IN NEED OF BUDGET FRIENDLY MEAL IDEAS!!

Hmmmm, now that's a challenge. Do you live close to a market / grocery store? Either way, I'd pick up vegetables once per week. Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, spaghetti squash, fresh tomatoes or canned (low sodium). Chicken broth (low sodium). You could steam / microwave up batches of veggies all week long and pack them for lunches. Fruit is sometimes expensive; but sometimes there are specials for buy 1 / get 1 free. You need to expand you horizons and walk thru the produce section ... instead of that processed / cheap foods section. Also, look for bulk frozen unbreaded, boneless, skinless chicken breast. It's easily thawable....and can last a while in your freezer.

Hope I've given you a couple of ideas. Best of luck~

Wow--$30/week for 2 is really going to be difficult. I have survived on around $30/week on groceries for one and that is tough but doable.

My recommendations: Tofu (firm). If on sale it can be $1 a package but is usually up to 1.50/package. Eat with rice (also very cheap) and dinner for two (one package), even with some seasoning/spices from the pantry, is likely under $2. If you know how to cook tofu, it is delicious, quick and cheap, even raw, but if you don't, you may need help initially.

Also I would get a Rotisserie chicken (I like the ones from Costco but they sell them at any grocery store). Eat some of the chicken for dinner. Save some for chicken sandwiches for lunch. Keep the carcass and meat scraps attached (put in fridge for next day), put in stockpot (take out string)--add lots of water, salt and seasoning--any onions. Boil for 30 min--Add some raw rice (rinsed), and simmer together another 30 minutes-- chicken and rice soup will last two to three meals for two people.

Another thing I would do would buy raw beef ribs (like Kalbi style ribs--can also do L.A. Kalbi style too) and the meat is cheap. Cut the meat off the bone, throw meat and bones in big stock pot, add water, boil for a while, add vegetables (I would add a ton of spinach), salt, garlic powder (if there is no budget for fresh garlic) and pepper. Yummy.

I remember an L.A. Times reporter did an experiment (he was Asian as well) if he and his wife could survive for a month on food stamps for single people (which I think was about $25/week per person) for everything (no eating out unless part of the $25 that week) but he was allowed to eat out if dining at someone's house for free (they hosted a gathering at theirs as well I believe). He shopped Costco and Asian markets, cooked Asian foods and was able to do it. I remember he bought bacon cured but not sliced, so he'd cut it himself to save money etc . . . I kinda tried to do this as well and it is doable if you can and are willing to cook--especially in bulk to last several meals. I remember reading about other people trying to follow this budget and one guy only was only buying white bread and peanut butter. I know for me I ate primarily meat, rice, and vegetables--I rarely bought packaged food but bought bulk from the bins or my meat (beef/chicken drumsticks etc . . .) in bulk at Costco (when I didn't have membership I shopped with friend). I'd make meals to last several days by precooking then just reheating.

Costco!

We buy in bulk! Have a look at my diary if you'd like...

I'd buy:
Family pack of chicken breast
Low carb tortillas (fajita size)
Eggs
45 & delightful bread
Veggies (onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro)

You can make a variety of food with these items. Also stay away from ramen! It has sooo much sodium and more calories than it's worth!

$30 a week for two people? That's a beans and rice budget. Buy bulk to save of course and then veggies to augment. If you have an Aldi that might be a good choice also, but if you stick with the basics, you should be OK. If you have time, back your own bread, make pancakes, etc. Eggs are pretty cheap too and give a good protein bang for the buck.

Also, I find some of the best deals are had at the Asian and Indian food markets if you have them in your area. You can save tons of money this way, especially on vegetables.

We spend right around $40.00 - $45.00 a week for my husband and I. It's doable, but definitely takes some planning. I buy rice and oatmeal in bulk, eggs, whatever veggies/fruits are in season (try hitting up your local farmers market - you can usually get great deals!), frozen veggies, beans, no soda/juice just water and/or coffee/tea, and whatever meat is on sale for the week. As far as the meat is concerned, it might help to make a couple trips to the grocery store to see if they have any "managers specials" where they mark it down because it's close to the sell by date. You can usually save a couple bucks this way. Cooking from scratch definitely helps out big time - you get so much more food for the money! Good Luck!! )

really $30 a week for 2 people? I spend $50-80 on myself for a week. Look for deals and coupons. Check out the foods that are on sale.

Cabbage and Potato Pie

> boil potatoes (for big baking ones, peel the skin off)
> boil a shredded head of cabbage, add salt and pepper
> sautee garlic and onions in a separate pan
> mash the cooked potatoes with a bit of milk and salt and pepper
> layer a pie pan with first cabbage, then onion mixture, then seal it in with the potatoes like frosting a cake
> top with 1/4 to 1/4 cup of cheese, bake in the oven for 20-30 mins until the top is browned somewhat

Makes about six servings, costs under $1.50 for the whole pie. If you had meat you could add that or cook kielbasa/brats/sausage with it. You could also make a three bean salad (chick peas, black beans, red beans, chopped onion and cilantro, lime juice and tomatoes if you had them) to serve with it for protein.

Cheapest meats at walmart are the big packs of breasts at $1.99/lb and leg quarters for .95 a pound (Here, at least) For pure meat value and not having to mess with fat, the breasts are best.

Aldi's and farmers markets are best. Here you could get the chicken, potatoes, cabbage, onions, chickpea/black/red beans all, tomatoes, cilantro, 2lbs of apples, and a 2lb bag of carrots for under $30.

1 1b hamburger-cook & drained
2 cans green beans drained
1 can corn drained
2 cans cream of celery
1 bag of tater tots

Layer in 9x13 in order listed and bake @ 375 for 45 min

My wife made this recipe last week and it was GOOD! She made it for dinner one night and I ended up bringing it to work for lunch for the next week. Everything is put in a crock pot and left to cook overnight and during the day while we were at work. Get home, serve up and done.

you can do anything.

i just got 100 lbs of organically local grown tomatoes, romas and canning tomatoes, for $63 dollars at a country type grocery store here. they have been eaten, shared, scrambled with eggs, made into soup, roasted with grass fed beef, and still have about 90 lbs left to share or eat at a later date. they will go in my freezer in airtight freezer bags until i decide to use them.

a freezer would be a great investment, big or small, some places have interest free for a year or more, couponcabin.com is great. my newest one is 16.9 cubit feet, from sears, and i got it 35% off PLUS a $50 coupon...so worth it, it will help pay for itself and save more money in 15-20 yrs.

fresh herbs dried herbs too can be grown by yourself, or by others inexpensively and dried, frozen or used fresh. i have a window garden to plant and might transfer into an unused aquarium with a grow light (so the cat wont eat them). bulk spices will also help with sodium levels and MSG.

eggs are cheap, even organic ones - find out the source of the local providers and find the best way for you to purchase them..even target and walmart has some grass fed organic proteins. invest in the larger part of the food chain if you can. natural fats are great and usually 0 sodium and 0 carbs. veggies work better if eaten with natural fats.

even chia seeds would be wondeful, five grams of fiber, carbs, protein and fat and loaded with omega 3. they are tasteless, and can be used with anything either as a crunchy or absorbed with liquid (milk +chocolate+honey = pudding, or add with water and use as egg substitute) I can get a lb in bulk at country store for $8 and a serving size is one 1 tsp.

I don't live in the States (Switzerland, where meat is very expensive), but how expensive are dry beans, chickpeas and lentils where you are? Here it is by far the cheapest option for protein, they're really tasty, and they keep forever.