So I just added up all the foods that I eat in a day (approx 3,900 calories), and it turns out it all totals out to 12 dollars a day, max.
Of course, I do eat the most bland, cheap foods that one can find (2 dollar box of 30 serving oats, big jug of olive oil to drink from, eggs for super cheap, chicken, bulk broccoli store brand, unsalted cheap peanuts, canned tuna, malto, dextrose, whey protein, apple and banana, and lowfat yogurt).
Just saying, if you figured eating lots of food is gona cost an arm and a leg, realize that eating the most basic essential foods is flat out cheap eating for how much you get to eat, and it’s the best foods for you. 12 dollars a day, sheesh, that’s the equivilant to one meal out, lol.
Btw, anyone have good substitutes for canned tuna that doesn’t require cooking? The meal in a can is very handy and I’m going to need it once school/work starts up.
Many canned fish are great. Salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, etc. are handy because they can be found in cans but they also have lots of EFAs which tuna lack.
To a grad student taking home 1200 dollars a month and living near a big city, that actually adds up to a significant amount. But you have a good point in that it’s cheaper than eating out to cook for yourself.
just look for the low sodium varieties of the canned fish, alot have crap in it. here in canada you can get a tin of plain sardines in water for 80 cents, has 19g protein and 7g fat, 1.5g omega 3, 4g monounsaturated
Chicken is your best friend. Buy it whole and get a good cook book. Since you live in a big city, you might want to look for community gardens that you could be a member of. It’s a great hobby and it’ll save you a ton of money on fresh, quality produce.
I eat from pretty much the same menu, except at the start of every week i buy a couple pounds of whatever ground beef is cheapest (lean or extra lean, etc) and cook it up with some spices.
Always convenient to toss a bunch in a bowl as a breakfast cereal, and even more delicious if you break an egg into it and add some olive oil.
Eating only tends to cost a lot if you plan badly… that’s when food starts to go bad, or you run out of food. No fun.
i drink it all. olive oil, fish oil, flax oil. it’s not bad when you realize you’re eating 7-8 meals a day and just flushing a swig down is gona save you a ton of time.
same with oats, i could cook them 3 times a day, but i’d rather just pour the 2 servings into a bowl and eat them. saves time by not having to cook, not having to clean the pan, and it’s much faster eating oats dry.
I was amazed one day when I watched the food channel and the show was how to eat great on $50 a day. Shit on $50 a day I could eat like a fucking king. ALDI is my best friend.
Are aldi’s significantly cheaper on the food prices? there is one behind my super center that I haven’t been in yet, maybe it would be worth my time.
As far as 12 dollars a day goes, I could eat ten pounds of meat a day for about 5 bucks. Chicken leg quarters can be bought for abour 4 dollars for ten pounds, and then some cheap barbecue sauce.
yeah well, when it’s about 5 dollars for 2 pounds of chicken here, same with meat, it’s not that easy. and for how much that is, you can’t really find it cheaper.
[quote]Alphaboy wrote:
GT625 wrote:
Sxio wrote:
You drink olive oil?
That’s disgusting.
Try drinking flaxseed oil ><
Try Cod Liver Oil[/quote]
Its all been done before. My grandma in Switzerland used to scoop some flax seed in a glass filled with water right before she went to bed. In the morning, the flax would be soft, and she would drink the mixture. Ive done it for a week. Its not worth the pain of swallowing the slimey crap when there are better alternatives, obviously.
I actually talked about all of this yesterday, ironically. I have concluded that where I live, there is no real way to eat cheaply by any means. Bergen Co. NJ is well known for bieng pricey, but all the “good” food is exactly that, and even cheap is relative.
Whole Foods would be shopping place of choice, if I was rich. Next would be Wegmans. I would really love to see one of those where I live, they have more then wal-mart and better deals then Path-Mark (if you are familiar with that chain). Albertsons would outsell any minor chain supermarket, and when I lived in Florida, Publix was the go-to place. I have a feeling Amazon.com will soon be the cheapest bulk-rate grocery store for non-perishable and dry foods.
Of course, frozen chicken, fish and fresh foods cannot be replaced by online industry, as for us they tend to be the most and bulk of our spending and diet anyway. If anyone knows a way to cut down on any of these expenses (without sacaraficing quantity), I would greatly appreciate the advice.
[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
what job only brings in 1200 a month for a grad student? unless it’s some 10/hour job or something.[/quote]
I make less than that. I am a graduate research assistant that makes 1100/month and that’s the top of the scale (900-1100/month). However, I’m a master’s student, and PhD students do make more (1100 to 1300/month).
It’s 20 hours of work per week, provides free tuition and medical insurance, and the research work overlaps with the student’s thesis. You also get paid to do research which is an incentive itself.
After tax, rent and utilities of $645/mo, car and insurance payments of $200/mo, I laugh at those who think $12 is a good deal for 3900 calories.
[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
what job only brings in 1200 a month for a grad student? unless it’s some 10/hour job or something.[/quote]
I work as a research assistant in the chemistry department while I’m getting a Ph.D. The average stipend for this 60-90 hour a week job is about 20 grand. Add that to most schools being near or in large cities and things get pricey. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it’s hard.
