My grocery bill dropped by almost $30 a week after I started planning around one big pot of beans.

I used to just buy whatever looked good, which meant a lot of last-minute meat and pre-cut veggies. About two months ago, I saw a post here about cooking a pound of dry beans on a Sunday. I tried it with pinto beans, which cost me $1.89. I used some for chili that night, then had beans and rice for two lunches, and mixed the last bit into a breakfast scramble. The difference was huge. I wasn't running to the store for expensive protein every other day. It forced me to think ahead and use up what I already had in the pantry. Has anyone else found a single cheap ingredient that changed their whole shopping routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_piper2mo ago

Okay but... is saving thirty bucks a week really that life-changing? I mean, good for you, but it's just beans. You still have to buy all the other stuff. It sounds like a lot of extra work for what... a slightly cheaper lunch? I guess if you really love beans it makes sense.

thomas_johnson352mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah but thirty bucks adds up fast though. That's like a phone bill or a tank of gas. Still, gotta be really into beans to make it a whole thing.

the_harper1mo ago

My buddy Mark tried the bean diet for a month and spent the first week LIVING on the toilet. He said the savings were real but his coworkers started calling him "the musical eater." He quit after three weeks and went back to spending thirty bucks on normal lunches.