c/cheap-dinner-wins

Hit my 50th microwaved baked potato this month and realized I've perfected the 4 minute lunch.

Found out a 99 cent russet with store brand butter and salt actually tastes better than the $8 loaded potato at the diner near my job - has anyone else figured out that cheap spuds are secretly elite?

2 comments

gavina73•3d ago

Store brand mayo used to gross me out but now im a convert

I always bought Hellmann's for years because I thought store brand was watery and nasty. Tried the Walmart Great Value mayo last month on a tuna sandwich and couldnt tell the difference at all for half the price. Anyone else had a brand snob moment that got smashed by a blind taste test?

2 comments

the_thomas•6d ago

Store brand pasta took me 3 extra minutes to cook and I almost gave up

I was making spaghetti with sauce that cost like $2.50 total from Aldi in Chicago, and their store brand pasta took a solid 13 minutes to get al dente while the name brand Barilla is always done in 9. I stood there stirring and tasting for what felt like forever wondering if I bought bad pasta or if my stove was lying to me. Does anyone else notice store brand stuff just behaves different even if the price is half?

2 comments

blair_dixon•8d ago

Store brand pasta was fine until I tried it in mac and cheese

I always grabbed the 88 cent store brand elbow macaroni thinking it was the same thing. Then last month I made a box of Kraft with it and the noodles turned to mush in 6 minutes. Has anyone else noticed cheap pasta falls apart faster than name brand?

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alice_palmer20•8d ago

Store brand pasta sauce ruined my cheap spaghetti night and I need to know who else has been burned

I made my go-to under five buck dinner last Tuesday: a box of store brand spaghetti and a jar of store brand marinara. Total was like $3.80. But the sauce was watery and tasted like sweetened ketchup, not tomatoes. I ended up having to toss half the meal. So is store brand sauce a gamble for everyone, or did I just pick a bad brand? What cheap jar has actually worked for you guys?

3 comments

lisak26•9d ago

My mom swore by frozen veggies for years and I finally get it

I used to think fresh vegetables were the only way to go, even if they cost twice as much. My mom kept telling me that store brand frozen broccoli and spinach are just as good, especially for things like stir fries and pasta dishes. About six months ago I finally gave in and bought a big bag of frozen mixed veggies for $1.50 at my local Kroger. Turns out she was right - they taste the same and they don't go bad in the back of my fridge anymore. I've been saving around $4 a week on produce since then, which adds up to like $16 a month. Has anyone else had a family member's advice about cheap groceries actually work out better than you expected?

2 comments

nathana48•10d ago

My uncle swore by getting store brand canned tomatoes instead of name brand for pasta sauce.

He said the store brand is the same stuff just cheaper, but I tried it last week and my sauce came out watery and bland. Anyone else think the brand actually matters on certain things?

2 comments

laura_wright•11d ago

Just realized store brand canned tomatoes are better than name brand

I bought Great Value crushed tomatoes for 98 cents last week cause that's all I had. Made my chili with them and it actually tasted fresher than the $2.50 Hunt's I usually grab. My husband didn't even notice I switched. So are we all just paying extra for the label on pantry stuff? What store brand items have you found that actually beat the expensive ones?

2 comments

the_kevin•12d ago

Store brand pasta was ruining my cheap spaghetti night for years

I always grabbed the 88 cent store brand spaghetti thinking I was saving money. But my wife pointed out last month that my sauce was watery and I was adding cornstarch to thicken it. Then I tried Barilla on sale for 1.29 and it actually holds the sauce, no extra junk needed. So I was wasting like 40 cents on cornstarch anyway. Has anyone else had store brand noodles fall apart on them like that?

2 comments

violamurray•13d ago

Burned my rice so bad I turned it into dinner for $2 and it was actually good

Was making cheap stir fry last night and got distracted by a call. Rice went totally black on the bottom of the pot. Instead of crying over 50 cents of store brand rice I scraped off the top half that was still okay, fried it with an egg and some frozen peas. Added soy sauce and sriracha. Honestly tasted better than my planned dinner lol. Anyone else salvage a kitchen fail into something edible?

3 comments

clark.robin•17d ago

My grocery store's clearance rack changed my whole dinner planning system

I mean it really hit me that night while I was stirring the pot. I always thought I was being smart by buying the cheapest stuff possible but I never thought about buying extra when things hit rock bottom prices. Now I check the clearance section first at every store I go to. It's not even about saving money at this point, it's like a little game I play with myself. Store brand canned veggies are fine for soup but I still won't buy store brand pasta sauce, that stuff is always watery. Anybody else got certain things they refuse to go generic on even when the price is right?

3 comments

west.henry•18d ago

Grocery store cashier made me rethink my canned tomato habit

I was checking out with my usual store brand diced tomatoes last Tuesday when the cashier said those are packed with BPA lining and the name brand ones use a different can now. She showed me her phone with a quick search that backed it up and now I'm stuck paying a dollar more or switching to glass jars. Anybody else run into hidden costs like this when trying to save a buck on pantry staples?

2 comments

alice_palmer20•20d ago

Burned a whole batch of rice and still made dinner work

Was making a stir fry last Tuesday. Put the rice on then got distracted pulling old shingles off a truck. Came back 20 minutes later. Bottom was black. Scraped off the good top half, threw it in a bowl with some canned beans, frozen veggies, and soy sauce. Mixed it all up. It was fine. Wife didn't even notice. Anyone else salvage a ruined dinner instead of ordering takeout?

3 comments

oliviat17•25d ago

I finally tried making my own pizza dough with store brand flour and it actually came out BETTER than name brand

My cheap Aldi flour and yeast combo made a crust that was crispier and chewier than my usual Gold Medal batch, and since I spent only $1.80 total versus $4.50, has anyone else noticed store brand flour rising just as well or better in a pinch?

3 comments

simon_coleman•25d ago

Store brand pasta is actually better than Barilla and I ran the numbers

Me and my roommate did a blind taste test last week with 4 different spaghetti brands. Store brand won 6 out of 10 rounds. And get this - it's $0.89 a box vs $1.79 for Barilla. That's literally half the price for something people voted better. Found the stat when I looked up the receipt after. Anyone else secretly like the no name stuff more?

2 comments

claire_wells87•26d ago

I finally tried store brand canned tomatoes against the name brand

Made a simple pasta sauce with the cheap store brand from Aldi and the name brand from Kroger side by side. The store brand was thinner and more watery, took an extra 10 minutes to cook down. Any tips for thickening up cheaper canned tomatoes without adding a bunch of sugar?

2 comments

miles946•28d ago

The store brand canned beans are honestly better than name brand for chili

I did a blind taste test with my roommate last night using four different $0.89 cans and the store brand won every round - has anyone else noticed the name brands are just paying for the label?

3 comments

murray.spencer•28d ago

Rant: That store brand Worcestershire sauce almost ruined my chili

I saved 2 bucks on the store brand at Food City last week and my chili tasted like salty vinegar. Has anyone else got burned by generic sauces or is it just me?

3 comments

stella_murray•29d ago

Pro tip: a bag of dried lentils and a can of diced tomatoes got me 4 dinners for under five bucks total

I swapped ground beef for lentils in my chili recipe and honestly couldn't taste the difference after the first 3 weeks of making it, has anyone else found a good cheap protein swap that actually works?

2 comments

clark.robin•1mo ago

Store brand rice gave me the worst dinner fail of my life

Grabbed a bag of the store brand jasmine rice for $1.89 at Kroger last Tuesday, figured it was a steal. Got home, cooked it up with some eggs and frozen veggies, and it came out tasting like cardboard with a weird plastic smell. I thought maybe I messed up the water ratio, but my roommate tried it and confirmed it was the rice itself. Ended up tossing the whole batch and ordering pizza instead. Anyone else had a store brand grain go totally sideways on them like that?

3 comments

julia_miller24•1mo ago

Store brand salsa is better than name brand and nobody can change my mind

I used to grab the fancy Tostitos salsa every week, paying like $4.50 a jar. Then one day last month I was broke on a Tuesday and grabbed the Walmart Great Value version for $1.98. Idk what happened but it actually tasted fresher and had more chunks of tomato. I've done a side by side taste test with three friends now and everyone picked the cheap one. Is store brand supposed to be worse or are we just paying for a label? Has anyone else noticed this with other stuff like canned beans or pasta sauce?

3 comments

victorb17•1mo ago

Store brand elbow macaroni saved my week last Tuesday

I was broke with $4 left until payday and threw together a box of Great Value mac with a can of tuna and some frozen peas. Honestly couldn't tell the difference from the name brand stuff, anyone else find certain store brands are just as good?

3 comments

taylor_young•1mo ago

Store brand canned tomatoes saved my chili night. Hit exactly $4.87 for dinner.

I was making chili for my family last Tuesday and realized I had exactly $5.00 to spend on the whole meal. Grabbed store brand diced tomatoes for 79 cents, store brand kidney beans for 89 cents, and a little ground beef on sale for $2.50. Added my own chili powder and garlic from the pantry. Dinner fed all four of us and nobody noticed the difference from name brand. Has anyone else had luck swapping store brand canned goods in a dish?

3 comments