what would you buy with $20

2

Replies

  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    Extreme Couponing: MFP Edition

    OB-NW052_Kirlew_D_20110511120532.jpg
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Membership to a dating site. Get a bunch of guys to buy you dinner.

    Kidding. Kind of.

    Do you have a kitchen?

    Good idea

  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Eggs have definitely gotten more expensive these days.


    Avian flu out break millions of poultry had to be culled
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    karyabc wrote: »
    Op I did my groceries today and got

    Tuna : 65 cents/can
    Eggs winnnn were :1.88/dozen


    Those 2 things are incredibly cheap compared to where I'm at at least. Eggs are minimum $4 per dozen and Tuna I generally end up paying about $2.29 (i buy the solid white albacore)

    Yeah I know eggs are expensive everywhere, but in Aldi's last week I got them for $ 2.59 the dozen and today found them in a bravo supermarket around the corner of my house for 1.88 :# #EggsForLife

    Tuna I just pick whatever is in offer and really can't pay more than 99 cents a can , so if it's at that price, it's going home, if not then I just have to wait for the next week
  • TUsphg8B4zrapVx
    TUsphg8B4zrapVx Posts: 259 Member
    Join a restaurant fan club. A restaurant with lots of locations. One that gives you a freebie when you join.

    Go to each location once with your freebie coupon.

    You can get over a dozen meals from one membership this way if you play it right.
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    just me... pack of chicken breasts, big bag of frozen veg (or various smaller ones), eggs, rice, pasta, pasta sauce
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I'd probably get dried pasta, potatoes, rice, dried beans, bouillon, a can of tomatoes, and get as many bags of frozen vegetables in as much variety as possible.
    I remember being so poor that I had $8 for groceries for two weeks. I bought a large can of tomato sauce, a box of pasta, ramen, and maybe bread and some kind of sugary pb.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I agree with too. For example in my local food bank, donations of $1.00 buy 6 pounds of food so those that donate have put a lot of food on the shelves and is dirt cheep.. Also local churches, and other local events are things I would look into where food is given out free..

    I have been dirt freakin poor and single before, but if I don't eat, then I get sick and then can't work and pay the bills any way.. I would call my "creditors" and work out something that does not leave me in this situation

    Re-evaluating the paychecks and money coming in and going out is a must...
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Membership to a dating site. Get a bunch of guys to buy you dinner.

    Kidding. Kind of.

    Way to think outside the supermarket!

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    There are some good suggestions above. With that budget I would also look for creative solutions. For example, around our university, some of the churches have free student supper nights, that you can just drop in to. Also, I would consider hitting the local food bank, the $20 would go a lot further if it was just being used for fruit, veg or meat to supplement a basic supply. Beyond that, I would be digging through the cupboard. What's in there? Flour? Sugar? Pasta? If you have a few things in the pantry, you might be able to get creative.

    Cosigns the suggestion for looking for free food.

    What do you have in your pantry? Obviously yours isn't stocked like mine or you wouldn't be asking, but I could easily go two weeks on what's in my pantry, frig, and freezer.

  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    $20 can buy many peanuts.
  • LadyLallybroch
    LadyLallybroch Posts: 36 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    I don't understand your point here... Yea, maybe she can't eat out, but she has to eat.

    She has $20. That is realistic because IT IS REALITY. It is BY DEFINITION realistic.

    And definitely possible for her to find enough to eat with the $20 she has. Rice, beans, frozen chicken, and some carefully selected fresh or frozen veggies will see her though until her next paycheck.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    What people see as not realistic is getting three meals per day for seven days for $0.95 each. ($20/21 meals.)
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    I don't understand your point here... Yea, maybe she can't eat out, but she has to eat.

    She has $20. That is realistic because IT IS REALITY. It is BY DEFINITION realistic.

    And definitely possible for her to find enough to eat with the $20 she has. Rice, beans, frozen chicken, and some carefully selected fresh or frozen veggies will see her though until her next paycheck.

    My point is that it's doable in that particular scenario, but not ideal or realistic in the slightest.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    so wait you're saying that the only this could work, is basically fast food value mane + multivitamin.? #facepalm

    OK, do the math with me,

    -oatmeal 2 lbs , 30 serving size per container, it cost me 2.50 the bag, for how many days would last me and how much for each meal?
    -chicken quartered leg I actually got it today 28 cents/lb, how many pounds do you think she would eat in 14 days?
    -eggs I got it for 1.88/dozen, if I have a 2 eggs omelet everyday with 2 slices of my 99 cents bread loaf, again how much for each meal?
    -milk 3.29 the gallon, 16 serving size of 8 oz, how much for each cup?
    -frozen veggies, 99 cent/ 16 oz bag, I eat 3 times from each bag, how much for the veggies in every meal?
    -Rice, 5 lbs of rice, $5-6.00, how many pounds of rice do you think she could possibly eat and for the average serving size, how much it would be for every plate of rice?
    -tuna, 65-99 cents, how much for having for lunch a tuna salad with the 99 cents frozen veggies and the 99 cents bread
    -PB, it was actually $1.99 the 16 oz jar, for 16 serving size of 2 tbsp, I use 1 tbsp in my oatmeal everyday.
    -mustard: 59 cents for my tuna salad, how much it would last her and how much the cost?


    please the only unrealistic thing was your idea of burgers/fast food + multivitamin and praying to god the she gets the extra patties.

    it can be done my friend, I do it every month and survive just fine.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    I don't understand your point here... Yea, maybe she can't eat out, but she has to eat.

    She has $20. That is realistic because IT IS REALITY. It is BY DEFINITION realistic.

    And definitely possible for her to find enough to eat with the $20 she has. Rice, beans, frozen chicken, and some carefully selected fresh or frozen veggies will see her though until her next paycheck.

    Thank you, especially for the caps lock part.

    I don't understand what so shocking about op post, people eat like this very commonly, I'm from D.R we eat rice/beans/whatever cheap meat 365 days a year, not everyone here is american or get to have the all american life/dream/ realistic food variety
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    karyabc wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    so wait you're saying that the only this could work, is basically fast food value mane + multivitamin.? #facepalm

    OK, do the math with me,

    -oatmeal 2 lbs , 30 serving size per container, it cost me 2.50 the bag, for how many days would last me and how much for each meal?
    -chicken quartered leg I actually got it today 28 cents/lb, how many pounds do you think she would eat in 14 days?
    -eggs I got it for 1.88/dozen, if I have a 2 eggs omelet everyday with 2 slices of my 99 cents bread loaf, again how much for each meal?
    -milk 3.29 the gallon, 16 serving size of 8 oz, how much for each cup?
    -frozen veggies, 99 cent/ 16 oz bag, I eat 3 times from each bag, how much for the veggies in every meal?
    -Rice, 5 lbs of rice, $5-6.00, how many pounds of rice do you think she could possibly eat and for the average serving size, how much it would be for every plate of rice?
    -tuna, 65-99 cents, how much for having for lunch a tuna salad with the 99 cents frozen veggies and the 99 cents bread
    -PB, it was actually $1.99 the 16 oz jar, for 16 serving size of 2 tbsp, I use 1 tbsp in my oatmeal everyday.
    -mustard: 59 cents for my tuna salad, how much it would last her and how much the cost?


    please the only unrealistic thing was your idea of burgers/fast food + multivitamin and praying to god the she gets the extra patties.

    it can be done my friend, I do it every month and survive just fine.

    Leg quarters for 28c a pound? Never seen cheaper than 99c here.

    I know I wouldn't waste money on liquid calories (milk) if I only had $20, personally...

    But yeah, rice, beans, pasta, oatmeal are cheap. Frozen veggies at $1 a bag (12oz though, not 16 here) are often cheaper than fresh veggies too.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    karyabc wrote: »
    ctnagzrhkh6q.jpg

    There you go @Francl27 , like I said, you take advantage of the best you can find. ... :# I could sacrifice some things, but I need my milk (that's me).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Man, where do you live, lol.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Man, where do you live, lol.

    lol NYC :D
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Man, where do you live, lol.
    \

    Lol no kidding. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts here are $4.99lb.

    OP, do you have any student resources available to you? Vouchers or coupons for on campus meals? Any nearby churches that have meals or a food bank? If there is a Salvation Army or Red Cross or Senior Center that serves meals you can volunteer and they may let you have a meal.

    No matter what anyone says, it's not realistic to try and feed yourself for 10 days with $20. It's better to look and search for ways to supplement that $20 to make it go farther.

  • abetterluke
    abetterluke Posts: 625 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Kexessa wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    $2 a day, for 3 meals per day, for a span of 10 days is not realistic when it comes to having a rational diet.

    Suggestion: look into a more reasonable plan.

    Unfortunately I agree with this. It's not realistic. That works out to 66 cents a meal. Any chance you could hit a local food bank and use your $20 to fill in the gaps?

    I think many many people have told her, very realistic ideas , including me, that live that reality

    Awesome if she could get some items from her local food bank , but words like unrealistic and impossible doesn't apply in op vocabulary when clearly $20.00 it's all she got.

    Yes I would very much like to eat and have amazing food like you see in the "show me what your meals look like and what you're having for dinner today" but no ,I get rice, chicken, frozen veggies and oatmeal every single day... You don't seat and cry of how unrealistic life it is, you just do what you have to do.

    Just to show you how unrealistic that plan is (although some people probably do this...)

    $20 in dollar menu fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches with the works (you can add certain veggies on them for no charge). I've even gotten away with free extra patties in the past.

    Two sandwiches per day... 10 day span. If you take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water, that might work, though not ideal. BOGO coupons could even stretch it to 3 sandwiches for a few of those days.

    I don't understand your point here... Yea, maybe she can't eat out, but she has to eat.

    She has $20. That is realistic because IT IS REALITY. It is BY DEFINITION realistic.

    And definitely possible for her to find enough to eat with the $20 she has. Rice, beans, frozen chicken, and some carefully selected fresh or frozen veggies will see her though until her next paycheck.

    My point is that it's doable in that particular scenario, but not ideal or realistic in the slightest.

    There is a big difference between "ideal" and "realistic" -- its perfectly realistic. Difficult...but realistic.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    karyabc wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Man, where do you live, lol.

    lol NYC :D

    Can't even find turkey legs here! I'm jealous.
  • kiittenforever
    kiittenforever Posts: 478 Member
    Eggs
    Rice
    Whole grain bread
  • kiittenforever
    kiittenforever Posts: 478 Member
    Jar of peanut butter.. lots of toast
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    Kexessa wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Man, where do you live, lol.
    \

    Lol no kidding. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts here are $4.99lb.

    OP, do you have any student resources available to you? Vouchers or coupons for on campus meals? Any nearby churches that have meals or a food bank? If there is a Salvation Army or Red Cross or Senior Center that serves meals you can volunteer and they may let you have a meal.

    No matter what anyone says, it's not realistic to try and feed yourself for 10 days with $20. It's better to look and search for ways to supplement that $20 to make it go farther.

    I can get boneless skinless for $1.79 on sale - normally 1.99 at pricerite in CT!

    A 1lb package of ground turkey is usually 1.99 here too.
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