Figuring Out What to Eat When You’re Living on Less

One part of my income reset that I’m still figuring out is food.

“Cook at home more” sounds like simple money-saving advice. But first you have to decide what to make, buy the ingredients, find the time to cook, and hope everyone wants to eat it.

Some weeks, even answering “What are we having for dinner?” feels like a lot.

Food choices can be confusing, too. Eating out gets expensive, but then you go grocery shopping and hear that so many of the convenient foods aren’t good for you either. Trying to save money while making choices you feel good about can be exhausting.

I’m learning that I don’t need to solve all of that in one grocery trip. A meal doesn’t have to be elaborate to count as cooking at home. Using what’s already in the kitchen or making something simple can help keep the week’s spending down.

This is an adjustment for me, and I’m sharing it while I’m living through it. Some weeks will go better than others. For now, I’m trying to make the next meal a little easier and a little more affordable.

One of my favorites is a potato omelet. “What’s that?” you might ask. It’s a simple meal made with a potato and a few eggs.

Peel one potato and cut it into French-fry-sized strips. Cook the potato in oil until the pieces are lightly browned and cooked through. Remove them and let them drain on a paper towel.

Crack two or three eggs into a bowl and mix in the cooked potato. Add a little butter to a pan over low heat, then pour in the egg and potato mixture. Once the omelet is cooked on one side, carefully flip it and cook the other side until the eggs are set. Then it’s ready to enjoy!

If you’re feeling fancy, add peppers and seasoning to the eggs before cooking. You can add a slice of cheese, too.

What does one omelet cost?

The carton of eggs I typically buy costs $4.79, or about $0.40 per egg. For this estimate, I’m using three eggs, which cost about $1.20.

A potato costs about $0.69–$0.99 when bought loose. If I buy a bag, the cost per potato can be closer to $0.50–$0.80.

That puts my basic potato omelet at approximately $1.70–$2.19 for one person.

If I add a pepper and a slice of cheese, the cost goes up. Based on the prices I found, a green bell pepper costs about $0.86–$1.50, while a red, yellow, or orange pepper costs about $1.30–$3.00. A slice of cheese costs about $0.20–$0.31.

Depending on which pepper I choose, the omelet with both extras could cost approximately $2.76–$5.50.

Calculation	Cost for one omelet
3 eggs ($1.20) + potato from a bag ($0.50)	$1.70
3 eggs ($1.20) + loose potato ($0.99)	$2.19
Lowest basic cost ($1.70) + whole green pepper ($0.86) + cheese ($0.20)	$2.76
Highest basic cost ($2.19) + whole colored pepper ($3.00) + cheese ($0.31)	$5.50

I’m leaving oil, butter, and seasonings out of that short ingredient list since I use what I already have on hand.

This is a favorite meal from my childhood!

What’s one meal you turn to when you need to save money but don’t have much time or energy to cook?