This is a brilliant video, minimal spend, lower than I ever thought possible for two weeks worth of meals! Even if you wanted to add a bit of greens it would still be a very inexpensive spend for that amount of time. I really liked as well that even though the base of the two main meals was the same you created two quite different dishes in the end. I'm actually making both of these today for meal prep for the week ahead, very hearty and wholesome like you said, thankyou for showing us this! :)
YAYYYYY...I'm so glad you tried some of the recipes 😊. It was important to me that they were all pretty filling and could be made ahead and last for a week or two if prepped ahead because it saves not only money but also time. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Have an Amazing Evening 😊
@@kjnailzit Well watching the video really motivated me to try them out, and it really helped me to know what to make for my meal prep this weekend, so thank you for that! :) I didn't use frozen veg as I had fresh or not so fresh veg in the fridge that I needed to use up, but otherwise pretty much did the same as you with the two bean dishes and had the one pot beans and rice dish last night which was so tasty and flavourful, so that will definitely be one that I will make again, super yummy! :) It made my day too that you pinned my comment, I've never had that before from anyone else so it was really special to see that, so thank you very much for appreciating my words. I am still so blown away that this was all made from just a $5 spend and for this reason along with knowing you got in some veg and two kinds of protein as well, this will be one that will stick with me for a while! I live in Australia so don't have a Dollar Tree store to shop at but we do have an Aldi close by and I get my fresh produce marked down often as well, so am grateful for those things, especially in these uncertain and unknown times!
Moving into my first apartment any day now and I'm terrified of not being able to afford food these videos are really helping me not panic so thank you!
In NC, If you plant kale, collards, or mustard greens in the fall you can have free greens in your backyard all winter. Green onions from the grocery store will regrow if you stick the roots with a little of the white bulb in some dirt. I still have green onions I planted three year ago. Cut the green tops off and they will regrow in a few weeks.
I discovered recently that you don't even have to plant green onions in dirt. They'll regrow quickly in a glass of water on a sunny window sill. Just change out the water every few days and get countless green onions from one bullb.
I once had $6 left for 2 weeks of groceries. I walked to Aldi's and got 2lbs of spaghetti, a jar of sauce, oatmeal, 1 lb of beans, eggs & rice. I had spices, sugar, butter & some veggies. I was full & happy. 😊
In an oven dish top cooked penne pasta or spirals or rigatoni with two cups of peas some pan fried mushrooms and a can of drained tuna or salmon and a large jar of cheese sauce top with grated cheese bake in oven 180 until cheese is bubbling you can add caramelised onions if you wish
They are always on the most requested list at our food bank. Please also keep in mind those with food allergies/intolerances when donating. These are real medical needs and many adults and kids would have to do without rather than eat something that could cause illness or death.
@@alisonfraser3305 Thanks for noting that! Many people with food allergies and intolerances as well as dietary restrictions forget that they can mention this when getting food at food banks. :) Most food banks will oblige the request to not include the items in the bags (unless they're prepacked donation boxes).
Found this video as a suggestion for low budget meal ideas. Thank you! As a one person household on disability with only $25 a month budgeted for groceries right now, I'm so thankful for you and this video. I'm definitely subscribing. You are awesome and a blessing to us all! THANK YOU!
If you have a clean glass mason jar or a glass jar from jelly/jam or peanut butter you can make cold oats. A jar that is sturdy is best. Put uncooked oats in the jar, milk and a bit of flavor. I like cinnamon sugar. Put it together at night and then enjoy it in the morning.
Use your local food pantries. Call churches to see if anyone is buying and reselling. For example I used to know a church that bought in 50 pound bags and repackaged selling at cost. Much cheaper than grocery store. You can also explain your situation at grocery store. Sometimes they will sell meat expiring that day for deep discount, etc. I found the cheapest "bread" is homemade tortillas. I mix it, roll into balls and keep the balls in fridge. They keep 1 week. Then I pull out 1 ball at a time and roll it flat and cook it in pan. Delicious and fresh. Microwave muffins/cake are nice too.
If you're able to fry and freeze, and you're not vegan, here's a good batch cook that costs about $3.50 and makes a basis for at least 10 meals: Take one loaf of bread (day-old/clearance loaves are perfect), and lay the slices out to dry them out. Whisk together 6 eggs, one 12-oz tin of evaporated milk (or 1.5 cups of any fresh milk or diluted cream, but the evaporated milk gives you the most protein), optional flavourings (vanilla and/or maple extract, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice) and some sweetener of choice to make a batter for french toast, pour it into a shallow dish, then dip the dry bread slices for no more than 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Heat your pan on medium for 5 minutes, then melt some butter or oil in the pan, and cook the slices of battered bread for about 4-5 minutes on each side, and add more butter or oil to the pan before each new set. You should be able to make at least 20 slices. Let them cool and then freeze them in a plastic bag (you can use the bag the bread came in) or a resealable container. You can take out slices as you need them from the freezer and pop them in the toaster frozen and toast on the highest setting (or in a regular 350F oven to heat them if you don't have a toaster). You can eat them as-is, with syrup or jam or honey, or with fried eggs or peanut butter (PB with banana or raisins or sliced apple is excellent). Enjoy on a plate or in sandwich form for breakfast or a quick snack. Inexpensive, time-saving, and reasonably healthy (made with the evaporated milk you're going to get about 11g of protein per 2 slices). The $3.50 is based on $1 each for the bread, eggs, and milk, and the sweetener/butter/oil/extracts/spices will add less than 50 cents, resulting in a cost of 35 cents or less per two slices; your mileage may vary.
One thing I heard the presenter say several times was how good the food tasted. I do think a major part of getting along on a limited budget, food or otherwise, is to appreciate what is in front of you rather than focusing on what is not there. It makes life more comforting and satisfying. And, I believe, it attracts more good things into your life. A lovely and useful presentation.
I went to my local food pantry and got lots of good stuff. The stuff I DIDN'T use, I put in my apartment complex's laundry room. They disappeared immediately! Now, I get a box every week and everything goes to good use. It feels so good to share with my neighbors.
That is a great idea. My neighbour stopped donating to the foodbank when she saw a woman coming out of the foodbank and going straight to a wheelie bin to dump all the produce. She could have left it at the foodbank or offered it to whomever wanted it. Personally, I stopped donating to the foodbank when I saw that everybody including the local politics saw the foodbank as the solution for poverty. So not help but the solution. We have a lot of working poor and polices keeping people poor by making it easy for employers to hire and fire for government grands that screw up both people and the job market.
@@sparklemotion8377 the issue is people raise the expenses on themselves and they do not even realize it. My state they voted to raise taxes on rental income. The people they interviewed on the news said they were voting for the increase So they can stick it to the man, they forgot who pays the man 😑 They also voted to raise the corporate tax. And complain because stores raised their prices.
@@Kibatsume1 Sure, it's that simple. The people also vote for the corporates to raise their profits by hiking the prices while making the portions smaller? People don't vote for war and the banks. But they get everything
@@sparklemotion8377 85% of corporations in America are actually small businesses. When you continually raise taxes on corporations across-the-board you hurt the small businesses. We lost several small businesses that actually paid decent wages! well above what major corporations offer employees. The issue is people don't realize anyone can become Incorporated . even the local pet groomer became Incorporated so she could do a TV add-on the local news. When your news media use the word corporate followed by the names Walmart ,Google and Apple Unfortunately people believe when they vote for policies against businesses it only affects the rare mega million dollar companies. In reality it helped drive out small businesses. people are now left to do the majority of their shopping at the big corporations.
VERY well done! I make a pot of lentils (1) lb, with 1 onion, 2 celery sticks, 3-6 carrots (I like them in every bite), the same with great northern beans, once a month for about $5 total. It's at least 18 dinners. More when stretched with oats, rice, potatoes and/or veg. I freeze one serving portions flat in my small freezer.
Lentils! Try lentils & chard. Add some potato &/or onion if you can. Add salt or bullion cube & lots of garlic & lemon juice (an expense, I know) but you end up with a very gourmet & reasonably priced meal.
I am SO happy to see you did this for single people!!!! No one ever does that, and it can be SO expensive to live alone. Thanks for this! I'm gonna have to try it out.
I agree! Learning to buy and cook for one has been a challenge after years cooking for a large family. Retired and on fixed income, these recipes are excellent!!
Single people can also make larger portions and either refrigerate items for a couple of days or freeze them already prepared. The tortilla wrapped items could be wrapped individually rolled in saran wrap and placed into a freezer bag or use Tupperware containers. I wish I had such a plan when I was much younger and foolishly spent too much on eating take out. Now I teach my young children how to make do on a tight budget for whenever they are on their own.
@@hgib3 that's exactly what I do. I'm living alone now on a fixed income but I'll make a batch cooking on Sunday and put it in the refrigerator and just reheat it throughout the week if there's any extras I'll put it in the freezer for another time. I have frozen mashed potatoes I have Frozen rice I have Frozen extra vegetables. Including crockpot meals.
@@redrooster1908 That's neat. I wish I liked potatoes, but I can't stand them. My mom served them with every meal when I was a kid and I lost taste for them. I do sometimes enjoy them in a curry, but I can't eat them any other way.
Wow. This looks exactly like what I fed my kids all the time. We always ate it all up...delish! I'd often add cornbread, or serve rice or bean dishes on a bed of sauted cabbage and onions. We all loved yams, too. They were always inexpensive. chicken thighs or hindquarters are often only a dollar a pound. I'd shred about 1/2 and add to various meals. Carrots and celery provide a lot of flavor, too. We all still love peanut butter on apple slices, and we ate a lot of apples, raw and cooked. I made oatmeal cookies a lot and added diced apples a lot. Also added diced apples to oatmeal for breakfast, along with raisins and cinnamon.
Mix whatever you got meat veggies mushrooms herbs beans rice pile into hollowed out onion add chopped middle of the onion too bake in oven 18 for one hour to onion bombs with cheese or gravy tastes great cheers from Aussie down undef🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨
Girl, when I clicked on this video I was scared these meals were gonna be slop meals like I’ve seen with other budget meals but let me tell you all your meals look DELICIOUS!
Absolutely wonderful video. I don’t have to be on such an extreme budget but at 80 years old I have completely lost my appetite. I keep watching food videos trying to kickstart it. My Scandinavian mother made a porridge of a rue of butter and flour, added milk and cooked until it thickened. Little sugar on top, Scandinavians are big on sugar I think, and it was kind of a breakfast porridge. I think it was from the old days when they had a cow and a bag of flour. I love the idea of saving the bean broth, I never thought of that. Also, another suggestion below was to not salt beans until they are cooked. That keeps them tender. Also, if they stay damp for a few days and they start to sprout it increases the vitamin content and they cook faster and taste better. By the way, you are a beautiful young woman and I appreciate your videos.
Hi, my husband's grandma is 89 and I have been researching how to keep her interested in food also. Please look up spices and herbs that help "elderly" feel hungry. I think I remember cayenne on the list, which is good as she does not care for sweet. Bless you!
@momma m - have you tried smoothies and natural flavored waters? And wow about the bean. In the South, we was always told not to let the beans sprout, I never understood why because later in life in life I would add bean sprouts to salads and sandwiches.
These videos are so heartwarming, seeing people try to help out people affected this year who don’t have money for food now. You’re a wonderful human :)
@@denasharpe2393 make onion bombs with leftover meat veggies risotto whatever you’ve got pile it all into a hollowed out onion place them in large muffin tin to keep them together bake 180 oven one hour top with cheese or gravy enjoy
God bless you. Thank you for posting these recipes. I recently became disabled and these recipes have become staples for me. Especially the beans and rice. DELICIOUS 😋
Hi there... I am so glad you found me too...and even more happy that you are able to find value in my videos. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I hope you have a Fantastic Day :)
Sis real talk, I thought that this was click bait, but you did that!! I'm transitioning to Plant based eating so this is perfect. I'm not ashamed to admit that it gets hard sometimes and this came right on time. Plus you used some of my mom's tips and tricks like the chicken boullion and the covering with aluminum. God bless!
@@pamelaredpill3663 Oh yes, that was my lifestyle a few years ago, and now I'm going back. I don't eat that processed stuff like better that meat or those frozen meals. I mean like broccoli, spinach, beans, grains, etc...
Loved your video. Just one tip though, Mexicans heat our tortillas on both sides on a warm to hot, dry skillet before making our burritos. They will be softer and taste delicious.
I make a red sauce for my burritos and enchiladas when I want some sauce. I mash a tablespoon or so of cooked beans, add taco seasoning or chili powder and a 1/2 to 1 cup of water which I add heaping tsp of corn starch, mix till smooth. Cook till thickened. Taste and adjust your seasoning. If you're making enchiladas, this takes the place of the canned enchilada sauce. Just costs pennies. Loved your video. update, You can use the broth off of your beans instead of water. I use the water when I open a can of beans to make bean broth. Also you can add cheese to the sauce to melt it. Makes a good cheese enchilada sauce.
So true. I have folks in my family that claim that they don’t have enough to buy food but will go buy ribs or steaks. I feel like you can eat beans and rice, frozen or canned veggies, eggs as meat replacement or ground meat until you get right.
@@theopkingdom3433 precisely. A teacher in high school saw me eating a breakfast sandwich from a vending machine. He said "you could have probably made something better than that at home" and I responded with "I don't have a home." Which was true at the time. The food at school wasn't great by any means, but if I had a few dollars for a sandwich, I was going to grab one.
@@dragnfly138 exactly. There was a song I used to listen to in one of the lyrics was "it's easy to be hungry when you ain't got sh*t to lose". Which is so true when you don't have a lot of money being hungry is hard. But to eat rice and beans some people are just too damn proud.
This is a great budget two week meal plan. If you have a budget of $10 you can easily add a cabbage, cheese, and salsa to jazz it up. On a budget the key is definitely freezing your food and not letting any ingredient go to waste such as the liquid from the beans. Thank you!
great idea, thank you! That's still very economical and cabbage is a powerhouse veggie, plus some more flavor with salsa; the cheese will add protein and fat and taste.
This video was amazing. Everything actually looked delicious. They should teach this to kids at school since some people don’t know how to feed their families for cheap. This should be shown everywhere!
I grew up neglected and went hungry plenty, until I was a working kid who could buy their own food - and even then I’d frequently pull bagels out of the dumpster late at night as my dinner. Now blessed with stable income I spend too much money on groceries, buying myself whatever I want on impulse. Your video is not only a powerful resource for those facing financial challenges, but also for those who need to overhaul their meal/grocery habits to be more financially responsible, more thoughtfully planned, and less wasteful. Love that you use the bean water, too - those nutrients are valuable! Subscribed - thank you, and sending good wishes of health and love to those who are navigating tough times 💛
I love that you recommend that people visit their local food pantry. Besides being a church secretary, I also volunteer at a local food bank as an interviewer of our clients. The food that is given to our community is not only a blessing to them but also a blessing to all of us who give it out. Praying blessings over you and your family.
Great recipes! A real chef can make soup from a stone and you pretty much did. I wish more people of any income would get their kids used to eating high-fibre, high nutrient foods like beans, cabbage, potatoes etc. so they are mentally and physically tolerant of it when they are older. So many nutrients have been villianized in our society without focus on the complex causes of poor health.
Yes its a shame nobody taught them to cook and they just feed their kids processed junk. I babysat for 2 sweet boys and I asked them if they wanted beef broccoli as i had leftovers from last night dinner they said whats broccoli??? They were 6 and 8 yrs old. Cleaned their plates. I began cooking for them 1 healthy homemade meal a day after school . They both were overweight and hyper when i started watching them. They lost weight and could concentrate on school and homework better. They wanted to play outside more. I didn't make anything fancy just basic meals. For Christmas me and the kids made their mom a cookbook with their new favorites. I also got her a giftcard for the grocery store. We only need to teach them!!! I now taught 3 people to eat healthy. I forgot to mention i would cook with the boys afterschool. I would let them help me so they could learn. This was the most rewarding thing I did in a very long time.
I’ve learned that green onions grow very easily so they can help with some extra flavor. Also Swiss Chard re grows extremely easily. So does celery! It grows back really quickly for some extra greens. Adding some fresh herbs to any of these meals will totally change the flavor of the base rice, beans and eggs.
Please consider donating healthy food, money and/or time to your local food pantry. As a hunger relief advocate and food pantry volunteer, the need is real.
@Penny You rock, sis. I use a food pantry. Those folks are awesome. They greet ppl by name, help carry or deliver. They run 6dys a week. They remind us of the best days to visit. They scold if you're not visiting enough. The love is real💐💝
I love volunteering at food pantries! It’s particularly gratifying to me.. I’ll never forget the first time I volunteered at one, as a teen in the late 90s - we had a giant pallet of 2000lbs(?) of frozen fish sticks we bagged into portions. I guess it’s a rather mundane memory but I had never seen so many fish sticks at once, and it felt good to help!
I agree. I'm not in need though I know people who are and they make ' just a wee bit of money ' over the limit to receive food from their local food banks, therefore they receive nothing!!! Several of us from church privately donate food to them every week. We don't know what the financial cut off limit is at the food banks are but it must be severely low and we've heard many people are untruthful concerning their incomes. Don't know for sure but we've heard this so many times. Food distribution should be fair. It's a world wide disgrace that people don't have enough food!
@@beverlyharward9631 I'm proud to say the food pantry where I volunteer feeds everyone who walks in the door! No income requirements, no zip code restrictions. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve. And THANK YOU for helping. We can all do something.
That is not enough food for 14 days. I saw meals with beans for 10 days. How would someone make 12 eggs last for 14 days. She did not show that. The pack of tortillas is small. That will not last for 2 weeks either.
@@Michelle-pn9xt Well it is not necessary to supply an egg and a tortilla for every day of the 14 days, she mixed up some of the dishes for a bit of variety. Additionally, menus can be stretched to use... as an example, 3 eggs for 4 days worth of breakfast burritos, or 3 eggs could be used in a stir-fry recipe that supplies 4 meals, etc. She did a rice and bean dish for 10 bowls, but that was not all of her beans, she held back some of the beans for use in other dishes. But you are correct that her purchases, at approximately 7000 calories, would realistically only sustain a person for about a week. 2lb of rice will make about 12 cups cooked. A pound of beans will make about 6 cups cooked.
Michelle, she did very well. A lot of work would have gone into this. If you only had dollars to spend it's a lot of food. Could you do better? What would you have done? She tried to make shopping easier by going to one store only. I challenge you to do better. Bernadette, UK
@@derekmill7412 I would need for than %5 for two week, and obviously she did too. I said it was not enough food for two weeks. That is true. She showed us that she had enough food for 12 dinners. She is the one who said it would be enough for 2 weeks, not me. I do not have to do better because I never said I could make 5 bucks last for 2 week. I would simply spend $10 bucks for one week or $20 for two weeks. That I would also have enough food for breakfast and lunch. If I did that I would be able to buy a few fruits, frozen veggies, oatmeal, and a few other things. That would be my plan for myself and my family. I did not create the video or the video title.
if your on a budget i recommend trying the mobile app PICKL when your grocery shopping, the app pays shoppers $5 to take pictures of products on display in grocery stores.
21:56 One of my all time favorite cheap meals is mashed pinto beans, sauted onions, & bacon fat wrapped in a tortilla. Maybe a little leftover hot sauce packet if I have it. Almost like Taco Bell's. Amazing!!!!
Shove it into a hollowed out onion with herbs and stock powder bake in oven until onion is tender slop gravy on top onion bombs are amazing you can shove anything you got in them cheers from Aussie 🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨
@@mistyguynn1853 When you use salt pork, ham, or bouillon cubes in any recipe (beans, split pea soup, etc.), do NOT add any other salt, even if the cook book says to add it. Trust me, the dish will turn out too salty.
Another tip, cook in large batches in a pressure cooker. I believe they are calling them instant pot now. 15 minutes will save yr gas or electricity. It's cheaper in the long run.
Clicked on this video because I was skeptical but this is actually amazing. The base of these meals is so good and like you said: people who have a little more to spend can just add whatever they like and it will still be very inexpensive. This can be so helpful to the people who need it, and it showed me that I can maybe cook on a lower budget to save some money to donate foods to those in need. Thank you so much for this video.
This is such great information. I had a Boy Scout Troop, and because a lot of the Boys were from single parent homes, I usually rolled all of our groceries out of my own pocket. Because I have only a working class budget myself, I often looked for ways to cut costs. One of the things I would do, is break them into groups of 4, and give each of them $20 to buy their grub at the Dollar Tree. It was fun to watch them put luxury items like cookies back to get more staples, or not. There were always the squirrels that spent their whole stake on candy, chips, and Koolaid. I enjoyed seeing their creativity like buying a can of cherry pie filling and making a cobbler out of it and pancake mix. It was a good lesson to teach them to stay on a budget. Young people today need this information. Thanks again for sharing.
I wish every one could see this ! with so many people out of work right now. I think I am going to donate these Items at the food bank with your site wrote on the side of the bean and rice bags
@@kjnailzit I will be subscribing, though I popped over to your channel to see the last time you posted then someone mentioned on this thread that you had not posted in awhile... And it was about 6 months ago. Yes things are crazy everywhere but I hope you and your kids stay safe! Pls read "Psalm 91" for reinforcement!! 🙏🎯 As a single mom with three boys I totally love your amazing videos! 😍👍 I love the way you layout and produce your videos because it's totally different from the other multitude of RU-vidrs. I totally appreciate the work and energy you put into them! So until you come back, I Thank YOU for your full library, that I will be going through to pick up some great tipss & ideas in order to stay within my budget during these crazy times. 😉💖 May almighty God continue to Bless YOU in all aspects of your life! 🙏
Great content, I love how you stretched 5 dollars! Another way to cook these instead of burritos is quesadias. With smashed beans and rice. To stretch even further, buy flour instead of tortillas and make your own tortillas and use some for pasta with an egg or two. Glad I learned to cook and hope people utilize channels like this if they need to learn. Even if you don't need to have a drastically reduced budget, beans are a very nutritious addition to your diet. If you can incorporate low cost meals into your diet, you can pay down debt, build an emergency fund, or pay it forward- maybe donate to food bank. Happy New Year. TFS.
AMAZING!!!!! This menu had to take lots of planning! I wish I had seen this 50 years ago when I was a young, poor, and,struggling college student. Please keep these enjoyable videos coming.
That is similar to how I made beans and rice when I was really low on money, but I added a jar of salsa instead of all the spices which I didn't have. I never thought of using eggs back then but my eyes are opened. Very helpful.
Masa flour is very inexpensive, too. Dollar Tree sells that and we make tortillas and tortilla chips from it. It has the flavor of limed corn (nixtalmalized).
I made Chicken Soup yesterday using a shelf stable package of Chicken ( found in the aisle with Tuna), a can of Mixed Vegetables, a boullion cube, and Rice. The Rice, and Chicken came in a food box I receive as a low income senior - so they were FREE ! the veggies were on sale at Dollar General at $.33/can I used half a can, the boullion I have had for several years but I paid for that too - Extra veggies were frozen and extra Chicken went into the frig for two more meals. 5 servings and I believe it was $.17/veggies, seasonings and boullion cube $.10 for total of ,$.27 divided into 5 servings a little over $.05. To this I add a piece of bread and butter yummmm Bread is $2.00/ loaf @ bread outlet so 14 slices comes to $.14/ slice. One meal was around $.20 for me ! I 💓 saving $ eating nutritious food and learning new tips. Thank you for your meal ideas :)
Thank you so much for sharing this information. I am so happy you are getting ideas from my videos.Thank you sooo much for watching and taking the time to comment. I hope you and yours have an Amazing Day and a Happy Holidays if don't get the chance to wish you one😊
I haven't seen a $5.00 challenge for 2 weeks. Congratulations for the insight into how we can do better with less money. The way things are in the world, this could prove to be beneficial to any of us soon. Blessings, dear lady. I'm going to watch more of your ideas.
The total calories in those products is around 7000. Normally an adult is expected to need about 2000 calories per day unless reducing. I can see getting by on 1000 calories for 7 days but not on 500 calories for two weeks.
@@earthwyrm6756 thank you for pointing this out. Adults resting require about 10 calories per pound of body weight to maintain body functions. And that being a couch potato. Dr. John Mcdougall recommends that this is a minimum you need to maintain health. Most people with lose weight on that few of calories. The food looks good. But way too little to eat.
@@earthwyrm6756 I don't think that people who are on a tight budget and how only have pennies to live on a really too concerned with the caloric intake her their Foods. They're pretty much trying to Stave off hunger. We might be needing this in the very near future the way things are going. And adding more eggs to this is a cheap and viable way getting extra protein and extra calories. As well as healthy fat.
My favorite budget meal is a staple in my diet. It is a chili cheese casserole. 1 small onion diced 1 cup rice prepared according to pkg directions 2 1/2 cups cooked black or kidney beans. Or two cans beans rinsed and drained. 1 28 ounce can deifratelli seasoned tomatoes. 8 ounces of shredded cojack cheese 1 tbs oil In a large skillet add oil saute onion until translucent. Add prepared rice, beans and tomatoes bring to a boil. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and browned a bit. This freezes wonderfully. I get 12 servings that will fill me up. I make this and freeze servings for later in the month. I buy cheese in 8 ounce bricks that I grate for this recipe. Normally catch it on sale for 1.49 or less. The tomatoes I use are normally on sale for $1.50 a can. The entire casserole can be made for less than 5 dollars. Going to have to make this soon. Out of it in the freezer. I basically consider this a pantry meal for me because I always have the ingredients in the pantry and freezer.
I love your videos! As a frugalist myself, i cannot see anything wrong with the food you have cooked. Its awesome to realize just how little we can use to feed ourselves. Beans are something i never buy, but i will be now. I would prefer a little green, but for people who cannot afford more green your videos are amazing. Please do keep making more of these extreme budget vids. Thank you for all your hard work inspiring us all.!!
I saw another comment where someone is disabled and lives on fixed income that's me too I've struggled for years but seems like the Lord has always made a way but it's so good to find someone like you that cooks the things I love to eat and they aren't so expensive thank you so much God bless.♥️🙏 you
Awww... this was such a sweet comment. Blessings to you and yours. I wish you health, strength and prosperity for this New Year and beyond. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment on the video. I hope you have a fantastic evening 🤗
I have found at this coronavirus stuff with the extra money and extra food stamps is a blessing to those of us on disability and or fixed incomes. I am on a disability and fixed income and got very little in food stamps until this started when they decided to increase it and now I take the extra food stamps and I'm stocking up on things like rice and beans and canned veggies as much as I hate can vegetables and oats and broth. Because one day not too far off you know what is going to hit the fan.
Eggs can stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks. When you cook food it should be used in 6 days and only reheated 2. If you want it to last longer freeze it.
God bless you for doing this. I'm 61 and I remember back when my husband and I ate popsicles for supper because we were saving what we had for our 3 children. God was good and the church dropped off a box. There was 10lbs of potatoes and I made so many diff meals from those. Please show all you can do with potatoes if you haven't already. One of my families favorite still today cane from that box. I boiled potatoes with a chopped up can of spam and added Lipton split pea soup. I made biscuits from Bisquick another wonderful thing to have. And it was so good , still is even the smell if it cooking is amazing. I put onions in now that it's just me .
This is amazing. You have just touched my heart. I can feel your beautiful gratitude in feeding your family. Thank you for sharing and your positive attitude.
First time mama here, I like looking at different meal plans that are budget friendly. I must say, yours is actually something that I really want to try lol. Thanks for posting.
Not sure your living arrangements but green onions are easy to regrow Mushrooms can be easy to grow indoors. Kale can be grown in a pot Collard greens . I've seen people grow bean sprouts in a rinsed out soda bottle. If you have a tomato that's gone bad open it up chances are high seeds are sprouting they can do well on a porch some people purchase $20 grow lights and grow them inside.
For over 50 years, I've tried to keep my food costs to under a dollar a day, but, in recent years, I've cut my other living expenses so much, I can afford to eat better. This reminds me of my years of wanting more. You're absolutely right. We all can live on less. Spices make the worlkd go round. lol Do you teach for your local food bank, or at your library? Not these days, of course. RU-vid brings us the world of good ideas, as well as all the other stuff. Thank you for your generosity.
I was watching your video in bed, my partner joined me and your recipes sounded so good we got up at 9:30 p.m to meal prep 😂 beans and rice, lots of spices and we had some cabbage and red pepper left over, it's so simple and delicious. Thanks for your highly motivating video! 😁
A great bang for the buck in flavor is the Goya ham seasoning but it gives a wonderful ham flavor to beans or soups. And its super cheap - $1.29 at Target
1dollar at $ tree and they have chicken and vegetable broth. I've used goya for years especially the ham. It's great in beans, greens, gravy and lots more.
Wow! Amazing ! You just gave me more ideas on how to save my budget. From now on I will buy 10 kg of flour, 10 kg of rice, 10 kg of beans, some potatoes and eggs and I will use my imagination. The flour, rice and pasta will last forever.
I hope I haven't shared this yet but if I did please forgive me ! I found English Muffins 6/package at Dollar Tree the other day reduced to $ .25 - so I bought $4.00 and will be sharing some - I also found at my local discount store Ranch Dressing brand 8 ounces for $.59 ! And 4 rolls of toilet tissue $.88 ! It's the little savings in life which add up BIG
Love the creativity! However, this is realistically enough for 3-4 days for an adult, since it looks like it's less than 500 calories per day if you were to make it last for two weeks. A "serving" as listed on the label is just an arbitrary amount for them to measure calories and other nutrients - one serving of something is not a meal.
I was also wondering about the amount of food. So I calculated it, the total is indeed a little under 7000 kcal. So that is 500 a day if you stretch it for two weeks.
Your doing a great service in these times ❤️ One suggestion... your nonstick is coming off your pan. This causes cancer. Please see if you can find a good SS pan at a thrift store or replace the one you have. 😁
Everything causes cancer. Unfortunately. I have it. I agree about the pan. But as far as food goes i was raised upperclass ate the finest food and here I am fighting for my life. My pancreas gallbladder appendix 2ft of my small intestines and my deodeum all filled with cancer and had to be removed. I have 3 kids. I got diagnosed at 42. I fight every day to see the baby grow into a man .
Totally agree with buying exspensive cookware at the thrift store or garage sale in exspensive area of town. I found china and lead crystal for nothing. Real silver silverware at the thriftstore and the pans and pots soooo important
@@vildanyildiz6325 thank you for your kind words❤️ when i and he and you and them becomes, we.. the earth wil be an amazing place to live on. Share, take care and spread love because we have to do it together ❤️ (i live in the Netherlands so my english isn’t that well, sorry in advance for any language mistakes)
I never have the bacon fat you recommended. I use Goya (or Knorr) ham seasoning - it's so good & gives a nice smoky flavor. Works great with green beans, too.
If you make bacon in save the grease afterwards you can put them in an ice cube tray in your freezer and then pop them out and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for when you need bacon flavor.
This video is so great, I'm so glad I came across it!! I happen to have all 5 ingredients on hand and it's given me some great ideas, and I can probably have a no spend week! Thank you!!!
Love this! I wait to SALT my beans until they're done. I've found they get softer faster if they aren't salted. I love this video. You can really help anyone who is interested in saving money! Thanks so much, Wendy
I just found your channel! I love these meal ideas. As my mom would say, we have so much food and we throw so much away. Frugality is important. Your teaching is more important than we may realize. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!💖
these are great ideas. I appreciate you actually making the dishes. This is great for anyone, but I have some students I will be sharing these ideas with! One is vegetarian so even better.
I liked your presentation. So nicely done. You can also find red lentils for as low as 1.69 a bag. Rinse a quarter cup at a time, and cook with rice after the rice is almost done. Spring salad chopped up, a handful at a time per meal can be added to the rice and beans either cooked in, or added last fresh. Most Spring salad bins are 4.99 and can last all week in the fridge. The spinach mixed with the more tender baby lettuces. will add so much more to your meals. Also, frozen blueberries, a half cup portion at a time is a great after dinner dessert topped with cocoa powder, evoo, and maple syrup. A tray of small chicken thighs, around 4 dollars, with the skin on can last all week too. Use one a day in a pot of water to make a good broth, especially when you add turmeric powder. Your minimal diet is good for most people, but for those of us who are allergic to the eggs, wheat, and corn can trade those items out on your list for these I mentioned. Thanks for sharing how to get by on less when you have to.
Awesome ways to stretch a few dollars over two weeks. It is all in the pre-preparation of the beans and rice in order to make tasty meals from those ingredients. It can be easier to stretch the budget for a family, but this was a great menu for a single person. Thank you for your great ideas and I love Dollar Tree, since you can buy eggs and frozen vegetables. It can be the only store a person can get to easily. We are ok for food in my family, but I like to stretch the budget to the limit to see what is possible. A few of my friends get commodities boxes and oftern get things they don't quite know how to use. I was the recipient of the following items: can of kidney peans, bag of lentils, bag of brown rice, two cans of tomato based vegetable soup, a can of corn, and a jar of salsa. I made rice from 1/2 the bag and then made a chili out of the rest of the ingredients with just 1/2 bag of lentils, including the jar of salsa--no chili powder needed! Yes, I did use an onion, stalk of celery, and one big carrot to start the recipe off, but it was basically a nearly free meal that we can eat for several days or freeze. I also used up some BBQ sauce which added a hint of sweetness. I'm going to call this Anything Chili. >^;^
@@alanbirkner1958 There is so much you can do with those ingredients. Ramen noodles are good when stir fried with onion, garlic, carrot, a scrambled egg, and a homemade Asian style sauce. That was a starving student recipe I remember fondly from my college days. Canned fruit can be used in moderation, and the juice is a good flavoring for water or seltzer water for a more soda-like drink. And an oatmeal pancake with one small peach slice is enough for me. Just grind up some oats, mix in little water, cook the pancake and wrap around a peach slice. I don't crave any particular foods, so making something interesting out of simple ingredients is satisfying.
Now, I'm hungry! Tip for fluffy rice: Add a teaspoon of coconut oil for every cup of dried rice. like the way you plate the food so we really know how big the meal is. THX!!
These are awesome ideas. I make meals for a young that only has 20 to 30 dollars a month for groceries so these ides will tremendously help me out thank you for your time and hardwork
Thank you so much for your comment. I really do hope my videos are beneficial for people on a tight budget as you mentioned. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I hope you have a Fantastic Day 😊
Really enjoyed this video! Finally someone who does it right. I've watched quite a few "dollar a day" meal video challenges that just don't get it right. Most of them have no concept of bulk buying and don't want to give up certain luxuries, or they skimp on nutrition. This video is so far the best with pretty good nutrition included, variety AND you did it for way less than a dollar a day. Well done
I like this... you actually made things that looked good! Lol I was skeptical at first with the $5 for two week part but it worked! Love the browned tortillas! We do that to ... it’s a must! Taste soo good that way
This is so awesome, the fact that u are creating such budget friendly meals i love these videos I get so excited when I see them I'm like what she gonna make today 😄 😝, let me get my pen 🖊
Great job 👌 Another idea, use kitchen scissors to cut up your tortillas into large triangles, lightly baste with oil, season with salt and bake in your oven for your own tortilla chips! Perfect for dipping into rice and beans and gives that extra crunch texture. So good!
Hi K James, that’s a good name! This is really valuable information. I often make lentil soup which costs pennies and is rich in iron. You can add anything you want to change it up. I wanted to also remind people when giving to the food bank to remember some basics, like salt, pepper, all-purpose seasoning, Italian Herbs, Mrs. Dash, and garlic powder, etc. and maybe some hot sauce, HP Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, etc. Or some luxuries like instant coffee or hot chocolate and powdered creamer. I used to be caretaker in an apartment block, and occasionally in my job I would need to be in a tenant’s apartment. People on fixed incomes often had nothing at all in their cupboards, and I could see that it would be difficult for them to use any of their grocery funds for spices, sauces, or even sugar or flour.
I have watch so many of these extreme budget meals for a week videos and I think yours is the best!! You made so many different variations of meals with the same ingredients it was amazing!
Great useful ideas! I'm so glad you seasoned the beans and rice so others can learn from you. Good choice of ingredients and how you used them, even heating the tortillas and smashing the beans. Easy enough to use this for a family too. Not easy to get so many meals for $5!!! The only thing I would suggest to change it up even more is to maybe keep 1 or 2 egg to hard boil (can make egg salad, or on a reg salad or by itself and keep 1 or 2 to fry, just to have something different. Thanks for sharing!
Beyond impressed!!! I am so glad you are doing this! The meals still look like they are full of flavor. Regardless of whether you have to eat frugally or not they look good!👏👏👏
Thank you. This should really help me with ideas. We have lots of beans and rice in our food storage, so these recipes are great for us. We also have cheese in our freezer ( it makes it quite easy to use when grated (at least part of it) before freezing. Cheese gets crumbly after freezing. I know that not everyone eats cheese, but for us, it adds protein and calcium etc. Eggs store a long time, but sometimes it helps if we need to store them longer (right now, we can avoid the Covid 19 virus by stocking up more when we shop and shop less often.) So, eggs can be cracked into ice cube trays, then store the eggs by releasing them into ziplock freezer bags. Be sure to squeeze all the air out by rolling the bag. You can also zip the bag most of the way, then place a straw into the corner and suck the extra air out. Be sure to do this each time you get some eggs out of the bag. I have also used powdered eggs from our storage (some kind neighbors gave them to us when they moved. But even though powdered eggs are a little expensive when you buy them, I believe it is worth it when you need them.). I have also seen a You Tube video on how to “Water Jar” eggs and they last all winter at room temperature and don’t have to be canned in the traditional method of canning. It looked very interesting. I will look for it again, and if the name is not white correct, I will try to come back and edit this (Press the three dots to edit). Thank you for all the effort you put into showing us how to stretch our food budget and make wonderful meals.
I think that is very important especially now more than ever!! Thank you so much for watching. I hope you have an amazing evening and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours :)
Those are great ideas! I was thinking since you mentioned college kids, I would suggest making tortilla chips and bean dip! Cut the tortilla and bake in a oven or airfryer, finely chop some onions and pepper and stir it into those smashed beans. Yummo. I like to make smashed black bean dip in much the same way.
Hi there. That is an excellent ideas...and I actually love tortillas in the airfryer...and I hadn't even thought of a bean dip..I may have to add that to the next video like this and give you a shout out😊. Thank you so much for watching. I hope you have a Fantastic Evening 💕
Love your videos!! I’m a single older lady who’s just now learning to meal prep, lol, and new to a fixed income... God is gracious!! Love that you season good and give such good tips! Will follow your channel with interest! God Bless You and Keep You 🙏
