Episode 4- Meals To Make When You’re Broke & Trying To Make It To Payday 

Not a damn thing wrong with how you look. You show real life. You are real. That’s why I watch you. That’s why most of us do. We trust you.

I love that you are normalizing the struggle. Very few people will make it through life without some period of struggle. When we struggled to feed 3 kids I would get a small box of their favorite cereal and then mix it with a big box of plain store brand cheerios! It was still plenty sugary and last 3x longer

I've fed my babies a lot of times on macaroni and cheese with chicken in it. Thighs are cheap with a lot of meat and flavor, and boiled the noodles in the water I boiled the chicken in. So good. We've also had a lot of Uncle James beans. Pintos, hot dogs and potatoes cooked together with a pan of cornbread, so good

When I was a kid and my mom was single she often made what her mama always made. one box of mac & cheese ,one can of green peas, little bit of butter, salt and pepper. I was the happiest kid I never would’ve known that dinner only costed a dollar back then.

So many things: A) Golden girls shirt A+ B) the look on your face when you said “if I saw my mom add a bag of pasta in it…” 😂😂😂 C) “Ryder rose from his dungeon bedroom “ 😂😂😂 I remember having teenagers 😂😂😂😂😂 D) the look Dusty always has when he closes his eyes and savors your cooking. Sweet. And of course E) Ky and the official faint ❤

My favourite go to meal when I'm broke but don't want to feel it is satay noodles. Noodles (instant ramen, spaghetti, whatever I have), peanut butter, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Those last two can be subbed for other salty/sweet alternatives, so long as the salty/sweet/peanut flavour balances. If I have vege, I add it. If not, still tastes so good!

For $3.00 …. Tuna casserole--chili dogs--jacks pizza-- fried egg sandwich-- fried rice with pork sausage- just to name a few … eating Mac and cheese with hotdogs in it is good… heck we even had pbj with bananas for supper; not bc we had to ; it was just what we wanted for dinner… You are 💯 correct no one should ever go hungry. ❤️

One of my moms fave cheap meals to make for us when my dad worked overnight…$0.19 Kraft mac&cheese and Ekrich smoky links which were $0.99 back in the 70s…not a veggie in sight and we survived/thrived

A box of Mac n cheese was the main “go to” ingredient when I was raising my kids as a single mom. Back then it was $0.33 a box and a quarter when it was on special. That was in the 90s. My food budget was $25 a week and I shopped with a little pocket calculator in my hand. Friday nights were homemade waffle night, my kid’s favourite!

Thank you for making these video's!!! It's gonna be getting ALOT rougher for those on food stamps (and even those who don't get them) I've been sharing your video's with my clients seeking our food banks. Been volunteering at a non profit for 35+ years and I have NEVER seen it so bad. It's truly concerning cause this will be an everyday struggle/challenges every day for millions of people! Thanks Brooke, Dusty and your babies 🙏💕🙏💙🙏 blessings too all 🙏🙏🙏

Dollar Tree and Wal mart also sell just the package of the velveeta in a squeeze pouch just like what comes in the boxes. Great job on all of your videos!

Don’t ever apologize for being happy and excited. 🤣 Love your channel! Thanks for the good ideas. ❤

I make sure we eat soup and Sammies or salad at least twice a week. I LOVE my homemade vegetable soup, potato soup, minestrone soup, tortellini soup, just to name a few. I'm a frugal living person. I too, freeze soups for later meals. I make larger quantities of foods to freeze for later on meals. Love watching your videos.

You make me smile when I watch you. Love your cooking, your smile, and how you think of life. Keep bringing your videos.

My local grocery store had the 10lb chicken leg quarters on sale for $0.17 and the 5lb potatoes for $0.97. So I fired up the BBQ pit and made BBQ chicken and baked potatoes. I already had cheese, butter, bacon and sour cream on hand. And since it's crawfish season down here in the South, corn on the cob was on sale as well. It was so yummy! And did not feel like I spent less than $10 on the meal. Love your videos! Gave me some awesome ideas for meals.

Also beans and hot dogs are good to together

Aldeen's😂😊❤. I like how you respect your own budget and rules about no extra pantry items. I've seen so many utubers "cheat". They mostly use pantry (and fridge and freezer and neighbor's) items and then supplement with the store. Then claim they only spent $4.00 on dinner. It's not the same!

I hate when people miss the point and want to know where the veggies are!!! The goal is not to go to bed hungry.

Boxed mac & cheese. My mother worked and it was the only thing my sister who is nine years older than I am could make. We would have it four days a week. I cannot look a boxed mac & cheese in the face however, scratch, homemade mac & cheese I can handle it’s the powdered crap that I cannot do.

When you pulled the $3 meal I didn't think it was possible these days. It looks so good. My struggle is my kids won't eat beans. If anyone can do it it's you Brooke❤️

I just want to comment as I feel you may have been getting some negativity lately. Your kids genuine reactions to your food is so cute and feels very real. I have a 14 year old son who loves my cooking and I can tell when the reaction is real…although slightly suspicious on the fainting lol. I’m Canadian so cannot relate to these grocery prices, as we pay at least three times more, but love the inspiration. Thank you and your husband for doing what you do. You guys are super cute.

How many times will people keep talking about vegetables when you go over the whole premise of these videos every time? And they suggest things that you already mention in the video as though they've had a revelation. I don't get it. We go many meals without veggies. I usually forget to buy them. Or if I have some in the freezer or in a can, I forget to heat them until everything else is done and then I'm not going to put the rest on hold for that. Plus my youngest daughter won't eat any vegetables. I've tried a lot in many ways. She won't even eat things she grows in her own garden. That was THE trick that everyone said should work. Nope, she won't even eat the rest of the meal on her plate if a vegetable has been on the plate. She's very difficult. She has a very limited diet. She makes herself a lot of peanut butter sandwiches and bowls of cereal. If she doesn't want what we're having she has to find something else. I'm not making a whole other meal for her. The rest of us have been loving your recipes. Thanks for the great series. I will be looking forward to seeing the rest. Your taste testers are awesome. Love to your family!

We make this alot. On 3 dollar , I would for .98 cents get tomatoes cubes for soup. Discount bread is .57 cents. You have a little over a dollar left the deli will slice a dollar worth of cheese and grill cheese and soup. One of our favorite. I know you will do good. Black beans and salsa and tortillas and fry. Yummy. Great series. Have a blessed day.

I'm so tired of all my stores being out of everything! Lol. I feel you. Dollar tree was not only not completely empty, but fully stocked. I was jumping with joy. First time in two years!

If one is that broke between paydays there are many food banks giving food thru truck give aways, churches that distribute etc. I volunteer at two then pick up from others for seniors that live in my mobile home park. There is so much food waste in our country one should never hesitate to use them to feed their families. Here in CA you just go to a Food Bank Map on the Internet ours ask for your zip code then they bring up all of those close address and time. Today we had to throw out three big boxes of bread many were $4. loaves.

I grew up on a farm so dairy, meat and vegs were plentiful. But I can say that my single mother fed us tons of times with no vegetables. Something she made for us that I still make to this day, for my own kids, is chicken and stars condensed soup, mixed with a very tiny bit of milk or water, and some lemon juice. Tasted just like restaurant lemon rice soup!

Your dance while you try the mac and cheese 😂😂 you make me laugh. this truly is the best channel I’ve ever come across in terms of budget meals because you ACTUALLY make meals my family would eat too!

Hi Brooke. Aldi is a German company and the correct way to say it is AL-DEE. However as long as we buy from their stores, I don't think they mind if we say it wrong. Much love and respect from the South East of England. xx 😀

Some people think I’m nuts but I love pepper in my Mac and cheese

My husband and I use to use milk in our mato soup instead of water, and then we'd put picante sauce into it. DElicious!

Brooke, You and your family are such a joy to watch. Love this series

I would have gone to the produce section and gotten: 1. A loose carrot or two, to cut up and serve on the side, OR 2. A couple of broccoli florets to stir in the pasta, OR 3. A Roma tomato to slice and serve on the side, OR 4. A cucumber to slice up and serve on the side, OR 5. Even a small handful of grapes (if on sale), OR 6. You could even do a clove of garlic or a fresh Jalapeño (about 9¢ each) if that's your thing. OR 7. A loose celery stalk or two, to cut up and serve on the side, OR 8. A small amount of fresh green beans; snap up and cook in the pasta water. Even if you can only get 4 or 5 beans! There is no minimum at the produce section. And yes, it does take a bit of extra time to weigh and guesstimate. Have I ever served a meal without veggies? Yes! Have I ever been broke? Yes! To the point, I would scan the parking lot for dropped change. I would grab handfuls of pennies from our jar. I always went through self-checkout when I only had change or mostly change. It made all the difference in being able to add just one more thing, many, many times. When my kids were minors, I always tried to serve something fresh at each meal, or at least once a day.

I get it about not eating certain things! I personally hate hot dogs BUT look when you're broke - do what you gotta do!

These videos have inspired me to use what I have and not go to the store every dang day. Thank you, and I hope you do some camping cooking videos!

My dad grew up very poor. He has bad memories of being hungry and only having the veggies they grew in their garden to eat. He ate so much of them that in his adult life he swore them all off. Literally will not touch a veggie now except potatoes! He’s 63 now! So as a result we never really had veggies as kids - I still don’t love them but I make myself eat them now. Bologna and cheese sandwiches, hotdogs ect we’re all staples as a child but now I won’t touch bologna.

Even though I eat depression meals (I enjoy them), by following your pantry pulls, frugal shopping tips & meals I've saved so many more $$. 👍

This is helpful for people who are in a tight spot realistically financially

People want to gripe about you not having a vegetable, I have a thought for this meal. Cook a small onion with the hot dogs, it's a vegetable and would add a little taste. Oh wait, Ryder doesn't like cooked onions never mind lol. Let these nay sayers come up with something. Love you and your family. Keep on doing what you do

When I cook dogs and Mac and cheese I add broccoli and cook all at same time in same spot. 1 pot meal

Ironically, you just prepared what my supper was 2 nights ago 😃 loll loll keep it up. 😁

mine is pancakes..we always had pancakes when poor days came..lol

I make this dish but I also add a can of chilli beans in chilli sauce and onion and it tastes like a chilli dog. I have learned so much from you I love you and your family. I appreciate you.

When I was super broke 21 year old I would buy chicken livers which are normally under 3$ a container , a bag of sweet potatoes and a bag of kale. Made a hash and lived on it for 3 days at a time. I got in the best shape on my life with this diet and lifting weights. Chicken liver is now my go to lunch before shark week because it helps with iron levels.

I always grab mayo and mustard from the gas station every time for “make it to payday” times

When little, one of my grandsons called those hot dogs “baby bologna.” Debi in Vicksburg, MS. 🥰🥰

lol the way you talk about soup is he same way I react when I even see canned potatoes oh my gag me I am shivering just typing it lol

Hi Brooke. Went my local Aldi today in Fayetteville NC. I haven't been in quite a long time, but from what I looked at I was pleased. Especially with my 99 cent hot dogs🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

My husband and Dad love "dump it in there soup" from leftovers in the fridge. One hit wonders. I will never, ever eat again the soup or spaghetti sauce my mom made from leftover meatloaf. I do make a soup from a dab of ground beef and whatever I have on hand. It's the spice cabinet that shines in this one. I have 5 kids. Only one will not eat everything. He'll be ok. He is now a great cook himself.

I think your kids are always genuine in their opinions. They really are an amazing part of your videos and you all are an amazing family.

Spam reminds me of our broke meal growing up. Haven't touched it since I've been married and that 47 years. No spam in this house.

Eggs- even the smell. I would prefer to like them if I could, I just can't . 🥴 This meal looks delicious!!! And my preference for your Aldi pronunciations is definitely Al-Deans. 😊

Good series - When I was young and first on my own Chicken Hotdogs and Ramen Noodles without the seasoning was my go to meal. It was cheap although not very nutritious but it fed me. And, back when eggs were cheap I made a kitchen sink mock quiche with whatever cheeses, veggies were in my refrigerator . I added ham when I had it and it was a real staple to my meal planning. Also Pasta Fagioli. Sounds expensive but is really cheap and nutritious ! Also makes alot so I froze it to have for several months. Kaylen is so cute and is a good little helper. His smile lights up a room as does yours Brooke.

Your so fun to watch! I enjoy your content! ❤️

Do you use Raman noodles 🍜 🤔. Loving ❤ this series. My go to is potatoes, green beans and smoked sausage 😋. After I boil the potatoes and drain off the water to the beans I add butter and dump and heat and go.

This is great! Anyone that would want to complain they wouldn't feed this to their kids- I'd hate to be their child! Lighten up! Nutrition is important- but the memories of your mumma fixing you something special like hotdog mac- that's priceless! Your kids will remember that. Make menories- not rules xx

I'm so late to this party! But I think you're so dang adorable! And I love your recipes, too! Some of them are very familiar, like this one. We call it mac 'n' nickels. =)

As an adult it’s hilarious that I used to think I was the picky child. My dad has confirmed that I was his least picky eater and still am anytime we get together as adults, but I too despise beef and vegetable soup. I don’t know what it is I just can’t stand it. And I love lots of other soups.

I love your enthusiasm. Thanks for another great video!

My babies are going to love this meal. Thanks Brooke ❤

We had problems with the cheese drying on the noodles. To stop that we added a little oil or butter or milk. If we were in the mood for a little spice we added a little generic rotel.

Love when you sing while you cook. 💕 that’s a tasty meal

Thank you so much h for these amazing ideas.

Really enjoying and learning from this series!

Love these love ur energy too Tyfs

Besides the fact that I LOVE this family! I love how respectful you all are to each other even the kids if they don’t like something they still give you a smile and respect and such a good attitude! I just love your family and all you do and I love how Dusty looks at you ❤ you can just feel all the love and how proud he is of you ❤ so sweet! ❤

I really enjoyed this video

Thanks for sharing your ideas! I enjoy your channel and your family. I appreciate your positivity.

@Brooke I always appreciate it that you remind and encourage people to ask for help with food…✔️

Great video Brooke! I love seeing what you come up with other than beans and rice!

$3 meal? I'm thinking biscuits and sausage gravy

Love you enthusiasm…makes me happy

Brooke your such a hoot!! You crack me up, and I’d totally make this meal in fact I have many times !! 👏👏👏👏 God bless ❤️🙏🙋🏻

I think you are incredible and love your videos. Thank you so much for the feature content.

I made this many times for my family when my kids were young. We all loved it!!

😂😂😂 You crack me up!!! I needed that. So glad I subscribed to your channel. All of it looked delicious! 😊

I love this channel! I look forward to every new video you and Dusty make! I was born in Oklahoma but raised in southern California. I miss fried okra.

Broccoli YUCK! Oops sorry! I think of it like you do soups. Cheap side dish, egg noodles, then add a can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup. I add a little butter & milk but pasta water would work too! My kids loved it.

I love these videos. Such an uplifting and inspirational take on a difficult situation. And you’re adorable as always.

I love soups, stews, and chili so much!!! Zuppa toscana, borscht, clam chowder, ham and bean, matzo ball... so many options!

I love 💘 you and your family!! You are a hoot, so positive, creative, and you really care about others. Your "payday meals, I'm sure, (and all your other meal plans,) really give struggling parents a way to fed their families. I'm on a kidney diet, but Your meal plans would definitely work if you are on a tight budget. I don't have an accurate total, I'll have to go to Wal-Mart to buy what's needed for a "kidney diet" meal. Broccoli cuts. $ .87 Box Gv mac & cheese ( macaroni Only. .50 Onion for flavor. .65 ?? 1 slice deli cheddar cheese. .75 ?? Bar S hotdogs. 1.12 (to reduce sodium, boil hotdogs for about 5 minutes, then "crisp" hotdogs Total about. $3.50??? I'll go to Walmart and buy the stuff, then let you know the exact total. I think you are "so kind and really want to help others. Forget the Naysayers, you are an inspiration to others. Love 💘 y'all 💘😻💜💛💚🧡💘😻💜💛💚🧡 Great job!!!!!!, Brooke

You and your family make me happy watching y'alls videos .

I just wanna tell you how much I am loving your channel. I'm a work from home mama so my meals gotta be quick. And honey let me tell you these meals you be making are quick easy and fun. I made your cheesy pasta and it was really good honey. I will definitely make that in rotation. Thanks for making these videos.

This was a treat dinner when I was a kid! I loved when my mom would make it. It seemed like a splurge even tho it was a budget meal. ❤️

Love your shirts in this video!

We eat butter and garlic noodles. Super cheap and fills the tummy. Hash is another. 1/4 lb of ground beef and diced potatoes. Use water instead of broth to cook, then thicken. We like ours on buttered bread, but we'll eat it plain for a real cheap supper.

I could just eat that meal. Looks fab. Its on the menu for tomorrow. X

That t-shirt. I love it!

I have a favorite stove eye too!

Looks amazing!!!! I've made this meal with a pound of ground beef for years and my family loved it!

Nothing wrong with any kind of pasta 😊 I would have picked up a tomato and added afterwards ( diced up). But I love tomato, I know not everyone does; and it would have kept you within budget. Love your energy ❤

I never noticed you have cute freckles! I love your videos. I recently subscribed to your husband's channel too. You guys are great

Just wanted to tell you that I appreciate all you do!! You have inspired me to cook more! Thank you!

SO close to 30K Brooke! WOOHOO!

Looks yummy! This reminds me of some meals mom used to make. This is something that is so delicious and never tastes like you're broke!

I don't like soup either. Mostly because I don't feel like it fills you up and keeps you full.

Mac and cheese my fave! Nothing else in it and i am a happy person!

Amazing! Great meal for three dollars and change.

You alway find the best meals! Your family loves them!

Now these are proper low budget meals, I luv your family. Tyfs

Save the difference between what your budget limit was and what you actually spent. Use that $ for your next meal.