For most people, the natural course of life is to go from childhood (where you might have had enough or you might not have had enough) to young adulthood (where you’re poor and figuring out how to be a grown up all on your own) to adulthood (where hopefully things are fairly stable and good).

The result is that a majority of people know how to live off a few dollars here and there, and there’s a secret – sometimes we don’t mind, because you’re allowed to eat crappy but delicious food.

Even though these folks are doing fine and can afford good-for-you food now, they still sneak these “poor person” throwbacks (whether from childhood or beyond) whenever they can.

Eggs are so great.

We used to eat squash and eggs growing up. Grew the squash and eggs are cheap enough, or trade with the neighbors.

You just cut the squash into thin round and cook in a pan with a little oil until they’re just soft.

Scramble the eggs with the squash, add a bunch of pepper, some salt. Sometimes we ate it over noodles or rice.

Nothing tastes better.

Grew up poor, but my mom sure knew how to stretch a dollar. She would make steak fingers out of the cheapest cuts she could find.

Tenderize, fry them up make gravy out of the drippings and serve with mashed potatoes. The whole meal probably cost less than 5 bucks in 70s dollars, and I’m telling you nothing tasted better.

I made it for my kids when they were growing up and they still ask me for it sometimes. She would be 94 today.

Love you miss you mom.

A crowd pleaser.

Egg drop soup:

1 quart chicken stock

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp corn starch

1 inch grated ginger

whisk in 2 eggs

green onions sprinkled

It always satisfies.

Bowl of cereal.

The Irish know.

Oven-baked potatoes with salt and margarine. Cheap ingredients found in almost every home and easy to make.

Also, the starch in potatoes makes you feel full for pretty long.

Sounds delicious.

I’m Mexican.

For us, it’s usually quesadillas without meat, rice and black beans as the sides.

Easy on the insides.

Soup boiled down with rice to bulk it up.

When I’m sick I boil rice in chicken stock and just eat it that way, no soy sauce or anything else so its easy on my stomach. Its a really comforting thing to eat.

If you love it…

“S**t on a shingle?” Sausage gravy served over toast.

My mom made the gravy from scratch, just flour, butter, milk, and pepper, and used sliced corned beef instead. Mmmmmmm!!

An American classic.

Peanut butter sandwich.

Potatoes are always a win.

Boiled potatoes and butter don’t care if I am rich or poor that is my go to snack

Aww man this hits hard. Was living alone in London didn’t have much money at all.

I’d hit up aldi get a full chicken for 1.75, a broccoli for 55p, and some potatoes for 55p. I’d make a full roast like a king and still have potatoes to boil and have with butter after.

Don’t listen to society.

I had a PB&J recently and felt like a fucking fool! Why did I stop eating these when I became an adult? Society lead me to believe this was the way. It is not!

Been having PB&J a couple nights a week since. I refuse to let societies unenlightened views dictate my dinner choices! PB&J is a top tier dish for any occasion.

Just have fun.

“Ghetto Mac” it’s where make some pasta and add in whatever you can find in the fridge or cabinets. Cheese, lunch meat, spam, spices, etc.

No two meals were ever the same.

Delicious AND frugal.

Steamed white rice, crack a raw egg in it while it’s scorching hot, stir aggressively and dash with soy sauce. if I have some, some roasted seaweed in that shiz. Super cheap breakfast but oh man is it filling/delicious.

Sesame oil, Ume (pickled plum), furikake (rice seasoning), spam, and cabbage are all on my list of ingredients to mix and match!

To answer this as it’s getting asked quite a bit, I’m not asian, I’m white. I do very much enjoy cooking, especially southeast asian dishes! If you have recipes you’d like to share for a frugal home cook who enjoys SE Asian cooking please do so!

Lentil love.

Dal.

Aside from turmeric you can buy all the ingredients for less than $2 a pound.

Dal is magic. Lentils in general deserve more love. They are SO GOOD FOR YOU, and are delicious. They make a great meat substitute if you’re broke or just want to go meatless.

 

Some of these sound absolutely delicious.

And no, I’m not giving up my cut-up hotdogs and Kraft mac&cheese anytime soon.