What is your favorite "I have no money" meal?

[Kokolums]

The trick with Hot Pockets is to soften the breading.

1. Open a package of Hot Pockets and throw away the wrapper.
2. Take a paper towel and soak it in water.
3. Wrap the hot pockets in the paper towel.
4. Nuke for 3:30.
5. IMMEDIATELY remove from the microwave and remove the paper towel, otherwise it gets mushy.
6. Now you have a proper SOFT Hot Pocket.
7. Buy some higher quality pizza sauce (not Ragu) and dip the Hot Pocket in that.

[Afrospinach]

I don't think you can do better than a tin of baked beans and toast.

Last time I had to do this it was ~.2USD per can(27 NZ cents) and aside from baked beans being loaded with sugar, especially the cheap ones they are still almost a complete food lol. Just need to add some pepper or something to eradicate the sweetness.

A few 5packs of Indomie Mi Goreng Noodles, a few Onions and a Dozen Eggs.

A good 5-6 days of fairly filling meals. for about $10.

Those are the ultimate 2 minute noodles lol.

[Flarelaine]

Potatoes roasted with onion and some herbs
Pasta with cheese and sour cream
Pea soup (a soup cube and some canned veggies)

[Kokolums]

To properly hydrate day-old pizza slices, use the same trick:

1. Put 2 pizza slices on a plate.
2. Soak a paper towel in water.
3. Cover just the top of the pizza with the paper towel (not the crust nor the bottom)
4. nuke for 1 minute, 45 seconds.
5. immediately take it out of the microwave and remove the paper towel so it doesnt get mushy.

and you have rehydrated hot slices.

[Usernameforforums]

French omelettes and egg drop soup. 3 eggs and a hand full of cheese ~28-30cents. Depending on the amount to make, but if like 16floz(1/2 of $2)of broth, soy sauce to taste, 2 or 3 eggs, add some green onion, you’re lookin at a decent meal around $1.40

[conceptKitty]

Oven chips! 1.5kg for like a euro or something. Would last for some time! When I was younger that would be my to go food during harder times. Also gingerbread cake. (Ontbijtkoek) I miss that!

Haven't had such a situation for a long time but I'd probably still buy those things if I did.

[fatgunn]

Eggs.

You can buy 4 or 5 dozen eggs for 10 bucks eat on em for weeks. Make em all kinds of ways. Scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs. Have an egg sandwich. Egg burrito! Got any other kind of cheap food? Eggs will make it better! Eggs and hot dogs. Eggs and balogna. Take leftovers, PUT EM IN AN OMELETTE! Baked bean omelettes, and spaghetti omelettes. Hell one time I ate a boiled egg omelette! Put eggs in your ramen. Your Rice! Get some broth, make egg soup. Cheap pancake mix? Put an egg on it! Hot pocket? Put an egg on it! EVERYTHING GOES WITH EGG!!

[tankbug]

When my card was stolen, I had to go to the post office with my passport to withdraw money for a whole month while my stupid bank was struggling to get me a new one (they were merging with a different bank, and my issue was lost in the system somewhere). I hate cash, so I only withdrew a little at the time, and that made me very aware of my expenses, and how to make the money last. For me, the go-to dinner was smoked Vienna sausages. I could get a pack of like 600grams for 4 euros, and they would last for about 3 meals, and I would mix those in a vegetable wok, which is very cheap to make if you don't buy pre-cut packs. With some spices, and perhaps a little soy and sriracha sauce, it would turn into a decent meal.

[Inukashi]

Here's another one. I didn't know how to translate 'Grießnockerlsuppe' but I tried it 'Semolina Dumpling Soup'
I fucking love this. There is no need to have no money to eat this.

Semolina costs 40 cent for 500g and you only need 80 for a big meal
30g butter
1 egg
1.5l beef broth

That's like 40 cent a meal

Mix egg and soft/warm butter
add Semolina, mix again
Make little dumplings and put them in your cooking beef broth. They will grow 3 times in size

[Sinaa]

I have not been in this situation in a very long time, that said I like eating freshly baked bread & years ago I often ate that and nothing else for lunch. Here 1kg of bread costs like one usd, so it's like 30¢ / very fulfilling meal~

[Morae]

Eh... there are options.

Pea soup, yes. Thats ridiculously cheap.
Noodles.

Also I sometimes make certain food myself that is pretty cheap. Ingredients cost like ~6e, but it will last for four days. So its still pretty cheap. It also has the effect that I somehow rarely find from food... i feel full after eating it and it lasts for a long time. Means I have to eat less stuff for rest of the day.

[Frenegade42]

Ghetto Fillet O Fish.
Box of cheap greasy fish fingers.
cheap individually wrapped cheese slices
Loaf of thick slice white bread
Maybe have to spring for good whole egg mayo.

Can and have lived on those for an entire fortnight between pays.

[Dastreus]

Throw some rice and egg together, or ramen and egg. Or spaghetti noodles and then be ultra cheap and put kitchup on it or prep it like it's not spaghetti. Maybe... treat it like ghetto ramen.

[Kokolums]

Eggs do not agree with me. I avoid them.

[Gsara]

Dry ramen with no flavor pack or a loaf of bread and free mustard packs from some fast food place. Lived on that shit for over a year in my early days of touring.

[Blueobelisk]

The trick with ramen cups is you can strain out the salt.

1. Buy a 30 cent cup of ramen noodles
2. Peel back the lid, fill it with hot water, close the lid back up, let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Gently strain the water out by tilting it over the sink and holding the lid on so just the water comes out.
4. Refill with water and strain again.
5. Refill with hot water and serve.

Most of the flavor remains but almost all of the salty taste is gone. Its 1000% more appetizing this way too as I don't need to drink an ocean of water after I'm done to counter all the salt.

I usually don't drink the water.

[help helper]

Pea soup. It's awesome food and it's cheap. Win-win!

You can make 5 liters of the soup for like 2e. 1e for the peas and 1e for some ham. If you eat a liter a day, you can eat it for five days.

40 cents a day meal.

[IMG]

Most Finns eat pea soup weekly - thursday is pea soup day! (it's an army standard as well)

The food of champions. I have no idea how peas and ham boiled for hours can taste this fucking good.

[Nobleshield]

Usually I'll make something like pasta with butter, oil and some parmesan cheese. Cheap and filling; it's also a meal I make when I'm not feeling good and don't want to eat something heavy. Or, and you'll laugh at this, I have just eaten italian bread crumbs out of the container with a spoon. It sounds disgusting but it's actually not bad, just a little dry so you need water on hand.

[d00mGuArD]

Cheapest meal you can get here is imo gyros. A gyros sandwich with fries, tomatoes and any number of condiments overflowing with meat will be less than 3 Euros.
I'll admit my privilege though and say I never have had to have a cheap meal.

We eat souvlaki because it is imba not because it is cheap
But you can definitely make a plate of lentils (fakes) for less than 25cents

[ProfessorTjc]

Get into the food court at Costco and get a hotdog + a drink for $1.50