Buying groceries when hovering around poverty level...

emrys1976

While my budget isn't $50/month, it is $150-$200 - pretty low for a nutrition-conscious home for two adults. For that money, I get loads of fresh produce, enough fresh meats and seafood, milk, cheese, yogurt, and so much "processed" foods that I end up donating a lot. I do it with coupons and sales. When I go to the store save for a few items, I only buy produce, meat, and seafood that is on sale which saves me 30-50%. Then with dairy and processed foods, I try to only buy them when they are on sale AND I have a coupon, usually saving me 50-90%. For instance, the receipt in my wallet from a recent trip shows:

2 bags mixed salad greens - $2.25 (buy one, get one free)
3 lbs red grapes - $4.35 (40% off)
2 onions - $1.12 (not on sale)
2 heads garlic - $.89 (not on sale)
3 lbs brussel sprouts - $4.50 (30% off)
1 bunch of asparagus $1.99 (30% off)
3 lbs zucchini $2.98 (40% off)
2 - 5 lb bags apples $3.98 (buy one get one free)
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts $8.74 (50% off)
.5 lb fresh salmon $2.98 (30% off)
12 boxes whole grain pasta - 12 cents per box - $1.44 (buy one get one free + coupon)
4 canisters of roasted almonds - 65 cents per can - $2.60 (buy one get one free + coupon)
3 - 1/2 gallons of organic milk - $1.25 each - $3.75 (30% off + store coupon + mfr coupon)
3 chobani yogurts - $4.00 (not on sale)
5 protein bars - $1.25 (buy one get one free + coupons)

This was about $50 after tax and such and is a pretty typical run for me. It takes awhile to get to the point that you can shop like this and still have enought food on hand to make a meal with it - but remember, the pasta in this run will probably last us 6 months since we don't eat it very often, and the same with the almonds (more like 3 months for those). The chicken will be frozen and used for the next month. My pantry already had enough super-cheap popcorn, canned fruits and veggies, pasta sauces, crackers, pickles, peanuts, walnuts, etc, etc. that I didn't need to worry about buying those things. And the freezer is crammed full of great deals on frozen veggies, stir-fries, whole chickens, pork tenderloin roasts, ground beef, steaks, etc. that we have a good variety of proteins and veggies to pull from as well. There's a lot of talk about coupons only being for junk food, but it's not the case. True, it can be tempting to get a ton of oreos for $.25 each or pop-tarts for $.30 each, but we just don't let ourselves. Well, ok, we'd get a pack of oreos at that price - but we'd make them last for a couple months!! lol!

If you're interested in learning more about this way of shopping, check out www.krazycouponlady.com. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, except as a fan :-)

DQMD

I don't know where you are located so..

Contact churches and food banks for assistance. See if they have something.

IF you are at poverty level there should be some sort of assistance that you qualify for.

Find a part time job that you can make a little bit of extra grocery money. (Baby sitting, dog walking etc)

Buy dried beans instead of bread. Better carbs than white bread.

Do you have dollar stores?

Eat at soup kitchens one meal a day. Seriously they are there for a reason. I volunteered there when I was super broke so I could eat a hot, free meal.

https://www.foodbank.bc.ca/programs

crudd123

Not sure if you are in the US, but do you have an ALDI grocery store in your area! Great prices on food and produce as well! Good luck to you!

mrsdizzyd84

I think I'd get rice, lentils and frozen veg instead of the bread, sugar and noodles. More nutrition for your dollar and Dahl (lentils) is yummy and nutritious. And if you have $1 left, spend it on dried chilli or curry powder to spice up the Dahl.
And powdered milk instead of fresh - you should get more and it won't go off.
I would also try to see if you could squeeze a few onions or carrots (or other cheap seasonal veggies) in there too.

This. If there a food bank/pantry near by? More maybe a church that provides food services for the poor? How about government assistance? You have to utilize your resources, ALL your resources. If you have no idea where to start, the librarians at the library should be able to point you in the right direction.

The sack of sugar, while an interesting idea is not going to cut it. It is not going to fill you up. You will be hungry all the time not to mention you'll be miserable from all the sugar highs and lows your body will do through. If you are at the poverty level I'd assume you are already struggling emotionally. Sugar is only going to make that worse. Trust me.

There are basically three things you need to sustain yourself: Rice, Beans, and water. Rice and beans together are not only a protein, but they are also a complete carb. Not to mention, they are very very filling. You can get a bag of dried beans for $1-$2. Make the whole bag using water, onion, and salt and you'll be good to go. Oatmeal is also good for this purpose.

Also, I'd buy a sack of flour and make my own bread. Having flour in the house means you can make a myriad of other things as well. Eggs are also a great idea. They are cheap, and they are a quick source of both fat and protein. You need both in order to survive.

Finally, you really do need to get some veggies in some how. You need those vitamins and minerals to survive. A sack of onions is pretty inexpensive. Cabbage is usually pretty cheap as well. Fruit is a bit more difficult, but if you can find a sack of apples on sale it will keep in the fridge for weeks without going bad.

You might also rethink the coffee. Coffee is a luxury, though our addictions make us think otherwise. The same goes for smoking and drinking if you do either of those. They are not necessities, period. They do not sustain life.

So, my list would look like this:

$5 A few bags of dried beans.
$6 A big sack of rice
$6 A few dozen eggs
$4 A box of oatmeal
$4 A sack of flour
$2 A couple small heads of cabbage
$3 A sack of onions
$5 A few sacks of frozen veggies or canned veggies ( which ever is the better deal)
$5 A sack of apples (optional)

That's about $40. Do what you will with what is left. I might add in a whole chicken if I can find one on sale. That will give me more protein, and I can use the carcass to make a stock to add a bit more flavor to my beans or cabbage.

I_get_fit

My question is... why don't you buy things that have better nutrition value?
Sugar? Coffee? To me these things are a luxury and would be the first things gone.

Maybe I see it a bit differently but If I only had $50 to spend I would buy the cheapest yet most healthy things I could.
Like dried beans, rice, eggs, a whole chicken or chicken legs, an onion, carrots, celery, pasta, tomato sauce, ww bread, oatmeal, fresh or frozen fruit on sale

With the things above I could make:

roasted chicken legs with rice
beans and rice
eggs and toast
chicken noodle soup
pasta with tomato sauce
oatmeal with fruit
bean and rice soup
faux fried rice - leftover rice with carrot, onion, with a couple eggs mixed in.

The meals above might not be the most exciting but they are filling and nutritious... and if you don't have a lot of money the last thing you need is medical problems to add the the stresses of life.

Cheers!

christinajohnson

If you have a produce market somewhere near you, I can usually get $15 to stretch for two weeks. Basics .44 for a bag of carrots, .98 for celery, 1.99 for a 3lb bag of onions. If I buy a pre-roasted chicken for $3.98 from walmart, I can usually get a pot of soup, a pot pie and chicken salad sandwiches out of it. I think variety is the key. Maybe finding ways to alternate your shopping so that you get minimal amount of produce. If you can't do that, I would find a way to get a good solid multivitamin (one bottle of mine is $9 but lasts two months) to at least ensure that you get nutrient minimums. Also, it's fairly cheap to grow small kitchen herb plants like basil, chives, parsley, etc.

cobarlo14

Not sure if you are in the US, but do you have an ALDI grocery store in your area! Great prices on food and produce as well! Good luck to you!

Aldi is fantastic!!!

cajunlady56

Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

This - why choose sugar over food - the cost of sugar would buy alot of beans. Sugar water may taste good but it is not going to fill you up.

redcut

I am a single mom and live below poverty level according to my state I do recieve assistance with food but i do use coupons alot the other day i had 100 dollars worth of food in my cart and spent only 25 dollars and my part of the state doesn't double the coupons we have learned if it is not on sale and we don't have a coupon for it we don't get it. so keep trying you can make it.

ki4yxo

A lot of people mention lentils. Had some
for dinner last night with some white rice,
and a slice of meatloaf.

This is the recipe I came up with, you can
add or subtract flavors.



1- Small onion diced
2- Cloves garlic finely chopped
3- Tablespoons Olive oil
1- 1/2 Cup Lentils (rinsed and drained)
4- Cups water
1- 14.5 oz. Can Del Monte diced tomatoes (Zesty Mild Green Chilies)
2- Bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil, then add all ingredients. Return to a slow steady boil.
Tightly cover and simmer over med-low heat for around 45 minutes. (Stir occasionally)
Best if you let the lentils sit on low heat for another 20 mins, and let the lentils thicken up,
Giving them a stir once in a while. Remember to pull out the bay leaves.

Serves - 6

Calories - 160

Carbs - 25

Fat - 7

Protein - 11

Sodium - 258

Sugar - 5



Remember: :laugh:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pndel4GrThw


***Added nutritional value from my recipe on MFP***

jody664

I can get a kg of red lentils for $3.50 at the local Indian grocer. According to Woolworths online shopping it would cost me $4.72 there. I'd invest in a few basic spices (turmeric and cumin, mustard seeds if I could afford them), over the instant noodles. Lentils have protein, tons of vitamins and nutrients and fibre, fibre, fibre! 100g of dry lentils is 345 calories. Not sure how many calories a pack of instant noodles has, but I'm guessing it's reasonably high.

A really great food is mujaderra (sp?). Fry onions, a great cheap vegetable that lasts, in oil, add spices if you have some like cumin and coriander, then throw in cooked rice and brown or green lentils. I can eat a huge bowl of this, which is why I don't make it anymore (: and it's ridiculously filling. You get plenty of b vitamins if you use brown rice as well as magnesium and, I think, potassium but don't quote me on that.

So from Woolworths:
1kg pink lentils - $4.79
1kg brown lentils - $4.29
cumin - $2.10
1kg brown rice - $3.64
750g rolled oats - $1.28
1kg milk powder - $6.44
1kg frozen peas - $2.14
250g frozen chopped spinach - $1.39x4
1kg frozen beans - $1.71
1kg brown onions - $1.88
1kg unwashed potatoes - $1.98
whole canned tomatoes - $.69x3
250g minced garlic - $1.39
25g turmeric - $1.31
420g can baked beans - $0.69x3
dozen eggs - $3.01
825g pineapples in juice - $1.59
825g pear halves in syrup - $1.60
825g fruit salad in syrup - $1.60

Total - $50.45

This is all homebrand, but I suspect it can be done even cheaper at Aldi. And the spices and oil will carry on over to the next month. The only thing I'd worry about is getting b12 - a dozen eggs over a month isn't going to supply nearly enough. I put the fruit in syrup in there as a treat. You've got to have something to tide you over. Plus it will make eating your porridge a bit more fun.

There's not as much veg as I'd like in my plan, but if I was in a bind I'd have no problem eating it.

Eta: I know the Australian dollar is roughly at parity with the US, not sure how we're doing against the Canadian!

I was just going to suggest Aldi. When I was a starving student, I could eat very healthfully by shopping there. Stay away from the processed food, though. There is a TON of it at Aldi. Their frozen meats are a great value. I spent like $5.99 for a bag of about 10 indivudally frozen chicken breasts. Their staples (milk, eggs, butter, rice, etc) are always the cheapest around. It was even worth it for me to drive 30+ minutes to the nearest Aldi instead of hitting my local grocery store.

jody664

I am in this position somewhat. My daughter recently lost her job and since it is such slim pickings around here, her and her boyfriend have decided to go along with me to the state prison system, where my husband works....but for right now We support them, so we feed a family of 7. Also factor in that we have started eating healthy and it has been a real challenge to feed this many people! I tried the coupon rout, but no stores here double, so the only choice was to use them when a good sale was going on. Even then, you hardly ever see fresh produce and meat coupons so I usually used coupons for canned goods (no salt varieties), and household goods. A bit of a savings there.

What has saved us a mass amount of money and allowed us to continually buy fresh produce and meats is using Walmarts price matching program. Each week I get all the ads for the stores in the area, including online copies for ones that don't come to my house. Then I make a master list of the best prices. I go shop at Walmart and price match everything I can. This assures that I can get the best price for something, and not have to go to four different stores to get it.

Another good thing to use is a Price Book. You keep a book with a list of the foods you buy the most, and keep note of the best price for an item and on what date it was at that price. Once the book really gets going you will start to see a sales trend that you can anticipate for as well as know at a glance if something is actually a deal....I have seen some stores offer a 'sale' that really isn't much of a sale in the long run. This is an invaluable tool for the budget grocery shopper.

Also try to home-make as much as you can, it really is cheaper. For an example, my children LOVE those frozen burritos..the usual best price for them is $3.00 a pack, which is .50 each, sometimes they go on sale for a quarter or fifty cents cheaper. BUT they have such CRAP in them. I buy the tortillas when on sale, the beans, cheese..I make a HUGE pot of the beans (soak them overnight) then I add in an onion quartered, some cumin and a diced jalapeno and some pepper..I don't even add in any salt and I cook them in homemade chicken broth. They are super tasty and cheap. Then I sit for a few hours and wrap up burritos, then wrap them in a bit of foil and freeze them. On a good day with the right sales I was able to make these for about .05 each AND they were waaaaaay more healthy than the packaged stuff. You just take one out of the freezer and throw it in the over, foil wrapper and all and bake it. They are good.

In this day and age you really have to think outside the box if you want to eat healthy on a budget.

Awesome suggestions!

KareninCanada

PLUS you can get condiment for FREE at any cafeteria or fast food restaurant!!!!!!!!!

I've seen a lot of people post this notion... but unless you're first spending (wasting) money on the fast food, this is stealing, plain and simple. You might say, "no big deal," but if each restaurant sees ten, twenty, fifty people adopt that mentality, you're talking about a chunk of money. Someone will pay for it - and it won't be head office. It will be you - when you have to start asking & paying for your ketchup packets because they're kept behind the counter.

KareninCanada

One suggestion for you, depending where you live exactly... find a farm that does produce shares. I am part of a Community-Supported Agriculture program. Through the summer growing season, there is a weekly basket of produce which varies from week to week, and even in Northern Alberta we have a bit of time where the baskets are HUGE. But I don't pay for mine - instead, I work for it. If I've logged a minimum of 50 hours over the summer, then my produce is paid for. This past summer there was also a really good strawberry crop, so I worked a lot of hours picking berries for her and ended up with 16+ bags of berries in my freezer.

Also, learn your berry seasons. We go berry-picking and stock the freezer with free blueberries, saskatoon berries and cranberries that we've gathered in the woods and along walking trails. I also scored a lot of apples from people who didn't want them - I posted an ad online and people emailed me who had apple trees but didn't want the apples.

And don't miss the power of bartering! Maybe you have a neighbor who loves to bake but hates to mow their lawn - offer to mow their lawn in exchange for a few loaves of bread, for example.

SLaw4215

Check your local churches for food pantries. It wouldn't be much but it will help. I've had to go to a few myself when I've been done on my luck. I hated it but you gotta do what you gotta do.

^^^^ this is a very good idea ^^^

plumnbagel

I was out of work last year and found I could roast a whole chicken and make it last quite a while. I realize it's $10 or so, but it went into so many things that it helped me feel like I wasn't eating yet another meal of rice and carrots.

bcattoes

This also sounds sad but I want the sack of sugar because it's a cheap source of calories. I can mix it with water and drink that, when push comes to shove. Unfortunately I don't think $12 worth of vegetables and fruit can last me an entire month like a sack of sugar can.

I'm not sure where you are, but I could buy enough dried beans and rice to eat at least one bowl full every day of the month for $12. That would most definitely give me more calories and keep me full longer than sugar water. Most dried beans at least quadruple in size when cooked and rice doubles in size.

Also, $12 should buy at least 20 lb of potatoes which could provide a lot of baked potatoes, which are very filling.

SachaMichel

Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

I haven't read most of the posts yet but to answer this question, yes I'm serious. My older brother can support me a little but he can barely support himself; I can't do that to him.

As for Internet, I leech off my brother's internet. Phone/cable/whatever else will all be cancelled.

Just really stressed so I'll finish reading the posts here another time. Thanks everyone.

tonybdavies

Rice and tuna every day for the last two months for me. 2 pound brown rice $2.20 lasts two weeks. Large can of springwater tuna costs $4.80 and I require 3 per week. Weekly total food comes to $15.50. That's my basic food staple. I buy fruit as well as green tea bags and fruit juice, but my core is the brown rice and tuna.

grobbygru

Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

I haven't read most of the posts yet but to answer this question, yes I'm serious. My older brother can support me a little but he can barely support himself; I can't do that to him.

As for Internet, I leech off my brother's internet. Phone/cable/whatever else will all be cancelled.

Just really stressed so I'll finish reading the posts here another time. Thanks everyone.

Okies - I just didn't know if it was a real question or not - I just had a number of people I know getting charity etc over Christmas when they still have what I call luxuries - I just don't get that. Going out and drinking etc but asking for handouts for hampers etc. Doesn't sit well with me.

Anyways, since you were just asking genuinely - I agree with a lot of other people - I think rice and vege's would serve you well. I wouldn't worry about the sugar - and I would flick the coffee. Something really nice that I don't get sick of and is cheap is brown rice with diced up tomatoes on top with some black pepper if you like (I don't bother with that). Being that many people in the world get by on just rice - I think it would be easy - fried rice would be cheap (no prawns and stuff of course) just rice, onion, carrot, peas and corn. I could live on that I think. The other thing I have a lot is peanut butter and salad sandwiches - it is yummo and I am sure pretty balanced - if you were going to buy the peanut butter anyways - then just a bit of salad and you are set!!
Vege hotpots - I can get you a nice recipe for that if you like - and once again you can have it with rice - or pasta which is cheap too (well here it is).
There is an aussie website called simple savings (just look it up with a .com.au maybe) and they have lots of good ways to eat cheap.
I guess you don't get study assistance or something wherever you are eh? What about cleaning a house or so a week? that would give you a few bucks to eat with anyways?

driaxx

Hmmm.......I haven't done the exact equations but I'd live on rice, oats and veggies. Anything unprocessed/in season is so much cheaper

grobbygru

Rice and tuna every day for the last two months for me. 2 pound brown rice $2.20 lasts two weeks. Large can of springwater tuna costs $4.80 and I require 3 per week. Weekly total food comes to $15.50. That's my basic food staple. I buy fruit as well as green tea bags and fruit juice, but my core is the brown rice and tuna.

Tony - only 2 months LOL - I kid you not - I worked with this guy for over 8 years and I have NEVER in that time seen him eat anything else for lunch but tuna and rice!! I used to joke with him that I bet his wife was rapt as she only had to buy a 10KG bag of rice every few months. :laugh:

MaximalLife

Can you plant a garden?
That might help later in the year.

I never liked living hand to mouth; it's good to plan ahead.

Chrisborro

Check restaurants or small grocery stores. Most of them have crap loads of food that they throw away each day thats perfectly good to eat. Saw it on the cooking channel

Dragonwolf

What's the best you can do?

I think I can live on $50 a month:

4 loaves of bread- $8
2 jars of peanut butter- $8
A case of instant noodles (24 pack)- $6
A jar of instant coffee- $4
A big sack of granulated sugar- $12
A jug of full-fat milk- $5

The tax in my province is 14% so that works out to about $49.

I would switch to no-name brands and full-calorie versions of everything to maximize savings and caloric intake :happy:

If you're going for economics (and want to get the most nutrients out of your food), I'd do this -

Swap out the milk for an equal price of powdered milk (usually makes around 3-4 gallons, and if you do it right, doesn't taste that much different)
Swap out the coffee for a 5-10lb bag of potatoes
Swap the sugar for 10lbs of ground hamburger
Swap out a jar of peanut butter for some boxes of pasta and pasta sauce
If you have any left over (may or may not, depending on the exact prices of food, as well as coupons or specials), some cans of tuna, or veggies (canned or fresh, depending on season)

With these, you can make a number of different meals for very little and aren't stuck with Ramen and peanut butter sandwiches for every single meal.

Also, coupons are definitely your friend. I know a number of people who can get $100 worth of groceries for $50 or less. It's just a matter of finding the sales and learning how to stack the coupons. It's also about being smart about prices. A 1lb jar of peanut butter might be $3, but you get more for your money getting the 5lb jar that's $10 (and since peanut butter doesn't go bad, you can create a small stockpile one month, then create a small stockpile of something else another month).

nikkikickinfat

I have found Aldi's and walmart have been very helpful and planning ahead. I trying to stock up on things before they run low, and still maintain healthy foods. Yes, it does take me about 3-4 hours to plan everything but in the end it is worth it.

nikkikickinfat

meant - "I try to ..."

jlnk

No rudeness intended, but I think I'd just either get a job, find a higher paying job, or get another job. I don't think I could eat that stuff every day!

cmarion331

sounds good thank you

iamkylie

This thread really makes me appreciate what I have. I am really grateful that I live in NZ where the government helps us if we need food etc with food grants etc. I hope things turn around for you