please sir, I want some more?!.....what is your go to meal(s) when you need to save money.....

[rz]

It's been a long time since I skimped on food to save money, but back then it was ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches (never liked jelly with peanut butter).

[TLB]

Quinoa and cat food--at least that is what my coworkers call it.
Freshly made quinoa in my rice cooker with either a can of tuna or a can of sardines mixed in.

[3d]

Are you in/near Long Island, NY?
Captree State Park lets you go crabbing for free. Big sign on the pier says 50 crabs a day per person. Throw back females and small ones.

[NewtonMP2100]

....no one wants to catch.....a case of the crabs....

[cbelt3]

Just had the family staple last night - my late mother in law's invention.
Various vegetables, thin sliced and braised in olive oil.
Chicken broth
Various spices
simmer for a couple of hours

Rice, mixed with two egg yolks and a couple of tablespoons of sour cream.
Add to the soup.
Serve.

In extremis my wife knows my mother in law's concentration camp recipe for what is essentially flour soup. "EinbrennSuppe". Soups are particularly prized because the water is boiled for a long time, and bacteria and parasites are killed.

https://www.kitchenproject.com/german/re.../index.htm

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Eating out can easily cost you a million dollars over your lifetime. Ramen used to be a staple for starving college students.

You can get bulk staples like rice, cornmeal, or flour for under 50 cents per lb., but there can be a little bit of a challenge to make it enticing. What you decide to add for protein depends on the local market. Eggs are a dollar for two dozen in the Midwest.

[Buzz]

Leftovers. We pretty much always make too much of whatever it is, so I nuke leftovers on a regular basis. When there are no leftovers, frozen burritos, or quickly thrown together quesadillas or nachos, the latter two usually based on leftovers not big enough to serve as a meal on their own. Chips and tortillas are always bought on sale and/or w/ coupons. Don't forget free weekly Taco Bell taco via T-Mo's free stuff Tuesday app. And always use senior discount whenever possible. Reality is actually not to save money per se, but mostly not to needlessly spend, or waste it; but I guess the result is pretty close.
==

[Rick-o]

Back in the late 80's I was laid off from GM for nearly 3 years. Bennies ran out after a few months leaving me to survive in the Flint, MI area that had 20% unemployment rate at that time. Money was tight!

One of my favorite "cheap" meals were homemade burritos. Made the tortillas from scratch, soaked some pinto beans overnight, a little beef if I could afford it, some onions, chopped lettuce. and tomatoes made for a meal that was quite filling and tasted great. Work intensive though, but I had plenty of time to waste.

Also remember a lot of rice and noodle dinners. Thankfully, those days are behind me, I hope!! miley-shocked003:

[SteveG]

Mrs. Abramowitz on the second floor. Then we watch Jeopardy together.

[jdc]

In-N-Out.