Food inflation keeps rising in the United States and is projected to continue into 2024, according to the USDA. As a result, throngs of Americans have been hitting up retailers they normally wouldn’t be relying on for the bulk of their grocery store needs.
Dollar General has even launched a series of “Market” locations centered on fortified food offerings, including produce and other commonly purchased supermarket items so folks can not only purchase typical dollar store non-perishable budget items, but groceries to fill their refrigerators and pantries as well.
As a result of the rising cost of living that’s occurred in the United States since 2021, folks have been sharing their grocery store “hacks” online, which feature them going on store runs at budget retailers and the hauls they’ve been able to make on a strict budget.
TikToker @dollartreedinners has an account dedicated to this practice, demonstrating various ways Dollar Tree shoppers can feed themselves and their families relatively cheaply. In a recent video, she delineated how shoppers can create three dinners for just $5 solely from items purchased at Dollar Tree.
@dollartreedinners 3 Dinners for 1 for $5 ($1.67 per meal) #extremebudgetmeals #strugglemeals #extremelycheapmeals #microwavefriendly #dollartreedinners #dollartreefood #cookingforone ♬ original sound – Dollar Tree Dinners
“Here’s how to make three dinners for $5 from the Dollar Tree,” the TikToker begins. “The first thing we’re gonna grab is an egg roll from the freezer, this is a shrimp egg roll you can use any flavor. Next up we’re gonna grab a can of soup, I like the ham and bean soup but you can use any soup of your choice.”
The creator then proceeds to grab a can of chicken tamales, and a bag of white rice, but mentions that if you cannot cook your own rice, the Dollar Tree also offers microwaveable bags of rice.
After showing of all of the items clearly displaying their packaging in the process, she then transitions to the interior of her car, focusing her camera lens on a receipt, indicating how much money she spent at the Dollar Tree.
“And as you can see this comes out to $5,” she says. “Now let’s go cook our meals.”
The next portion of the video is a cooking tutorial, which starts with @dollartreedinners holding a strainer over a sink.
“All three of these meals are gonna start off the same way,” she explains. “I’m gonna be rinsing some rice and cooking it in my mini rice cooker. Now, when it comes to this mini rice cooker I only like to cook a half cup of rice at a time cause otherwise it boils over.”
She continues how the soup can be warmed up either on the stovetop or in the microwave since all three of these meals are microwave-friendly. The creator then demonstrates how to spoon the soup over a bed of cooked rice, making it meal number one.
She then shifts her focus to the second meal, which includes the large chicken tamales she purchased from Dollar Tree. She lays them down in a pan on a stovetop and heats them up in a skillet along with the sauce before removing the individual wrappers. She once again lays the tamales over a bed of rice, even having two extra tamales left over.
Lastly, she shows how to make a dinner out of the rice she purchased combined with the large shrimp roll she found in Dollar Tree’s freezer section.
“These egg rolls are a really good size,” the creator shares. “They are stuffed full of cabbage, celery, carrots, and onions and they do come with a packet of sweet and sour sauce as well.”
She recommends letting them thaw on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes and then cooking them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
“Once it’s crispy to your liking, cut it up into small pieces serve it over rice and pour the sweet and sour sauce on top,” she says.
The end result of the third meal looked like a stir-fry bowl one would purchase at a restaurant, and if users have additional proteins or vegetables at their house, they could presumably cook them up to add to the bowl for a heftier-sized meal.
She concludes, “And while all three of these meals were served over rice, they were all very different from each other as far as flavor goes so you definitely don’t feel like you’re eating the same thing. The rice is just there to bulk out the meals and make them feel more substantial.”
One TikToker thanked @dollartreemeals for posting the information, stating that due to their financial status, this type of information was extremely helpful. “From somebody who has $4.65 in their bank account, thank you,” they wrote.
“I’m a single mom and this account has saved me more than once,” another said.
Another commenter suggested another protein-fortifying ingredient that could probably be added to all of the meals she mentioned. “I like the variety with the same base, it won’t make you feel like your eating the same thing,” they said. “If u have eggs the leftover tamales would be good with.”
Someone else pointed out that the tamales meal could be portioned out to serve two people, or stretched for two dinners, writing, “The tamale one could technically serve 2 if you did 3 tamales each.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dollar Tree via email and @dollartreedinners via TikTok comment.
