Had a chat with my neighbor about canned beans and it changed my mind

I always thought dried beans were the only budget move, but my neighbor Linda told me last week she feeds her family of four on $35 a week using mostly canned stuff from Aldi. She showed me her pantry and I realized the convenience actually saves her from ordering takeout when she's tired (which happens a lot). Anybody else find that paying a little more for canned beans actually keeps your overall grocery bill lower?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin48915d ago

Honestly I was skeptical about canned beans for years because I thought the sodium content would be through the roof. But then I started rinsing them really well and now I grab them from the dollar store for like a buck a can. The thing that really sold me was having a five minute backup dinner when I'm too wiped to cook - just drain a can of black beans, toss them in a bowl with some frozen corn and hot sauce, and call it a win. My dried beans would sit in the pantry for months because I'd forget to soak them the night before. Tbh I still buy dried lentils for big batches but the convenience of canned beans for small meals has honestly cut my food waste way down.

elizabeth43815d agoTop Commenter

Rinse them first and the sodium drops like crazy, I swear by this too. Also I've found thrifty brands at dollar stores usually have the same texture as the name brands, no weird mushy beans here.