Help me reduce my grocery bill living out of my car.

[LifestyleDeflation]

Hey all- I'm living out of my car in the California Bay Area, and looking for ways to reduce my grocery bill. My standards in terms of taste are pretty low as long as the food I'm eating is reasonably healthy, but I have no refrigeration and no kitchen.

My typical breakfast is a banana or two with peanut butter, and sometimes peanuts or wheat thins as well. A typical lunch/dinner would be wheat thin sandwiches with avocado and cheese, and snacks tend to be peanuts and rotating veggies (tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, etc).

I'm not sure how much better I can do with my current situation- I would love to make some bulk bean/rice/lentil based meals, but I only occasionally have access to a friend's kitchen, and I don't want to be a burden, nor do I have much storage space in the car for a cooler.

So what are your thoughts? How can I reduce my bill?

-LD

[phred]

is there a park nearby that has built-in grills?  You could buy enough for a meal and cook it there.

Long ago I lived in my car why working three part-time jobs & going to school.  Trust me that you need to end the car thing.  Move in with parents or relatives even if they cramp your style

[jasman18]

If you could hook up another car battery in parallel you could plug in a 12V mini fridge:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wagan-7-Liter-12v-Auto-Personal-Fridge-Warmer/14521526
 

[Thegoblinchief]

Not sure it would help reduce the bill, but getting a small grill or using a charcoal chimney as a rocket stove could increase the variety of your cooking considerably.

Remember that people survived without refrigeration much more recently than they survived without fire :P

Read up on provisioning for sailboats. Jacob at ERE has written several interesting posts about how long certain perishables can last without a fridge.

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

The google search you are looking for is "cheap backpacking meals".

Think about it:  Backpackers have no refrigeration, limited space, and not much in the way of leftover-preservation so the meals need to be right for 1 person.

Do you have a small camping stove?  Obviously don't use it in the car, but having a stove opens up a ton of frugal cooking options.  Ramen, Quinoa, Bulgur, etc... all just need hot water.  Spend a bit more on fuel and you can make rice or pasta.

Here's a couple of links to get you started on recipes:

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpacking-food/recipes/backpacking-dinner-recipes/
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/402778
http://seattlebackpackersmagazine.com/top-10-backpacking-meals/

[chucklesmcgee]

Not sure it would help reduce the bill, but getting a small grill or using a charcoal chimney as a rocket stove could increase the variety of your cooking considerably.

Just be sure to keep the area really ventilated!