30 days. 30 meals. 30 dollars

Hey guys. So, Ramen exists, but it doesn't have to. I set out to see if I could buy a month's worth of meals at my local dollar store, and use only one pot to cook every meal. As a vegan who's also a bachelor, this is a breeze. As a shaky budgeters, this is also a breeze. This was also the first time I tried this, and it felt like a great exercise in mental Health. It's a challenge for yourself. I was able to meet a lot of people who shared stories from dollar store recipes of the past, and it was a great way to meet great people, and it made me feel like a kid again!<br><br>So, I started with $30. I thought this would be a great way to help me start saving money, and test the waters. I was able to get to the dollar store, and spend all $30. I had never done this before, but every single night I went through one pot meals, and tried to figure out the flavor of the day. It was a lot of fun. I think this is a great way to test yourself, and meet new friends and end up with some great recipes and stories to share. So, here they are!<br><br>Day 1. Rainbow minestrone soup. I was able to get 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, 2 cups of pasta, and a pound of lentils. This was a good start, and I knew I was on the right track when I could eat it and it tasted like minestrone. <br><br>Day 2. Lemon rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of lemonade. I threw some salt and water and end up with a little bit of lemon rice. <br><br>Day 3. Veggie stir fry. I was able to get 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of broccoli, 1 bag of asparagus, and 2 cups of pasta. I cooked it in a little bit of olive oil and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 4. Maple mushroom rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of maple syrup. I threw some salt and water and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 5. Veggie soup. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of lentils. This was a great way to end the week. <br><br>Day 6. Fried rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a bag of carrots. I threw some salt and water and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 7. Chili. I was able to get 2 cups of beans, 1 pound of canned vegetables, and 1 pound of tomato sauce. This is a classic. It was delicious. <br><br>Day 8. Asparagus and potatoes. I was able to get 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of potatoes, and a bag of asparagus. I threw some salt and olive oil in the pan and end up with a meal I could eat on the porch and enjoy. <br><br>Day 9. Veggie stir fry. I was able to get 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of broccoli, 1 bag of asparagus, and 2 cups of pasta. I cooked it in a little bit of olive oil and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 10. Blueberry rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of blueberry syrup. I threw some salt and water and end up with a light, delicious, and flavorful. <br><br>Day 11. Tomato soup. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of lentils. This is a classic. <br><br>Day 12. Peanut butter noodles. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 jar of peanut butter, and a bag of broccoli. I threw some salt and water and end up with a light, delicious, and flavorful meal. I met a lot of people on this night, and it was a great night. I could only imagine how much of a godsend these ingredients would be on antibiotics. <br><br>Day 13. Chili and rice. I was able to get 2 cups of beans, 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of rice. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal I could eat and enjoy. <br><br>Day 14. Fried rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a bag of carrots. I threw some salt and water and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 15. Veggie soup. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 pound of canned vegetables, and 1 pound of tomato sauce. This is a classic. I was able to meet a lot of people on this night, and it was a great way to end the 15 days. <br><br>Day 16. Sweet potato lentil stew. I was able to get 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and a bag of sweet potatoes. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal I could eat and enjoy. <br><br>Day 17. Veggie stir fry. I was able to get 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of broccoli, 1 bag of asparagus, and 2 cups of pasta. I cooked it in a little bit of olive oil and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 18. Maple rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of maple syrup. I threw some salt and water and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 19. Lemon rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of lemonade. I threw some salt and water and end up with a little bit of lemon rice. <br><br>Day 20. Spicy Ramen. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 cup of beans, and a cup of sriracha. I threw some salt and water and ended up with Ramen! This was a great way to end 20 nights, and it was also one of my favorites. The flavor was great. I was so happy I was able to get this.<br><br>Day 21. Potato salad. I was able to get 1 bag of potatoes, 1 bag of carrots, and a bag of broccoli. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal I could eat and enjoy. <br><br>Day 22. Sweet potato stew. I was able to get 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and a bag of sweet potatoes. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal I could eat and enjoy, and feel good. <br><br>Day 23. Catsup noodles. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 cup of catsup, and 1 bag of broccoli. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal I could eat and enjoy. <br><br>Day 24. Veggie soup. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 pound of canned vegetables, and 1 pound of tomato sauce. This is a classic. <br><br>Day 25. Chili and rice. I was able to get 2 cups of beans, 1 pound of canned vegetables, 1 pound of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of rice. I threw some salt and water and end up with a meal you could eat and enjoy. <br><br>Day 26. Maple mushroom rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a cup of maple syrup. I threw some salt and water and end up with a delicious vegan biryani. <br><br>Day 27. Veggie stir fry. I was able to get 1 bag of carrots, 1 bag of broccoli, 1 bag of asparagus, and 2 cups of pasta. I cooked it in a little bit of olive oil and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 28. Fried rice. I was able to get 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of lentils, and a bag of carrots. I threw some salt and water and end up with a good, solid meal. <br><br>Day 29. Chili. I was able to get 2 cups of beans, 1 pound of canned vegetables, and 1 pound of tomato sauce. This is a classic. <br><br>Day 30. Veggie soup. I was able to get 1 cup of noodles, 1 pound of canned vegetables, and 1 pound of tomato sauce. This is a classic. <br><br>So, I ended up with a lot. I think this is a great way to test yourself, and meet new friends and end up with some great recipes. I end up with 4 weeks worth of food for $30, and great exercise in mental Health. It's a challenge for yourself. <br><br>Edit: I didn't use olive oil, or any sauces, or any effort. It was a fun challenge to meet people, and test myself, and my budget. It's also a good way to end up with free ingredients you can use for the next challenge. It was fun!