$25 a week grocery challenge

I think it's time to resurrect this challenge. Who will join me?

$25 is an arbitrary amount, that, a few years ago represented the average amount a person would get per week on food stamps. Well, food costs have gone up and so have benefits. Check this link to see what you might receive in your state: Avg Monthly Food Stamp Benefits - Kaiser State Health Facts

For me my weekly amount per person is 31.75. Or 254 a month for the two of us.

The challenge is to eat for 30 days on that amount per person. You can spend it however you like, weekly, all at once, or throughout the month. You can draw from your stockpile, but the majority of your meals should be from what you buy with the food stamp amount listed in the link above.

Please post your shopping lists and menu plan. You can use this thread, or the FV blogs.

The challenge begins March 1. Who's in?

how does this work my freezer is full and am not purchasing much meat.. my pantry is also...try to explain to me..if u can

$508.20 a month!! I know we could do that without a doubt. I know I don't spend that much now. I'm not sure I'll join in on the challenge just yet since I'm still new to this menu thing. This would be foodstuffs before taxes right? Do the guidelines on what you can buy vary from state to state?

~Mackerals! If I used that for a guide I'd more than double my food spending. NJ is $31 per person a week. I spend $14 per person a week.~

25 a week x 6 of us who live at home ( wont count 20 yo dd who lives away butraids pantry on occasion ) = 150 a week
150 a week x 4 weeks = 600

my budget for monthly is 560 for a 4 week month so already doing it.

i really dont meal plan that far ahead ( usually night before because things change so quickly ) and make based on what i have or what i found on sale .

i can post my meals ( dinners mainly ) and what we had and what it cost us - kind of like i was doing on an earlier in the year post about frugal dinners .
can post what i spent at store too since it starts in march

is this for food only also with the $ counted or paper beauty - cleaning etc too - i lump it into one in my budget but can take then out when i figure what i spent

Unbelievable. According to that chart, our family should go on welfare and receive food stamps..

I didn't look but would like to participate I am stocked up on meat and have a full pantry so don't quite know how uhm..
Hugs dana I didn't look but would have probably been there too ugh.

Oheoh's momma, you can "shop" from your pantry and stockpile, instead of the store. Do you have an idea of how much you paid for things you already have?

I know a lot of you already have very thrifty grocery budgets, but for those who don't this is a good way to try tightening it up a bit.

No brainer here. I only budget $200 a month for the two of us and food stamps would be $252.66 a month. Only 4 days left in February and I've spent $127.98. I'll probably spend another $20.00 for this month. January was $172.00.

$526.64 - easy-peasy!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nuisance26

~Mackerals! If I used that for a guide I'd more than double my food spending. NJ is $31 per person a week. I spend $14 per person a week.~

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Really your doing wonderful I spend more than 31 a week just on dh lunches I honestly dont know where they get the numbers from but if you want to eat something besides processed food you have to spend more than that Dh and ds are big eaters (both skinny) at dinner we have a protein starch and at least two veggie sides you are so not doing that on 31.00 a week.

i think I do.. so will try.. breakfast and lunch is my budget buster.....

We'd get $580 for 5 people per month - wow. Our records show $458 per month was last year's grocery spending average.

since many on food stamps have kids and the kids can get the free lunches - i dont know if i would count lunches personally but there are ways to use leftovers and low cost things to make a healthy lunch so it doesnt cost 30$ a week just for lunches .

and again saying if you have a low budget you have to be eating processed food when people on this site have proven over and over again thats not the fact for them . pet peeve sorry . yeah the people on TV crazy couponing and buying alot of junk is out there but thats a small part of frugalness and many arent so much frugal as just love couponing .

in my opinion i have found processed foods cost more when you get to a family my size . IE see below

a lb of pasta elbow mac ( 58c on sale and well stocked up when on sale that low )
a jar of pasta sauce - ( 99 on sale same as above and no its not homemade but i dont consider it highly processed food )

lb of ground beef - bought in 3 lb family pack on sake for 1.99lb -( 6$ ) but had a 2$ off coupon so 4$ so 1.33 a lb.

1.33+ 99+ 59=2.91 for main course for 6 and we usually have leftovers too

i dont even know what hamburger helper costs now a days but i would need about 4 boxes to make enough for my family ( never did get how one of those boxes fed 4 people anyway )