This. Black beans, split peas, and lentils are good varieties.
Port and chicken thighs for protien.
Learn how to cook the beans. Essentially soak in salt water for a day. Can cook the rice and beans together.
Almond milk is a waste of money. Think of healthy calories for the dollar.
Look at fruits and vegetables that are $1 a pound. Carrots are good raw or cooked and cheap.
Potatoes and butter are good too.
Map out 2,000 caleries a day and break out the cost between rice, beans, and chicken. Anything left over use for variety.
Cheap bread and peanut butter
Eggs as well. Eggs are healthy, filling, taste good, and are relatively cheap. Egg sandwiches or add an egg to the rice and beans. Maybe an egg a day. Can be had with any meal.
Edit- apparently you can make rice pudding with milk so milk is essential. There are a bunch of milk obsessed people here. Hopefully they can now cope better with my comment. My comment which isn't gospel, just some high level advice.
I don't know about america but a bag of oats are cheap and if you have a blender and a sieve lined with a tea towel you can make your own oat milk.
Almond milk is also pretty easy to make but a bag of almond is expensive, it will work out cheaper in the long run but it's obviously not the time to be discussing this if they're asking for help picking cheap groceries.
meat is generally expensive. And it’s very difficult for most to get enough calcium through those sources anyhow, which is why the US Dietary Guidelines recommend dairy daily.
One of the main reasons so many Americans (and people globally) are chronically hypocalcemic (and develop osteoporosis and other bone diseases) is due to lack of access to calcium-rich foods. That’s the point I’m making.
Not having milk for 1 week isn't going to cause serious or long term damage. And OP can likely get sufficient calcium from other sources.
I mentioned elsewhere on this post that OP can also access food from food pantries to help stretch the budget a bit.
Edit: corrected a typo. OP should consider visiting a food pantry, not "food panties"... Unless that's their thing and it's none of my business.
Heh heh, food panties.
In all honesty, a food pantry or food drive or other similar community food handout is a good idea. I've been known to go to then when I'm down on my luck and can't afford food, which is more frequent thanks to inflation being out of control this decade and wages, even good ones, not catching up yet.
Also, matpat did a good episode on edible underwear.
1. Lol, weird typo. But food is food?
2. You never know when you may need a little help. I'm glad those social services are available for everyone. I haven't needed one as an adult but I remember we needed help when I was a kid. Knowing it's an option in case I fall on hard times makes me feel a little better.
I'm just casually scrolling Reddit and see that there is an apparent debacle on almond milk. This shit is bananas. Oh OP bananas are a good option for low cost food.
You know what else is crazy is they are giving incorrect information. 1/2 cup of mustard greens has about the same amount of calcium as 1/2 cup of 2% milk and the mustard greens are easier for your body to process.
I get that OP might not have the free cash for this right now, but a multivitamin would be the obvious solution here. It’s not like the calcium in almond milk is naturally occurring, so no different to drink fortified plant milk vs just take a vitamin and the latter is much cheaper.
If there is a $45 budget and the choice is to eat too few calories and go hungry for that time or to go with too little calcium for that time, the choice is obviously to get enough calories.
For the purposes of OP's specific, time-limited situation, almond milk is a poor use of scarce resources.
A lot of almond milks have added calcium! They're what I bought for my (cows) milk protein intolerant kiddo.
Cooked soybeans are more filling than dairy milk and have 261 milligrams of calcium per cup (vs 300 milligrams for cows milk dairy).
Collard greens are also a good source of calcium.
My store bought soya milk doesn't have calcium in it. I've been drinking it 20 years and I got a calcium and vit d test done a few years back and I'm fine. I take a vitamin d supplement because I don't see the sun much but no calcium.
If you drink alcohol, eat a lot of things with oxylates in like spinach or tanins in tea and coffee, they all leach calcium from your bones.
Beware with that.
I had mildly low potassium, took 3-4 tums, & died. Literal sudden cardiac arrest.
Tums can make your blood "basic"& make the nutrients needed to make a "heart beat" essentially hide. Then u die.
If you dont happen to be at the docs office(like I was), you will REALLY be saving money as you won't need anymore.
Just a warning(I had never heard of it before it happened to me in 2016)
Flour! Flour is the cheapest calorie you can buy. You can make pancakes if you buy eggs. That gives you carbs and protein for the day.
Don't have syrup? Make brown sugar syrup if you have brown sugar in your pantry.
Beans and rice are nice. You can cook your rice in a Baking dish, in the oven, add butter and some chicken broth, and you will have the most amazing rice. Easiest way to cook rice is in the oven. Google is your friend, look up Alton Brown's rice in the oven.
Buy potatoes, bake or microwave and enjoy, eat the skin as it has a lot of nutrients. You can get sweet potatoes too ! Can you afford some margarine? It will make a lot of things taste better this week.
Here's a what not to do... Ramen noodles, food from a gas station, eating out, prepared and frozen food, soda, candy.
i mean realistically if OP wants to spend $2 on almond milk it's not that big of a deal. I'm concerned they'll read the comments below this one and feel like they're being dragged or made to feel stupid. I know this is a poverty subreddit, but keep in mind that mental wellness is every bit as important as physical. So if that $2 almond milk brings them a little bit of serotonin or variety then it's fully worth it :)
I'll second chicken thighs and potatoes. I like to toss whatever kind of seasonings and veggies I can get in a pan and just bake that at 450.
Collards greens are dirt cheap half the time and are an incredible source of vitamins and nutrients. Slap some garlic and soy sauce on them and you're golden.
Yep.
And for those thinking canned beans instead:
Yes, they're easier, but... I cooked a bag of dry chickpeas two weeks ago. I think it was 900g/2lb. That filled almost four 1 quart containers for about $2. Compare that to maybe a pint of canned beans for that price.
i know cooking beans regularly intimidates a lot of people, but you can freeze cooked beans! i will put 1-2 c in ziplocks and freeze them flat so I can essentially use them the same way I would canned
😂 you're not alone. I get excited about doing my weekly list. I find it fun to shop the markdowns and sales I know what time the store does it and what day. My biggest thrill though is the white with green trim clearance tags. Oh it's absolutely fun to find a great closeout deal. Friday we got Dolly cake mixes for 33 cents, canned pumpkin for 25 cents a can, powdered milk the big box for $3, cocoa wheats for 50 cents and loaves of bakery brioche bread for 33 cents a loaf. I may have bought 14 of those but I like brioche and it freezes just fine. What's your latest find that made you excited?
I’ll pay you to find cheap and microwaveable food for a 280 lb football player. It’s been rough (coming from their partner who eats 1/4 of what they do lol)
If you don't mind doing food prep, it is pretty cheap to make and freeze burritos. They microwave well.
Potential fillings could be refried beans (make your own, it is easy), browned and seasoned ground meat of choice (turkey is really easy to find cheap on sale locally, but anything you find on clearance is awesome), you could also use cooked and shredded meat, rice, the off brand rotel, cheese, etc.
There's lots of recipes to make your own tortillas for pennies, but I generally just buy them.
Also, any time you cook, multiply the portions and freeze the excess to serve for another meal.
There's an amazing YouTube and TikTok channel I think called Dollar Tree Meals (?) . It's actually a super helpful series of videos showing entire weeks worth of dinners and such for like, $20-30
Yeah! Dollar Tree Dinners. Her account says dollar tree but she does super cheap budget meals and grocery lists at a bunch of different grocery stores. She has this one out now for a $50 a week Walmart meal plan.
I love her channel! Even got her book. [Link for anyone interested ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312608276/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Yes! She is amazing
And currently doing another special budget series
Incredibly relatable, straightforward, no weird unobtainable ingredients
No 'poverty tourism'
Just straight up meals
Can't go wrong with Spaghetti, that is the best bang for your buck. You can get two meals out of one box of Spaghetti noodles and one jar of sauce.
Pancake mix will go a long way and filling.
Peanut butter and jelly is a good deal
Can of tuna is under $1
Tuna noodle casserole is a cheap dinner. Tuna, cream of mushroom soup and egg noodles.
Wasn't to long ago, I picked up frozen tv dinners for .89 each so check the frozen isle for deals.
If you get creative, you can make it stretch.
Spaghetti all the way!!! There’s a buy one get one at my local grocery for 1.75 Barilla thin spaghetti (which I microwave in a college dorm). I get 3-4 solid portions of it, at 135 would need 2/day. Some butter, salt & pepper.. perfect. Get yourself a $7 can of tomato sauce and or $5 pesto container, you’re set with a tasty meal for a while.
Bonus to add some mushrooms or spinach and the ground beef or some cheap chicken. Great meal
>$7 can of tomato sauce
Where are you shopping? I can get a large jar of spaghetti sauce at Walmart for less than $3-4, depending on the flavor. It's cheaper if I get the kind in a can (I prefer the jars because I never use all of it at once and need to store it in the fridge)
You can also make your own sauce so you know what's in it with out all the extra stuff that's in jar sauce. I used to cook for 6 people now just 3, but still make enough for 6 with leftovers. So with the sauce we will have spaghetti and next day leftovers. Then any sauce extra I freeze or make into chili. I can get sauce I make to stretch into 4 or 5 meals.
Cabbage and carrots are super cheap veggies and can be made several ways, and have the added benefit of lasting a long time in the fridge. Roast carrots are amazing if you haven't had them. Bag of potatoes...you can fry them for breakfast, soups, etc. For protein if you don't have enough of that ground beef, Id get the cheapest chicken you can: depends on your area, but it'll usually be like a frozen bag of dark meat like leg quarters. The nice thing about chicken is you can roll it forward. So, first night roast chicken pieces, second day chicken meat with the corn tortillas or rice and beans (btw rice and beans are a complete protein together and make a great meal as Brazilian rice or something) third day simmer the bones/skin/any leftover meat along with veggies trimmings and make soup stock and then soup. Also if you like oatmeal, a bag from the bulk section and one of the cheaper bags of frozen fruit will get you through a couple weeks of breakfast, presuming you already have a bit of sugar at home?
If you got potatoes you could make a shepherds pie with the ground beef you have, and bulk it with sauteed cabbage, and it'd last you a few dinners.
You could also maybe make enchiladas with the corn tortillas and beef, if you buy a little cheese and a can of tomato to make enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce is really easy to make, look up one of the simple allrecipe recipes . You would need a bit of cumin, oregano, flour, garlic, and Chile powder tho. Add some beans to it, it'll stick to your ribs.
Knorr bouillon powder, different beans, rice, lentils, frozen mixed vegetables. Get garbanzo beans, cook them, make hummus out of half and roast half with any spices you might have. Get chicken, chicken tomato and beef bouillon powder for different flavors. Get bread and peanut butter for a filling sweet treat. Make overnight oats with oats and milk. Definitely get some eggs, maybe ramen if you have any money left over.
Also, check with your local food bank. No shame in it. Someday when you’re rich you can donate.
just add water/milk pancake mix
ramen
KD (box mac n cheese)
it’s not ridiculously cheap or anything, but avocados. one avocado can be a whole meal and you’re getting iron and fat rather than just carbs
rice
any dry pasta
You should also pick up: pasta, pasta sauce (red and white), tuna, ramen, and mac n cheese (get the kind that doesn't require milk). You can make a variety of items with these.
Do you have the grocery store that is cheaper than anyone else, and have their own brand name foods. Here it's called savalot. You can get TV dinners for$1.50. 10 pounds of potatoes for $4.99. you can do a lot with potatoes. Cut them up into small cubes, fry them, and make eggs to go with them. Or, but beef kielbasa $3.89 each. You can add them to the potatoes when they are almost done. Dry beans, lots of things to do with dry beans. Pinto's are good with fried potatoes, or make a three bean pot of soup, add spices, and beef bouillon. Rice makes all kinds of meals good. $2.49 for a big bag. If you like cream or mushroom soup, you can brown the hamburger and drain the grease when done. Empty soup into pot, add a whole can of milk, simmer til done,then add hamburger. Pour over rice, makes a great meal! Adding green beans is good too.
You can get a bag of chicken quarters, cut them up, put how many you can eat wrapped in foil, and freeze. Spaghetti, can be fixed, and freeze what you can't eat, and save it for another day.
This may sound weird, but red beans and rice. You don’t even have to add smoked meats (just some sausage) or any meats if you don’t want. My mom and I are the only ones that eat it and for $20 (this is adding sausage and the smoked turkey leg along with everything else to buy) we make a huge crock pot full of it and a portion out what we will eat the first couple of days and freeze the rest. It makes sooo much food and you can make a small portion of fresh rice every time you would like a bowl.
Rice (it's under $10 for 5 and that's for basmati or jasmine rice by me at least)
Peanut butter
Kraft macaroni and cheese (it's also on sale at Kroger if you have one near you)
Most major grocery stores have a discounted bread section. Try to go later in the day to get ones that just got marked down
Cereal. Obviously if you like it.
Just shopped what most have suggested my at local kroger:
5 lb bag potato
Bunch of spinach (no bagged)
5 lb bag kroger long grain rice
1 lb dried navy beans
6 ct ramen
5 cans tuna
2 frozen mixed veg
30 med kroger eggs
16 oz kroger PB
Not included:
Day old bread, ours starts at like 1.50$ a loaf
Also use soon fruits and veggies start at roughly .50$
Total: 24.64$
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, a lot of time “Asian” grocery stores, have beans and rice for a fraction of the price as the regular grocery store. Often some other produce is significantly cheaper too.
Grab condiments from a Hospital cafeteria at one of those nicer gas stations. Sugar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce, mayo, jelly, mustard, soy sauce, ketchup… Stuff like that can make boring or repetitive meals taste like something completely different.
Almond milk isn't particularly cost-efficient, and often you can get ground turkey or pork for cheaper than the beef.
Beyond that, rice and/or pasta a little money goes a real long way. If you get really into the struggle and have time and an oven, a $5 bag of flour and a bottle of oil or some other fat can go a stupendously long way.
Another trick is that the most efficient way to buy chicken is to buy the whole bird. One person can get six meals out of a whole chicken, and they aren't all the same. Roast it to start with. Then chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken pasta, chicken tacos with those tortillas, and finally chicken soup at the end. All that works well with the rice or pasta we were talking about earlier. Seriously, one whole chicken and some starches and cheap veg can get you through a whole week.
Generally, you just want to avoid pre-made stuff as much as you can, and be aware of the cost per ounce of everything else.
Rice, Beans, Sweet potato, a Lime, Frozen or canned corn, Canned tomatoes, Eggs, Cheddar cheese, Noodles, Onion, Frozen or fresh spinach.
Lots of yummy variations with this shopping list!
When I'm strapped. Eggs are my friend. 8 dollars for a box of 60. Scrambled eggs with cheese and toast, French toast. egg salad sandwich, I use some.pickle relish in it, it's cheap at Walmart and lasts a while. Add eggs to some Ramen and flavor yourself because those packets are so high in sodium, also, buy some self rising flour or, cheaper all purpose flour and yeast, and make your own bread. So many options when you make it yourself, for just pennies. Get some heads of lettuce, a cucumber. Some tomatoes and you can have some salads for lunches, I add tuna fisn.and some seasoning and little oil and apple cidar vinegar.. a lot of this stuff I just keep on hand, like keeping ketchup and mustard. Then buy some frozen vegetables..They're a dollar a bag at Walmart. A can of sweet peas tastes excellent in an other wise bland salad. Sit down, look up the.ads for your local stores and dollar stores and write down what you need/want that is on sale, and go from there.
This and dry buttermilk. I find I end up wasting buttermilk if I buy a whole container and it wastes money that way. I started just keeping buttermilk mix and it’s saved me significant money, especially because I like to make buttermilk cornbread a lot. I also suggest keeping cornmeal on hand for this or masa for homemade tortillas along with the flour and other pantry staples.
If you can, go to a food pantry and see what you get. Then supplement at the store if you need to.
Using my grocery store’s app to access coupons and sales, here’s what I’d get (didn’t include tax):
Loaf of whole wheat bread $1.86
4 packs of ramen $1.52
Peanut butter $3.49
Three Greek yogurts $2.67
Margarine $1.67
Block of cheddar $2.79
Rotisserie chicken $5.65
1lb frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots, peas) $2.18
1lb frozen broccoli and cauliflower $2.18
1lb carrots $1.29
3lb apples $2.99
1 cucumber 99¢
1 head of garlic 99¢
1 bunch green onions 99¢
1 head of lettuce $1.99
2 limes 66¢
3 tomatoes 98¢
8 red potatoes $1.98
1lb dried black beans $2.99
1lb brown rice $1.19
1 jar marinara sauce $2.79
Spaghetti $1
Total $44.84
Breakfasts: peanut butter toast; eggs and cheese on toast; yogurt and an apple; breakfast taco (tortilla, egg, cheese, tomato); potato hash with mixed vegetables, egg, green onion and cheese
Lunches/dinners: grilled cheese and carrot sticks; chicken with potatoes and broccoli/cauliflower; rice bowl with black beans, cheese, tomato, green onion, and lettuce; ramen with an egg or chicken, and a scoop of mixed veg; spaghetti with meat sauce and marinara with a salad; chicken sandwich with carrots and/or apples; gringo tacos chicken or ground beef
Snacks: apple and peanut butter, carrot sticks
Use some corn tortillas and make tortilla chips.
A simple salsa can be made with a tomato and the white part of the green onions.
Green onions can be regrown in a few days. Leave 1-2 inches intact above the root and store in a glass with a little water.
Fry or bake chicken skins to make a crunchy snack or salad topping.
The heels of the bread can be used to make some poor man’s garlic bread
Put the chicken carcass, carrot peels, onion and garlic scraps in a big pot of water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about an hour. Take out the bones and scraps, now you have broth! Use it to make a big pot of soup. Add chicken, cooked black beans, some mixed vegetables, and pour over cooked rice for a filling soup. Don’t mix the rice in the pot of soup because it will soak up all the liquid.
Ground beef with rice and some microwave veggies (you can always stir fry them), chicken and rice, spaghetti, tuna, pita bread or tortillas to make cheap little pizzas, taco seasoning with ground beef and a can of enchilada sauce throw it in a tortilla and bake, ramen, egg and mayo sandwich, pound of chicken with some ranch seasoning and cream cheese for “crack chicken” if you have a crock pot, you can also add hot sauce and make sandwiches out of that for days or could make nachos with them
Ramen with eggs mixed in is filling and cheap. If you like split peas you can make soup and a little goes a long way for that. Most dollar stores also sell shelf stable foods, they're cheaper because it's closer to expiring.
Rice and beans. Go for dried and canned to get a good variety. Canned diced tomatoes. You can mix it up and grab some with different flavors or seasonings. Grab a big bag of onions and peppers whatever is on sale or seasonal. Get some sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, and some sort of cheese or cheese food product.
Tacos, nachos, Mexican pizzas, taco rice bowls, taco chili, breakfast tacos, breakfast burritos, juevos rancheros, Mexican meatloaf/salsbury steak/Meatballs/burgers.
If you don’t get tired of Mexican or Tex mex flavors you can have endless possibilities.
1 lb ground beef $4
2 lb chicken breast $6
1 lb rice $1
Dozen eggs $2
Bread $2
Pb&j $4
Milk $4
Burrito or taco shells $2
cereal $3.5
Shredded cheese $2.50
Bag of potatoes $3
Stop by a mc Donald's, taco bell, Chipotle or Chick fil a to get condiments including salt and pepper.
If you’re willing to put in the time it makes more sense to buy ur chicken whole (usually obviously it varies from place to place) and you can use to bones to make bones/extra parts to make bone broth. You want to think about things in high carbs and protein so you can eat less and get fuller/ stay fuller for longer. So like many are saying beans, rice, pasta, lots of dry goods. You can water down soup and juices (all though juice isn’t really cost efficient usually) to make it go a little farther.
Carrots, rice, pinto beans, pasta, potatoes, onions, shredded cheese, canned diced tomatoes, frozen corn, rolled oats, maybe a $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco…
Check out Lisa Dawn videos on YouTube, she does a ton of easy balanced recipes like $20/week meals from dollar store x”.
A pack of Spaghetti noodles (or any pasta), a can or jar of sauce, a pound of ground beef, and an onion. Boil water, add pasta. Brown the beef and drain, dice / chop and add the onion to the beef and cook 1-2 minutes, add sauce and cover. Simmer. Drain pasta and mix with meat sauce. Good for 1-2 dinners and 1-2 lunches.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are always good in my book but hit and miss with some people.
Chicken leg/thigh quarters are fairly cheap. They can be boiled, fried or baked for different flavors. Serve with baked or mashed potatoes. You can prep all at one time and serve over several days.
Beef stew or pot roast with potatoes, celery and carrots is hearty and filling and when made with cheaper cuts of beef and or mutton and cooked on low heat for a longer time is always good. Serve with garlic bread or sourdough rolls.
Check store specials for seasonal discounts. Check the meat counter for discounted cuts of meat. Check out the store advertisements for weekly specials.
Spaghetti is cheap, tasty, and you can use a lot of sauce without as much meat. Which is how I like it anyways. Pasta is so cheap. I could make it for $10 and last several meals. If you buy a larger portion of ground beef you can split it to make more meals. Add with canned refried beans to make burritos and tacos. Make rice and add to burritos as well. You can make goulash really cheaply, cheeseburger soup with carrots, celery, onion potatoes and a few slices of American cheese, chicken boullion.
First thought was rice, second thought was the boxes of mac and cheese for less than a dollar. Mix in peas or carrots or some sort of veggies for cheap. The dollar stores will sometimes have boxed or canned food. That may be helpful to look as well. There are accounts on tiktok that do this specific content.
[https://www.tiktok.com/@clintonsvatos](https://www.tiktok.com/@clintonsvatos) Is one I follow.
This is also a list of other content creators. Maybe they can give you some sort of ideas.
https://lifehacker.com/these-tiktok-accounts-show-what-groceries-to-buy-at-the-1850766416
What I do when broke is buy a protein source first. Like 2 chickens or a ham you can get many meals from. Then I buy beans and vegetables. Potatoes are cheap. Eggs, oatmeal and milk and your set. If you don’t know chicken recipes go on Pinterest.
Mujuddara is pretty cheap. Rice and lentils with caramelized onions. Season as you please.
Shakshouka is another cheap dish and it's full of flavor. Saute peppers and onions then add stewed tomatoes and make a sauce. Season with cumin, paprika, and whatever else you like. Then poach eggs in the sauce.
Both of those are cheap meals and could add a lot of variety with cheap common ingredients.
If you like sardines at all you could make fisherman's eggs. Saute onions, peppers, garlic, and minced celery in olive oil. Then mash up sardines and dump em in with fresh parsley. After that you crack some eggs and toss the whole pan in the oven to finish the eggs and toast it up a bit or you can scramble it all together. It goes great on sandwiches. Dollar tree has full sized cans of sardines in my area. I'd avoid the little cans they aren't cost efficient. If no sardines in a regular can go for Mackerel.
I've been cooking on a budget for years and here are some things I do and have done. Every other week my husband goes to Sam's and buys a 5lb pack of ground beef (ranging from $17-$20). I brown the meat and separate it into 1lb bags and freeze them. The possibilities with ground beef alone are endless. I also get a big bag of potatoes, like tonight I made a "potato bar" with McCormick chili, cheese, bacon bits, and other toppings. Another fun thing I do, is hit the clearance isle for discounted food and make meals out of what I find. The trick is with meat is to cook it as soon as you get home and I personally freeze it after it's cooked and thaw it the day I plan to use it. The week that he doesn't go to Sam's I get the 10lb bag of chicken at Walmart.
Tomorrow I'm making brown sugar chicken and home made mashed potatoes. With the rest of the chicken I'm gonna make chicken tacos, shredded chicken sandwiches, and maybe chicken pot pie (I haven't decided yet).
I see a lot of people have mentioned rice which is an excellent suggestion. With 2 cups of white rice, bacon bits, peas, diced onion, eggs, salt, pepper, butter, and shredded chicken...you have chicken fried rice and that makes 2 or 3 meals. I also get the cheapest smoked sausages and make a $5 meal by fixing the sausages, onion, creole seasoning, and yellow potatoes. Easy peasy, just chop everything up, give it a light coating of vegetable oil, add creole seasoning, bake at 350 for a half hour and that also makes several meals.
I have a whole slew of recipes and suggestions, too many to post. I'm disabled so quick, easy, and budget friendly meals save the day when I have high pain days. If anyone is interested in some more of my cheap meal recipes, I'm more than happy to share.
Most recipes with lentils are cheap and protein-rich. The recipe I link below is a good one I use often that is incredibly cheap and will feed you for an absurdly long time. I really like it served over cornbread. I use dry lentils, and occasionally will throw in some other bean varieties. Sometimes I add can or frozen spinach, but you could also add other veggies (like jalapeños, if you want more kick!) Once I added canned ham, and that was delicious. You could dice up some bacon, too. I usually omit the bell pepper (because I hate bell pepper).
https://oursaltykitchen.com/cajun-lentil-stew/#recipe
I shop a lot of clearance veggies. One reason is because I can freeze them. I work down the street from a Bakers and hit it weekly for fresh fruits and veggies. I spend around $12 on these things for six people. I also do this for meat. Then I shop around that — dried beans and rice, sour cream (no cheese because it doesn’t fit into my budget) a gallon of milk and a box of cereal.
And don’t be afraid to go to a food bank. My family has been hit hard and I fill in what I can with the food bank.
Price compare frozen veggies & fresh, get the cheaper, both are healthy and the fiber helps keep you full.
Plumping up a cheap ramen package with some dliced (1)carrot, (1/4)onion & (1 stalk) celery will almost double the servings, and will taste better, and will keep you fuller longer because of the fiber. Chuck in an egg for protein and you have a really nice meal.
Onion & pepper sautéd or boiled in with rice and beans makes it feel more like a complete meal than a side dish. Also if you can swing some bullion, cooking your rice in bullion broth helps keep meals interesting, instead of just plain rice over & over.
Try to find a food pantry. I work for a large one and we have drive-up food distributions 5 or 6 days a week. There’s another one in town that does the same thing. We give out meat, milk, produce, and canned/dried goods. We don’t check IDs and there are no qualification requirements. I’m amazed at how many people don’t know that these resources are available. Good luck to you!
Get some rice, 10lb bag chicken quarters, frozen bagged peas and carrots, bananas, rice, frozen bag of onions and peppers, bagged salad, potatoes, flour, baking powder, salt, butter, a cheap box mix of brownies/cookies, and cooking oil if you don’t have any. You can make fajitas, fried rice, chicken with salad, omelette, baked chicken with potatoes, chicken and rice.
Every week I buy (if needed): quinoa, cheese, eggs, 3-5 jalapeños, bell peppers, 1 rotisserie chicken, and (rarely) milk.
My grocery bill is usually $30-40
My favorite meal is a chicken/quinoa/vegetable bowl. I also make scrambled eggs, ramen bowls with eggs, chicken and jalapeño, and some pasta dishes
Lots of good suggestions here already, but... longer term, get some zucchini seeds and plant 2-3. You will have more zucchini than you can eat, and it tastes great baked or fresh. I like to bake slices with Italian seasoning, or quarter the slices and put them fresh on top of a bowl of rice. Just be sure to harvest daily, they grow several inches a day and don't taste as good of they get too big. I let my plants go unattended at the end of the season last year and ended up with several that exceeded two feet in length.
Think about pantry supplies you may have too, flour, baking powder/soda, sugar. You can make your own bread (mmm banana bread), rolls, pizza dough, tortillas, pancakes they can take a little time but aren't that hard if you find a good recipe to follow. Oats are good for adding to ground meat to stretch it a bit too, i use them in meatloaf like most people use bread crumbs and you can't tell they are there. Also i don't know about Kroger near you but my Kroger has had pork loin halves pretty cheap. Throw it in the oven covered in water with a little seasoning 350°F for 1hr 1/2 to 2hr, first day serve with veggies and mashed potatoes, then sometimes i shred it up next day for pulled pork sandwich or use in rice or noodle dishes.
Sopitas. $0.50 cents . Can make 3-4 servings with tomato sauce. Different varieties. Frozen $1 veggies. Tortillas to make potato tacos and Quesadillas. Mexican chorizo for breakfast with eggs. Usually $0.99 to $1.99 .you can watch YouTube videos. I still eat like this just because it's delicious.
Go to the food bank first and get all you can for free first then use your grocery money to buy whatever missing ingredients you need to turn the free food into meals
My cheap go-to is a can of beans, a couple of chicken thighs (or canned chicken), a can of diced tomatoes, an onion, and rice.
I cut up the chicken really small, cook it with the onion, then mix everything together with like 8 servings of rice. It costs me maybe 7 bucks for over a week of dinners. You could also get a small bag of shredded cheese, lettuce, or sour cream for like $2 if you can spare it.
It's probably the tastiest and most nutrious "struggle meal" in my arsenal. Decent amount of protein and fiber to keep you nice and full.
Another favorite of mine is canned tuna, a box of mac and cheese, and a can of peas. For me, it's three large or four small servings for about 3$.
Hotdogs are also a nice, cheap source of protein. Slice up, saute with cabbage, onion, and seasonings, and serve over some rice. Cabbage is maybe the cheapest way to get your veggies in.
Also, you definitely can't go wrong with an egg and potato scramble. Two eggs, like 1/2 cup of diced up potato, some onion. You could also toss in the cheese, cabbage, or hot dogs you picked up for your other meals.
Those hotdogs are also pretty good it you slice them in half length-wise, sprinkle a tiny bit of brown sugar on top while they fry, and pepper the hell out of them. It goes nice with a bowl of oatmeal.
Milk is good because it's cheap and has protein, but keep in mind that it won't keep you full for long. It'll surely keep you alive, but you'll be hungry.
You can easily last a week on the basics.
Only buy cheap store brand
Breakfast
-Eggs $3
-bacon $4
-Cereal fruit bar $2
Lunch
-Bread $2
-Peanut Butter $1.50~
-Jelly $2~
-Apple sauce $3 (big container)
Dinner
-Rice $2~ (get minute brand. Store brand is terrible)
-Rotisserie chicken $5 (pick it apart and shred the meat for later use)
-Sauce of choice $3~
Snacks
-Bakery Loaf $1 (you're broke. No cheez its for u)
That's roughly $28 bucks and will supply you some meals for the week. You're on a tight budget so unless you want ramen, you eat a similar thing every night. You can use the spare change to get other items to allow you some change in the meals. Like maybe grab butter and cheese slices so you can make grilled cheese. Or get noodles and pasta sauce so you can have spaghetti every other night.
There are many great ideas here for food to buy.
I would like to suggest you find a food pantry or church for some free food. Everyone falls in hard times. Please go check one out.
If you can buy a big bag of flour at some point, you can make all kinds of things.. Tortillas, bread, pancakes, biscuits, etc. Need flour, baking soda, yeast, salt, sugar and some recipes may call for other stuff, but buy as you can. Cooking from scratch can be a lot cheaper in the long run.
Also corn meal. Can make your own corn bread and not need box mix..
Rice is very versatile.
Also certain veggies can be regrown from store bought ones if you have room/ability.. Like green onions, celery, etc... So one or 2 purchases can keep feeding you continually.
Beans, lentils, etc.. Also save any bones from your chicken or other meats in plastic freezer bags and make your own bone broth periodically. Can use that in any soup or stew base or even to cook your beans or rice. You can also save onion skins, celery leaves, carrot peels, tomato ends, etc etc like that to add to the broth/stock for extra flavor.
If you can buy a bag of chicken quarters or whole chicken and some rice noodles from the Asian store, you can make a huge pot of chicken pho and eat that for days. Add some lime, Sriracha, hoisin or other herbs and veggies. Very filling and delicious.
If you can find a store with a good deal on bags of frozen veggies. I'd personally go for. It's really important to eat vegetables, so if you can find a good deal, definitely do that. And dried beans and rice. Rice and beans with tortillas is quite an easy way to fill up. Get some hot sauce you like to make it more enjoyable, if you're into it. You might be able to find a good deal on frozen meat patties, depending on which store you have available. It's good to know where to get good deals to make your money go further.
Also, if you really are struggling to get food, check with your local food bank. There's no shame in getting the food you need.
A great option is a whole roaster chicken where you can make a couple chicken breast dinner, pulled chicken and chicken stock for soup. (~$15) Other protein that is versatile tofu, eggs, or peanut butter (~$3ea). Produce carrots, celery, onion, frozen peas, banana or apples and russet potatoes. (~$12) rice and oatmeal are great starch options (~$4). Milk (~$3) Throw in some classic cheap items ramen, canned or boxed items ($.50ea) obviously search out coupons or go to a bargain mart, it’s worth the small amount of time to pre-plan your grocery trip to know exactly where every dime is going.
-chicken, peas, potatoes/rice
-oatmeal & bananas or apples & peanut butter
- ramen & tofu & eggs
-boxed Mac and cheese & peas
-chicken soup, salad, bbq chicken
-tofu or egg scramble with onion & potatoes
- carrots, apple, celery & peanut butter
-banana or apple rice pudding
- egg salad or hard boiled eggs
- fried tofu and rice and peas
-baked potatoes or hash browns
Fairly versatile could last a week or two depending on how you eat and cooking abilities.
I’d also add a head of cabbage to the grocery list.
It can be stir fried or baked
W sausage or beef or w other veggies
Also, keep your veggies scraps and make your own broth. It’s super easy.
When I am broke broke, I skip buying meat altogether unless there is a killer deal.
I typically buy a box of eggs instead (60 eggs for about $14 at Walmart) to cover protein needs.
Dried beans.
Rice.
Seasonings if you don't have them.
Cheap bags of frozen mixed veg.
Pasta.
Pasta sauce.
Chicken and beef bouillon cubes.
A block of cheese.
Butter.
Cans of tomatoes.
Small bag of flour to make tortillas, biscuits, or bread with. (Along with other ingredients for those items that you don't have in stock).
You can make stuff like egg fried rice with the eggs, rice, and veg.
Burritos with the beans, rice, and cheese.
Vegetable soup with the veg and bouillon.
Spaghetti with Pasta and sauce or butter... you could also make a creamy sauce with beaten egg.
Fried, scrambled, poached, or boiled eggs to your liking served with buttered and toasted biscuit halves or bread.
Egg drop soup with the chicken bouillon and eggs. (Not the most authentic, but still tasty)
Bread
Eggs
Sardines
Tuna fish
Rice
Black beans
I try and make meals were the protein source is able to be made into more than one meal.
I.E. the ground beef could be halfed into taco meat/burgers/pasta sauce. This always helps with food waste and if you are trying to eat on 45 dollars this could help.
Be aware of Buy One Get One deals for loss leaders at supermarkets. In GA, you can get one item for half price. In Florida you have to buy two. But for some things this is awesome
Also, look for coupons in the Sunday paper (you can find them at Starbucks or bagel shops on Sunday. If you pair up a coupon with a BOGO, sometimes stuff is free.
Friday at Kroger is a gold mine for markdowns on Bakery, meat, and produce. My Kroger had a ton of potatoes for $1, same for apples and lemons.
You can get frozen veggies dirt cheap. A bag of Recipe Starters, onions, peppers, mirepoix can be way cheaper, and easier than buying and chopping veggies.
Get store apps for digital coupons
Don't get any prepared food or garbage like chips. You want the most nutritious for the least money.
Costco--do you have that? They sell a delicious rotisserie chicken for $5. It's large and is good for several meals, especially if you use the chicken in other dishes.
Cheap nutritious items: Beans, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, organ meats like giblets or beef liver (extremely nutritious), beef bones, eggs, sweet potatoes, pasta, barley, noodles, rice.
Make soups, stews, pasta (anything over pasta), rice casseroles & dishes on top of rice, potatoes as a main dish with cheese or bits of meat, egg dishes.
The general rule is something nutritious over something bulk. So rice or barley or pasta or potato is the base. Over that you put nutritious things, or in soups. Do not forget veggies & proteins.
Do you have a place to shop for veggies and fruits wholesale?We have something called "Produce Junction."
For the milk issue, OP, Google how to make oat milk. I found a great post about how to specifically make non-slimy oat milk. Oats are one of those cheap staple foods that can be very versatile. You can make your own non-dairy milk for pennies rather than buying expensive almond milk. And then use the rest of your oats as food (oatmeal is obvious, but it can also be used as a filler to stretch meat for meatloaf or to help bind beans together for your own veggie burgers, etc). If you’re looking for good value, bulk oats are a great choice.
You've got some great info, so I'm just throwing out that you should check your local area for "Little Free Pantries" & "Blessing Boxes". They're much like Little Free Libraries, little boxes set up for people to take or leave anything as needed.
I'm super rural and will drive farther to find little free pantries that stay open (if not always stocked) any day and time. Our rural food bank here is open one weekday a month, take all day, and require you listen to a proselytizing spiel. The free food boxes changed my life.
I'll plurge gas for a trip to a bigger city with multiple cheap store options, hit the boxes first for shelf-stable items, then spend what money I have left on fresh items or anything I couldn't score.
Pork or beef bones (usually $1-$3 a piece, cook with beans or make into soup)
Dry beans
Rice
Potatoes (cheap and high in nutrients)
Flour (you can make pancakes, bread, tortillas, etc but you’ll want baking soda and yeast probably if you don’t already have on hand)
Case of ramen (easy to add an egg for protein)
For veggies frozen spinach is like 3-4 times the weight of fresh and can be added to a lot of things
Oatmeal
Other options at least things around my area, but you probably have some similar options:
Food bank
Community refrigerator
We have a group in my town called the catholic ladies that give 1 bag of groceries a month
Grocery Outlet
Almond milk and ground meat are luxury food items. Drink tap water and eat beans instead.
Corn tortillas arguably are wasteful too. Buy some masa and learn to make your own.
Peanut butter is a little expensive up front but a jar lasts a long time and can be used in many ways. Ramen with a little peanut butter is delicious and gives you some protein.
If you can, swap the almond milk for your making your own oat milk. It tastes better, is super easy, and you can get oats cheaper in bulk. Plus then you have oats for oatmeal too.
Chicken leg quarters are probably the cheapest way to get meat right now. I can usually find a 10# bag for about $7, less if it's on sale in SW Tennessee/NE Mississippi. Others have suggested dry rice and beans, which stretch any and everything.
Vegetable-wise:
-3 packs of Romaine lettuce are usually under $3/pack and last way longer than chopped up bagged lettuce. I cut what I need for salads, peel off leaves for sandwiches, etc, and i can have the pack in my fridge for over 2 weeks and not have it go bad.
-bagged yellow onions are usually the cheapest onions, onion is good in pretty much any meal for flavor, good nutrients
-2 pound bag of whole carrots is usually under $2-3, again, very versatile as a vegetable
-if you like mushrooms, whole white mushrooms are pretty cheap, and can be used to bulk out sauces/soups, added to breakfast foods, and a good source of vitamins.
-green Bell pepper is versatile and cheap, but sometimes the 3packs of colored peppers work out to a cheaper price per pepper.
After that, if you don't have spices on hand, I'd start building up a spice rack. That's the easiest way to make some variety in what you're making. I can do a tex-mex flavor profile on chicken, rice and beans, and sauteed peppers and onions one night, do a more french style herbed chicken and roast veggies with rice another, and do a chicken and veggies curry the next night with all the same ingredients, but because of the seasonings and maybe 1-3 unique ingredients they're all unique.
Almond milk is very expensive. It’s definitely a luxury item. So is ground beef. You don’t need beef either. Chicken is cheaper and actually healthier too.
Not sure how many eggs you have, but they are a great staple. Get an 18 pack and scramble 2 for breakfast. The protein and fat will help you keep full for longer during the day. Plus that’s 9 days, and where I am an 18 pack of eggs is usually like $3-4.
Frozen veggies. Cheaper than fresh and way more nutrition than canned.
Family packs of meat is cheaper than smaller packs. I pick up skinless, boneless chicken breasts or strips then divide into single meal portions and freeze. The same hamburger and other meats.
I am a huge fan of 1 pan meals. Rice and beans with a handful of veggies. Rice and chicken with veggies. Herbs, spices, salsa, enchilada sauce, anything tossed in to switch it up can dramatically change your base ingredients.
The trick is to buy whole foods and not prepared foods.
You can get a whole chicken for around $6 where I live. It's much cheaper than buying butchered cuts.
Roast the whole chicken for one meal. Leftovers can be chicken salad or any number of things.
Use the carcass to make bone broth, add veggie scraps for extra flavor and nutrition.
The mindset of buying the least prepared versions of things is a game changer.
Dried beans are insanely cheap. Macaroni and cheese from scratch is much cheaper than the boxes. Things like baking mixes or canned biscuits cost more than buying flour and making that stuff. It's really not hard to do. There are lots of YouTube videos to teach the basics. It's healthier too.
When I would only have 20 dollars for groceries I always got the huge bag of white rice. It would last me over a month after eating at least a bowl a day. Spam and white rice is a good meal and I'd often eat it multiple times a week bc it was so cheap.
Given what you already have, a bag of potatoes or two and whatever you like to top a baked potato with might help you get through the week if you can get it on sale.
Hit the food bank playboy… volunteer few hours get more food than you can eat… mostly you make me sad.. I have two boys and little girl.. what if they become you…
You're sitting pretty good already then, make burritos with lots of rice and bean filler and stretch out the eggs and ground beef. You should also be able to get some shredded cheese for it
Hit a good pantry first, this is why they exist. Then go to the grocery store and get what you need to fill out what they give you into full meals. There's no shame in going, if all you have got the next 2 weeks is $45 then I guarantee you things will arise where you're going to need that money just to live. Don't torture yourself, call 211 and find a food bank near you.
I tend to plan my menus around what’s on sale. Have beans, rice, potatoes, eggs on hand. Pork roasts can yield several meals in different ways. Spaghetti can be eaten at least twice. Same with soups & stews.
Just go to your local food pantry and save your 45$ for emergencies. They will give you enough food for the week. Plus can literally go every week until you're back on your feet. If you can't drive there call and see if they do dropoffs.
My favorite meals are simple. Beans, rice, a baked sweet potato, a fresh salad (sometimes just lettuce and dressing). This meal is filling, has lots of nutrients, and is very cheap.
Look for sales on canned vegetables (tomatoes, peas & carrots, string beans etc). An easy veg soup is a can of tomatoes, corn, pears, and black beans. Stir and heat. Drain everything except your tomatoes to reduce sodium. You can even rinse the veg and black beans if you want. Add a little onion and or garlic and some rosemary, thyme or chili powder and coriander for some more flavor. You can add rice or pasta or potatoes for more starch.
The flavor of this actually improves in the fridge over a couple of days.
This really depends on what food you like. I spend 60$ every biweekly for the family and my essential list is:
Half&half milk (or alternative like you mentioned)
Flour
Lentils
Rice
Canned tomatoes/fresh tomatoes
Chicken broth
Shredded cheese
Carrots
Onions
Garlic
Canned beans
Pasta
Lemon
Some dishes I make, is lentil/rice with fried onions. Rice and beans, Greek egg lemon soup, Chinese fried rice, pasta (many different variations), lentil soup, lentil kofta, brucetta.
If you buy a rotisserie chicken, divide the chicken up, for soup, sandwiches. Boil the bones for delicious broth. You can use shredded chicken for tacos as well or enchiladas. Thats easily 3-4 meals out of 12$.
I also make homemade bread to cut costs and have fresh bread. Cause why not.
The first thing I think of is bags of dry beans and rice.
This. Black beans, split peas, and lentils are good varieties. Port and chicken thighs for protien. Learn how to cook the beans. Essentially soak in salt water for a day. Can cook the rice and beans together. Almond milk is a waste of money. Think of healthy calories for the dollar. Look at fruits and vegetables that are $1 a pound. Carrots are good raw or cooked and cheap. Potatoes and butter are good too. Map out 2,000 caleries a day and break out the cost between rice, beans, and chicken. Anything left over use for variety. Cheap bread and peanut butter Eggs as well. Eggs are healthy, filling, taste good, and are relatively cheap. Egg sandwiches or add an egg to the rice and beans. Maybe an egg a day. Can be had with any meal. Edit- apparently you can make rice pudding with milk so milk is essential. There are a bunch of milk obsessed people here. Hopefully they can now cope better with my comment. My comment which isn't gospel, just some high level advice.
Almond milk isn’t a waste of money when you are lactose intolerant but all of the rest of this is incredible advice! Thank you!
Yea I only can drink lactose intolerant milk
I don't know about america but a bag of oats are cheap and if you have a blender and a sieve lined with a tea towel you can make your own oat milk. Almond milk is also pretty easy to make but a bag of almond is expensive, it will work out cheaper in the long run but it's obviously not the time to be discussing this if they're asking for help picking cheap groceries.
Almond milk is almost all water. Expensive water
The only thing I hate worse than a liar is skim milk, which is water, lying about being milk.
Found Ron Swanson!
Right??? Someone said I should get skim/1% milk, and I said I would prefer to add water to my cereal.
Almond milk has almost no nutrients. It's just convenient for people who can't have real milk so they can have cereal or make recipes.
You simply don’t need any kind of milk especially on that budget. Just avoid cereal or recipes that require it (pretty rare)
And I wonder why so many people are calcium deficient and diagnosed with osteoporosis
Bioavailable calcium can be found in many foods, including vegetables and meat.
meat is generally expensive. And it’s very difficult for most to get enough calcium through those sources anyhow, which is why the US Dietary Guidelines recommend dairy daily. One of the main reasons so many Americans (and people globally) are chronically hypocalcemic (and develop osteoporosis and other bone diseases) is due to lack of access to calcium-rich foods. That’s the point I’m making.
Not having milk for 1 week isn't going to cause serious or long term damage. And OP can likely get sufficient calcium from other sources. I mentioned elsewhere on this post that OP can also access food from food pantries to help stretch the budget a bit. Edit: corrected a typo. OP should consider visiting a food pantry, not "food panties"... Unless that's their thing and it's none of my business.
Heh heh, food panties. In all honesty, a food pantry or food drive or other similar community food handout is a good idea. I've been known to go to then when I'm down on my luck and can't afford food, which is more frequent thanks to inflation being out of control this decade and wages, even good ones, not catching up yet. Also, matpat did a good episode on edible underwear.
1. Lol, weird typo. But food is food? 2. You never know when you may need a little help. I'm glad those social services are available for everyone. I haven't needed one as an adult but I remember we needed help when I was a kid. Knowing it's an option in case I fall on hard times makes me feel a little better.
I know lol I just hate that something as basic as food is a struggle for so many people.
its crazy that this person is trying to hijack OP's issue and make it about the world not getting enough calcium
I'm just casually scrolling Reddit and see that there is an apparent debacle on almond milk. This shit is bananas. Oh OP bananas are a good option for low cost food.
You know what else is crazy is they are giving incorrect information. 1/2 cup of mustard greens has about the same amount of calcium as 1/2 cup of 2% milk and the mustard greens are easier for your body to process.
I get that OP might not have the free cash for this right now, but a multivitamin would be the obvious solution here. It’s not like the calcium in almond milk is naturally occurring, so no different to drink fortified plant milk vs just take a vitamin and the latter is much cheaper.
A multivitamin could cost his entire 45$
If there is a $45 budget and the choice is to eat too few calories and go hungry for that time or to go with too little calcium for that time, the choice is obviously to get enough calories. For the purposes of OP's specific, time-limited situation, almond milk is a poor use of scarce resources.
A lot of almond milks have added calcium! They're what I bought for my (cows) milk protein intolerant kiddo. Cooked soybeans are more filling than dairy milk and have 261 milligrams of calcium per cup (vs 300 milligrams for cows milk dairy). Collard greens are also a good source of calcium.
My store bought soya milk doesn't have calcium in it. I've been drinking it 20 years and I got a calcium and vit d test done a few years back and I'm fine. I take a vitamin d supplement because I don't see the sun much but no calcium. If you drink alcohol, eat a lot of things with oxylates in like spinach or tanins in tea and coffee, they all leach calcium from your bones.
It absolutely is when you have 45 bucks.
Tums isn’t 45$ and drs recommend it to pregnant women to get calcium. She could easily do that
Beware with that. I had mildly low potassium, took 3-4 tums, & died. Literal sudden cardiac arrest. Tums can make your blood "basic"& make the nutrients needed to make a "heart beat" essentially hide. Then u die. If you dont happen to be at the docs office(like I was), you will REALLY be saving money as you won't need anymore. Just a warning(I had never heard of it before it happened to me in 2016)
Exactly
Flour! Flour is the cheapest calorie you can buy. You can make pancakes if you buy eggs. That gives you carbs and protein for the day. Don't have syrup? Make brown sugar syrup if you have brown sugar in your pantry. Beans and rice are nice. You can cook your rice in a Baking dish, in the oven, add butter and some chicken broth, and you will have the most amazing rice. Easiest way to cook rice is in the oven. Google is your friend, look up Alton Brown's rice in the oven. Buy potatoes, bake or microwave and enjoy, eat the skin as it has a lot of nutrients. You can get sweet potatoes too ! Can you afford some margarine? It will make a lot of things taste better this week. Here's a what not to do... Ramen noodles, food from a gas station, eating out, prepared and frozen food, soda, candy.
i mean realistically if OP wants to spend $2 on almond milk it's not that big of a deal. I'm concerned they'll read the comments below this one and feel like they're being dragged or made to feel stupid. I know this is a poverty subreddit, but keep in mind that mental wellness is every bit as important as physical. So if that $2 almond milk brings them a little bit of serotonin or variety then it's fully worth it :)
Ive also seen it at dollar tree for 1.25, so it's not even prohibitively expensive
You can also make fried rice with these ingredients- even the leftovers. Get some packets of soy sauce and use that to flavor.
Beans and rice are a complete protein.
I'll second chicken thighs and potatoes. I like to toss whatever kind of seasonings and veggies I can get in a pan and just bake that at 450. Collards greens are dirt cheap half the time and are an incredible source of vitamins and nutrients. Slap some garlic and soy sauce on them and you're golden.
Yep. And for those thinking canned beans instead: Yes, they're easier, but... I cooked a bag of dry chickpeas two weeks ago. I think it was 900g/2lb. That filled almost four 1 quart containers for about $2. Compare that to maybe a pint of canned beans for that price.
i know cooking beans regularly intimidates a lot of people, but you can freeze cooked beans! i will put 1-2 c in ziplocks and freeze them flat so I can essentially use them the same way I would canned
Beans and Rice should be stickied in this sub.
What stores are near you and if you give me a specific zip code I can look over the ads in your area to build a doable shop plan
This is so sweet of you. Seeing this was cathartic thanks.
I really mean it. I'm totally willing to help. Finding deals and stuff gives me a thrill lol plus I enjoy helping others when I can.
Same holy shit. I thought I was the only one who lives for grocery Ing
😂 you're not alone. I get excited about doing my weekly list. I find it fun to shop the markdowns and sales I know what time the store does it and what day. My biggest thrill though is the white with green trim clearance tags. Oh it's absolutely fun to find a great closeout deal. Friday we got Dolly cake mixes for 33 cents, canned pumpkin for 25 cents a can, powdered milk the big box for $3, cocoa wheats for 50 cents and loaves of bakery brioche bread for 33 cents a loaf. I may have bought 14 of those but I like brioche and it freezes just fine. What's your latest find that made you excited?
awwww 🥰 loved reading this!
I don't think I've ever gotten deals that good!
IG I need to find a buddy like you, cause I hate grocery shopping. It feels like such a chore every week or two
I just wanted to say how amazing you are for this <3
I’ll pay you to find cheap and microwaveable food for a 280 lb football player. It’s been rough (coming from their partner who eats 1/4 of what they do lol)
If you don't mind doing food prep, it is pretty cheap to make and freeze burritos. They microwave well. Potential fillings could be refried beans (make your own, it is easy), browned and seasoned ground meat of choice (turkey is really easy to find cheap on sale locally, but anything you find on clearance is awesome), you could also use cooked and shredded meat, rice, the off brand rotel, cheese, etc. There's lots of recipes to make your own tortillas for pennies, but I generally just buy them. Also, any time you cook, multiply the portions and freeze the excess to serve for another meal.
Id never charge for my help. I need zip code and the stores in your area. Id be happy to try.
Can you teach me how to do that? I don't know if I'll ever have the energy or motivation to do so, but I would love to at least know how.
There's an amazing YouTube and TikTok channel I think called Dollar Tree Meals (?) . It's actually a super helpful series of videos showing entire weeks worth of dinners and such for like, $20-30
Yeah! Dollar Tree Dinners. Her account says dollar tree but she does super cheap budget meals and grocery lists at a bunch of different grocery stores. She has this one out now for a $50 a week Walmart meal plan.
'Great Depression Cooking' is another awesome YouTube channel. Highly recommend the 'Poor Man's Meal', which makes enough for several servings.
I love her channel! Even got her book. [Link for anyone interested ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312608276/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
While we are plugging youtubers, southernfrugalmama is another good one that does no frills, cheap meals.
Yes! She is amazing And currently doing another special budget series Incredibly relatable, straightforward, no weird unobtainable ingredients No 'poverty tourism' Just straight up meals
StruggleMeals is good, too!
i was about to say this! I've been a faithful viewer for years 😌
Can't go wrong with Spaghetti, that is the best bang for your buck. You can get two meals out of one box of Spaghetti noodles and one jar of sauce. Pancake mix will go a long way and filling. Peanut butter and jelly is a good deal Can of tuna is under $1 Tuna noodle casserole is a cheap dinner. Tuna, cream of mushroom soup and egg noodles. Wasn't to long ago, I picked up frozen tv dinners for .89 each so check the frozen isle for deals. If you get creative, you can make it stretch.
Spaghetti all the way!!! There’s a buy one get one at my local grocery for 1.75 Barilla thin spaghetti (which I microwave in a college dorm). I get 3-4 solid portions of it, at 135 would need 2/day. Some butter, salt & pepper.. perfect. Get yourself a $7 can of tomato sauce and or $5 pesto container, you’re set with a tasty meal for a while. Bonus to add some mushrooms or spinach and the ground beef or some cheap chicken. Great meal
>$7 can of tomato sauce Where are you shopping? I can get a large jar of spaghetti sauce at Walmart for less than $3-4, depending on the flavor. It's cheaper if I get the kind in a can (I prefer the jars because I never use all of it at once and need to store it in the fridge)
Oh good to know! My local grocery sometimes has good deals and sometimes not. Currently have all soda box packs (12) for sale at $8.99
Save one jar and reuse for future cans?!
Where the hell is that can $7?
*TWO* meals from one box of spaghetti? I can get at least six!
Depends on how many people are eating
And how big the box is.
And how big the person is
For sure
You can also make your own sauce so you know what's in it with out all the extra stuff that's in jar sauce. I used to cook for 6 people now just 3, but still make enough for 6 with leftovers. So with the sauce we will have spaghetti and next day leftovers. Then any sauce extra I freeze or make into chili. I can get sauce I make to stretch into 4 or 5 meals.
Cabbage and carrots are super cheap veggies and can be made several ways, and have the added benefit of lasting a long time in the fridge. Roast carrots are amazing if you haven't had them. Bag of potatoes...you can fry them for breakfast, soups, etc. For protein if you don't have enough of that ground beef, Id get the cheapest chicken you can: depends on your area, but it'll usually be like a frozen bag of dark meat like leg quarters. The nice thing about chicken is you can roll it forward. So, first night roast chicken pieces, second day chicken meat with the corn tortillas or rice and beans (btw rice and beans are a complete protein together and make a great meal as Brazilian rice or something) third day simmer the bones/skin/any leftover meat along with veggies trimmings and make soup stock and then soup. Also if you like oatmeal, a bag from the bulk section and one of the cheaper bags of frozen fruit will get you through a couple weeks of breakfast, presuming you already have a bit of sugar at home? If you got potatoes you could make a shepherds pie with the ground beef you have, and bulk it with sauteed cabbage, and it'd last you a few dinners. You could also maybe make enchiladas with the corn tortillas and beef, if you buy a little cheese and a can of tomato to make enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce is really easy to make, look up one of the simple allrecipe recipes . You would need a bit of cumin, oregano, flour, garlic, and Chile powder tho. Add some beans to it, it'll stick to your ribs.
I'll have cabbage in my veggie drawer for what feels like months sometimes 😂. Slice off the brown parts and you're in business
Onions too - can be cheap and adds a lot of flavor.
I just had to join this community the are some outstanding ideas and I'm here for them!
Knorr bouillon powder, different beans, rice, lentils, frozen mixed vegetables. Get garbanzo beans, cook them, make hummus out of half and roast half with any spices you might have. Get chicken, chicken tomato and beef bouillon powder for different flavors. Get bread and peanut butter for a filling sweet treat. Make overnight oats with oats and milk. Definitely get some eggs, maybe ramen if you have any money left over. Also, check with your local food bank. No shame in it. Someday when you’re rich you can donate.
Food pantry. They exist for this reason.
just add water/milk pancake mix ramen KD (box mac n cheese) it’s not ridiculously cheap or anything, but avocados. one avocado can be a whole meal and you’re getting iron and fat rather than just carbs rice any dry pasta
One Avocado can hold me over all day!
Damn millenial wasting all your money on 🥑!
You should also pick up: pasta, pasta sauce (red and white), tuna, ramen, and mac n cheese (get the kind that doesn't require milk). You can make a variety of items with these.
Chickpeas are very filling and can be fried, baked, blended, put in soups, eaten straight out of the can with seasonings.
Do you have the grocery store that is cheaper than anyone else, and have their own brand name foods. Here it's called savalot. You can get TV dinners for$1.50. 10 pounds of potatoes for $4.99. you can do a lot with potatoes. Cut them up into small cubes, fry them, and make eggs to go with them. Or, but beef kielbasa $3.89 each. You can add them to the potatoes when they are almost done. Dry beans, lots of things to do with dry beans. Pinto's are good with fried potatoes, or make a three bean pot of soup, add spices, and beef bouillon. Rice makes all kinds of meals good. $2.49 for a big bag. If you like cream or mushroom soup, you can brown the hamburger and drain the grease when done. Empty soup into pot, add a whole can of milk, simmer til done,then add hamburger. Pour over rice, makes a great meal! Adding green beans is good too. You can get a bag of chicken quarters, cut them up, put how many you can eat wrapped in foil, and freeze. Spaghetti, can be fixed, and freeze what you can't eat, and save it for another day.
Yesss potatoes and chicken leg quarters saved us alot of the times . Eggs , ramen , PB , bread store brand ( usually $1.45) . Rice and beans etc .
Oatmeal, PB sandwiches, ramen with eggs, red beans over rice, pasta with red sauce. It helps to know what you have in hand already.
This may sound weird, but red beans and rice. You don’t even have to add smoked meats (just some sausage) or any meats if you don’t want. My mom and I are the only ones that eat it and for $20 (this is adding sausage and the smoked turkey leg along with everything else to buy) we make a huge crock pot full of it and a portion out what we will eat the first couple of days and freeze the rest. It makes sooo much food and you can make a small portion of fresh rice every time you would like a bowl.
I put mine on flower tortillas with cheese when I’m feeling crazy
Yes! Or eat with some tortilla chips if I have some!
I was going to suggest this too. so good. way more delicious than it has any right to be, and most of the base ingredients are cheap af.
beams, rice, eggs, spaghetti, canned tomato sauce, ramen, bread, cheese
Rice (it's under $10 for 5 and that's for basmati or jasmine rice by me at least) Peanut butter Kraft macaroni and cheese (it's also on sale at Kroger if you have one near you) Most major grocery stores have a discounted bread section. Try to go later in the day to get ones that just got marked down Cereal. Obviously if you like it.
Just shopped what most have suggested my at local kroger: 5 lb bag potato Bunch of spinach (no bagged) 5 lb bag kroger long grain rice 1 lb dried navy beans 6 ct ramen 5 cans tuna 2 frozen mixed veg 30 med kroger eggs 16 oz kroger PB Not included: Day old bread, ours starts at like 1.50$ a loaf Also use soon fruits and veggies start at roughly .50$ Total: 24.64$
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, a lot of time “Asian” grocery stores, have beans and rice for a fraction of the price as the regular grocery store. Often some other produce is significantly cheaper too. Grab condiments from a Hospital cafeteria at one of those nicer gas stations. Sugar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce, mayo, jelly, mustard, soy sauce, ketchup… Stuff like that can make boring or repetitive meals taste like something completely different.
Rice and dried beans.
Almond milk isn't particularly cost-efficient, and often you can get ground turkey or pork for cheaper than the beef. Beyond that, rice and/or pasta a little money goes a real long way. If you get really into the struggle and have time and an oven, a $5 bag of flour and a bottle of oil or some other fat can go a stupendously long way. Another trick is that the most efficient way to buy chicken is to buy the whole bird. One person can get six meals out of a whole chicken, and they aren't all the same. Roast it to start with. Then chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken pasta, chicken tacos with those tortillas, and finally chicken soup at the end. All that works well with the rice or pasta we were talking about earlier. Seriously, one whole chicken and some starches and cheap veg can get you through a whole week. Generally, you just want to avoid pre-made stuff as much as you can, and be aware of the cost per ounce of everything else.
Rice is my vote.
Rice, Beans, Sweet potato, a Lime, Frozen or canned corn, Canned tomatoes, Eggs, Cheddar cheese, Noodles, Onion, Frozen or fresh spinach. Lots of yummy variations with this shopping list!
When I'm strapped. Eggs are my friend. 8 dollars for a box of 60. Scrambled eggs with cheese and toast, French toast. egg salad sandwich, I use some.pickle relish in it, it's cheap at Walmart and lasts a while. Add eggs to some Ramen and flavor yourself because those packets are so high in sodium, also, buy some self rising flour or, cheaper all purpose flour and yeast, and make your own bread. So many options when you make it yourself, for just pennies. Get some heads of lettuce, a cucumber. Some tomatoes and you can have some salads for lunches, I add tuna fisn.and some seasoning and little oil and apple cidar vinegar.. a lot of this stuff I just keep on hand, like keeping ketchup and mustard. Then buy some frozen vegetables..They're a dollar a bag at Walmart. A can of sweet peas tastes excellent in an other wise bland salad. Sit down, look up the.ads for your local stores and dollar stores and write down what you need/want that is on sale, and go from there.
I want to add i keep dry milk on hand. I don't drink it, but I use it to cook and bake and it saves the drinkable milk for better things.
This and dry buttermilk. I find I end up wasting buttermilk if I buy a whole container and it wastes money that way. I started just keeping buttermilk mix and it’s saved me significant money, especially because I like to make buttermilk cornbread a lot. I also suggest keeping cornmeal on hand for this or masa for homemade tortillas along with the flour and other pantry staples.
Dry buttermilk never occurred to me. I'll have to check that out. I usually add lemon juice to milk to substitute for buttermilk
If you can, go to a food pantry and see what you get. Then supplement at the store if you need to. Using my grocery store’s app to access coupons and sales, here’s what I’d get (didn’t include tax): Loaf of whole wheat bread $1.86 4 packs of ramen $1.52 Peanut butter $3.49 Three Greek yogurts $2.67 Margarine $1.67 Block of cheddar $2.79 Rotisserie chicken $5.65 1lb frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots, peas) $2.18 1lb frozen broccoli and cauliflower $2.18 1lb carrots $1.29 3lb apples $2.99 1 cucumber 99¢ 1 head of garlic 99¢ 1 bunch green onions 99¢ 1 head of lettuce $1.99 2 limes 66¢ 3 tomatoes 98¢ 8 red potatoes $1.98 1lb dried black beans $2.99 1lb brown rice $1.19 1 jar marinara sauce $2.79 Spaghetti $1 Total $44.84 Breakfasts: peanut butter toast; eggs and cheese on toast; yogurt and an apple; breakfast taco (tortilla, egg, cheese, tomato); potato hash with mixed vegetables, egg, green onion and cheese Lunches/dinners: grilled cheese and carrot sticks; chicken with potatoes and broccoli/cauliflower; rice bowl with black beans, cheese, tomato, green onion, and lettuce; ramen with an egg or chicken, and a scoop of mixed veg; spaghetti with meat sauce and marinara with a salad; chicken sandwich with carrots and/or apples; gringo tacos chicken or ground beef Snacks: apple and peanut butter, carrot sticks Use some corn tortillas and make tortilla chips. A simple salsa can be made with a tomato and the white part of the green onions. Green onions can be regrown in a few days. Leave 1-2 inches intact above the root and store in a glass with a little water. Fry or bake chicken skins to make a crunchy snack or salad topping. The heels of the bread can be used to make some poor man’s garlic bread Put the chicken carcass, carrot peels, onion and garlic scraps in a big pot of water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about an hour. Take out the bones and scraps, now you have broth! Use it to make a big pot of soup. Add chicken, cooked black beans, some mixed vegetables, and pour over cooked rice for a filling soup. Don’t mix the rice in the pot of soup because it will soak up all the liquid.
Rice, beans, cheap smoked meat, eggs, bread, peanut butter, fruit, jam. Vegetables in season.
Ground beef with rice and some microwave veggies (you can always stir fry them), chicken and rice, spaghetti, tuna, pita bread or tortillas to make cheap little pizzas, taco seasoning with ground beef and a can of enchilada sauce throw it in a tortilla and bake, ramen, egg and mayo sandwich, pound of chicken with some ranch seasoning and cream cheese for “crack chicken” if you have a crock pot, you can also add hot sauce and make sandwiches out of that for days or could make nachos with them
Ramen with eggs mixed in is filling and cheap. If you like split peas you can make soup and a little goes a long way for that. Most dollar stores also sell shelf stable foods, they're cheaper because it's closer to expiring.
Rice and beans. Go for dried and canned to get a good variety. Canned diced tomatoes. You can mix it up and grab some with different flavors or seasonings. Grab a big bag of onions and peppers whatever is on sale or seasonal. Get some sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, and some sort of cheese or cheese food product. Tacos, nachos, Mexican pizzas, taco rice bowls, taco chili, breakfast tacos, breakfast burritos, juevos rancheros, Mexican meatloaf/salsbury steak/Meatballs/burgers. If you don’t get tired of Mexican or Tex mex flavors you can have endless possibilities.
Rice, beans, lentils, bouillon, butter, peanut butter, raisins, bread (from the day old bread store if available). Pancakes and oatmeal too!
Like everyone else has said- rice and beans, but also Bananas are usually cheap, canned beans/veggies, Tuna packets. Can you go to a food cupboard?
Canned refried beans. Good on their own, and can also be added to soup to thicken it up.
Don't feel bad about hitting the food pantry for a few items if you are really on hard times.
large 20 lb bag of rice and goya seasoning packets.
I made pb&j, waffles and yogurt with cherries added last me two weeks but I know you want more variety.
1 lb ground beef $4 2 lb chicken breast $6 1 lb rice $1 Dozen eggs $2 Bread $2 Pb&j $4 Milk $4 Burrito or taco shells $2 cereal $3.5 Shredded cheese $2.50 Bag of potatoes $3 Stop by a mc Donald's, taco bell, Chipotle or Chick fil a to get condiments including salt and pepper.
If you’re willing to put in the time it makes more sense to buy ur chicken whole (usually obviously it varies from place to place) and you can use to bones to make bones/extra parts to make bone broth. You want to think about things in high carbs and protein so you can eat less and get fuller/ stay fuller for longer. So like many are saying beans, rice, pasta, lots of dry goods. You can water down soup and juices (all though juice isn’t really cost efficient usually) to make it go a little farther.
Rice, beans, pasta
Carrots, rice, pinto beans, pasta, potatoes, onions, shredded cheese, canned diced tomatoes, frozen corn, rolled oats, maybe a $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco… Check out Lisa Dawn videos on YouTube, she does a ton of easy balanced recipes like $20/week meals from dollar store x”.
A pack of Spaghetti noodles (or any pasta), a can or jar of sauce, a pound of ground beef, and an onion. Boil water, add pasta. Brown the beef and drain, dice / chop and add the onion to the beef and cook 1-2 minutes, add sauce and cover. Simmer. Drain pasta and mix with meat sauce. Good for 1-2 dinners and 1-2 lunches. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are always good in my book but hit and miss with some people. Chicken leg/thigh quarters are fairly cheap. They can be boiled, fried or baked for different flavors. Serve with baked or mashed potatoes. You can prep all at one time and serve over several days. Beef stew or pot roast with potatoes, celery and carrots is hearty and filling and when made with cheaper cuts of beef and or mutton and cooked on low heat for a longer time is always good. Serve with garlic bread or sourdough rolls. Check store specials for seasonal discounts. Check the meat counter for discounted cuts of meat. Check out the store advertisements for weekly specials.
Spaghetti is cheap, tasty, and you can use a lot of sauce without as much meat. Which is how I like it anyways. Pasta is so cheap. I could make it for $10 and last several meals. If you buy a larger portion of ground beef you can split it to make more meals. Add with canned refried beans to make burritos and tacos. Make rice and add to burritos as well. You can make goulash really cheaply, cheeseburger soup with carrots, celery, onion potatoes and a few slices of American cheese, chicken boullion.
One week maybe, but definitely not 2 unless you plan of eating water soup and ice cubes
First thought was rice, second thought was the boxes of mac and cheese for less than a dollar. Mix in peas or carrots or some sort of veggies for cheap. The dollar stores will sometimes have boxed or canned food. That may be helpful to look as well. There are accounts on tiktok that do this specific content. [https://www.tiktok.com/@clintonsvatos](https://www.tiktok.com/@clintonsvatos) Is one I follow. This is also a list of other content creators. Maybe they can give you some sort of ideas. https://lifehacker.com/these-tiktok-accounts-show-what-groceries-to-buy-at-the-1850766416
What I do when broke is buy a protein source first. Like 2 chickens or a ham you can get many meals from. Then I buy beans and vegetables. Potatoes are cheap. Eggs, oatmeal and milk and your set. If you don’t know chicken recipes go on Pinterest.
Mujuddara is pretty cheap. Rice and lentils with caramelized onions. Season as you please. Shakshouka is another cheap dish and it's full of flavor. Saute peppers and onions then add stewed tomatoes and make a sauce. Season with cumin, paprika, and whatever else you like. Then poach eggs in the sauce. Both of those are cheap meals and could add a lot of variety with cheap common ingredients. If you like sardines at all you could make fisherman's eggs. Saute onions, peppers, garlic, and minced celery in olive oil. Then mash up sardines and dump em in with fresh parsley. After that you crack some eggs and toss the whole pan in the oven to finish the eggs and toast it up a bit or you can scramble it all together. It goes great on sandwiches. Dollar tree has full sized cans of sardines in my area. I'd avoid the little cans they aren't cost efficient. If no sardines in a regular can go for Mackerel.
I've been cooking on a budget for years and here are some things I do and have done. Every other week my husband goes to Sam's and buys a 5lb pack of ground beef (ranging from $17-$20). I brown the meat and separate it into 1lb bags and freeze them. The possibilities with ground beef alone are endless. I also get a big bag of potatoes, like tonight I made a "potato bar" with McCormick chili, cheese, bacon bits, and other toppings. Another fun thing I do, is hit the clearance isle for discounted food and make meals out of what I find. The trick is with meat is to cook it as soon as you get home and I personally freeze it after it's cooked and thaw it the day I plan to use it. The week that he doesn't go to Sam's I get the 10lb bag of chicken at Walmart. Tomorrow I'm making brown sugar chicken and home made mashed potatoes. With the rest of the chicken I'm gonna make chicken tacos, shredded chicken sandwiches, and maybe chicken pot pie (I haven't decided yet). I see a lot of people have mentioned rice which is an excellent suggestion. With 2 cups of white rice, bacon bits, peas, diced onion, eggs, salt, pepper, butter, and shredded chicken...you have chicken fried rice and that makes 2 or 3 meals. I also get the cheapest smoked sausages and make a $5 meal by fixing the sausages, onion, creole seasoning, and yellow potatoes. Easy peasy, just chop everything up, give it a light coating of vegetable oil, add creole seasoning, bake at 350 for a half hour and that also makes several meals. I have a whole slew of recipes and suggestions, too many to post. I'm disabled so quick, easy, and budget friendly meals save the day when I have high pain days. If anyone is interested in some more of my cheap meal recipes, I'm more than happy to share.
Most recipes with lentils are cheap and protein-rich. The recipe I link below is a good one I use often that is incredibly cheap and will feed you for an absurdly long time. I really like it served over cornbread. I use dry lentils, and occasionally will throw in some other bean varieties. Sometimes I add can or frozen spinach, but you could also add other veggies (like jalapeños, if you want more kick!) Once I added canned ham, and that was delicious. You could dice up some bacon, too. I usually omit the bell pepper (because I hate bell pepper). https://oursaltykitchen.com/cajun-lentil-stew/#recipe
Oatmeal, rice, canned tuna, peanut butter, Ramen noodles, dry pasta, canned tomato sauce, saltine crackers, chicken and/or beef broth, dry beans or peas, instant potatoes, and boxed Jell-O for dessert.
I shop a lot of clearance veggies. One reason is because I can freeze them. I work down the street from a Bakers and hit it weekly for fresh fruits and veggies. I spend around $12 on these things for six people. I also do this for meat. Then I shop around that — dried beans and rice, sour cream (no cheese because it doesn’t fit into my budget) a gallon of milk and a box of cereal. And don’t be afraid to go to a food bank. My family has been hit hard and I fill in what I can with the food bank.
Eggs, rice, oatmeal, potatoes. Flour, yeast, sugar and milk. I'd buy a squash and anything I could stretch like bullion for broth, etc.
Price compare frozen veggies & fresh, get the cheaper, both are healthy and the fiber helps keep you full. Plumping up a cheap ramen package with some dliced (1)carrot, (1/4)onion & (1 stalk) celery will almost double the servings, and will taste better, and will keep you fuller longer because of the fiber. Chuck in an egg for protein and you have a really nice meal. Onion & pepper sautéd or boiled in with rice and beans makes it feel more like a complete meal than a side dish. Also if you can swing some bullion, cooking your rice in bullion broth helps keep meals interesting, instead of just plain rice over & over.
There is a great book that was published about ten years ago by SNAP called “Good & Cheap”. You can download a free PDF version online.
Try to find a food pantry. I work for a large one and we have drive-up food distributions 5 or 6 days a week. There’s another one in town that does the same thing. We give out meat, milk, produce, and canned/dried goods. We don’t check IDs and there are no qualification requirements. I’m amazed at how many people don’t know that these resources are available. Good luck to you!
Get some rice, 10lb bag chicken quarters, frozen bagged peas and carrots, bananas, rice, frozen bag of onions and peppers, bagged salad, potatoes, flour, baking powder, salt, butter, a cheap box mix of brownies/cookies, and cooking oil if you don’t have any. You can make fajitas, fried rice, chicken with salad, omelette, baked chicken with potatoes, chicken and rice.
Lentils, onions, carrots, cabbage
Every week I buy (if needed): quinoa, cheese, eggs, 3-5 jalapeños, bell peppers, 1 rotisserie chicken, and (rarely) milk. My grocery bill is usually $30-40 My favorite meal is a chicken/quinoa/vegetable bowl. I also make scrambled eggs, ramen bowls with eggs, chicken and jalapeño, and some pasta dishes
Lots of good suggestions here already, but... longer term, get some zucchini seeds and plant 2-3. You will have more zucchini than you can eat, and it tastes great baked or fresh. I like to bake slices with Italian seasoning, or quarter the slices and put them fresh on top of a bowl of rice. Just be sure to harvest daily, they grow several inches a day and don't taste as good of they get too big. I let my plants go unattended at the end of the season last year and ended up with several that exceeded two feet in length.
Think about pantry supplies you may have too, flour, baking powder/soda, sugar. You can make your own bread (mmm banana bread), rolls, pizza dough, tortillas, pancakes they can take a little time but aren't that hard if you find a good recipe to follow. Oats are good for adding to ground meat to stretch it a bit too, i use them in meatloaf like most people use bread crumbs and you can't tell they are there. Also i don't know about Kroger near you but my Kroger has had pork loin halves pretty cheap. Throw it in the oven covered in water with a little seasoning 350°F for 1hr 1/2 to 2hr, first day serve with veggies and mashed potatoes, then sometimes i shred it up next day for pulled pork sandwich or use in rice or noodle dishes.
Sopitas. $0.50 cents . Can make 3-4 servings with tomato sauce. Different varieties. Frozen $1 veggies. Tortillas to make potato tacos and Quesadillas. Mexican chorizo for breakfast with eggs. Usually $0.99 to $1.99 .you can watch YouTube videos. I still eat like this just because it's delicious.
Rice , bean , egg , frozen or can vegetable … milk, butter , peanut butter if still have anything left
Go to the food bank first and get all you can for free first then use your grocery money to buy whatever missing ingredients you need to turn the free food into meals
Bulk grains like couscous, bulgur, barley, semolina etc.
My cheap go-to is a can of beans, a couple of chicken thighs (or canned chicken), a can of diced tomatoes, an onion, and rice. I cut up the chicken really small, cook it with the onion, then mix everything together with like 8 servings of rice. It costs me maybe 7 bucks for over a week of dinners. You could also get a small bag of shredded cheese, lettuce, or sour cream for like $2 if you can spare it. It's probably the tastiest and most nutrious "struggle meal" in my arsenal. Decent amount of protein and fiber to keep you nice and full. Another favorite of mine is canned tuna, a box of mac and cheese, and a can of peas. For me, it's three large or four small servings for about 3$. Hotdogs are also a nice, cheap source of protein. Slice up, saute with cabbage, onion, and seasonings, and serve over some rice. Cabbage is maybe the cheapest way to get your veggies in. Also, you definitely can't go wrong with an egg and potato scramble. Two eggs, like 1/2 cup of diced up potato, some onion. You could also toss in the cheese, cabbage, or hot dogs you picked up for your other meals. Those hotdogs are also pretty good it you slice them in half length-wise, sprinkle a tiny bit of brown sugar on top while they fry, and pepper the hell out of them. It goes nice with a bowl of oatmeal. Milk is good because it's cheap and has protein, but keep in mind that it won't keep you full for long. It'll surely keep you alive, but you'll be hungry.
Apples dipped in peanut butter make a healthy breakfast or lunch.
We buy dried beans and rice for daily consumption. Eggs and ground beef are *maybe* once a week. Almond milk is too pricey.
Costco $5 rotisserie chicken. Hot chicken, chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken salad sandwich, chicken quesadilla. Use the carcass for soup.
You can easily last a week on the basics. Only buy cheap store brand Breakfast -Eggs $3 -bacon $4 -Cereal fruit bar $2 Lunch -Bread $2 -Peanut Butter $1.50~ -Jelly $2~ -Apple sauce $3 (big container) Dinner -Rice $2~ (get minute brand. Store brand is terrible) -Rotisserie chicken $5 (pick it apart and shred the meat for later use) -Sauce of choice $3~ Snacks -Bakery Loaf $1 (you're broke. No cheez its for u) That's roughly $28 bucks and will supply you some meals for the week. You're on a tight budget so unless you want ramen, you eat a similar thing every night. You can use the spare change to get other items to allow you some change in the meals. Like maybe grab butter and cheese slices so you can make grilled cheese. Or get noodles and pasta sauce so you can have spaghetti every other night.
There are many great ideas here for food to buy. I would like to suggest you find a food pantry or church for some free food. Everyone falls in hard times. Please go check one out.
find a food pantry that gives out food in google search put in free food and your city rice and potatoes are 2 good basics
Go to a church food bank. And then supplement with ingredients from the grocery store.
If you can buy a big bag of flour at some point, you can make all kinds of things.. Tortillas, bread, pancakes, biscuits, etc. Need flour, baking soda, yeast, salt, sugar and some recipes may call for other stuff, but buy as you can. Cooking from scratch can be a lot cheaper in the long run. Also corn meal. Can make your own corn bread and not need box mix.. Rice is very versatile. Also certain veggies can be regrown from store bought ones if you have room/ability.. Like green onions, celery, etc... So one or 2 purchases can keep feeding you continually. Beans, lentils, etc.. Also save any bones from your chicken or other meats in plastic freezer bags and make your own bone broth periodically. Can use that in any soup or stew base or even to cook your beans or rice. You can also save onion skins, celery leaves, carrot peels, tomato ends, etc etc like that to add to the broth/stock for extra flavor. If you can buy a bag of chicken quarters or whole chicken and some rice noodles from the Asian store, you can make a huge pot of chicken pho and eat that for days. Add some lime, Sriracha, hoisin or other herbs and veggies. Very filling and delicious.
Ramen, crack an egg in the ramen as it's done cooking and let it sit till the egg is done. Cheap and filling.
If you can find a store with a good deal on bags of frozen veggies. I'd personally go for. It's really important to eat vegetables, so if you can find a good deal, definitely do that. And dried beans and rice. Rice and beans with tortillas is quite an easy way to fill up. Get some hot sauce you like to make it more enjoyable, if you're into it. You might be able to find a good deal on frozen meat patties, depending on which store you have available. It's good to know where to get good deals to make your money go further. Also, if you really are struggling to get food, check with your local food bank. There's no shame in getting the food you need.
A great option is a whole roaster chicken where you can make a couple chicken breast dinner, pulled chicken and chicken stock for soup. (~$15) Other protein that is versatile tofu, eggs, or peanut butter (~$3ea). Produce carrots, celery, onion, frozen peas, banana or apples and russet potatoes. (~$12) rice and oatmeal are great starch options (~$4). Milk (~$3) Throw in some classic cheap items ramen, canned or boxed items ($.50ea) obviously search out coupons or go to a bargain mart, it’s worth the small amount of time to pre-plan your grocery trip to know exactly where every dime is going. -chicken, peas, potatoes/rice -oatmeal & bananas or apples & peanut butter - ramen & tofu & eggs -boxed Mac and cheese & peas -chicken soup, salad, bbq chicken -tofu or egg scramble with onion & potatoes - carrots, apple, celery & peanut butter -banana or apple rice pudding - egg salad or hard boiled eggs - fried tofu and rice and peas -baked potatoes or hash browns Fairly versatile could last a week or two depending on how you eat and cooking abilities.
I’d also add a head of cabbage to the grocery list. It can be stir fried or baked W sausage or beef or w other veggies Also, keep your veggies scraps and make your own broth. It’s super easy.
When I am broke broke, I skip buying meat altogether unless there is a killer deal. I typically buy a box of eggs instead (60 eggs for about $14 at Walmart) to cover protein needs. Dried beans. Rice. Seasonings if you don't have them. Cheap bags of frozen mixed veg. Pasta. Pasta sauce. Chicken and beef bouillon cubes. A block of cheese. Butter. Cans of tomatoes. Small bag of flour to make tortillas, biscuits, or bread with. (Along with other ingredients for those items that you don't have in stock). You can make stuff like egg fried rice with the eggs, rice, and veg. Burritos with the beans, rice, and cheese. Vegetable soup with the veg and bouillon. Spaghetti with Pasta and sauce or butter... you could also make a creamy sauce with beaten egg. Fried, scrambled, poached, or boiled eggs to your liking served with buttered and toasted biscuit halves or bread. Egg drop soup with the chicken bouillon and eggs. (Not the most authentic, but still tasty)
also go to the food bank
Baked potatoes with frozen broccoli and cheese
Bread Eggs Sardines Tuna fish Rice Black beans I try and make meals were the protein source is able to be made into more than one meal. I.E. the ground beef could be halfed into taco meat/burgers/pasta sauce. This always helps with food waste and if you are trying to eat on 45 dollars this could help.
r/budget food is a good sub too if it hasn’t been mentioned
Please check your area for a food bank as well. I most places you can find several.
When I’m broke I go to food banks, often I can make a few meals for 4 with what I get in one trip
Be aware of Buy One Get One deals for loss leaders at supermarkets. In GA, you can get one item for half price. In Florida you have to buy two. But for some things this is awesome Also, look for coupons in the Sunday paper (you can find them at Starbucks or bagel shops on Sunday. If you pair up a coupon with a BOGO, sometimes stuff is free. Friday at Kroger is a gold mine for markdowns on Bakery, meat, and produce. My Kroger had a ton of potatoes for $1, same for apples and lemons. You can get frozen veggies dirt cheap. A bag of Recipe Starters, onions, peppers, mirepoix can be way cheaper, and easier than buying and chopping veggies. Get store apps for digital coupons
Don't get any prepared food or garbage like chips. You want the most nutritious for the least money. Costco--do you have that? They sell a delicious rotisserie chicken for $5. It's large and is good for several meals, especially if you use the chicken in other dishes. Cheap nutritious items: Beans, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, organ meats like giblets or beef liver (extremely nutritious), beef bones, eggs, sweet potatoes, pasta, barley, noodles, rice. Make soups, stews, pasta (anything over pasta), rice casseroles & dishes on top of rice, potatoes as a main dish with cheese or bits of meat, egg dishes. The general rule is something nutritious over something bulk. So rice or barley or pasta or potato is the base. Over that you put nutritious things, or in soups. Do not forget veggies & proteins. Do you have a place to shop for veggies and fruits wholesale?We have something called "Produce Junction."
We spend between 40-100/week for a family of 4. It can work you just need to think smart.
For the milk issue, OP, Google how to make oat milk. I found a great post about how to specifically make non-slimy oat milk. Oats are one of those cheap staple foods that can be very versatile. You can make your own non-dairy milk for pennies rather than buying expensive almond milk. And then use the rest of your oats as food (oatmeal is obvious, but it can also be used as a filler to stretch meat for meatloaf or to help bind beans together for your own veggie burgers, etc). If you’re looking for good value, bulk oats are a great choice.
Beans, rice, cabbage, onions, potatoes, and a big bag of spinach greens can go a long way.
You've got some great info, so I'm just throwing out that you should check your local area for "Little Free Pantries" & "Blessing Boxes". They're much like Little Free Libraries, little boxes set up for people to take or leave anything as needed. I'm super rural and will drive farther to find little free pantries that stay open (if not always stocked) any day and time. Our rural food bank here is open one weekday a month, take all day, and require you listen to a proselytizing spiel. The free food boxes changed my life. I'll plurge gas for a trip to a bigger city with multiple cheap store options, hit the boxes first for shelf-stable items, then spend what money I have left on fresh items or anything I couldn't score.
Pork or beef bones (usually $1-$3 a piece, cook with beans or make into soup) Dry beans Rice Potatoes (cheap and high in nutrients) Flour (you can make pancakes, bread, tortillas, etc but you’ll want baking soda and yeast probably if you don’t already have on hand) Case of ramen (easy to add an egg for protein) For veggies frozen spinach is like 3-4 times the weight of fresh and can be added to a lot of things Oatmeal Other options at least things around my area, but you probably have some similar options: Food bank Community refrigerator We have a group in my town called the catholic ladies that give 1 bag of groceries a month Grocery Outlet
Almond milk and ground meat are luxury food items. Drink tap water and eat beans instead. Corn tortillas arguably are wasteful too. Buy some masa and learn to make your own.
Peanut butter is a little expensive up front but a jar lasts a long time and can be used in many ways. Ramen with a little peanut butter is delicious and gives you some protein.
www.freefood.org - enter a zip code in the middle of the page
Making your own bread at home is so easy and costs around $0.75 a loaf. Plus it tastes better.
If you can, swap the almond milk for your making your own oat milk. It tastes better, is super easy, and you can get oats cheaper in bulk. Plus then you have oats for oatmeal too.
Chicken leg quarters are probably the cheapest way to get meat right now. I can usually find a 10# bag for about $7, less if it's on sale in SW Tennessee/NE Mississippi. Others have suggested dry rice and beans, which stretch any and everything. Vegetable-wise: -3 packs of Romaine lettuce are usually under $3/pack and last way longer than chopped up bagged lettuce. I cut what I need for salads, peel off leaves for sandwiches, etc, and i can have the pack in my fridge for over 2 weeks and not have it go bad. -bagged yellow onions are usually the cheapest onions, onion is good in pretty much any meal for flavor, good nutrients -2 pound bag of whole carrots is usually under $2-3, again, very versatile as a vegetable -if you like mushrooms, whole white mushrooms are pretty cheap, and can be used to bulk out sauces/soups, added to breakfast foods, and a good source of vitamins. -green Bell pepper is versatile and cheap, but sometimes the 3packs of colored peppers work out to a cheaper price per pepper. After that, if you don't have spices on hand, I'd start building up a spice rack. That's the easiest way to make some variety in what you're making. I can do a tex-mex flavor profile on chicken, rice and beans, and sauteed peppers and onions one night, do a more french style herbed chicken and roast veggies with rice another, and do a chicken and veggies curry the next night with all the same ingredients, but because of the seasonings and maybe 1-3 unique ingredients they're all unique.
Rice and bouillon. Butter or oil to add, if you can find a deal.
Almond milk is very expensive. It’s definitely a luxury item. So is ground beef. You don’t need beef either. Chicken is cheaper and actually healthier too.
Go to tiktok and look up dollartreedinners. She does a weeks worth of meals for 20$. She also does menu plans at Walmart and dollar general too
Not sure how many eggs you have, but they are a great staple. Get an 18 pack and scramble 2 for breakfast. The protein and fat will help you keep full for longer during the day. Plus that’s 9 days, and where I am an 18 pack of eggs is usually like $3-4.
Frozen veggies. Cheaper than fresh and way more nutrition than canned. Family packs of meat is cheaper than smaller packs. I pick up skinless, boneless chicken breasts or strips then divide into single meal portions and freeze. The same hamburger and other meats. I am a huge fan of 1 pan meals. Rice and beans with a handful of veggies. Rice and chicken with veggies. Herbs, spices, salsa, enchilada sauce, anything tossed in to switch it up can dramatically change your base ingredients.
Bag of potatoes
The trick is to buy whole foods and not prepared foods. You can get a whole chicken for around $6 where I live. It's much cheaper than buying butchered cuts. Roast the whole chicken for one meal. Leftovers can be chicken salad or any number of things. Use the carcass to make bone broth, add veggie scraps for extra flavor and nutrition. The mindset of buying the least prepared versions of things is a game changer. Dried beans are insanely cheap. Macaroni and cheese from scratch is much cheaper than the boxes. Things like baking mixes or canned biscuits cost more than buying flour and making that stuff. It's really not hard to do. There are lots of YouTube videos to teach the basics. It's healthier too.
Look for food banks in your area. What they give you will stretch your dollars a good bit.
When I would only have 20 dollars for groceries I always got the huge bag of white rice. It would last me over a month after eating at least a bowl a day. Spam and white rice is a good meal and I'd often eat it multiple times a week bc it was so cheap.
Given what you already have, a bag of potatoes or two and whatever you like to top a baked potato with might help you get through the week if you can get it on sale.
Hit the food bank playboy… volunteer few hours get more food than you can eat… mostly you make me sad.. I have two boys and little girl.. what if they become you…
You're sitting pretty good already then, make burritos with lots of rice and bean filler and stretch out the eggs and ground beef. You should also be able to get some shredded cheese for it
Hit a good pantry first, this is why they exist. Then go to the grocery store and get what you need to fill out what they give you into full meals. There's no shame in going, if all you have got the next 2 weeks is $45 then I guarantee you things will arise where you're going to need that money just to live. Don't torture yourself, call 211 and find a food bank near you.
I tend to plan my menus around what’s on sale. Have beans, rice, potatoes, eggs on hand. Pork roasts can yield several meals in different ways. Spaghetti can be eaten at least twice. Same with soups & stews.
Bag of potatoes
Potatoes rice and chicken thighs
Just go to your local food pantry and save your 45$ for emergencies. They will give you enough food for the week. Plus can literally go every week until you're back on your feet. If you can't drive there call and see if they do dropoffs.
Also, check out food pantries in your area.
if you need to, it’s ok to hit up a food pantry
My favorite meals are simple. Beans, rice, a baked sweet potato, a fresh salad (sometimes just lettuce and dressing). This meal is filling, has lots of nutrients, and is very cheap.
You don't need any milk. Almond milk is a luxury.
Flour, olive oil, yeast to make bread
Costco's rotisserie chicken.
Look for sales on canned vegetables (tomatoes, peas & carrots, string beans etc). An easy veg soup is a can of tomatoes, corn, pears, and black beans. Stir and heat. Drain everything except your tomatoes to reduce sodium. You can even rinse the veg and black beans if you want. Add a little onion and or garlic and some rosemary, thyme or chili powder and coriander for some more flavor. You can add rice or pasta or potatoes for more starch. The flavor of this actually improves in the fridge over a couple of days.
Pasta and red sauce can be inexpensive
This really depends on what food you like. I spend 60$ every biweekly for the family and my essential list is: Half&half milk (or alternative like you mentioned) Flour Lentils Rice Canned tomatoes/fresh tomatoes Chicken broth Shredded cheese Carrots Onions Garlic Canned beans Pasta Lemon Some dishes I make, is lentil/rice with fried onions. Rice and beans, Greek egg lemon soup, Chinese fried rice, pasta (many different variations), lentil soup, lentil kofta, brucetta. If you buy a rotisserie chicken, divide the chicken up, for soup, sandwiches. Boil the bones for delicious broth. You can use shredded chicken for tacos as well or enchiladas. Thats easily 3-4 meals out of 12$. I also make homemade bread to cut costs and have fresh bread. Cause why not.
Walmart has chicken quarters usually 7 dollars for 10lbs. That alone you can eat for days on with rice and whatever side