food budget

lauryn86

Yeah the steamers at walmart are good there is like usually 2 svs to a pack. I get the rice ones two and split that up for two dinners. I buy a bag of cooked chicken breasts so all i have to do is pop them in the microwave, they are around 7.00 but i use them for most meals at dinner. Also like someone said, the salmon is great too 5.00 for 4 fillets. Bananas and strawberries and grapes are good "keepers" and usually cheap-excpt only in season with stberries. I like a 1.00 lean hot pocket for breakfast or you can get the 1.49 pack of like 12 fit and active waffles at aldi and i put peanut butter and cut banana on those. DELICIOUS. CHEAP. AND at walmart for your lunches, get the Tuna to go! Comes with a mint, napkin, silverware, relish, tuna pack and red. fat mayo, UNDER 1.50 usually!!!! Soup is cheap too. Check out my blog for more ideas www.cupcakesandcardio.blogspot.com!!

bathsheba_c

You can stretch out your food by, for example, using chicken and vegetables to make soup, then saving the boiled chicken meat and vegetables for later meals. You can also stretch out ground meat by making meatloaf or chili. For a snack, you can buy a container of plain popcorn kernels and pop them with a little oil on the stove top. That is very filling and also very cheap.

Also, buy staples in bulk and learn how to freeze fruits and vegetables so that you can buy them when they are in season (and therefore cheaper) and keep them for later.

JMJ1983

$25.00 a week would be tough, but I imagine that it is only you you are feeding on the $25.00.

I would find a good farmers type market and shop there sales (I shop at Sprouts)

I feed my family of 3 on $75- $90.00 a week which breaks out to about $25.00-$33.00 per person. (Please note this is for food only, not other essentials like t.p. cleaning supplies, etc that we get at Costco)

Find things that get you more than one meal in left overs or made with the same thing (1 package of ground turkey woudl feed one person serveral meals and only costs around $5.00 and you can make tacos, ground turkey burgers, etc. with it)

I would shop the sales and buy only what on sale, if Strawberries and Potatoes are on sale this week, you eat that, if it's bananas and lettuce next week you eat that.

Buy as fresh as possible, but make sure you eat it before it goes bad.

LittleMissDover

Just worked out that I spend $20 per person (In the UK, used a conversion), per week. It's very do-able, bulk cook, shop for offers, don't buy anything you don't need to. Downgrade the brands you buy, you always pay more for big names.

FlaxMilk

Don't forget to get creative. I don't like lentils, but I do like them in burritos with mustard. I am also working on a mashed lentil recipe. You can make potatoes in a million different ways, and they are so cheap. There are many recipes on the web on how to make mashed potatoes with mashed beans mixed in for more protein and satiety. Try roasted chickpeas in place of potato chips. I'm going to try toasted/roasted lentils this weekend. Try to incorporate foods that keep for awhile and you don't need to buy weekly--oatmeal tubs, rice. Remember to buy beans dry and plan ahead. Lentils are great because you don't have to plan ahead. You can also cook them in the rice cooker. If you have a crockpot (or even if you don't,) experiment with soups and stews.

Look around online for couponing sites that will download automatically to your grocery store savings card. I use Savingstar, but I think it is new and there aren't many offers just yet that I want. But it gives you money back in terms of Amazon money and stuff like that (which can be used to buy food.) Make sure to use your grocery store savings cards. Don't be shy when people ask you what you want for Christmas to tell them grocery store gift cards if necessary. If you qualify income-wise, you can also check out food pantries and community meals. Your local United Way can help you find them.

Saezimmerman

Check your community's FaceBook page for a local farmer's market. You can get some great fresh fruit and veg this way.

Another suggestion is to break your budget down into categories so that you make sure you don't blow the budget on only one type of nutrition. You can do this a number of ways:

Option 1:
~Proteins: $12
~Fruit & Veg: $8
~Carbs: $3
~Treat: $2

Option 2
~Breakfast: $5
~Lunch/Dinner: $18
~Treat: $2


You'll notice I included a small treat in both options. On a budget, it's important to give yourself a little treat regularly so that you don't go on a spree after a few weeks of depriving yourself.

Sarahmarie51285

I have read before that frozen fruits and veggies are not only less expensive, but also really good for you. They pick them at the peak of freshness and preserve them, then freeze them to lock in all the nutients. I know that on the Target website they have had coupons for the Market Pantry brand frozen fruits and veggies. Also, this time of year keep your eye out for Del Monte coupons, they usually have some out for the holiday season. I like the Green Giant Just for One packs. They come in packages of 4 for about $2.50 here in MN, and they are great little sides for lunches or dinners! Also, make sure that you are purchasing fresh fruits and veggies that are in season, when you buy them out of season, they can drain your pocket book. They also say that if you purchase more fruits and veggies your grocery bill will be less since you are not buying a bunch of other filler food.