A Month of Breakfasts for $13

What do you do with the $13 that Obama's supposedly adding to your paycheck every week? Voracious has some ideas.
What does $13 get you? 60 eggs at Costco ($7), plus $6 to spend as you will (I suggest investing in a huge ham when it goes on sale for pennies a pound.) Other options include 9 pounds of Quaker Oats via Amazon.com for $14 (split with a friend).

To make this work, you've gotta love eggs. We love eggs in my household, a party of two that puts away 120 of 'em every month. That's not nearly the cholesterol fix you think it is. And if I replaced my morning routine with the a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats (the way I did in 10th grade), I'd be hungry before second period all over again.

Fixing yourself two eggs in the morning, plus whatever else you have lying around will do wonders for your morning routine, save you calories (seriously, you're waist ain't fooled by that bagel and low-fat cream cheese), and more importantly you'll save precious dollars. Breakfast is one of my four favorite meals of the day. Done right, it can also be the cheapest (the t-bone steak and eggs at the Family Pancake House is never a good idea).

OK, to start, reserve two eggs a morning for yourself. Those nuggets of protein will set you back all of $7 for a month at Costco, but I recommend you going in on this with a roomie so your remaining $6 can go further in bulk (see the above-mentioned Quaker Oats). Easily the most versatile food in the fridge, you could literally prepare you eggs differently every morning. If you're the kind of person who skips breakfast because you don't have time for it, eggs are perfect. Just hard-boil a few of them every couple evenings (they come in handy for a quick chop salad at night, too). Even you can boil an egg and watch TV at the same time.

If you're feeling classy, add pesto to a poached egg. (Total non sequitur: You know the Royal Red Robing Burger, the one with meat, cheese, bacon, and a fried egg? At home, I substitute a poached egg for the fried egg. TRY IT!)

For instructions on how to poach an egg and class up your first meal, check out this Esquire recipe green eggs and ham. I make a modified version of it. It goes something like this:
-- toast whatever bread you've got
-- grill whatever meat you've got (ham, bacon, sausage, beef, CHICKEN)
-- poach a couple eggs
-- throw them all together in a kind of open-faced breakfast sammy and add a glob of pesto to the top. You won't disappoint whomever you're cookin' breakfast for.

Considering the state of the economy and the fact that Pres. Obama's giving most of us an extra $13 a week this summer, we decided it was time to fire back up our weekly series on the best ways to eat and drink for around $13. Please feel free to send me your suggestions.