PSA: You're probably wasting money on fresh herbs for your cheap meals

I see so many recipes for budget stews or beans that call for a $3 bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley, and it drives me nuts. In my experience, a $1 jar of dried oregano or thyme from the discount grocery lasts for 20 meals and adds just as much flavor to a pot of lentils. I made a big chili last month and used dried spices I already had, and the total cost was under $8 to feed four people. Has anyone else found a dried herb that works better than the fresh version for slow-cooked stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles7071mo ago

Wait, you're only spending $8 to feed four people with chili? That's wild. Even with cheap ground beef, the meat alone would blow past that budget around here.

ben_shah935d ago

You can't even get the beans for that now.

uma_webb281mo ago

Honestly depends if you count the dried beans from my pantry I bought months ago. That bulk bag cost splits over like twenty meals.