As the cost of living surged in 2022, the number of Americans facing financial hardship has also jumped. 6 in 10 United States adults (including more than 4 in 10 high-income consumers), live paycheck to paycheck.

Interested in how people get through difficult times, Reddit user GetFreeFromFood made a post on r/EatCheapAndHealthy, asking folks on the platform, “What are your favorite ‘end of the month/broke ’til payday’ meals?”

“Groceries are scarce [and I’m] waiting on payday,” they wrote. “What are you making that’s relatively healthy with what you have left? I know what everyone has left differs, just trying to get ideas that may be helpful for more than just my family!”

And the call was answered; thrifty cooks happily shared their budget meals. Here are some of the best-sounding ones.

#1

My absolute cheapest meal is mujadara. Well browned onions, lentils, rice, s&p. It’s so much more than it sounds.

Image credits: No_Weird2543

#2

Mustgo soup, all the leftovers you have in the fridge and some broth of your choice or just some Mater sauce

Image credits: CapinCrunch420

#3

Baked beans on toast

Image credits: livingruncliff

#4

Grilled cheese and tomato soup will always be a favorite of mine.

Image credits: Revolutionary-Copy71

#5

other peoples comments are better but so you dont feel hungry in the “breaks” between your (real) meals: oatmeal. so filling. add some lineseeds for fibre, omega3 and a bit more chewiness

Image credits: Radiant_Butt444

#6

Canned tuna mixed with mayo on toast. Served with a pickle spear

Image credits: blueberrykola

#7

Lentil and carrot soup. So tasty and good for you, but extremely cheap.

Image credits: RegularJane33

#8

Peanut noodles! Ingredients are peanut butter, soy sauce, and pasta, plus some things to jazz it up if you’ve got them.

For the sauce, mix roughly equal parts of PB, soy sauce, and water, adjusting the ratio to taste. If I have them, I add red pepper flakes, garlic powder and ground ginger, a few drops of sesame oil, and sesame seeds, but it’s also decent without. You just put it on cooked pasta and voila! I like it with steamed frozen broccoli. In an ideal world, you’d have spaghetti, fettucine, or linguine for the pasta, but any shape is fine.

Image credits: mickier

#9

Potatoes are cheap. French fries are tasty!

Image credits: The_last_trick

#10

Rice, eggs, whatever beans or veg is left over, top with hot sauce

Image credits: gaimanite

#11

Savory pancakes – – you can put anything in ‘em and/or anything on ‘em

Image credits: AnythingButChicken

#12

Ramen + PB + sriracha basically feels like poor man’s pad Thai. Even better if you have an egg to put in

Image credits: zombienugget

#13

Pantry ‘chili’- cans of beans, diced tomatoes, corn, tomato paste and green chilis if I have ’em.

Saute onions in cumin & chili powder, then add beans, then rest of it. Simmer for a bit, but usually tastes better next day.

Image credits: selkiebeast

#14

Butter noodles

Image credits: MossIsking

#15

My fave one is egg and chips. It’s fried eggs and English style chips but you can do fries it doesn’t matter. My English mom used to make it growing up so it’s super comforting and it’s delicious and cheap

Image credits: lhayes238

#16

Mash up a Can of Chickpeas, Mayo, mustard, seasoning, and if you have any green veggies; it’s a good “chicken” salad. That’s been my Go-to broke or not because it’s so easy and so cheap and an easy depression meal when you need something comforting and healthy

Image credits: Eaysonle

#17

Maximize your beans, lentils, carrots, potatoes, and eggs as meat substitutes. Curry with any of those can help stretch it. Or bbq sauce.

Image credits: Early_Reply

#18

White rice + black beans is my favorite cheap/healthy meal. Add some tomatoes and cilantro, and avocado if you can afford it, drizzle lemon or lime juice and you have a super filling and delicious meal for super cheap (except the avocados lol)

Image credits: thehauntedhead

#19

Rice bowls. Throw together whatever left over meat and vegetables you have left in the freezer, add sauce, and go. There’s so many different ways to make it it never gets old. If you’re not in the mood for rice, add beans and salsa instead and make burritos.

Image credits: coffcat

#20

Pasta salad, sometimes I just add a can of green beans and a can of corn, both drained, fresh herbs, if I have it (basil, cilantro, mint, whatever’s in the fridge) and some Italian dressing, garbanzo beans, if I have it. The best part, the longer it sits, the better it gets, so it’s good as a leftover, and it’s filling

Image credits: GingerSchnapps3

#21

Google “I have these ingredients”.

You’ll get a ton of websites that will help you put something together.

I was down to potatoes and flour. And this how I learned about gnocchi! Turned into one of my fav things.

Image credits: SunnySamantha

#22

Soups from the leftovers. One main stock can be split for different spices and proteins. It can serve as is or further watered down as the basic broth for a variety of (yes I’m saying it) ramen.

Image credits: Dad-Baud

#23

Beans! I’ve been leaning on pintos a lot recently and have come to really appreciate them. Served with a bit of cotija cheese, a garnish of cilantro and it’s really good, but you can get much more fancy with them also.

One thing I learned the ‘hard way’ is to plan for those lean times by adding some pantry staples every time I go shopping to make sure I have enough of those important building blocks available for quick, easy, and inexpensive meals.

Image credits: OutWithCamera

#24

I keep bulk lentils and can beans for this. You can make chili, you can add pasta like macaroni and frozen veg for a “pasta e fagioli” of sorts. Can’t go wrong with can tuna and rice w a lil soy sauce if u got it or just salt and pepper. Applesauce is cheaper than eggs so i keep a big jar on hand to make pancakes with other pantry staples. In general i only get shelf stable nondairy milk from Costco (im lactose intolerant) so I have enough for a carton every two days and I’m not worried about price fluctuating (its always like 16 bucks for a case of 32 oz cartons). I keep oats in my pantry so soy milk oatmeal (good protein).

When all else fails. Buy a single potato, bake it in the microwave.

Image credits: Solid_Wish

#25

Ramen with an egg and frozen veggies

Pasta, jarred pasta sauce, frozen veggies and shredded cheese

Image credits: TelephoneTag2123

#26

I try to keep chicken thighs in my freezer. Boneless and skinless, just for convenience. Take two of em, cook two cups of rice, fry the chicken with a yellow onion, and mix the whole thing with a can of mushroom soup. This is all stuff I usually have on hand, and it’ll last me several days, highly recommend! It’d be good without the chicken, too, imo; very tasty sort of porridge.

Image credits: NottaBought

#27

pinto beans and cornbread was my great grandmother’s go to during the depression. It is one of my top comfort foods. Make a pot of dried beans and experiment.

Image credits: assistanttothefatdog

#28

Frittata using whatever odds and ends I have. Or a regular quiche if I have a box of pie crust in the fridge. If I have frozen hash browns, then a hash brown crust quiche! 🙂

Image credits: Jenr619

#29

I usually go for a cheap puttanesca. I try to keep some olives, capers and anchovies in my fridge (I don’t use them for anything else so they last a while) and a jar of minced garlic so all I need to get is some pasta and a can of tomatoes. It’s pretty cheap and easy, plus it can be frozen easily as well

Plus if you have any spare vegetables, some beef broth or some mince meat then it stretches even further and is super tasty. The way I make it when going cheap isn’t the ‘proper’ way to make puttanesca but it’s still very tasty for how little it costs

#30

So, about once a month, I purchase some bell peppers with the intent of making stuffed bell peppers. However, the ingredients are different every time as I just use a lot of leftovers in them. Things like:
Leftover Chinese food, the rice is already cooked and flavored, and the chicken chunks can be cut up into smaller bites.

Leftover Mexican anything! Honestly, anything good on a taco is great in a pepper.

Any cut up veggies for snacking laying around, chop those bad boys up tiny and add some nutrition to your meal!
Need a lil more protein: add a can of beans to the mix!

Any leftover spaghetti? Definitely add any meatballs or hamburger meat, not sure about the leftover noodles, but I’m not above it!

Top it with any leftover cheese in your fridge, even cream cheese will delight you! Cover with foil and cook in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes!

Last time I topped mine with leftover homemade salsa when they came out of the oven and they were *chef’s kiss* magnificent!

Greatest part: You’ll never recreate the ingredients exactly each time, which enhances their flavor and enjoyment even more for me! The point is: you’ve got a brilliant meal in your fridge, and with just a few dollars: the peppers just bring it all together!

#31

mashed potatoes quesadillas! I saute onions til they’re soft, then I add chopped potato and enough water to cover them & let them boil/soften. Mash up the potato/onion mixture, then make a quesadilla with the potato mix & some cheese! soo filling and tasty.

also big pots of soup, chili, rice, lentils.

budgetbytes has some good cheap meals

#32

Grits and a can of low calorie Progresso soup with a spicy flair to it (Jambalaya, Gumbo, Chili).

Make the grits, heat the soup, and pour the soup over the grits.

Delicious, micro/macro nutrient healthy, and cheap.

You can easily substitute the grain as you choose.

#33

I’ve found baked potatoes to be a great cheap, easy, filling, tasty meal. You can dress them up a ton of different ways with whatever you have around, but honestly some days I just throw one in the microwave with a little of whatever vegetable I have (a handful of frozen broccoli from a giant bag I got for cheap, usually) and it’s good to go.

Also, as others have said, seek out your local food bank! There is absolutely zero shame in getting help, the whole point is to keep you and yours fed without judgment. If you don’t know of one, try calling 211… in most places in the US, that’ll connect you with the United Way, and they can hook you up with a whole variety of local resources.

#34

Sardine pasta. Get some tinned sardines in tomato sauce, couple of cloves of garlic (if you have, garlic powder if you don’t), heat it up in a pan and then add some cooked spaghetti. It’s not to everyone’s tastes but it’s a saviour to me when I’m dirt broke

#35

Tortillas, cheese, eggs

#36

Aloo Gobi, an Indian curry made from cauliflower and potatoes. Delicious.

#37

Creamy mushroom ramen! Boil 250ml of water in a pot, throw in the ramen packets, stir. Add the entire can of Campbell’s Creamy Mushroom, stir thoroughly. Throw in your ramen noodles and keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pot. Once the noodles are cooked cover the pot with a lid and let sit for 5 mins.
A quick recipe that can be split into 2 servings!

Sometimes i add pan fried dumplings or fried egg

Image credits: handbaujzed

#38

A tub of miso goes a long way. I have been making mine with about a tablespoon of miso paste (a little more, I don’t level it), half a tablespoon or so of soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, a drop or 2 of sesame oil, some chili garlic paste, a little white pepper, and some onion. I boil water and put it in a small bowl or large mug and mix everything in. I’ve been taking it to work in a sauce cup with everything then justdumping it in my mug as the water boils. Surprisingly filling.

Just miso and soy sauce is pretty good. Everything without the chili garlic paste is excellent. Everything but the miso is something I already have on hand. A tub of miso lasts months and isn’t very expensive for the number of portions you get. I ordered mine online but if you have access to an Asian grocery store it’s probably a much better deal

#39

Flat Breads

It takes a bit of work, but you just need flour, salt, water, and a bit of oil/butter for a frying pan. There are a bunch of simple recipes on line. No leavener needed, but can be added if you want. They freeze well and can go with just about anything.

#40

I always stock up on Lentils when I can. I can usually also get carrots and celery for pretty cheap , and I have no problem living off of that combination together for a week or two. They cook up well in my rice cooker and make for a pretty filling meal.

I’ve also developed a slow cooker chicken soup recipe that makes around 7 servings and comes out to around $1.50/serving. I’ll make a big batch of that at the beginning of the week and take it to work for lunch each day.

#41

Chili is my thing. I keep a ton of different canned (and dry) beans on hand at all times. Almost always have a random can of tomatoes. Just made it two days ago and had no idea I had everything. If I have enough different beans I don’t even add meat. I play with different seasonings.

#42

Tuna burgers- 2 cans of drained tuna, 1 egg, enough breadcrumbs to bind it. Add in whatever you have around for seasoning- could be some finely chopped carrot and/or onion, garlic powder, hot sauce, thyme and oregano. You could take it in an asian direction and put in some soy sauce, chili flakes, chili powder and cumin. Cook in a med hot non stick pan for about 3-4 min on each side.

#43

It’s pretty awesome how easy it is to amp up ramen. Use left over meat, veggies and the packets. Two packets feed four of us when we add add stuff to it.

#44

I got a 25 lb bag of rice for $11 so we have a lot of fried rice. Whatever veg you have maybe an egg maybe some
Leftover pork chops. Garlic onion. Salt pepper
Soy sauce.

Potatoes and onions are
Damn cheap. I’ve been making scalloped and au gratin potatoes it’s pounds
And pounds of tasty food for like $2. Great for breakfast. Hash browns from whole potatoes is awesome too. Use a box grater and wring them out with a towel then fry in a pan with salt and pepper. Doesn’t taste like a cheap meal at all.

#45

I always keep pasta sauce and dry pasta in the pantry. I try to also buy ground beef in 5 lb packages (less expensive per lb if you buy in bulk). Then I divide it into 1 lb portions, Seal in freezer bags, and tuck 2-3 in the bottom of the freezer where I’ll forget about them until this kind of emergency. Same with chicken breasts.

You can get store brand pasta sauce with sausage in it for about $1.50 most places, and the pasta should be about $1-2 as well. I like thicker noodles that feel more filling.

#46

I always have flour and baking items on hand. If I needed to I could make a variety of breads. Pancakes are popular, but I also like dumpling stew. For dumpling stew I flavor some water with pepper and chicken bouillon, then make drop dumplings with flour, salt, pepper, and any other spices I want. After I spoon the dumplings in to the boiling water, I add a dash of milk to cream up the soup, but you can keep it thin if you need to. Basically, if you added chicken, it would be chicken and dumplings.

Image credits: RenKyoSails

#47

Black bean quesadillas! Black beans cooked with onions and garlic and any seasoning you want, melted cheese and tortillas ? cans of black beans are cheap, LOADED with fibre and protein, and you can add as much cheese as you want, and you can use either one tortilla folded or two tortillas depending on carb intake ?

#48

A favorite in our family I can usually throw together out of the freezer and pantry Staples- cheap chicken Parm- take chicken tenders or chicken patties, even chicken nuggets in a pinch (we have a small child so these are staples) and add marinara and some cheese on top and bake. Add some pasta and a bag of frozen veggies or canned if you have it. If we want to be extra fancy I take some bread and make “garlic bread” by buttering the bread and sprinkling garlic powder on it and throwing it in the oven until crispy. It’s so easy but always a favorite.

One other thing I like to make to use things up is loaded nachos. Usually we end up with leftover chicken or beef after a meal so I’ll shred it, add taco seasoning, pour some tortilla chips on a pan, add cheese, add the meat. Then I like to serve it with whatever I have on hand, sour cream, salsa, can of corn, can of olives, lettuce, tomato are some we do often. Just whatever we have on hand.

#49

Lawn weed salad! I pick dandelions, plantago genus greens, chickweed, violet greens, and ground ivy, and I’ll even pick some fresh sprouted tree leaves from maples and elms. I’ll also pick daylily shoots, mugwort sprouts, and amaranth greens to fry up in some butter or blanch for mixed greens and use like spinach.

Oatmeal pancakes are better than regular pancakes! A flax egg, chia egg, or combination of both work great as an egg substitute, and I love winter squash’s shelf life, and roasted butternut blended up makes an amazing pancake! Milk powder keeps great and is perfect for those times when you might want it for baked goods but only have enough for a few morning coffees. I used to love buttermilk powder for this too but I always have yoghurt in the fridge I sub for buttermilk anyway. Also frozen WILD blueberries will make the best pancakes that no one will know is a struggle meal!

Pantry sushi! Canned fish but especially sardines, rice I wash less thoroughly if I don’t have sushi rice, and fridge staple veggies that last a long time like turnips and carrots. If you don’t have nori quickly blanched whole cabbage leaves are a great wrapper and add yet another veggie! I love making spicy “tuna” with any canned oily fish.

Potatoes baked in foil keep in the fridge for a bit and can be used in recipes that ask you to boil potatoes before cooking them a second way, like homemade fries, mashed potatoes, potato dinner rolls, Greek lemony roast potatoes, potato salad… my fav dish from this is to slice the potatoes 1/2 inch thick and make oven nachos with them, I always have cubes of refried pinto or black beans in the freezer, and frozen corn (make sure it gets the most contact with the pan in the oven so they get nice and charred!)

I used my frozen beans to make a cheesy pasta sauce and add some frozen corn I blackened for a bit in a cast iron, it’s southwestern black bean pasta!

#50

I tend to make cottage pie. I usually have some random vegetables around to mix into a pound of ground beef and top with mashed potatoes. Depending on how you prepare them, mashed potatoes don’t have to be unhealthy.

Baked beans mixed with a little bit of ground beef and rice tastes amazing and is very filling.

Also, consider freezing extra portions of meals or storing away some canned food when times are good so you can have something ready for the tight months. Even a 50 cent can of green beans can make a side dish you otherwise wouldn’t have. You can build up a good stock surprisingly quickly, especially if you tend to have leftovers that just sit in the fridge for days. Freezing them immediately instead of storing them until they go bad is instant savings.

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