$47.75 a week for food

[WannaBFrugalicious]

So...me and my soul mate have $191 a month which breaks down to 47 dollars a week for food. I have no clue what to do. We've been much better about spending lately but we still end up with no food money for about a week every month. I just don't know how I can fix this. If anyone has any kind of tip please tell. Thanks

[frugalfranny]

If you have only $47 a week...........that is all you spend.

Adjust the meal plan accordingly.........even if it means eating beans three times in one week.

Double check how much prepared food you are buying at the groc. store............terribly expensive and lots of chemicals/preservatives/salt.

[MaryCarney]

Well, first off, unless you're pregnant, all you drink is water. You buy a jar of peanut butter, a jar of grape jelly and a loaf of bread and eat pbj for lunch every day. Hot cereal for breakfast. You'll make it, lots of us have done it one less. Heck, I feed four adults on $80/week!

[Saule]

check out this thread on inexpensive crockpot meals. Looking For....

You have not said what your usual habits are so it's hard to say what to cut out or cut down. No eating out, bring lunches and snacks, drink water instead of soda. My market has a sale table for fruits and veggies that are generally still in very good condition for $1.25. If you are shopping at the national supermarkets, find the ethnic markets in your area - I save a good 30% overall at my large ethnic markets.

The more processed or prepared the things are that you buy, the less value you are getting. Lots of good ideas here on cooking basic things, or go to the library and pick up a basic cookbook or two.

I myself buy very little with coupons - a lot of things are nutritionally dubious and still more expensive than store brands or making from scratch. Double value coupons might make a difference.

As was said above, if that's what you have a week to spend, then you need to stick to that as a budget, perhaps try to shave a little each week to have a bit of a cushion in case of some emergency or to be able to take advantaqe of some great sale.

Eat what you buy - no matter how much money you save on something, it's a complete waste if you don't use it.

[lisaflex]

make a big pot of soup! whether it be split pea or chix or pasta fagioli...yum for lunch and dinner! soup is comforting and good for you!

[mslolsalot]

That dollar amount probably sounds impossible right now, but if you focus on creating meal plans, you'll see it can be done-if you cook at home. I can't post links, but if you Google $50 a week food budget or something similar you'll find tons of sites with suggestions, plans, and recipes.

If you can, find a copy of "More With Less" -the mennonite cookbook. It's all about cook for a crowd with less expense.

Cutting down on meat is a good first step. Leaving the processed foods behind will make a huge difference. Focus on building meals with staples- eggs, rice, pasta, flour, potatoes, frozen veggies. Then add expensive stuff- meat, cheese.

It's really all about planning, planning, planning. If you check the sales, build a meal plan around what's cheap and fresh, and stick to your list you'll do fine. And only take the money allotted for the week when you shop. No credit cards, debit cards, anything! That will force you to stay at your budget.

[Momto5RN]

okay so you have 23.50 per person each week

i have a family of 7 - only 1 could really be considered child meal wise - rest are all 13 and up to 22.

i spend 560 a month on food cleaning paper - laundrey etc.
that comes out to be 20.18 per person a week.

it can be done - just have to be careful about buying non neccessties- if if your fav cereal is not on sale you dont eat it .

make your meals around what meats are on sale eat real portions not what american resstuarnts serve as a portion ( which is sometimes really three prortions )

is this 3 meals a day or two ( ie is one of the reasons you dont have that much left for food because you are spending alot for lunches at work etc )

i use coupons for laundry- deopdorants -shampoo- personal items some cereals - pre-granola bars etc WHEN its cheaper than generic ( or for some reason generic is not an option ) and it helps to free up more of my budgeted money for fresh fruits and veggies- meats

do you have an aldis near you ??
how about a dollar tree - some have food and freezer sections with breads- bagals- juices- lunchmeats etc

my oldest dd just had to make a meal plan for 50$ for herself and two children as if she was a single mom for her sociology class ( and they tossed in one kid had a flu to make sure you got special things for him too)

we grabbed a food circular - she brain stormed and came out with some meals that were for the most part healthy ( one day of packaged mac and cheese )

[JessieMom]

When things were tight for us we would have a breakfast night, a soup night & a left over night - these really helped our budget and they are quick & easy so we used them on the nights that we might otherwise have fallen into the eating out trap (like the nights my daughter dances late). Soup is a great way to use up left overs (like I make a quick potato & cheese soup that the kids LOVE with leftover mashed potatoes) and there is usually leftovers to take for lunch the next day.
I know you said it was the 2 of you but check out the Miserly Moms book. It has some really good, inexpensive recipes in it (with a cost break down).
Also one of the best things we do to control the food budget is to make a list & try to stick to it in the grocery store. We have a list on the fridge, if someone uses the last (or close to last) thing that we normally keep on hand they write it down. I preplan what we are going to eat for main meals and add those items I don't have to the list. I also have assigned 1 kid (although I do it on occasion) to check the cupboards before I go to the store to make sure everything needed is on the list. This drives DS#2 crazy & my husband made fun of it - but it significantly reduced what we were spending in the store & reduced the need to go back later in the week for forgotten items (now even my DH asks - is it on the list? lol). I do still buy things not on the list if it's a great deal (like if I come across meat that is significantly less than we normally spend per pound) but for the most part I come home with far less "oh this sounds good stuff".
Also if we are not going to use a leftover specifically in another meal (like leftover potatoes for soup, or leftover chicken for fajitas) I try to portion the leftovers into single serve containers. This makes it easier for me to grab for lunch leftovers or to freeze for another time later in the month. This reduced the waste from the "forgotten" left overs.
$47 for 2 is definately doable with just a little planning.

[frugalwarrior2]

Not sure where you are but in MI. that would be plenty. Buy on sale,use coupons and cook. Divide soups and meals to freeze. And yes,drink only water W/ milk as a treat and for cooking.
This is root crop time of year. Potatoes,carrots,onions=soups and stews. A baked potato is a meal. Noodles are always cheap to add bulk. Eggs,leftover bits on tortillas,grill cheese,waffles,pancakes. Eat beans. Add bits of meat and veg.
Some corn left here and there. Research, you can do it. Oh,don't forget chili.

[JessieMom]

Not sure where you are but in MI. that would be plenty. Buy on sale,use coupons and cook. Divide soups and meals to freeze. And yes,drink only water W/ milk as a treat and for cooking.
This is root crop time of year. Potatoes,carrots,onions=soups and stews. A baked potato is a meal. Noodles are always cheap to add bulk. Eggs,leftover bits on tortillas,grill cheese,waffles,pancakes. Eat beans. Add bits of meat and veg.
Some corn left here and there. Research, you can do it. Oh,don't forget chili.

Oh, my kids LOVE it when we have baked potatoes for dinner. We have all sorts of things on top of them - manwich with a little cheese, salsa, broccoli & cheese, cottage cheese, leftovers of shredded beef

[Contrary Housewife]

Search FV for the $25 a week threads from 2008 and 2009. A bunch of us did this for a number of months, just to prove we could, and there will be a lot of great meal ideas for you.

[HappyMama]

Make a list of all kinds of wonderful meals you can make from scratch, including breads, soups, chili , sauces etc.

Then be willing to look at your money in terms of around 200.00 a month and not the weekly amount. Now figure out what you need per week in the terms of fresh milk etc and put that aside.

Now you need to start to stock up on basics like flour ( I use whole wheat, soft wheat , whole grains etc and mill myself but also buy already milled ), spices, canned tomatoes, bulk goods which are so much cheaper and healthier. Once you make a little room in your pantry and budget to start to stock up on olive oil, flour, spices, whole grains, etc you can make any meals you want in bulk ( freezing, taking left overs for lunch, making new meals with the ingredients left over from one) . Once you stock up on these it will not only save you , it will expand your meal base. You will be able to make wonderful , healthy, gourmet meals for pennies on the dollar. Will it take work? Yes , to stock up, shop in bulk, find deals, plan meals but it will be worth it. You will save time , money, energy and being full. You can make big pots of soups, sauces, chilis, roast a turkey ( get your first meal, make lunch meat plan a sub night, make turkey enchiladas, turkey pot pie , freeze some, turkey broth then soup and will get about 5 meals out of it making about 5.00 of meat per meal , pennies per serving and you will have soup, meat and meals for all week or the freezer )

Get Oats in bulk make your own granola, and other breakfast foods, make muffins etc in bulk and freeze the possibilities are endless

[BlissMommy]

I think you got some great advice here! Hope it helps!

[porembam]

Rice and potatoes as side dishes really stretch out your budget as they fill you up.
Have you heard of the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dsacyzn(close)
it has awesome ideas and you don't feel alone.
Good-luck and share your successes!

[Ali Lee]

Tonite for supper, I baked 1 potato in the micro, diced it, diced onion, sauteed in butter & olive oil, add scrambled eggs. Half way done I added 2 cheese slices & real bacon bits. We had toast with that... it can be done.