Food stories

10x what people eat when they’re completely broke

No money to your name. Skint. Not having a red cent. Whatever you want to call it, it all comes down to the same thing: you’re simply broke. So what do you eat? You have to be creative—or maybe not even all that much. There’s bound to be something at the back of your kitchen cupboard that you can cobble together. These are 8 dishes people eat when they’re broke.

Foto van culinair journalist Jeske van Steen

door Jeske van Steen

It reminds me a little of my student days. Back then, it was also our sport to make something tasty with as little money as possible. And the funny thing is: what I often ate back then after spending my money on beer is now my shameless guilty pleasure. Spaghetti without sauce. Just plain, dry pasta with a splash of olive oil and a little salt. I really recommend it if you still have a chunk of month left at the end of your money.

Spaghetti with canned tomatoes

Simple, quick and cheap, and with the right herbs you can transform it into something delicious. With a bit of luck, you might still have a stray container of basil in your fridge and a nub of Parmesan. And now you also know why you should always have a jar of funghi trifolati seasoning at home—it gives this kind of meal an instant kick.

Spaghetti tomato sauce bread — Pasta in tomato sauce: ideal when you’re broke

Boiled potatoes

Potatoes are cheap and you buy them in a big bag. That means they’ll last you a nice long time. Another plus: they’re incredibly filling. Just peel them, put them in water, boil them and you’re almost on your way to a delicious meal… The only thing left to do is mash the potatoes and bake them in the oven with feta. Behold: baked feta with potatoes: what a great meal. Or how about this potato gratin! And you said you were broke?

Oatmeal

Yup, another thing you can get for next to nothing. Oatmeal! If you’re really broke, make it simply with water and a spoonful of sugar. In that case, I’d definitely add the latter, otherwise it’s a pretty tasteless mush. But maybe you’re lucky and still have a carton of milk in the fridge. This meal also works perfectly well as dinner, by the way. Why not?

Hot dog bun

Canned food is always a good option when you’re broke. It keeps for ages and costs next to nothing. A firm favorite among the broke population? A hot dog bun, of course! Even star chefs love them—two-Michelin-star chef Soenil Bahadoer prefers to eat them straight from the can, raw—I rest my case. Add a dollop of your favorite sauce (which you obviously always keep in your fridge) and you can eat within a few minutes.

Toast with baked beans

It always makes me think of an English breakfast (which I absolutely hate): baked beans in tomato sauce. Apparently, on toast it makes a perfectly decent—and cheap—meal. Also part of the canned-food category, which we secretly quite love. I’m not exactly excited by it myself, but I’d probably feel differently if I were in the red.

Toast baked beans tomato sauce — Toast piled high with beans: incredibly filling

Leftover burrito

Do you still have a pack of wraps lying around and some leftovers in the fridge? One plus one equals two, I’d say. Fill it up! It’s also a very sustainable way to eat, because those leftovers have to be used up anyway.

Rice

Rice is cheap, can be bought in bulk and is nutritious. And did you know you can make something really delicious with it, even when the base is very simple? Try baking your rice in the oven, for example. It gives it a really lovely texture. And I’d happily eat such an inexpensive crunchy rice salad even if I were rolling in money!

Mashed potatoes

Basically a basic mash, then. If you know how to make it silky smooth and fluffy , this could easily turn into a luxurious meal. And that while it costs you almost nothing! We obviously have tips for the creamiest mashed potatoes of your life for you.