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

chrystee

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..

Indoor? Put those little window planters right out your window?

determinedbutlazy

Fresh produce can get expensive, I find I save quite a lot by buying frozen veggies in bulk!

chrystee

If anyone has anymore ideas, please let me know!!!

One thing that helps me is not wasting foods, if you have extra, use it the next day for lunch, etc. That way I don't waste food and money. I hate throwing away food that I don't use in time.

You can also make like chicken soup and freeze it! A big pot of chicken soup might cost me 15 dollars (get the cut up whole chicken, or a small roaster or those tiny chickens, lots of veggies!) but you could also freeze it in single serve containers.

stardivap413

plant a garden!

actually a really good idea! fresh tomatoes, peppers, carrots, watermelon, beans, etc...

otherwise I'd buy plenty of brown rice, black eyed peas, things that will last a while and that are only about a dollar a bag

shakama

I hear you sister!! With our electricity prices going mad and our lovely carbon tax - I really don't know what to cut back on next!! Roll on the next election i say!!

weaverfit

greens & beans (and rice).
Indian foods - predominantly vegetarian, can be very filling and are exceptionally flavorful. Try some new recipes.

marycmeadows

Wow, I spend at least $300/month on food for me and my boyfriend - at least. Of course that includes stuff that he eats that I don't so yea.

I eat a lot of beans though - they're cheap. I wish fresh stuff was cheaper here, It's not but I still buy it!

diddyk

i also live in Canada, and I agree, groceries are so expensive here!! I pay about 3.50 for a dozen egg! Milk is 4 bucks for a 2 liter. Isnt that ridiculous??

I'm also Canadian, and I agree that prices here can be ridiculous. I visit Florida often and I loooooooove to eat there. I get healthy food, for cheap cheap cheap! (We don't eat out much while there, I stay in a house so have a full kitchen to use.)

But 3.50 for eggs and $4 for 2lt of milk? Where exactly do you live? I'm in Mississauga...at No Frills (and Costco) and can get Eggs for $2.50/dozen and 4lt of milk for $4.50 or less..

foss44

Bump

dmpizza

Hormel vegetarian chile.

Serah87

Do you have a Dollar (Dollar Tree) store?? They have toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, etc.

967_1111

Eat what's in season. When nothing local is in season, eat frozen veggies. Can be found for a good price, and nutritionally can rival fresh.

I must admit there's no way I could do $50 a month. Our house of 3 (two adults, one 11 year old) probably spends $50 a month on milk alone...)

missroxy1985

Bump for later !

californiansun

Eat what's in season. When nothing local is in season, eat frozen veggies. Can be found for a good price, and nutritionally can rival fresh.

I must admit there's no way I could do $50 a month. Our house of 3 (two adults, one 11 year old) probably spends $50 a month on milk alone...)

I'm going to be buying LOTS of frozen veggies!!! Rice, beans, eggs, milk.... Staples!!!

hbunting86

LOL great thread... I'm literally broke at the moment and having to pay for visas and immigration stuff - so I'm leaving life REAL cheap.

Today I got:

2 bananas, 1 mango, 3 avocados, 1kg fresh roma tomatoes, 4 medium white potatoes, and 2 huuuuge leeks for $11 NZD.

Meat and dairy is very expensive in NZ - around $3 for 1ltr milk (I use that as my yardstick!) and cheese is around $10/kg.

I'm eating a vegan diet so luckily I can avoid these expensive things!! Beans and pulses are fab to fill you up and you can flavour them so many ways... think if you have beans you could mix with rice and chilli etc for a Mexican style meal... or if you do pasta with beans that's a classic Italian dish called pasta fagioli (pasta and bean soup). Indian there are any number of vegetarian based lentil and vegetable dishes - think daal etc.

If you like eggs, even if they're more expensive you can make them stretch further by scrambling them with rice and veggies to do your own home-made egg fried rice (plus it's healthier too).

I find seasonal produce is much cheaper.. and it makes sense to eat in season and to reduce our ever growing carbon footprints. If only people bought more local and grew more of their own stuff we'd have a much more sustainable future..!

Happy eating

sandinicole

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I stumbled across Dollarfriendlymeals.com on here. It gives the break down of cost and seems pretty healthy too hope it helps!

odusgolp

WTH, I spend at least 300/mo. Perhaps I need to revise my ways *LOL*

GasMasterFlash

In addition to ideas gathered here, I would suggest searching the forums for ideas, using the Search button above. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Here's one thread that had some great ideas: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/305918-does-anyone-else

Some things that we do to help keep the grocery bill down...

FROZEN VEGETABLES
Frozen veggies are typically a great value, and very nutritious. Less sodium and more nutrients than canned. Plus, you can choose if want them crisp or soggy. Canned are always soggy. :laugh:

BEANS
Crock pot (slow cooker) is great way to go. Cook 'em overnight and then freeze any surplus. If you go with canned beans, I would recommend rinsing them to cut down on the sodium. Some nice folks have even added the rinsed versions of most canned beans to the food database.

OATMEAL
Oatmeal is another great, cheap, healthy food.

EGGS
A great low-calorie, protein-rich food. Don't fear eating the whole egg!

GROCERY STORE PRICE MATCHING (WALMART) -- MY LIFESAVER!
We have been able to buy a lot more fruit and veggies (along with meats and other items) thanks to Walmart's price-matching policy on groceries. We check all of the special that come in the junk mail for local grocery stores, jot them down and head to Walmart.

The best fruit and veggie prices here are found in the Latin markets -- it's not uncommon for us to pick-up 6 lbs of oranges for $0.99, for example. Sometimes, though, the quality can be poor at the store offering the sale, so we just take that price to Walmart. It will also save you time and gasoline/bus fare. Walmart's price match policy is that you don't have to bring the ad -- just be able to tell them where you found the offer. They keep the local ads there, supposedly. We've never gotten any hassle though.

Justjoshin

I eat $40.00 in Chicken a month alone. I wish I could be that frugal.

Grocery bill pushes $500 some months no doubt.

californiansun

In addition to ideas gathered here, I would suggest searching the forums for ideas, using the Search button above. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Here's one thread that had some great ideas: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/305918-does-anyone-else

Some things that we do to help keep the grocery bill down...

FROZEN VEGETABLES
Frozen veggies are typically a great value, and very nutritious. Less sodium and more nutrients than canned. Plus, you can choose if want them crisp or soggy. Canned are always soggy. :laugh:

BEANS
Crock pot (slow cooker) is great way to go. Cook 'em overnight and then freeze any surplus. If you go with canned beans, I would recommend rinsing them to cut down on the sodium. Some nice folks have even added the rinsed versions of most canned beans to the food database.

OATMEAL
Oatmeal is another great, cheap, healthy food.

EGGS
A great low-calorie, protein-rich food. Don't fear eating the whole egg!

GROCERY STORE PRICE MATCHING (WALMART) -- MY LIFESAVER!
We have been able to buy a lot more fruit and veggies (along with meats and other items) thanks to Walmart's price-matching policy on groceries. We check all of the special that come in the junk mail for local grocery stores, jot them down and head to Walmart.

The best fruit and veggie prices here are found in the Latin markets -- it's not uncommon for us to pick-up 6 lbs of oranges for $0.99, for example. Sometimes, though, the quality can be poor at the store offering the sale, so we just take that price to Walmart. It will also save you time and gasoline/bus fare. Walmart's price match policy is that you don't have to bring the ad -- just be able to tell them where you found the offer. They keep the local ads there, supposedly. We've never gotten any hassle though.

THANK YOU!!!

Keep it coming you all!

californiansun

I eat $40.00 in Chicken a month alone. I wish I could be that frugal.

Grocery bill pushes $500 some months no doubt.

Thats why I'm going veggie!!! I'm glad I'm a girl, we tend to not eat as much as men haha.

GasMasterFlash

I'm blessed with a wife that takes the Sunday newspaper ads, as well as the junk mail, and sits down to build the shopping list around what is on sale in area stores. Then, we take the list to Walmart for price-matching. We get all of the great deals without having to drive around town.

Do your homework and plan. It's worth it.

garlic7girl

I understand...I had to forgo going to the grocery store for about a month and a half to two months...I had actually cleared out my frige no food except condiments on the sides. I had plenty cans and beans and grains that was it but guess what better then nothing!
I say what saves also is if you buy tofu or any veggies and make a soup make plenty and eat off for a week!

Justjoshin

I eat $40.00 in Chicken a month alone. I wish I could be that frugal.

Grocery bill pushes $500 some months no doubt.

Thats why I'm going veggie!!! I'm glad I'm a girl, we tend to not eat as much as men haha.

I eat 40$ in fruits and vegetables a week...

SweetSammie

Fat free evaporated milk can be good for cooking.. that way you only use fresh milk for drinking/cereal.

In college I used to buy a 5 pack of Lender's wheat bagels, peanut butter (jar would last 3 weeks), bananas, about 3 cans of tuna (I kept pickle relish and light mayo... lasted more than a month), a block of sharp cheddar cheese, and either a bag of apples or canned fruit.
I could make breakfast and lunch from that for a week. 1/2 bagel with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast, 1/2 bagel with melted cheese, topped with tuna salad (about 1/2 can worth of tuna) for lunch with an apple or canned fruit.

At the time, I worked in a restaurant so I often ate there for dinner, or I made cheap dinners.... big pots of homemade chili (heavy on the beans, light on the beef!), chicken cacciatore (chicken thighs, cooked with "Italian Seasoning," onion, garlic and green peppers -- bought at farmer's markets in the summer, bought frozen in winter), whole wheat pasta, jar of marinara, topped with some of the cheese mentioned above -- I could eat that for days. If I had money to spare I'd have a green salad, if not, a side of frozen broccoli.

When I got tired of those meals, I would vary it with oatmeal for breakfast, or egg salad topped bagel halves, or leftovers/soup for lunch. Sometimes I would buy a loaf of bread, and use the cheddar cheese to make grilled cheese to go with tomato soup, then have peanut butter toast for breakfast, or scrambled eggs and toast...

Maybe not PERFECTLY healthy, but I wasn't hungry, I wasn't eating pizza every day and I was in college! (P.S., this particular time in my life was when I was probably the most fit -- I have been thinner, but not in a healthy way. I worked in the fitness center at school, and worked out several times a week). I ate dinner at home 3-4 days a week, and I remember spending 20 dollars and making it roughly a week eating this way.

50 to 60 a month would be a challenge even to me.... and I CAN get pretty frugal!

My mom used to make what we called "kitchen sink soup" as in "everything but the kitchen sink." She kept a big ziploc bag or tupperware container in the freezer... if we ate dinner and there were just a couple of spoonfulls of corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, ect., left in a bowl, she would put it in the container in the freezer. When it got full, she would try to round it out -- add some carrots or potatoes if necessary, usually add a can of tomato sauce, cook up some for of meat (or, take what was left of a whole chicken, or from a roast, or brown some ground beef... and cook that down)," put it in a big pot...... it makes delicious soup, I SWEAR. It's practically free, just a collection of leftovers. May sound crazy, but it was the BEST soup I ever had... and a little different each time.

My husband LOVES cabbage and sausage, it's super cheap. Buy a turkey keilbasa sausage and a huge head of cabbage, chop the cabbage, put it in a crock pot with some water, top with turkey keilbasa, cook until cabbage is tender. Season. I usually serve it with baked potatoes. If you eat sparingly of the sausage, 2 adults can have HEAPING plates of dinner for 2 days. There is usually leftover cabbage even after that.... so it could stretch more.

epdiddlydo

There are a lot of good ideas on here, along with some excellent websites

JadeRabbit08

$50 dollars a month!? How is that possible? I pay that much at least a week and I am single.
$35 - $40 dollars a month just on chicken $12-$15 dollars a month on bananas, chinese cabbage $16 a month, baby spinach $30 a month, other leafy greens and salad stuff $35 a month various condiments extras $25 -$ 35 a month Brown rice $3 a month potatoes $5 tomatoes $15 a month. Almond milk $ 20 -$28

So thats over 200 dollars a month just at the top of my head and I am sure there are things I buy that are not included. Like apples oranges blueberries figs etc.

JadeRabbit08

i also live in Canada, and I agree, groceries are so expensive here!! I pay about 3.50 for a dozen egg! Milk is 4 bucks for a 2 liter. Isnt that ridiculous??

Very much so!!!

I believe minimum wage is higher in Can. and Aus., though. Minimum wage in my state is 8.00/hour.

Minimum wage here (Australia) is almost $16 an hour for full time and $18.95 if you are casual. If your casual then you get a percent loading on top of that which for a fast food worker equates to a minimum wage of 21.25 an hour. Found an interesting article on American/Australian /NewZealand wage comparisons which really surprised me.
http://truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5601:fair-work-fair-pay-lessons-from-australia

I pay extra for eggs as I buy free range and never cage. Most of money seems to go on food as I like to eat as much raw veg as possible which means I dont buy alot of frozen stuff. I am also gluten and diary intolerant so alot of canned goods are out as well as cheap pastas and bread. Hopefully I will get some good ideas from this thread. Sounds like its time to grow some food. How expensive is it to keep chickens (just for the eggs)?

californiansun

I eat $40.00 in Chicken a month alone. I wish I could be that frugal.

Grocery bill pushes $500 some months no doubt.

Thats why I'm going veggie!!! I'm glad I'm a girl, we tend to not eat as much as men haha.

I eat 40$ in fruits and vegetables a week...

I used to, but sadly I need to cut back.

californiansun

$50 dollars a month!? How is that possible? I pay that much at least a week and I am single.
$35 - $40 dollars a month just on chicken $12-$15 dollars a month on bananas, chinese cabbage $16 a month, baby spinach $30 a month, other leafy greens and salad stuff $35 a month various condiments extras $25 -$ 35 a month Brown rice $3 a month potatoes $5 tomatoes $15 a month. Almond milk $ 20 -$28

So thats over 200 dollars a month just at the top of my head and I am sure there are things I buy that are not included. Like apples oranges blueberries figs etc.

Luckily food is cheaper here! I usually spend 100 a month, but losing my job with gas prices is killing me. I have to do this!