There's always joy when you return home from the grocery store and your bill isn't as high as expected, but what really makes a happy and economical kitchen is a change of mindset — not necessarily just shopping habits.
There seems to be this weird stigma with eating cheap or inexpensively, while still trying to eat as healthy or as vibrantly as the internet tells you that you should. There's nothing wrong with eating a thrifty meal and enjoying it, but sometimes it feels as though you can be made to feel as though your missing out if you don't go home with all the latest products, organic specialties and the makings for all the gourmet recipes you heard about online.
One mark of growing up and getting older seems to be that we can afford more luxurious things without worry and because of this, it seems like a badge of honor to say that you're eating the latest and greatest and can support the local CSA produce farmer and the meat suppliers as well. That's all well and good, but those who might be making ramen or a rice dish for the 100th time this winter need to know there is no shame in that either.
Even though most households budget for high-end meals or more expensive ingredients, one of the easiest ways you can embrace the meals that aren't that is to stop thinking of them as such. Prepare inexpensive meals you love, not ones you cook because they're inexpensive. Yes, blue box macaroni and cheese and hot dogs are thrifty (and possibly nostalgic to some), but handmade noodles and some fresh veggies can be just as satisfying and budget friendly without thinking about "eating cheap."
It's easy to fall into the mindset of eating budget food, but in reality, if you plan your meals around what you love, then budget won't be the defining issue of your meal-planning. You're not eating ramen because you have to, you're eating ramen because that warm bowl of spicy broth and soft noodles and fresh vegetables is actually something you enjoy. It's ok to have lobster taste and peanut butter sandwich taste too, just as long as you always enjoy what you're eating!
Related: Thrifty Shopper: Ideas on Saving Money and Cooking with Minimal Space
(Image: Emma Christensen)
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Elizabeth Apron fro...
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Internet foodie guilt is probably the farthest thing from my mind when it comes to staying in budget.
My problems are mainly: A.) Will my family EAT it?
(This is the biggest problem, really)
and B.) Is it healthy?
Making things that are both healthy enough to be part of our regular diet and that will actually be EATEN by the whole family is the problem, not any worries about my local CSA.
Personally I could easily eat veggie soup for a month, but I find that it's common for food preparers to feel this way about their food variety needs, while people who are usually the food consumers often do not.
We cut back our food budget by 90% when my husband lost his job and had to plan ahead. At the same time we'd vowed to only eat organic, local, grassfed foods. Serious challenge and it was really time consuming (shopping at two different places, only buying fruit and vegis on sale, planning your meals and having time to cook), but...
We ate GREAT food, we used way more and wasted way less. Our garbage and compost bins were 1/2 as full as they were before - and we actually saved money.
He's recently gotten a job, but we're tryign to stay on that kind of budget since it was so good for our family.
Great post. To save money on groceries, I always have a lot of different types of rice and good quality (healthy) noodles on hand. They are cheap when bought in bulk, can be stored in the pantry for long periods of time, and are a great go-to basic for any quick meals. You can always switch up the broth, veggies, and other 'extras' to change the taste instead of rotating the same few rice/noodle recipes.
The other great staple to have on hand is egg whites, to make omelettes. They're healthy, filling, and great for any meal.
Promising headline, fluff content. I learned a whole lot of nothing from this article. You can do better, Kitchn!
@JEN, the post isn't necessarily fluff, but the title is misleading. An article called "The Secret to Eating Cheap & Thrifty..." should have some practical tips about eating. This article should be called "The Secret to Staying Happy About Eating Cheap & Thrifty".
Some people always complain about grammar police in the comments, but in this case, some better grammar in the headline wouldn't have made me disappointed in the post's content. Like JEN, I clicked on it expecting to learn a few helpful tips.
I'm a freelancer who lives on a meager budget. I have several cheap and delicious recipes that I go to on a regular basis. Even though I live alone, I tend to buy ingredients for those recipes in bulk and make large batches to freeze for later. Not only does help save me money but it's also nice knowing I have pre-made meals ready to go. This also deters me from eating out.
I agree with @Jen and @Akay - I think this article is a good starting point, but, as a graduate student, I'm always looking for more tips about eating easy and delicious meals on a budget. I would like to see more recipes that live up to the philosophy of cooking that this post represents.
Even I do the same manytimea,,,trying to cook from pantry instead of buying new stuff,,,
I do what you do Notyet100, try and make as much as I can from what's in the pantry and just add fresh veggies. Amazing what's hiding in the cupboard (and hopefully not two years out of date).
And Mama Gigi, we did the same crazy sounding thing - cutting down our budget and going organic. Suddenly you find you can use every single thing in the box. We get a weekly delivery and use up every little bit of it rather than throwing out things that we bought too much of (as we would have done before).
We are in the same sitch as Mama Gigi, having gone through job loss & found a much better way of living--frugal and full of gratitude. We joined a local CSA and barter the cost in prepared food for the workers a few times/season. We also joined a dry goods buying club. It's a bit of organization and work to do these things, but we eat *really* well now and without all the expensive, crappy prepared foods. We appreciate buying so much local food, too!
Also, we got chickens to save money (insert knowing chuckle here-three hens do NOT save money! 6 hens might if we can sell the eggs) Anyway, we recently found old fish & meat in the freezer which we boiled, ground up & gave to the chickens & dogs. Saves on dog & chicken food costs & we will be defrosting it soon, after we eat the frozen berries, corn, tomatoes and broccoli...
We are also using our chest freezer in a different way than we have in the past (buying 1/2 hog or side of beef). We are using it for seasonal fruits and veggies we pick locally for *very* inexpensive prices (6 dozen ears of sweet corn for 12 dollars? Gah!) & store in freezer bags. We also can some things. I'd can more but I always seem to be broke or in the throes of something time consuming during that season.
Another thing I am starting is growing more of my food. I'm starting with sprouts! I hope to have another raised bed this summer, too, along with some container herbs.
I love ramen! I go to the Asian market nearby and pick up some exotic flavors, though. My favorite is Tom Yum-flavored. Mmm! Then I add whatever vegetables I have lying around, and sometimes an egg.
Where can I get the recipe, or one similar for the delicious looking soup featured in the image?
It always saddens me a little when people complain about these articles. The Kitchn always brings a little joy to my day and I'm glad they are so active -- constantly posting new and interesting articles. So you clicked on a link you didn't like, what's the problem? How much time did that cost you? Learn to enjoy what's available to you, and be happy this site exists at all and that people work so hard at it.
Well said! I fully agree. In today's economy there is no shame in being more careful about spending money. Although I am an avid advocate of eating healthy, I sometimes also think that "organic" can be over the top. One should not feel embarrassed not being able to pay $$$$$ for organic food. There's nothing wrong with budget meals: even ramen can be "spiced" up with simple, less expensive greens. This economy will change the mentality and way we look at consuming and also at the way we eat. Less eating out can also mean sitting around the table with family and friends and talk, spend quality time. I am absolutely happy about budget meals and proud to say I turn them into something nice. Great post!!
You can buy really varied, interesting, cheap noodles in an Asian market. I never buy rice noodles in a supermarket - they're very overpriced. That goes for just about any condiments/sauces for Asian meals. Go to an Asian grocer and stock up. The produce is usually cheaper too. One of my Asian stores has really fresh fish and meat. Just know the store and ask about it.
I am a health food/ gourmet enjoying foodie, who happens to not have a lot of disposable income. My goal this summer is to create a successful garden from inexpensive organic seeds (High Mowing Seeds), and have an abundance of the veggies I love.
For the rest, bulk grains, and the farmers market. I buy artisan cheese, i just get less than i want. The big expense in my food budget is when i eat out. The most important of my tips on eating healthy/good on a budget is to be a good planner.
Has anyone seen the Poor Girl Eats Well blog? You might enjoy it.
I find that reading widely about food helps me eat cheaper. I'm a vegetarian, but I've read quite a few posts of Homesick Texan, which has taught me a lot about cooking beans. I also read Manjula's Kitchen, which is about Indian food, and Beyond Kimchee, which is about Korean food. When I read a lot of recipes, I can find money saving and delicious things to cook. I always used to waste money when my bean sprouts went bad, but now I make kimchee with my fresh sprouts and they last two months easy rather than only a few days. I also make my own chapati (which is very easy and takes about fifteen minutes for a small batch) instead of buying expensive, fancy breads. Reading recipes also helps me really enjoy the time I spend cooking. It's a lot more exciting to do an hour or two of precooking on a Sunday afternoon when I've picked out the recipes in advance and have been looking forward to trying them. Even making grocery lists and shopping is more fun this way and, of course, planning ahead means that I don't over spend at the store and makes the cheaper options more convenient to prepare during the week, eg reheating rice I bought in bulk, cooked, and froze during the weekend rather than rice which is purchased in a pre-cooked, single serving state.