My neighbor said my cheap meals looked sad and I got mad, but she was right.

She saw my bowl of plain beans and rice, said 'You can eat for less than $2 a day and still have color, Hugo.' She showed me her fridge. A bag of frozen corn, a red pepper, a bunch of green onions. Stuff that costs maybe $4 total and lasts a week. She chops a little into everything. That red pepper went into three meals. It's not about fancy stuff. It's about not letting your plate look beige. My food tastes better now and I don't feel poor eating it. Who else has a cheap trick to make meals look less depressing?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey3932mo agoTop Commenter

Honestly, a single lemon is a game changer. Squeeze a little over that rice and beans, or on some roasted veggies. The acid wakes everything up and just makes it taste fresher and brighter. I keep a bag of the cheap frozen peas and carrots mix too, toss a handful into any soup or pasta. It costs nothing and suddenly your meal isn't just brown mush. Why do we forget the simple stuff?

andrewh432mo ago

How about a splash of vinegar when you're out of lemons?

david73912d ago

That $2 bag of frozen peas and carrots totally changed my dinners too. I used to think I was saving money by just buying big bags of rice and beans, but now I realize I was just making myself miserable for no reason.