- food budget for next 3 weeks..........

I have been a couponer for over three years now and I am here to tell you, you can eat well on a very tight budget. I feed a family of four very healthy food for $200/month. (That includes our paper products, diapers, laundry detergent, everything.)

Please look into it. You can stock up on stuff for free or nearly free, leaving money available for things that don't normally have coupons: meat, dairy, produce.

Bananas are usually pretty cheap to get..I'm trying to budget $50 a week myself, not easy. Can get usually anything in moderation..banquet meals arn't exactly healthy, but they do have its benefits..also getting oatmeal is cheap, you can try that..michealinas gourmet meals usually run a dollar a entree..make sure you check out the nutritional info..also I learned brown rice can be cheap at Save A Lot..89 cents for a bag...give that a try

Do you have a Sprouts market by you? Hands down best prices on fresh fruit/veggies and meats. Shop the circulars. Stock up on what's on sale. It can be done, but takes some effort. Good luck!

I'm a big fan of lentils, lentil soup is so healthy, and quite cheap.

Coupons are great.....I will try that for sure.....I don't have an Aldi's but I am sure there is a dicount bread store here somewhere.....I do have a habit when I buy bread to just freeze it..then take out what I am going to use. Thank you all for your suggestions!! Very much appreciated:flowerforyou:

Save A Lot is similar to Aldi's - do you have one of them? You can go to their websites and see if you have one anywhere around you. It's a little bit of a drive to my nearest Aldi - so I don't do it ALL the time, but when I do -- I'm always glad I did. I can get a HEAPING cart of stuff for around $60!

It's a matter of know how to shop. If you are thrifty you can indeed stock up. I managed to save and stock up while collecting unemployment as my only income.

Few step:

1) Stay away from pre-packaged. They seem like a deal, but really aren't in the long run.

2) Clip coupons. I'm not talking extreme couponers but following the circulers for your area and clipping coupons will save you a ton of $$$. Nowadays most stores also list their sales on line so you don;t even need to buy a paper.

3) Plan your meals. It helps you see How to get 5 different meals out of a box of noodles & realize that buying a whole chicken and cutting it up is cheaper than prepacked parts.

4) Ziploc snack bags and freezer bags are your friend. You can buy snacks from the bulk department and separate them yourself. You can buy fruit and veg at the farmer's market, produce market or the quick sale items at the supermarket and freeze what you can't eat right away.

5) Get a crock pot. Beans you cook yourself have lower sodium in them. And a tough cut of meat stewed until tender can taste great.

I'm single with 2 cats. I think I spend between $100 - $150 a month for everything; toiletries, cat food , cleaning stuff & food.

very true you are right healthy thing are way dearer!
BUT the easiest way i have found and better...is make your own stuff!
you know what goes into your own items and no colouring ect...i have become a really good cook since my healthy eating started belive it or not and yes i am on a budget too...