Would love some ideas.....

RawMomma10

Family of three.... very small food budget.... Im talking like $200 a month........ and my hubby is not willing to give up his chips and snacks.... (hes been the same size since high school...size 29 waist....) so I need some ideas on a few things that taste good and are $$ friendly.... that I can get .... my daughter has no issues with sharing my "healthy" snack options.... so its really about finding stuff I can afford and get and then still manage to get his treats....

Saree1902

Veggie dishes often work out cheaper, especially those based around tinned beans or chick peas. I lived off veggie chilli and curry as a student!
Also, do you have a slow cooker? If so, casseroles can be done with cheaper cuts of meat and still be really nice. Or just cook them in the oven for several hours.

knowwhentoshutup

I'd be happy to share what we do. I have been running a tight budget (under $300/month) for a family of 4.

The big things are meal planning in advance, and always having a few back up plans when nights get busy or money is gone.

For example, my husband and I look at the sales flyers for all the grocery stores and if anything is on special, we make a list. Then, we determine what the menu will be.

It is not unusual for us to go to multiple stores for the best prices. I shop heavily at Aldi for the best prices on canned goods and watch their produce specials. I have a good handle on what 'good' prices are, but you could always keep track in a small notebook you keep in your purse.

I also have the luxury of a sams club membership, thanks to my Dad. But not everything is cheaper in bulk, so you still have to watch pricing. We usually buy some meat on sale there, bulk oatmeal, salad supplies, greek yogurt (fage is like half price for a bigger package), etc.

Last week as an example, we had $80. For dinner we had:
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Sausage with Noodles
Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes (from Skinnytaste.com)
California Rolls/Spicy Tuna Rolls and East Meets West Sushi Salad
Chicken Nachos

For lunch (for my husband and I):
Leftovers from dinners - which I plan for
Tuna salad (mixed veggies over romaine lettuce with cut up pickle, frozen peas, etc)
(I had Subway at work, due to catered lunches)

For breakfast:
Eggs (usually omletes or egg sandwiches)
Oatmeal (bought in bulk and I usually mix in a few teaspoons of brown sugar, or fruit on hand)

We've been picking up eggs for 99 cents a dozen, and last week, we made frittatas, which are good for and meal.

We also have a Sara Lee outlet, which saves us on bread products. My favorite is the english muffins and whole wheat bread for a fraction of the price. I usually can get each at a $1 or less.

I also buy whole wheat pasta, and make my own spaghetti sauce (tomato sauce and tomato paste with any veggies, usually onions and mushrooms) as a cheap and healthy meal mixed with protein if it fits. (Also, chicken noodle soup is a great fall back, filling too!)

I will add that I buy chicken in bulk packs at Walmart for $1.99 or less, unless it is on sale somewhere else. We grill and/or poach it and use it on salads or in recipes throughout the week. I meant to make Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta last week, but didn't because the kids wanted nachos instead. But that is a simple meal of whole wheat pasta, cooked chicken, broccoli (frozen or fresh), a jar of lite alfredo sauce, and little milk to stretch the sauce if you need.

You could always look up recipe ideas on Taste of Home (I love the Healthy Cooking old magazines), Skinnytaste.com, and the Veggie Ventures blog for ideas. You could always google the Hillbilly Housewife emergency menu plan, too. I use all of these from time to time.

If you want to know what the recipes are, or more about what I do, just let me know.

Good luck!

ETA: Chips and snacks are really cheap at Aldi!

RawMomma10

Ty both for sharing!! I will so have to check out those sites!!!