Hit 80 meals under $2 each and it finally clicked

I started keeping a little notebook back in October, just scribbling down what I made and what it cost per serving. Last night I counted and it was 80 meals at or under two bucks a plate. That number surprised me because I never set out to hit some goal, I was just tired of the $12 takeout habit eating my whole paycheck. The trick that got me there was buying one big thing like a pork shoulder or a bag of potatoes and stretching it into three or four different dishes across the week. Like last week I turned a $5 chicken into soup, tacos, and a casserole, which sounds obvious now but I never planned like that before. Anyway, now I'm wondering if anyone else tracks their per plate cost and what number made you realize you were actually doing it right. Also, what's the cheapest meal you've made that you'd actually serve to guests without apologizing?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlies3719d ago

Tracking per plate cost changed how I shop too. Once I saw the math on a $2 pork loin feeding us for three nights, I stopped grabbing random stuff and started planning around one big cut or a bulk bag of rice and beans. Cheapest thing I'd serve without apologizing is a sweet potato and black bean chili, costs like a dollar a bowl and people always ask for the recipe. The real kicker is when you realize you're not eating sad budget food, you're eating better than the $12 takeout because you actually control the salt and grease. The notebook thing sounds dorky but it trains your brain to see a chicken as three meals instead of one. Keep at it, the habit sticks once you see the bank account stop bleeding.

colescott19d ago

I did the same thing with a cheap pork shoulder last winter. Turned it into pulled pork for sandwiches, then fried rice, then a pot of beans with the leftover bone. That one cut covered like five dinners for maybe fifteen bucks total. The trick that stuck with me is writing the per plate cost on the meal calendar, so future me sees that $1.75 and skips the urge to order pizza.