extremely low budget

if you buy some frozen chicken breasts or thighs and cook them in the crockpot with some salsa and tomato sauce and seasonings you can have shredded chicken for tacos or burritos for many people or for yourself for several days :P the chicken should reheat well and can always be added to other things to change it up

Get lean meats, lettuce, low fat cheese and make great sandwiches! Make spaghetti with tomato sauce with your own spices added instead of all of theirs. I eat a lot of venison (my family hunts) so that is lower in cholesterol and fat. Drink lots of tea. I eat fresh veggies whenever possible such as mushrooms, green peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. with low fat dips. I eat low fat crackers and drink lots of tea. I make my own mac and cheese with low fat cheese, butter and 1 % milk. I buy a lot of fresh fruits, veggies and good breads in the day old section of my store. They're often half price, but I only have to throw away teeny bits here and there.

watch your sales and get boneless skinless chicken breast. I only buy it when it 1.99 a lb or less. cook and chop up . fromk there you can pair it with frozen veggies for a stir fry, or use it for tacos etc. My budget is very limited and altho it is not cheap you arnt using that much at a time and it freezes well. in the long run it is both cheap and easy.

lentils are a great protein and easy for curries, sweet potatoes (better than white), in season veg, brown rice, chicken legs (higher in fat, but so easy in the crock pot and cheaper), eggs for quiche (no crust) - just a few that I use to help our budget. Hope it helps!:happy:

I've been hitting the almost-expired meats in the grocery lately. They are often marked down 20% - 70%. They are going to throw it out if they don't sell it, and it's perfectly good.

Dried beans, brown rice, frozen veggies. Buy the biggest bags of beans and rice and they are 50% cheaper than buying a bunch of little bags. Waaay cheaper than canned beans, and much better for you (no sodium).

Tuna in a can, cheap. Eggs, cheap.

I can eat on less than $4 a day. I buy organic milk, tomato sauces, and potatos, but store brand everything else.

homemade pizza is extremely good. you can switch up the toppings so it doesn't get old and it really isn't as time consuming to make as some may think! get some crust mix that you just add water to, pizza sauce is about a dollar, and some low fat shredded cheese. any other toppings are usually pretty cheap to. my favorites are pineapple, taco, and bbq chicken pizza. plus homemade pizzas have nowhere near the grease of other pizzas, and you can pack it with as many healthy veggies as you want without feeling bad!

frozen veggies, beans and rice. Buy on sale. Buy in bulk. If you have a smaller family see if someone wants to go in with you on buying bulk

Generic oatmeal with cinnamon and a chopped apple. Chicken on sale can be fixed so many different ways. When I find a package on sale, I divide it into ziplocs and add different marinades: generic Italian dressing, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic (lots of garlic). I sometimes will cut chicken breasts into small pieces and saute. I keep in a plastic container in the freezer to make fajitas, add to leftover veggies and a bit of low sodium cream of whatever soup for a crustless pot pie, a little chicken, some lettuce, chopped tomato, sprinkle of cheese for a wrap, ............the possibilies are endless.

I feed a family of 5 (ages1, 3 1and 10) on about 115$ a week. Here are my very frugal tips!...i also live in a cold climate where fruits and veggies are about twice the price of Florida prices...

- I make my own bread in a bread machine, my own yogurt in a yogurt maker, my own muffins, cookies etc.
- i buy the majority of my fruits in cans, just make sure they are low in sugar and rinse them in water before eating
- i buy he majority of my veggies frozen....this also helps reduce waste by food going bad in the fridge..and they have the same if not better nutritional value!
- my grocery store has half off day old bread and fruits and veggies that are getting soft...i usually find some great stuff that once cooked up tastes great...no need for filet mignon!
- i do the same for meat and freeze it
- cheap cuts of beef are great once you put them in the slow cooker or a grind them in my food processor and you can freeze them until you need them
- beans and rice dried in bags are way less expensive than canned. I soak them overnight in my slow cooker...works like a charm
- dark chicken, once the fat is drained off, is as nutritionally good as white white...and way less expensive!
- keep in mind that whole grain rice, flour and cereal are a little more expensive but fill you up more than the equivalent quantity of white rice and grains.
- we have a small garden in the summer as well.
- i also have a web site that i go to that compares the weekly flyers at the grocery stores. I make two grocery lists: what I need (milk, eggs, bananas) and what i want to restock my pantry. I check the flyers every week and go to the store with the best price for what i need. when an item from my pantry list goes on sale, i'll buy it and stock up if the budget permits.
- for breakfast, oatmeal ( not the instant stuff) and milk is the best nutritional bang for your buck

This also lets my control what goes into the food. Granted, i have invested in some kitchen tools...many of which were found at value village...my bread maker was 7.99$ and my slow cooker 4.99$ and about 5$ for my yogurt maker. I splurged on a new food processor...we're best freinds now! A couple of good recipe books...you can find great receipes on line.

Lastly, i buy almost nothing that is prepared or processed...except american cheese....again, healthier and way less expensive.

Granted all this takes more time but less money and so much better for me and my family....

Now that i think of it, a few communities around here have communal kitchen days....it's pretty inexpensive because you share the cost with other people and you can buy in bulk...might be worth checking out!

Cheers!

K