Only have $150 a month for food, help!

When I was very poor - and I was *very* poor at times in my life... one of the main dishes I would cook up would be fried rice. I'd mix frozen veggies into it and beans. If I could find something like spam I'd add a bit of that to it for flavor and protein. I could often find eggs pretty cheap. I'd make huge batches and although it sometimes got boring it was filling. I also ate a lot of stuff like pork and beans and used bread as a filler. You can buy rice and dried beans in bulk. Spices to add flavor to your meal in bulk and they can last you a long time... I'd also eat Top Ramen quite a bit, but I'd add tons of veggies and cheap meats or eggs to it and a cup or so of cooked rice.

I don't think $150 a month is too bad. That's about what I spend on myself for food. It's definitely doable! I would recommend that you spend time meal planning what you want to eat. I just jot down general ideas of what I want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then I go back through the list and specify what exactly I need to buy to make that meal. It doesn't have to be extensive or include a lot. I often eat a lot of the same things throughout the week and that kind of helps me spend less. An example would be:
Day 1
Breakfast: Cereal
• Chocolate mini wheats
• Milk
Lunch: Grilled cheese
•Bread
•Cheddar
•Butter
Dinner: Tacos
•Ground beef
•Salsa
•Rice
•Tortillas
•Onion
•Taco Sauce
• Cheddar

I often cut out things that I like (such as sour cream/limes for tacos) for the sake of not spending as much. Especially if it's not on sale. It also helps if you buy food for multiple uses. Buy food that you're going to use more than once. Such as, don't buy tortillas if you're only going to use them for one meal. Limit yourself on bread items. I find that they expire faster than I can eat them and throwing food away would be a waste of your budget! Don't buy things you don't eat a lot of. If you know you don't eat a lot of salads, don't buy 20 dollars of ingredients for salads that may end up going to waste. It sounds simple, but it's easy to get caught up in if you go shopping unprepared. I buy zip lock bags to separate my meat into smaller portions. That way I don't have to defrost a 3 pack of chicken breasts and hope I eat it all. Or, forget about it in the fridge when I buy it and it ends up expiring. Just separate into bags, freeze, and take out what you want to eat the night before.

I personally go through a ton of rice, so it's a good investment for me. I use it for chicken and rice, chicken and veggie stir fry, to make tacos more filling, etc. There are a lot of frozen veggie options that you can keep on hand as add-ins. Fresh fruits and veggies expire quickly, so only get what you know you'll eat. I go shopping about twice a month and that's what I find works best for me. I find that it's not really about buying a bunch of specific foods that don't cost much (though that helps!) It's about being prepared and knowing what you came for. Good luck!