese is expensive but a supermarket brand bag of mozzarella will run you around $2 and you can use that for at least two pizzas. Sauce can be pricey as well but you can reuse that for your cheap pasta. Then all you need is flour and a bit of vegetable oil. It's not dirt cheap like instant rice but it tastes good and it's something to look forward to. One pie can be two or three meals depending on how hungry you are.

Think about cutting down your meals. I'm not advocating not eating enough, of course, you should stay healthy. I usually eat two meals a day (breakfast and dinner) with some cheap snacks in between.

Cereal can be quite cheap though milk is often expensive. Always look for sales and deals, and don't be afraid to buy off-brand.

You can also save money on basic items, like razors, shampoo, etc. living like this just means you gotta learn to cook and be kind of clever along the way.

Also try to limit your supermarket trips. It's easy to go in there and buy all kinds of food. Those handheld scanners are a godsend because you can keep track of how much you're spending along the way. Go in and say "I'm not spending more than $30. I need enough food for at least x amount of time." You could also try tricks like "I'll fill this basket and that's it."

Living cheaply is just something you learn.

 

Adding to Misty. Buy tasteless food like pasta and rice, and invest in a bit of seasoning to cook with.
I make nice stir fries with a combo of one or two spices or herbs and bit of salt, usually use half of a £1 own brand prawns to have a bit of bite to the meal. Then whilst cooking drizzle the seasoning to infuse with the prawns and rice. Tasty.
Butter might be the most expensive thing out of it all though.

 

Eating is a waste of money anyways.

 

Drink your own pee, saves on juice.

 

The way around this: wait until butter goes on sale then stock up. You can freeze the extra boxes until you need them.

 

If you have tea, use the same bag up to three or four times.
Should we open up a money saving section?

 

I definitely need to take notes from y'all. I struggle to spend anything under £70 on groceries most weeks. You must think "don't buy a lot of shit then" but the thing is, I don't. I've always been a healthy eater, and eating healthy is damn expensive. Chicken breast, fish, fruit, veg, oats... It all adds up. Is ramen and stuff good for you? ;~;