$25 weekly food budget
BootyEvolve
Posts: 45 Member
If you have a weekly budget of $25 dollars or less. What healthy foods could you get that feed you the whole week.
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Replies
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I get my basic healthy food from a 99ct store. I hope you have one in your area.
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That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?9
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I haven't really scored how much my groceries are (buying for soon to be husband is expensive!) but for myself, I go to Aldi's and Kroger for my fruit, veggies, and meat. I buy whatever fruit/veggies are on sale at which ever place and center my meals around that!2
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Beans, rice, lentils, frozen and canned vegetables, some basic seasoning for broth (you'd be surprised about how many ways cheap ingredients can be combined in a soup!). If you cannot afford an animal protein, the eggs, beans and lentils should really help bulk your diet out.
Basically look for things that last a lost time. Many of time will be a little time intensive (like soaking beans) but well worth the effort.
Frozen veg is cheaper than fresh, lasts a long time, and doesn't sacrifice on nutrition.
LARGE cans of tomatoes are cheap and can be simmered with rice, quinoa, other veg, beans, meats, tofu, etc. to make REALLY hearty stews, or combined with cheap pasta to make.... pasta!
I think that seasonings will be your friend. It might seem excessive to spend money on soy sauce, etc. but it can really give new life to the same old, boring ingredients.
TL;DR:
- rice
- beans
- polenta
- pasta
- frozen veg
- canned tomatoes
- beans
- lentils
- small selection of spices (highly recommend garlic powder, cayenne, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning)
- oil (biggest bang for your buck in terms of dollars per calories)
- transformable ingredients (like flour to bake, make bread, thicken stews, make pasta)
Bulk buy whenever possible. It might take you a couple of weeks to be able to gather ALL of the above BUT Costco/sam's sized bags of the above will set you up for months.
ETA: my weekly food comes in at around $50 but I buy a LOT of fresh veg/perishables.
This also really depends on where you live. Food is relatively cheap in Texas. I have been eating a LOT of eggs mixed with zucchinis/mushrooms and rice noodles.
ETA2: to make bread, you need flour, salt, water, and yeast. Yeast is VERY cheap, so is flour. Home made bread and some cheap butter/margarine can REALLY hit the spot.21 -
kommodevaran wrote: »That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?
I get pretty close to that, and I buy all my food at Kroger/Fred Meyer. If I shopped at Safeway I couldn't do it. For the past six months I've lived on $125-$140 per month, for myself - just to see how low I could get it. It can be done. I even manage to hit my macros and most of my micros every day.
It does require buying day old bread sometimes and meat from the sale rack and specials/on sale stuff and store brands almost exclusively along with frozen fruit and vegetables, dried beans. And it's work. All my meals are prepared from scratch except pasta sauce and salsa.7 -
i spend around 30-40 every week on my food. i skip breakfasts usually, salad stuff for lunches with some type of protein for my snacks during the day, and my dinners are usually some type of chicken/turkey/ground beef and veggies. i eat chicken fajitas a loooot lol1
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I spend about 90-100 for my family a week. 2 adults and 2 childern. And that includes the snacks for kids so $25 a week could be done for an individal.
Fruits and veggies along with your lentils can be bought at that budget. The more meat protein the higher your costs will be.2 -
gesundundmunter wrote: »I get my basic healthy food from a 99ct store. I hope you have one in your area.
I have a dollar store and I shop at Wal-Mart add grocery outlet a lot.kommodevaran wrote: »That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?
Probably none of the above. My work cut my hours and I go to school to 25 dollars is all I get
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Ditto everyone who brought up dried beans and lentils. Canned or frozen veggies over fresh, bulk rice, always shop the sales section and look for coupons. Chicken thighs are cheaper than breasts, and although they may be considered less healthy by some, they fit my budget better. Lots of eggs. Go to several different stores to find the best prices. I shop Aldis, Cub, and Wal-Mart for groceries to get by on a tight budget.1
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It will depend if you prefer to cook your own meals and how affordable groceries stores are in your area. Also what you enjoy eating and what you have available at home.
I enjoy cooking, i'm easily bored, so i'll buy the basic things i need to cook for whatever i'm craving for the week. Since I like variety I enjoy cooking meals from different countries. I usually buy at my local international grocery store, some times i pick something from Target, Fresh Market or at Wholesale stores like BJ's or Costco which can last for a while.
Where I am for $25 I can buy chicken $5 or fresh beef $5, bread$2, small bag of Idaho potatoes $4, onions $2, tomatoes$3, eggs$3, a bag of fruit$4 and 2% Milk for $2. All approximate prices. Sometimes lower with sales. I cook with Olive oil only which I buy in a large amount that lasts for a while. I'm a spice junkie. I have so many spices from around the world. I already have so many condiments.1 -
Aldi.2
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BootyEvolve wrote: »gesundundmunter wrote: »I get my basic healthy food from a 99ct store. I hope you have one in your area.
I have a dollar store and I shop at Wal-Mart add grocery outlet a lot.kommodevaran wrote: »That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?
Probably none of the above. My work cut my hours and I go to school to 25 dollars is all I get
If you are over 18 you can probably apply for assistance (in the US at least.) I made it through my college and party years on very little food - some of the pictures I have from those days look like I was borderline sickly. I don't recommend under eating, it affects your thinking and schoolwork.
Churches know where the food banks are, if you have a big church in the area, stop by and ask.
Many of them do a once a week free meal too. 5 -
BootyEvolve wrote: »gesundundmunter wrote: »I get my basic healthy food from a 99ct store. I hope you have one in your area.
I have a dollar store and I shop at Wal-Mart add grocery outlet a lot.kommodevaran wrote: »That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?
Probably none of the above. My work cut my hours and I go to school to 25 dollars is all I get
Are you in the US? If your hours have been cut at work and you're in school, you're absolutely eligible for food bank assistance in many areas. You can get supplemental foods that will help you stretch out your food budget and it sounds like you're exactly in the type of situation that food banks/pantries are set up to help support.8 -
ETA2: to make bread, you need flour, salt, water, and yeast. Yeast is VERY cheap, so is flour. Home made bread and some cheap butter/margarine can REALLY hit the spot.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018203-simple-crusty-bread
https://bakerbettie.com/four-ingredient-no-kneadbread/
https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/homemade-artisan-bread-easiest-bread-recipe-ever.html* recommend this one for sure!
You can also mix in some of the herbs/spices I mentioned above (like rosemary or Italian seasoning or garlic powder) to give it a different flavor.
Walmart has 5 lb bags of potatoes for $5, if you want something different. You can mix them into soups, bake them with eggs, microwave them on the go, make potato bread, latkes, hash browns, mashed potatoes (I don't even add milk to my mashed potatoes, just some potato water, an egg or two, and a bunch of seasonings).2 -
Walmart. Eggs, Milk, Sliced Bread, Ground Beef, Tuna, Potatoes, Chicken, Rice, Beans.1
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Thanks guys! I'll definitely check out everything you guys suggested! Right now I do have potatoes and rice stocked up from when I was able to do 50 dollars a week. Eggs, oatmeal, pb&j, and frozen veggies are my life right now. But I love them all!
I really appreciate you guys taking the time to post!1 -
It can be enough money to feed an adult, depending on where you live. In Canada, the average is $200 per person per month. In the US, it seems to be $100 per month. Check out Freedom in a Budget. She posts budgeting videos and financial tips, but is also sharing her weight loss on a budget. She spends $25 per week (she lives in Florida, US) and does the weight watchers points too (you will notice that in her latest videos she spends closer to $50 per week, but that's because she just moved in with her husband and now shops for two). She shares delicious recipes too! I don't do the WW points, but I enjoy watching her videos still.
Here's a link to her weight loss playlist: https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLpgLsNKlKGi76qFqsZpf2VGl3MYrGqxQV
How to spend $100 a month on groceries videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEXqDrCw23Q and 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMe5XShpWYk&t=907s
Good luck! ox2 -
BootyEvolve wrote: »Thanks guys! I'll definitely check out everything you guys suggested! Right now I do have potatoes and rice stocked up from when I was able to do 50 dollars a week. Eggs, oatmeal, pb&j, and frozen veggies are my life right now. But I love them all!
I really appreciate you guys taking the time to post!
@PB&J, consider making your own bread! I know I've harped on it more than once, but it's the cheapest thing to make IMO.2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »That isn't enough money to feed an adult. Do you have a food stash, do you get free meals outside your home, or can you get help from a food bank?
To be fair I think this response might be more to do with the cost of living where you are (Norway isn't it?) I could get by on 25 euros per week relatively easy (realise dollars are less than euros but cost of foods here in Ireland is a little higher).
I have supermarket brand weetabix with fruit for breakfast - a 36 pack is around 2-3 euros and will do my breakfasts for 7 weeks. A couple of bananas a week @ say 2 euros (around 2.60 per week total)
I make homemade soup which costs me a couple of euros for 4-6 portions and does me 2 weeks of workday lunches along with a pack of mini naan breads (around 3.00 per week total)
I have pasta on the other days, a large bag of pasta will last me a month to 6 weeks @ a couple of euros. (around 0.50 per week)
Pack of 10 large Chicken Breasts from the butchers is around 10 euros. I pick up other meats in the clearance section and freeze them. (around 7 euro per week)
I keep a couple of bags of various frozen veg at 1-2 euro each in the freezer to go with chicken or whatever alternative meal prep I have going on. (around 1.50 per week total)
Also tend to buy a 20 pack of eggs from Aldi which will last me up to 2 weeks (around 1.75 per week). Usually have omelette/poached eggs for brunch on a weekend and boil a couple as snacks or to add to my pasta.
There are other cheap things that you can bulk out meals with, some already mentioned above.
Planning ahead is a good way to help with budgeting, if your local supermarkets send out flyers or have a leaflet in store pick one up, see what's on offer and plan your food ahead a week, buying only what you need.
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BootyEvolve wrote: »If you have a weekly budget of $25 dollars or less. What healthy foods could you get that feed you the whole week.
Meal planning is a good idea if you have a tight budget
Low budget friendly foods where I live are things like oatmeal, tuna, whole chicken or chicken thighs, dry beans, lentils, rice, pasta, bread, peanut butter, eggs, potatoes, carrots, apples, ground turkey, cabbage, onions, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, flour.
Buy store brands or generic. Buy whole things and cut, skin, bone, shred it yourself.
A big pot of soup is a good dollar stretcher.
https://www.thespruce.com/fassolatha-white-bean-soup-fassolada-1705785
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/copycat-olive-garden-minestrone-soup-by-todd-wilbur-77585
Low budget menu planning and recipes:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70dollarmenu.htm
http://www.budgetbytes.com
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/03/35-meatless-meals.html
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/
http://www.lentils.org/recipes-cooking/recipes/
Some MFP threads you may find useful:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10518784/healthy-food-choice-on-a-budget/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10500423/costing-a-lot-more-money-to-eat-healthier/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10490067/most-healthy-food-options-are-very-expensive-and-im-on-a-very-poor-budget-what-to-do/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10020804/looking-for-vegetarian-recipes#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10614805/need-quick-cheap-nutritious-food#latest3 -
I think this would be a fun challenge for like a month... but would suck to do it every week!
I'd go with bagged lettuce (usually on sale for like 2/$3 and that would make 7 salads), eggs... (hard boiled and add to salad for protein. ~$1/dozen). Beans and quinoa... make a couple of dinners with those mixed together for ~$5. Buy a bag of apples ~$5. Bag of potatoes ~$5... add some shredded cheese ($6ish for two bags/4 cups)
That would be my $25 1 -
I can only talk about the UK perspective here. £25 currently feeds me very well. First of all, meat and fish is fairly expensive, while rice, pasta, beans and lentils, and fruit and veggies are fairly cheap. Bread as well.
So I'm eating what is cheap, with small amounts of meat or fish, usually around 80-100gr. Fortunately, it's also the cheap things that keep me full. Aldi and Lids have a couple of seasonal veggies constantly on offer for about 30-60 pence, and I do buy those a lot.
My breakfast and lunch are usually slices of wholegrain bread with ham, cheese, salami or other things. Plus fruits and veggies to snack on.
Every Saturday I buy an artisan bread, with a real crust and tons of flavour, and I'll enjoy it over the weekend. I usually cook for two days, sometimes I make a stew or curry for 3-4 days. Not only saves energy but also on throwing away vegetable leftovers.0 -
In addition to the great tips above, keep in mind that while you rarely see coupons for produce, they're printed quite often for canned/frozen produce. Grab your supermarket's circular and prioritize items you can save on that week, especially ones that keep for a long time.0
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If you have a WinCo nearby or another store with a bulk section buy your dry staples there, after comparing the price per ounce with the cheapest store in town. For me WinCo is cheaper on beans, rice, many nuts, and oatmeal (I buy the 15 pound bag and bought a 5 gallon bucket to store it in, but they sell bulk oatmeal too not in 15# bags), and you only buy what you need right then.0
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It is doable.
Breakfast:
Lb of bacon is $3.00.
Dozen eggs is $1.50
I bought my pork roast for lunch this week for $5.00
Buy some frozen veggies.. you can get most for 10 for $10.
Do something similiar for dinner.0 -
i have a barley and sweet potato dish i make - it costs me approx $5 and feeds me all week (literally, barley, sweet potato and vegetable broth)1
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Aldi for in-season fruits/veg and staples0
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It can be enough money to feed an adult, depending on where you live. In Canada, the average is $200 per person per month. In the US, it seems to be $100 per month. Check out Freedom in a Budget. She posts budgeting videos and financial tips, but is also sharing her weight loss on a budget. She spends $25 per week (she lives in Florida, US) and does the weight watchers points too (you will notice that in her latest videos she spends closer to $50 per week, but that's because she just moved in with her husband and now shops for two). She shares delicious recipes too! I don't do the WW points, but I enjoy watching her videos still.
Here's a link to her weight loss playlist: https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLpgLsNKlKGi76qFqsZpf2VGl3MYrGqxQV
How to spend $100 a month on groceries videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEXqDrCw23Q and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMe5XShpWYk&t=907s
Good luck! ox
where did you get these numbers? while it is possible someone could eat for this amount (200/month in Canada, 100/month in the USA), I can't imagine these being averages?!4 -
Muscleflex79 wrote: »It can be enough money to feed an adult, depending on where you live. In Canada, the average is $200 per person per month. In the US, it seems to be $100 per month. Check out Freedom in a Budget. She posts budgeting videos and financial tips, but is also sharing her weight loss on a budget. She spends $25 per week (she lives in Florida, US) and does the weight watchers points too (you will notice that in her latest videos she spends closer to $50 per week, but that's because she just moved in with her husband and now shops for two). She shares delicious recipes too! I don't do the WW points, but I enjoy watching her videos still.
Here's a link to her weight loss playlist: https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLpgLsNKlKGi76qFqsZpf2VGl3MYrGqxQV
How to spend $100 a month on groceries videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEXqDrCw23Q and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMe5XShpWYk&t=907s
Good luck! ox
where did you get these numbers? while it is possible someone could eat for this amount (200/month in Canada, 100/month in the USA), I can't imagine these being averages?!
I agree, they sound more like "with a little effort, technically it's possible to feed one person with this amount". I can eat for $25 a week if I'm careful and plan well, but no way is that the US average.2 -
You may get some good tips from these folks - http://www.frugalwoods.com/category/food/
Also, you can get a free ecopy of the cookbook "Good and Cheap" here: https://www.leannebrown.com/ I've cooked a few recipes from it and they all hold up.0
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