Eating while poor...
So my budget, for the forseeable future, is going to be $20-$25 a week for food. The best I seem to be able to do is TV dinners with an occational potato thrown in. Anyone have any ideas how, on that budget, I can eat a healthier than TV dinners (I'm mostly worried about the sodium content).
- Stock up on beans when they're on sale. Either bagged or canned. You can make chilis with them or smash them and mix them with beef for hamburger
- Whole wheat pasta has come down in price since it's more common now
- Make your own pasta sauce with canned tomatoes and tomato sauce on sale or buy the ready-made.
- Freeze your bread so it lasts longer
- Brown rice. You can mix that in with your chili or again with beef for burgers
- Shop at farmers markets if you have the chance
- Try to only buy something if it's on sale and think ahead to the coming weeks and stock up
- Eggs are kinda cheap at $1.50/dozen. Have breakfast for dinner.
- Sometimes drugstores have cheap sale prices on cereals. I found Kashi at Walgreens for $2.50 a box. Same as when it's on sale at the grocery store but it hardly ever goes on sale there anymore.
That's all that I can think of. I lost my job about 6 months ago and have been trying to use up all the older stuff that's been hanging around in my pantry. It cleans it out and doesn't go to waste. Maybe you've got some stuff like that too? I've also been trying to eat on the cheap so I've been making baked mac and cheese and lots of chilis lately. Good luck!
Well you can't get any cheaper than dry beans - A 1lb package makes a HUGE pot - it can feed my family of three for 3 meals (and that's having it as the main dish). And VERY easy to make. Also rice is cheap, but of course not quite as easy (until you get the hang of the right temp and timing. Both you can season a thousand different ways so you don't get bored.
This website Hillbilly Housewife has some good ideas on eating cheap. She has menus/shopping lists where you can supposedly eat for around $45/week or $70/week (but that's for making meals for a family of 4, so you can either cut down on amounts of freeze leftovers).
I'm a student and always struggle.
I've found that big bags of dried goods (oatmeal, ground rice, lentil, beans) are very economical, and once bought you are sorted for weeks. Frozen veggies are just as good as fresh ones, but there is just no wastage involved. By the way, cheap/foreign supermarkets are just as good as the big ones. I personally think they are way more value for money. Top brands are a rip off.
Anything in a can or tin is good. Tinned fish is the best!(minus tuna, there are heaps of cheaper/tastier/healthier options).
If you go to the supermarkets at the end of the night, a lot of the bread is discounted to get rid of it.
Use spices with hot water or stock in place of sauces. They last so much longer and cost the same as a one-use sauce (with less cals).
The more variety you have in your freezer and cupboards, the less money you have to spend each week because you will have plenty to mix and match.
If I think of anything else I will get back to you! Haha.
Water (refil bottles and take it with you): $0
Loaf of bread: $1.50 (get generic)
Bologna : $2
Cheese slices: $3
Bananas: $2.50 (these are usually pretty cheap)
Plastic baggies: $1 (if you can't buy in bulk get a small pack for $1)
Yogurt: $3 (buy in bulk instead of picking from the idividual for sale)
This is atleast lunches ($. You can substitue the meat if you want. There are ham packs for $0.50 that are enough for atleast 2 sandwiches... this could make other meats more affordable.
$13 subtotal (use a walmart or other bag for your lunch bag)
Breakfast:
Cereal: $3 (walmart has a lot of brands in big boxes for under $3)
Milk: $4
$7
$20 subtotal
Ok you are near broke... not exactly eating super healthy... but you can do hotdogs on bread and ramen noodles for about $3 total for the week.
$23 end total
The fact is on $25 a week you are pushing what is possible. That's less than $4 a day.
Maybe you should consider getting a better job... selling off some of the stuff you have... eating with your parents twice a week (if you have that option).
Dry beans are also a good option for a side dish or for a chili or something. They are super cheap. Carrots by the bag tend to be about $1. There's definitely the option to buy bulk some things so you don't have to buy them week to week. Either way though you need some other life changes. Maybe you commute to work with a friend to save some or something. Somewhere there has to be a way to cut some costs. Maybe it's time to move to a more affordable place or cut back on utilities by shutting off all power when not at home?
Oh, I've been there! I was lucky, though, because the company I worked for had a subsidized lunch for all employees, so that helped a lot. I think I spent around $15 a week on food.
Those days, I lived on toast/English muffins with peanut butter, eggs, pasta with bottled spaghetti sauce, and fresh fruit (apples, oranges, and bananas). I bought everything in the "store brand," never name brand if I could avoid it. You could also try substituting a sweet potato for the white potato for variety (and extra vitamins)--they're delicious baked in the microwave and served with a pat of margarine.
I ate meat only at work in those days, because it was cheaper that way, but most stores around here sell chicken leg quarters in "family packs" that are a really good deal. Just freeze what you can't cook within a day or two.
If you have the time & resources to cook, you can make a big pot of black bean or lentil soup one night, and refrigerate/freeze the leftovers for later. That's with dry beans, water (or chicken broth if you can afford it), chopped carrot & onion, salt & pepper, and a bay leaf--add some Tabasco to spice it up. Rice is cheap, too, and you can mix it with the black beans for a tasty variation.
You can also make a decent soup by combining cans of vegetables (corn, green beans, etc.) in a pot with some canned crushed tomatoes, whatever meat you have left over from another meal, broth, and some seasonings.
If you have more than one grocery store near you, try to grab their sales flyers and track their prices. Before long, you'll see exactly which one really has the best deals. Also, if there is any way to save up for a "treat" like a bottle of wine or a movie ticket once or twice a month, it will help you feel less deprived.
Good luck! The way the economy's going, I might be back to the $20 days soon, myself!
ALSO: I noticed where you're from on your profile--I live there too. You're going to find your best deals at Fiesta or HEB grocery stores, with the lower prices of the two likely being at Fiesta. Still, HEB is lower than Kroger, which is lower than Randall's, usually.
I forgot to mention, Textured Vegetable Protein (soya mince) is really really cheap for the amount you get - 375g for 99p ($1.50?). It's something you have to experiment with though. It's been a livesaver when I can't afford Quorn and am sick of fish.
My mum always advised me that if I was really broke to make a soup from a chicken stock cube and sweetcorn and then blast it in a food processor, because it makes a proper meal. To make it a bit creamier just add some milk if you prefer.
Edit: added a bit more.
I lived on that kind of budget for a year. THe foods I ate frequently looked like this:
1 lb spaghetti = $1,
1 jar of sauce= $2,
1 bag of frozen veggies = $1,
1 gallon milk = $4
5-lb bag of potatoes = $3
1 pound butter = $2
Salt = $1 (last a long time)
Pepper = $1 (lasts a long time)
1 can kidney beans = 0.50
I think dry beans are cheaper....
ground beef (80/20) = $2 per pound
generic oatmeal = $1-5 depending on size
Ramen noodles are horrible for you, food is a priority, I know you probably have bills, and debt, but you need to make having money for food a priority....I went through FInancial Peace University with Dave Ramsey, and there are 4 things he defines as a necessity: Food, Transportation, Housing, and clothes (laundry, supplies, replacements).
If you take care of those 4 things first, the rest of your bills, debts, etc should follow (not the other way around). I think someone else recommended that you sell some of your stuff, you also should get rid of any extras if you have them...cell phone...internet...cable...magazine subscriptions...etc. If you are in your situation because of debt, poor money management, crummy economy etc... I would recommend going to the library and reading Dave Ramsey's book Total money makeover...it will change the way you think about money, necessities, bills, etc. It sucks only have that little for food, just know that there are far better options than Ramen.
I recently stumbled upon this blog where a couple did an experiment where they ate under $1/day... might be a little extreme but could give you some ideas:
http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/
The food log starts here.
There are also a couple recipes as well as a list of foods they ate & how much they cost.
Thank you all for you suggestions. They are much appreciated.
I used to eat my top ramen with broccoli...most of the nutrition came from the broccoli, but it was a very cheap meal. Also rice and hamburger mixed together with onion.
Just a funny/sad memory that came to me. When I was that poor, I was also single--and sometimes I went on dates just for the free meal.
Terrible of me? Maybe. But it's not like I actually had sex for the food or anything. I like to think that my sparkling conversation was worth a fajita or two. 
Also, a good way to get free wine--and occasionally, free appetizers--is to show up at art gallery openings. There are some around town almost every weekend. And you'll see some great art, too!
Check and see if there is a Soup Kitchen at a church near you!
I go to one every Wednesday lunch time - as much soup/bread/tea/coffee that you like. It's so yummy. If they have any leftovers at the end you are free to take it all home (if you get there first haha).
Original Post by apophenia:
. I like to think that my sparkling conversation was worth a fajita or two.
Priceless!! Bwahahahaha! 
MJ
LOL at apophenia!! I went to Costco and got a lot of free samples for lunch the other day. They had lots of yummy stuff!
- Buy oatmeal in the large container (not the packets). Cheapest and healthiest breakfast out there.
- Canned spaghetti sauce can be got on sale for $1 -- half the price of the jars.
- Cook lentils and rice together, and add seasoning, sauce, a little parm cheese or even drop in a raw egg and stir and you have a hearty one dish meal.
- Popcorn!
I've been making my own bread. I can't believe how easy it is, and a five-pound bag of flour, which makes at least 3 loaves, will cost you as much as a loaf of store-bought bread. Yeast is also really cheap.
I still haven't figured out the best way to do this with healthier whole wheat flour, but nothing in the world beats home made bread. A loaf lasts me a week, and it's a real pick-me-up when I'm on a budget.
Original Post by cleverwhatever:
I went to Costco and got a lot of free samples for lunch the other day. They had lots of yummy stuff!
That reminds me, Central Market on Saturday or Sunday mornings usually has lots of free samples. They even have stuff like grilled scallops sometimes. You can have a decent brunch just by walking through the place!
Hi clever!
Oh can I relate to the $25/week food budget! I recently participated in a church "challenge" if you will to eat for a week on a food stamp budget and then donate the savings. Little did I know that, with the economic downturn, this was about to become my way of life. FORTUNATELY, I found ALOT of resources on the web and some really good blogs on just this and similar subjects.
Besides calorie-count, here's where I turned:
Devine Caroline's blog on the 20 Healthiest Foods For Under A Buck:
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/community/fo rum_post.php?nav=reply&topic=122966#reply
Budget101's $10 grocery list:
http://www.budget101.com/$10_grocery_list.htm
(Here they even go so far as to tell you what's on the menu and give you some menus. I ACTUALLY found a tuna casserole recipe I can stomach! Go figure!)
Also, check out http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
They have a box of food (enough to feed 4 people for a week) for $30. By cooking it up and freezing the food, I can stretch it to feed us for 3 weeks.
Also, hillbillyhousewife.com. Don't laugh at the name. The have a menu + recipes to feed a family of 4-6 for $45/week. PLUS, she has menus and recipes to use up that box of food you buy from angel food ministries. I made whole wheat bread using the recipe on her site. CHEAPER than the day-old bread store!
And, don't forget to check out the great recipes on this site. I use it alot now. Another thing I found helpful on this site is the nutitional ratings of the food items. Prior to this site, I used World's Healthiest Foods.
And, in case you don't cook, Check Out A Copy of Mark Bittleman's How To Cook Everything! It's a little hipper than Joy Of Cooking.
Sorry, this is so long. I hope some of this helps. And, yes, don't forget those beans! And, Salsa, CHEAP SALSA!
Download this recipe book from Project Gutenberg...
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15464
It is amazingly helpful and also quite fun to read.
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