one legit valuable thing I learned in the Peace Corps was how to live on bachelor chow for like 30 bucks a week - ThreadSky

ryanlcooper.com • 58 days ago

one legit valuable thing I learned in the Peace Corps was how to live on bachelor chow for like 30 bucks a week

as someone on the zoomer/millennial boundary i feel there's a legit problem with people not knowing how to purchase groceries

Comments

adamboyle.bsky.social•58 days ago

Even potatoes. Can range substantially in price. Much of controlling food costs is buying it when it is cheap in context where it is cheap.

Buy the 10 lb bag when it’s 2.99 vs paying 1.99/lb

duanehere.bsky.social•57 days ago

Lived in a co-op for four years while in college. Took a weekly cooking shift and got quite good at making a vegetarian dishes as a base that I'd then split and add meat to the 2nd half. Addressed two concerns (dietary + budget) in addition to being tasty and healthy.

swanhole.bsky.social•58 days ago

If we’re sharing WFH chow recipes, microwaved chicken nuggets + shredded kale + a rotating assortment of dressings is the secret to my success (eating lunch over the sink in an 8 minute gap between zoom calls)

maryhartmanx2.bsky.social•58 days ago

coolmomjamie is an idiot, just one mom’s opinion

priceyeah.bsky.social•58 days ago

I used to make something I called “the dish of sustenance” that amounted to like $1.50 a serving

loganr.bsky.social•58 days ago

I love the little tongue in cheek religious names people give shit like this

ericcarroll.bsky.social•58 days ago

I did pretty well on udon noodles and miso in undergrad.

petergratton.bsky.social•58 days ago

It only took me being a broke college and then graduate student—these youngins aren't ready for what you can throw from a can into cheap mac in cheese and call it a meal.

josephpolitano.bsky.social•58 days ago

yeah, I had just gone vegan in Peace Corps so I subsisted exclusively on a diet exclusively of like chapati, oatmeal, peanuts, beans, rice, and kabalangala (a fried bananabread pastry that you could buy almost everywhere)

joshuafmask.bsky.social•58 days ago

Millet is very good source of protein as well. My friends stationed in Arua ate it almost exclusively.

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

I am not a good cook, but I can live on my patented Burrito Mix--rice, beans, onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, tofu, maybe some sour cream and cheese if you're feeling fancy--more or less indefinitely. if I have enough hot sauce https://bsky.app/profile/bigworker.bsky.social/post/3lexnbnmyns2m

lucykwiatek.bsky.social•58 days ago

I would also eat this indefinitely.

hobbidysparks.bsky.social•40 days ago

Rice, anything else, and salsa is pure gold

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

I like to think my mix tastes decent (I forgot, throw in some taco seasoning) but the real pro tactic is not being bothered by eating the same thing over and over day after day https://bsky.app/profile/df1.bsky.social/post/3lexnglgdr22q

leathersap.bsky.social•58 days ago

Lentils are the only thing missing. I still eat a variation of this like 3 nights a week.

monicagoldberg.bsky.social•58 days ago

Seems like that would cut down on the waste that can make cooking as/more expensive than eating out.

rustylemon.bsky.social•58 days ago

It's a versatile formula. Two parts vegetables, to one part legumes, to one part grains (I like farro and barley). Season however you like. Add whatever liquid you want

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

it occurs to me this might make a good youtube video. the opposite of glossy cooking channel crap lol

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

I guess Dan Olson already sort of did this? but it wasn't nearly janky enough https://youtu.be/4EXVrzOACv4?si=DcBVad0L8LPjFpas

loganr.bsky.social•58 days ago

I’d like to hear your take on it.

kyleconrad.bsky.social•58 days ago

there’s a series on YouTube and the Tastemade channel called “Struggle Meals” that’s basically all “make delicious things for super cheap and pretty easily”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKbpiN0xWY

dezziegriff.bsky.social•58 days ago

My favorite bit in this is that he demonstrates how you can prep and cook chicken nuggets in the same time that it takes to heat up pre-made nuggets (and cheaper!). But doing so involves a lot more labor that is perceived as easy or meaningless for some reason.

jordanmiller.bsky.social•58 days ago

Dan Olson is a treasure.

jordanmiller.bsky.social•58 days ago

His flat Earth video should be required watching for high schoolers.

agjazz.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

misternov3mber.bsky.social•58 days ago

Oops this moment re: the Bon Appetit test kitchen crew didn't age very well: "[they're] unlikely to draw negative attention to the platform."

davidkaib.bsky.social•58 days ago

Yes

marissadraws.bsky.social•58 days ago

June used to do great videos about budget eating https://youtube.com/@thank9stars?si=gvW_0mhCoNJ4Kn_h

markshatraw.bsky.social•58 days ago

Yeah that's the thing that gets me lol - I can do dinner/lunch but I was spoiled growing up with my mom cooking new things almost daily

dangatesj.bsky.social•58 days ago

Since working from home I’ve got into the habit of throwing a poached egg on last nights leftovers and calling it brunch and it rarely misses (to my tastes ymmv etc)

samvydav24.bsky.social•58 days ago

Lol, that's where I fail. But good news is, you can just....make different stuff on the cheap too!

le-merry.bsky.social•58 days ago

THE tactic. You don’t eat what you feel like eating; you eat what you have on hand.

jgsimmerman.bsky.social•58 days ago

I lived off little more than rice and hard boiled eggs for a time in life, so it always throws me when people talk about being bored with tacos every Tuesday or something like that, lol

goosebass.bsky.social•58 days ago

Once you embrace that it’s a means to an end (not hard to do if it’s out of necessity), it gets surprisingly easy to throw in little variations and keep yourself sustained more or less indefinitely. Made my dirtbag years much easier

jessicapancakes.bsky.social•58 days ago

i once dated a guy who would go to trader joes and get chicken breasts, ruffled potato chips, and a bag of lettuce and that was it, every time. chocolate donettes for breakfast. every day.

snoozebuttonben.bsky.social•58 days ago

Approximately how much money did you make when felt you could stop living that way?

stupidlikeafox.bsky.social•41 days ago

This is very similar to my bachelor chow recipe from grad school

johnsmillie42.bsky.social•58 days ago

Hot sauce, the great edibility enhancer

mfriedman803.bsky.social•58 days ago

Ha ha ha…”If I have enough hot sauce…”

But wait, sounds doable, even without the hot sauce.

sistercurry.bsky.social•41 days ago

We actually bought 100lbs of dried beans (misc. types) and rice in November.

fetidmoppet.bsky.social•58 days ago

I need a protein in there

johnsmillie42.bsky.social•58 days ago

There are 2

fetidmoppet.bsky.social•58 days ago

Setting aside tofu, what is the other?

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

beans. also cheese if you throw that in

fetidmoppet.bsky.social•58 days ago

I’m gonna try it but I’m holding you both accountable

joshgoldberg7.bsky.social•58 days ago

Tofu. Damn commie.

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

it's cheap!!

earachemyeye.bsky.social•58 days ago

These guys are morons. There is no world where it is cheaper to order carry out or fast food than it is to cook for yourself.

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

all else equal it simply can't be true. labor costs a lot of money!

eveettinger.com•58 days ago

Right???

changopeligroso.bsky.social•58 days ago

This.

This, this, this.

I'm there right now. The industry I work in is dead in the month of January.

Just bought oatmeal, a big bag of lentils and black beans (protein). Some frozen veggies. Lucky to have a functional kitchen.

I already have a bunch of vitamins.

Bring it, January!! lol

clbergpowers.bsky.social•58 days ago

With oatmeal, if you blend up about 1/4 of the serving into oat flour and add back in, it's now instant oatmeal. I make little mason jars to throw in my lunch bag with raisins and dried apple and cinnamon. When I get to the office, I put some hot water in.

changopeligroso.bsky.social•58 days ago

I'm lucky that avacados are super cheap where I live, too.

When i'm scrapin, I'll eat on every other day or so.

I think i read somewhere that if you ever were stranded on a desert island, the most nutrient packed food to have would be avacados lol

changopeligroso.bsky.social•58 days ago

Yes

It's the BEST. Oats are your best friend

eastsacpatrick.bsky.social•58 days ago

A really useful skill. Where did you serve?

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

South Africa

melcumber.bsky.social•58 days ago

My daughter served in Lesotho and she was up there in the mountains hacking heads off sheep periodically, carrying water in a jug on her head daily, and trying to grow veggies in some gravel, whew.

eastsacpatrick.bsky.social•57 days ago

That sounds like pretty tough duty.

melcumber.bsky.social•57 days ago

It was, isolated, no running water or electricity, climb the mountain for a dodgy signal, nobody had a car. The first time we met her in Joburg she’d come partway down the mountains on a backhoe 😬

melcumber.bsky.social•57 days ago

(I think it’s all tough duty tho, in one way or another)

chiefthrobert.bsky.social•58 days ago

My Fav is Beef stew in an instapot. Minced tomatoes with medium pepper, 2-3 cans of chili beans, a large bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, stew beef or small squared chicken breast or thighs, chicken or beef broth, then season. Add some rice if it tickles your fancy. About $40-50 at Aldi or Lidl

revrend.bsky.social•58 days ago

Same. We had a cookbook that was passed down to everyone on how to make American favorites with local ingredients. I made huge batches of refried beans and tortillas every Sunday. I learned how to make a cream soup base that I could load up with whatever was in season.

nathanl75.bsky.social•58 days ago

That pretty cool you did Peace Corps 🫡

berniebro69.bsky.social•58 days ago

meal prepping rice, chicken and spinach is really healthy and super cheap lol

andrewfranklin.bsky.social•58 days ago

Please expand on bachelor chow?

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/ryanlcooper.com/post/3lexnf4agjj25

andrewfranklin.bsky.social•58 days ago

Thanks! That’s kinda what I figured. I call it muck muck. One pot, hearty and nutritious. Takes well to a tortilla and hot sauce.

ryanlcooper.com•58 days ago

always a great feeling to have a whole dutch oven filled with that, no more cooking this week lol

ryancasey.dev•58 days ago

During college in Massachusetts I could get by on $40/week for all my food. This wasn't exclusively ramen either, there were veggies, fruit, protein, etc in there!

sunflowerstupid.bsky.social•58 days ago

Every time I see one of these "actually delivery is cheaper" posts I flash back to being 19 & cooking every meal in my tiny apartment kitchen with dented cans from the nearby discount grocery. I ate so much rice and cheap pasta. Eating out anywhere, especially delivery, was a luxury.

df1.bsky.social•58 days ago

Same. Lived on beans and rice for 2 years, a monotonous diet doesn't phase me.

joshuafmask.bsky.social•58 days ago

I got so good at cooking in the Peace Corps. Ugandans typically stewed their meat so they didn’t care about cuts of meats. Once I realized this, I would head to the butcher first thing in the morning everyday and instruct him to cut me the short loin and sirloin. I ate like a king.

lgb1964.bsky.social•58 days ago

Home made soup and home made bread.

No processed foods or junk and you will be fine.

rawbbie.bsky.social•58 days ago

I figured the comment section would get the Futurama reference, but posted the gif first without reading, but I appreciate it sincerely.

drramblings.bsky.social•40 days ago

Eggs, veggies, meat. Repeat.

The low-carb version of rice & beans.

bigworker.bsky.social•58 days ago

What's your go-to?

chiefthrobert.bsky.social•58 days ago

Beef stew in an instapot. Minced tomatoes with medium pepper, come chili beans, a large bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, stew beef or small squared chicken breast or thighs, chicken or beef broth, season and add some rice if it tickles your fancy. About $40-50 at Aldi or Lidl

jordanwal.sh•58 days ago

That ready rice and a can of tuna. Lemon pepper seasoning. 😋

vituperativeerb.bsky.social•58 days ago

I spent a year in AmeriCorps with a food stamp food budget and boy howdy can I shop

pseud0nym.bsky.social•57 days ago

HEB is the best grocery store in Texas because it gives the price per ounce on the label rather than requiring me to calculate it with my phone calculator app.

reedonly.bsky.social•58 days ago

Did two and same. I also learned how to nurse the hell out of a beer

vituperativeerb.bsky.social•58 days ago

By contrast I learned you could get a pitcher of Natty Boh at the American Legion for $5

trustywoods.bsky.social•58 days ago

It is easier to spend money than to lurn to cook.

nicmira.bsky.social•58 days ago

Same thing in Americorps. I also learned how complex / confusing it is to apply for food stamps.

eulerspsuedonym.bsky.social•58 days ago

you can get a 25 lb bag of rice at Costco for like $12

you will not need to buy another bag of rice for months if not a year

cyanescens.bsky.social•40 days ago

I learned to cook in Peace Corps. One of the best things about it honestly. Figuring out basic technique, how to substitute ingredients & improvise. All nailed down there.

Did stuff like make decent ricotta out of powdered milk, tofu from dried soy beans…

kazmonaut.kzstan.com•58 days ago

$30 per week! More like Posh Corps!

Actually I guess my $90 per month in PC (twenty years ago!) was pretty close to that, and didn't have to cover housing, so I lived large (all the lagman and Korean salad my heart desired)

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