5 “Meals” Even Cheaper Than the Toast Sandwich

Published on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, by James Norton / Edit Post

With a relatively straight face, the BBC reports that the Royal Society of Chemistry is touting a toast sandwich as Britain's cheapest meal option. A Victorian-era toast sandwich—if you've never contemplated something so gob-stoppingly redundant—is two pieces of bread around a slice of toast, accompanied by butter, salt, and pepper. Total cost: 7.5 pence (12 cents). Only arguably a meal, but undeniably plenty cheap. We think we can do better.

1. Acorn Syrup

According to a foraging dinner I attended recently in San Francisco, it's technically possible to make a reasonably sweet and palatable syrup by processing the living goodness out of acorns. This is (a) fairly inexpensive and (b) surprisingly chic.

2. Dandelion Salad with Rainwater "Vinaigrette"

Pick some wet dandelion leaves. Tah-dah!

3. Just Olive Oil

Olive oil's got calories, right? Down the hatch...with economical food goodness!

4. Cheerios on a Half Bagel

For best results, match your Cheerios type with an appropriate bagel, e.g., Honey Nut with a raisin bagel, or Multi Grain with an everything bagel.

5. Open-Faced Toast Sandwich

Nearly 33 percent less expensive than the traditional toast sandwich, with the bonus of being Scandinavian cool. Win-win.

Image source: Toast image from Shutterstock

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POST A COMMENT |16 Comments

COMMENT

  • Mash-Up. Technically, you have to start with groceries but at the end of the week whatever is left in the fridge gets "mashed-up" in a frying pan and jazz it up with some soy sauce or other condiments (depending on what the ingredients are).

  • Air-popped popcorn. Don't even have to buy oil. I lived on this in college.

  • On the days you are flush, score some extra pouches of hot sauce at Taco Bell or mustards, hot sauces and soy sauce at the Chinese take-out..use as sandwich spreads on another day.

  • When my brother was little, he loved Alphabet cereal on buttered toast, the slice folded in 1/2. His invention, we laughed until we tried it - delish!

  • Go down to the local park and catch yourself a duck... free!

    Grubs are nutritious and are supposed to be fairly tasty once you get used to the idea.

    Harvest mice and rats... hey Cody Lundin does it.

    Go to the grocery store on free sample day. The other day at my grocery store, I could have had several free portions of chicken salad on crackers, free pieces of flour tortilla, several...+READ

    Go down to the local park and catch yourself a duck... free!

    Grubs are nutritious and are supposed to be fairly tasty once you get used to the idea.

    Harvest mice and rats... hey Cody Lundin does it.

    Go to the grocery store on free sample day. The other day at my grocery store, I could have had several free portions of chicken salad on crackers, free pieces of flour tortilla, several pieces of fresh pineapple on toothpicks and drank their free coffee. We haven't discussed illegally sampling grapes from their produce department and nuts and candies from their bulk sales area.

    Then, of course there is panhandling on the corner. If they give you the money and then you use that money to buy groceries, is that free groceries?-COLLAPSE

  • I read "Cheerios" as "Cheetos." I was only slightly relieved when I saw that it was "Cheerios."

  • I'm eating rice with spices.

  • But, does that count the cost of electricity for the toaster?

  • And for desert : a cup of snow topped with a delightful sprinkle of hundreds and thousands.

  • I've seen the Ramen Noodles at 10 or even 12 for a dollar. Not so bad if one doctors them up with some fresh veggies - dumpster dived of course (keeping with the theme here!)

  • 8 for a dollar Ramen Noodles. While just as gross as everything said above, you can live on it, college is proof of that!

  • During the Depression one ordered a Pine Float---a glass of water with a toothpick.

  • Three pieces of bread (AND butter?) costs twelve cents? Not in my universe.

  • Hey, I'm counting on my oil stores to get me through the famine. You know, until the rest of you starve to death and we well-prepared folk can dine on your carcasses.

    Toast sandwich is sounding better now, isn't it?

  • left over pizza crusts - with butter!

  • I'll stick with my Maruchan. But a glass of Olive Oil to wash it down sounds great!