Groceries on a budget !
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eag264
Posts: 116
This won't work for most people but if you're finding it hard to eat healthy on a budget, think again. Although I don't use most on the list created here, it's a good example of how one can get by a week on so little.
My staples are: eggs, oatmeal, tuna fish cans, sardines, potatoes, milk - which can always be found cheap. These are items I always have stocked in my pantry.
http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/04/is-it-possible-to-survive-on-a-30-per-week-grocery-budget.html
Contrary to what many people may tell you, I think you can definitely eat well on $30 per week — and you can find a little wiggle room to buy ahead, too.
My husband and I both lived on a $30 per week grocery budget when we were first married. This included all the ingredients to make 21 meals for both of us each week, plus all household products.
A Can-Do Attitude Is a Must
Don’t let yourself think, “There’s no way I can eat on this small of a budget.” Instead, decide that you’re going to do the best you can with the resources you have.
Make it a game, of sorts, to see how well you can do on a little. By challenging yourself to exercise creativity and think outside the box, you’ll enjoy it a lot more. And when you’re enjoying something, it no longer seems so difficult.
Make Short-Term Sacrifices
In order to be able to scrape together enough money to start buying ahead and building up your stockpile, I’d encourage you to commit to eating really simply for a few weeks. Cut your grocery budget back to $25, and save the extra $5 to invest in those rock-bottom, can’t miss deals — or to purchase almost-free toiletries and household products.
If you’re thinking there’s no way you can eat on $25 per week, here’s a grocery list and menu plan I came up with:
Sample $25 Grocery List and Menu
Prices are approximate and will likely vary a little by area. You may be able to beat these prices with great sales and/or coupons.
Regular Grocery Store, Aldi, or Walmart
1 canister of oatmeal –$2
1 gallon milk — $2.50
1 bag of apples — $3
1 bag of carrots — $1.50
4 bags of frozen vegetables — $4
1 bag of frozen chicken breasts — $7
Dollar Store
1 loaf of bread — $1
1 jar of peanut butter — $1
1 jar of jelly or honey — $1
1 bag of dried beans — $1
1 bag of rice — $1
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with milk (add in some chopped apples, honey, or peanut butter to change things up a little)
Lunches:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, carrots
Dinners:
Beans and rice with steamed veggies on the side
Chicken, rice, and carrot soup
Baked chicken breast on a bed of rice, steamed veggies
Rice, chopped chicken, and steamed veggies mixed together and sprinkled with salt
Homemade refried beans, baked chicken, steamed veggies
Chicken and veggie stirfry served over rice
Leftovers
Yes, this isn’t a very exciting menu. But if you’re willing to scrimp for a few weeks and eat very simply, it will free up that extra $5 or so each week to start buying a few extra things that are on a great sale (like a bag of flour, like that incredible deal on strawberries — some to eat now, some to freeze for later, or that fantastic special on beef).
As you invest some of your grocery money in the rock-bottom specials and deals, this helps you to build up more of a stockpile so that, over time, you’ll be able to have more and more variety without increasing your budget.
Taken from message board below:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/971066-great-recipes-on-a-budget
My staples are: eggs, oatmeal, tuna fish cans, sardines, potatoes, milk - which can always be found cheap. These are items I always have stocked in my pantry.
http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/04/is-it-possible-to-survive-on-a-30-per-week-grocery-budget.html
Contrary to what many people may tell you, I think you can definitely eat well on $30 per week — and you can find a little wiggle room to buy ahead, too.
My husband and I both lived on a $30 per week grocery budget when we were first married. This included all the ingredients to make 21 meals for both of us each week, plus all household products.
A Can-Do Attitude Is a Must
Don’t let yourself think, “There’s no way I can eat on this small of a budget.” Instead, decide that you’re going to do the best you can with the resources you have.
Make it a game, of sorts, to see how well you can do on a little. By challenging yourself to exercise creativity and think outside the box, you’ll enjoy it a lot more. And when you’re enjoying something, it no longer seems so difficult.
Make Short-Term Sacrifices
In order to be able to scrape together enough money to start buying ahead and building up your stockpile, I’d encourage you to commit to eating really simply for a few weeks. Cut your grocery budget back to $25, and save the extra $5 to invest in those rock-bottom, can’t miss deals — or to purchase almost-free toiletries and household products.
If you’re thinking there’s no way you can eat on $25 per week, here’s a grocery list and menu plan I came up with:
Sample $25 Grocery List and Menu
Prices are approximate and will likely vary a little by area. You may be able to beat these prices with great sales and/or coupons.
Regular Grocery Store, Aldi, or Walmart
1 canister of oatmeal –$2
1 gallon milk — $2.50
1 bag of apples — $3
1 bag of carrots — $1.50
4 bags of frozen vegetables — $4
1 bag of frozen chicken breasts — $7
Dollar Store
1 loaf of bread — $1
1 jar of peanut butter — $1
1 jar of jelly or honey — $1
1 bag of dried beans — $1
1 bag of rice — $1
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with milk (add in some chopped apples, honey, or peanut butter to change things up a little)
Lunches:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, carrots
Dinners:
Beans and rice with steamed veggies on the side
Chicken, rice, and carrot soup
Baked chicken breast on a bed of rice, steamed veggies
Rice, chopped chicken, and steamed veggies mixed together and sprinkled with salt
Homemade refried beans, baked chicken, steamed veggies
Chicken and veggie stirfry served over rice
Leftovers
Yes, this isn’t a very exciting menu. But if you’re willing to scrimp for a few weeks and eat very simply, it will free up that extra $5 or so each week to start buying a few extra things that are on a great sale (like a bag of flour, like that incredible deal on strawberries — some to eat now, some to freeze for later, or that fantastic special on beef).
As you invest some of your grocery money in the rock-bottom specials and deals, this helps you to build up more of a stockpile so that, over time, you’ll be able to have more and more variety without increasing your budget.
Taken from message board below:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/971066-great-recipes-on-a-budget
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