TLS c/o 2020 - In #Squad We Trust Forum

[Dr.Degrees_Cr.Cash]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

[Mr_Chukes]

I worked at Subway during high school and never want to eat there again........
I can't even step foot in one. During a road trip I took with my dad, we drove through the middle of nowhere for several hours. My options were McD's and Subway. I'd rather starve.

My girl is always trying to get me to get subway and I always gotta turn her down lol. I feel you MCD's is nasty to. Only thing is I mess with their breakfast.

[Mr_Chukes]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I spent very little last month because I was eating a lot of costco frozen food and things lol.

[waldorf]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

[Stylnator]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

[waldorf]

I made a sample budget with two different rent ranges (I'm trying to convince myself to spend less on rent and just live in a shitty apartment so that I can have more fun/spend more on other things) if anyone is interested. I broke it into yearly and monthly totals, too, because I pay some bills yearly (such as car insurance) because I get a discount and it keeps one bill off the table each month. It isn't super detailed, though, although it's very close to my budget now so I'd be happy to share how I do it.

[Dr.Degrees_Cr.Cash]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I spent very little last month because I was eating a lot of costco frozen food and things lol.

Ok so technically I kinda count as a family of two because I think I bought every one of my cohabitant masters student girlfriend's meals. That makes me feel a little better about my spending

[Dr.Degrees_Cr.Cash]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

Yeah, I'm good about pinching when I need to, I just got out with no debt and made good money and said "fuq it". I'll probably get back into meal prep/generally eating at home more once I'm school again.

Would've been nice to save a bit more money but I did ok and I think I made the right decision to live it up with my gap year

[waldorf]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

Things I've made lately:
-Large amounts of pasta with different sauces each week. Noodles are cheap and different sauces/mix ins keep it from getting too boring.
-Chili. Super filling if you include a lot of meat so it lasts awhile.
-Rice and beans.
-Sandwiches.
-Salads with shrimp or chicken.
-Chipotle burrito bowls (homemade).

This week I made chili and homemade burrito bowls with brown rice, black beans, frozen corn, fajita veggies, and ground beef. Yogurt or smoothie for breakfast. Piece of fruit for a snack.
Last week I made a huge bowl of salad with shrimp on top and rice and beans.
These are just examples. I do a lot of protein to keep myself from getting hungry.

[Stylnator]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

Yeah, I'm good about pinching when I need to, I just got out with no debt and made good money and said "fuq it". I'll probably get back into meal prep/generally eating at home more once I'm school again.

Would've been nice to save a bit more money but I did ok and I think I made the right decision to live it up with my gap year

Exact same boat as you. It was weird graduating college going from super frugal to a job where I don't worry about $ as often as I did. But now going back to law school makes me feel like I'll always be at extreme ends of managing my money..

[shotgunheist]

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[shotgunheist]

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[shotgunheist]

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[shotgunheist]

Such a weird cycle for me... with my low average (for this forum) stats of low 160s and 3.7-ish I have no clue where I'm going to get in, dinged, be waitlisted. Reaches or safeties. Humorous, almost.

[azaleafire]

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

1) Crock pots. AKA the gift to lazy chefs. Pulled pork, chicken for tacos, soups, stews... they make cooking in bulk so easy. Just throw it in and leave, or cook it over night.

2) Sunday. Over the summer, I basically spent Sunday for about an hour at the grocery store with a list that I made based on recipes that were centered around on sale items as much as was humanly possible. Then I cooked meal A for lunch, meal B for dinner, then alternated eating those throughout the week. That took me maybe 2 hours total, or a little more if something really required boiling or simmering. Along with some larger meals for friends and my insistence on name brands and bacon, I spent about 60 bucks a week on groceries.

Cons: that's three hours of your Sunday. Pros: That's 2.5 hours less cooking during the week, and 10-15 bucks saved on lunch everyday. 50 bucks and a chance to rest after work was worth it for me.

3) Freezing. A lot of stuff can freeze and unfreeze well, from breakfast burritos to soups. So when you get bored you can just unfreeze something and heat it up which is nice. So rather than just eating Meal A and Meal B from Sunday, you can throw in soup C, or meal D from a previous week

4) Websites. I like Budget Bytes, but there are so many websites dedicated to meal prep. Also r/eatcheapandhealthy. I made tandoori chicken, lentils, naan, pulled pork, enchiladas, lots of different types of pasta dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joe, tons of one pot rice based dishes, chicken thighs with sundried tomato cream sauce... the possibilities are really endless.

[airwrecka]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Mint says I spent 500$ at restaurants last month. I'm so shit at money

Pretty sure buying every lunch isn't helping

I cut my food budget in half when I started meal prepping for work instead of buying lunch. 10/10 recommend.

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

In addition to pasta, rice/beans, burrito bowls, and chili, it's super easy to make huge batches of things like: chicken breasts, pork chops, or fish. Just buy a bunch, lay it on a pan with some oil and seasoning, and bake. Or use a crockpot (literally the best tool for meal-prepping/easy cooking/saving money). You can do the same thing with veggies--roast 'em in a pan. Or buy frozen veggies that you just microwave. Also, it's sooo easy to make a huge quantity of rice or quinoa and just add it to a meal everyday.

Not sure if anyone here is a Pinterest person, but it is actually super helpful for meal prep ideas and just general cheap/fast/easy meal ideas (even if you just cook one at a time). Highly recommend you try it out!

[airwrecka]

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

1) Crock pots. AKA the gift to lazy chefs. Pulled pork, chicken for tacos, soups, stews... they make cooking in bulk so easy. Just throw it in and leave, or cook it over night.

2) Sunday. Over the summer, I basically spent Sunday for about an hour at the grocery store with a list that I made based on recipes that were centered around on sale items as much as was humanly possible. Then I cooked meal A for lunch, meal B for dinner, then alternated eating those throughout the week. That took me maybe 2 hours total, or a little more if something really required boiling or simmering. Along with some larger meals for friends and my insistence on name brands and bacon, I spent about 60 bucks a week on groceries.

Cons: that's three hours of your Sunday. Pros: That's 2.5 hours less cooking during the week, and 10-15 bucks saved on lunch everyday. 50 bucks and a chance to rest after work was worth it for me.

3) Freezing. A lot of stuff can freeze and unfreeze well, from breakfast burritos to soups. So when you get bored you can just unfreeze something and heat it up which is nice. So rather than just eating Meal A and Meal B from Sunday, you can throw in soup C, or meal D from a previous week

4) Websites. I like Budget Bytes, but there are so many websites dedicated to meal prep. Also r/eatcheapandhealthy. I made tandoori chicken, lentils, naan, pulled pork, enchiladas, lots of different types of pasta dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joe, tons of one pot rice based dishes, chicken thighs with sundried tomato cream sauce... the possibilities are really endless.

+1 to all of this

[forum_user]

What's easy to make? When do you have the time?

You scored in the top 15th percentile on the LSAT, you're obviously bright enough to follow recipe! Literally just watch those buzzfeed recipe videos, pick one that looks good, and go for it. Or even google what you're in the mood for + "easy recipe."

Stir fry, any combination of meat+veggie+starch (i.e. roast chicken w/ steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes), pasta w/ variations on sauces/add-ins, soups/stews where you just throw a bunch of stuff into chicken stock and let it simmer for a few hours -- these are all super simple. You get the hang of it after trying a few different things.

[Stylnator]

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

1) Crock pots. AKA the gift to lazy chefs. Pulled pork, chicken for tacos, soups, stews... they make cooking in bulk so easy. Just throw it in and leave, or cook it over night.

2) Sunday. Over the summer, I basically spent Sunday for about an hour at the grocery store with a list that I made based on recipes that were centered around on sale items as much as was humanly possible. Then I cooked meal A for lunch, meal B for dinner, then alternated eating those throughout the week. That took me maybe 2 hours total, or a little more if something really required boiling or simmering. Along with some larger meals for friends and my insistence on name brands and bacon, I spent about 60 bucks a week on groceries.

Cons: that's three hours of your Sunday. Pros: That's 2.5 hours less cooking during the week, and 10-15 bucks saved on lunch everyday. 50 bucks and a chance to rest after work was worth it for me.

3) Freezing. A lot of stuff can freeze and unfreeze well, from breakfast burritos to soups. So when you get bored you can just unfreeze something and heat it up which is nice. So rather than just eating Meal A and Meal B from Sunday, you can throw in soup C, or meal D from a previous week

4) Websites. I like Budget Bytes, but there are so many websites dedicated to meal prep. Also r/eatcheapandhealthy. I made tandoori chicken, lentils, naan, pulled pork, enchiladas, lots of different types of pasta dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joe, tons of one pot rice based dishes, chicken thighs with sundried tomato cream sauce... the possibilities are really endless.

I got a slow cooker as a present when I moved to my apartment but I haven't touched it. Maybe it's time to bring it out! Thanks for the websites I'll check them out.

[Stylnator]

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

1) Crock pots. AKA the gift to lazy chefs. Pulled pork, chicken for tacos, soups, stews... they make cooking in bulk so easy. Just throw it in and leave, or cook it over night.

2) Sunday. Over the summer, I basically spent Sunday for about an hour at the grocery store with a list that I made based on recipes that were centered around on sale items as much as was humanly possible. Then I cooked meal A for lunch, meal B for dinner, then alternated eating those throughout the week. That took me maybe 2 hours total, or a little more if something really required boiling or simmering. Along with some larger meals for friends and my insistence on name brands and bacon, I spent about 60 bucks a week on groceries.

Cons: that's three hours of your Sunday. Pros: That's 2.5 hours less cooking during the week, and 10-15 bucks saved on lunch everyday. 50 bucks and a chance to rest after work was worth it for me.

3) Freezing. A lot of stuff can freeze and unfreeze well, from breakfast burritos to soups. So when you get bored you can just unfreeze something and heat it up which is nice. So rather than just eating Meal A and Meal B from Sunday, you can throw in soup C, or meal D from a previous week

4) Websites. I like Budget Bytes, but there are so many websites dedicated to meal prep. Also r/eatcheapandhealthy. I made tandoori chicken, lentils, naan, pulled pork, enchiladas, lots of different types of pasta dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joe, tons of one pot rice based dishes, chicken thighs with sundried tomato cream sauce... the possibilities are really endless.

I got a slow cooker as a present when I moved to my apartment but I haven't touched it. Maybe it's time to bring it out! Thanks for the websites I'll check them out.

[alpha kenny body]

r/mealprepsunday

[airwrecka]

I just booked my trip to visit a ton of law schools in a short amount of time. I might be crazy Going to Columbia, NYU, Harvard, Penn, and Michigan all in little more than a week But it's the cheapest and most efficient way!

[alpha kenny body]

r/gifrecipes

[JC2017]

I mean obviously this works it's just getting around to do the meal prep that''s hard. What's easy to make? When do you have the time? Learning to shop smart is also helpful I'm sure. However, every week I throw out the coupons because it's just too overwhelming to sit down and look through.

1) Crock pots. AKA the gift to lazy chefs. Pulled pork, chicken for tacos, soups, stews... they make cooking in bulk so easy. Just throw it in and leave, or cook it over night.

2) Sunday. Over the summer, I basically spent Sunday for about an hour at the grocery store with a list that I made based on recipes that were centered around on sale items as much as was humanly possible. Then I cooked meal A for lunch, meal B for dinner, then alternated eating those throughout the week. That took me maybe 2 hours total, or a little more if something really required boiling or simmering. Along with some larger meals for friends and my insistence on name brands and bacon, I spent about 60 bucks a week on groceries.

Cons: that's three hours of your Sunday. Pros: That's 2.5 hours less cooking during the week, and 10-15 bucks saved on lunch everyday. 50 bucks and a chance to rest after work was worth it for me.

3) Freezing. A lot of stuff can freeze and unfreeze well, from breakfast burritos to soups. So when you get bored you can just unfreeze something and heat it up which is nice. So rather than just eating Meal A and Meal B from Sunday, you can throw in soup C, or meal D from a previous week

4) Websites. I like Budget Bytes, but there are so many websites dedicated to meal prep. Also r/eatcheapandhealthy. I made tandoori chicken, lentils, naan, pulled pork, enchiladas, lots of different types of pasta dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joe, tons of one pot rice based dishes, chicken thighs with sundried tomato cream sauce... the possibilities are really endless.

I got a slow cooker as a present when I moved to my apartment but I haven't touched it. Maybe it's time to bring it out! Thanks for the websites I'll check them out.

All great suggestions. I think this has turned into a very useful conversion. One more thing I can suggest: start dating an Italian. Pretty sure a love of cooking is in our DNA

[MrJD2020]

According to government estimates, a 19-50 year old male should be spending the following monthly amounts for food:
thrifty $184, low cost $237, moderate $297, liberal $365

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default ... an2017.pdf

Well, I am a liberal...