What place's food should I survive on next??? PS - start saving with Rocket Money! Managing your finances starts here rocketmoney.com/samreid #rocketmoney #personalfinance
Id love to see a Clearance Item only survival challenge for 72hrs or so. Shopping only the stuff marked down in the grocery store (no sale items allowed, only clearance / manager mark downs)
@@therealsamreid i was like, why is he surprised by the non refrigerated milk xD. I live in Germany and here its normal to not find it in the refrigerators at all 😂
@@therealsamreid To be fair, most milk these days is pasteurized or even ultra-pasteurized which gets it to temperatures far above boiling which kills basically everything (in addition to denaturing the enzymes so you can't digest the milk anymore - go figure!) so the "shelf stable" stuff is just "normal" milk that's been vacuum sealed, probably with nitrous oxide.
@@luggathelegend i thought the exact same. just to realize he prob lives in our favourite freedom country america, where they do the most suspicious stuff to food to save abit of money. with their flimsy regulations and laws i can understand why people would be careful with this shit.
@@catmansion (in addition to denaturing the enzymes so you can't digest the milk anymore - go figure!) sounds like a you problem. I got those chad milk drinking genes
As a quick disclaimer, I just want to acknowledge that 1) the business model of dollar stores can be disadvantageous for both employees and customers, and 2) a large percentage of folks in the US shop at dollar stores out of necessity (prohibitive costs of traditional grocery retailers, food deserts, etc.). I decided to take the total spent on this video ($96.96) and make an equivalent donation to a local relief organization that helps combat food insecurity. I intentionally tried to make more elaborate meals for this video, but if you're looking for affordable recipes and tips, check out Dollar Tree Dinners: www.youtube.com/@DollarTreeDinners/
Thank you. Thank you for acknowledging that not everybody has the resources that they need. Thank you also for donating. It really helps those who need it.
@@nibblitman Look in dollar stores that are in areas without a grocery store, that's where they thrive. Poorer neighborhoods in cities, super rural sparsely populated areas etc.
The almost $11/meal price tag is slightly more approachable when you consider that Sam basically had to buy new pantry staples (butter, salt, lemon juice, seasonings, etc.) in addition to the main ingredients. Loved the video, I don't know how you don't have tons more subscribers!!
One of the other channels I watch occasionally does food challenges, not quite like this but similar ideas, and one of their rules is that basic pantry items don't count. You can use your basic seasonings, butter, milk, olive oil, that sort of thing that you should always have. It's the actual dish ingredients that count. I would love to see how much his meals would cost in that case.
@@ashliel4111 Sorted Foods. And most of the stuff they do is not challenges like this, but they do occasionally do challenges. Like fairly recently they did a "frozen foods only challenge", a cooking using only microwaves and toasters, they occasionally do a cooking with only what is in the other guy's fridge. Most of their stuff isn't challenges like that, but reviews and random chef battles and the like.
There's many food drops that you don't have to verify your finances. As well as some pantries in case you're unaware. I'm disabled and on disability so I'm pretty informed on places to get assistance. I also do street outreach and volunteer at food pantry when I'm able. We just received the new amounts for people to qualify for food. You can call The United Way 211 line open 24/7/365. Ask where you can find help for food, clothes,etc
1:03 - That is UHT (Ultra Heat Treated) milk, it is safe to be on a shelf in a pantry for years if unopened, once opened it has a 1 week lifespan and needs to be refrigerated like regular milk.
i swear this guy is gonna blow UP soon. i wouldn't be surprised if he hits a million within a year, to be completely honest. his videos are always so interesting and well made. keep it up bro
Note: Its okay for milk to be stored on shelves and not in the fridge if it goes through a higher degree of pasteurization compared to refrigerated milk. Though upon opening any milk container, no matter the pasteueization, you must refrigerate it.
Yeah it's usually like for emergencies and shit. When the hurricanes hit the coast a few years ago fema was passing it out. I guess cause like you said as long as it's closed it'll last for a while
@@vee3357pasteurization does not destroy any of the main nutrients in milk. Pasteurization can’t destroy the fats(calories) or the minerals or the calcium in milk. Even UHT(shelf stable) pasteurization can’t do that. UHT does taste different to most people though. IMO it’s not better or worse really; it’s just different and is for different people. Shelf stable stuff is great for people who don’t use a lot of milk(so just use when needed instead of having to worry about an expiration date) or people who use a ton of milk but don’t have refrigerator space.
Nice to see someone that is not a picky eater making these kind of vids! Its really nice how you went with a cooking approach instead of a ready to eat approach as other content creators tend to do, makes it more interesting!
I work at a dollar store and I don't trust the beef we sell 😂 (I was impressed with the frozen shrimp though) As you said, it won't win you any Michelin stars, but if you want something inexpensive that's a step above instant Ramen or bluebox mac and cheese, you can make some decent meals from a dollar store.
My opinions are actually the exact opposite of yours; since the beef industry is much better regulated in the US than Shrimp id rather take my chance on the beef. Virtually all cheap shrimp in the US is imported from China and India and theres been undercover reporting of the poor conditions they are raised in over there. Basically mud and poop filled run off ditches, and since shrimp are filter feeders thats a real issue. Clean them out REALLY REALLY well and make sure theyre completely deveined is my advise if you continue eating them.
@@sergeantbigmac Oh, I always do. (It's from a dollar store after all) My point of contention is that our stock of shrimp and stuff rotates a lot faster than our stock of beef products. It rarely sells until it's close to the sell by date and we mark it down. So it stays in the freezer a lot longer. It's also cheaper to get a pound of fresh beef from the local supermarket than it is to get a pound of frozen stuff from us.
@@DCYote1 Fair enough, thanks for the added info. I'll have to remember to double check sell bys. There are a lot of examples where a dollar store is actually more expensive dollar per ounce compared to a grocery store. Nothing against the people who work there of course, the one near me is like chronically understaffed and overworked. Seems like a rough job
I’ve been getting the ribeye from dollar tree as breakfast steak, i don’t mind it. I just marinate over night and cook well done. But also its 3$ not 1.25 there. But its tax free so thats good.
Great video! When clicking, I was worried you would mock the food, which sucks because sometimes that’s all some people can afford! And no shame with that! Thank you for being respectful and informative about it!
this would currently be me in this situation. i want to say to you that i love the human you chose to be in these comments. it's hard. when you have family that doesn't shop at dirt cheap stores and have "better" food. but it's really about how much you're willing to accept. Happiness is dependent upon acceptance very very highly. again thank you so much for your heart showing on your sleeve for this one🤍
@@ChainSwingerHxC no shame in feeding your family. I grew up with very little my mom made some of the most amazing things from very little. Your family appreciates it, just from a kids side of it. I am also in the same boat as an adult. Times are tough. Do your best and your family will see it and appreciate all of it ❤
I'm glad you actually tried to be creative here. Wasn't sure what vibes you'd carry based off the thumbnails but you seem pretty chill and down to Earth. Mad respect with how you approached this.
People talk about food deserts all the time so I'm really glad to see that there are frozen veggie options in the dollar store! Honestly, a lot of those meals looked really good
Dollar Tree sells frozen spring rolls (Jennifer's Garden brand) for like $1.25 and vegetable samosas for $1.25 as well near me. Sadly those are the only real veggie options at the dollar store near me other than the obvious things such as mixed veggies and corn on the cob. The spring rolls in particular are PHENOMENAL and as good (if not better) than the far more expensive brands at larger chains and you get 8 in a package. My wife and I have been known to load up an entire box-full of them when we go there because the quality and value are excellent. Grab some tamarind/duck/sweet & sour dipping sauce and you are in for a treat if you own an air fryer!
They look good when you add more too it like he did. With out it it looks bland but Im not kidding anyone I would still eat food even if its from a dollar tree store so long as its edible and doesn't have any bugs or mold on it. Food is Food at the end of the day.
I live in NYC and also next door to a Dollar Tree. It has been such a life saver with costs being sky high here. Your video has me excited to spend more time looking at the food there.❤
Not sure if it's the same brand but Walmart carries the small cups of ice cream. I think one variety is sundae which includes the flavors of strawberry and chocolate.
It’s actually kind of interesting watching someone learn about things you already know. Like- shelf milk is pretty common even at more expensive grocery stores. Packets of tuna and chicken are SUPER common and used by many as a snack/lunch. There’s a lot of spices/flavors; my favorite is sweet chili tuna. 😍
@@tomyy0842 I honestly thought it was common knowledge that pasteurized milk and that pouch chicken was shelf stable. Honestly, the chicken does taste kind of nice in it's own way and sometimes I find myself craving it or canned tuna lol.
There were at least 3 separate occasions where this man did something completely wrong, and then decided to read the packaging where it told him the right way to do it. Idk if that makes a good cook big dawg
When I was living in and out of motels in Florida I pretty much survived off of Dollar tree for 6 months. I saved up some money and bought a little electric pot stove top thing and it was literally straight up Dollar tree steaks for 6 months.
@@butters3063 My advice is if its at all questionable then make sure the meat gets up to at least 165F internal. A food thermometer is cheap insurance. Because just 1 single hospital visit from a bout of listeria will wipe out anything youve saved buying food at Dollar Tree vs a big Grocery.
this video was amazing!!! it’s really great to see that there are other alternative places to buy food at that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. also can’t wait to watch your channel grow!!! everyone can already tell you’re going far!!
i worked delivering dairy as teenager, milk on tetrabrik cartons is UHT (Ultra-high-temperature) treated milk, means it doesn't need refrigeration at all while sealed. its stable up to 6 months. is really different to just pasteurized milk, which has a short life of a week or so and requires a cold chain (you need to keep it at a low temp of 4C all the time until delivered to the supermarket or store), with UHT products we simply used a common truck.
now, the regular pasteurized milk was preferred back then by bakeries apparently because UHT dairy has a distinct flavor and that flavor passed down to pastries and bread. the theory says the flavor was real but i never felt it.
You were so creative with your meals. And you can cook, too! Very impressive! 😃 Easily you could have cut down on what you bought and made things simpler, but I'll bet you still have a few days worth of food left, and you ate really well! Impressive as always, Sam!
I don’t generally comment on RUclips videos, but this channel has the potential to explode in my opinion. Sharp thumbnails, very good editing, and great communication/narrative. I’ve gone through and binge watched almost every video and none disappoint. Keep up the good work Sam, looking forward to the next upload
I remember seeing a video on the costs comparison between regular grocery shopping and dollar store shopping. Some of the things you buy at dollar stores are no cheaper than regular grocery stores if you calculate the cost by amount/weight to the dollar. For example, dollar store might sell a package of bacon that has 4 strips in it for a 1.50, and you can find bacon at a regular grocery store that has 12 strips for about 5 bucks. A slight difference under 50 cents, but still at the end of the day, not a huge difference at all to really justify purchasing specifically at dollar stores. Frozen vegetables are also the same price at regular grocery stores, AND you can find frozen fruits as well. You can still shop fairly cheaply at regular grocery stores, as they sell plenty of cheaper options, or generic brand things, that keep the cost comparable to dollar store shopping.
what i'm learning about america is they have these highly inefficient food stores where the price points seem low but the tiny portions make them very expensive.
This was a great video and a lot of fun. While a lot of the food from Dollar stores isn't the best for you long term, the stuff like frozen veggies or salmon or shelf stable chicken, can really make them punch above their weight if you are having a bit of a food budget crisis now and again. Lentils, rice, beans, pasta stuff, lean meats, and yes, most do have eggs as well. I 100% use Dollar Tree for specific items like this and it works and works well. Can of spaghetti sauce, fill the can with water, chop up and add the frozen onion pepper mix, a cup of lentils and a couple of pouches of chicken breast is a half hour meal that is healthy, filling, easy and tasty and enough for a couple of meals or a couple of people.
I love how this guy is quality over quantity! Most RUclipsrs try to throw as much content as they can at you and the quality usually sucks. Sam does not upload super duper often but when he does upload, you know it's going to be good! Keep it up!!! :)
You’re showing the types of meals my mom would whip up when we couldn’t afford to get food from the normal grocery store. Honestly, some of it is comfort food for me now lol. I also was able to snag a dollar tree toy on most of those trips 🙌🏽 shoutout moms !
ramen noodles, Fried rice with mixed veggies and sliced hotdogs, cowboy beans and rice. spaghetti and meat sauce. scalloped potatoes. all can be bought for dollars.
Sam deserves so much more attention, he genuinely puts in so much effort, production, and editing into his videos and barely gets any views for it?? He'll blow up in the future I'm sure of it
The shelf stable milk is amazing. Once you open it you do have to refrigerate it. I buy it to keep around all the time because we go through milk very slowly. The Dollar Tree does normally have eggs, 6 packs. They also usually have oil but maybe your dollar tree didn’t have any that day.
The one thing I learned about cooking from the Dollar Tree: Don't start mixing the products. Usually its second/third tier brands. The taste is usually off. If you start mixing two things together, now your tasting two/three off things instead of one. Best to just eat it whatever by itself.
12:07 Outback steakhouse is American, merely Straya themed. its existence should already be offensive, thankfully Aussies have such good senses of humor
One my favorite bits is pretending I genuinely believe that Australia is exactly like Outback Steakhouse. Bloomin’ Onions and that brown honey wheat bread at every meal, 4WD cars ripping through the desert, eating steak all the time…
Happy thanksgiving Sam! I think it would be cool to see you cooking/surviving off ingredients from a 7/11. I’ve seen all kinds of stuff like crushing chips to make “dough” that would be fun to watch you make work
Just found your channel and I gotta say your production value is absolutely impressive. You make the video engaging and fun. Good luck on your journey to more subs
1:04 in germany its completely normal not to refrigerate milk before you open it. its called h-milch (haltbare milch) and means long lasting milk or something like that. if its been "ultra heat treated" its safe to drink
$10.77 per meal seems high compared to what you could get at Costco or Walmart, especially breakfast and lunch items. Costco's and other grocery stores' $5 rotisserie chickens provide multiple meals and is one of the best buys to stretch your grocery budget. One can eat healthy for far, far less than $32 per day so the $96.96 total bill for 3 days at 3 meals per day is too high for those of us tightening our financial budgets. Fresh vegetables and fruits for salad ingredients and eggs aren't sold at Dollar Tree so those items would obviously lower the price considerably. But one of my favorite go-to-meals from the Dollar Tree are the frozen egg rolls. Still a thumbs up for the video.
I love this. I love coming up with ideas for meals with limited ingredients like this. We went camping once and bought our meals from the dollar store. Made a shrimp dish with broccoli over a fire, all ingredients from the dollar tree!
I have watched a couple of you tubers that would eat for a week on like 10-12 dollars - with food from a regular grocery store. It was amazing to see how well they did. Following them if you have a super tight budget would be doable - like you don't have to starve if you have a financial crisis.🤑
The only way to get a cheaper ratio is probably meal-prepping in bulk to cycle throughout a week. I used frozen breakfast patties, a dozen eggs, and english muffins to make a faux McMuffin for $1.25 per sandwich for a week (8.75 total) while I was in college. Still found it much more difficult to cut down prices for lunch and dinner, which came out to around the 10-dollar-per-meal mark that you had if I wanted to have both fresh meat and vegetables with a variety of two different protein dishes and varying soups / salads.
I went through a rough patch and supplemented my groceries with Dollar Tree stuff for a while. If you shop right you can eat some pretty cheap meals. Those steaks are enjoyable if you learn how to pick out the better ones to not get the gristly ones. The bacon is the MVP as it's the perfect portion size. You don't have to bust open a full pack just to pick out a few pieces and it's a lot cheaper by the piece than anywhere else.
First time here, earned my sub! The algorithm got it right lol. Thank you Sam for letting me know it’s going to be ok ❤ looking forward to what you do next 👍
Can’t go wrong with Donald Duck orange juice and apple juice. Spices are available, egg noodles, lasagna pasta, good dental floss (60 in a pack), canned vegetables, 🥕 🫛🥫🧃👍
I know you were super limited on this challenge but good call on using a cast iron for your steak! My cooking method of choice! Reverse sear, so preheated in the oven and getting the crisp in the pan at the end. Butter baste your steak in the cast iron, melted butter, smashed garlic, and thyme, spoon that over your steak to crisp up the surface. Delish every time and much more affordable than going out to a steakhouse.
It blows my mind that there are frozen foods, let alone meat products in a dollartree. The dollar stores in Canada don’t have frozen food, but it does have pantry items like sliced bread, canned foods, pastas and the shelf milk. It would be interesting to see it expand to more frozen and refrigerated foods though.
Depends on where you live. If there is a supermarket every few blocks the food at dollar stores is limited. Out in the country they have a lot more food because Walmart is a long way off. You can eat at those dollar stores.
I've quite often eaten the food from there, simply because 1) the price point really can't be beat, especially when you would normally pay a higher amount for a similar item at the store, and 2) the quality is actually pretty good. For an extended of time we used to buy a case of the ribs about once a month because they were just that good. Also, IMO, the Dollar Tree has a more consistent selection than Dollar General. ETA: they do carry eggs, but they briefly stopped during the egg shortage due to the avian flu virus.
I hope you are trolling. There are cheaper and healthier options I guarantee it, what you are getting for 1.25 per item adds up quick when it's all low quantity/weight garbage
@@GeorgieB1965 I guarantee your nearest outlet-type grocery store sells meat by the pound that is more affordable, hell canned vegetables are often cheaper even at walmart, bulk rice and beans and bags of onions will be cheaper in a true grocery store
@@escapetherace1943 I concur. My usual grocery store is a low price little brother to Shop Rite called Price Rite, both owned by the same corporation. But I shop at Dollar Tree because sometimes, I can't find what I want at my store of choice but can at Dollar Tree.
@@escapetherace1943Dollar Tree CANNOT be beat for snacks tho. If I want a 2 liter I go there, cheapest place to get em. Used to sell 3 liters of faygo but they stopped smh. You can get the lil 5 pack long bars if reeses too when normally a 2 pack costs like 3$ at the grocery
That was super great to watch !! Want to see more !! But wow 96 dollars for 72 hour meal … probably cheaper to buy from a grocery store when it’s on sale . I recently bought a whole rack of pork ribs on sale for .88 cent a pound total was only 7 dollars and it lasted almost a whole week . Anyways you know what would be cool if you did another video on … cooking prison food lol 😂 those are always fun n interesting to watch .
True if you find good sales. But we got to remember he also bought all the seasoning also. I've done hybrids where I'll get frozen veggies, turkey bacon, and canned chicken (I use it for chicken salad) buy fresh veggies and meat when a big sale comes.
Thanks Sam! I just found your channel & vids! Very well-done. Y’all don’t sleep on the Hungry Jack Hashbrowns. Add onions, canned mushrooms, peppers, black beans, cilantro, whatever you got. Add some cheese & ketchup. Stretch those babies out! I like the Modern Pantry milk for emergencies like this, too. IMHO Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix is better than Martha White. Anyone else have thoughts? I’m gonna watch some of your vids after my upcoming surgery. These “food challenges” are fun to do! Makes it easier to help the elderly & disabled with ideas we know taste good & contain nutrients. You’re doing a good thing, man!
Fun fact You do not need to refrigerate boxed milk until opened because of UHT pasteurization. The process allows it too be stored in room temperature for a year. Powdered milk because of the way it is made by spray drying it allows for a even bigger shelf life of 2 years by the FDA. but if unopened can be good up to 10 years. this is the same reason why instant coffee is better than traditional ground coffee. The process of drying the products allows for the product to remain almost unchanged for much longer periods of time. This is why Steve MRE can drink coffee and use powdered milk from MRE's from the Vietnam war and it still is the same quality as any refrigerated product.
Depending on the area, the dollar tree does sell eggs and salsa but were sold out the day you went shopping. Also you can use mayonnaise as an egg and oil substitute in baking, just use the oil measurement.
I'd really like to see a follow up to this where you eat the exact same meals but price it out with buying bigger packages of these items from regular stores. The per meal cost seems really high to me.
I love those! They have three different flavors, I think. The spicy beef and jerk chicken are amazing! My husband go there every few months just to grab some of those. Maybe some candy occasionally as well. 😂
All I want is to see you go to a movie theater and eat nothing but concessions for all three meals for three days, while watching 9 movies. That's all I've ever wanted.
Dollar Tree tips from someone that shops there often. Go for the snacks, that's where the store shines. So glad he found the milk as I get those and 6 pack gallons of water a lot. I don't trust the ramen or a lot of the meat but that's an issue with my specific Dollar Tree. Best dessert to bake imo are brownies because they seem to last longer in the fridge. Cereal boxes are small but sometimes they sell a one time thing of huge boxes not sold during last months holidays or that we're just unpopular. Like he said, you can cook meals just fine so honestly don't buy frozen dinners. Just less value. They sell cans of mackerel that are great for soups but unfortunately it's a lot smaller in recent years. If you're at work it's good to pick up an iced coffee and a slim Jim. Eggs are sold but check them before you buy them. And last, always check the front of the store for seasonal stuff because there's things like peppermint bark that'll be perfect for Christmas stockings over the candy you can get anytime from anywhere.
I love videos like this but HATE when people "adjust" the scale for the cheap price point/whatever the point of the vid is. I don't care how good it is for dollar store food. I care how good it is as food.
What place's food should I survive on next??? PS - start saving with Rocket Money! Managing your finances starts here rocketmoney.com/samreid #rocketmoney #personalfinance
you should survive off of food from amazon
Costco food court
Id love to see a Clearance Item only survival challenge for 72hrs or so. Shopping only the stuff marked down in the grocery store (no sale items allowed, only clearance / manager mark downs)
Love your videos, man! Maybe gas station food? Something smilar to this 72 hour challenge could be fun
@@kishakittymeowI like that idea, but it could be difficult to find enough stuff.
The shelf stable milk is boiled to kill bacteria and since it's sealed it is safe. However, once you open it you do have to refrigerate it.
Thank you for this explanation!!! Science blows my mind
@@therealsamreid i was like, why is he surprised by the non refrigerated milk xD. I live in Germany and here its normal to not find it in the refrigerators at all 😂
@@therealsamreid To be fair, most milk these days is pasteurized or even ultra-pasteurized which gets it to temperatures far above boiling which kills basically everything (in addition to denaturing the enzymes so you can't digest the milk anymore - go figure!) so the "shelf stable" stuff is just "normal" milk that's been vacuum sealed, probably with nitrous oxide.
@@luggathelegend i thought the exact same. just to realize he prob lives in our favourite freedom country america, where they do the most suspicious stuff to food to save abit of money. with their flimsy regulations and laws i can understand why people would be careful with this shit.
@@catmansion (in addition to denaturing the enzymes so you can't digest the milk anymore - go figure!) sounds like a you problem. I got those chad milk drinking genes
As a quick disclaimer, I just want to acknowledge that 1) the business model of dollar stores can be disadvantageous for both employees and customers, and 2) a large percentage of folks in the US shop at dollar stores out of necessity (prohibitive costs of traditional grocery retailers, food deserts, etc.). I decided to take the total spent on this video ($96.96) and make an equivalent donation to a local relief organization that helps combat food insecurity. I intentionally tried to make more elaborate meals for this video, but if you're looking for affordable recipes and tips, check out Dollar Tree Dinners:
www.youtube.com/@DollarTreeDinners/
Good shout out. Dollar Tree Dinners is amazing. Her Thanksgiving meal videos were eye-opening.
You're a sweet person for making sure this is known.
So also how do you find dollar stores with real food? I have never seen one with more refrigeration than the soda up front.
Thank you. Thank you for acknowledging that not everybody has the resources that they need. Thank you also for donating. It really helps those who need it.
@@nibblitman Look in dollar stores that are in areas without a grocery store, that's where they thrive. Poorer neighborhoods in cities, super rural sparsely populated areas etc.
The almost $11/meal price tag is slightly more approachable when you consider that Sam basically had to buy new pantry staples (butter, salt, lemon juice, seasonings, etc.) in addition to the main ingredients. Loved the video, I don't know how you don't have tons more subscribers!!
One of the other channels I watch occasionally does food challenges, not quite like this but similar ideas, and one of their rules is that basic pantry items don't count. You can use your basic seasonings, butter, milk, olive oil, that sort of thing that you should always have. It's the actual dish ingredients that count. I would love to see how much his meals would cost in that case.
@@ringringbananarchyI'm curious what channel it is. I love watching similar stuff
What channel? @@ringringbananarchy
@@ashliel4111 Sorted Foods. And most of the stuff they do is not challenges like this, but they do occasionally do challenges. Like fairly recently they did a "frozen foods only challenge", a cooking using only microwaves and toasters, they occasionally do a cooking with only what is in the other guy's fridge. Most of their stuff isn't challenges like that, but reviews and random chef battles and the like.
@@ringringbananarchy oooo yeah I actually really love Sorted Foods. I need to watch some more of their content
Finally a video that's respectful to people who work and have to shop at stores like Dollar Tree.
There's many food drops that you don't have to verify your finances. As well as some pantries in case you're unaware. I'm disabled and on disability so I'm pretty informed on places to get assistance. I also do street outreach and volunteer at food pantry when I'm able. We just received the new amounts for people to qualify for food. You can call The United Way 211 line open 24/7/365. Ask where you can find help for food, clothes,etc
1:03 - That is UHT (Ultra Heat Treated) milk, it is safe to be on a shelf in a pantry for years if unopened, once opened it has a 1 week lifespan and needs to be refrigerated like regular milk.
i swear this guy is gonna blow UP soon. i wouldn't be surprised if he hits a million within a year, to be completely honest. his videos are always so interesting and well made. keep it up bro
i tottaly agree its crazy he isnt well known on youtube yet
I’ve been saying this for months now, his ideas are awesome and the quality of the videos are amazing excellent
I know man. I started watching him when he hit 1000 subscribers. His quality has just been getting better, but it was always great!
I definitely agree his content seems well thought out
Agree. I wonder how many news subs a day he gets
Note: Its okay for milk to be stored on shelves and not in the fridge if it goes through a higher degree of pasteurization compared to refrigerated milk. Though upon opening any milk container, no matter the pasteueization, you must refrigerate it.
88k says thomas?
im almost sure that more pasteurization = less nutritional value. you should only buy room temp milk if you can't buy cold
Yeah it's usually like for emergencies and shit. When the hurricanes hit the coast a few years ago fema was passing it out. I guess cause like you said as long as it's closed it'll last for a while
@@vee3357pasteurization does not destroy any of the main nutrients in milk. Pasteurization can’t destroy the fats(calories) or the minerals or the calcium in milk. Even UHT(shelf stable) pasteurization can’t do that. UHT does taste different to most people though. IMO it’s not better or worse really; it’s just different and is for different people. Shelf stable stuff is great for people who don’t use a lot of milk(so just use when needed instead of having to worry about an expiration date) or people who use a ton of milk but don’t have refrigerator space.
he's a rich zoomer. He never had to drink government milk before lol
Nice to see someone that is not a picky eater making these kind of vids! Its really nice how you went with a cooking approach instead of a ready to eat approach as other content creators tend to do, makes it more interesting!
Nothing wrong with being a picky eater because you are what you eat
@@blackcherry6877 So true ,I stopped eating meat and my skin is now fantastic , no more zits and blackheads for me .
Opening cans isn't cooking
@@SMerlin92 by what metric is what he did in this video *not* cooking
@@Jay-vr9ireat meat dude but in moderation. At least pescatarian…
I work at a dollar store and I don't trust the beef we sell 😂 (I was impressed with the frozen shrimp though) As you said, it won't win you any Michelin stars, but if you want something inexpensive that's a step above instant Ramen or bluebox mac and cheese, you can make some decent meals from a dollar store.
"Above" blue box...How dare you, sir! 😂
My opinions are actually the exact opposite of yours; since the beef industry is much better regulated in the US than Shrimp id rather take my chance on the beef. Virtually all cheap shrimp in the US is imported from China and India and theres been undercover reporting of the poor conditions they are raised in over there. Basically mud and poop filled run off ditches, and since shrimp are filter feeders thats a real issue. Clean them out REALLY REALLY well and make sure theyre completely deveined is my advise if you continue eating them.
@@sergeantbigmac Oh, I always do. (It's from a dollar store after all) My point of contention is that our stock of shrimp and stuff rotates a lot faster than our stock of beef products. It rarely sells until it's close to the sell by date and we mark it down. So it stays in the freezer a lot longer. It's also cheaper to get a pound of fresh beef from the local supermarket than it is to get a pound of frozen stuff from us.
@@DCYote1 Fair enough, thanks for the added info. I'll have to remember to double check sell bys. There are a lot of examples where a dollar store is actually more expensive dollar per ounce compared to a grocery store. Nothing against the people who work there of course, the one near me is like chronically understaffed and overworked. Seems like a rough job
I’ve been getting the ribeye from dollar tree as breakfast steak, i don’t mind it. I just marinate over night and cook well done. But also its 3$ not 1.25 there. But its tax free so thats good.
i appreciate that you chose to actually cook and attempted somewhat balanced meals
Great video! When clicking, I was worried you would mock the food, which sucks because sometimes that’s all some people can afford! And no shame with that! Thank you for being respectful and informative about it!
I agree, he's a very pleasant young man!
this would currently be me in this situation. i want to say to you that i love the human you chose to be in these comments. it's hard. when you have family that doesn't shop at dirt cheap stores and have "better" food. but it's really about how much you're willing to accept. Happiness is dependent upon acceptance very very highly. again thank you so much for your heart showing on your sleeve for this one🤍
@@ChainSwingerHxC no shame in feeding your family. I grew up with very little my mom made some of the most amazing things from very little. Your family appreciates it, just from a kids side of it. I am also in the same boat as an adult. Times are tough. Do your best and your family will see it and appreciate all of it ❤
@@insertnamehere2635 likewise. I love everything about our interaction and i hope that life leaves you happy 🤍
Yes there IS shame! Shame the government allows that to happen resulting in people having to eat highly processed chemicals disguised as food
I'm glad you actually tried to be creative here. Wasn't sure what vibes you'd carry based off the thumbnails but you seem pretty chill and down to Earth. Mad respect with how you approached this.
People talk about food deserts all the time so I'm really glad to see that there are frozen veggie options in the dollar store!
Honestly, a lot of those meals looked really good
Dollar Tree sells frozen spring rolls (Jennifer's Garden brand) for like $1.25 and vegetable samosas for $1.25 as well near me. Sadly those are the only real veggie options at the dollar store near me other than the obvious things such as mixed veggies and corn on the cob.
The spring rolls in particular are PHENOMENAL and as good (if not better) than the far more expensive brands at larger chains and you get 8 in a package. My wife and I have been known to load up an entire box-full of them when we go there because the quality and value are excellent. Grab some tamarind/duck/sweet & sour dipping sauce and you are in for a treat if you own an air fryer!
They look good when you add more too it like he did. With out it it looks bland but Im not kidding anyone I would still eat food even if its from a dollar tree store so long as its edible and doesn't have any bugs or mold on it. Food is Food at the end of the day.
@@ryanadams0922All the stuff he added also came from the dollar tree
@@ryanadams0922 eating these by itself without adding other ingredients is kind of sad thing to imagine
Sir, you HAVE to use the wooden spoon. The wood adds a distinct flavor. Did you not eat these in school as a kid?
I saw that wooden spoon and had instant flashbacks, I had forgotten all about those
I live in NYC and also next door to a Dollar Tree. It has been such a life saver with costs being sky high here. Your video has me excited to spend more time looking at the food there.❤
that's great NYC has dollar trees
Those sundae ice cream cups were an actual delicacy for me as a kid, can’t find them in stores anymore except dollar tree. Happy they still exist 😂
I used to eat em by the dozen, so good. Every Bodega had em in 90s. New England we called.hoodsie cups
@@jamie.777I love hoodsie cups
Not sure if it's the same brand but Walmart carries the small cups of ice cream. I think one variety is sundae which includes the flavors of strawberry and chocolate.
It’s actually kind of interesting watching someone learn about things you already know. Like- shelf milk is pretty common even at more expensive grocery stores. Packets of tuna and chicken are SUPER common and used by many as a snack/lunch. There’s a lot of spices/flavors; my favorite is sweet chili tuna. 😍
I feel poor after watching this video. It's obvious that he grew up middle class.
Probably the first time this guy ever shopped for food himself, that or he's used to Whole Foods / Trader Joes etc.
@@tomyy0842 I honestly thought it was common knowledge that pasteurized milk and that pouch chicken was shelf stable. Honestly, the chicken does taste kind of nice in it's own way and sometimes I find myself craving it or canned tuna lol.
@@Hyvexx Not the pasteurized milk we have in the Uk. Not shelf stabile unless it is UHT, & then only till you open it.
@@tomyy0842Being middle class...so we didn't get free food any month like you and watch our parents smoke and drink.
This is the first video I’ve seen of yours, I love this and you seem super likable. Gonna binge now. Keep it up!
Why is no one talking about how good of a cook this dude is lol
There were at least 3 separate occasions where this man did something completely wrong, and then decided to read the packaging where it told him the right way to do it.
Idk if that makes a good cook big dawg
Look at the tacos he made and tell me in the eyes he can cook. Also margarine is a no-no no matter what you cooking
😅 I was just thinking that. The fact he was able to make actually meals he can definitely cook.👍
Better than those who can only press a button.
Now I'm no skilled cook but from the way he seasons his dishes, I'd say he's a student level + cook.
@@pfmonke8191it’s not that serious my guy
When I was living in and out of motels in Florida I pretty much survived off of Dollar tree for 6 months. I saved up some money and bought a little electric pot stove top thing and it was literally straight up Dollar tree steaks for 6 months.
Damn me too that’s what I was thinking when I saw this
serious question, did eating the steaks ever make you sick?
@@butters3063 no just cook them well done just Incase
you got this fool beat. Like are we supposed to be impressed by him? "Oh I lived like a poor person for a few days, look at me!"
@@butters3063 My advice is if its at all questionable then make sure the meat gets up to at least 165F internal. A food thermometer is cheap insurance. Because just 1 single hospital visit from a bout of listeria will wipe out anything youve saved buying food at Dollar Tree vs a big Grocery.
this video was amazing!!! it’s really great to see that there are other alternative places to buy food at that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. also can’t wait to watch your channel grow!!! everyone can already tell you’re going far!!
You should do a day of going to restaurants, asking what the least ordered item is, then order it
i worked delivering dairy as teenager, milk on tetrabrik cartons is UHT (Ultra-high-temperature) treated milk, means it doesn't need refrigeration at all while sealed. its stable up to 6 months.
is really different to just pasteurized milk, which has a short life of a week or so and requires a cold chain (you need to keep it at a low temp of 4C all the time until delivered to the supermarket or store), with UHT products we simply used a common truck.
now, the regular pasteurized milk was preferred back then by bakeries apparently because UHT dairy has a distinct flavor and that flavor passed down to pastries and bread. the theory says the flavor was real but i never felt it.
You were so creative with your meals. And you can cook, too! Very impressive! 😃 Easily you could have cut down on what you bought and made things simpler, but I'll bet you still have a few days worth of food left, and you ate really well! Impressive as always, Sam!
Those meals may not be 5 star meals but you are a 5 star creator, love your videos sm :)
I don’t generally comment on RUclips videos, but this channel has the potential to explode in my opinion. Sharp thumbnails, very good editing, and great communication/narrative. I’ve gone through and binge watched almost every video and none disappoint. Keep up the good work Sam, looking forward to the next upload
Another classic video, my wife and I can't get enough of you. Quick, inventive, and perfect comedic timing!
I remember seeing a video on the costs comparison between regular grocery shopping and dollar store shopping. Some of the things you buy at dollar stores are no cheaper than regular grocery stores if you calculate the cost by amount/weight to the dollar. For example, dollar store might sell a package of bacon that has 4 strips in it for a 1.50, and you can find bacon at a regular grocery store that has 12 strips for about 5 bucks. A slight difference under 50 cents, but still at the end of the day, not a huge difference at all to really justify purchasing specifically at dollar stores. Frozen vegetables are also the same price at regular grocery stores, AND you can find frozen fruits as well. You can still shop fairly cheaply at regular grocery stores, as they sell plenty of cheaper options, or generic brand things, that keep the cost comparable to dollar store shopping.
I've noticed their pasta sauce is the same as my grocery store.
what i'm learning about america is they have these highly inefficient food stores where the price points seem low but the tiny portions make them very expensive.
Yeah I suspect if you just look at the dollar/kg, these places aren't even cheap and are just to trick stupid people into thinking it's cheap.
This was a great video and a lot of fun. While a lot of the food from Dollar stores isn't the best for you long term, the stuff like frozen veggies or salmon or shelf stable chicken, can really make them punch above their weight if you are having a bit of a food budget crisis now and again. Lentils, rice, beans, pasta stuff, lean meats, and yes, most do have eggs as well. I 100% use Dollar Tree for specific items like this and it works and works well. Can of spaghetti sauce, fill the can with water, chop up and add the frozen onion pepper mix, a cup of lentils and a couple of pouches of chicken breast is a half hour meal that is healthy, filling, easy and tasty and enough for a couple of meals or a couple of people.
Long term? What do you mean?
I love how this guy is quality over quantity! Most RUclipsrs try to throw as much content as they can at you and the quality usually sucks. Sam does not upload super duper often but when he does upload, you know it's going to be good! Keep it up!!! :)
Literally get so excited whenever you post, Sam! Keep going! 🙌🏼
That bag chicken is the bomb. In college I would make buffalo chicken dip for parties and get everything from the dollar tree and ppl LOVED IT
You’re showing the types of meals my mom would whip up when we couldn’t afford to get food from the normal grocery store. Honestly, some of it is comfort food for me now lol. I also was able to snag a dollar tree toy on most of those trips 🙌🏽 shoutout moms !
ramen noodles, Fried rice with mixed veggies and sliced hotdogs, cowboy beans and rice. spaghetti and meat sauce. scalloped potatoes. all can be bought for dollars.
Babe wake up Sam dropped a vid
Sam will have a million subs next Thanksgiving
Sam deserves so much more attention, he genuinely puts in so much effort, production, and editing into his videos and barely gets any views for it?? He'll blow up in the future I'm sure of it
100%
With how bad the economy is? Everyone will definitely see this channel as godsend ❤😂
The shelf stable milk is amazing. Once you open it you do have to refrigerate it. I buy it to keep around all the time because we go through milk very slowly. The Dollar Tree does normally have eggs, 6 packs. They also usually have oil but maybe your dollar tree didn’t have any that day.
They were probably out of stock
The one thing I learned about cooking from the Dollar Tree: Don't start mixing the products. Usually its second/third tier brands. The taste is usually off. If you start mixing two things together, now your tasting two/three off things instead of one. Best to just eat it whatever by itself.
If you mix a boxed cake mix with a 12 ounce can of soda, the carbonation of the soda will make the same rise reaction in the cake as eggs would.
12:07 Outback steakhouse is American, merely Straya themed. its existence should already be offensive, thankfully Aussies have such good senses of humor
The whole fact that it was "inspired by Crocodile Dundeee" sounds so uniquely American that I can see it in an episode of The Simpsons.
Knowing Sam, that was the joke itself 😂 he prob knows it's American
@@KrohnosOW X to doubt
@@-EchoesIntoEternity-he definitely threw that in as a joke
One my favorite bits is pretending I genuinely believe that Australia is exactly like Outback Steakhouse. Bloomin’ Onions and that brown honey wheat bread at every meal, 4WD cars ripping through the desert, eating steak all the time…
I really love how descriptive you are, I’ve got some sight issues and you explain and describe things so well I don’t have to worry
Happy thanksgiving Sam! I think it would be cool to see you cooking/surviving off ingredients from a 7/11. I’ve seen all kinds of stuff like crushing chips to make “dough” that would be fun to watch you make work
"I'm not gonna sit here and say you could serve this at an Outback Steakhouse... that would be offensive to my Australian viewers" 😂😂😂
Just found your channel and I gotta say your production value is absolutely impressive. You make the video engaging and fun. Good luck on your journey to more subs
Watching you use applesauce and margarine for everything gave me a good giggle cause they do sell olive oil and eggs, they were probably just out lol.
1:04 in germany its completely normal not to refrigerate milk before you open it. its called h-milch (haltbare milch) and means long lasting milk or something like that. if its been "ultra heat treated" its safe to drink
8:48 its mo-chi not mo-gee 😭
$10.77 per meal seems high compared to what you could get at Costco or Walmart, especially breakfast and lunch items. Costco's and other grocery stores' $5 rotisserie chickens provide multiple meals and is one of the best buys to stretch your grocery budget. One can eat healthy for far, far less than $32 per day so the $96.96 total bill for 3 days at 3 meals per day is too high for those of us tightening our financial budgets. Fresh vegetables and fruits for salad ingredients and eggs aren't sold at Dollar Tree so those items would obviously lower the price considerably. But one of my favorite go-to-meals from the Dollar Tree are the frozen egg rolls. Still a thumbs up for the video.
Honestly love your channel. Like the survival off dollar tree idea hope. Hope to see more simple ideas like this in the future
I love this. I love coming up with ideas for meals with limited ingredients like this. We went camping once and bought our meals from the dollar store. Made a shrimp dish with broccoli over a fire, all ingredients from the dollar tree!
I have watched a couple of you tubers that would eat for a week on like 10-12 dollars - with food from a regular grocery store. It was amazing to see how well they did. Following them if you have a super tight budget would be doable - like you don't have to starve if you have a financial crisis.🤑
The only way to get a cheaper ratio is probably meal-prepping in bulk to cycle throughout a week. I used frozen breakfast patties, a dozen eggs, and english muffins to make a faux McMuffin for $1.25 per sandwich for a week (8.75 total) while I was in college. Still found it much more difficult to cut down prices for lunch and dinner, which came out to around the 10-dollar-per-meal mark that you had if I wanted to have both fresh meat and vegetables with a variety of two different protein dishes and varying soups / salads.
I went through a rough patch and supplemented my groceries with Dollar Tree stuff for a while. If you shop right you can eat some pretty cheap meals. Those steaks are enjoyable if you learn how to pick out the better ones to not get the gristly ones. The bacon is the MVP as it's the perfect portion size. You don't have to bust open a full pack just to pick out a few pieces and it's a lot cheaper by the piece than anywhere else.
I’m shocked every time I see a new video of yours that doesn’t have more views! Really love your content thank you for making it
9:08! Bro busting out the UVA Cavaliers apron. Cheers my dude!!!!! ❤❤❤
God bless you Sam!! Thank you for sacrificing yourself for our amusement! Hope you feel okay! Keep up the great work!!
I like this because I know your reviews of the food are 100% honest, unlike other youtubers. Love this content.
@@Jesus_Loves_you2499 I know he loves me, my relationship with Jesus has improved so much, thanks for the comment, God bless you.
First time here, earned my sub! The algorithm got it right lol. Thank you Sam for letting me know it’s going to be ok ❤ looking forward to what you do next 👍
Wait I really like this guy. I randomly came across this video and watched but now I’m subscribed :) he seems like a really nice guy
I'm SO impressed with your creativity!!
That Donald Duck orange juice…… is dangerously good! It’s been around for a long time. Great for mixed adult drinks. 😉
What's that
Love your channel bro. Keep it up! Congrats on the sponsors
Can’t go wrong with Donald Duck orange juice and apple juice. Spices are available, egg noodles, lasagna pasta, good dental floss (60 in a pack), canned vegetables, 🥕 🫛🥫🧃👍
Donald Duck juice is amazing. The lemonade and punch is great too
Restaurants in stores. IKEA, Nordstrom, Home Depot hot dog,
i love these!!! never stop making videos dude ur gonna blow up :)
I know you were super limited on this challenge but good call on using a cast iron for your steak! My cooking method of choice! Reverse sear, so preheated in the oven and getting the crisp in the pan at the end. Butter baste your steak in the cast iron, melted butter, smashed garlic, and thyme, spoon that over your steak to crisp up the surface. Delish every time and much more affordable than going out to a steakhouse.
It blows my mind that there are frozen foods, let alone meat products in a dollartree. The dollar stores in Canada don’t have frozen food, but it does have pantry items like sliced bread, canned foods, pastas and the shelf milk. It would be interesting to see it expand to more frozen and refrigerated foods though.
Depends on where you live. If there is a supermarket every few blocks the food at dollar stores is limited. Out in the country they have a lot more food because Walmart is a long way off. You can eat at those dollar stores.
Exclusively gas station food just for the lolz 😂
Easy for him, he has Sheetz.
I've quite often eaten the food from there, simply because 1) the price point really can't be beat, especially when you would normally pay a higher amount for a similar item at the store, and 2) the quality is actually pretty good.
For an extended of time we used to buy a case of the ribs about once a month because they were just that good.
Also, IMO, the Dollar Tree has a more consistent selection than Dollar General.
ETA: they do carry eggs, but they briefly stopped during the egg shortage due to the avian flu virus.
I hope you are trolling. There are cheaper and healthier options I guarantee it, what you are getting for 1.25 per item adds up quick when it's all low quantity/weight garbage
@@escapetherace1943 I don't troll, and I sincerely doubt that there are cheaper and healthier options.
@@GeorgieB1965 I guarantee your nearest outlet-type grocery store sells meat by the pound that is more affordable, hell canned vegetables are often cheaper even at walmart, bulk rice and beans and bags of onions will be cheaper in a true grocery store
@@escapetherace1943 I concur. My usual grocery store is a low price little brother to Shop Rite called Price Rite, both owned by the same corporation.
But I shop at Dollar Tree because sometimes, I can't find what I want at my store of choice but can at Dollar Tree.
@@escapetherace1943Dollar Tree CANNOT be beat for snacks tho. If I want a 2 liter I go there, cheapest place to get em. Used to sell 3 liters of faygo but they stopped smh. You can get the lil 5 pack long bars if reeses too when normally a 2 pack costs like 3$ at the grocery
I did not know about the egg substitute trick... might steal that.
Eating from Dollar Tree is practically like "cooking" from the county jail commissary...
Does the food give you cancer??
I really enjoyed this video and needed to hear that last part. Thank you
This dude loves his sweet treats
That was super great to watch !! Want to see more !! But wow 96 dollars for 72 hour meal … probably cheaper to buy from a grocery store when it’s on sale . I recently bought a whole rack of pork ribs on sale for .88 cent a pound total was only 7 dollars and it lasted almost a whole week . Anyways you know what would be cool if you did another video on … cooking prison food lol 😂 those are always fun n interesting to watch .
True if you find good sales. But we got to remember he also bought all the seasoning also. I've done hybrids where I'll get frozen veggies, turkey bacon, and canned chicken (I use it for chicken salad) buy fresh veggies and meat when a big sale comes.
It would of been cheaper to go to the grocery store for sure
So lucky man. Our Poundland shops in the UK stopped being £1 for everything about 97 years ago.
Thanks Sam! I just found your channel & vids! Very well-done. Y’all don’t sleep on the Hungry Jack Hashbrowns. Add onions, canned mushrooms, peppers, black beans, cilantro, whatever you got. Add some cheese & ketchup. Stretch those babies out! I like the Modern Pantry milk for emergencies like this, too. IMHO Jiffy Blueberry Muffin Mix is better than Martha White. Anyone else have thoughts?
I’m gonna watch some of your vids after my upcoming surgery. These “food challenges” are fun to do! Makes it easier to help the elderly & disabled with ideas we know taste good & contain nutrients. You’re doing a good thing, man!
Fun fact You do not need to refrigerate boxed milk until opened because of UHT pasteurization. The process allows it too be stored in room temperature for a year. Powdered milk because of the way it is made by spray drying it allows for a even bigger shelf life of 2 years by the FDA. but if unopened can be good up to 10 years. this is the same reason why instant coffee is better than traditional ground coffee. The process of drying the products allows for the product to remain almost unchanged for much longer periods of time. This is why Steve MRE can drink coffee and use powdered milk from MRE's from the Vietnam war and it still is the same quality as any refrigerated product.
His videos are so amazing 👏🏾👏🏾
10$ per meal from the Dollar Tree is insanity
That included many reusable items including the spices garlic etc. With how things are now, thats pretty cheap
12:48 $96 for 3 days?? No wonder why it looked so luxurious. Try survive 3 weeks with $90 next time.
I think the key here is knowing how to cook. Protect the cook at all costs.
I found this video really entertaining. Thanks for sharing!!
Depending on the area, the dollar tree does sell eggs and salsa but were sold out the day you went shopping. Also you can use mayonnaise as an egg and oil substitute in baking, just use the oil measurement.
I'd really like to see a follow up to this where you eat the exact same meals but price it out with buying bigger packages of these items from regular stores. The per meal cost seems really high to me.
louisiana man approves of the jumbalaya
Bro this vid is blowing up woah!!!! Love all the content you make! Keep it up :)
In the UK, we call the non-refridgerated milk, "long life milk." It's pretty common here and is sold in most shops.
they have a spicy jamaican beef patty at my dollar tree, something like 420 calories of pure deliciousness
I love those! They have three different flavors, I think. The spicy beef and jerk chicken are amazing! My husband go there every few months just to grab some of those. Maybe some candy occasionally as well. 😂
Per your egg statement. Dollar Tree stopped selling eggs due to prices.
Family Dollar which is owned by Dollar Tree I believe does sell eggs however.
me for the last year:
I feel like these meals would give me a tapeworm lmao
All I want is to see you go to a movie theater and eat nothing but concessions for all three meals for three days, while watching 9 movies. That's all I've ever wanted.
That would be so exspensive and he may get unalived by the amount of nasty in that stuff
Love your videos ❤ Dollar Tree has some good canned fruit and fruit juice 😋
thought bro was gonna eat ramen noodles
I ate the Pizza Hut
Hell yeah
Great video. I want to try this myself now. Thanks!
Dollar Tree tips from someone that shops there often. Go for the snacks, that's where the store shines. So glad he found the milk as I get those and 6 pack gallons of water a lot. I don't trust the ramen or a lot of the meat but that's an issue with my specific Dollar Tree. Best dessert to bake imo are brownies because they seem to last longer in the fridge. Cereal boxes are small but sometimes they sell a one time thing of huge boxes not sold during last months holidays or that we're just unpopular. Like he said, you can cook meals just fine so honestly don't buy frozen dinners. Just less value. They sell cans of mackerel that are great for soups but unfortunately it's a lot smaller in recent years. If you're at work it's good to pick up an iced coffee and a slim Jim. Eggs are sold but check them before you buy them. And last, always check the front of the store for seasonal stuff because there's things like peppermint bark that'll be perfect for Christmas stockings over the candy you can get anytime from anywhere.
I love videos like this but HATE when people "adjust" the scale for the cheap price point/whatever the point of the vid is. I don't care how good it is for dollar store food. I care how good it is as food.
this is just called making it to payday