$40.00 a month (im serious)

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Replies

  • LindaLeeT
    LindaLeeT Posts: 2 Member
    Make from scratch: oatmeal, cornmeal, rice, veg soup with peas and beans and chicken or beef broth. Canned tuna and salmon extended with onion and almonds, or salsa with salmon.. Shop bakery discount like pepperidge farm to buy and freeze whole grain bread. Frozen veg. Peanut butter. Eggs. Saltine crackers.

    Sample day: oatmeal with apple and walnuts, veg soup with crackers, egg salad on wheat with zucchini
    Sample day: peanut butter on whole wheat with orange, salmon and salsa on crackers with pear, veg soup with pasta and cheese

    I don't think you can do this with any prepared foods (like chips or frozen diiners) at all.
  • koootenay
    koootenay Posts: 126 Member
    I think I found the dollar a day thing. A couple did it as a project. I read over some of it and it seems pretty cool but I could imagine not getting enough nutrition or calories from the food.

    Here it is though: http://www.dollaradaybook.com/it-starts-today
  • svelt123
    svelt123 Posts: 173 Member
    HI, I have been very successful with choosing a variety of vegetables and fruits.
    Lean meats and fish, Baked, Broiled, or grilled.
    Whole wheat pasta. Pesto. Sun dried tomatoes.
    Quaker Oats old fashion. style. for cereal or breads.
    Whole wheat breads.
    If you prepare your meals with more veggies, beans, and lean meats. Your grocery bill should average around
    40$.
    Coupons are helpful
    Maybe grow a vegetable garden.
    Sometimes its the way we prepare the meals which can make a difference in the cost.
    I hope this was helpful.
    Good luck.:smile:
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Good thing you don't live in Sydney. I spend $5 for a punned of strawberries, I paid $2 for one peach last week. $40 would do me for about 3 days tops.

    Can you grow your own veggies? I know that will take time, but it may help the budget. Good luck!
  • LindaLeeT
    LindaLeeT Posts: 2 Member
    Also, check out gaballi.com a faith-based, nondenominational food program that replaced the now defunct Angel Ministies program.
  • xaMErica
    xaMErica Posts: 284 Member
    Dry beans, rice, and noodles. Ramen! Our pantry has had ramen, mac n cheese, and spaghetti sauce in it for weeks. I keep those things around! Find coupons! It is 'officially' Sunday, go get some coupons. I saw someone else on here that had $7 for a week... if you need it, ask for help! Food Banks will give you the basics and you can go from there. We spend roughly $60 a week.. that is for me and my fiancé and we also try to keep certain things stocked up for the house.. We live with family..

    Good Luck! Coupons, watch the sale. DISCOUNT shelves! =) We lived off of those grocery mark downs for a while!
  • anaboneana
    anaboneana Posts: 195 Member
    rice, beans, canned meat (turkey/tuna/chicken), tomato sauce, noodles, canned veggies.

    make a crap-ton of soup/noodle dishes, divide into tubberware/baggies, freeze = cheap, easy meals to reheat.

    also, ramen. ramen gets such a bad name.. just ditch the seasoning packets for spices/condiments with less sodium and add some veggies/meat.
    or make ramen omelets - ramen noodles + eggs + seasonings = super quick and filling meal
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    It's time for food stamps.
  • Lucendiluna
    Lucendiluna Posts: 21 Member
    +1 for budgetbytes!

    Also, be very careful not to throw away any food. You can always use left overs, even the smallest portions (let's say you're left with like 2 tbsp of a veggie stir fry, not enough for a meal, but add it to a scrambled egg for breakfast the next day), freeze anything that might go back, and make it a habit to use what's in your freezer/pantry.
    This is assuming you cook, which is usually way cheaper anyway.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    Have you considered becoming a freegan? (Its a serious suggestion).

    Dont know what a freegan is?


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freegan

    I've known about it for a few years. Recently I watched a documentary about freegans in this country (Australia) and the volume and quality of food being discarded by supermarkets. Having returned to fulltime study and supporting our family on just my wife's income, I have considered it myself.
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    Beans, some veggies and a little milk. Maybe a little brown rice. It is doable.
  • bonniejo
    bonniejo Posts: 787 Member
    Try this site. It has nutritious, cheap meals. http://www.nurtureyourfamily.org/recipes/recipes-adults/
  • Rado_SVK
    Rado_SVK Posts: 442 Member
    I was just going to create a similar thread..Im in the UK, at the moment Im trying to clean bulk at 3500 calorie diet..Oh boy!! My this weeks shopping was around £70...seriously need to do something about it..any tips from ppl who are also on a hight calorie diet?
    anything high in protein,complex carbs and so on..
  • proudandprejudiced
    proudandprejudiced Posts: 127
    As a warning, with cheap prices comes cheap quality. Wouldn't you be better cutting a cost somewhere else and using that money on your food?

    As an example: The horsemeat issue in Europe at the moment. All of the products it was found in were the 'value' cheap meals.

    You get what you pay for.
  • helenbeee
    helenbeee Posts: 130 Member
    you need to get a slow cooker not only can you cook multiple meals in one go and freeze them cuts costs in itself but it uses cheaper cuts of meat and is a healthy way to cook. You just have to be prepared I cook on a Sunday and feeze the xtra meals.
  • Mumbles83
    Mumbles83 Posts: 626 Member
    Never read all the posts but you got a garden ? ... grow your own veggies.
  • jsan5933
    jsan5933 Posts: 33
    wow someone just said lucky you don't live in sydney. i think $40 gets me less than a week - and i'm a female who is cutting and LOVES a bargain, so i am interested in responses.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Since we need to eat in order to survive, get a part time job.
  • PhatMama9
    PhatMama9 Posts: 298 Member
    This may be of help to you http://www.divethefilm.com/ used to do a bit of this when I was younger, not so much lately
  • terilou87
    terilou87 Posts: 328 Member
    I was just going to create a similar thread..Im in the UK, at the moment Im trying to clean bulk at 3500 calorie diet..Oh boy!! My this weeks shopping was around £70...seriously need to do something about it..any tips from ppl who are also on a hight calorie diet?
    anything high in protein,complex carbs and so on..

    some one has already pointed out on this thread bulk buy. but for yours (im also in uk) try local butchers i get 5kg chicken for £28 also try the big bags of rice & pasta , asda also do the 3 fresh meats for £10 and try picking fish that isnt as well known ie pollock instead of cod its not as expensive, stick to fruit and veg shops for those as they are cheaper than supermarkets.
  • Bbwnomore2
    Bbwnomore2 Posts: 225 Member
    Family of two(mom and preteen) we spend 50.00 every two weeks on food and 50.00 every two on gas. But I am now to the point I have to buy nothing but fresh items, if i choose. shop sales if u can. Food banks and churches may help you as well.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    If someone can do that they might just end up a millionaire. Sorry I'm not much help. My grocery bill is huge(250/week). I'm interested if others have ideas though.

    You eat $1000.00 of food a month by yourself? :P You could do much better even iwth coupons assuming your only feeding yourself.

    If not, then okay....whew

    I guess i may have forgotten to mention im 100% single and only feeding MYSELF?

    How about your local food bank? I volunteer at ours and we supply a lot of students with the vegetables and meat that they simply cannot afford even though they are working part-time.
  • Rado_SVK
    Rado_SVK Posts: 442 Member
    I was just going to create a similar thread..Im in the UK, at the moment Im trying to clean bulk at 3500 calorie diet..Oh boy!! My this weeks shopping was around £70...seriously need to do something about it..any tips from ppl who are also on a hight calorie diet?
    anything high in protein,complex carbs and so on..

    some one has already pointed out on this thread bulk buy. but for yours (im also in uk) try local butchers i get 5kg chicken for £28 also try the big bags of rice & pasta , asda also do the 3 fresh meats for £10 and try picking fish that isnt as well known ie pollock instead of cod its not as expensive, stick to fruit and veg shops for those as they are cheaper than supermarkets.
    If we are talking about whole chicken 5kg for £28,thats actually not a good buy at all.
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
    Make and freeze things in bulk? Also where you can buy from a farmers market, its generally fresher and I find on average it's cheaper for seasonal fruit and veg.
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    discount stores pretty much. and its hard for us to know what might be available in arizona? i have aldi and save a lot stores here to help me. and we have a valley produce store for fruits and veggies. in the back of the stores they will discount and package up older items for a dollar.

    rice here i can get under $2 a box. tubes of ground turkey i can get for a dollar. oatmeal for under $2 a can. tuna is usually .50 a can. plain pasta is pretty cheap. you can shop the discounted sections of your stores for dented and near expired items too. i know our logli and highlander will discount meat when its near expiration and as long as you freeze it, it will be ok.

    also take into account items you already have laying around and get help. 40 a month is not a reasonable budget.
  • purplecharm
    purplecharm Posts: 446 Member
    bump
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Here's some ideas. In college one month I lived on $8! But I was also doing some dumpster diving/food banks/etc at that time (it was for a film project I did).

    - buy about to expire or just expired food such as fruits and veggies, dairy products, bread, etc. Freeze them to make them last longer or eat right away.
    - go to local health stores and ask what they do with food that is expired. They most likely throw it away. Ask if instead, you might be able to take it off their hands. For a health and safety issue, it might be a good idea to say it's to feed your goats? haha.
    - Diners also typically throw away the end pieces of loaves of bread. Ask your local ones if they could save them for you in a bag, and get them at the end of the day (also, goats/chickens might be a good excuse).
    - find out what days your grocery store or health food store usually does free samples, and go have a mini meal! I know at my local Whole Foods, they ALWAYS have samples of protein powder to sample mixed with almond or soy milk. Good way to get some protein in for free.
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    We buy the bargain discounted meat. Every grocery store has a little section for the marked down stuff. At my grocery store there is one for the deli, meat department, dairy section, etc. Ask your local grocery store.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    Red lentils are a handy staple. They are great for soups, curries, vege-burgers, replacement for mince in shepherds' pie, spag bol, spreads, etc. I find that they are bland and need plenty of flavouring, but they are cheap and bulk up well and supposedly fairly nutritious.
  • Rado_SVK
    Rado_SVK Posts: 442 Member
    I spend $50/week on two people to eat healthy: fruits/vegetables/lean meats/non processed foods, etc.

    Where is all of your other money going?

    Oh yeah, and we buy the bargain discounted meat. Every grocery store has a little section for the marked down stuff. At my grocery store there is one for the deli, meat department, dairy section, etc. Ask your local grocery store.
    ..once again...try to eat 3500 calories healthy...will see how long your $50 will last..with all respect :)

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