Originally Posted by
pubb
It is not much cheaper to eat fast food. It is WAY more expensive. You just have to know how to maintain a pantry of staples (e.g. investing in everyday items like flour, sugar, etc.) and plan a menu for versatility, availability, and pricing.
My wife is a chef - our food budget is next to nothing because we make our own everything, including salad dressing, mayonnaise, pasta, and sauces including the vegetables we grow in our garden.
pubb
+100
I don't agree that poor people need only eat "cheap" fast food, when food staples, a little know-how and some elbow grease can make healthier options less expensive. My staples are flour, sugar, salt, vinegar, & oil. I buy yeast although I know how to make it naturally if I had to, and if I splurge, I'll buy milk, eggs and butter. I am lucky to have a few garden plants and an expert knowledge of wild edible plants, however, for 20 bucks you can come home with a hefty amount of fruits and veggies from the farmer's market and these make up the bulk of our meals.
I can (preserve) fruits, pickle vegetables, make syrups, jellies, jams, etc. I make bread from scratch, all manner of pastries, pancakes, muffins, egg noodles, crackers, pasta, etc. Quiche, cobblers, pies, soups, sauces...I make a soft white cheese with the milk and the eggs and butter lend a richness to everything.
Learning how to cook from scratch means I spend about 60 dollars a month for groceries - for two people.