Need help on saving money on food!

[Hover]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to save money on food..! I am 23, single, live in Southern California. According to Mint.com I am spending about $600/month on food related expenses. I eat out everyday and it costs about 7 - 8 dollars per meal in my area.

I know that I need to start cooking, but problem is I have never cooked before. If you have and advice on where I can buy cheap, nutritious food(For example, my coworker tell me about Tacos Tuesday where I can get a great meal for under 5 bucks!)or if you have sample recipes that doesn't required much cookware/skill, please let me know!

Thank you all for your help.

[Ramose]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to save money on food..! I am 23, single, live in Southern California. According to Mint.com I am spending about $600/month on food related expenses. I eat out everyday and it costs about 7 - 8 dollars per meal in my area.

I know that I need to start cooking, but problem is I have never cooked before. If you have and advice on where I can buy cheap, nutritious food(For example, my coworker tell me about Tacos Tuesday where I can get a great meal for under 5 bucks!)or if you have sample recipes that doesn't required much cookware/skill, please let me know!

Thank you all for your help.

If you plan to start cooking more then you should probably buy some more cookware.

Just look on recipe sites or watch videos on youtube. You could start here: Quick and Easy Recipes

[97guns]

buy a $10 crock pot, it should come with a recipe book. you can be cooking while your at work, come home to a hot home made meal for cheap. take left overs for lunch, make a sandwich.

you dont need any cooking experience with a slow cooker, throw stuff in and forget about it

[Gailete]

if you have sample recipes that doesn't required much cookware/skill, please let me know!

It is obvious that you realize that $600 a month is too much for a single person for food for a month. One of the things that you need to think about is cookware. Spending $100 on cookware and utensils will help you be able to cook and hopefully save money in the end. If you really want to save, go to thrift stores and find what you need there.

Go to the cookbook section of your favorite book store and find an all purpose cookbook that show how to make things step-by-step. The reprint of the 1950 Betty Crocker Cook Book is my person favorite. As a kid I learned how to make bread from scratch from that book! If a 6th grader can do it, so can you. That type of cookbook also shows what type of cooking supplies that you might need. You don't need to get them all at once, but get the basics like a sauce pan with a lid, a frying pan or two with a lid if possible, a griddle (which not only is good for pancakes, etc. but great for heating up flour tortillas fast), a crock pot, measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon, ladle, spatula, tongs, some decent knives, and a cutting board, and some baking dishes.

If you have TV watch shows like America's test kitchen on PBS which shows you how to make some basic dishes, and they also have some nice cookbooks out. You might also want to try a book Called Dining on a Dime which has a pantry list of basic foods to keep on hand so you can make a meal. Plus there are some really basic recipes in the book.

One of the things I have noticed as I started participating on Pinterest is the amount of great looking recipes that you can collect and try. Even though most of them just have the picture, if you click on the original url of the photo, you will be taken to the recipe. I've printed out several recipes myself and have made one twice and it was yummy. So there is lots of free recipes and advice out there on learning how to cook. Cooking is an "IN" thing right now with oodles of cooking shows, and all sorts of on line resources. In no time you should be up to speed as long as you have a good attitude.

[phantom]

I second the recommendation on the Betty Crocker Cookbook. It's a great general reference. Whether you need to know how long to cook something or what ingredient to substitute for another, it's all in there. There are some pretty good recipes in there too, but I like the internet for recipes and Betty Crocker for quick questions.

What are some of your favorite types of food? There are easy and inexpensive ways to enjoy most of the things you enjoy eating in restaurants at home. So, I would suggest starting by learning to make what you love to eat. That way learning to cook will be more rewarding.

I have a weakness for soy sauce, so one of my favorite things to cook for myself is a stir fry. I cut up some chicken tenders and throw them in a skillet or wok throw and cook them in soy sauce till they're not pink in the middle. Then I'll add a green pepper or some other vegetables, and cook everything together for a few minutes. I usually serve my stir fry with rice, which I can cook on the side and mostly ignore. My two favorite rice options are Knorr's Teriyaki Rice Sides and plain white rice. (I have big bag of white rice that I bought at an Asian grocery store.) Either one can be cooked in a pan on the stove. The nice thing about my stir fry dish is that I know lots of ways to mix it up. Sometimes I'll use squid instead of chicken or add ginger or lemon pepper to change the flavor, and there are tons of vegetable options.

Since you're single, you should consider cooking like you're cooking for at least two and saving the leftovers for lunch the next day. Maybe I'm just lazy, but I always feel like even the simplest of meals take too much effort to feed just one person one time. But, cooking multiple servings seldom takes much more effort, so you might as well cook more and save the leftovers.

[Bades]

I'm around your age, 25. I too spend a decent amount on food but I also cook some awesome meals.

Definitely need to learn to cook.

Check it out, if you follow a recipe word for word - you can't mess up! you'll be amazed at the things you can make!

Crock pots are great, they're more like $25 realistically (get 20% coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond) and get a George Foreman grill, make a lot of chicken that way. Although since I have a an actual grill, I never use mine any more.

- Go to Big Lots or Walmart - spend like $50 on pots and pans. A small and large pan, a small and large pot. Really all you need. then buy like a set of utensils (spatulas, big spoons,etc) for like $15.

- Buy a set of plastic tupperware for like $15.

- Spices - The Kroger by me has Kroger brand spices for $1 a piece! Chili Powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper. I have probably 20 some spices now from recipes that I needed them for. Now after 6 months of accumulating I have almost any spice I'll ever need for awhile now.

Frozen bags of Chicken and frozen veggies are cheap and healthy.

Here are examples of things I have bought that are healthy and super cheap.

Pasta Night - Whole Grain Spaghetti $1, Pasta Sauce $2, Frozen Turkey Meatballs $4, $2 Garlic Bread. That's about $10 with tax. If you're a 23 year old man you could probably eat a box of spaghetti in 2 servings. Pasta Sauce will last you probably about 3-4 servings, The meatballs I buy have like 20 in the bag, Ill eat about 4 per serving so that bag will last you 5 servings. The Garlic bread has 8 slices. 1-2 per serving will last you about 4 servings. This meal will basically cost you like $2 a meal! And if you cook enough at one time, bam you got lunch (get that tupperware!) the next day for $2 as well!

Fajitas - grill 2 chicken breast (around $3 total), slice up some pepper and onions ($3, you'll get multiple servings from these). Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese ($2, again multiple servings) and $2 on tortillas. Package of fajita seasoning for $1 BAM! with about $10 in ingredients you'll get a few servings! about $3 a meal!

Crock Pot - I can get 1.5lb of pork roast for about $5-6, salt/pepper, $1-2 on BBQ Sauce, $2 on buns, $2 bag of chips, and maybe $5 on a bag of apples. Put that roast in the crock pot, you'll have, no joke, amazing pulled pork sandwiches, and you'll have over a pound of meat. Again multiple servings for a couple bucks each.

It's really not that hard - if you got a buddy that is good at cooking go to the store with him, people that can cook well love to brag about it and show other people how!

[Gailete]

I've aso found cooking rice in the microwave, it comes out correct each time and you don't have to fuss with the burner on the stove. Just follow the directions on the bag.

[Bades]

Here's another gem!

Rotisserie Chickens - they are $4.99 (maybe 5.99?) where I live and they are always hot and ready to eat from the store. Buy some frozen green beans and a box of macaroni too and you got a meal! Will last at least 4 servings. All for around $9-10!

Sorry, all my prices are based from Ohio, not sure what groceries are in SoCal, but I'm sure they're a bit more pricey, but you get the idea.

[Bades]

I've aso found cooking rice in the microwave, it comes out correct each time and you don't have to fuss with the burner on the stove. Just follow the directions on the bag.

Are you talking about microwaveable rice or actual rice from a bag?

I have a rice maker ($18 walmart) you basically measure out water and rice, and set it and forget it.

[phantom]

Are you talking about microwaveable rice or actual rice from a bag?

I have a rice maker ($18 walmart) you basically measure out water and rice, and set it and forget it.

I have a rice cooker too. They're definitely convenient if you make rice often. But, since the OP is looking to start cooking without a lot of kitchen gadgets, I wouldn't recommend it. I try to limit my kitchen gadgets to items I'm going to use often. It is far to easy to fill up a kitchen with tools almost never get used.

[Gailete]

Sorry, I'm talking regular Uncle Ben's rice that I buy in a 5# bag and store in tupperware. You put it and water in a covered casserole dish the right size for the amount you are making(since I'm on a low sodium diet I don't add salt put you can) and check the instructions on the bag. You cook on high for a certain amount of time depending on how much you are making and then on 50% power for twenty minutes and it is perfect. I grew up using gas stoves and knew how to adjust the flame just so for rice cooked in a pan. Then ended up with an electric stove and I couldn't get it right and found the rice in the microwave was no problem and no need to buy a steamer either !

[snafu]

I suggest you list 20 favorite meals under headings of Beef, Fish, Poultry, Pork & Vegetarian fo example. Add side dish like potato, rice, pasta, beans. Next list vegetables you'll actually eat that are available at the frozen food section of your nearest supermarket like peas, corn, California mix, Oriental Mix etc. Last column with the fresh fruit & produce you will eat like lettuce, carrots, apples, grapes etc.

Just read and follow directions. Cooks.com - Recipe Search and More and similar sites allows you to type in the ingredient like 'chicken breast' and lists lots of choices for you to select depending on whether you want to use potato, rice, pasta etc. Once you get the hang of it, it's fun! Buy a box of sandwich sized ZipLock bags and package leftovers in these. They can stack in your fridge freezer ready to heat 'n eat or bag for lunch at work.

I too recommend going to Goodwill and buying a CrockPot also called Slow Cooker. You also need a fry pan and mid size pot & fitting lid which fits both pans.

[disneysteve]

The Betty Crocker book is fine but I'm going to suggest something else. There are a number of cookbooks out there that target college students and others who may be just starting out and know little to nothing about cooking. These books start from scratch. They describe different kitchen items and what they are used for. Then they walk you through basic cooking methods. How to boil. How to roast. How to grill. How to fry, and so forth. It's great to have a cookbook that says "Grill a chicken breast" but that doesn't help if you don't have a clue how to do so.

Another thing that nobody has mentioned, and this certainly isn't the best or healthiest option generally, but even using some prepared and convenience foods will save you a ton of money. You definitely need to learn to cook, but not everything must be made from scratch all of the time. For example, you can get the vegetables that come in the microwave bags. Just pop them in, cook them for the recommended time and you're all set. No prep work at all. Even using healthier frozen meals occasionally, like Healthy Choice, which run about $2.50 each is fine sometimes. That's a lot cheaper than $8/meal that you're spending now and actually probably healthier than whatever you're eating out.

You should very easily be able to cut that $600 in half in no time.

[Ramose]

The Betty Crocker book is fine but I'm going to suggest something else. There are a number of cookbooks out there that target college students and others who may be just starting out and know little to nothing about cooking. These books start from scratch. They describe different kitchen items and what they are used for. Then they walk you through basic cooking methods. How to boil. How to roast. How to grill. How to fry, and so forth. It's great to have a cookbook that says "Grill a chicken breast" but that doesn't help if you don't have a clue how to do so.

Another thing that nobody has mentioned, and this certainly isn't the best or healthiest option generally, but even using some prepared and convenience foods will save you a ton of money. You definitely need to learn to cook, but not everything must be made from scratch all of the time. For example, you can get the vegetables that come in the microwave bags. Just pop them in, cook them for the recommended time and you're all set. No prep work at all. Even using healthier frozen meals occasionally, like Healthy Choice, which run about $2.50 each is fine sometimes. That's a lot cheaper than $8/meal that you're spending now and actually probably healthier than whatever you're eating out.

You should very easily be able to cut that $600 in half in no time.

Good points, I forgot about the frozen vegetables.

[Hover]

WoW - Just want to thank you all for these fantastic responses! I will definitely look into these options. For now I am going to list out all the meals that I like and start shopping on some basic cookware. I think crock pot would be a great tool for me (just leave it cooking while go to work sounds amazing!). Again thank you guys all for sharing these valuable information with me.