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I think everyone is wrong about dried beans being the only cheap option. | Budget Friendly Meals - Rigidtalk

I think everyone is wrong about dried beans being the only cheap option.

For about a year, I was all in on the dried bean thing because every budget meal article said it was the cheapest protein. My grocery bill for two people in Austin was still around $120 a week. Then, about three months ago, I started tracking the real cost of my time and energy. Soaking beans overnight, the long cook time, the gas or electricity used... it adds up. I switched to buying canned beans on sale, usually for 79 cents a can, and my weekly bill dropped to under $100. The time I saved meant I could actually cook a full meal after work instead of ordering out because I was too tired. I know canned costs more per ounce, but for my real life, the dried bean advice made things harder, not easier. Has anyone else done the math on their own time and found a 'cheap' staple that actually costs more?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_walker626mo ago

See, I had the opposite happen. I bought an instant pot for like sixty bucks, and now a bag of dried black beans costs me less than two dollars and cooks in forty minutes with no soak. My canned bean math fell apart because I'm getting three times the beans for the same price. The energy cost is a few cents. Maybe it's about the upfront tool cost, but for me, the real savings kicked in after that first month. The canned ones just feel like a convenience tax now.

the_faith3mo ago

Canned beans really do feel like a luxury item once you do the dried bean math. I had a similar moment with chickpeas where I realized I was paying like three bucks for a can when a bag of dried ones was maybe two fifty and made like four cans worth. Rinsing and sorting takes maybe two minutes for me, not hours, so the time argument always felt a little overblown. It's nice to see someone else feeling the same way about that convenience tax.

ross.kelly6mo ago

Wait, did you factor in the time to sort and rinse the dried beans? That's the hidden cost for me. Your math works if you value your time at zero, but I can open a can in ten seconds. @wren_walker62, you're right about the money saved, but my free evening hour is worth more than a couple bucks.