Buying groceries when hovering around poverty level...

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Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    What are you going to do with all that sugar? For that same $12 you could by a large bag of dried beans, a large bag of brown rice, a bag of carrots, a couple of onions, a pepper and a bag of celery. Cook them all together and eat for days.
  • carleyfunk
    carleyfunk Posts: 59 Member
    I have been there too. I lived off of potatoes and top ramen. Potatoes are really filling and can work almost as a meal.
  • mixmastermolly
    mixmastermolly Posts: 272
    Dry beans are cheap and go a long way. Also, look into finding a food co-op in your area. You can help by working there for a short amount of time and get food in exchange. There are probably plenty of food pantries around that would serve you since you're low income. You could get most of your canned and boxed goods there and then use your $50 for produce.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    What's the best you can do?

    I think I can live on $50 a month:

    4 loaves of bread- $8
    2 jars of peanut butter- $8
    A case of instant noodles (24 pack)- $6
    A jar of instant coffee- $4
    A big sack of granulated sugar- $12
    A jug of full-fat milk- $5

    The tax in my province is 14% so that works out to about $49.

    I would switch to no-name brands and full-calorie versions of everything to maximize savings and caloric intake :happy:

    Groceries are not taxed in Canada so you have some extra ($6) to play with there. The coffee may have tax but the other items wont.
  • katinka13
    katinka13 Posts: 41
    i gained over 30!! pounds during my first 3 years at uni, because i only ate peanutbutter sandwiches and packed food. it was cheap but fat and calorie packed!
  • cimonenchina
    cimonenchina Posts: 4
    1lb of ground beef goes a long way! and it is really easy to cook. Try making Chilli from scratch. You need 1 lb of ground beef (turkey if you can afford it), 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of kidney beans, and 2 packages of chilli seasoning. this meal can feed you for a whole week, if you only eat it once a day, and it come in at the grocery store at just around $10.00. If you can splurge, buy an onion, and use that the saute the meat in.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
    What on earth do you use sugar for that you'd need $12 worth every month??? WHOA I know sugar cost has gone up but you must be getting some expensive stuff or you use a crap load. I agree dump the sugar and get AT LEAST some frozen veggie mix bag(about $5-6 at Walmart for a broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix) or potatoes or something(usually a few bucks for a 10 lb bag but can be cheaper) and some fresh fruit. You can eat by what is on sale.

    We also enjoy no tax on food in our city(a suburb of Phoenix). Not all the cities in the area are tax free food though. My best friend drives over to this city(short hop on the freeway) to get her groceries tax free.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Dry beans are cheap and go a long way. Also, look into finding a food co-op in your area. You can help by working there for a short amount of time and get food in exchange. There are probably plenty of food pantries around that would serve you since you're low income. You could get most of your canned and boxed goods there and then use your $50 for produce.

    This,

    Go to a food bank for canned and boxed food and spend your money on fruit, veggies, and any other gaps in nutrition.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
    I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

    You are assuming. I have never paid for internet. Our local library, the college i attended and just about any coffee shop in town provides free wifi. So does my office :wink:. I don't own a computer either.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Rice, beans, frozen fruits/veggies, potatoes, "fryer" chickens, and lots of oatmeal. I have a lot of food intolerances so my bread costs $5/$6 PER LOAF and they're tiny and disgusting, I make my own, but when money is tight, I forgo bread all together.

    I can make about 26 different kinds of beans and rice, same goes for potatoes. Frozen veggies are a great source of nutrients because the freezing holds in the nutrients (or so I've read - if I'm wrong, let me know). Fryer chickens are the whole chicken, you can make a ton of meals out of the meat and then I use the bones to make broth for an additional few meals. Oatmeal is awesome. I add it to smoothies, I eat it plain, I use it in bread. I find it very filling.
  • TonyaCrego
    TonyaCrego Posts: 59 Member
    Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
    I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

    We are broke and hoping to be able to pay all bills this month since my husband had no overtime like he usually does...my point is, yes i have internet and cable! i would love to cancel it but then i have to pay for cancelling my 2yr agreement early so whats the point? If you know of a way around this, pls feel free to pm me ur advice!!
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    can you get food assistance like foodstamps or something?. I say if you can take that 12 bucks for sugar and get a smaller sack or none at all and spend that on frozen or canned veggies. the rest you do need accept the coffee but i understand a coffee addiction but if you could cut out the coffee that gives you another 4 bucks to get more vitamin dense food. adding veggies to the noodles is a good idea. and what about meat. if you cut back the sugar and cut out the coffee you could get a few pounds of ground beef along with some frozen veggies.

    I agree. We have been really really broke since we moved and beans and rice are super cheap, nutritious and super filling. You can make the staple of a meal w/ beans and brown rice for an entire family for about $2 for the week. Then I'd use the rest to buy frozen veggies. You can buy 2 or 3 different kinds for a little over $1 each and mix it up throughout the week and sometimes you can find 2 for 1 coupons for frozen stuff. Oatmeal is another great staple because it's filling and cheap, the big rolled oats containers are also about $2 and last me 3-4 weeks.
  • AprilOneFourFour
    AprilOneFourFour Posts: 226 Member
    If you have an oven, you can make bread much cheaper. In UK it costs me the equivalent of $2 to make three small loaves, including the oven running. This is far more delicious than even the most expensive artisan bread. You'll burn a few calories with the kneading and aquire a skill. Once sliced I keep it in the freezer - out of sight and reach of greedy hands.
  • cygnetpro
    cygnetpro Posts: 419 Member
    Oh and get your sugar from McDonalds in the little packets instead of paying for it! lol

    Most condiments can be collected "for free" (sorta) from fast food. Mayo, ketchup, mustard, sugar, napkins, etc. Takes me back to college...

    Also, there were bars around our campus that would offer dollar taco days, etc. Not health food, but you could put some tomatoes/salsa, green peppers, etc. on them. Or a once a months splurge to a Chinese buffet and just pack your plate with veggies?
  • mbw2586
    mbw2586 Posts: 88
    Is this serious? or just one of those 'how would you do it' posts? Just never ceases to amaze me that people say they are poor yet seem to be able to afford the internet/phones etc.
    I am guessing it's a 'how would you do it'?

    I just wanted to point out that my local library provides computers with internet access for free and that I am typing this from my computer at work. I don't know this person's situation, and obviously neither do you, but I don't think it's fair to make such a rude assumption. Especially when the OP just wanted some helpful feedback.
  • Jo2926
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    I would start here:

    http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/index.html?opt=pc

    This person regularly undertakes challenges to feed their family extremely cheaply, and on this website gives a plan to feed a family of 4 for 80p a day. And the meals give variety too.
  • futuresize8
    futuresize8 Posts: 476 Member
    Here in Ohio, we have local growers and you can sign up for free delivery of a package of seasonal veggies (and go online and pick and choose what you do and don't want/subsitutions) for whatever price point you want.

    I did the $36 package and was blown away at how much produce was in there - lasted us two weeks! - delivered to my home at no additional cost.

    I was able to make soups that lasted us far beyond the two weeks, as I froze portions.

    I also regularly watch my Kroger for the 10 for $10 options on healthy items - I'm not big on processed foods, but I'm not making my own whole wheat pasta from scratch, either! So when Barilla whole wheat pasta is 10 for $10, I stock up!

    And I cut coupons for things I regularly use...I'm known to save 20-30% on an order, just by spending a few minutes cutting coupons.

    Hope this helps...I know times are so tough right now! But bags of sugar and noodles aren't the only way to survive!
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    We were in that position once but we had a small child and qualified for food pantry assistance once every 2 weeks (got milk, eggs bread, canned goods, rice, pasta) and we had WIC which supplied our milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, pb and juice. So we only had to spend about $20 a week on other things. Not proud of it but we did what we had to do.
  • loraloha74
    loraloha74 Posts: 169
    I like to clip coupons and at our Safeway you can load them online to your rewards card. I look for protein rich foods and produce because although it might be a little more costly you stay full longer so it gives you more bang for your buck!
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
    Why in the world would you spend $12 on sugar a month? That is more than 20% of your food budget. That seems unreal to me.
  • koko65
    koko65 Posts: 33 Member
    As another said, do check into donating some of your time at any area food pantries because it does seem a common
    theme that they will allow volunteers to take away some items for their time. =) At least I know Florida way they do that.
    Also I know this may sound off the cuff, but have you considered donating plasma? It's not strictly donating, I mean they do
    pay for, one of my daughter's friends does this and as I understand it you can donate up to twice a week and earn from 30.00-50.00 a week doing so. As far as your plan, my thinking is anything else would be better than the sugar for your sugar water--even vitamins. Best of luck.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
    Oh and I've done the rice and beans route when things get in a rough patch and lentils are pretty nice because they cook pretty quick compared to dry beans and make a great fiber and protein source. I could eat peanut butter everyday and not get tired of it yet I don't seem to make pb sandwiches often, hmm. We like pb and honey here. A canister of oatmeal last me a few months and is pretty cheap for breakfast option. However I have to have something in it either brown sugar, honey or agave nectar and those costs add up. Usually those last me a couple months to 3, brown sugar a bit longer.


    You may ask family and friends for a bread machine as a gift if they ask you what you want when birthday rolls around. You can definitely make great tasting bread fairly inexpensively. Look at getting yeast online you can get huge containers much cheaper on amazon than buying it by the package like most stores have. The nice thing about scratch is you can give yourself variety and make bread when you want that or do tortillas when you want a change. I love plain ol' heated up tortillas with pb. YUM

    I know how it is to be strapped so bad you can't worry about balance and nutrition and just get in survival mode.
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
    I think I'd get rice, lentils and frozen veg instead of the bread, sugar and noodles. More nutrition for your dollar and Dahl (lentils) is yummy and nutritious. And if you have $1 left, spend it on dried chilli or curry powder to spice up the Dahl.
    And powdered milk instead of fresh - you should get more and it won't go off.
    I would also try to see if you could squeeze a few onions or carrots (or other cheap seasonal veggies) in there too.

    Excellent suggestions.. just what I was thinking too! I make a lot of soup using rice, beans, lentils. Here, a pound of dry beans costs about $1.

    Also, I live near a bread factory (Rotella) and they have a little store on site where you can buy their bread for really cheap. See if there is anything like that around!

    Potatos are also really cheap.. buy a bunch of them and they will keep for awhile. Just make sure not to load them up with butter and stuff when you eat them. I put a lot of potato in my soups too!
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    Do an online search for "cheap grocery shopping tips."
  • annabell0768
    annabell0768 Posts: 12
    a couple of trips around the mall food court "samples"
    buy the veggies on sale at your local supermarket - homemade soup
    definately the dollar store
    fast food restaurants 99 cent items (choose salad or fruit) while your there pick up some "free" sugar
  • Chaquilas
    Chaquilas Posts: 49 Member
    Coupons, coupon, coupons!!!! My husband and I eat 3 meals at least 2 snacks a day for about $5 per day. This can easily be less for a one person household that doesn't require as many cals as we do. Just last week I purchased birds eye frozen veggies for 26 cent, prego spaghetti sauce for 26 cent, chicken breasts 99 cent per lb, bags of tilapia for $3 that have at least 5 servings. It takes a little time but its worth it. Also food assistance is available in most places.
  • candykay0605
    candykay0605 Posts: 1,019 Member
    I think I'd get rice, lentils and frozen veg instead of the bread, sugar and noodles. More nutrition for your dollar and Dahl (lentils) is yummy and nutritious. And if you have $1 left, spend it on dried chilli or curry powder to spice up the Dahl.
    And powdered milk instead of fresh - you should get more and it won't go off.
    I would also try to see if you could squeeze a few onions or carrots (or other cheap seasonal veggies) in there too.

    Really great suggestions!!! A pot of beans can feed one person for days add rice to that you can eat red beans and rice for days to switch it up!!! on weeks we really cant buy to much I get beans and cook them on sunday and eat them all week for lunch at work. Then I get a bag of carrots and snack on those. IF you buy a big bag of onions/ potatos (usually a 5lb bag you can get for about $4) those can last you at least 2 months (the onions 3-4)
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
    Obviously... you are under pressure to meet this goal... I don't think you have to completely give up on healthy eating so it's going to be all about choices and really good planning.
    The grocery stores in my area have the "day old" section of the produce area. I get marked down produce for pennies on the dollar -- sometimes it's tomatos, sometime it's kiwis, but there's always something I can use. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it if you eat it withing 4-5 days. I think you'lll get just as much mileage out of buying a pound of ground turkey, can/jar of spaghetti sauce, and box of dry pasta that you portion then freeze left overs. You can make meals that resemble frozen WW or Lean Cuisine dinners. Consider that those meals are usually about 4oz of meat, a cup to a half cup of broccholi or green beans or some other vegetable and either rice or pasta (2 oz or less). A $1 bag of frozen vegetables might be 5 servings...so you got veggies for 20 cents per serving. A box of pasta should be about $1 (depends on brand) and wil have about 8 servings so that's 13 cents per serving. Same for the sauce.

    Several chain stores in my area frequently advertise Buy 1 Get 2 Free deals. That paired with a coupon makes for a very good deal.

    I mean only to offer some ideas and do not intend to sound preachy what-so-ever.... and I wish you all the very best :flowerforyou:
    You also forgot things like TP, deoderant, etc. I would seriously consider looking at the coupon sites. Not to become an EXTREME COUPONER but you can search by brands and maybe start to train your brain to look for deals.
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
    Why in the world would you spend $12 on sugar a month? That is more than 20% of your food budget. That seems unreal to me.

    PLUS you can get condiment for FREE at any cafeteria or fast food restaurant!!!!!!!!!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I buy a 5# bag of sugar and it lasts us nearly 6 months! I only use sugar for baking, which I don't bake much or I'd eat it, and making french toast or pancakes. Do you drink all that sugar in your coffee!?!? I'd opt for potaotes and rice over the noodles - because at that price, it has to be Ramen, which is so high in sodium. Baked potatoes in the microwave are the best! Also, if you have a bakery near you, they always have cheap bread - 'day old' that they sell very inexpensively.
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