Buying groceries when hovering around poverty level...
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you can usually buy a whole chicken for around $5 or $6. Stick it in a crockpot with seasonings and let it cook all day....you have rotisserie chicken that will feed one person for a few days! Mix that with a 50 cent can of veggies and you have a good, cheap meal.
Also a 5 lb thing of hamburger meat can make you 5 meals worth...
ideas:
1. 1 lb. hamburger, brown and drain. mix with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 2 can full of milk. Season with salt and pepper. Put over pasta (pasta is relatively cheap) or rice (again, cheap).
2. 1 lb hamburger browned and drained, mix with a can of mixed veggies and put over some mashed potatoes (again, a sack of potatoes are pretty cheap and stretch a meal).
3. 1 lb hamburger browned and drained and mixed with a box of mac n' cheese- homemade hamburger helper!
4, mix your hamburger with an egg and some diced veggies and make patties out of that, or a meatloaf.
5. tacos.
Good luck to you! I, too, have to grocery shop on a budget, so I feel your pain.0 -
when i was in grad school, i ate a lot of:
yogurt
pasta
rice
beans/lentils
pb
cheese (bought the big blocks and sliced it up)
chicken (bought on sale, usually cost around 5 bucks for a huge package)
lean ground beef (bought the family sized, broke it up and froze)
frozen veggies0 -
Okies - I just didn't know if it was a real question or not - I just had a number of people I know getting charity etc over Christmas when they still have what I call luxuries - I just don't get that. Going out and drinking etc but asking for handouts for hampers etc. Doesn't sit well with me.
Anyways, since you were just asking genuinely - I agree with a lot of other people - I think rice and vege's would serve you well. I wouldn't worry about the sugar - and I would flick the coffee. Something really nice that I don't get sick of and is cheap is brown rice with diced up tomatoes on top with some black pepper if you like (I don't bother with that). Being that many people in the world get by on just rice - I think it would be easy - fried rice would be cheap (no prawns and stuff of course) just rice, onion, carrot, peas and corn. I could live on that I think. The other thing I have a lot is peanut butter and salad sandwiches - it is yummo and I am sure pretty balanced - if you were going to buy the peanut butter anyways - then just a bit of salad and you are set!!
Vege hotpots - I can get you a nice recipe for that if you like - and once again you can have it with rice - or pasta which is cheap too (well here it is).
There is an aussie website called simple savings (just look it up with a .com.au maybe) and they have lots of good ways to eat cheap.
I guess you don't get study assistance or something wherever you are eh? What about cleaning a house or so a week? that would give you a few bucks to eat with anyways?
Without going into detail, I'm very jaded towards people with a sense of entitlement (i.e. having the nerve to ask for someone else's hard-earned money and not even feel ashamed about it).
I've been working part-time for 5ish years so I have saved some money, but it's to pay for my tuition.
I also visited my grocery store and made some adjustments to my list:
-two 20-llb sacks of potatoes -> $12
-two flats of 24-pack instant noodles -> $12
-two jars of peanut butter -> $8
-two loaves of bread -> $4
-coffee -> $4
Including tax that's $ 46.50.
Nutritionally wise I would be getting about 1300 calories on average per day which is normal.
Thanks again for all the advice everyone, I got some good ideas from here. No reason why I should need a bag of sugar.. That is a bit absurd now that I think about it. I don't have to worry about this in earnest for another few months either, so things might go better than expected 0 -
I do have a good income but I prefer to live frugal and debt free.... over fancy food0
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bump0
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This thread really makes me appreciate what I have. I am really grateful that I live in NZ where the government helps us if we need food etc with food grants etc. I hope things turn around for you
My government is good to us too, but the problem is that there's a massive homeless population in my city. I'm from Canada, which you probably know is very bitterly cold in the winter- EXCEPT for my particular hometown. Thus the homeless of my country migrate here and our homeless shelters and food banks get overwhelmed. We have the worst slum (East Hastings) in all of Canada.
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it. I do have family and friends who are willing to help and as long as I can get through the next three years, I should be perfectly fine 0 -
Bags of beans and lentils
bags of rice
canister of oats
bags of frozen veggies
bananas
box of noodles
and that is all i have off the top of my head xD very cheap things0 -
come summertime this will be easier for you, but for now do what you can to survive. In the summer, I frequent community gardens, have family with gardens, etc. I completely fill my freezer with baggies full of fresh veggies for use in winter. I am a single mom with a full time job and am a full time student, but I make the time to do this. It certainly makes the grocery budget go farther. I also buy lots and lots of beans. During the winter we do a lot of beans and veggies, but it is healthy and tastes good and is filling.0
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I'm a college student and I have switched to Aldi as my grocery store of choice. I did full grocery shopping for about $50. No single item in my cart cost more than $5.0
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The only 24 packs of noodles around here are Ramen Noodles and you can get them for $1.50 for 24. So I'm curious.
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Really? I.50 for 24? Where?0 -
come summertime this will be easier for you, but for now do what you can to survive.
I'm surviving fine at the moment, it's just a situation I could be facing in six months.0 -
Coffee? At your income why?
Sugar? But no grains? What are you using the sugar for?0 -
I would cut expenses on pretty much everything before I started taking it from my food allotment. 0
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There are tons of $2 recipes online.
I know here in the DC area we can buy noodles for $1 and spaghetti sauce for $1 and a can of beans (or dry beans) for a dollar or less. Throw in some spinach - walla dinner for $4 or $5 with enough left overs to feed you a few meals. I actually make this all the time with diced tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce.0 -
come summertime this will be easier for you, but for now do what you can to survive.
I'm surviving fine at the moment, it's just a situation I could be facing in six months.
Ah...then my advice is to stock up on rice and beans now as well as some canned veggies, tomato sauce, etc. If you have room in the freezer try to stock up on freezer items too.
Also, if you think you may have to do this, then try this shopping list for a month and see if it works for you. If not, then modify.0 -
dollar store my friend, find one.
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Well... it's been a LOOOOOONG time... but about 15 years ago, I was able to support my growing son and I on only $25 per week. I was too proud for food stamps so I made it work. Basically, I bought per week:
1 pound ground beef (I would split this into four equal pieces and freeze them individually)
1 package frozen veggies (whatever was on sale)
1 loaf of bread
1 box of generic cereal (usually corn flakes, they were the cheapest)
1 gallon of milk
1 package of pasta noodles
1 can generic spaghetti sauce
5 packages of ramen noodles (they ran about 20cents a pack back then)
1 bunch of bananas
and I splurged on peanut butter about once a month... we made it last.
I used to cook up the ground beef and put it in my son's spaghetti and I ate just sauce on my noodles... he needed the protein more than I did. We ate cereal EVERY morning and maybe shared a banana on our cereal. My son grew to love peanut butter straight off the spoon as a treat and sometimes I made him peanut butter and banana sandwiches for his lunch. I always threw in some kind of frozen veggie in our ramen... that stuff is seriously void of nutritional value and REALLY high in sodium... but it filled our bellies back then.
Once a week, my parents invited us over for dinner... they had NO idea how we ate at home... again... too proud to whine about it. So those dinners were like a feast to us and we devoured every single bite. Thankfully, this only lasted about 2 years when I finally got a better paying job.
The whole experience made me really appreciate a dollar and how far it can be stretched. I also learned that I can accomplish just about anything if I tried hard enough. I never asked anyone for anything and was proud of myself for getting through those times without too many bumps and bruises.
My son is now 21 years old... and he is learning how to survive on his own with very little... just like my parents... we invite him for dinner about once a week to make sure he has at least one really healthy meal a week. But, moreover, I always pack a grocery bag for him on his way out... I still can't let my baby go without his protein!0 -
I would let go of the sugar, that's a lot of money just in sugar.
I would buy a bag of brown rice, bananas, onions and any other cheap produce (farmers markets are cheap, we have a lot of them in my area), pasta, cereal, milk, bread, peanut butter, tortillas and eggs.0 -
i don't think that the "entitled" poster was looking down upon people who utilize these vital support systems, if they truely need to.
i think the poster was commenting on the people who utilize the supports, yet somehow seem to have enough money to waste out at the bars or clubs every weekend.
the people who routinely waste money at bars, etc, then use government supports are making it harder for those who truely need the suuports from the government to get the help they need, and that sort of thing is selfish, as all they need to do is stop spending money on alcohol, etc, and use it to feed themselves.
additionally, whether it is fair or not, these selfish kinds of people give all people who utilize supports a bad name...not what we need in a time of economic distress when more and more people are needing to rely upon support in order to live.
i wish the original poster good luck in their future endevours and hope that something comes around very soon that changes the economic status for the better!0 -
Check to see if you have any discount grocery stores in yout area. You can get lots of gorceries for super cheap!0
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Some great suggestions. The original list definitely is not the best use of $50. PS: There is no nutrition in sugar. I have actually read too much sugar has the same affect on your liver as too much alcohol. You will be paying high medical bills in exchange for saving money. You are better of spending $50 on other things.0
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I used to cook up the ground beef and put it in my son's spaghetti and I ate just sauce on my noodles... he needed the protein more than I did. We ate cereal EVERY morning and maybe shared a banana on our cereal. My son grew to love peanut butter straight off the spoon as a treat and sometimes I made him peanut butter and banana sandwiches for his lunch. I always threw in some kind of frozen veggie in our ramen... that stuff is seriously void of nutritional value and REALLY high in sodium... but it filled our bellies back then.
Once a week, my parents invited us over for dinner... they had NO idea how we ate at home... again... too proud to whine about it. So those dinners were like a feast to us and we devoured every single bite. Thankfully, this only lasted about 2 years when I finally got a better paying job.
The whole experience made me really appreciate a dollar and how far it can be stretched. I also learned that I can accomplish just about anything if I tried hard enough. I never asked anyone for anything and was proud of myself for getting through those times without too many bumps and bruises.
I was raised by one parent to be absolutely frugal (mom) and the other to spend as if you were going to die the next day (dad). I ended up somewhere in the middle; saved enough money as a teen to pay off my nursing degree in full, but not a whole lot else beyond that
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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:0 -
1 jar of peanut butter
fresh fruit (different varieties)
eggs
oatmeal over noodles
milk
coffee (or go without:noway: , drink water)
some nuts for sure
chicken, I'd be golden off this list, for the most part
add Greek yogurt0 -
You can leave out the instant coffee and sugar., Drink water and save the money for something more nutritious than coffee and sugar.0
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Check with your local churches (in the U.S.) they have fresh fruit, produce, breads and more on a weekly basis. I know of a church that gives out different items daily to first come first serve.
Also, check online for coupons for different grocery stores; cheap stores likes Aldi's and Save a lot (here in the States).
Eggs, low calorie bread, bananas, peanut butter, deli ham, cereal, milk (those could be affordable) and heathly at the same time; especially if you go to pantries for the rest.0 -
I used to make 1 pot each: bean soup, red pasta sauce, vegetable soup, and spicey lentil soup, then freeze it into portions, making it last the entire month. This was my typical shopping list. If you're willing to cook, you can eat heathfully and pretty well (although not much variety within a particular month)
Dry beans and lentils from bulk section, soak and cook yourself
Frozen vegetables, generic large bags, including those with lima beans and peas beans for protein
Canned tomato products, a few
Pasta for pasta sauce & soups
Oatmeal and generic whole grain cereal in a bag for breakfasts, 1 each
Onions, garlic, a few for flavor
Apples and oranges on sale, small sized fruit in a bag are cheapest
Peanut butter, natural if you can
Whole wheat flour for homemade bread, pancakes, biscuits, 1 5# bag
Foraged dandelion greens for salads from an untreated yard or field (unless covered in snow, they're everywhere)
Milk from dried milk (I have a whole bag of organic dried milk but went vegan -- I'll mail it to you if you IM me)
Instant coffee
Water!
Food pantry at church or social agency - lots of people need the help right now, you can volunteer or donate later when you're able0 -
It is tough and I understand where you are coming from. I don't know if you can get food vouchers at your school or community, there are also food banks (both at school and community). Now, the community food bank may be tough to get in, but schools are less tough. It was hard for me at first, but I realized that I needed to feed my body proper nutrients. So even if nutrition isn't your priority and there are other things such as rent that are much more important in the end you want to be able to function properly to give everything the right amount of attention Ask around and see if these programs are available in your community. I hope this helps! 0
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Also check on the local food pantries. I don't know your location but I was just told of a couple that provide meats that are donated from Price Chopper. One family told me that they received pork sausage, chicken roast, hamburger, hotdogs, etc. as well as additional stuff like butter, peanut butter, cereal, bread, and frozen veggies. I can't remember all the items but these pantries are for people that need help, so don't be ashamed to ask for help. The people are really nice and can give you suggestions on meals and ways to make the food go further. Some of the food is healthier than other, but be creative. What a friend of mine and I have found is portion control and having a buddy to keep you on track and be tough on you once in awhile is the answer for us. I lost 7 lbs. this week and she lost 3. And we really looked at her exercise and changed her routine to more cardio. Oh, and positive thinking. Don't say if, or maybe, say when and I will.....keep positive......0
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I can completely empathise - I'm a graduate student living 12000 miles from home... so I have to make my money spin pretty far in terms of food. Frustrating that my PhD is in food and nutrition, and my own budget is pretty tight!
Here's what I'd get as staples:
Brown rice
Wholewheat pasta
Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans - anything of that sort (cheapest is best!)
Spices - chilli and/or other spices really jazz up something as simple as a rice & bean salad
Canned tomatoes - the cheapest brand are fine, and you can stretch them out when making a rice/pasta sauce by adding water
Canned tuna - protein fills you up for longer, and the cheaper brands are usually fine
Frozen veg - easy to throw in pasta
Coffee (of course!)
Sugar - get a cheaper brand/smaller amount - that much sugar in your diet really isn't so good
Eggs - you can generally get trays for very few $ at Asian supermarkets (and their spices are real cheap too)
Good luck! 0
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