This is a throwback to something I first learned as a broke-ass grad student in New York: If you want heavy duty nutrition for not a lot of money, rice and beans is a great way to go.
When I first moved to New York in 1993, I learned early on that if I didn't want to end up paying off my education for thirty years, I'd better make as much money as possible and cut my cost of living wherever I could. The income part was pretty straightforward: between internships, admin work on campus, and teaching assistantships, I worked one to three concurrent part time jobs along with taking a full load of classes each semester. I did a great many things to reduce my cost of living at the same time (including renting a room from people with a lot of cats). As part of the cost-cutting, I decided early on that meat was a luxury I was going to have to pretty much do without, so I went full-on vegetarian with brown rice and a variety of beans as a main staple.
This eventually backfired: My cholesterol was outstanding but I developed severe anemia, so by 1996 I started eating moderate amounts of chicken and fish, which I still do today. Even if you find that strict vegetarianism isn't the right way for you to go long term either, eating rice and beans a few times a week can do amazing things for your budget as well as your health. On top of that, beans freeze remarkably well: one afternoon of cooking can stock your freezer for weeks. Finally, beans also combine well with a multitude of flavors, so the variety is nearly endless.
Here are a few handy tips I've learned over time for making rice and beans a regular part of your menu:
Use dried beans, not canned
The price differential is huge. The price of dried beans in a bag and cooked beans in a can is about the same, but once dried beans are cooked, they roughly double in size and weight. That makes them roughly a quarter the price of canned beans and without any added sodium, high fructose corn syrup, or other nasty stuff. It means a little more planning and cooking time, but over time the payoff is worth it.
Look for the rocks!
Dried beans come with occasional little bits of debris. It takes one rock to cause a dental calamity, but it only takes a minute or two to check through the beans before you soak them.
Quick-soaking is fine
If you don't have time for overnight soaking, you can do this instead: Boil some water and dump the beans in. Let them boil for two minutes, then let them rest for one to two hours. They'll be ready to cook.
Beans, beans, the musical fruit
Most people can ingest several cups of beans in a week; it just takes a little time for your system to get used to them. If, after a few weeks, beans continue to make you (and everyone else around you) suffer, there's a pharmacy product called Beano that supposedly blocks the enzymes that cause you to offend. I haven't tried it myself, but I'm told it works.
Onions, garlic, and tomatoes are your friends
All of them freeze really well in bean dishes, along with corn, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, and peas. Tomatoes often have to be blanched, peeled, and seeded for bean recipes. Do it if it makes you feel good, but I usually stock up when the giant cans of tomatoes are on sale.
Some vegetables don't freeze well
Green peppers, broccoli, celery: It's cheaper and easier to stir-fry them and add them to a defrosted bean dish than it is to pick out the sorry result once they've been cooked and put in the freezer.
Lemon juice helps fix mistakes
If you overdo it on the spices (which I do once in a while, since I don't usually measure), adding a few splashes of lemon juice will reduce the bitterness. In general, however, eating your mistakes is a great reminder not to overspice.
Brown rice contains more vitamins than white rice
Brown basmati: two thumbs up. Also, some of you might find this gross, but I don't rinse rice before I boil it. I think it washes away too many nutrients.
Chili is one of the cheapest and easiest recipes on earth
Really, it is. Here's how I made it yesterday:
2 pounds of soaked, cooked black beans ($1.29 x 2 = $2.58)
3 28-oz cans of tomatoes ($1.59 on sale x 3 = $4.77)
4 large onions (about $1.00 total)
2 tablespoons chopped, minced garlic (pennies, since I buy big jars at Costco; roughly $0.10)
Oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste (pennies since I buy it all in bulk: let's say $.050 total)
2 tsp olive oil (about $0.10)
Chop the onions and tomatoes coarsely. Stir-fry the onions on high heat until they start to caramelize; then add the garlic and cook for a few seconds longer. (Garlic turns bitter when browned, so don't overdo it.) Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice and lower the heat to medium. Cook the tomatoes and onions for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, and then add the spices. Cook the spices for another 15 minutes or so, stirring periodically. When the tomato mixture has turned into a tasty chili base that you're happy with, add the drained beans and top it up with some of the water you cooked the beans in. (Be a little careful - it's easier to add slowly and taste periodially than it is to fix it if you put too much bean water in.) Let the chili simmer for 10 to 20 minutes longer, and then it's done.
End result: 16 servings (that can be stretched out farther with added vegetables later on)
Total cost: $9.05, or $0.57 per serving.
Dump it over brown rice, and that brings you up to about a buck for a heart-healthy and filling vegan meal.
If beans aren't your thing, you might be interested in this series of videos from a 91-year-old lady who learned a thing or two about cooking on the cheap during the Great Depression:
Pasta and peas
Egg Drop Soup
Poorman's meal
I'm sure there are tons of other tips and tricks for cutting your food costs. Got any you want to share?
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