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This was a side topic from another thread. I have a friend who is a single woman that claims she lives on a $150/month food budget. Some people thought this was doable, but I couldn't see how.
So... this seems like a good topic for a thread. How do you guys do it? I'm open to the idea but I can't quite grasp how you eat three nutritious meals a day on $5 a day. Please give as many specifics as possible, and remember I'm talking about living on a budget like that all year long (this person is not fasting or trying to lose weight). A grocery list would be great.
You have to stop eating red meat meat and chicken and live mostly on veggies, rice, beans, salads, fruit, soups, and the occasional chicken or turkey
BREAKFAST
--protein drink with water, 2 scoops, about 55 cents, about 250 calories
LUNCH
--pink lady apple, about 40 cents, about 50 calories
--Quaker oatmeal, uncooked, about 20 cents, about 150 calories
--Planter's reduced salt peanuts, about 33 cents, about 320 calories
--water, 0 cents, 0 calories
Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex, Fish Oil, Vitamin B12, about 12 cents
TOTAL: about $4 and about 1700 calories
Figure $15/month for supplies and sundries. Definitely doable and fine. In reality I enjoy getting food on Fridays and I go out to eat a few times a month. Then again, I also get dinner made for me (free) a few times a month.
My work lunches cost about $20/month. I've seen colleagues spend more than that in two days. Seems a waste to me.
I could do it when living by myself. When my son is home (like for the summer) or if I had any other people here, I couldn't pull it off.
You could do it by yourself just living on Banquet Meals (89 cents at WalMart) and a few extra items. It wouldn't always be great eating, but it IS do-able if you have no other choice.
This was a side topic from another thread. I have a friend who is a single woman that claims she lives on a $150/month food budget. Some people thought this was doable, but I couldn't see how.
So... this seems like a good topic for a thread. How do you guys do it? I'm open to the idea but I can't quite grasp how you eat three nutritious meals a day on $5 a day. Please give as many specifics as possible, and remember I'm talking about living on a budget like that all year long (this person is not fasting or trying to lose weight). A grocery list would be great.
Your worst enemy is convenience foods followed by fast food.
Your best friend is your freezer and your electric plastic bag vaccum sealer.
When I cook, items like pasta, sauces, soups, beans and rice I cook in family sized quantities. This cuts down on my utilities. It takes just as much power to cook a lb of rice as a 1/2 cup. I package everything in single servings and put it in the freezer.
I buy meat products in large packages when it is on sale and package it in single servings.
When I am feeding more than one, I just pull additional packages.
That leaves me with a grocery list of fresh/frozen vegetables, bread, and fruit.
I will occasionally purchase fast food. For instance, I can get a fresh baked 18" 12 slice pizza at Costco for $10.00. When it cools, I package it two slices at a time and freeze it. I sprinkle a little olive oil on the crust and re-heat it in the toaster oven. It tasts just like fresh baked.
It takes some money to set up a proper pantry with staples and lots of spices etc, but once you have established that it is easy to replenish within your budget.
What I have described is not a fixed 150/month. Sometimes it is more, mostly it is less.
I jar of peanut butter lasts a week : $ 2.00
I jar of jelly lasts a week $2.00
1 loaf of bread lasts a week $ 2.00
Suddenly Salad Pasta ( 2 dinners) $ 2.00
Deli Turkey packs ( makes 4 sandw ) $ 2.50
I don't buy alot of meat , too expensive , plus better to not eat alot of red meat but if I do buy it : hamburger $ 3.00 , makes 2-3 meals
Chicken on special $ 3.00 for breasts.
These are weekly staples.
I buy kool-aid for drinks , sometimes juice , sometimes soda. Milk fat free .
My splurge is once a week the dollar menu at BK . Which you can get a small burger or a salad for $ 1.00.
I do buy rice , starches , cans of corn . Of course everything is on sale
So... this seems like a good topic for a thread. How do you guys do it? I'm open to the idea but I can't quite grasp how you eat three nutritious meals a day on $5 a day. Please give as many specifics as possible, and remember I'm talking about living on a budget like that all year long (this person is not fasting or trying to lose weight). A grocery list would be great.
Rule#1: Protein, starch and vegetable for each meal.
Rule #2: Go meatless at least one night a week. There's half a dozen beans you can use for soup/stew (difference is consistency of the broth), add some corn bread and a little corn relish or green onions for the beans (that's your protein, starch and a vegetable_. Omelets are also a good substitute. Add hash browned or oven-browned potatoes (there's your protein starch and a vegetable).
Rule #3: Watch your servings. One box of any pasta is four servings (meaning it feeds four people or one person four times). Weigh out your meats. 1/4 lb per person.
Rule #4: Don't buy name brand anything. I guarantee you can't tell the difference between generics and name brands, except in very rare instances. One that comes to mind is ketchup, which varies based on the amount of vinegar and other spices they use. Frozen or canned vegetables are exactly that, and there's no qualitative difference between Del Monte, Green Giant or a generic brand.
Rule #5: Don't buy prepared or pre-packaged anything. That adds to the cost, and it's mostly made from foreign imported light oil (that's what all the artificial colors, flavors and preservatives are). If you want to make fajitas, get a recipe off the internet instead of buying a bottle or package of fajita marinade. Make your own sauces. It doesn't take that long.
Rule #6: Buy the cheapest cuts of meat. I use beef round bottom steaks and make my own bearnaise sauce (using a tarragon reduction from red wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon and white pepper). You'd swear you were eating filet Mignon.
Rule #7: When making soups or stews with meat, use cow's tongue, ox tails and other off-cuts. You'll never know the difference.
Rule #8: Avoid stores that use "loyalty cards" (like Krogers). If you insist, then learn the cycle. Each store has its own cycle which is going to be based on the socio-economic class of the people who shop there. Never go to a store in a welfare zone the first week of the month, because they jack their prices (because everyone has food stamps). Go in the middle of the month when they lower the prices back to "normal."
Rule #9: Learn where to shop. I never buy fruits or vegetables at grocery stores. We have a farmer's market here, and I can get 4 grapefruit for $1 instead of 2 for $1 at Kroger's.
The rest you'll just have to learn on your own from trial and error.
Well it's hard but beginning Jan 1 I started challenging myself to not buy any food that's NOT packaged. Not only does this end up being a whole lot healthier for you but it's way cheaper too. I used to buy packaged oatmeal and now I buy them from barrels in health food stores. I load up two weeks worth (14 days) for couple bucks! I used to spend more than twice that on packaged oatmeal sold by a corporation. I add two tablespoons of flaxseed ($4 for 3-4 weeks worth) and sometimes add cinnamon and presto! a healthy breakfast for probably less than a quarter a day!
This is totally doable but you need to buy bulk where you can, shop around for cheap fruits and veggies or better yet grow your own, plan your meals for the week every Sunday, stay the heck out of restaurants (this includes Starbucks).
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Put down that package...
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