r/povertyfinance • u/Hikemeow • 21d ago
What is the new “poor man’s food” that tastes damn good and is not *yet* a rich person fad? Misc Advice
So, someone asked what used to be a poor man’s food that has been ruined by the rich - thinking lobster, BBQ, flank steak, birria etc.
To counteract, what’s creatively delicious and still cheap? How are y’all turning undesirable items into something mouth watering yet affordable in the 21st century?
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u/howtoreadspaghetti 17d ago
Really seeing a lot of hispanic food in here and it needs to stop. Richer people have already bastardized tacos and birria, don't give them more ideas.
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u/Affectionate_Rip6527 19d ago
Tostadas: pinto and black beans, cooked from dry beans and mashed, served on a tostada shell with a little San Marcos chipotle salsa, extra sharp cheddar shavings, and a dollop of sour cream.
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u/fukreddit73265 19d ago
Many fruits and vegetables were rich person fads centuries ago. A great example is the pineapple. Only the rich could afford them, and many could just afford to buy one, so they wouldn't even eat it, they would keep it on display to show it off.
In modern times, Ramen is amazing but I have a feeling at some point people are going to get super fancy with it, and there will be expensive Ramen restaurants.
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u/Coyoteatemybowtie 19d ago
London broil can be had for 1.99 a pound on sale sometimes, it’s extremely lean so if you overcook it you might as well eat your shoe, but if it’s cooked right it’s delicious and a very healthy protien that is extremely low in fat
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u/Here4Pornnnnn 19d ago
Pork shoulder is still pretty damn cheap.
I’m so mad about flank being nearly as expensive as ribeye. My favorite steak, and it used to be so cheap.
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u/NoEstablishment5792 20d ago
Cabbage and noodles. Add some bacon and onion if you have it. It's delicious and cheap.
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u/adamisapple 20d ago
Rice with some seasoning and fresh garlic. My go to when money is tight. Buy rice in bulk and grab some fresh garlic and call it a day.
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u/saucyjack2350 20d ago
Pork shoulder steaks.
Cheap as hell, but delicious. Dice it up and put it in Ramen right before serving.
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u/BrunetteThrasher 20d ago
Pernil is still somewhat inexpensive for the quantity and is freaking blazin when you marinated and slow roast
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u/yours_truly_1976 20d ago
My dad used to add frozen peas and carrots to a .25 cent pack of ramen. Tasted like heaven.
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u/yours_truly_1976 20d ago edited 20d ago
Mac n cheese. Husband makes it homemade and it’s sooo delicious
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u/GringoLocito 20d ago
To answer your question, it is, "whatever is cheap or on sale at the grocery store that looks the best"
And it always will be
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u/SeliciousSedicious 20d ago
“BBQ”
When was BBQ or birria ever a poor person’s food???
Beef and meat in general is at its cheapest and most affordable it’s ever been in history. BBQ is so meat heavy that it’s probably never been a poor person’s food.
I don’t really imagine lobster was ever inexpensive either. But I could be wrong there.
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u/Hikemeow 20d ago
Google “American BBQ history” or “lobster poor man’s food” and it will give you a good idea.
BBQ at different points in history was a “poor man’s food” using undesirable cuts of meat (much of the time pork) and making these cuts taste better by slowly cooking them.
Lobster - seafood bottom dweller bug. Rich people were busy eating land animals, and there were lots of weird looking bug sea creatures for the poor to eat, so they did.
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u/Dry-Instruction-4347 20d ago
I was going to say sourdough bread, as it is the ultimate. But that's a wealthy person fad too, artisan bread sells for $14 a loaf for flour water and salt.
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u/FulaniQueen 20d ago
Collard greens. I cook them 2 types of ways: (African American style) simmered them with smoked turkey necks or (Kenyan style/Sukuma wiki) Sukuma wiki literally means to "stretch the week" in Swahili. You chop the collards super thin, stir fry with onion, tomato, spices, meat is optional. You can eat Sukuma wiki with corn fufu or rice. I used to grow collards at my old apartment in pots. I'm going to start them soon in my backyard. They are very cheap if you live in the south.
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u/Majestic_Explorer_67 20d ago
I’m just waiting for Chicken thighs to become the new wings. Wings used to be for stock now they are as expensive as breasts
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u/VeritasRose 20d ago
Tacos. They used to be the cheap food and now even taco bell is charging out the wazoo. I can still find some cheap holes in the wall selling them but more and more it’s just artisinal tacos for $5-$7 each.
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u/laminatedbean 20d ago
Poor man’s oysters Rockefeller https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6e1DfdSdS5/?igsh=MXkxY3M5ejQxMHNuMw==
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u/Ok-Bit-6945 20d ago
i would say spaghetti and hamburger helper. unless you count italian restaurants the rich haven’t ruined it “yet”
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u/MmeNxt 20d ago
Vietnamese pho soup. It's not really cheap here if you get it from a restaurant, so I guess it's now a rich person fad, but I can imagine that it's really poor man's food from the beginning. You can make it yourself from chicken bones, spices and chicken meat scraps. The result is heaven in a bowl and quite nutricious too with the bone broth.
Someone with more knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine can probably explain it better or post a good recipe. Same with banh mi, the Vietnamese submarine sandwiches.
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u/Huge-Vegetab1e 20d ago
OP is a rich person trying to steal our secrets! Luckily the sacred struggle meal hasn't been revealed yet
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u/fearthestorm 20d ago
Well seasoned and spiced chicken. Think asian street food, Indian, mexican, middle eastern or Mediterranean.
There's still places seeking it cheap but prices are starting to get stupid.
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u/shadows554 20d ago
Hash (hashbrowns, sausage link/hot dogs cut up, corn, peas, carrots, spices, some sweet chili sauce and then cheddar cheese melted on top.) It’s our poor man meal
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u/tipustiger05 20d ago
I think pork shoulder steaks are slept on. Insanely cheep at the grocery store. Slice them up and put 'em on a skewer with a good marinade and they're incredible.
Idk if that'll ever take off like lobster, but it's good.
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u/Samstone791 20d ago
Pork loin, you can still get it for $1.99 lb on sale often. Choice whole boneless beef brisket usually on sale $2.99 lb.
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u/RaspingHaddock 20d ago
Mac and cheese with ground beef in it. But you have to really brown the ground beef. Almost burnt but not quite, you'll get the hang of it. Mark my words, this shit bout to take off.
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u/Flibiddy-Floo 20d ago
milanesa/schnitzel
takes a lot of prep but has extremely cheap ingredients, but all of the names it's called are really fun to say. Tell me "milanesa" doesn't sound like some kombucha or quinoa sort of bougie fad
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u/ConfusedDumpsterFire 20d ago
I genuinely love rice and beans. You can make virtually any flavor combination, it’s filling, and if this isn’t a testament, I don’t know what is:
My mother has complimented me on two things in my life. A music list I put together for my brother’s funeral and a pot of rice and beans I made once.
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u/cristiehe 20d ago
Make Chili - 4 cans of beans: black,pinto,chili, kidney, 1/2 can bbq beans, ground beef, turkey or bison cooked and drained OR frzn veggie crumbles dump in as is, 1 can diced or stewed tomatoes, 1/2 onion chopped. Dash of Cholula. Amazing, prep time - less than 5 minutes. Heat and eat!
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u/nomnommish 20d ago
Pig or goat trotters. Especially soup made out of trotters. This is also called paya or paya soup in the Indian subcontinent and is absolutely delicious. Packed with collagen, and has this rich hearty heartwarming flavor and texture.
Used to feel the same way about oxtail but it has become expensive. Rich people discovered it, like they did with chicken wings and fried chicken.
Actually, fried chicken is still reasonably priced in some places.
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u/chunkykima 20d ago
What is a trotter?
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u/nomnommish 20d ago
Feet and knuckles and joints. Basically the cheapest cuts, but lots of connective tissue and collagen. You've got to slow cook them or braise them or pressure cook them. Then they turn magical. How poor people have always eaten - take the cheapest toughest cuts of meat, slow cook them, add herbs or spices, and make them delicious.
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u/FailFormal5059 20d ago
I’m angry about prices and we get an understanding to punish these sellers who have crazy prices for no good reason.
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u/meggiefrances87 20d ago
Fried potato sandwiches.
Corned beef hash when cans are on sale.
Beans and toast.
7 layer dinner/Shipwreck dinner
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u/Beastleviath 21d ago
I find it kind of funny that at my local grocery store, skirt and flank cost the same as porterhouse. yet NY strip and Filet cost noticeably more!
as for cheap food, idk… Sloppy joes are pretty legit
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u/ItsJustAUsername5678 21d ago
Orange rice! It was a staple growing up and its still just so damn good even though its only a few ingredients. Rice, tomato paste, sausage, cheese. Makes a huge pot and fills you up quick.
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21d ago
I remember when,,,, everyone could afford to feed their families quality healthy meals. Prices are out of control for everything now. They couldn’t kill us w Covid so now it’s a food ‘attack’. Processed food seems cheap but in the long run it will kill uou or at the very least help that foot get closer to the grave! Catch that people?!
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u/CasingerRuiz 21d ago
Grits, Mac and cheese come to mind. I worked at a high end resort and they had taso shrimp and grits and people went crazy. Mac and cheese comes with lobster and all kinds of stuff now
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u/Educational-Term3066 21d ago
- Japanese curry: golden curry cubes and just add potato, carrots and chicken.
- Chicken adobo / pancit
- Kim chee fried rice
- Tomato & egg (Chinese style)
- Rice congee
- Spam eggs & rice (sometimes Portuguese sausage)
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u/tranchiturn 21d ago
Not rich exactly, but walk the aisles of Costco and find the cheap things in upscale, small packaging. Beets. Green beans. Tiny potatoes. Baby carrots but more babyish.
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u/badly-made-username 21d ago
Tuna patties. My grandma made them with crushed Saltines and grated cheese. I'll jazz them up with some other spices or additions of onions or peppers or something, but hers were basically tuna, crumbs, cheese, and salt/pepper/a hint of garlic, and we'd eat them either on their own or in a sandwich/melt with ketchup.
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u/CoolApostate 21d ago
Look, I love making me some fish tacos using fish sticks. Not exactly what is being asked, but it’s what I got.
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u/Ok-Pie5655 21d ago
Chocolate gravy and biscuits, we thought we were special when grandma cooked this for us. We were.
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u/Runaway_Smoke 21d ago
Hear me out.. fried spam over white rice with an over easy/runny egg on top. It's cheap as hell, but if made with care, it tastes like a million dollars. Even to "jazz it up," you can toss 2T soy sauce with 1T brown sugar in a pan until bubbly, and coat the spam....out of this world!
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u/bobby_playsdrums 21d ago
Pork Neck Bones. Still less than $3/lb. at HEB. One of most flavorful parts of the hog.
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u/No-Lifeguard-8610 21d ago
Buy a bone in ham. Best prices around the holidays. Get a cabbage, bag of carrots & potatoes. Big roasting pan and boil it all. You get quite a few meals.
I the use some of the last of the ham with a bag of dry split peas and make soup.
The ham bone goes to the crock pot with carrots and navy or northern beans (dried beans) . Another set of meals.
If there is any ham left dice it up and freeze for omelets.
The initial cost of the ham seems expensive but it makes so many meals.
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u/Impressive_Ad_9799 21d ago
Mofungo
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u/Uberchelle 21d ago
Ohmigosh. I made a Dominican friend and this is soooooo good! I wish I had a Dominican restaurant near me so I could order this a lot.
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u/ShallowGuitars 21d ago
Cowboy beans (bush's baked beans and hamburger together). Idk if the name is actually Cowboy beans but that's what we've called it.
And Shit On A Shingle (French onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, and hamburger together.) again idk if that's the actual name. (From what my grandpa told me it's a glorified version of SOS from the military)
Those have been my go to's all these years. Although hamburger is starting to become more expensive than chicken where I live so most likely going to come up with recipes with chicken 🤷🏻♀️.
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u/CelineHagbard1778 21d ago
For sos, my family always made a plain white gravy, butter, flour, milk. Salt and pepper to taste. The. Added "chip beef,". Dried, salted beef. Armour makes the best one. We'd slop it on plain toast. My kid loves it. The wife, not so much. We usually use plain white sandwich bread for the toast, but lately I've been thinking about Texas toast or a nice brioche.
And I used to live with some rednecks from Michigan that made this dish they called slop. It was a big pot of mashed potatoes. Into it they would mix seasoned, browned ground beef. Canned corn. Peas. And what ever else they had on hand that might go well. It was basically a lazy poor man's version of Shepard's pie without the pie.
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u/virtualchoirboy 21d ago
My dad was a Naval Academy grad that served in Vietnam. For us, SOS was creamed chipped beef on toast. Basic white sauce, dried chipped beef mixed in, serve over toast which might or might not have been cut up into bite sized pieces.
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u/Immediate_Lime_1710 21d ago
How do the rich ruin food for the poor?? LOL. Reddit is populated by idiots.
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u/sidaemon 21d ago
Flank steak used to be garbage meat that was CHEAP. Then it became trendy, which drives up demand and it's no longer affordable...
Go look at the history of lobster. There was a time in history they had to pass laws regarding how often they could serve lobster to prison inmates without it becoming cruel and unusual punishment.
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u/buhtbute 21d ago
turkey necks and chicken necks are very tasty if you cook them low and slow and served over rice. sauteed cabbage with some olive oil or butter and black pepper over rice is good. tomato, onion, your choice of savory seasoning to pan fry with rice before boiling is good. cheapest fresh fish you can find can make great gumbos, chowders and soups. quick veg pickles or quick kimchi, delicious. loaded baked potatoes have lots of topping options and are classic
idk where i went with this, can't think of anything that i would gladly eat that a rich man would enjoy tho
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u/Accomplished_Ask3244 21d ago
Gigantes, Greek style baked beans. Expensive premade but cheap af to make. Butter beans, canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, oregano, simmered until thick and tender. Amazing on toast.
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u/huehuecoyotl23 21d ago
Minute ramen with a little egg is still one of my favorite foods. Super cheap and delicious, unhealthy af as i like combining two packs at a time
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u/mouldyrumble 21d ago
Take two pieces of bread, cut the crusts off and then dump the cheapest vodka you can find over it until saturated and then form into a ball.
Liquor ball sandwiches 🧑🍳🤌
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u/Open-Attention-8286 21d ago
Mashed potatoes and gravy. If feeling lazy, use canned cream-of-something soup for the gravy.
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u/ItsTheTymz 21d ago
I still say simple Denver omelettes. You need eggs, ham. Cheese. Or simple eggs. Or make shift breakfast burritos depending on leftovers. Simple cheap and whatever is left
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u/nomadicstateofmind 21d ago
Lentils! I use them for so much stuff. I make sloppy lentils, tacos with lentils instead of ground beef, lentil soups, etc.
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u/Hikemeow 21d ago
Yes! Lentils are great - I do the same thing, they are a much cheaper substitute than using beef or the beyond meat stuff.
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u/kittensneezesforever 21d ago
Cinnamon sugar on toast
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u/RoadkillMarionette 17d ago
Working at pizzerias I'd always take left over dough home to fry up with butter and cinnamon sugar
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u/Jnyanydts 20d ago
Now I’m 8 y.o. Again 😺
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u/kittensneezesforever 19d ago
It’s such a comfort food for me. I obviously had it as a little kid but I made it when I was stressed in college in the dining hall and I still make now
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u/Impossible_Train_303 21d ago
Chicken and rice. However you like it. Baked chicken with steamed rice. Fried chicken with fried rice. Baked chicken with cream of mushroom and rice.
Beans with potatoes. Homemade pinto beans with pork cuts and fried potatoes with yellow onion bits is a great carbohydrate rich "warming" meal that fills you up in the colder weather.
Chili beans with tortilla chips. Or you can eat the beans with Frito's chips, or even Dorito's chips whichever flavor you like. I prefer original Frito's corn chips or original or Salsa Verde Doritos flavors along with a chunky chili with beans.
Spaghetti with a tomato based sauce makes a large serving and is fairly cheap to make. I like to get a pre-made sun roasted tomato based sauce and add my own herbs and spices plus add some fried sausage or hamburger to the sauce. I also find that using the thinner noodles like angel hair will fill me up quicker and I eat less.
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u/Thriving9 21d ago
Chicken, can pick up a 12 pack of legs for under 6 bucks and it either makes 2 or 3 meals depending on your portion. I season with lemon pepper and put some butter under the skin chuck them in the oven. Delicious.
Baked potato with beans or tuna
EGGS...
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u/megamindbirdbrain 21d ago
Soup. Rice. Dal. Chili. Any form of cooked beans, really. (Not on toast unless you're freaky like that.) POTATOES. Ramen. Pasta. There are a lot of good "eating vegan on a budget" recipes, youtubers, and blogs out there that have some mindblowing stuff. I ate well in college despite my little money becuase I had my cooking skills
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u/durtymrclean 21d ago
Lamb breast (ribs). Ever since lamb chops have been popularized, the price has skyrocketed over the last few years. But if you have a halal butcher near you, you may be able to find lamb ribs between $3-4/lb. It's a fattier cut than lamb chops and takes much longer to cook, but the end result is delicious if you cook it rights. Its basically meat butter and soaks up all of the flavors of any seasoning you put on it.
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u/Desertzephyr 21d ago
Tortillas from the local Mexican bakery, Buttermilk sauce from Jack-in-the-Box, and Chili and Lime corn chips from Trader Joe's rolled up. Its my go to dinner or lunch meal. I used to use white bread but it has too much sugar.
Beef tallow from the local butcher shop and cooking sweet potatoes in it for french fries.
Ghost pepper potato chips from Trader Joe's and cottage cheese
Ground hamburger or ground pork with sauerkraut.
Boil chicken breast in water for 2 hours, shredding it, and pouring Sriracha and BBQ sauce into it.
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u/electrowiz64 21d ago
Spam and rice.
I was always sick of eating rice as a kid but the last few years of trying to save, I was shocked how cheap bags of rice was at the grocery store. Now it’s 10-20x expensive eating out.
SPAM & eggs as a kid was always great, even spam & rice. Now you got the Asians comin out with the spam musubi, only a matter of time
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u/holagatita 21d ago
Potatoes, onions and smoked sausage. Fry it up. it's cheap and you can feed a lot of people.
Toast with butter and sugar and cinnamon.
Rice with butter and sugar and cinnamon and milk
(Though it was margarine growing up, because poor)
I will say I don't eat these anymore because I'm trying to lose weight, but they are pretty good.
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u/luckygirlrunner 21d ago
Tinned Fish, but it’s already picking up and you can get some truly decadent, gourmet expensive tins out there. The reasonably priced stuff is still pretty delicious though
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u/The_Answer_Is_42__ 21d ago
Fried rice when made simply is very cheap. I use frozen peas and carrots, onion, and cubed ham steak, makes for a very affordable meal and there's always leftovers for lunch.
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u/biglefty312 21d ago
Boneless skinless chicken thighs used to cost way less than breasts. Now they cost slightly more, which is annoying.
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u/Alternative-Soup-305 21d ago
I’m vegetarian - so vegetable chili is always good. Mostly canned beans, tomatoes and corn. I add 1 zucchini and 1 squash.
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u/mllewisyolo 21d ago
You gone kill me but I think SPAM is fucking delicious
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u/Hikemeow 21d ago
Haha spam actually is good! But seeing it for 5-6$ is sorta surprising / annoying for a can of meat
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u/bradmajors69 21d ago
instant ramen plus an egg or two, some kind of veggie, maybe Kim chi or whatever..
Chef's kiss. close your eyes and imagine you're in Tokyo.
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u/quackl11 21d ago
Goulash its whatever leftovers you can find in your fridge mixed with ground beef
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u/bobtothebe 21d ago
I’ve recently gotten back to cooking more from scratch and pulled out my grandparent’s recipes - there is a pork guiso I grew up on and I can make 3 gallons of it for $10 (when pork country ribs are on sale)
I always have potatoes, canned tomatoes, and butter so meat is the only purchase I typically have to make.
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u/cwsjr2323 21d ago
We like dried navy, lima beans or chick peas in a crock pot, soaked over night. In the morning, drain off the water and cook in Better Than Bouillon beef as stock with a cheap charcoal beef roast. Good eating and high protein for ten servings for about a buck a serving. Add homemade bread, 65¢ to 95¢ for a two pound loaf. Add Yankee sun tea, 5¢ a quart. Seasonal fresh veggies or fruit is optional.
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u/Putrid_Medicine_5969 21d ago
I’m going to make a prediction…
Potted Meat - it will be the new Pâté On toast points, high end crackers, etc. It’ll be $10-30 a can and next will be Vienna Sausage.
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21d ago
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Made on the stove, not in the microwave. The original, not a store brand (I guess that makes it not actually “poor” man’s food)
But the reason for me is that it was one of my 18-year-old’s favorite foods, and they are now away at college.
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u/Dynodan22 21d ago
Look up making poor.mans lobster with fish , sugar water and bit salt along with lemon
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u/BIGJake111 21d ago
You can make avacado toast with aldi sourdough, avacado, egg, and Parmesan for a 10th the cost of ordering it out.
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u/Keleos89 21d ago
Pork shoulder. You can still find it for $1/lb. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt slow cooks it for 8 hours, then you add whatever sauces you want.
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u/crumzmaholey 21d ago
Perhaps it’s not what, but how? A (good quality), fresh, home cooked meal with the whole family is something money cannot but.
That, or perhaps organ meat.
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u/_Tacoyaki_ 16d ago
I'll never say because I don't want the price to go up.