Eating on a budget! (Needing YOUR foods!)

I'm a college student so I have maybe $50-$100 max to spend on groceries per month.

Spaghetti using whole wheat spaghetti noodles (Great Value kind, $1.22 at walmart for a box) and a good pasta sauce (I like Eating Right tomato basil sauce)
Quesadillas (whole wheat tortilla with a tiny bit of cheddar cheese that I measure)
Sandwiches like pb&j (whole wheat bread, all-natural peanut butter, and organic jam)
Low sodium soups (Amy's Kitchen and Healthy Choice)
Baked potatoes with mixed vegetables on the side (I buy Great Value frozen mixed vegetables)
For breakfast I almost always have Cheerios w/ blueberries that I throw in.
Whole wheat pancake mixes
Buy a bag of frozen boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I got a bag of about 10 for $5 at Grocery Outlet and they'll last me for awhile.
Carton of eggs
Canned tuna (make sure it's packed in water. I like Starkist) that I turn into a sandwich using whole wheat bread and one tablespoon of mayo

Snacks: unsweetened applesauce, skinnypop popcorn, wheat thins, string cheese, baby carrots, any fruit, greek yogurt, etc

Check out https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/ as well. They have a lot of great tips.

Beans, beans, and more beans. A big pot of chili can seriously cost $3 and last for days

The struggle is real! Following haha

Go to a food pantry you might get things you can use

Best website ever for this!

www.budgetbytes.com

First, if you have an Aldi, definitely check them out. I've consistently gotten about 2 weeks of groceries, including produce and meat, for about 50$.

Second, I make my own pasta sauces. Turns out, most of them are super easy to make and really cheap (plus, you control the salt and sugar that you add... most jars are full of stuff!). My favorite is to take some canned crushed tomatoes (I usually buy them in bulk, anywhere from .50 to $1 per can) and put them in my food processor until they're as smooth as I like them to be. You can also do this with plain tomato sauce. Then add whatever spices you like. I always have dried basil, garlic and onion powders, and dried oregano in mine.

Third, look for sales. (Yes, I realize you asked for recipes - I'll get there!). I get my pasta when it's 5 for $5. I get my produce based on what's on sale (I try to go seasonally, but avocados are on sale all the time - thanks, Mexico!). I get bags of frozen veggies when they're 10 for $10. Depending on the store, you don't even need to buy all 10 to get the deal.

Fourth, decide what's worth it to spend money on. I buy Irish butter. Thankfully, it's been cheaper than regular butter the past few times I've gone to the store. But I spend a little more on it because I don't need as much to get the richness I need for sauces and toast and stuff. Pick those things that you need and work those into your budget.

Fifth, don't be afraid of the deli! It's overwhelming because it looks so expensive. But, especially if you're cooking and eating for just you, you don't need an entire pound of turkey for a week of lunch sandwiches. Same with the meat and fish counter. I don't need an entire pound of ground beef for my chili because it's just me and my tiny slow-cooker. So I get a half pound for $3 and I still eat for a week on it!

Okay recipes:

Baked potatoes. I buy a 5lb bag (usually around $3) and cook a few at a time. One for dinner (with frozen broccoli and some low fat cheese and Irish butter - yum) and one or two I put in tupperware for lunches later in the week. Or sometimes I'll chop up the left over baked potato and toss it in some olive oil with salt and pepper for breakfast potatoes.

Soups and Stews. Get some stock (you can find it in cans for less than a dollar or go up to a carton for a little more or make your own with leftover chicken bones and veggies and water). Like my pasta sauce, just a tiny bit more effort can go a long way. I made broccoli cheese soup the other night from scratch. It was super easy and I got to control the amount of cheese and cream (light and none!) that went into it. Also chili is a nice way to get veggies and protein and it's easy to make yourself.

Rice dishes. Buy the big bag of rice. The 5lb-er. The slow-cooking kind. It's so cheap, stores forever, and doesn't take much more effort to make than the instant kind that costs 3x as much. Eat it with everything. I love fried eggs over rice for breakfast. Rice and beans is delicious and super cheap. The best thing about rice is that it's easy to throw some extra veggies in whenever you want!

Start baking. I swear that flour is the most important thing I have in my kitchen. Pie crust, rouxes for sauces, sauteeing meat - get a bag of flour. Sometimes, on the weekends, I'll make two loaves of bread. It was really intimidating at first (and I really butchered some at first) but there are even no-knead bread recipes that are super easy and delicious. Baking your own bread saves you major $$. I try not to eat too much straight bread, so I figured if I'm gonna eat it, I might as well eat some really good, from-scratch bread. Plus - it makes your kitchen smell AMAZING. Pie crusts are great for things like quiche (seriously, make quiche. It's cheap and will be your breakfast or lunch for a week! and you can add whatever you want. I like broccoli, bacon, and parmesan).

These are just a few of my tips. I moved halfway across the country on my own and don't have a very large budget (especially this year), so I started cooking more often. Now I rarely go out for dinner and I am comfortable enough to get creative with the staples I have in my kitchen.

PM me if you have any questions!

I am lucky in that I have 5 grocery stores within 3 miles of my house. I get pasta when it is 5 for 5 or 10 for 10. Dry beans are 1.50 -2.50, rice is the same. Canned soup. Watch sales to see what is on sale when for produce and meat. We get a lot of meat at once because we have a good meat market which saves us a lot of time and money.

Acacia_Evers wrote: »

I think we've all been there. Eating on a budget. What kind of foods do you like to eat that are relatively on the cheaper sides? I prefer American markets since I don't have a lot of access to thinks over seas.

I take advantage of terra organics an online food delivery website and others before this one where I would bulk order things like organic bananas, sweet potatoes, white rice, and lentils. These were high calories and nutrient dense at the same time and for bulk orders they were next to nothing. 32 0z of rice on avg was $4, Sweet Potatoes avg out to .85 cents per lb and about 20 cents per banana.

I like this cookbook, available free online, called "Good and Cheap."

A lot of venison. Bullets are cheap

I'll give you a target you can reach for, and certainly come close with planning, doing your own cooking, and some effort:

Figure you eat 1600 kCal a day
Basic grains, beans, and lentils cost about $1 and supply about 1600 kCal a pound.

So there you are: $1 a day
Add another $1 a day for seasonal fruit and vegetables, spices and whatever occasionally takes your fancy.

Notice: no cans, nothing boxed, nothing processed or pre-cooked.

This post is great!
But what about meals for a family on a budget?

And, to make things more difficult... .. I have a super picky husband. I mean, barely any onions, no peppers, little tomatoes, no mushrooms.. hates broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes... Mexican foods can sometimes hurt his stomach and same thing with beans (we've learned to only eat these on the weekend so it doesn't affect his work days/nights).. and soups don't fill him up enough. He does love green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, chicken, fish, and beef.... But I get so bored and feel so limited on what I can make.... Any suggestions??
And we really don't have the budget (nor do I have the time) for me to always cook my own meals.