Secrets to the cheap life

Do you like food? Are you broke?\nIf so, this column is for you.\nLast week I wrote about America’s new food culture. I argued that the good life, as it is marketed, remains elusive to middle-class Americans because fancy organic and international foods are more expensive than regular comfort food.\nAnd yet I know that good food need not be out of reach. I eat pretty well and, for the most part, on the cheap. It is indeed possible to be a (pseudo)-foody on about $30 per week. Here are my tips:\nSecret to the cheap life #1:\nBuy in bulk.\nFood costs more when it is neatly packaged. Save the big bucks at Bloomingfoods and Sahara Mart when you buy grains and legumes in bulk. I buy polenta, couscous, risotto, various rices and lentils, rolled oats (for cookies and oatmeal) and all my flour (semolina, wheat, unbleached white, etc) in bulk. Most of these items cost less than $2 per pound, and many are organic.\nYou can also buy oils, vinegars, nut butters and honey in bulk for much less than you would pay for them packaged.\nSecret #2:\nStock up on essentials.\nThis will save you money when it comes time to cook for yourself. You should always have oil, flour, sugar, salt, pepper and spices on hand. Spices can be expensive; but not if you buy them at Sahara Mart on 10 percent off Tuesdays. There you can find any spice you might need for $2.29 per .2 lb. This is an incredibly good deal.\nI also find it useful to have lots of onions and garlic on hand; they are good for flavoring. \nAnd bouillon cubes are a necessity for cheap and fast soups.\nSecret #3:\nBuy root vegetables.\nI don’t know why, but root vegetables are cheaper by the pound than many other vegetables. Russet potatoes never cost more than 70 cents a pound. New potatoes, my favorite, often cost no more than 99 cents per pound. Also, carrots, parsnips and beets can be inexpensive.\nSecret #4: \nEat More Beans.\nBeans are a woefully neglected food in the American diet, yet they are so healthy and cheap! Whenever people hear that I am a vegetarian, they ask (with dismay in their voices), “How do you get your protein?” From beans! Great Northern and other white beans are common in Italian dishes; red and black beans are good in Mexican food and chick-peas are good in anything from salads to stir-fries.\nSecret #5:\nMake it yourself.\nFood is expensive! Obviously! But if you make it yourself – from soups to salad dressings to breads – you will discover a world of satisfaction you never knew about. Bread tastes a hell of a lot better without corn syrup, and salad dressings are more flavorful without preservatives. Get recipes from cookbooks at the library, or look them up on the Internet. \nOnce I started trying to save money on food, I discovered a love for cooking. Even though I am busy, like most students, I find preparing my food can be the most relaxing part of the day. Just learn the secrets, and the rest is a cinch.