How to survive on 40-50 dollars per month on food.

twiztid_princess

I'm struggling with budget too.. I wish i could figure out how to grow a garden but i live in an apartment, with no balcony or patio..

Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel

Definitely going to be watching this thread. I am a single unemployed mom of one son, and have been trying to come up with healthy foods that don't cost a ton, that will keep me full, and still be something my son will eat. He's 7, and is doing well with making better choices since I started cooking differently, and eating healthier myself, but we really need to cut down our grocery bill for the month, and I have been struggling trying to come up with ideas. When I am not half asleep, I plan to com back here and check out some of the links suggested already.

Nickiii_123

Corn tortillas and be cheap if you buy the 100 count bags and then leave some out for the week and freeze the rest for later. Rice, beans and tortillas can turn into some really yummy Mexican food for very little money

Also, try checking around at stores you might not normally shop at. We have a store near-by that has not-so-cheap prices normally but every Tuesday from 4 to 7 they have a 50% off produce. We wouldn't typically shop there but every Tuesday we can buy a ton of produce for cheap. Other stores might have similar deals. (I am in WA and the store is Thriftway, I don't know if you have them where you are at or not).

Here are some recipes too:

http://glutenfreetraveller.com/category/topics-2/simple-recipes/
~I'm very gluten intolerant so lots of my fav recipes are gluten free but I wanted to share these because they are so simple (most only have 5 or 6 ingredients) and can be made very cheaply.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

californiansun

Corn tortillas and be cheap if you buy the 100 count bags and then leave some out for the week and freeze the rest for later. Rice, beans and tortillas can turn into some really yummy Mexican food for very little money

Also, try checking around at stores you might not normally shop at. We have a store near-by that has not-so-cheap prices normally but every Tuesday from 4 to 7 they have a 50% off produce. We wouldn't typically shop there but every Tuesday we can buy a ton of produce for cheap. Other stores might have similar deals. (I am in WA and the store is Thriftway, I don't know if you have them where you are at or not).

Here are some recipes too:


http://glutenfreetraveller.com/category/topics-2/simple-recipes/
~I'm very gluten intolerant so lots of my fav recipes are gluten free but I wanted to share these because they are so simple (most only have 5 or 6 ingredients) and can be made very cheaply.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Thats a good idea! We dont have that here. We have food 4 less, foodmaxx, savemart, vons, whole foods, trader joes, foods co and winco. We also have a Vallarta and an El Super.

aperture8

I grow my own peppers, tomatoes, and a large variety of herbs, I am also a big fan of egg roll wrappers- you can take any leftovers, put them in an egg roll wrapper, bake it and have it in a new and interesting way! I did this tonight with my vegetarian pad thai. I also buy a lot of produce when it's on sale and chop it, then place in baggies to freeze. That saves a ton of money. Every sunday I make my meals in bulk, then divide in individual containers to cool later on. I label everything with a name and date of the dish made. Makes life so much easier and a lot cheaper because you have no waste! So just create a menu for the month, look for 2 for one deals, clip some coupons and shop away! Also remember, high fiber is very filling so you'll eat less!

behealthy12

A variety of fresh homemade hearty soups & stews during cooler months. I might buy 1 sirloin steak, pot roast or chicken(whats on sale)...ex..sirloin slice some for Fajitas & Stir Fry...cut some for stew meat (soups & casseroles) Stttrrreeeetchhhh it out as far as I can. I container garden on the patio....tomatoes & peppers & cucumbers ( I save the seeds from the veggies I've eaten...& start from there) community garden... dice & freeze....celery, onions, peppers,carrots,parsley, cilantro,basil when i pick them up on sale.
Also, I thought I couldn't afford to entertain anymore... But, still manage twice monthly (6-8 folks) Everyone brings an ingredient for the evenings recipe ( aka "Stone Soup")...we hang out in the kitchen gabbing & catching up...then all partake of the culinary masterpiece.
Ohh... & at the YMCA & School that I go to...if folks have any extra lemons,grapefruits,oranges,pomegranates etc ( i'm in Arizona)
they just put them in the lobby & you can help yourself...... The internet is loaded with recipes... Good Luck... YOU CAN DO IT

behealthy12

Learn how to bake your own bread, Foccacio Bread is very easy & so versatile...& FuN to Bake

lisakyle_11

plant a garden!

you have a good start. add this ^. seriously.

WifeNMama

I made a list of brands we usually buy from, and sent them emails requesting coupons. They like to keep customers happy. :-)

MostlyHealthyMomma

Didn't read the whole post to see if I doubled up, but poorgirleatswell.com is a cool website

hazelnut861

Where the heck do you live? I want to move there....(In reference to getting all that for such LOW prices!!)

Fresno/Clovis, CA

I live down in Porterville and I think bananas are 66¢ a pound right now. We have great oranges around here too. I was also going to tell you about the hillbilly housewife website. And coupons! And... the coupons you don't need some people will buy them on ebay (not selling the coupons, but compensating you for your time clipping them) and you could have a little bit more for groceries. Also, canning seasonal foods save us $$$.

fitforlife34

I wouldn't know, I spend about $200 a month on food, just for myself! it's crazy. And I buy all sales. I eat rather healthy.
Thing is, I can eat a lot sometimes. So buying food on $50 per month would mean eating less, and therefor you will
automatically lose weight. Wish I could do it, someone tell me tips!

MelKut

Do you buy things like flour, rice, beans and lentils in bulk? We buy 50 lb bags of flour (I have no idea how much they are, my parents buy everything) and they last for a long time. Same with the other things... Your cost may be up this month, but I think in the long run it will save you money? Just something to think about, even plan for it. Set any extra money or change for big bags of food that you can store in your pantry or closet, that way, the next time you go food shopping you don't even have to worry about those items....

*shrug* that's what my parents do, but with 6 kids living at home right now, its kind of necessary :laugh: good thing we all pitch in for groceries!

aperture8

You can lose weight by making a few changes - replace pasta for Shirataki Noodles - you can eat 3 times the amount and still 1/4 of the calories of pasta! Here's more on them: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/shiratakinoodle.htm

They are packed with fiber so will be more filling than pasta too! I boil them for a few minutes then saute them into my pan of whatever i'm cooking - usually i'll saute veggies with ragu - add the noodles into it and saute a few minutes. It's really good and seriously low cal!

aperture8

In fact, here are some great recipes with Shirtake Noodles! http://shirataki-noodles.recipesilove.com/

EmmieSu

Create a monthly menu, using things you have on hand already, making you trips to the grocery store, less expensive I will walk through my kitchen with a notepad and pen, and take inventory of all the items I have in stock, then create my menu, accordingly. I have frozen hamburger (or deer burger, my husband's a hunter), and tomato juice, all I need to buy is a can of beans to make a chili. Then the next day, I'll make fries(potatoes) or hotdogs (bought on sale, stocked up), for chili dogs/chili fries, for lunch. Two meals, and I only bought a can of beans! My cookbooks are my best friends:) I'll usually sit down with my list and a cookbook and create new menu ideas. Sometimes, I only have to buy one or two items for a meal. I usually plan so that I can get atleast two meals out of higher priced items. Watch your local adds for meat sales, 10/$10 items (frozen veg, chesses, condiments, noodles, and yogarts) the store usually lets you mix items. This is when you stock up on items. Say this week you only spend $10 because you shopped according to what you already had, then when a store has a sale, you can use what you saved to stock up. We have a local grocery store that twice a yr has a HUGE meat sale, we always stock up. Last yr, we bought enough meat for 146 meals for .$34 a serving. Hunting and fishing also gives us an advantage. When strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and apples are in season, I will go to the local orchard or farm and buy in bulk, then freeze or dehdyrate. I am not a gardener, but have friends and family that will pass on their bounty and it helps tremendously. Trading also works, my Momma was a seamstress my aunt a baker, they would trade services. My mom would sew for my aunt, and my aunt would bake for us:) This may work if you know a hunter, fisherman, or gardener, willing to trade with you. Also, learning to make your own breads saves money. I can remember making a couple loaves of bread once, and my husband laughed saying, he never thought he'd be so poor his wife would make their bread:) I believe their are some websites or youtube videos for gardening without a yard or patio, but I don't know those right off hand.

JakinsandPeykins

Bump

sfoxy219

$50 a month on food? I spend about 200 a month for me and my guy. Not including eating out.
Farmers market and freezing as much of it as you can is good. Butter, milk, meat and cheese are way expensive here. Pasta, potatoes, frozen fruits and veggies.

CMB1979

Geez... I was spending over $400/mo for just me here in Korea until I gave up buying meat. 1 pound of chicken here is about $11.

Now.. on 1500 cal/day, I'm spending about $250/mo on groceries. I miss cheap USA beef! It's about $14/pound for ground beef here.

paletendril

Bump because all the suggestions so far have been awesome