Cutting Costs by Eating Cheap

When was the last time you opened your wallet and saw anything there? You looking to change that?

Cutting costs can be tough, I know. In college, I didn't have a lot of money—I know, boo hoo—so I decided to cut costs the simplest way I could: I started keeping my meals at less than $2 each. Cheap foods didn't really taste as good, but dammit, cheap foods were cheap, and I loved them for what they were.

Now, I've got a little bit more money, but I still keep to the cheap meals. Why? I like to spend money on other, dumber things. If eating some eggs instead of a steak is going to get me a little closer to a concert ticket, then I'll take the eggs. I'm kind of in the swing of eating cheap, and it's hard to get out of your system.

If you're looking to cut some costs, eating cheap food's a great place to start. Let me help you out with a list of some of my favorite cheap foods.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Put about two tablespoons of peanut butter on a piece of bread, mash up a small banana and put it on another piece of bread, and slap the two together. You can eat this sanwich cold or put a little butter in a pan on medium heat, let it stop sizzling and throw the sandwich in, flipping it after a minute or so. Either way, it costs very, very little, and the taste is spectacular. Bill Clinton and the king of rock and roll Elvis Presley call this one of their favorite foods, and I'm proud to join their ranks.

Ramen Noodles
This is a very classic cheap food, so I won't spend much time on it. Absolutely free of nutrition, ramen noodles have been tricking people into thinking they're full for a long time. Throw in a little bit of meat and it's a pretty good meal, though, and it's cheap, which meats my criteria.