Eating Rich on a Shoestring: 15 Poverty Meals That Taste Like Luxury No Matter Your Wealth

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Do you know how to make quick, affordable meals that will satisfy everyone?

Whether you’re working with a tight budget or have money to burn, there are some classic recipes that will always hit the spot.

Poverty-style meals may sound unappetizing, but they can be deliciously comforting and satisfying when done right.

So don’t be fooled, these recipes not only feed your belly but your heart too!

In this article, we explore 15 fan favorite poverty meals around the world that take low-budget ingredients and turn them into something truly unforgettable.

1. Cinnamon Sugar Toast

Before they could justify splurging on a Cinnabon, many once-impoverished up-and-comers spread cinnamon and sugar on toast (along with butter). Satisfying your sweet tooth without paying the brand-name upcharge? Priceless.

One wordsmith even referred to this treat as the “poor man’s churro.”

2. Sausage Gravy and Toast

Is it a breakfast you’ll want to eat before running a marathon? No.

Are sausage gravy and toast delicious, regardless of whether you’re straddling the poverty line or living in a penthouse? Yes.

3. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I don’t care if you’re a regular consumer of caviar and truffles. If you can’t enjoy grilled cheese, you’ve lost your humanity.

4. Chili

Call your mom or dad and ask for their homemade chili recipe if you can.

Most families have one, and you’re obligated to whip up a vat as soon as possible.

5. Elevated Canned Soup

A can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup warms the belly and won’t break your budget, but one improvisational penny-pincher suggested a way to stretch your can of soup beyond its original volume.

Adding pasta as a base and even additives like canned tuna elevate canned soup and extend the meal into a heartier, longer-lasting concoction.

6. Peanut Butter Sandwich

You’ll notice there is no “jelly” after the “butter” in “peanut butter sandwich.”

And while you should feel free to add the jelly, you might instead (or also) add banana, Miracle Whip, or a similarly delicious substitute of your liking.

7. Quesadillas

As a matter of necessity, many traditional Mexican dishes are also poverty meals. That’s not a knock on anyone—quite the contrary.

Mexican cuisine is a testament to a culture’s ability to make the most out of simple, abundant ingredients, and quesadillas are Exhibit A.

8. Homemade Pizza

Whether it is an English muffin with pasta sauce and mozzarella or cracker thins with sliced tomatoes and basil, many homemade pizza creations beat the frozen alternatives in both taste and affordability.

9. Beans and Rice

Black beans, red beans, pinto beans, jelly beans. OK, maybe not jelly beans, but virtually any bean you choose goes perfectly with rice.

White rice, yellow rice…you get the point. Few meals are as filling, simple, or dollar-stretching as beans and rice.

10. Oatmeal With a Twist

When adulthood beats you down with bills, work stresses, and familial hardship, whip up a bowl of oatmeal (with fresh fruit, perhaps) and travel back to your childhood kitchen table.

It’s the most affordable time machine you’ll ever buy.

11. Baked Potato (With Extra Butter)

The rare standalone food that can perform admirably as a side dish, main meal, and even a self-contained bowl, a baked potato will never let you down.

This is especially true if you liberally apply butter (and bacon), sour cream, chives, and cheddar cheese.

12. Pancakes

Pancakes are a sweet treat that you can enjoy at breakfast or even as dessert.

Pancake batter is affordable, and the pancake is a blank slate ready for fruit, syrup, butter, and other accoutrements.

13. Boxed Mac and Cheese With Hot Dogs

One chef and restauranteur explained that despite tasting and preparing a vast array of dishes, boxed mac and cheese with cut-up hot dogs is “one of the finest foods on this planet.” Hard agree.

14. Spaghetti

When the spaghetti hits your palate just after Caesar salad, that‘s amore.

15. Nachos

Tortilla chips and shredded cheese are a delicacy that even the most cash-strapped households can afford.

Even once you’ve hit it rich, how can you say no to nachos?

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Here are some great ways to get free stuff without strings attached.

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You can earn free gift cards for completing simple tasks in many ways. This includes getting paid for simple online tasks like playing games, completing surveys, and shopping.

Here is a complete guide on how to get free gift cards so you can spend less money on the things you buy.

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This thread inspired this post.