$75-$100 Budget for 2 weeks of meals! D:

PudgyPigeon

My husband and I are going to be on a very tight budget over the next two months. I need a lot of help trying to figure out meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and a snack if possible.) for two weeks that are low on sodium. Our budget for two weeks is $75-$100 max. I am not sure if this can be done- but I have faith that you all can help me come up with a really healthy shopping list and ideas for meals.

If possible, please do not just post a link to a website telling me to go check that out. I’m looking for personal examples from the MFP members. I will however check out direct links to a recommended recipe. We’re willing to try anything- so share your favorites.


Things to discuss and post about:
- How much you spend on 2 weeks of meals
- Your shopping list for 2 weeks
- Breakfast ideas
- Lunch ideas
- Dinner ideas
- Snack ideas
- Budgets
- Is $75 too little amount for 2 weeks?
- Is $100 too much for 2 weeks?
- What is the average amount of money you spend per meal?
- The must have spices in the house
- Do you prep meals ahead for 2 weeks? (Let me know how!)
- I have two boxes of white rice- any ideas on what to make with these would be great!
- I love carrots. C:
- My husband adores spicy foods
- Anything else you find relevant to chat about


Thank you so much! (My food diary is not open to the public. Just thought I’d save you some time and let you know ahead before you go and try to check it out.)

landensmommy2010

Im going to BUMP because I'm curious as well! As we will be sticking to a very tight budget come the first of the year as well.

cjasins

BUMP

k_pickle

Well, $100 doesn't seem like much for 2 weeks! That is $50 each, giving you each only $3.57 per day. I know my husband and I couldn't do that. If you each had $100 for 2 weeks, that would be more realistic, giving you $7.14 each. But, either way, I would think soup is the way to go! You can make a pot of veggie soup using canned veggies and eat on that for a few days, maybe even with you sharing the $100. Good luck!

Sweet_Potato

I spend about $50 a week on groceries for two people, but my partner eats a lot of lunches out so collectively we're probably spending a lot more. I'm not on a budget but some of our favorite foods happen to be cheap ones: eggs, yogurt, dried beans, rice, lentils, sweet potatoes, broccoli, canned tuna. When I have time I go out to one of the Asian grocery stores in the suburbs, where fresh produce costs 1/3rd the price-- see if you have something like that near you.

Since you mentioned carrots, I thought I should tell you about a delicious carrot soup I made a couple weeks ago. It was basically just carrots, an onion, a leek, some homemade stock (I think you could substitute water), plus ginger, honey, butter or oil, and lemon juice. I got six 150-calorie meals out of it, it couldn't have cost more than $5, and it was so delicious and filling. Soups in general are very inexpensive to make.

MaraDiaz

Eggs are cheap. And you can make a lot of different breakfast varieties with eggs.

Bean and rice burritos are cheap and pretty filling, if you must have meat in it, you can look for steak or chicken on sale and cut it up in strips.

Hamburger isn't too expensive for the amount of calories in it, of course it's not as healthy as it could be, but if you need red meat in your diet, that's one way to get it without breaking your wallet.

Must have spices for me are chili powder, curry powder, garlic (the jars with the juice in it), and onions (just buy two or three every week and chop them up). You can save by buying garlic and chopping it yourself, too, but I find a jar of garlic is worth it as it keeps in the fridge and lasts a long time.

*Edit* Cans of chipotle peppers can be handy if you want to spice up the bean and rice burritos.

sassylilmama

Shop sales for fresh and frozen fruits and veggies. In season produce is very affordable. Coupons are a big help also, match them to what is already on sale. What stores are in your area? I can probably give you a site with coupon matchups for your area. Use meat as a side rather than the main part of your meal. Breakfast for dinner is very affordable. I am able to feed my family of 5 for about $75/week so I would say that for 2 people 75-100 for 2 weeks is very possible. But you have to work for it.

foremant86

my brother and I spend less than $75 for two weeks of groceries and do just fine.
We shop at Aldi and that really helps keep the cost down.

breakfast is usually otameal, eggs or cream of wheat for me and he usually eats cereal or eggs

lunch is usually a tuna wrap, or sandwich or left overs.

dinner varries but is usually meat with a side of veggies, or i make chicken alfredo or some other kind of dish.

snacks are string cheese, yogurt, fruit, cereal bars, etc.

You're probably looking for something more specific and maybe our meal plans are a little bland but it's works well for us


our shopping list always always looks like this

coffee
creamer
eggs
milk
flour tortillas
whole wheat bread
cheese slices
lunch meat
string cheese
yogurt
chicken breasts
pork chops
ground beef(90/10)
california blend veggies
pinapple
kiwi
baby carrots
cereal
cereal bars

CarolineSuzanneSmith

bump.

lme0627

Like a prev post I shop at Aldi's which I can save a lot esp on can goods. I use coupon whenever possible at other stores. I agree with others soup is very cost affordable and goes a long way. Also dried beans- after tired of them by themselves add to soup.

Mom0fTwo

i spend approximately 90-120/ week on food, but that is for a family of 4 so i guess it is close to your goal if you cut it in half for 2 ppl I find that we eat a lot of rice, some pasta, a replace some meals with tofu instead of meat,( i chop it up and put it in pasta sauces, my son thinks it is chicken) a brick of tofu will do 2 meals and that is about $0.75 for "meat", buy the large size multigrain cheerios, they last forever, taste good and are easy on your waistline lol, i buy one for myself about once a month, i make sure i get it on sale and it can be about $5, 1.5 cups of it with 125mL of milk does just fine for me lol, it could possibly last the whole month also buying bulk oatmeal, and some brown sugar is a good way to get bang for your buck...i find if i am craving some chicken i get ground turkey it is like chicken but half the price, try making meals that can last for a few days like soup or stew these meals are about $10 to make but they can be your lunches for about 3 days especially if you freeze them then you can have home made tv dinners lol same thing with chilli, i know it sounds like a lot but get some deli meat for about $6-8 and a loaf a bread that is also sandwiches for a week for both of you....if you are from the states this should cost even less cause your food is waaay cheaper than in canada... i am out of ideas lol hope this helps a little

sassylilmama

Oh and stretch things into multiple meals. For instance I roasted a chicken on Monday for dinner. Had enough left for Tacos Wednesday and Chicken soup tonight. ALWAYS use your leftovers.

shesblossoming

For dinner, I make chili! It's so easy, and it's low on sodium, and you can add extra veggies if you like. I try and stick to bulk food items. Lentils, black beans, chickpeas, quinoa (all of which are added into the chili). I know you said not to post a link, but check out Economy Bites on youtube. They have DELICIOUS recipes, including chili, meatloaf meatballs, and this delicious butternut squash mac and cheese. Their strategy is just like mine... to cook for one day and eat for the rest of the the week.


For snacks, you might want to stick with in season fruits. They're your best bet.

For breakfast, I stick with oatmeal, greek yogurt with almonds, or had boiled eggs.

For lunch, I would just go for a huge salad with spinach, tomatoes, avocado, grilled meat of your choice, and dressing.

The simpler the better. I've been there, and I actually kind of like shopping on a budget.

PennyNickel14

Breakfast = Oatmeal and eggs and apple (split between the two). Super economical

- The idea on roasting the whole chicken is great. Remember to completely pick it and save the carcass for stock
- dried black beans yummy protein and delish
- Frozen Broccoli is super economical and tasty roasted in oven
- Hamburger Steak (the 90/10) 1 lb = 4 servings add broccoli above and You can have two meals for two people for 5 bucks depending on meat prices in your region.
- Whole wheat pasta with canned tomatoes (del monte makes a organic and petite diced tomato which is really good) Price meal for two under 3 dollars.
It's cheaper to make your own bread but super time consuming
Making your own tortillas is so time consuming that it is not worth it LOL.

Soups are a great filler. Broth (see bird above) plus veg (filler up with cabbage which is super inexpensive) add white northern beans (dried) and other veg various spices and you eat like a king

PeaceLuvVeggies

bump.

kjloiselle

it can def. be done. if i can do 1 person and a cat on $15-$20 for 1 sometimes 2 weeks. this can certainly be done.
1st. look at the flyers for your area and see what meat/produce is on sale (meat on the first page is a loss leader meaning it's about as low as you will see it). if you have coupons even better. alot of store loyalty cards have coupons right on their site you can add to your card making it even easier and no need to buy the paper.
2nd. find meals that use those items. adjust the amounts for the two of you and see what you need.also if it's something you won't likely eat, don't buy it even if it's a good deal and you think you might, most times these are things that get wasted in my opinion.
3rd. see what you already have in the cupboards and freezer
4th. plan a menu for the week or 2 weeks with all of that.
5th. make a grocery list of exactly what you need and don't already have from your menu plan and stick to that only. impulse buys are what blows the budget for me.

mine is usually something like
1/2 gallon milk
1 8oz block of cheese (if budget allows that week)
2 bags of lettuce or spinach (usually runs about $5 for both)
1 bag of carrots or 1 tray mushrooms (both is they're onsale for 1.50 each or less)
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 pasta or rice (i buy a few when they're $1 each or less)
a bit of whatever veggies are cheap (like this week i got brussells sprouts and green beans)
1 cup of yogurt ( my new menu plan has me only eating it 1x per week now for variety otherwise i'd buy the tub for $2)
whatever frfuit is on sale (this week i got mandarin oranges which will last a couple weeks
you could add bread (i make my own)

when things are onsale i will usually grab a couple of them to keep on hand.

i have a full menu plan that i just made for myself so that I use up everything i have before I move without it getting boring or eating hte same thing week after week. I have 7 different breakfasts for the week and then i also have cereal as an alternative if i don't have something or don't feel like it.
for dinners i have 7 categories that i have 2-5 different recipes in each day that I can pick from. they all use roughly the same ingredients but it changes it up enough so where i'm not bored of it either. i also include a side salad and a veggie at each dinner too on top of the veggies in the main dish.
lunches, i have different options for there too and have 1 day as salad and 1 day as leftovers the rest are all different. like i said with dinner 1 day i have soup down but that includes many different types of soups and chilies that i can make for abut $3 for 10 meals worth.
snacks. i do buy some premade things when i can get them cheap enough, but for the most part make them myself. i made unsalted soft pretzles that i keep in the freezer (40 cals), or will make muffins, or cookies, all kinds of things and just alter then to make them healthier where I can.

littlesis412

bump

Umeboshi

My girlfriend and I spend about $100 - 150 when we go to the grocery store, which is often once every two weeks. However, we usually already have meat and vegetables stocked in the freezer. We buy soda and candy and other unnecessary things, so cutting those out I think it would definitely be possible to do two weeks on $100 if you're careful.

Here are a few tips that have been helping us save money, though our budget isn't actually as tight as your planned budget. -

-Buy store brand products whenever possible. Especially pasta, cereal, bread, and those type of things. They are really just as good as name brand, and much cheaper. Eat a LOT of pasta and rice.

-Buy dry instant milk instead of fresh, especially if you're not the type to be able to drink a full gallon before it goes bad.

-Go for the cheapest frozen vegetables and only get fresh when they're on sale or cheap and in season.

-Eat meat for maybe one meal a day, and have a small portion of it. Meat tends to be one of the most expensive things you can buy. Eggs are a great, cheaper source of protein. Canned tuna is also a good value especially if you get it on sale.

-Buy a LOT of Ramen. It's full of sodium, but if you and your hubby split a package it's not bad on calories. I highly recommend eating it as soup (I know some people will drain the broth off) because it's more filling that way. Also try adding some peas.

- Consider buying a cheap rice cooker. It makes it a lot easier to make rice especially if you're having it all the time. If you can afford it, also consider buying Japanese style rice (we buy Botan Calrose rice). It's a lot tastier than that long grain dry textured stuff that most people eat..
Here's a rice cooker for $14 http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RC3303-3-Cup-Cooker/dp/B002CVTT52/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1322859305&sr=1-2
You can google a lot of good recipes that can be cooked in a rice cooker too.

- If something is on sale, and you know you will eat it... BUY IT. Buy as much as you can afford to and freeze it if it's perishable. Buy the meat that's almost expired (in our store there is a small section of it and it's all marked down by a lot), then freeze it as soon as you get home.

- Forget the traditional view of what a 'meal' is supposed to be. Try to keep things balanced, but don't be afraid to try strange things. Use EVERYTHING you buy. Don't let stuff expire. Mix odd combinations if you have to in order to make everything count. Even if you make a meal out of popcorn and a piece of cheese or something. Take inspiration from weird food from other cultures. (For example, I bought broccoli slaw mix on sale and had some left, so I mixed it with one egg, 'complete' pancake mix, and fried up a very inauthentic 'okonomiyaki' pancake (with a sauce made of ketchup, Worcestershire, soy, and sugar). I also steamed the slaw mix and mixed it with ramen and added a thai peanut sauce made of peanut butter, vinegar, soy, and sriracha. Sounds weird but both dishes were good. )

- We're too lazy for this, but you can save a lot of money if you learn how to do couponing and combine coupons with items that are also on sale.

And finally... Don't be ashamed to apply for food stamps if you think you need them. They exist for a reason. Even if you only qualify for a little bit, it will help.

Sorry for the giant wall of text, hopefully a few of these tips are helpful


Edit: I saw you have two boxes of white rice!
Rice is very good plain with just some soy or sriracha on top. Usually as my side dish with rice I will have either a japanese rolled sweet omelet (you can google recipes, it's really easy to make) or tuna salad.
Cucumber salad also pairs really well with rice. It's just thinly sliced cucumber with some sweetened rice vinegar or white vinegar as dressing.
You can also make 'mexican' rice by adding some heated up salsa to your rice once it's cooked. That goes really well with canned refried beans, and a fried egg with salsa and cheese melted on top. YUM!

If you're lazy like me, cook a whole bunch of rice up at once and then while it's still hot put it in ziploc baggies in individual portions and freeze it. If you store it in the fridge it dries out, but when it's frozen you can microwave it and it heats up and tastes just like fresh!

mroper

Bump to read later.

smpreston

Buy a turkey or two left from Thanksgiving and toss them in the freezer. A turkey roasted on Sunday can feed you for several days. Make open faced sandwiches, serve with that rice you have, make a turkey soup, etc. I buy whole chickens when they are on sale. You can do a lot with a piece of meat that is less than $1 per pound. You can bake your own whole grain bread.

Food Network has a show called $10 dinners. Get some good ideas there.

CoraGregoryCPA

Buy the biggest size of chicken from sam's club for $12 6lbs of chicken, You can break up the chicken into 5 dinners! When I get home from Sam's, I immediately divide the chicken and freeze the portions in individual zip lock bags. You can do the same thing with pork chops or Talapia. If you don't have a Sam's club card, see if someone at work or friend's have one.

Buy store brand frozen vegetables, so they will last longer and you won't have to worry about them getting old.
Tuna and crackers as lunch
Canned vegetables
Dried mashed potatoes or dried rice boxes.
Hamburger helper, or tuna helper, or chicken helper is cheap.
Pasta and sauce
Shop at Aldi.
Look for Coupons. There are so many places to get coupons. I shop at Dominick's. They have an easy online system. I click on the coupons I want to use and they apply them to my shopping card. I never have to print coupons. I also get 1 dozen of eggs a week for free until January. I also get 1 gallon of milk for 1.77 just from the coupon selection online with my Dominick's card.

Some of these ideas may not be the BEST health wise, but it's still better than fast food. I'm sorry but people that can't eat on a budget are using it as an excuse.

We spend $50 a week. It feeds two adults including lunches and breakfast that we take to work. We still eat healthy and don't buy the cheap things.

For spicyness (my fiance loves spicy food too), we add cayenne pepper to things or he add Tabasco sauce to everything. Good Luck You can do it!!! You are making the right move by having a plan and being prepared!