Well folks, the time has come. I'm moving out of my aunt and uncles house and into a crappy little duplex that I can't afford. (I haven't had to pay rent to family!)

My fiancee wants to live with me. What my Honey wants, she gets.

I've run the numbers and the only place that I can save money is on food. I'm budgeting for rent, smokes, beer, and Cruiser parts. These are entitlements and cannot be cut.

What cheap food do you guys eat? It's been a while since I've eaten Bachelor Chow. I may need to kick it up a notch to appease my Honey when it's dinner time.


My recipe for Bachelor Chow:

Take any two of the following;

Top Ramen, chili, tuna, mac&cheese, spaghetti, cheese, roommate's forgotten leftovers, whatever ground meat is on sale (turkey, hamburger, etc..)

Cook as appropriate. Mix. Add Tobasco sauce until edible or at least until it covers the taste.


Other cheap eats ideas?

-tom

You moron, lose the smokes, and eat like a king.

:shaking:

Get a vendor star and pimp your fiancée :flipoff2:

Big bags of potato's are cheap and you can cook them tons of different ways. Watch the adds for when whole fryer chickens go onsale for like $2 a pop... you can get three good meals out of one bird... roast and eat=1 meal , boil the carcas and pick out the meat for enchlidas = 1 meal, take the stock from the boiling and make soup = 1 meal. Hit up local farmers markets and you can get a bunch of killer produce really cheap. Staples like rice and beans are always cheap as well.

Originally posted by LandCroozer
I've run the numbers and the only place that I can save money is on food. I'm budgeting for rent, smokes, beer, and Cruiser parts. These are entitlements and cannot be cut.



You have some maturing to do, obviously...

cut smokes and beer and you can afford more. You will realize soon enough the difference between wants and needs.

If you can't afford this while she's your fiancee, how you will afford it when she's your wife?? Just something to think about. Maybe better timing and planning should be something to consider. :roxy:

Originally posted by Roxywheels
If you can't afford this while she's your fiancee, how you will afford it when she's your wife?? Just something to think about. Maybe better timing and planning should be something to consider. :roxy:

Lady speaks 'da truth...

yup.. and it only gets more expensive once they're you're wife.:D

Originally posted by Priest
Big bags of potato's are cheap and you can cook them tons of different ways. Watch the adds for when whole fryer chickens go onsale for like $2 a pop... you can get three good meals out of one bird... roast and eat=1 meal , boil the carcas and pick out the meat for enchlidas = 1 meal, take the stock from the boiling and make soup = 1 meal. Hit up local farmers markets and you can get a bunch of killer produce really cheap. Staples like rice and beans are always cheap as well.

Good tip about the chicken, thanks!

I know all about potatoes, just forgot to put them on the list. I've had them boiled, baked, steamed, fried, roasted, grilled, etc..

-t

Women are like cars.....

Taxi, pay by the mile no questions asked

Rental, short term usage, pay by the day, usually unlimited mileage, you get frequent flier miles with this one

Lease, long term usage for a fixed monthly price, option to buy but don't put too many miles on it or you have to pay extra or buy

Used car, cheaper but comes with baggage

New, depreciates as soon as it leaves the lot, you might get a lemon, higher monthly cost but you own it

Both the lease, used and new cars can be traded in on new models, but it always costs you more then expected.

:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Roxywheels
If you can't afford this while she's your fiancee, how you will afford it when she's your wife?? Just something to think about. Maybe better timing and planning should be something to consider. :roxy:

C'mon, we both work. Pretty OK jobs. We're not going to starve. I'm just wondering what everybody's recipes are.

Right now, I go out to lunch every day. Out to dinner maybe 3-4 nights a week. Order a pizza on Sunday (for the Simpsons!).

When I do cook, I'm doing it up right. T-bone steaks, chicken marsala, teriyaki fish, grilled shitake mushrooms; something special. That adds up to some pretty bid cash when you look at a whole month.

-tom



Originally posted by DRM

You have some maturing to do, obviously...

Yeah, so?

Originally posted by Bobzooki
You moron, lose the smokes, and eat like a king.

:shaking:


DuH! First thing I thought. Forget beer and cigs they are first to go. Well Never start cigs and yer ok. beer's another story. if you still cant get by ok then forget the cruizer parts. :rolleyes:

But to keep it on topic and answer yer question I buy the cheapest biggest toughest hunk of beef I can find. beat the ever loving $ht out of it with a "tenderizer" soak it in some rank ass balsalmic vinegar and spices. slice thin as paper and grille. you can make fajitas out of it or whatever. Fajitas are cheap and easy pretty much all messikan food is cheap and easy. :flipoff2:

get a crock pot. get a big chunk of meat. put meat in w/ carrots potatoes, onion, etc. cook overnight. then you end up w/ stew that will last all week! good for you too

Originally posted by HighToy
cut smokes and beer and you can afford more. You will realize soon enough the difference between wants and needs.

yup...
oh, and what DRM said, the first time!:D

Ah man, living like a cheap college kid. My roomates and I lived off what we killed one semester. We all had hunting and fishing licenses, got public hunting permits so our next meal was whatever we hunted or fished. Dove, deer, duck, quail if we were lucky, and catfish from the trout lines. Yeah, probably about the same money spent to hunt as it would be to buy meat, but it also counted as recreation expense.

Anyway, whole chickens are cheap, my ag mktg. class figured that processed chicken is about $5 more a lb. than whole birds. Red beans and rice or pinto beans and sausage in a crock pot are cheap, taste good, and last a few meals. Rice goes w/ anything and is cheap as hell to buy. Just learn to cook alot of the foods you grew up with. My parents were both poor college kids when I was younger, so I make alot of the stuff I grew up on.

Tell your woman to get a second J-O-B. If your eating Ra-men noodles and mac and cheese for a woman your so whipped it's not even funny. :flipoff2:

I might has well put this here now: LAME and Roxy: STFU :flipoff2:

Originally posted by MattS


I might has well put this here now: LAME and Roxy: STFU :flipoff2:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :roxy:

Originally posted by Roxywheels
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :roxy:

I'm whipped but at least I still eat good! :p

yeah smokes are waaaaaay more important than food!! :rolleyes:

if you must have them smokes, you can always make stone soup :flipoff2:

Was there a contest going on here or something because this guy is about to win the prize for the Stupidest thread of the week and he is definately in the running for the Stupidest thread of the month.

Originally posted by MattS


I'm whipped but at least I still eat good! :p

We're not talking about dinner anymore, are we..

-tom



Originally posted by Paul Gagnon
Was there a contest going on here or something because this guy is about to win the prize for the Stupidest thread of the week and he is definately in the running for the Stupidest thread of the month.

YEEEHAAA! I just might win something after all. My momma will be so proud..

Originally posted by Paul Gagnon
Was there a contest going on here or something because this guy is about to win the prize for the Stupidest thread of the week and he is definately in the running for the Stupidest thread of the month.

And ah yes.. who could forget your scintillating and accurate thread about Shaq's baby..

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135360

:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

You could put a half a dozen of them smokes in a cup of water over night then drink it in the morning. Quarranteed to stop your addiction in 20 minutes or less. :rolleyes:

Good lord where oh where do they keep coming from..... :confused:

I agree with Roxy too...

Maybe you should reconsider your future plans... Better think about being broke when you move in together, that could be the beginning of the end.. No one likes to be broke, and it seems it would be harder if you were both broke. Not a good combination for a relationship... No money, No food, No FUN, NO Honey...

I couldn't imagine eating ramen and crap like that... BUt I hope everything works out for you!!!

Good luck!!

Originally posted by allusee
I agree with Roxy too...

Maybe you should reconsider your future plans... Better think about being broke when you move in together, that could be the beginning of the end.. No one likes to be broke, and it seems it would be harder if you were both broke. Not a good combination for a relationship... No money, No food, No FUN, NO Honey...

I couldn't imagine eating ramen and crap like that... BUt I hope everything works out for you!!!

Good luck!!

Exactly! Moving in together is enough of a culture shock but for everything to change is even tougher. It would test even the best relationship. If your fiancee is used to eating out a lot and having great meals when you do cook, its going to be a really big change to start eating ramen...not to mention not going out. These simple things can cause a great deal of strain.

Whatever you do good luck to you and welcome to the ranks of the poor! :D :roxy:

Put the honey to work.

Seriously reconsider your plans.
What do you do for a living?? What does she do for a living???


And I think a roof over you head, and food to eat would be the first priority... I am thinkin' in your situation the cruiser NEEDS to be placed on hold until you can AFFORD it... (as much as I hate to say it)

Wow, I sound like you mommy, sorry man..
Good Luck, but RECONSIDER YOU PLANS

Originally posted by LandCroozer


And ah yes.. who could forget your scintillating thread about Shaq's baby..

It was wasn't it. :D

Originally posted by scouter77





But to keep it on topic and answer yer question I buy the cheapest biggest toughest hunk of beef I can find. beat the ever loving $ht out of it with a "tenderizer"


Ironic isn't it ? After you get married you'll find yourself doing this a lot more as well.

Well i knew my mom's old family circle mags would come in hand as bathroom material (only time i read it and i learn stuff about saving money for when i move out)

-Eating out should be cut down...i know it sucks. Pack ur lunch instead. Maybe pizza instead of going to buy it or buy a store one (might not be as good but hella lot cheaper)

-Buy day old bread...its cheaper and only a day or 2 old (big deal its going to be eatin anyway)

-Buy a whole chicken and use every bit of it. Fry the breast, thighs, and drumsticks. Boil the wings and neck or u could batter them and fry them and have homemade wings. Use whats left for making stock and u can make chicken and dumplings with the fried chicken.

-Grocery shopping.. go to more than one store to find deals. Buy in bulk too if u can so u have cheaper meals in the long run. If meat is cheap per pound by alot and then u can freeze it for later down the road

-5 meals out of 1 turkey. 1. roasted turkey with trimmings. 2. turkey soup 3. turkey pot pie 4. turkey and gravy over rice 5. Skillet turkey dish made with chopped onions, rice and celery.

-London Broil u can make pepper steak, stew or asian stir-fry.
-use leftovers to make a new meal (mix them and make something new)

-baked potato night...add grated cheese, bacon bits and onion and u got a meal.

save-smart principals
1. Use meat as a garnish (fruits, veggies, whole grains are the focus of the meal
2. Breakfast once a week
3. beans are supermarket best buy (priced at less than $1 per lb, can make soups, chili, veggie burgers, quesadillas)
4. Buy the store brand of cereals instead of the name brand
5. Stay away from frozen meals ($$$$)
6.Monitor your nonmeal food habits (smokes and beer for u)

Some more tips
1. Join a coupon club (www.valuepage.com, www.coolsavings.com, www.bargaindog.com, www.savingsyellowpages.com)
2. take advantage of refunds and free product coupons
3. look for specially marked packages
4. watch for coupon displays

What you need is a nice little crack habit. Pick up the pipe and your food woes are over for good.:flipoff2:

Trust me, you continue to put smokes, beer and car parts at the top of your budget, you won't have to worry about the girlfriend for too long.....:shaking:

NCxj18:

Your chosen "bathroom reading material" is Family Circle"?!?!?! :eek:



Wheres that free Playboy link when you need it?!!!!! :flipoff2:

I'm not even going to get in on the "you're relationship is doomed" part of this thread :rolleyes:

Seriously man. ditch the smokes. If you are worried about being able to eat, then do you really need smokes?

Beer. I'm with you, Its a staple.

ok food.


Breakfast:
cereal (in a bag not a box), powdered milk is good for cereal ( not good for a damn other thing though).

Find someone in your area who sells eggs from their house. Alot cheaper, and ALOT better. If you've never had farm fresh eggs you are missing out.

tortillas and eggs = cheap eggs burrito. Throw some bell pepper, onions, potatoes, beef, whatever in there with them.

store brand pop tarts.

pancakes (store brand surup)

french toast.

Lunch: (You're probably spending more here than anywhere else currently)

since you are used to eating out, treat yourself out ONCE a week.
other 4 days take your lunch or go without.

Sandwiches

bean burritos

LEFTOVERS

Dinner: again you are way over spending in this catagory. Make sure you save the money you arent spending on smokes and take your fiancee' out ONCE a week for a treat dinner.

noodles are your freinds. sauce is cheap, even cheaper if you make your own

spaghetti noodles, butter, fresh minced garlic, and some parmesean.

beef or cheese enchiladas

chicken

ziti, sauce, cheese, beef. cook ziti, mix all ingredients and put in glass oven pan, bake ;)

If you are a big meat eater, check with a local butcher instead of the grocery store.

Salads, store brand dressing.



Misc:

store brand soda
CHEAP beer. If you are skimping on food then skimp on the beer.
store brand laundry detergent
Line dry your clothes instead of running the dryer, saves ALOT.


anywhoo.. good luck.! :D

Originally posted by ukjeeper
NCxj18:

Your chosen "bathroom reading material" is Family Circle"?!?!?! :eek:



Wheres that free Playboy link when you need it?!!!!! :flipoff2:

ya ya i know...not very mainly. My mom puts it in there (readers digest or family circle)....Its not bad reading, i just read the parts in family circle that save me money or something like that.

two words..

deep fried

Originally posted by LandCroozer
...I'm budgeting for rent, smokes, beer, and Cruiser parts. These are entitlements and cannot be cut....

Bull, dump the smokes and beer. These are things that you do not NEED, but you WANT them.

Also, quit eating luchh at resturants as often, along with dinner. For what you pay for 1 lunch in a resturant, you can eat at least 2 lunches in a paper bag.
As for the dinners, I can make donners for the week on less than $100 for me & my g/f.

If it came to me eating decently, or parts for the heep, or smokes, or beer, the PRIORITY has to be food.

Originally posted by ukjeeper
Trust me, you continue to put smokes, beer and car parts at the top of your budget, you won't have to worry about the girlfriend for too long.....:shaking:

That makes me think of the people who have a Corvette, a $50,000 boat, and live in a double-wide... It's all about priorities.

I am gonna have to ditto on the smokes. Just for a little math: (this is my wife and I for an example)

1 pack/day * 2 People * $4 * 365 days =

$2920.00 a year or $250.00 a month.

When I saw that in numbers, I was like :eek:

Paying 3K a year to kill yourself is pretty bad. I know guys that will do it for a lot less.

As for chow... I can eat out for about the same money as I eat in. "IF" I eat the same kinds of food... obviously, if we are comparing mac&cheese and the local Italian restaurant there is going to be a big difference. I never understood where people got this from.

Now - you wanna use coupons, then you can do it I am sure. When my wife was the coupon queen, the grocery store paid HER $7 and some change for about $40 in groceries once. She got tired of doing it... and i don't have the patience.

As for the "stepping" it up because of the fiance... I don't know about that. My wife never cringes from eating ramen noodles if we have to. Neither one of us likes it, but that is life.

I am not sure what you meant by car parts. If you were referring to it like I would, then I think everyone here might have been jumping the gun... if not, then they might be right. I gotta fork out 300 bucks for suspension parts this month. That isn't something I wanna do... I gotta do it. But, it is saving me I don't know how much in labor costs...

Originally posted by Bobzooki


That makes me think of the people who have a Corvette, a $50,000 boat, and live in a double-wide... It's all about priorities.

no kiddin, I went out to collect from a customer in the hood, and whats in the driveway? A brand new Jaguar WTF???

Originally posted by Bobzooki
That makes me think of the people who have a Corvette, a $50,000 boat, and live in a double-wide... It's all about priorities.

Close, but not quite. I have 2 Mitsu Eclipses, an Eagle Talon, a buttload (like 15, last count) of computers, and a nice 75gal aquarium.

And I live in a single-wide. :flipoff2:

It IS all about priorities. The roof over my head just keeps the rain off my toys.

Originally posted by FourBanger

I have 2 Mitsu Eclipses, an Eagle Talon


SWEET!! Wanna come fix my car?? :D :roxy:

edit: thread hijack in progress!! :flipoff2:

Originally posted by FourBanger

It IS all about priorities. The roof over my head just keeps the rain off my toys.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I may have found a sigline.


OK look here people. I'm not going hungry. I'm not eating at the soup kitchen so I have beer money. I'm not buying a camo60 over medical care for my kids. (We don't even have kids.) It's really not that much of a stretch to afford this place.

I'm just saying that it's a $1k per month that my honey and I are each going to have to fork out that we didn't have to before. I'm selfishly trying to maintain minimal impact to our current lifestyle and remain within our budget.

Thanks to everyone who is concerned about my health, my relationship, and my mental state of well-being, but I'm just lookin at ways to eat cheap and but good.

-tom



Originally posted by Paul Gagnon

It was wasn't it. :D

:beer: 's to worthless posts!
:D :D :D

Originally posted by Roxywheels
SWEET!! Wanna come fix my car?? :D :roxy:

edit: thread hijack in progress!! :flipoff2:

What's wrong with your car?

And, what year / model is it?

It's all about Wendy's and the $0.99 jr. Bacon Cheeseburger!!!!! OH YA!

Oh ya, and quit smoking you twit and limit your drinking too! Youll be amazed how much money youll save!

Originally posted by FourBanger


What's wrong with your car?

And, what year / model is it?

Yeah, no kidding. I have a guy who is using my shop space that is a mitsu NUT. He rebuild/installed a complete turbo Eclipse in 2 days. :eek: And now he's working on another one! He has parts UP THE ASS too. LMK what's wrong and maybe I can get you a hookup. ;)

Originally emailed to me by Roxywheels
Last summer it was running rough and a friend was going to do a tuneup on it on a Sunday. I drove it to work on Saturday and it was running even rougher than normal. It was missing and didn't want to stay running. I go to leave work and it starts but barely. I back out of the parking spot and it dies. It would only crank. I know...timing belt. But then it did start again, it just wouldn't stay running. But now its making a noise, like something is in one of they cyl. My friend and I come back and he does the tuneup anyway..in case it had just fouled a plug. One of the plugs when he pulled it out was missing the bottom of it. We couldn't find the piece. He was able to get it to start again, but the noise was still there and it wouldn't stay running. He said it sounded like the piece of the plug might be in the cyl. We towed it home and its sat ever since. I won't get rid of it. I love that car!

I said to check the ECU capacitors, the crank position sensor, and verify that the timing belt is fine, and hasn't skipped. The spark plug missing the electrode, while disturbing, is probably not the root cause. The piece of spark plug can probably be fished out with a magnet.

And now, back to the thread hijack already in progress... :D

Originally posted by FourBanger


I said to check the ECU capacitors, the crank position sensor, and verify that the timing belt is fine, and hasn't skipped. The spark plug missing the electrode, while disturbing, is probably not the root cause. The piece of spark plug can probably be fished out with a magnet.

And now, back to the thread hijack already in progress... :D

After only taking one apart I'm guessing it's the balancing shaft belt, timing belt or one of the accociated pulley's that the belt rides on. The complete 75,000 tuneup is $120 and my buddy can do one in about 2 hours. I can either check the combustion chamber for debris or pull the head (I pulled the last one in 30 mins). It may have dropped the belt and bent some valves. Either way it's under a few hundred $$$.

I could come out and pick it up but it's not going to happen any time soon. If anyone is headed this way and can deliver it that would be ideal. My buddy does not have a job so is bored out of his mind and owes me. :D We are planning a wheeling trip to CO sometime this summer. I could bring it back on the trailer easily. We will figure something out.

What year/model is it?

Originally posted by MattS
What year/model is it?

She said it's a '90 Talon TSi.

*sigh* Its a great car. Ask Hef...he's seen it. Its in great shape...except for the fact that it doesn't run! :laughing: :roxy:

You gotta know that the more you work the bigger the bite the federal government takes out of your paycheck:mad:
I got $914 for 80 hours and 12.55 overtime, instead I got $682 after taxes. You gotta know how the real world works before you do this.

EDIT: I am talking about the more you make, the more taxes are taken out so you have less for food, gas, rent etc. when you are living on your own.

Originally posted by MikeW
You gotta know how the real world works before you do this.

Took me a minute to figure out WTF you were talking about.

Oh, yeah, there was an original topic to this hijacked thread! :p

Originally posted by FourBanger


Took me a minute to figure out WTF you were talking about.

Oh, yeah, there was an original topic to this hijacked thread! :p

Nope this is not hijacked, I am just stating that the more taxes they take out, the less for rent, food etc. when you are living on your own.

It IS hijacked, the original topic was cheap eats, and now we're talking about :roxy:'s car.

Originally posted by Roxywheels
except for the fact that it doesn't run!

I'll fix it for ya... just gotta work out the "payment". ;):cow: