If you only had 100$ a month to spend on food...

sarahsedai

oh, and also... when i first started really planning out my budget, i didn't believe that making so many things at home vs. prepackaged stuff would be so much cheaper... cause it seemed like i had to buy sooo many ingredients. but once you get stocked up on some of the basics, it really does pay off. learning to store, freeze, and utilize certain ingredients can really help your wallet.

Naveedess

I already DO spend about $100/mo on food. I work at Target, so I do get a 10% discount on anything I buy there. I also fill my prescriptions there, and get another 5% off coupon after every 5 scripts. I also use a TON of coupons... (Target takes one Target Coupon + one Manufacturer coupon per item)... I only buy meat if there is a $3 off sticker on it (close to the expiration date) and throw it in the freezer to eat later. Lots of frozen veggies, nothing pre-made. My rule is, if I can make it myself at home for cheaper, I will (with only a few exceptions). I also make my own breakfast, lunch, and dinner as often as possible to reduce costs on my food budget. I only buy soda occasionally when its WAYY on sale. To make my juice last and cut down on calories, I make one half of a gallon of plain ice tea, and mix it with juice (cranberry pomegranite is awesome for this!). All of this kind of sucks at times, but I have bills to pay and I gotta survive somehow without spending a fortune on food.

meshashesha2012

protein : eggs, chicken thighs, tuna
fresh fruit and veggies from farmer's markets
dried beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes,

for drink you can make iced tea and iced coffee

$100 a month is totally doable if you;re a single person, even in a big city. i did it for several months and mainly shopped at TJ, my local grocery store for sale stuff and markets in chinatown

PepperWorm

MOAR tips to save on money OTHER than through your grocery bill:

Cut cable. No, seriously. We lived without cable until *just* recently...so we went 3 1/2 years with just the basic subscription to Netflix. Didn't even miss cable after awhile.

Cut home telephone...unless you have no cell phone. But why?

Cut internet to the minimum. Ask your internet provider about sweet deals. Threaten to leave and they'll do anything to keep you.

Talk to your cellphone provider about cheaper plans.

Invest in a window unit air conditioner/heat your home with space heaters.

Save on water. Wash up in your sink on days where you're really not that dirty/your hair looks ok. Hard for me to do that with naturally greasy, flat hair...but y'know. You can go no 'poo. I personally haven't, but it saves water money and product money from what I've heard.

Shop around for cheaper auto insurance. Try to find the niche ones that don't have fancy ads to pay for.

Just some thoughts.

ETA: Make homemade, natural cleaners. Pinterest has a WEALTH of these. Sounds gross, but I've been making my own laundry materials, dish cleaning materials, all purpose cleaner, floor cleaner and scouring materials for the last two years. Costs me PENNIES.

anemoneprose

Will only add to keep things simple: rotate veg & fruit, vs having a large variety in a single day. A salad could have just 1-2 things in it. Between fresh stuff on sale and frozen, you can cover your 5 a day.

The thing with eating on a budget is, it costs you time and convenience. You can for sure get full fat meats & make them leaner, it's just the prep etc's a bit longer or more involved; same with time spent looking out for deals or price shopping. So, plan a few extra hours a week for prep/shopping.

anemoneprose

I only buy meat if there is a $3 off sticker on it (close to the expiration date) and throw it in the freezer to eat later.

Ha, this is a great tip, actually. I still do that sometimes. You can get really nice cuts on occasion. But you have to know when they mark things down. Pensioners tend to be the quickest on that draw, and they will FIGHT for a piece of tenderloin.

PepperWorm

oh, and also... when i first started really planning out my budget, i didn't believe that making so many things at home vs. prepackaged stuff would be so much cheaper... cause it seemed like i had to buy sooo many ingredients. but once you get stocked up on some of the basics, it really does pay off. learning to store, freeze, and utilize certain ingredients can really help your wallet.

YEP! Had the same experience.

whierd

oh, and also... when i first started really planning out my budget, i didn't believe that making so many things at home vs. prepackaged stuff would be so much cheaper... cause it seemed like i had to buy sooo many ingredients. but once you get stocked up on some of the basics, it really does pay off. learning to store, freeze, and utilize certain ingredients can really help your wallet.

YEP! Had the same experience.

Same. The cost to start is high because you have to buy containers of everything. But once you have everything, it literally costs pennies for most ingredients in a dish.

PhoenixEve

Also growing your own veggies saves money. Seeds are pretty cheap... and FREE if you know how to harvest some from your crops to use again for next season. I gardening... fresh organic food right in my back yard. Berries and fruit trees are super easy. Asparagus keeps on producing for many years. Lettuce, spinach, italian dandelion, mizuna, quinoa, kale, broccoli, radishes, beets, carrots, and beans are easy to grow. Potatoes too. I live in BC Canada, and i had several cherry tomato plants self-seed from tomatoes that fell off and rotted in the ground last year... amazing.

TheStephil

My boyfriend and i usually spend $70-100 a week on groceries.

I'd buy rice, bulk pasta, dried beans, frozen veggies, bulk of peanuts/nuts, chicken breast (only chicken I can stand, would wait for a good price), ground turkey/beef. Maybe get some cup of noodles or ramen but I'd hate it.

TheStephil

Also growing your own veggies saves money. Seeds are pretty cheap... and FREE if you know how to harvest some from your crops to use again for next season. I gardening... fresh organic food right in my back yard. Berries and fruit trees are super easy. Asparagus keeps on producing for many years. Lettuce, spinach, italian dandelion, mizuna, quinoa, kale, broccoli, radishes, beets, carrots, and beens are easy to grow. Potatoes too. I live in BC Canada, and i had several cherry tomato plants self-seed from tomatoes that fell off and rotted in the ground last year... amazing.

A very good idea. I live in an apartment and would have to do potted plants but this is something I'm considering.

PepperWorm

Also growing your own veggies saves money. Seeds are pretty cheap... and FREE if you know how to harvest some from your crops to use again for next season. I gardening... fresh organic food right in my back yard. Berries and fruit trees are super easy. Asparagus keeps on producing for many years. Lettuce, spinach, italian dandelion, mizuna, quinoa, kale, broccoli, radishes, beets, carrots, and beens are easy to grow. Potatoes too. I live in BC Canada, and i had several cherry tomato plants self-seed from tomatoes that fell off and rotted in the ground last year... amazing.

A very good idea. I live in an apartment and would have to do potted plants but this is something I'm considering.

Check your apartment complex rules. Sometimes (like the one I lived in) they're all mean doo doo heads and will give you grief for having plants on your porch.

capriciousmoon

I aim to spend ~$20 a week on food. I buy things like cereal bars, oatmeal, cereal, popcorn, sunflower seeds, bananas, apples, rice cakes, and yogurt.

CysterWigs

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

First of all, since budget is of the utmost concern, I would relegate meat to two servings a week. Might seem drastic, but meat is pricey and that money will buy you a sh'load of beans and frozen vegetables. Eggs are great and cheap and mushrooms are nice, too. Those make great proteins on a budget. I would avoid grains because they can sometimes make you eat more and cause cravings. (Especially if you have IR.) Drink tap water only, maybe with a little lemon.

My boyfriend and I spend $150 a week on food for the both of us. This includes supplements and occasional treats. I justify spending more on good food pretty easily:
- All food would be as expensive as whole foods if the government didn't subsidize crap; Uncle Sam gives people economic incentive to eat foods that will make them unwell over time.
- It's better to make room in your budget and spend the money proactively avoiding illness by supplying yourself with healthy foods NOW rather than save money on food only to exponentially increase that investment in health care costs down the road once the cheap, crappy stuff makes you ill.

My two cents.

whierd

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

First of all, since budget is of the utmost concern, I would relegate meat to two servings a week. Might seem drastic, but meat is pricey and that money will buy you a sh'load of beans and frozen vegetables. Eggs are great and cheap and mushrooms are nice, too. Those make great proteins on a budget. I would avoid grains because they can sometimes make you eat more and cause cravings. (Especially if you have IR.) Drink tap water only, maybe with a little lemon.

My boyfriend and I spend $150 a week on food for the both of us. This includes supplements and occasional treats. I justify spending more on good food pretty easily:
- All food would be as expensive as whole foods if the government didn't subsidize crap; Uncle Sam gives people economic incentive to eat foods that will make them unwell over time.
- It's better to make room in your budget and spend the money proactively avoiding illness by supplying yourself with healthy foods NOW rather than save money on food only to exponentially increase that investment in health care costs down the road once the cheap, crappy stuff makes you ill.

My two cents.

"Healthy" is a relative term. And no, eating on that little is not impossible. And limiting meat to two servings a week? uhh..what?!

Also, I don't see why you felt the need to bring politics into this.

Mario_Az

top ramen and tuna

JasonT1973

peanut butter, frozen veggies and eggs

PepperWorm

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

I absolutely emphatically disagree.

Not everyone can live on organic, farm-raised "good for you" foods due to the cost. People live on "that little" and less EVERY SINGLE DAY. And guess what? They can actually eat a wealth of nutrient-rich foods without spending a fortune.

Please keep closed minded comments to yourself.

PhoenixEve

Also growing your own veggies saves money. Seeds are pretty cheap... and FREE if you know how to harvest some from your crops to use again for next season. I gardening... fresh organic food right in my back yard. Berries and fruit trees are super easy. Asparagus keeps on producing for many years. Lettuce, spinach, italian dandelion, mizuna, quinoa, kale, broccoli, radishes, beets, carrots, and beens are easy to grow. Potatoes too. I live in BC Canada, and i had several cherry tomato plants self-seed from tomatoes that fell off and rotted in the ground last year... amazing.

A very good idea. I live in an apartment and would have to do potted plants but this is something I'm considering.

You can grow micro-greens and herbs indoors too on a windowsill or with a lamp. Those topsy-turvy things work well to hang outside for cherry tomatoes and strawberries too if you have limited space... my grandpa gave me one and i was surprised how well it works compared to my potted /raised bed tomatoes.

My potatoes are all in grow bags and fit on my patio... would fit on a deck if your deck is large enough. Great space saver. Just dump the bag when you are ready to harvest. Save some potatoes to re-seed. Ever have potatoes sprout eyes in your pantry? You can plant those in a large barrel or garbage can with dirt. I like the grow bags though because they have good drainage.

whierd

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

I absolutely emphatically disagree.

Not everyone can live on organic, farm-raised "good for you" foods due to the cost. People live on "that little" and less EVERY SINGLE DAY. And guess what? They can actually eat a wealth of nutrient-rich foods without spending a fortune.

Please keep closed minded comments to yourself.

But...but...but...TOXINS!!

arlenem1974

at one of the stores I go to they have discount racks of 50% off. They expire that day or the next but you can always freeze it.

tehboxingkitteh

I think I spend just over this myself on groceries. Maybe $120

I buy a lot of meat that's the manager's special, marked down to next to nothing. Then freeze. My parents always bought sides of meat from the butcher.
Cheese blocks, not shredded.
I only buy bread if it's the manager's special. Then freeze and use as needed.
Frozen fruits and veggies.
I like to buy the lunch meat in the reusable containers so I don't have to purchase any.
Only water to drink.
Peanut Butter.

I'm sure there's more, but it's late.

PepperWorm

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

I absolutely emphatically disagree.

Not everyone can live on organic, farm-raised "good for you" foods due to the cost. People live on "that little" and less EVERY SINGLE DAY. And guess what? They can actually eat a wealth of nutrient-rich foods without spending a fortune.

Please keep closed minded comments to yourself.

But...but...but...TOXINS!!

Do an It Works wrap while taking raspberry ketones and green coffee bean extract. Should kick 'em right out of ya!

Edited for typo.

PhoenixEve

And depending on where you live and if you get enough lighting in your house, you can grow Meyer lemons or other citrus fruit trees indoors. I had one that produced 3 lemons before it died... it's pretty cold here in the winters and my south facing wall has no windows.

CysterWigs

OP asked for opinions and I gave mine. I don't feel it's appropriate for you to try to shame me. After all, I disagreed with you guys, obviously, but didn't feel the need to call you out on it because you're entitled to your opinions as well. They're all equally valid - so please grow up and keep your personal attack to yourselves.

spectralmoon

Milk, water, cereal, eggs, and rice.

laserturkey

Lots of dried beans and rice, and I would stock up on canned and frozen veggies whenever they went on sale.

ElBence

Rice, beans, onions, cilantro, and spices. I could eat rice and beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

CysterWigs

I hope this is a purely hypothetical question because I can't see how you could spend so little unless you A) lived on a farm or ate crap.

I absolutely emphatically disagree.

Not everyone can live on organic, farm-raised "good for you" foods due to the cost. People live on "that little" and less EVERY SINGLE DAY. And guess what? They can actually eat a wealth of nutrient-rich foods without spending a fortune.

Please keep closed minded comments to yourself.

But...but...but...TOXINS!!

I never said anything about toxins. I am not a health food zealot. Check out my food journal; I eat processed foods on occasion. What I was suggesting is that if someone ONLY had $100 to spend, they should try to make every bite as nutrient dense as possible - which I hardly think is justification to be so disrespectful.

PepperWorm

How 'bout we don't hijack the thread with imposing ideas and opinions on people with a budget less ample than some and start giving more money-saving tips for those of us that don't make a higher end income?

Yeah, that'd be awesome.