When You've Got No Money...

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Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Frozen vegetables and fruits are usually a good bargain.
    Eggs
    Dried beans
    Brown rice

    A big pot of soup, stew or chili can be very inexpensive to make and feed you for days. Made with rice or barley, dried beans and frozen vegetables, it can be just a few cents per serving.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    largest bag of brown rice you can afford. and largest bag of beans.

    frozen veggies again largest bags most economical.

    one stick of butter or margarine and you're set.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
    Do you have a farmer's market nearby? It isn't an option for everyone (i.e. not currently in season where I live) but when it is in season I am often surprised at how much produce I can get for the money. I also find it lasts noticeably longer than from the supermarket.
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
    Buy seeds and granola in the bulk section of the grocery store and add them to your yogurt! Less than $1!
    Frozen veggies and fruits go a long way
    Sweet potatoes are super cheap and can go in anything! (Black bean and sweet potato burritos freeze well)
    LENTILS! Also very cheap and you can buy them in bulk
    Tofu is a cheap protein source thats very versitle
    EGGS!
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    When you have very little money for groceries on a given week, what foods do you buy that can stretch and keep you full?

    I literally have maybe 25 bucks for groceries this week. I know I need to buy chicken. Other than that, I'm lost.

    A few things I already have in my arsenal:

    Romaine lettuce
    Salsa
    Pasta & sauce
    Black beans
    Shredded cheeses
    A few containers of yogurt
    1/2 gallon of milk

    That's about it that I can think of.

    eggs, potatos, tuna, frozen veggies (super cheap at places like walmart, not necessarily the greatest but it will tide you over for the week), brown rice (the kind that takes longer to cook is cheaper than the minute rice, sadly ;)

    Check the meat area for stuff on sale (may need to cook it the same or next day) as well as the produce section for reduced-quick sale items.
  • rderrickwhite
    rderrickwhite Posts: 69 Member
    Buy seeds and granola in the bulk section of the grocery store and add them to your yogurt! Less than $1!
    Frozen veggies and fruits go a long way
    Sweet potatoes are super cheap and can go in anything! (Black bean and sweet potato burritos freeze well)
    LENTILS! Also very cheap and you can buy them in bulk
    Tofu is a cheap protein source thats very versitle
    EGGS!

    What this guys said, I will second. When I was your age, I never had enough cash to eat.

    Lentils are where it's at. Eggs are still to this day one of my favorite foods because of their versatility and price. Sweet potatoes are rad. Turkey is cheaper than chicken, at leas where I live. Beans, if you purchase them dry, are so cheap it's ridiculous. In fact if you live near a Mexican Grocery, you may find dry beans to be cheaper there than at your local Wal-Mart. Brown rice will last forever.

    Most importantly, keep your chin up. It won't be this hard forever.
  • staceyw73
    staceyw73 Posts: 49
    everyone was talking about coupons if you have a dollor tree in the area they take coupons there too and you can find some can good there and some frozen food they dont carry alot but it might be worth checkiing out. i went there to pick up stuff for boyfriends lunches micowave stuff and few other things and prob cut my 40 bill to 20 cause of having coupons. just make sure you find out what the stores rules are for coupons.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    I would eat rice and beans & pasta. So I would just need to buy fruit and one vegetable for the week.
  • akshayam29
    akshayam29 Posts: 44
    sweet potatoes and avocado...yummy and cheap....
  • kiesha22001
    kiesha22001 Posts: 70 Member
    http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/ is a great website to get coupons, etc.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    check this girl out, she runs a blog called poor girl eats well, and she does a segment called $25 shopping cart

    http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    Turkey is generally cheaper than chicken.
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
    In order of my preference

    Eggs
    Milk
    Potatoes
    Beans
    Rice
  • beetpoet
    beetpoet Posts: 63 Member
    Beans, beans, the magical fruit! The more you eat, the more you toot!!

    But seriously, you can't go wrong making up chili. Chili will take you a long way. And it's nutritious with lots of fiber and is real comfort food. I vote for chili with anything you want to throw in... carrots, onions, celery, you name it. Then on the side, brown rice for complete protein.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    Eggs.

    Get a pound of chicken breasts and make stirfry or get ground beef & make a big kettle of chili or soup.
  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
    I'm bumping this to come back later as I'm trying to reduce my grocery bill to pay off debt faster.

    Does anyone know of any good coupon sites that are specific to Canada?

    My food bill has definitely gone up since I've started eating healthier but I know I could reduce it a lot if I'm willing to put some effort in. It will also involve more cooking and less convenient foods!
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    I'm a grad student so typically have no money! My cupboard usually contains these as staples:

    Eggs (buy a tray, then you're set for a while - scrambled eggs, poached eggs, omelet, frittata they're really versatile)
    Tuna
    Brown rice/basmati rice
    Canned chopped tomatoes
    Canned mixed beans/chickpeas
    Feta cheese (as opposed to cheddar)
    Baby spinach
    coleslaw/broccoli slaw
    Prawns (I buy a 1kg bag at pay day and then they're a good go-to for the rest of the month)
    Salmon (Usually buy the fillet when it's on special and then dice it into freeze-able chunks)
    Chicken (buy a whole one and joint it yourself, much cheaper)
    Bananas
    Apples
    Peanut Butter
    Almonds
    Cottage cheese


    That's it really off the top of my head, obviously I buy bits in-between as fresh stuff doesn't keep all that long. Also if you have a local fruit and veg store buy what's seasonal and it's much cheaper, and also cheaper than the big supermarkets.

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