How to survive on 40-50 dollars per month on food.

13567…14

Replies

  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    I am not sure if this has been mentioned but homemade soups can be real cheap to make and you can make a great big pot and freeze individual servings. Soups can also be bulked up with veggies, beans etc.

    Thanks!!! Great idea!!!
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I'm a college student without an on campus meal plan. My father transfers me $70 a week, and don't use it all. I grocery shop every Sunday. This past shopping day, I only spent $22. I bought a whole bunch of veggies and fruit. I shop at discount stores (FoodMaxx in my area), so things are cheaper. My favorite veggie to buy is Broccoli, which I can usually by there for $.98/lb. When I don't shop at the discount and go to a regular place, i try to find whatever is cheapest that I still like. I
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    I sooo need ideas as well. I thought I was being good by buying on sale and freezing what I can't eat up right away. But new ideas are always useful.
  • lalalalyndsey
    lalalalyndsey Posts: 565
    Cabbage and potatoes. Potatoes get such a bum rap.

    I've got a cookbook for cheap people, it's British though =/

    Anyways it says peas also.

    I second the cabbage... i have mine with sausage usually, but you can have it with almost anything... and it's dirt cheap! And I LOVE potatoes... such a good source of potassium! Really don't get why people hate on it! Also don't forget sweet potatoes and frozen veggies! Cheaper than fresh and last longer too ;D
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    I'll have to look up some recipes from my college days when I got by on $5/week even in the 80s that was not a lot

    I do remember pairing complete proteins and rotating my buying cycle..

    Week 1: Peanutbutter and Value size loaf of Bread (Who needs jelly?)
    Week 2: Bag of Beans and bag of Rice. (lentils are the quickest to cook and don't need soaking)
    Week 3: Potatoes & Cheese
    Week 4: Pasta and Tomato Sauce

    What ever $ I had left over I would get oatmeal, and fresh produce (the past it's prime bin).

    Once you got the rotation going you had you had some choice.

    I used to thinly slice potatoes and munster cheese and layer with spinach in a casserole and bake until potatoes were tender and cheese was browned. A complete protein with a veg and pretty tasty too
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/554549-lookin-for-a-good-soup

    Here are a lot soup ideas. I posted one on there with the nutritional info. I used a lot of canned stuff in mine just cause that's what I had. But you could use all fresh. I like it cause it is a started recipe that can be made into many different types just by what all you add. I did use 12oz of ground turkey in this one. However it makes 12-14 2cup servings and 2 cups fills me up. Made it last week. My whole family ate off of it and I just finished it today. It is really cheap to make mostly beans, carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, and tomato juice. From there you let your imagination go.
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    Another idea. If I just am sick of something (I hate to toss out food) I freeze it with the date on it. And once a week is left over night. If none in the fridge it comes from the freezer. We hardly ever if ever toss out food. Also that way if some night you just are to busy or to tired to cook you have a healthy frozen dinner waiting for you and the family.
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
    To save money on fresh produce try going to a farmer's market! You can buy a TON of produce for super cheap.

    This is what I've been doing. I spend $50 each pay period...so $100 a month. $50 a month would be pretty tough. Lot's of egg dishes! Thanks to the farmer's market and a bundle of beets with some gorgeous greens attached I discovered I love beet greens and for 5.00 I ate 2 cup portions for four meals...plus the beet roots that I ate with separate meals.
  • kazzy777
    kazzy777 Posts: 1
    Quinoa is an excellent choice - goes along way and keeps for about 3-4days in refrigerator when cooked. You can google Quinoa and see how good it is with omega, protein, etc etc - plus there are loads of recipes online. It is a protein, not carb.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    I'm a college student without an on campus meal plan. My father transfers me $70 a week, and don't use it all. I grocery shop every Sunday. This past shopping day, I only spent $22. I bought a whole bunch of veggies and fruit. I shop at discount stores (FoodMaxx in my area), so things are cheaper. My favorite veggie to buy is Broccoli, which I can usually by there for $.98/lb. When I don't shop at the discount and go to a regular place, i try to find whatever is cheapest that I still like. I

    Wow! That's awesome! I have a foodmaxx here too.

    I'm down to pasta, canned chicken, a little bit of cooked chicken breast, very little brown rice left, cream of wheat, very little oatmeal, peanut butter, 2 slices of bread, 3 dozen eggs (yes, I know... lots of eggs), 2 oranges, some baby carrots, hummus and one veggie burger.

    I'm going to go shopping this weekend, I'm trying to wait till I really have nothing left.

    Thank you all for the great ideas!!!
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
    between going out to eat and buying food just for myself I spend aprox. $700. per month. I have been trying to not go out much but have not seen my food bill decrease b/c when I do go out I spend less than when I cook at home. I definately will be back to this thread to learn some new ways to save.

    Wow! In my case, I eat with what's left after I pay my bills. I'm lucky if that's $100. I don't eat out except rarely...if I do it is $1.00 menu items. I guess if you have the money you spend the money, if you don't have the money you don't have a choice! I guess if I was in your position, I'd be eating some really nice cuts of meat.
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
    I love this thread. I've really been enjoying the challenge of trying to eat on as little as possible, while also only eating whole foods and staying away from all processed foods. My mom and dads chickens are laying... so I'm getting my eggs for free!
  • BigRich822
    BigRich822 Posts: 681
    Good luck i spend that much on supplements every two weeks.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    Good luck i spend that much on supplements every two weeks.

    I feel like I'm dying with no food hahaha. Luckily I bought protein powder when I still had money... that will be a few meals for sure!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I'm down to pasta, canned chicken, a little bit of cooked chicken breast, very little brown rice left, cream of wheat, very little oatmeal, peanut butter, 2 slices of bread, 3 dozen eggs (yes, I know... lots of eggs), 2 oranges, some baby carrots, hummus and one veggie burger.

    I'm going to go shopping this weekend, I'm trying to wait till I really have nothing left.

    Thank you all for the great ideas!!!

    If you have an aldi in your area, look up their fliers. The one here, for example, just had strawberries for 99c/lb, and their eggs are usually under a dollar a dozen.

    I just found ham on sale at a local hyvee, boneless ham, for 99c/lb as well. I spent far more than usual on groceries this week because I bought 3 hams. But they will last me through the weeks without specials.

    I also just found tuna on sale pretty cheap and bought 2 dozen cans.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    I'm down to pasta, canned chicken, a little bit of cooked chicken breast, very little brown rice left, cream of wheat, very little oatmeal, peanut butter, 2 slices of bread, 3 dozen eggs (yes, I know... lots of eggs), 2 oranges, some baby carrots, hummus and one veggie burger.

    I'm going to go shopping this weekend, I'm trying to wait till I really have nothing left.

    Thank you all for the great ideas!!!

    If you have an aldi in your area, look up their fliers. The one here, for example, just had strawberries for 99c/lb, and their eggs are usually under a dollar a dozen.

    I just found ham on sale at a local hyvee, boneless ham, for 99c/lb as well. I spent far more than usual on groceries this week because I bought 3 hams. But they will last me through the weeks without specials.

    I also just found tuna on sale pretty cheap and bought 2 dozen cans.

    We sadly don't have any Aldis or Hyvee's here. I'm sure we have something similar, though. I'm going to shop around.
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
    dont know if anyone has suggested this yet but i LOVE livingrichwithcoupons.com ....has changed my life and the way i shop for everything... for example last week or week b4 land o lakes eggs were 1.99 at acme...she had a printable coupon for .75 which doubled to 1.50 ...u can print 2 coupons per computer...anyway eggs for .49 a dozen.....just one small example of the incredible savings.

    She has many different supermarkets and the matchups for coupons to sale prices...check it out.

    I got into the couponing, too, but didn't get a lot of deals on fresh, whole foods. I did stock up on toilet paper, toiletries, toothpaste, tht kind of thing. Also in southern california, coupons are not doubled to more than 1 dollar. So even a 75 cents off coupon will be doubled up to a dollar only.
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    dont know if anyone has suggested this yet but i LOVE livingrichwithcoupons.com ....has changed my life and the way i shop for everything... for example last week or week b4 land o lakes eggs were 1.99 at acme...she had a printable coupon for .75 which doubled to 1.50 ...u can print 2 coupons per computer...anyway eggs for .49 a dozen.....just one small example of the incredible savings.

    She has many different supermarkets and the matchups for coupons to sale prices...check it out.

    I got into the couponing, too, but didn't get a lot of deals on fresh, whole foods. I did stock up on toilet paper, toiletries, toothpaste, tht kind of thing. Also in southern california, coupons are not doubled to more than 1 dollar. So even a 75 cents off coupon will be doubled up to a dollar only.
    Thats how it is here. I want to buy whole foods, since it's cheaper and not many coupons for that.
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
    Wow, is this even possible?? I wish u luck.......
  • ullrichMEX
    ullrichMEX Posts: 58 Member
    Move to mexico :D you can have plenty of fruits, veggies, real "organic" food, there are lots of markets, chicken etc.

    Down here, processed food it is much more expensive than the real options :D
  • twiztid_princess
    twiztid_princess Posts: 89
    I'm struggling with budget too.. I wish i could figure out how to grow a garden but i live in an apartment, with no balcony or patio..
  • Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel
    Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel Posts: 175 Member
    Definitely going to be watching this thread. I am a single unemployed mom of one son, and have been trying to come up with healthy foods that don't cost a ton, that will keep me full, and still be something my son will eat. He's 7, and is doing well with making better choices since I started cooking differently, and eating healthier myself, but we really need to cut down our grocery bill for the month, and I have been struggling trying to come up with ideas. When I am not half asleep, I plan to com back here and check out some of the links suggested already.
  • Nickiii_123
    Nickiii_123 Posts: 134 Member
    Corn tortillas and be cheap if you buy the 100 count bags and then leave some out for the week and freeze the rest for later. Rice, beans and tortillas can turn into some really yummy Mexican food for very little money :)

    Also, try checking around at stores you might not normally shop at. We have a store near-by that has not-so-cheap prices normally but every Tuesday from 4 to 7 they have a 50% off produce. We wouldn't typically shop there but every Tuesday we can buy a ton of produce for cheap. Other stores might have similar deals. (I am in WA and the store is Thriftway, I don't know if you have them where you are at or not).

    Here are some recipes too:

    http://glutenfreetraveller.com/category/topics-2/simple-recipes/
    ~I'm very gluten intolerant so lots of my fav recipes are gluten free but I wanted to share these because they are so simple (most only have 5 or 6 ingredients) and can be made very cheaply.

    Hope that helps! Good luck!
  • californiansun
    californiansun Posts: 392 Member
    Corn tortillas and be cheap if you buy the 100 count bags and then leave some out for the week and freeze the rest for later. Rice, beans and tortillas can turn into some really yummy Mexican food for very little money :)

    Also, try checking around at stores you might not normally shop at. We have a store near-by that has not-so-cheap prices normally but every Tuesday from 4 to 7 they have a 50% off produce. We wouldn't typically shop there but every Tuesday we can buy a ton of produce for cheap. Other stores might have similar deals. (I am in WA and the store is Thriftway, I don't know if you have them where you are at or not).

    Here are some recipes too:


    http://glutenfreetraveller.com/category/topics-2/simple-recipes/
    ~I'm very gluten intolerant so lots of my fav recipes are gluten free but I wanted to share these because they are so simple (most only have 5 or 6 ingredients) and can be made very cheaply.

    Hope that helps! Good luck!

    Thats a good idea! We dont have that here. We have food 4 less, foodmaxx, savemart, vons, whole foods, trader joes, foods co and winco. We also have a Vallarta and an El Super.
  • aperture8
    aperture8 Posts: 3
    I grow my own peppers, tomatoes, and a large variety of herbs, I am also a big fan of egg roll wrappers- you can take any leftovers, put them in an egg roll wrapper, bake it and have it in a new and interesting way! I did this tonight with my vegetarian pad thai. I also buy a lot of produce when it's on sale and chop it, then place in baggies to freeze. That saves a ton of money. Every sunday I make my meals in bulk, then divide in individual containers to cool later on. I label everything with a name and date of the dish made. Makes life so much easier and a lot cheaper because you have no waste! So just create a menu for the month, look for 2 for one deals, clip some coupons and shop away! Also remember, high fiber is very filling so you'll eat less!
  • behealthy12
    behealthy12 Posts: 2
    A variety of fresh homemade hearty soups & stews during cooler months. I might buy 1 sirloin steak, pot roast or chicken(whats on sale)...ex..sirloin slice some for Fajitas & Stir Fry...cut some for stew meat (soups & casseroles) Stttrrreeeetchhhh it out as far as I can. I container garden on the patio....tomatoes & peppers & cucumbers ( I save the seeds from the veggies I've eaten...& start from there) community garden... dice & freeze....celery, onions, peppers,carrots,parsley, cilantro,basil when i pick them up on sale.
    Also, I thought I couldn't afford to entertain anymore... But, still manage twice monthly (6-8 folks) Everyone brings an ingredient for the evenings recipe ( aka "Stone Soup")...we hang out in the kitchen gabbing & catching up...then all partake of the culinary masterpiece.
    Ohh... & at the YMCA & School that I go to...if folks have any extra lemons,grapefruits,oranges,pomegranates etc ( i'm in Arizona)
    they just put them in the lobby & you can help yourself...... The internet is loaded with recipes... Good Luck... YOU CAN DO IT :)
  • behealthy12
    behealthy12 Posts: 2
    Learn how to bake your own bread, Foccacio Bread is very easy & so versatile...& FuN to Bake
  • lisakyle_11
    lisakyle_11 Posts: 420 Member
    plant a garden!

    you have a good start. add this ^. seriously.
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
    I made a list of brands we usually buy from, and sent them emails requesting coupons. They like to keep customers happy. :-)
  • MostlyHealthyMomma
    MostlyHealthyMomma Posts: 44 Member
    Didn't read the whole post to see if I doubled up, but poorgirleatswell.com is a cool website :)

Categories