7 Cheap Foods to Get You to Payday

We have all been there. Some sort of unplanned expense shows up and wipes our your account. Or, someone gets laid off and those unemployment checks just aren’t cutting it. We all have a dark patch in our lives where things just aren’t going our way, but we all still need to eat! So, I present to you, 7 Cheap Foods to Get You to Payday!

For those days when you just need to make it to payday, I’ve compiled 7 cheap foods that are not only cheap, but healthy, too. Below, I also added a few recipes that you can make with literally just these foods. (plus some kind of grease for a pan…butter/olive oil/spray)

Rice

This is an easy one. A small bag of rice is about $1 and it will last you for a while. Now, as cheap as rice is, it’s a bit of a stretch on the healthy list, unless you want to aim for brown or wild rice. But, those will be a bit more expensive.

Beans

One of the best, protein-filled foods! There are several flavor options if you want to spice it up. Beans can go for $1 per can, but if you catch sales it can be as low as $0.50 per can. Plus, they’re pre-cooked.

Rotisserie Chicken

One of these babies can feed our family for several days. It’s pre-cooked to save you time, and there’s plenty for the fam. I’ve seen these for about $5 ready to go. Bonus, if you freeze the bones, you can make your own chicken stock! Protein for days!

Onions

Onions have some crazy anti-inflammatory properties. They are the perfect food for when you are feeling under the weather. Plus, they add some nice flavor to your food. I find them regularly for $1 per pound

Eggs

This is a pretty obvious one. However, I’d say shop around for the best price. Our local gas station will sell for $0.99. Our grocery store sells for $1.79. And another will sell for $0.79. Get the best price! These babies will give you a protein-filled breakfast option, and you can use it for dinner, too!

Potatoes

Despite being pretty carb-heavy, these suckers can pack a punch. As an Irish woman, I know all about potatoes! A sack of these is usually just a few bucks and they last for a while. You can bake them, mash them, fry them, whatever you want!

Frozen Veggies

I had to get some veggies in here somehow! Many of the frozen veggie selections are as little as $1 per bag. I’d recommend trying to break out of the carb-filled ones like peas and corn and get yourself some broccoli, carrots, or beans. It’s usually the same price but packs more of a health punch.

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Recipes:

Rice & Beans (family size)

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 can of beans
• Directions:
  • Cook rice as directed on package
  • Drain and rinse can of beans. Dump beans into microwave safe container. Microwave as directed on can (until heate through)
  • Mix rice and beans. Enjoy! (Salt and pepper to taste)

Chicken Stir Fry (family size)

• Ingredients
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 bag frozen veggies (mixed vegs work well)
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 Eggs (optional)
  • Chicken
  • Pam spray, olive oil, or butter
• Directions:
  • Start rice per directions on the package
  • Cook onion in a pan until translucent. If you are using raw chicken, add chicken in small cubes to the pan with the onion and cook until no longer pink. Otherwise, add chicken with veggies as listed below.
  • Once cooked, add frozen veggies to onion and chicken and heat until veggies are warmed through, stirring occasionally
  • Just before you are ready to serve, crack 2 eggs into pan with chicken and veggies, and stir continuously to scramble
  • Add mixture to cooked rice, and enjoy!

I’ve done this combination with stir-fry sauce or soy sauce. It also works well with butter or olive oil, or even plain if you have to! Salt and pepper to taste.

Poor Man’s Loaded Baked Potato (for one)

• Ingredients
  • 1 russet potato per person
  • 1 hard boiled egg per person
  • 1TB chopped onions per person
  • Butter
• Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  • Wash and dry potatoes. Stab potatoes with a fork
  • Melt some butter on the potatoes
  • Place potatoes on baking sheet and bake for about 45 mins, or until tender
  • Take out of oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then, slice open and add butter, onions and crubmle egg on top
  • Enjoy! (Salt and pepper to taste)

Chicken Dinner (for one)

• Ingredients
  • About 1 cup of cooked chicken
  • About 1 cup of frozen veggies
  • About ¼ cup of rice (uncooked)
  • ¼ cup or less of cooked onion
• Directions:
  • Cook rice as directed on package
  • Heat chicken and veggies through in microwave or in a pan. Cook onion until translucent if needed
  • Mix with rice, add salt, pepper, or butter and enjoy!
  • (can also be served as three separate parts of the plate and not mixed if you want)

Breakfast Omelet (for one)

• Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅛ cup chopped onion
  • ⅛ cup frozen veggies
  • ⅛ cup cooked chicken (shredded is best)
  • Pam spray, butter, or olive oil
• Directions:
  • Crack two eggs into a small bowl and beat until mixed
  • Add onion, veggies, and chicken to mixture
  • Grease pan and add egg mixture to pan on medium heat
  • Let sit until firm on the bottom, then carefully flip entire thing one time
  • Wait until cooked, then serve!

Hash Browns (family size)

• Ingredients
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled
  • Butter
• Directions
  • Shred potatoes into a bowl of cold water. Stir until the water turns cloudy with starch
  • Drain water, then refill with fresh cold water and stir again
  • Drain potatoes and pat dry well with paper towel. Make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible
  • Add butter to pan and heat.
  • Add potatoes into the pan and let sit until brown crust forms on the bottom (about 5 minutes)
  • Stir and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked