Some days you’re not just broke — you’re tired-broke.
The kind of exhausted where the idea of chopping onions feels like a full-time job, and the thought of cooking makes your brain want to shut down completely.
This post is for those days.
These meals are:
- Cheap
- Fast
- Low-cleanup
- Low-spoons
- Comforting
- Minimal effort
- Zero perfection required
Let’s get into the practical stuff.
🥣 1. Eggs + Something = A Meal
Eggs are the ultimate survival food:
- Cheap
- Fast
- Filling
- Work with almost anything
Try one of these:
- Scrambled eggs + toast
- Fried eggs + rice
- Boiled eggs + a spoon of mayo + pepper
- Eggs on tortillas with hot sauce
Takes 4 minutes. Requires zero brain cells.
🍚 2. Rice Bowl with “Whatever You Have”
If you can push one button on a rice cooker or microwave rice packet, you can make this meal.
Base:
- Rice
- Or pasta
- Or ramen (without the broth)
Add-ins:
- Canned beans
- Frozen veg
- A fried egg
- Jarred sauce
- Cheese
- Butter
- Whatever seasoning is closest to you
This recipe is impossible to mess up.
Everything goes with everything.
🍜 3. Lazy-Person Ramen Upgrade
This is for the days when even “boil water” feels like too much.
Add:
- A handful of frozen veggies (directly into the pot)
- An egg cracked in during the last 30 seconds
- Soy sauce, lemon, or anything acidic
Ramen becomes a real meal with almost no added work.
🥪 4. Peanut Butter Sandwich + Fruit/Carrot
The holy trinity of low-energy eating:
- Cheap
- Fast
- Surprisingly filling
If you have a banana or carrot, add it.
If not, PB + bread still works.
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to feel fancy with zero effort.
🥔 5. Microwave Baked Potato
The microwave is your best friend on depleted days.
Steps:
- Wash potato
- Stab with fork
- Microwave 5–8 minutes
- Top with whatever you have
Toppings that work even when your energy is gone:
- Butter + salt
- Cheese
- Beans
- Frozen broccoli
- Sour cream
- Jarred salsa
One potato can be a meal.
🍲 6. “Dump Everything in a Pan” Stir Fry
This is not real stir fry.
This is survival stir fry.
Dump in:
- Frozen veg
- Whatever protein you have (egg counts)
- Sauce (soy sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce — doesn’t matter)
- Leftover rice or pasta
Heat until warm.
You’re done.
🧀 7. Cheese Quesadilla (Zero Thought Required)
Ingredients:
- Tortilla
- Cheese
- Pan
Heat → fold → flip → done.
Pair with:
- Salsa
- Leftover beans
- Egg
- Frozen veg
Takes minutes. No brain cells required.
🥫 8. Canned Soup Remix
Canned soup is a budget lifesaver.
Upgrade it with:
- Frozen vegetables
- Rice
- Pasta
- Extra spices
- A splash of milk
The goal isn’t gourmet — it’s fed + fuelled.
💬 Final reminder:
If all you can do today is microwave something or make a PB sandwich, that is enough.
You’re feeding yourself.
You’re surviving.
You’re doing what you can with what you have — and that counts.