$10 Meal Plan! Send help!

MiraBoleyn210

Hello, hello.

I've never used the message boards before, so here goes nothing.

I'm on a super super limited income right now (just got a new job, but the perks haven't kicked in yet). Before I left my last job I won a $10 Harris Teeter gift card, woot!

Basically, I'm trying to decide what I can get on this $10 that might a) last me a hot minute and b) would be super nutritious and of reasonable caloric value.

Ideas?

PamelaKuz

When I'm broke I usually get a sack of potatoes and a big bag of carrots (the regular ones, not the little cut up ones, those are usually more expensive). Then I cruise the meat section and find the cheapest thing possible. Lol. Sometimes stewing beef is cheap, or those little beef roasts for $5 or $6. I either roast them whole, or slice thin for cutlets, or chop into cubes for stew. A huge pot of stew is cheap and is a lot of food. I don't know how much food costs where you live, but sometimes Safeway up here has huge bags of frozen basa fish fillets for under $10. It's a lot of meat for cheap. I either coat them in breadcrumbs and bake them, or pan fry them in a little oil and lemon juice,

Bentley2718

Beans, dried is cheapest, but canned are also cheap. Frozen veggies, especially if they are on sale.

PamelaKuz

Check out the family packs of meat as well, you might be able to find a big tray of pork chops or chicken legs/thighs for under $10 on sale. You can separate them and freeze them for later. Enough meat for a week or two! Look on the net for recipe ideas, you can cook things in such different ways that you won't get bored.

Jacole18

eggs and rice are usually on the cheaper side too....

twinketta

Some minced beef, lots of veggies throw them in a big pan, salt/pepper/ketchup will give you 4 or 5 dinners

Polly758

I vote for soup, also, but slice a head of cabbage for it too-- should be about a dollar

If you don't like soup for breakfast, oatmeal can be cheap

djc315

Eggs, beans, rice, potatoes.


And whatever green veggie that is on sale, just not lettuce.

I too am on a very tight budget (no job, living off savings and getting down to nothing). Eggs and potatoes are a very common go-to meal for me. You can prepare them so many different ways.

jenj1313

Look at what you've got in your pantry & freezer already and figure out what makes the most sense. Frozen veggies can bulk up the pasta and rice that you might already have. Beans and rice are cheap and go well with meat if you have some in the freezer. Eggs are cheap and you can scramble any kind of frozen or canned veggie into them to add a little variety. Good luck! In Jan, I plan to start a $25/per week challenge right now, where I'll be eating out of my and trying to spend $25 or less at the grocery store every week.

PamelaKuz

Some minced beef, lots of veggies throw them in a big pan, salt/pepper/ketchup will give you 4 or 5 dinners

That's what I had last weekend. My grocery store has bags of "no-yolk" egg noodles for $1. I skipped the ketchup and used beef oxo, put it over the noodles..voila. Poor lady stroganoff. Lol.

sportyredhead01

For $10 you can make a huge pot of chili...even with using ground turkey or chicken.

Dried or canned beans + 1 lb of meat + can tomato sauce + can diced tomatoes + cheap spices from the International aisle = eat all week. If it simmers and gets too thick, add a can full of water to stretch it.

Also my grocery store has on the International aisle, little packs of pasta for like 59 cents.
I check that aisle first. I found tomato sauce in little cartons yesterday for 27 cents each.

bcattoes

Dried beans, brown rice and frozen vegetables.

MiraBoleyn210

Thank you guys so much! I hadn't thought about stews or chilly. I've got plenty of black beans, canned and dried. So I'll be adding to that.

mkanak

Eggs, rice & quaker oats!