Daz
Tweeting about some totally unimportant event
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Running a strict food/drink budget for the summer, but I want to eat as well as possible.
I am giving myself $200/month to run with. That's just a bit more than $6/day.
What are your best: happy hours, cheap meals, swingin deals, delicious (yet inexpensive) recipes, etc. etc.?
DCist
UA
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Daz wrote >>
Running a strict food/drink budget for the summer, but I want to eat as well as possible.
I am giving myself $200/month to run with. That's just a bit more than $6/day.
What are your best: happy hours, cheap meals, swingin deals, delicious (yet inexpensive) recipes, etc. etc.?
If you really want to eat out on a budget I'd invest in some 1/2 price gift certificates (restaurant.com, dine originals, fudha) and make sure you search for codes to use because you can usually get more than 1/2 off. That way you can eat out on $10 and get $20 worth of food.
For happy hours, J. Liu has $4 apps and $5 martinis, worthington Inn is awesome for their happy hour (its on their website), and for even cheaper try Old Bag of Nails.
Also, eating out on Sunday is usually deal day, if the place is open.
Hope that helps!
blammo
in the shadow of the wonder of bread
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I'm in largely the same situation with probably an even smaller budget than that. I still go out to eat about once a week but I make sure I'm gonna enjoy it. Otherwise I tend to make one big vat of something filling, like pasta, and work on it all week, applying different vegetables, sauces, or meats to it for some variety.
And it was tough but I just really really cut back on the drinking. Not only does booze cost a whole bunch of money proportionate to food (and it's debatably optional anyway), but when you drink, (or at least when I drink) I tend to splurge on other stuff that I never really budgeted for. OR just buy a big ol bottle of the cheap stuff and nip on that instead. It sucks passing by all my friends at the happy hour, but i just can't swing it these days.
TaraK
probably at the coffee shop
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$200 for one person only? I think that's pretty doable. We budget about $400 a month for two and eat a good bit organic.
Tips:
1. Pick what you're going to go prime on (meats? coffee?) and dedicate yourself to skimping in other areas.
2. Stock up on frozen veggies, canned garbanzos and black beans, cans of tomatoes in different forms, and dried grains and pastas. This will allow for endless combos. I'm into red wheat berries right now.
3. Learn to make a roux, if you don't already know. Then buy a bit of good, strong cheese. You can make many, many sauces.
4. When in doubt, cut from the meat budget. When possible, plans meals around store sale items, rather than grocery lists around meal ideas.
hungrywoolf
Victorian Village
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Some random thoughts:
If you want something different - Somali restaurants are really good value. African Paradise would be a good one to start at, but there are lots in the Cleveland Ave area. Taco trucks are also good value.
Mexican grocery stores are really cheap for certain things such as limes, avocados - so great if you want to make guacamole or Mexican dishes.
Mac's for wings on tuesdays.
An SBB (small business beanstalk) card can get you some good restaurant discounts as well.
I agree with rory - growing herbs can save you a lot of money instead of buying them from the grocery store.
Bear
The woods
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Are there any community gardens near you? If not, but if there are empty lots that the City owns, I believe there's a program that lets you lease the lot from the city for $1 if you want to turn it into a community garden. There's a community garden resource manual available at http://getgreencolumbus.com/ . Doesn't get much cheaper than growing your own food.
kelseyg
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Are you eating out only? If not just buy some canned black beans, canned chili, that sort of thing. Fruits and veggies. That's plenty of meals for about a dollar or two.
I do that for most meals and then eat out a few times a week for breakfast or lunch and my budget is pretty low, less than $200.
somertimeoh
Harrison West
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It's not that bad, but I buy things on sale and use coupons. Not sure if you're willing to go through that though :) I also stopped cut way back on drinking, no way I could stay under $200 if I was still boozing/eating out regularly! I make one dinner and eat it Sun - Thurs or Fri. Day 4 or 5 sucks, but it's the best way to go. Sandwiches or soup, fresh fruit and veggies, and yogurt for lunch. I eat the same breakfast everyday. I'm flexible with brands though I still buy a good amount of organic and natural foods (produce, meat, milk, snacks, etc.) You can totally do it, it just takes a little more planning when you're on a budget!
You'll get at least one free food/booze weekend for Comfest so that should help :)
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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somertimeoh wrote >>
It's not that bad, but I buy things on sale and use coupons. Not sure if you're willing to go through that though :) I alsostoppedcut way back on drinking, no way I could stay under $200 if I was still boozing/eating out regularly! I make one dinner and eat it Sun - Thurs or Fri. Day 4 or 5 sucks, but it's the best way to go. Sandwiches or soup, fresh fruit and veggies, and yogurt for lunch. I eat the same breakfast everyday. I'm flexible with brands though I still buy a good amount of organic and natural foods (produce, meat, milk, snacks, etc.) You can totally do it, it just takes a little more planning when you're on a budget!
You'll get at least one free food/booze weekend for Comfest so that should help :)
And if you volunteer for a shift or two it's free.
AmyJ
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I second the Mexican grocery stores as well as other ethnic shops. You can get great cheap produce as well as stocking up on bulk items.
I recommend making a big pot of soup and then supplementing that with various salads/sandwiches/flatbreads throughout the week. It'll switch it up just enough to not make you hate your life on day 5.
I have been making a slow cooker full of chicken breasts or thighs cooked with cumin, chili powder, garlic, cayenne pepper, jalapenos, etc. and then shredding the chicken, adding black beans and using it for taco/enchilada filling, salad topper, etc. It's easy, relatively cheap and useful in a lot of different ways.
If you want to eat out, hit happy hours or lunches. You can pick up those Restaurant.com GCs for 80% off at least once a week, but there is usually a minimum purchase so it may not be the most budget-friendly option.
CMH Gourmand
(King of) the (Clinton)ville
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I can offer some suggestions your occasional value based splurges:
http://cmhgourmand.com/2009/11/01/high-end-happy-hours-and-recessionary-repasts/
http://cmhgourmand.com/2009/11/14/mid-range-deals-and-steals/
Charlie
Victorian Village
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blammo wrote >>
I'm in largely the same situation with probably an even smaller budget than that. I still go out to eat about once a week but I make sure I'm gonna enjoy it. Otherwise I tend to make one big vat of something filling, like pasta, and work on it all week, applying different vegetables, sauces, or meats to it for some variety.
And it was tough but I just really really cut back on the drinking. Not only does booze cost a whole bunch of money proportionate to food (and it's debatably optional anyway), but when you drink, (or at least when I drink) I tend to splurge on other stuff that I never really budgeted for. OR just buy a big ol bottle of the cheap stuff and nip on that instead. It sucks passing by all my friends at the happy hour, but i just can't swing it these days.
Don't forget those $1 oysters at Rigsby's.
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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AmyJ wrote >>
I You can pick up those Restaurant.com GCs for 80% off at least once a week, but there is usually a minimum purchase so it may not be the most budget-friendly option.
Because of the minimum, sometimes those gift certs aren't good for one person, but when combined with someone else (i.e. a couple goes out), they become more attractive.
Moz
Short North
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How has no one mentioned Aldi's yet? When I was unemployed (in Columbus) and a seriously broke grad student (in Chicago), Aldi's was the best place to shop for groceries. Don't be put off by the house brands, they're owned by the same company that runs Trader Joe's (and they're good). Cheap produce, frozen goods, and even wine/beer if you're so adventurous.
For recipes, I'd take a look at http://thirtyaweek.wordpress.com/ If two Brookynites can do it on thirty dollars a week, fifty ain't no thang in Columbus.
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