Budget Meals

[moser]

Anyone have ideas for eating on a budget while not having cooking utensils/pots/microwave (there is a stove, oven & fridge though)? I have a feeling that I'm going to be sick of sandwiches within 2 weeks...

BTW, I'm doing an internship and will be out of here by end of summer, so getting utensils such as pots & pans may not be worth the cost...

Thanks!

[kasia]

where are you located? you can always buy a rice cooker, and while you're cooking the rice, dump in some vegetables, tofu, etc. you can avoid buying pots and pans that way but still have tasty food. a lot of asian markets in cali also have pre-made dishes, like soy sauce beef or tea leaf eggs or pickled spinach in chinese markets or the seasoned tofu, kimchi, eggs w/ fish, etc., in korean markets.

all is relatively cheap - about $3-4 a pack and they'll last you a week if you eat them with rice.

[Yeahman]

Cup ramen with disposable chopsticks. Need a microwave, pot, or hotpot though.
Bagels with cream cheese. You can even stick slices of ham in there.
Burger King/McDonald's/Wendy's dollar menu. Always get "no ice."
Local specials. My McDonald's offers a Big Mac and large fries for $3.29. And I have a $1.25 pizzeria nearby too.

I used to do wraps made with cold cuts, cheese, pickles, bagged salad, and dressing. Requires no utensils. I got tired of it real quick though and it's not that cheap either.

A Brita pitcher saves money on drinks. Or buy a 12-pack at the supermarket or whatever.
Buy a bottle of vitamins in lieu of fruits.

Yes, this is how I live.

[CBC guy]

Where are you located? That makes a difference.

Here for me besides sandwiches (obvious) its instant noodles, dried tofu, some chopped up cabbage and perhaps some gyoza (purchased in bulk from T&T) or something like that. Certain Asian Supermarkets have decent deals for pre-made food.

Well, there's always McD's, Wendy's, $1.25 pizza (mentioned before) and miscellaneous lunch/afternoon tea/late-night specials. Look around

[moser]

I'm in NY. Food ain't cheap here, unfortunately.

[Yeahman]

I'm in NY. Food ain't cheap here, unfortunately.
In NY, definitely bagels for breakfast. I get a bagel with cream cheese and a small coffee from the carts for $1.40. Or you can buy a week's supply from the bagel shops.

[deez nuts]

nutrisystem for around $10 a day for a month! $10 a day is a lot cheaper than eating out for all three meals in ny if you never plan on cooking.

http://www.nutrisystem.com

[kimpossible]

heya moser. this is the quickie microwave crowdpleaser at our place.

white fish - whatever's on sale. however much you want.

splash of sake
slightly larger splash of soy sauce
a whole mess of chopped up green onions
well-julienned or grated ginger to taste
dash of sesame oil (optional)

throw it all in a microwave safe container for about 10-15 min. zap for about 4-6 min per pound of fish depending on wattage. i like to stir it about halfway through.

it won't be pretty but it's affordable, healthy, tasty, fresh and doesn't require much prep.

you can do some veggie with some smashed garlic, oil and salt (plus a bit of water) in the microwave too. it's not as good as on the stove top in a pan but it'll do if you want crisp cooked without pans. you'll have to experiment with which veggies. some fare better than others.

you may want to keep a case of like instant yakisoba around. you can add various leftover protein + veg for an instant meal.

[MD2020]

I'm in NY. Food ain't cheap here, unfortunately.

Gray's Papaya - $1.25 for a hot dog / $3.50 for 2 hot dogs + drink.

Eat one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the end of the summer, tally up out of pocket costs + medical expenses, should still be pretty cheap.

[Yeahman]

Gray's Papaya used to be the best deal in the city but it's only decent now.

You can also try to find a local Chinese restaurant selling cheap cooked rice.

[bluemonq]

Honestly though, consider getting a good, small skillet. They're fairly versatile (rice dishes [you can pick up a passable rice cooker (only good for cooking rice though; no adding extra stuff in) for $10 if you look hard enough], grilling sandwiches, stir-fry if you're careful) for cooking, and when you're done cooking you can eat off of them. Bonus: you can get a little extra iron in your diet if you cook with a cast iron skillet. AFAIK you fall in the age group most susceptible to iron deficiency.

[nonamerasian]

Buy many packs of ramen, on sale tuna, and a $0.79 loaf of bread. That's just a couple of cents per meal and can last as breakfast, lunch, and dinner for at least a week.

[moser]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I think I'm going to break down and get a ghetto-fabulously cheap pot...

[AngryABCGirl]

If you have an oven, making casseroles is a good way to save time and make things last if you break down and get a pan of some sort. A pot miiiiight work?

Just buy pasta, tuna, some string beans or maybe some frozen veggies, campbells mushroom soup, and some cheese, add in some water, toss in the oven for about 35 minutes or more depending on size of container and then viola.

[kimpossible]

Another simple single-serving meal plan shaken from the memory banks.

Buy bag of potatoes. Stab a batch with a fork multiple times or slice open a bit with a knife. Object is to get the potatoes to vent. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and microwave until cooked through.

You can go one of two ways from this: fancy or simple. Simple, take cooked potato out from fridge and add toppings like bacon, cheese or broccoli. Fancy, scoop out all the cooked potato, leaving skins as intact as possible, into a bowl. Add your ingredients or flavorings of choice into the potato and refill the skins. Load into fridge. Each is a single serving twice-baked potato.

Clean the skins off really well before cooking so you can eat them. Much more nutritious that way and nothing to throw away or clean up. Refilling yams or sweet potato could be tough but you could always cook one or two up with regular potato to add a wallop of Vit A.

You can go modular this way. Add a salad and/or bowl of soup with it for a fuller meal.

[applehead]

you don't even have one knife?

[Faithless]

Two quarter inch slices of extra firm tofu, under medium cheddar, inside some dark rye bread.

And two apples.

[DEEPCRIMSON]

Cream of Wheat with apple slices.