[Spontaneo]

Is your grocery money kind of low? Let me tell you a little bit about my past.

When I was in school, I was very poor. All I could afford were boxes of pasta, basically $1.00 a box. I did know how to boil water (LOL). So, on Sundays, I would cook a pound and live on the pasta all week.

Then, there are potatoes! About $2.00 to $3.00 a bag. I had a roommate once who would fry potato wedges. The whole house would smell so good! I asked her to teach me how to prepare the fried potato wedges. They were delicious! A bag of potatoes would last me a week.

I am still poor. I still consume pasta and potatoes. For example, for lunch today, I had potato wedges from the air fryer. For dinner, I had potato tuna salad!

Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. Pasta and potatoes are good food. One can prepare them in different ways so as not to get bored, such as my potato tuna salad example. As for pasta, buy different sauces. Buy different shapes! Look for sales!

I know that you are saying that we need a balanced diet. Yes, but when you are poor you are poor. Exercise.

How do you feel about pasta and potatoes? What have you done when grocery money was low?

[bismillahdehoke]

Wow, this is a way for me to save money back when i am still poor, potatoes. But I don't buy potatoes at the supermarket, I buy it at traditional markets because it's cheaper. About pasta, I usually replace it with noodles, but noodles that I make myself because I only need flour and eggs, which if calculated will reduce spending better when we are poor

[oldbuddy]

My father was killed in an auto racing accident when I was 3 years old and my mom was left with three kids, no insurance and never had a job in her life. When I was about 12 she married a Chicago Italian and gues what we ate for dinner a lot? Pasta with sauce, garlic bread and "Salata" (lettuce with oil and vinegar). Fortunately, we did not get along, so I left home to live with Grandma and Grandpa at 15 years old.

[Spontaneo]

My father was killed in an auto racing accident when I was 3 years old and my mom was left with three kids, no insurance and never had a job in her life. When I was about 12 she married a Chicago Italian and gues what we ate for dinner a lot? Pasta with sauce, garlic bread and "Salata" (lettuce with oil and vinegar). Fortunately, we did not get along, so I left home to live with Grandma and Grandpa at 15 years old.

I am so sorry.

My mother has always prepared pasta homemade, but she never taught me. So, after growing up, I had to rely on boxes.

Yes, I have had my share of lettuce with vinegar and oil. After dinner, my mother would place the leftovers in the fridge. Later on in the day, I would raid the lettuce in the fridge! She always had the right amount of this and that... lettuce, salt, pepper, oil and either rice vinegar or red wine vinegar with a sprinkling of sugar.

[augusta]

This is to show that life is for the living, you just need to use whatever you find available to make the best for yourself with the little money you have and you can even save in the process.

[Spontaneo]

This is to show that life is for the living, you just need to use whatever you find available to make the best for yourself with the little money you have and you can even save in the process.

I know what you mean. I only set aside $50.00 per week to spend. $10.00 of the money goes to my roommate for gas for car!

I buy almost everything on sale. My roommate got mad at me because I wanted bottled water from a store where the bottled water was on sale $3.75 a crate instead of another store where the water bottles are almost $5.00 each crate!

Little things do accumulate for the good.

[averygirl72]

Pasta and potatoes dishes are always delicious for me. We seldom eat pasta because we eat more of rice. I don't think pasta and potatoes are cheaper here for regular meal. We eat pasta on special occasion. Potato salad with mayo is my favorite and mashed potatoes

[Spontaneo]

Pasta and potatoes dishes are always delicious for me. We seldom eat pasta because we eat more of rice. I don't think pasta and potatoes are cheaper here for regular meal. We eat pasta on special occasion. Potato salad with mayo is my favorite and mashed potatoes

Yes! Potatp salad!

I think that I am odd the way that I prepare potato salad. I leave the skin on. I used to havs a Richard Simmons cookbook where he shared his Mother's potato salad recipe. His Mother also left the skin on. But I cannot find the cookbook on my bookshelf!

Thanks for the potato salad tip!

[averygirl72]

We usually leave the skin if it is a baby potatoes but for bigger potatoes we peel the skin

[Spontaneo]

For lunch today, I prepared tuna macaroni salad and going to have the leftovers for dinner!

I am still keeping up my frugality!

[Starry]

I love potatoes. I eat them a lot and they are not expensive. I just have pasta once in while. I eat rice every day.

[Spontaneo]

It has been a while since I have prepared macaroni salad! I saw a jar of Miracle Whip in the fridge and a can of carrots in the pantry. Yes!

I ate a bowl full (2 cups)! Totally delicious!

My next adventures are going to be pasta salad (for Thanksgiving) and taco salad when I am able. I know... taco salad is not a pasta or potato. But I just had to tell you! LOL

[Jem Smith]

I know that you are saying that we need a balanced diet. Yes, but when you are poor you are poor. Exercise.

It's not just about weight gain though, you need a balanced diet to get the nutrients you need (vitamins, protein, fiber, etc). True, when you are poor you are poor.
A couple of suggestions for cheap food to change this up: Lentils. You can buy them dried, or in tins. Dried is cheaper. They are very cheap and go a long way. They have a lot of protein and you can make a lot of different things with them- add them to soup, use them as a meat substitute in stews or things like pasta sauce or pie filling.

Baked potatoes with toppings like baked beans, cheese, or if you're feeling adventures, with salad, salsa, or hummus. You could use leftover pasta sauce.

Veggie fritters - cheap to make. You can put any kind of veg in them, chopped leftover potatoes works, some onion is good too. Peas have a little protein, and egg adds more.

[Tendz]

Good to hear your experiences with pasta and potatoes. They truly are versatile, affordable staples that can be turned into a variety of meals.

[Spontaneo]

I know that you are saying that we need a balanced diet. Yes, but when you are poor you are poor. Exercise.

It's not just about weight gain though, you need a balanced diet to get the nutrients you need (vitamins, protein, fiber, etc). True, when you are poor you are poor.
A couple of suggestions for cheap food to change this up: Lentils. You can buy them dried, or in tins. Dried is cheaper. They are very cheap and go a long way. They have a lot of protein and you can make a lot of different things with them- add them to soup, use them as a meat substitute in stews or things like pasta sauce or pie filling.

Baked potatoes with toppings like baked beans, cheese, or if you're feeling adventures, with salad, salsa, or hummus. You could use leftover pasta sauce.

Veggie fritters - cheap to make. You can put any kind of veg in them, chopped leftover potatoes works, some onion is good too. Peas have a little protein, and egg adds more.

Thank you for the input but I am just not a lentils person. Baked potatoes with black beans and cheese seem really good. I know that we need a balanced diet for needed nutrients. I always do pantry challenges to find out what I can come up with.

[augusta]

This is why we just have to be versatile with the different things we have. You would do better this way as you save money using one item for different things

[Spontaneo]

I love potatoes. I eat them a lot and they are not expensive. I just have pasta once in while. I eat rice every day.

Would you explain any of your rice recipes? I have 2 bags and a box of rice. I know that I can google but would really like to know from you.

I have prepared shrimp stir fry, egg stir fry and vegetable stir fry in the past. I have also prepared "everything but the kitchen sink" before when you stir fry rice with any leftovers in your fridge.

[augusta]

if I want to feel full for the whole day I go for potatoes porridge with a lot of vegetables in it. This is cheap to prepare and very filling

[eldavis]

I usually eat pasta and potatoes once in awhile. The cost of pasta and potatoes has gone up, so we can't really buy it all the time.

[Spontaneo]

I usually eat pasta and potatoes once in awhile. The cost of pasta and potatoes has gone up, so we can't really buy it all the time.

What is a staple in your kitchen?