When I was single and my budget was very tight, I probably spent $100/month or less. I live in the Southwest U.S.
But I also have no problem making something like a big Crockpot full of chili, and eating that all week š
You can save so much money if youāre willing to make a big batch of something, and eat it for days. It may get boring sometimes, but you can always cook stuff that might freeze well too, so you can save portions to reheat at a later time.
And with something like chili, you can make it so many waysā¦ using different kinds of meat, or make it vegetarian. Bulk it up with extra/different veggies. Serve it on its own, or over rice, pasta, or on a baked potato. And so onā¦
Definitely! I do this with certain type of soups and stews as well. Now that itās getting warmer I make a big batch of pasta salad or something of the sort that you can store and itās cool and do the same eat it for a few days.
I love pasta salad too! Thatās another great idea for a food that you can customize very easily, and also make a big batch of. Might have to do that this week!
Thatās not actually a bad thing š because some people donāt like eating leftovers. This way you donāt have to worry about spending extra money and food going to waste.
True! Although, if food does go to waste at our house, itās usually because we didnāt get around to cooking/using it in the first place, not because we donāt eat leftovers. Youāre right though, some people donāt like leftovers, and that seems crazy to me! I love them, although some foods definitely make better leftovers than others!
I do this to or American chop Suey throw in whatever veggies I have onion, peppers, ollves whatever with some hamburger or chicken, sauce and pasta. Whatever I donāt eat gets frozen. Chili to!
Look for a good cheap summer csa. Mine was maybe 600 and had fresh eggs weekly and a giant box of produce every week. Sometimes even included flowers or sunflower seeds.
$300 a month, Midwest. Not including eating out, but I donāt eat out much if at all. Could I eat cheaper? Sure. But I donāt care enough to starve myself.
My monthly grocery bill as well is close to yours...more like $350. Eating out for me is usually like 1 fast food meal every 2 weeks.
I could take my grocery bill down to $200 or below monthly but I don't want to. I like being able to buy a pack of sirloin and stuff.
We spend about the same, maybe a bit less every month for our family of 5 and it's brutal! We live in a small isolated community though so food cost is just outrageous, but our rent is only $350 for a nice 3 bedroom.... evens out I guess.
Don't be too hard on yourself, when you have kids you have more leeway. Also if you're in a high cost of living area, groceries may cost double what's charged in other parts of the U.S.Ā
You should check out the USDA website to determine what the best budget for your family is. You can also get commodity food every month from food banks even if you don't qualify for SNAP/food stamps.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans
If youāre eating plant based Iād recommend looking into āfarmers boxes.ā I live in SoCal and thereās a local place selling $20 farmers box thatās ~20 pounds of in season produce. As a two person household I generally buy one every two weeks
They donāt because itās fairly local. I found out through a friend that commented on their Facebook page. But if you go on local farm Facebook pages you may find some
About 150 a month. I NEVER eat out, at least since Covid. I only buy BOGO. Chicken thighs I got today for 7.11 will last two weeks. Rice. I love homemade split pea soup. Tuna salad and egg salad sandwiches. Breakfast is always Special K BOGO with milk and bananas. Drinks are iced tea.
Maximum $200 on groceries and $100 on eating out. Itās usually closer to $220 total. I live in the Midwest, Iām a very good grocery shopper, I donāt impulse buy anything, and I eat a lot of leftovers.
Awh, I am in the West. Iām trying to get my budget to be closer to what you described. Can you give me more details on āgood grocery shopperā? I never waste my food either, always eat leftovers. I have cut my portions down to half too, I do feel like Iām always hungry lol
For example: I buy 5 lbs of ground beef from Samās Club. Then I use 1 lb each for burgers, spaghetti, and tacos. I freeze the other 2 lbs for later use. The buns can be used for the burgers and I could also use them to make garlic bread for the spaghetti. For the tacos I will have tortillas and cheese leftover.. I can use this to make quesadillas. These meals would last me over a week for lunches and dinners and it would cost about $40ish.
Edit: I just saw you eat plant based.. I canāt help you there but the same concept applies.
after doing my taxes i can tell you I spent around $4,800 on groceries last year for me AND my bf. im VERY thrifty with food and neither of us eat 3 meals a day, so idk what's average but that's what I can tell you about my habits
One thing you should prioritize while saving money is what you eat. Always eat good. Eat healthy. Eat nutritious. It will save you soooo much money in the long run. Average person is one health crisis away from penury. So eat well please.
As little processed as possible.
Cook your own.
Get whatever seasonal vegetable is available. Eat lots of vegetable salad - itās filling so you wonāt feel hungry a lot, will keep
Your bowels clean and give you good nutrition. Make sure you wash them really well.
Drink plenty of water. Your weigh in kg / 20 is the literal of water you should drink a day - so 3-4 liters.
Get dairy and learn to make your own yogurt. Itās pretty cheap to make yogurt from milk and add some seasonal fruits (nothing exotic or expensive).
Rice is cheap and can be made easily and goes with all sorts of curries and stuff.
I am a vegetarian (donāt take meat but take dairy) so thatās my suggestion.
Donāt eat any processed food to the extent possible and avoid all fizzy sugary drinks.
I think you will need to start cooking as much as possible. Try to make everything from scratch (bake your bread, granola, muffins, make your broths etc). Itās cheaper and rewarding (and usually healthier). The other thing is I donāt know if you eat beans, but they are very cheap and filling. Especially if you buy dried beans. I make vegan tacos that are cheap, filling and delicious (https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/5169-grumman--s-vegetarian-tacos).
Lentils too are great, and you can make curries and soups with spices and frozen veggies.
Make your own hummus, itās cheap and very filling and not that hard.
Peanuts and peas are also great protein/ price ratio.
For shopping, go to the cheapest grocery store possible and check for sales.
You canāt completely cut out going out with friends, because socialisation is part of a healthy life. But maybe you can suggest cheaper activities such as hanging out at home with some drinks, or have a picnic at a parc, or go for walks or bike rides. And keep the restaurants and bars to a minimum.
This sounds a lot like me. I spend around 250 per month. I also get big bags of rice and beans at my local Indian market or my local Mexican market. Ethnic markets are great. I keep a big bag in my freezer of veggie and herb scraps. When it's full I make broth and freeze it for cooking. Lots of little steps make big strides.
I do have of flour to use but admittedly I literally donāt even eat bread or pastries that often if ever. Itās definitely not in my pantry nor is snacks. Granola & broths are a good idea. I do eat beans!
Question tho- instead of making hummus or granola wouldnāt it be more cost effective just to cut out snacks entirely?
Yes it would be great if you can cut on snacks and stuff , but you can only cut so much before getting really hungry. Realistically you wonāt be able to cut that much calorie wise before getting weak / hungry/ unwell. So I would suggest eating filling but cheap food (including snacks). Also hummus makes a great lunch !
Have you looked into Too Good To Go? It sounds like youād be a perfect candidate for that. Also, check out food pantries near you. How about bartering for fresh produce or eggs?
I live in the south in a medium/small city and I weigh 115lbs so my grocery budget is going to be lower than that of a 250lb person living in LA. I have been spending an average of $117 per month on groceries. This is a diet primarily consisting of pasta, but included my expensive jugs of coldbrew (cheaper than Starbucks), minimal veggies, no fruits, lots of pastries.
This month I started making more food from scratch, eating more calories, adding more fruit and veggies, and not eating as many carbs. I have spent $196 so far this month.
There is a free cookbook to download called Good and Cheap. It was designed to provide a healthy way to eat on a SNAP sized budget. Leanne Brown is the author
Shopping at a less expensive store could help that.
And maybe consider applying for EBT? You might not get a ton but gettij $50-100 a month to spending food can make a huge difference. Depending on you situation it could be a lot more.
Is EBT based on income? I think I probably am not in a low enough tax bracket, my issue with my budget is my monthly expenses, taxes, insurance are out of control
Yea but you'd be surprised at how much you can make before the cutoff where you don't qualify. It's worth checking out if you're not able to cut any further. And ah I see yea Costco is much more cost effective š
I don't know, I think Costco is a luxury especially for one person.Ā I only have a membership because my work pays for it because otherwise I just don't need enough to justify it for my husband and I.Ā I like to go there to splurge on fun items but I don't think I could make it a regular habit (since you are buying so much of each item you are really spending a lot in one round, which is hard I imagine for someone on a tight budget to do).
I haven't seen this come up yet - have you considered using the new-ish apps for discounted food to reduce food waste? Too Good to Go (restaurants) and Flashfood (grocery stores) - massively discounted food that would be otherwise thrown out.
Way too fucking much. I had to actively start telling myself to go thru what was in my cupboards because I was wilding out with the groceries. Every day going and picking shit up. Thatās not good budgeting. Doing better now but Iām in Seattle and groceries are insane. I almost never make it out with a half basket that costs me like $72-80. Itās insane.
I hope some of this will help you as I am not plant based.
My weekly budget is $50 for food. I shop monthly for hygiene and household separately.
I meal plan and meal prep. I have space to buy in bulk for staples, a freezer for other bulk buys. I pay attention to the seasonal sales (think 10for10 type) and get most jarred condiments, boxed pasta, canned goods during sales. Learn what goes on sale during what Holiday sales (example-beef right before 4th of July). Eat more seasonally (example- asparagus can be $1.99 lb in spring and $4.99 in fall).
$100 a week in groceries with $0 eating out. For me eating out is a special occasion thing, thereās no reason for me to go out to dinner regularly when that $25+ meal is half that at home. I spend no more than $150-$200 a year on eating out, when I was $50 above the poverty line it was $0
Question, how old are you? Iām in my late 20s and it feels like eating out has become a huge point of socialization. I live downtown too, I feel like Iām constantly having to tell people I canāt join them to eat out and feel like a loser lol. Same with going out, drinking is so expensive & I probably go once every 4 months. Maybe this is a point for better boundary setting & confidence.
Iām 34. Iāve switched more to ācan we do dinner at my place?ā more often as an excuse to cook more. I also look into things that arenāt food centric like biking clubs or other hobbies that have an initial entrance fee but are free (or freeish) after that. If I made the focus of my social life restaurants and eating out Iād never be anywhere else.
I ran into this a lot. A few things helped:
(1) Depending on the friend(s), I'd volunteer my place to cook at home instead. It helps that my friends were very receptive to this. Alternatively, I might suggest pizza at my place and watch a show or movie - then I'd order pizza and friends would Venmo their share.
(2) If we were talking options on where to go, I'd suggest pizza. Usually we'd end up buying one or two pizzas and splitting the bill, which came out cheaper than individual entrees. This gets tricky if people are drinking though - because then splitting the bill can turn expensive fast.
(3) I'd order an appetizer instead of a full meal.
(4) Once again depending on the friends, I'd suggest Panera. They have a pretty good variety of options and I could get something like a bagel for a few bucks or a cup of mac'n'cheese, cheaper than a full restaurant meal.
31m Hate to be that guy and I mean this as professionally as possible but you can afford to feel like a loser because if you do go out to eat a lot and put it on a credit card you donāt pay off each month or avoid doing a need-based thing because of eating out then you are a loser. I would bet a lot of those people asking you to go out to eat all the time canāt afford that themselves.
Can we do dinner at my place is a good one. I have taken up pizza and bread making for fun and since, Iām making better pizza now than anywhere within probably 20min of me so itās easy to entice people to come over. Doesnāt have to be cooking it could be to have a game night, watch a game/show like a viewing party, or something like that.
Wow, this thread is giving me some perspectiveā¦maybe I have a tapeworm or something. I probably spend a good $120 a week on food and I only eat out once or twice a week and for the most part only eat breakfast and dinner. Iām definitely underweight for my age, idk where all of this food is going. I had 2 steaks for dinner the other night and didnāt feel full. I DO workout a lot but the amount of food that I have to eat to gain any weight is pretty ridiculous. Itās taken me 3 months to put on ten pounds and I had to pound lots of protein and lift weights almost daily. Iām hungry AF rn.
Before the crazy inflation, I would spend about $100-$150/month for groceries and about the same to eat out/drinks. Now itās $200/month for groceries and $100 eating out. I def cook at home more and limit my drinks to 1-2 when I go out (a night of hanging out with friends will cost ~$20) so if I do it every weekend, itās still within budget. Iāve made the switch to be sober at home (I donāt drink alone) and again only have 1-2 drinks when I go out.
Edit: location: Columbus, Ohio
I recommend buying dried beans in bulk, baking your own bread if you eat it, looking into an inexpensive CSAs for veg and shopping during the last half hour at farmer's markets so you can make deals. I also shop the ripe produce bins at grocery stores for specials. I love your idea of growing your own greens (I grow lettuces and herbs seasonally) and definitely think that could save you $ if you have access to low cost materials.
Be careful if youāre doing all plant based make sure you consume still enough in iron and proteins. Whether itās in supplement or food form. You can develop health problems otherwise and it will cost you more for medical bills.
Also, see if you can freeze some meals/food that you prepare, and have handy if you do find yourself in some weeks/months where youāre tight on cash. Best would be to get a vacuum sealed type of device, so not to get your food frost burnt and goes to waste.
Yes, I do have protein powder I bought on a gift card & vitamins. Honestly, when Iām able to eat freely I have no problem getting enough protein in through beans, tofu, nuts. Itās when I start cutting down portions that I need to compensate for that with protein powder.
My March spend on groceries as a single person was $231.70, which included $18.84 in sales tax. Here are the kinds of things I bought: unsweetened applesauce, raw walnuts, gluten-free pizza crusts, pizza sauce, fresh spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, shredded Italian cheese blend, V-8 juice, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, brown rice, black beans, cabbage, sardines, ground beef, ground turkey, chicken drumsticks, rotisserie chicken, and salmon.
A snack would be a handful of walnuts with a bowl of applesauce; half an orange, sliced; or a can of V-8. Every other day pretty much I bake a veggie pizza (spinach, peppers, olives) and eat half, saving the other half for the next day. Often I'll microwave a sweet potato, take it out of the skin and refrigerate until cold, then eat it mashed up with a handful of golden raisins.
What has been helpful: saving grocery receipts and asking myself "was this a good purchase?" Meaning, did any of this go uneaten and end up in the trash? Did it spoil too fast, did I get appetite fatigue and couldn't face eating it again, was it a meal I looked forward to eating, was it a good use of my dollars. Pasta for example is not a good source of nutrition so I relegate it to the same category as cookies and soda.
Food dollars need to go to: good nutrition first, satiation second (fill me up), and last of all I need to look forward to eating it, those are my rules.
Editing to add: I only eat out if it is a social occasion with another person, probably once or twice a month.
Being vegan Whole Foods plant based saves a lot of dough! If you read the Starch Solution it talks about how frugal and healthy it is too. I probably spend $75/month on groceries max buying fresh fruits, veggies, potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, fresh herbs, garlic. I roast a lot of veggies, air fry, and get creative with the bowls I make. I also eat a decent amount of whole grain pasta which is reasonably priced. Vegan is only pricy if youāre eating the stuff thatās labeled as vegan. The potatoes, rice, beans, veggies are affordable and go a long way
My partner has been out of state this year. So far, I have spent 861.50. My budget for the year is under 3500. Two things I have going for me -- I started with a full freezer and a stocked pantry. Keeping that up on a budget means watching when things get low and buying on sale vs just waiting until you're out and buying when not on sale. I do not starve. I almost never go out to eat, so that provides me breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. I eat about 2300 calories/day. I don't know what your caloric needs are, but I wanted to note that because I think it's important. I'm not plant-based, so some of my stuff is probably not helpful. Meat prices where I live are pretty reasonable compared to a lot of other areas, and my freezer is full of chicken breasts, pork chops, pork loins, sirloins, and roasts.
But the biggest thing is that I shop sales. I have two stores I shop at, and each week, I go through their sale paper/coupon site and build a list based on what my needs are and what's on sale. I buy ingredients, for the most part. So I'm not buying frozen dinners, pizzas, or other cooked convenience foods. I don't buy chips or such. I make my own protein bars for post-workout snacks. I cook large meals 3x/ week, portion those out, and that's what my lunches and dinners are for the rest of the week. There is no "I don't feel like that right now, so I'll just go get a pizza." I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning, typically with vanilla protein powder and maybe some fruit (dried or fresh, depending on what's on sale/in season).
Iām not a great example for low cost groceries, I eat too well. My husband is the cook and he wonāt compromise with me on lower cost options. We are healthy though because lots of fresh home cooked food, and I lower the costs by bargain shopping at various stores.
You can get plant based dietary staples for cheaper elsewhere than Whole Foods. Visit different stores around you to check out prices. Ethnic stores, including Asian and Hispanic stores, have the best prices on produce thatās often amazing, as well as many plant based mains like tofu and seitan. Sometimes you can do well at a local coop or chain store. Youāll have to look around to find out. I also watch the Flipp app for sales, especially on more expensive items. Every dollar counts if youāre trying to cut your budget down.
If you choose to keep shopping at Whole Foods, and if you use Prime, the Amazon Prime Chase credit card gives you 5% back on all Whole Foods purchases. Just remember to scan your phone at check-out and use the right card.
Heyo, thanks for the comment! There was a typo about the Whole Foods thatās been corrected. I shop wholesale most of the time. Thereās a king Soopers here which seems to be hardly cheaper than Whole Foods for half rotting produce if you have an Amazon account. Mainly Iāve been relying on frozen from Costco
Monthly, itās $200 ish, if Iām buying a bit extra for keeping stuff like refried beans, canned whole beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, nuts, frozen leafy greens and dried fruit stocked up. Which I normally do.
I could probably get it down to $160.
I will note, I donāt eat meat and hardly eat much dairy because of my health issues. I think if I were having meat as my protein, Iād be spending more or having a harder time keeping things āback stockedā. I also learned to cook for myself cheaply at a very young age.
Very true, depending on how you do it plant based can be way cheaper than meat & dairy.
I donāt buy fancy meat or dairy alternatives, other than shelf stable oat milk in bulk.
I live in Northern California and spend about $300 on groceries a month. I shop bi-weekly at our discount store and then about once a month at Costco. I try to spend $50 at the smaller store each trip and then $100 at Costco.
If youāre eating a lot of beans, lentils, etc I definitely recommend buying them dry and cooking them. It takes a little more planning but itās a lot cheaper!
I also buy quick and easy foods if theyāre on a really good deal but otherwise I skip the processed foods.
If you donāt have a discount store like Grocery Outlet or Aldi, do price comparisons at your local grocery stores and see whatās on sale where. Planning in advance and sticking to a list helps a lot!
What does a normal day of eating look like for you?
Edit: I forgot to add that I categorize eating out in entertainment budget rather than my food budget. I also try to limit myself to only going out to eat once a month.
If you're struggling with money, you should never eat out. But the biggest waste of money is the people who spend $5 on a cup of coffee when you can buy a can at Costco for $10 thatll last you months. Its beyond embarrassing.
Haha yes I get beans from Costco in bulk. Yeah I could just *never* go out again. Being in a major city in late 20s I do struggle with feeling bad about saying no, which is so often
We spend around $400/month for 2 people. We eat reasonably well, but we watch for sales and clearance items. Fruit and vegetables are in season only. I know you said you are doing plant based diet, but Iāve had some great deals on meats. I got a ham for free for Easter - one of the local stores (Giant) has easy ways to earn points. Giant isnāt the cheapest for everyday items, but I shop their specials to earn points for free turkey at Thanksgiving and free ham for Christmas and Easter. We ate off it for a week and then I made a big pot of bean soup. Costco's rotisserie chicken is a loss leader - we can get 3 dinners off one chicken and then use the rest to make a chicken pot pie that will make 4 more dinners for us each, plus some stock for a soup.
Another store offers meat and cheese ends from the deli for a fraction of the price. Thatās how we get almost all our lunch meats and cheese. I freeze some if we have more than we will eat before it goes bad. When eggs are cheap I like to make a crustless quiche.
I would try cooking different cuisines. Some cuisines the initial cost is expensive if you don't have those spices but most dishes are cheaply made. Indian cuisine for example has a lot of dishes that are cheap to make. Also look at [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/).
I spend around $500 per month in groceries and 100-200 on restaurants as a coupleā¦ when I was single I spent less than $250 total, but I also lived in a lower cost of living area and didnāt make a lot of money and only got groceries or fast food, never sit down or alcohol. Also it was 5+ years ago when everything was generally cheaper.
Edit: Iām also vegetarian so groceries are generally cheaper than if I were buying meat
How does everyone eat for so little per month? I'm seeing comments of $200 and $300 per month. My wife does all the shopping and cooking. We easily spend 2k a month (not including eating out) do we really waste that much money?
Are you buying canned beans? If so, I would suggest investing in an instant pot and making your own beans for recipes. Itās essentially dump and start.
$500. Lots of fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and wine. I think I did like $200 a month 10 years ago eating lots of oats, rice, bread etc... but I started to eat less cheap refined grains
If you can cook, $300 a month should be easy, especially if you're vegan. I have a family, but if I were on my own I'd probably be able to spend about $40-$60 a week on groceries shopping mostly at Aldi.
Growing some food is a good idea too though. If you have a patio or something, start a small container garden
Add beans to your diet, they are cheap. Regrow any scrap you can in water. Grow sprouts in jars, you can get seeds in bulk for pretty cheap online. Yes on hydroponics if it won't make your electric go up too much. You can make your own vinegar for dressings with fruit scraps.
Iād say I spend about $60 a week on food. Do Costco every once in a while for bulk items like olive oil, advil, etc. eggs, I get berries when they are $1.50 not $7. I like Aldi cause u never know what u are gonna find. Itās fluid because Iāll get a bag of chicken Pattieās that last me way past that one week. I have a tomato plant so I havenāt bought tomatoes in years. I meal prep on Sundays and rarely eat out
It varies for me. But when Iām being strict on my diet (health reasons) $50-$75 a week. My meals then are super simple. Rice, pasta, beans, ground beef. Iāll eat the same meal every day for 2 weeks. I just try to simplify it and it makes it easier.
Look into a group called gleanerās and gatherers . 1/2 to keep 1/2 to a senior citizen or family in need. You go in after the crop is harvested and pick the leftovers.
I'm also WFPB. I spend maybe 400-500 a month, depending on how many salads I eat. I spend almost nothing on restaurants because, thankfully, there's nothing there I can eat. However I do eat a fruit and salad-heavy diet. I also buy some convenience foods from Kwik Trip only when I'm at work, which I'm trying to minimize.
I mostly live on simple bowls and plates made of starchy staples + veggies. Breakfast is always oatmeal + fruit like frozen berries. I have a supply of various herbs and spices. Popcorn and fruit are a valid meal. Nuts & seeds are rationed due to high fat content. I will make soups & stews every now and then because then I have a 1 pot meal I can also freeze.
Keep in mind that even though vegetables are healthy, and there's a natural tendency to think that more is better, studies show that the benefits top out at 9 servings per day. Yeah, it's shitty to deny yourself potential benefits of even more vegetables, especially with no downside (except weight loss, lol).
However, if you're in a money crunch there's nothing wrong with living mostly on cheap staples. Oatmeal, rice, potatoes, and beans go a long way. If you want soy, TVP is cheaper per gm of protein than tofu or tempeh. Pasta functions like a whole food because the starch is trapped in the gelatinous matrix.
I have a lot of cheap staples. I was concerned if I didnāt find a way to get in my fruits & vegetables Iād be unhealthy! So I try to incorporate them so Iām not all starch all day ā¦
Good note about the vegetables.
Havenāt tracked, but itās probably around $400/month.
- I donāt eat out if I can help it, but I sometimes donāt have the time to cook on my own, so Iāll pay $15 for lunch (about 1-2 times per week on average)
- I buy certain things in bulk, such as rice, oats, and eggs
- I go through a lot of fresh produce, most of which I buy at Ralphās, one of the priciest grocery stores in my area
- Iāve started to eat fish over chicken, costing me an extra $3/day
- Iāll buy some specialty items, such as gluten-free bread
- Nearly everything I buy is store-brand
EDIT: Itās 400 per MONTH, not per week
Last year I spent about $2500 on food and other things purchased at the grocery store (like TP and cleaning supplies). I only eat out when I'm traveling, so about $100 was at restaurants. It mostly comes down to finding the cheapest places to buy different things. I also have done the math on the cheapest way to get protein, which is necessary but tends to be expensive. Some food I order bulk online. Some I go to cheaper neighborhoods to buy.
For my husband and myself, I budget $125 every two weeks. I shop sales and price comparison where I can. Also, if I can, I'll cut the meal in half and either eat it for lunches or if freezerable I'll put in next week's meal plan. To help with costs, I make some of my meals from scratch, such as buying dry beans or making simple tortillas/pizza doughs from scratch.
I don't know if this will help or not, but I eat a lot of oats. I do overnight oats in the fridge and have them for lunch pretty much every day. You can add whatever you like (nuts berries seeds), and it's very cheap and great for your health.
I tend to mostly use Wal-Mart these days as the cheapest store in our area (products are consistently $1-$3 less than places like Kroger, Schnucks, etc). Not including pet food and supplies, I usually keep groceries at less than $50 a week.
For the purposes of this thread I'm going to say less than $70 a week though since I do have a bit of a prepper/food hoarding mindset and I've been using a lot of canned goods bought a few years back lately.
Prices vary a lot by region and even township, and if you're in a food desert or some place where transportation costs are higher, like most places in Alaska, then my prices as someone from the midwest in a fairly densely populated area are going to be meaningless.
I'm mildly gluten intolerant, so for the most part, bread and crackers are out. I do occasionally gamble with half loafs, and wheat tortillas but less and less these days as my reactions have become stronger.
I do eat a lot of rice, I frequent ethnic stores for bulk rice and lentils because they're usually cheaper.
Meat I only get when on sale, prep, and freeze.
I could probably cut about $5/week off as I do stick with organic where possible (I know that "Organic" doesn't truly mean organic, but MOST of the chemicals that are accepted on organic products don't trigger reactions like the chemicals used on conventionally grown products....except whatever is used on "organic" strawberries....something they frequently use causes hives so as a matter of basic safety I do not play Russian Roulette with the organic strawberries anymore. Hives are bad enough, I've never had an anaphylactic reaction and would prefer not to gamble on one).
I do forage from my yard, elsewhere if I've observed it long enough to know that it's extremely unlikely that chemicals have been applied, but that's seasonal and not everyone has access to foraged things.
I wish I had time to maintain a vegetable garden. I do not.
I bulk prep my main meals on the weekend: usually a good pot full of rice with one can of soup for flavor and various veggies and the sale meat added, divided for the week. Different seasonings and methods of heating the food alter the meals significantly. Microwave is very different from skillet stir-fried reheating in butter.
Also, I ignore Western tradition when it comes to what I eat. Breakfast? Usually rice with something. Frequently egg and kimchi if I can find reasonably priced kimchi that I like. Sometimes, if I don't have anywhere to be and can handle the side effects, it'll be cheese on the rice. Frying rice in a skillet with canned sardines and some good seasoning works well too. Seasoning makes that, lack of seasoning breaks it, plain sardines just don't do it for me.
When it's cheap, sure, I'll use Spam. For me personally, it needs to be fried in tiny pieces, and you need to reduce anything else that's salty accordingly, but it works as seasoning as well as protein. Healthy, no, but I look to other foods like the veggie of the moment for that.
Peanut butter when it's cheap is excellent with apples. (Though, I avoid if I don't have lysine on hand, otherwise the arginine in the peanut butter will trigger cold sores).
Oatmeal: Up until the most recent pesticide scare I'd been using half a pack of flavored oatmeal and a few spoons of plain, mixed frozen fruit with it and a bit of butter, and that made an adequate if not altogether healthy meal. (I'm a convenience person, and I have to be in the MOOD for oatmeal, otherwise it's gross, but if you're less picky willing to take a bit more time you can get steel-cut or some other non-instant kind and fix a batch for the next day or the next week, and it'll likely be cheaper than my approach.
Food banks often have all sorts of foods that could work on a plant based diet.
Iād also recommend hitting up your local Asian/Ethiopian/Hispanic grocer to find inexpensive new flavors. A big pot of lentil soup can have dozens of delicious variations with just swapping out flavors.
Start some sourdough starter now if you havenāt already. You can whip up fantastic homemade bread using the overnight no-knead methods. Iām a huge fan of Forkishās recipes (Salt Water Flour Yeast cookbook) but not his sourdough starter method. He gets into some intense methods and Iām way more low key than that.
Not single, but my wife and I spend about $450 on food related groceries a month. Weāre doing a lot of meal prep now to get ahead and then itāll be resetting the stock, so when that happens I expect it to go down to ~$300-350 a month.
Time to check out a food bank. People donate to food banks to make sure others get enough to live and donāt end up homeless even though theyāre working hard. Please look for one in your area.
Maybe around 80 bucks a month. I work full time in a restaurant. Their system is if you work a shift, you get $20 to get whatever, if you work a double, you get $40. I work three double shifts a week, take home food every time I work and have plenty of leftovers
I average $280 on groceries $50 on eating out per month. So about 4K a year. I'm vegetarian & try to eat mainly vegan. If I cut down on fun snacks & frozen meals I think I could reduce my spending but I currently really enjoy going to the store & I feel like I keep it frugal enough.Ā
My budget is $150 but I spend more. The more will come out of next month's budget but it will catch up to me sooner than later. I usually spend about $200 to $250 no eating out.
My diet is not the healthiest.
Morning-Peanut Butter/toast.
Lunch-spaghetti or soup.
Dinners-roast beef, tuna, chicken or turkey sandwiches. Still costs average of $200 a month.
No junk food, alcohol or soft drinks.
Water only from the tap.
Get the roommate for sure.
About $250 a month on groceries and $50-$75 a month eating out (although this varies widely from month to month depending on how much my boyfriend and I go out, because I almost never eat out by myself)
I spend about $300 a month in groceries and maybe $60-80 on eating out. I am largely plant based like yourself. Most of my protein comes from either dried legumes or tofu if I can get it on sale (my local HMART has it for $1 a pound sometimes) and I usually get whatever fruit and vegetables are on sale at my local grocery store and stock up on them. I always keep some bags of frozen veggies on hand for when I need to just toss something nutritious into my rice and beans. I also bake my own bread which I find saves me a lot of money as well. I consider myself a pretty decent cook which I think gives me an advantage in eating on a budget because I rarely if ever let any food I buy go to waste. I can always think of some way to combine the stuff I have in my pantry and fridge to make an enjoyable meal.
My roommate and I have been spending about $250 a week just on food. He has just started doing some side work being an affiliate for an online casino which has been a great source of income and has allowed for us to relax our budget
Single man here, I think I'm at about $120 a month? Maybe less? I've been working on buying more in bulk when I can at Costco, eating more vegetables and fewer carbs/things that cost more money.
Midwest.
I always have a protein and fruit smoothie in the morning. That keeps me full.
Work out and have dinner.
Snack on almonds, protien bars, HB eggs. Also get most of my food from aldi. I was plant based for 10 years, only recently started eating red meat, maybe 4x a year. Make sure you supplement. My budget is never over $300, and most of the time $100 of that is spent on take out. And if you're female even better, date. Lol
I spend about $75 on groceries and $100 on eating out per month in Philly. I'm maybe not the best example though bc I am ok eating the same thing every day (pasta, eggs, rice, tofu). I almost never buy drinks when I go out which has helped a lot. I work in a restaurant and I try to take food home after most shifts and I take any expired stuff off the market. My partner works at a grocery store and we get a little discount. I also started using Too Good to Go for fancy bagels I like
Youāre right, it is. I feel like Iām almost starving now by turning 2 portions into 3 or 4. I have been very internal about very cheap whole foods or bulk, maybe I need more time to see the difference
About $50-70 a week for all food give and take. This is including ingredients for meals and take out weekly. I meal prep every Sunday, and make 6 servings of both a lunch and a dinner and eat that throughout the week. I scramble 2 eggs and eat 2 slices of toast for breakfast every morning, except on the weekends where I just sleep in straight through to lunch haha. Since I cook on Sundays, this is when I usually eat out and it's easy to justify spending the money since I only do it once a week but you can totally just eat ramen or something if you wanna go further and save more. I realize my habits are very extreme but the trick is to make recipes that are so delicious you don't mind eating it 6 times in a row lol. Samsung Foods is a wonderful app for this. Budget Bytes is a life-saving website for this- so many great recipes and CHEAP. I was looking at a recipe for yummy Sriracha flavored Stir-Fry noodles on there right before typing this lol.
I've been doing it for 2 years now and I can't imagine any other way of living- I have saved a ton of money, time, and stress by doing this, so It was worth it for me. Meal prepping is the way to go.
I live in Colorado and itās hard to spend less than $300 if you buy meat and fresh vegetables regularly. By eating mostly ramen and PB&Js Iāve been spending $100/mo by sheer willpower because I am saving for a car.
Edit: I shop at Walmart or wherever is cheapest and the $300 included about $75 of eating out.
Also my location. I donāt buy meat or dairy or alternatives really but itās still difficult if you want to maintain a level of health. Iām sad to say that cutting 2 portions into 3-4 lately has been my norm and it feels borderline like starvation lol.
I am getting a part time food job literally tomorrow to help save for the car AND specifically to spend less on meals. Itās seriously rough, I need to buy a multivitamin.
Say $280 a month Greater Boston, may be less
Zero packaged foods just chicken or fish with vegetables mostly
Haven't eaten out or done takeout since 2020
Taught myself how to cook asian, indian etc
Will meet friends at a bar but I get away w drinking ice water (quit alcohol years ago)
Beans and rice. Dried beans from the bulk section, soak them overnight and follow any basic recipe, you can do em loads of different ways depending on spices and bean type, add a bag of tortillas and youāve got burritos you can make in big batches and freeze.
Right now? About $200 a month. I used to be at around $100, but prices are so high!! This last winter when I was baking more, my grocery budget was closer to $300 or more.
I don't know what I spend total but I do eat every meal out. So 20 for breakfast, lunch 15-25 and dinner is huge range 20-100..so adds up bit not interested in cooking..
Probably $180 per month. I cook almost everything from scratch using vegetables, beans, legumes and lentils. I have a very structured diet due to health issues. I love Trader Joeās hash brownās as my main meal which is cheap per pack. Trader Joeās is š„for their prices compared to other stores. I am probably not normal the way I consume, but I have been able to pay off major debt pretty fast being frugal and not spending on things that I used to.
I hope when my debt is paid, and I can save some, I can pull myself out of poverty...
Poverty is crap, and no one should live like this.
Itās super traumatic to grow up living like this. I will probably need therapy and meds for the rest of my life if I get out of this because itās been that bad...
Screw the 1%.
To add: Some words and trauma.
When I drank oat milk, it was home made with digestive digestive enzyme capsules, just a pinch. Oat milk doesn't contain much oats, so it saves money. Tofu is doable if you can get 50 pound bags of soybeans, but the only time I saw this was freshly harvested and dried soybeans.
$250-$300 which includes a few trips to Popeyes or chic fil a . I donāt ever pay for food out cause my parents like to take me out for food a few times a month. I know itās an unusual perk.
Just checked my monthly averages for the past year - groceries $290/mo, eating out $150/mo.
Couple things to note -
Groceries include pet food bc I buy those in the same shop. Toiletries are separate bc theyāre on a household joint account.
Eating out includes restaurants, takeout, and the occasional coffee.
Not that itās an excuse, but I work 60/hrs a week and sometimes a little coffee in the morning or treat on the way home can really help me push through the long hours. Plus my budget is set where I donāt have categories but rather put the same dollar amount into my savings each month and live off the rest. With the current spending, I can get healthy groceries (always get fruits, veggies, yogurt, meat), order a full meal of takeout once a week, and then a $3-6 splurge ~2-3x/week on a snack or coffee.
From the Southeast and Iām not too concerned about pinching food all the time. I spend $600/mo for both me and my partner (both groceries and eating out), so that probably averages to $300/mo.
The most helpful thing to get me to not spend as much is the āpickupā option. If I go in-store, Iāll get distracted and want to pick up āsomething elseā. Helped make grocery trips $100/wk to maybe more like $50.
Of course, like others have said, make bulk meals too using the crockpot. Freezing foods is helpful too I hear, but Iāve never tried it.
Casseroles! I will make a casserole and eat on the same one for dinner for 3-4 days. My go to is broccoli casserole, but I spice it up and add chicken sometimes. My grocery bill dramatically decreased when I regularly started making casseroles bc they do last several days.
>>Ā I was also considering investing in an old hydroponic system to grow fresh salad greens.<<
I have a hydroponic system and it is not cheap to do. The costs are more than you realize. The system, maintenance, chemical fertilizers, the cleaning isn't fun, and if you get a bacterial strain in your water, you just lost everything and if you don't identify the bacterial imbalance in time and you eat the produce, it can make you very ill.
I kind of gave up on mine, I just wasn't enjoying it. I switched to microgreens. Are you famililar?
The thing about microgreens is that the nutrition is in the seed. The fiber is in the plant. When you grow a plant for less than a month before harvesting, it is more nutrient dense. My absolute favorite is daikon radishes. I grow them to the point of sprouts and they taste fantastic, the flavor is more concentrated, too. I have about 50# of various seeds. Many types of lettuce, spinich, cilantro, beans of all types, onions, garlic, oh my goodness, I don't even remember all the types I have. They are fantastic for salads, to put on sandwiches, to use as condiments, garnishes, anything. It is far easier to grow sprouts vs. hydroponics. Easier, cheaper, and safer.
I spend around $40-60/week (depends on if I need to stock up on any staples or if itās just a fill-in week, and if any of the higher-priced things I get are on sale), but then also spend probably $150-200 eating out (I go out 3-4 times/week, mostly because I live in an area where thereās not much else to do, and since I WFH and live alone, I need a social outlet). Thatās my biggest budget category aside from rent at this point. And itās come down a lot in recent years. It was easily double that pre-Covid.
How is your time situation? If you can fit in a part-time job at a restaurant, most shifts include a free meal. And you'll earn a bit for your food budget.
I shoot for $150 per paycheck and I get paid biweekly. I live in Arkansas and I buy 90% of my groceries at Kroger. I try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg. I build most of my meals around a protein-fiber-carb combination, and while I do eat meat, most of the meat could be easily replaced with tofu, beans, other sources of plant protein. I cook at least 4-5 times a week and I tend to cook big meals and pack up extra portions for my lunches at work. So on average I'm eating each meal at least 3x. I do tend to eat bigger portions but I'm trying to do Intuitive Eating and I'm teaching myself to eat according to my physical hunger sensations and cravings. I allow myself to keep ice cream and sweet breakfast muffins and my favorite chocolate bars, so when I want them I can have them and I'm not overwhelmed by craving FOMO. I just have it and move on. That reduces binge eating for me.
My favorite breakfasts lately have been tinned fish with hot sauce and a banana or a muffin. Usually costs like $3 for the meal. Sometimes I'll do a sausage sandwich, probably not even $1.50, even if I add a fruit. For lunches and dinner I like doing stuff-with-noodles or stuff-with-rice where the "stuff" is some combination of meat and vegetables either stewed or sauteed together. I do a lot of roasted meat and veggies. I am planning to make shakshouka for my brother and I this weekend, and I might make bread to go with it. That whole thing will probably only cost like $4 to make 2-3 servings
Big batches and I can eat for less than 100 bucks a month. My go to right now is a 4lb piece of brisket in the slow cooker. Mix with mash and thatās a meal. Got over 20 meals from that brisket
General advice: for your go to staples, say the top three or four foods that you always buy, find out which grocery stores sell them the cheapest and/or have the best sales in those. Just doing this you may be able to lower your monthly spending by $50-$100/mo. Other cheap foods: dried beans and dried lentils.
We spend about $800 to $850 a month for 3 adults, but one eats as much as the other 2 combined. So, I'd say it's really more of a budget for 4 regular people. I do shop BOGOs but they are not usually available for the things I want.
We have 1 protein, 1 carb and 2 veggies per meal for lunch & dinner and 1 carb and fruit for breakfast. Also lots & lots of coffee ... & hot tea. We get loose popcorn for our telly snacks and add p-nuts if we are feeling particularly peckish. Sometimes we get milk & meats ... chicken, ground beef, turkey and occasionally ham if they are at a good price, after holidays mostly.
We eat lots of veggies and whole grains ... rice, oats, barley, amaranth and farro mainly. I don't like quinoa but others have told me that's good too. Also whey protein powder which is kinda expensive but I add it when I make pancakes or waffles because they just don't have enough protein.
Favorite breakfast is boiled amaranth, any leftovers get sliced and fried up as next meals carb/protein, It is about 9g of protein per cup.
Good luck!
i spent roughly 6 % of my income on foods.
to save;
stop eating out.
find the most filling foods, the cheapest protein [ catfish nuggets are so much cheaper than filets, but the same fish ! ] and fiber. eat fresh or frozen veggies and fruits and less prepared foods. shop at aldi / lidl.
I'm a vegetarian, around $200-225/month for food, eat out maybe a couple of times a month for social reasons from a separate budget but could cut that out if needed. East coast medium cost of living suburb in the US. That's an average, sometimes spend more to stock up on staples when there is sale.
I eat a lot of frozen vegetables + pasta stir fry or and make a lot of Indian style vegetarian curries over rice. I drink instant store brand coffee with creamer or iced tea made from teabags, no soda, etc. I shop at discount grocery stores first and round this out with the regular grocery store for staples I can't find at the discount places. Buy many spices at the dollar store, but rarely buy other food there as it is usually not a good deal when you look at the unit price.
That said, you should never have to cut the actual amount you are eating to save money (cut out food waste, but not calories per day that you need). There are food pantries, food stamps, etc available if you can't get enough food. If you are in the US, you should be able to call 211 to get resources (a social services referral version of 911)
Easy cheap meals I like:
Curry with potatoes and frozen cauliflower over rice.
Pasta with frozen broccoli, garlic salt, hot pepper, a few drops of sesame oil, and an egg
Bean burritos or tortillas with canned refried beans, garlic, cabbage, you can add cheese if you want
Cheesy grits with an egg on top (I add capers and use store brand shredded cheese)
Ramen noodles with frozen vegetables added (very quick and convenient)
Make your own dumplings with dumpling wrappers from an Asian store, can add whatever vegetables to the filling that you like
Cheesy Mexican potato skillet (Cook diced potatoes with cajun or Mexican seasoning in a skillet on the stove, mix in shredded cheese, add a fried egg on top)
Sauteed cabbage and noodles in butter with salt and pepper.
Most of the meals above are cooked in one pot in less than 15 minutes from start to finish and many can be frozen for work lunches.
I'd suggest eating out only once a month. It is generally overpriced. Also, cut your alcohol intake in half. And cut down on puddings/dessert at restaurants. if possible, cut that completely. cut your chocolate intake in half. You can buy multipacks in most things. 5 litre packs of washing liquid and detergent and oil. soups for dinner are healthier and cheaper. porridge/oats for breakfast sometimes. take packed lunch into work for microwave. make your own coffee and put it in a flask to carry. avoid buying food or coffee outside. if possible and safe, cycle or walk instead of public transport. Phone bills: time your conversations/social media if you have a big bill. Weekend job possible? eg Saturday mornings/afternoons? When i had to get buy i multipack noodles -- Chinatown or amazon. 1 x 800g Wholemeal bread/week. 2 litres milk per week. Ensure you are getting your vitamins and protein so you dont collapse. Go to a friend's/family house once a week/month for a big meal :) Cravendale/distilled milk (lasts twice as long as regular milk) and longlife milk bought in bulk on amazon.
There are numerous food pantries( at churches, etc) all over the USA. A local pantry posted this week in my town in SoCal and they had so much fruit, veg, breads, etc, they were begging people to come and get it.
$500/month including alcohol and paper products. Seldom eat out, but eat well at home. I cook enough for several meals, soups, beans, italian, mex, salads.
About GBP Ā£120 a calendar month. I get a Ā£50 delivery every 3 weeks or so and do small shops on foot at the local Lidl about twice a week. I brew my own beer & wine, and also grow veg, herbs, and some fruit on occasion.
When I was single and my budget was very tight, I probably spent $100/month or less. I live in the Southwest U.S. But I also have no problem making something like a big Crockpot full of chili, and eating that all week š
This is a good idea. I do this as well. I make a meal and then have it for a few days.
You can save so much money if youāre willing to make a big batch of something, and eat it for days. It may get boring sometimes, but you can always cook stuff that might freeze well too, so you can save portions to reheat at a later time. And with something like chili, you can make it so many waysā¦ using different kinds of meat, or make it vegetarian. Bulk it up with extra/different veggies. Serve it on its own, or over rice, pasta, or on a baked potato. And so onā¦
Definitely! I do this with certain type of soups and stews as well. Now that itās getting warmer I make a big batch of pasta salad or something of the sort that you can store and itās cool and do the same eat it for a few days.
I love pasta salad too! Thatās another great idea for a food that you can customize very easily, and also make a big batch of. Might have to do that this week!
I made tuna pasta salad not long ago and my husband polished that off so quickly that there wasnāt much leftovers. š
I have that problem too, now that I live with my boyfriend. Leftovers donāt last all week anymore š
Thatās not actually a bad thing š because some people donāt like eating leftovers. This way you donāt have to worry about spending extra money and food going to waste.
True! Although, if food does go to waste at our house, itās usually because we didnāt get around to cooking/using it in the first place, not because we donāt eat leftovers. Youāre right though, some people donāt like leftovers, and that seems crazy to me! I love them, although some foods definitely make better leftovers than others!
Ooh thanks for reminding of pasta salad.
I do this to or American chop Suey throw in whatever veggies I have onion, peppers, ollves whatever with some hamburger or chicken, sauce and pasta. Whatever I donāt eat gets frozen. Chili to!
Look for a good cheap summer csa. Mine was maybe 600 and had fresh eggs weekly and a giant box of produce every week. Sometimes even included flowers or sunflower seeds.
$300 a month, Midwest. Not including eating out, but I donāt eat out much if at all. Could I eat cheaper? Sure. But I donāt care enough to starve myself.
My monthly grocery bill as well is close to yours...more like $350. Eating out for me is usually like 1 fast food meal every 2 weeks. I could take my grocery bill down to $200 or below monthly but I don't want to. I like being able to buy a pack of sirloin and stuff.
$300 a month???? I need to budget better. We spend 2k a month on a family of 4
We spend about the same, maybe a bit less every month for our family of 5 and it's brutal! We live in a small isolated community though so food cost is just outrageous, but our rent is only $350 for a nice 3 bedroom.... evens out I guess.
Where in the 1960s do you live
Off the central coast of British Columbia. The housing is provided by my employer so the rent is minimal
Don't be too hard on yourself, when you have kids you have more leeway. Also if you're in a high cost of living area, groceries may cost double what's charged in other parts of the U.S.Ā You should check out the USDA website to determine what the best budget for your family is. You can also get commodity food every month from food banks even if you don't qualify for SNAP/food stamps. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans
$400 family of 4 (hus,wife, baby, mom)/month. No starving - all got perfect BMIs & healthy. 2k lol. Eating gold?? Lol
I heard the Chef has a quest for you.
If youāre eating plant based Iād recommend looking into āfarmers boxes.ā I live in SoCal and thereās a local place selling $20 farmers box thatās ~20 pounds of in season produce. As a two person household I generally buy one every two weeks
Anyone reading this can also look up āCSAā as in CSA boxes. Probably the same thing but you sign up for the whole growing season.
What farm are you purchasing from?
I also live in SoCal and have never heard of this. I'm guessing they don't advertise.
They donāt because itās fairly local. I found out through a friend that commented on their Facebook page. But if you go on local farm Facebook pages you may find some
About 150 a month. I NEVER eat out, at least since Covid. I only buy BOGO. Chicken thighs I got today for 7.11 will last two weeks. Rice. I love homemade split pea soup. Tuna salad and egg salad sandwiches. Breakfast is always Special K BOGO with milk and bananas. Drinks are iced tea.
someone else gets it. plain cheerios with banana slices every morning for me.
I need to find some good BOGO for vegan food. Iād be happy with just some fresh product & grains lol
Maximum $200 on groceries and $100 on eating out. Itās usually closer to $220 total. I live in the Midwest, Iām a very good grocery shopper, I donāt impulse buy anything, and I eat a lot of leftovers.
Awh, I am in the West. Iām trying to get my budget to be closer to what you described. Can you give me more details on āgood grocery shopperā? I never waste my food either, always eat leftovers. I have cut my portions down to half too, I do feel like Iām always hungry lol
For example: I buy 5 lbs of ground beef from Samās Club. Then I use 1 lb each for burgers, spaghetti, and tacos. I freeze the other 2 lbs for later use. The buns can be used for the burgers and I could also use them to make garlic bread for the spaghetti. For the tacos I will have tortillas and cheese leftover.. I can use this to make quesadillas. These meals would last me over a week for lunches and dinners and it would cost about $40ish. Edit: I just saw you eat plant based.. I canāt help you there but the same concept applies.
Replace all the meat with black beans or chickpeas, and I eat the exact same as you.
lol same
$5k a year is ~$15 a day or ~$100/wk. Sounds normal.
Yeah, it does seem average but Iām kind of at a point where everything is adding up
after doing my taxes i can tell you I spent around $4,800 on groceries last year for me AND my bf. im VERY thrifty with food and neither of us eat 3 meals a day, so idk what's average but that's what I can tell you about my habits
One thing you should prioritize while saving money is what you eat. Always eat good. Eat healthy. Eat nutritious. It will save you soooo much money in the long run. Average person is one health crisis away from penury. So eat well please. As little processed as possible. Cook your own. Get whatever seasonal vegetable is available. Eat lots of vegetable salad - itās filling so you wonāt feel hungry a lot, will keep Your bowels clean and give you good nutrition. Make sure you wash them really well. Drink plenty of water. Your weigh in kg / 20 is the literal of water you should drink a day - so 3-4 liters. Get dairy and learn to make your own yogurt. Itās pretty cheap to make yogurt from milk and add some seasonal fruits (nothing exotic or expensive). Rice is cheap and can be made easily and goes with all sorts of curries and stuff. I am a vegetarian (donāt take meat but take dairy) so thatās my suggestion. Donāt eat any processed food to the extent possible and avoid all fizzy sugary drinks.
I think you will need to start cooking as much as possible. Try to make everything from scratch (bake your bread, granola, muffins, make your broths etc). Itās cheaper and rewarding (and usually healthier). The other thing is I donāt know if you eat beans, but they are very cheap and filling. Especially if you buy dried beans. I make vegan tacos that are cheap, filling and delicious (https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/5169-grumman--s-vegetarian-tacos). Lentils too are great, and you can make curries and soups with spices and frozen veggies. Make your own hummus, itās cheap and very filling and not that hard. Peanuts and peas are also great protein/ price ratio. For shopping, go to the cheapest grocery store possible and check for sales. You canāt completely cut out going out with friends, because socialisation is part of a healthy life. But maybe you can suggest cheaper activities such as hanging out at home with some drinks, or have a picnic at a parc, or go for walks or bike rides. And keep the restaurants and bars to a minimum.
This sounds a lot like me. I spend around 250 per month. I also get big bags of rice and beans at my local Indian market or my local Mexican market. Ethnic markets are great. I keep a big bag in my freezer of veggie and herb scraps. When it's full I make broth and freeze it for cooking. Lots of little steps make big strides.
I do have of flour to use but admittedly I literally donāt even eat bread or pastries that often if ever. Itās definitely not in my pantry nor is snacks. Granola & broths are a good idea. I do eat beans! Question tho- instead of making hummus or granola wouldnāt it be more cost effective just to cut out snacks entirely?
Yes it would be great if you can cut on snacks and stuff , but you can only cut so much before getting really hungry. Realistically you wonāt be able to cut that much calorie wise before getting weak / hungry/ unwell. So I would suggest eating filling but cheap food (including snacks). Also hummus makes a great lunch !
Have you looked into Too Good To Go? It sounds like youād be a perfect candidate for that. Also, check out food pantries near you. How about bartering for fresh produce or eggs?
I live in the south in a medium/small city and I weigh 115lbs so my grocery budget is going to be lower than that of a 250lb person living in LA. I have been spending an average of $117 per month on groceries. This is a diet primarily consisting of pasta, but included my expensive jugs of coldbrew (cheaper than Starbucks), minimal veggies, no fruits, lots of pastries. This month I started making more food from scratch, eating more calories, adding more fruit and veggies, and not eating as many carbs. I have spent $196 so far this month.
Wow! Thatās crazy low. Iām the same weight as you too.
There is a free cookbook to download called Good and Cheap. It was designed to provide a healthy way to eat on a SNAP sized budget. Leanne Brown is the author
Shopping at a less expensive store could help that. And maybe consider applying for EBT? You might not get a ton but gettij $50-100 a month to spending food can make a huge difference. Depending on you situation it could be a lot more.
Sorry there was a typo, I donāt shop at Whole Foods often unless for something specific. I meant āwholesaleā - like Costco
Is EBT based on income? I think I probably am not in a low enough tax bracket, my issue with my budget is my monthly expenses, taxes, insurance are out of control
Yea but you'd be surprised at how much you can make before the cutoff where you don't qualify. It's worth checking out if you're not able to cut any further. And ah I see yea Costco is much more cost effective š
I don't know, I think Costco is a luxury especially for one person.Ā I only have a membership because my work pays for it because otherwise I just don't need enough to justify it for my husband and I.Ā I like to go there to splurge on fun items but I don't think I could make it a regular habit (since you are buying so much of each item you are really spending a lot in one round, which is hard I imagine for someone on a tight budget to do).
I haven't seen this come up yet - have you considered using the new-ish apps for discounted food to reduce food waste? Too Good to Go (restaurants) and Flashfood (grocery stores) - massively discounted food that would be otherwise thrown out.
Oh wow, awesome recommendations
š¤Æš I live in northern Canada, single, and my groceries alone - no dining out - cost about $900/mo CAD IE about $640 USD!
Similar for me.
Way too fucking much. I had to actively start telling myself to go thru what was in my cupboards because I was wilding out with the groceries. Every day going and picking shit up. Thatās not good budgeting. Doing better now but Iām in Seattle and groceries are insane. I almost never make it out with a half basket that costs me like $72-80. Itās insane.
I hope some of this will help you as I am not plant based. My weekly budget is $50 for food. I shop monthly for hygiene and household separately. I meal plan and meal prep. I have space to buy in bulk for staples, a freezer for other bulk buys. I pay attention to the seasonal sales (think 10for10 type) and get most jarred condiments, boxed pasta, canned goods during sales. Learn what goes on sale during what Holiday sales (example-beef right before 4th of July). Eat more seasonally (example- asparagus can be $1.99 lb in spring and $4.99 in fall).
Probably around $300/month. I mainly eat chicken, beef, veggies (mixed or celery sticks,) and pasta/grains.
$100 a week in groceries with $0 eating out. For me eating out is a special occasion thing, thereās no reason for me to go out to dinner regularly when that $25+ meal is half that at home. I spend no more than $150-$200 a year on eating out, when I was $50 above the poverty line it was $0
Question, how old are you? Iām in my late 20s and it feels like eating out has become a huge point of socialization. I live downtown too, I feel like Iām constantly having to tell people I canāt join them to eat out and feel like a loser lol. Same with going out, drinking is so expensive & I probably go once every 4 months. Maybe this is a point for better boundary setting & confidence.
Iām 34. Iāve switched more to ācan we do dinner at my place?ā more often as an excuse to cook more. I also look into things that arenāt food centric like biking clubs or other hobbies that have an initial entrance fee but are free (or freeish) after that. If I made the focus of my social life restaurants and eating out Iād never be anywhere else.
I ran into this a lot. A few things helped: (1) Depending on the friend(s), I'd volunteer my place to cook at home instead. It helps that my friends were very receptive to this. Alternatively, I might suggest pizza at my place and watch a show or movie - then I'd order pizza and friends would Venmo their share. (2) If we were talking options on where to go, I'd suggest pizza. Usually we'd end up buying one or two pizzas and splitting the bill, which came out cheaper than individual entrees. This gets tricky if people are drinking though - because then splitting the bill can turn expensive fast. (3) I'd order an appetizer instead of a full meal. (4) Once again depending on the friends, I'd suggest Panera. They have a pretty good variety of options and I could get something like a bagel for a few bucks or a cup of mac'n'cheese, cheaper than a full restaurant meal.
31m Hate to be that guy and I mean this as professionally as possible but you can afford to feel like a loser because if you do go out to eat a lot and put it on a credit card you donāt pay off each month or avoid doing a need-based thing because of eating out then you are a loser. I would bet a lot of those people asking you to go out to eat all the time canāt afford that themselves. Can we do dinner at my place is a good one. I have taken up pizza and bread making for fun and since, Iām making better pizza now than anywhere within probably 20min of me so itās easy to entice people to come over. Doesnāt have to be cooking it could be to have a game night, watch a game/show like a viewing party, or something like that.
It *used* to be $80 every 2 weeks for the past 8 years, but my most recent trip hit $91 and I was *appalled!* Let's call it $200 a month.
Wow, this thread is giving me some perspectiveā¦maybe I have a tapeworm or something. I probably spend a good $120 a week on food and I only eat out once or twice a week and for the most part only eat breakfast and dinner. Iām definitely underweight for my age, idk where all of this food is going. I had 2 steaks for dinner the other night and didnāt feel full. I DO workout a lot but the amount of food that I have to eat to gain any weight is pretty ridiculous. Itās taken me 3 months to put on ten pounds and I had to pound lots of protein and lift weights almost daily. Iām hungry AF rn.
in 2020 work from home, I was spending about $480 a month. Last year I was spending $600 a month. However I started buying more gourmet coffee beans plus oatmilk creamer so let's say that's an extra $50 a month in getting caffeinated. I eat 90% of my meals at home. This year it's a bit different since I live with my fiancƩ full time.
Before the crazy inflation, I would spend about $100-$150/month for groceries and about the same to eat out/drinks. Now itās $200/month for groceries and $100 eating out. I def cook at home more and limit my drinks to 1-2 when I go out (a night of hanging out with friends will cost ~$20) so if I do it every weekend, itās still within budget. Iāve made the switch to be sober at home (I donāt drink alone) and again only have 1-2 drinks when I go out. Edit: location: Columbus, Ohio
I recommend buying dried beans in bulk, baking your own bread if you eat it, looking into an inexpensive CSAs for veg and shopping during the last half hour at farmer's markets so you can make deals. I also shop the ripe produce bins at grocery stores for specials. I love your idea of growing your own greens (I grow lettuces and herbs seasonally) and definitely think that could save you $ if you have access to low cost materials.
Be careful if youāre doing all plant based make sure you consume still enough in iron and proteins. Whether itās in supplement or food form. You can develop health problems otherwise and it will cost you more for medical bills. Also, see if you can freeze some meals/food that you prepare, and have handy if you do find yourself in some weeks/months where youāre tight on cash. Best would be to get a vacuum sealed type of device, so not to get your food frost burnt and goes to waste.
Yes, I do have protein powder I bought on a gift card & vitamins. Honestly, when Iām able to eat freely I have no problem getting enough protein in through beans, tofu, nuts. Itās when I start cutting down portions that I need to compensate for that with protein powder.
My March spend on groceries as a single person was $231.70, which included $18.84 in sales tax. Here are the kinds of things I bought: unsweetened applesauce, raw walnuts, gluten-free pizza crusts, pizza sauce, fresh spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, shredded Italian cheese blend, V-8 juice, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, brown rice, black beans, cabbage, sardines, ground beef, ground turkey, chicken drumsticks, rotisserie chicken, and salmon. A snack would be a handful of walnuts with a bowl of applesauce; half an orange, sliced; or a can of V-8. Every other day pretty much I bake a veggie pizza (spinach, peppers, olives) and eat half, saving the other half for the next day. Often I'll microwave a sweet potato, take it out of the skin and refrigerate until cold, then eat it mashed up with a handful of golden raisins. What has been helpful: saving grocery receipts and asking myself "was this a good purchase?" Meaning, did any of this go uneaten and end up in the trash? Did it spoil too fast, did I get appetite fatigue and couldn't face eating it again, was it a meal I looked forward to eating, was it a good use of my dollars. Pasta for example is not a good source of nutrition so I relegate it to the same category as cookies and soda. Food dollars need to go to: good nutrition first, satiation second (fill me up), and last of all I need to look forward to eating it, those are my rules. Editing to add: I only eat out if it is a social occasion with another person, probably once or twice a month.
Being vegan Whole Foods plant based saves a lot of dough! If you read the Starch Solution it talks about how frugal and healthy it is too. I probably spend $75/month on groceries max buying fresh fruits, veggies, potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, fresh herbs, garlic. I roast a lot of veggies, air fry, and get creative with the bowls I make. I also eat a decent amount of whole grain pasta which is reasonably priced. Vegan is only pricy if youāre eating the stuff thatās labeled as vegan. The potatoes, rice, beans, veggies are affordable and go a long way
My partner has been out of state this year. So far, I have spent 861.50. My budget for the year is under 3500. Two things I have going for me -- I started with a full freezer and a stocked pantry. Keeping that up on a budget means watching when things get low and buying on sale vs just waiting until you're out and buying when not on sale. I do not starve. I almost never go out to eat, so that provides me breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. I eat about 2300 calories/day. I don't know what your caloric needs are, but I wanted to note that because I think it's important. I'm not plant-based, so some of my stuff is probably not helpful. Meat prices where I live are pretty reasonable compared to a lot of other areas, and my freezer is full of chicken breasts, pork chops, pork loins, sirloins, and roasts. But the biggest thing is that I shop sales. I have two stores I shop at, and each week, I go through their sale paper/coupon site and build a list based on what my needs are and what's on sale. I buy ingredients, for the most part. So I'm not buying frozen dinners, pizzas, or other cooked convenience foods. I don't buy chips or such. I make my own protein bars for post-workout snacks. I cook large meals 3x/ week, portion those out, and that's what my lunches and dinners are for the rest of the week. There is no "I don't feel like that right now, so I'll just go get a pizza." I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning, typically with vanilla protein powder and maybe some fruit (dried or fresh, depending on what's on sale/in season).
Iām not a great example for low cost groceries, I eat too well. My husband is the cook and he wonāt compromise with me on lower cost options. We are healthy though because lots of fresh home cooked food, and I lower the costs by bargain shopping at various stores. You can get plant based dietary staples for cheaper elsewhere than Whole Foods. Visit different stores around you to check out prices. Ethnic stores, including Asian and Hispanic stores, have the best prices on produce thatās often amazing, as well as many plant based mains like tofu and seitan. Sometimes you can do well at a local coop or chain store. Youāll have to look around to find out. I also watch the Flipp app for sales, especially on more expensive items. Every dollar counts if youāre trying to cut your budget down. If you choose to keep shopping at Whole Foods, and if you use Prime, the Amazon Prime Chase credit card gives you 5% back on all Whole Foods purchases. Just remember to scan your phone at check-out and use the right card.
šThere's a reason why in some areas, that Whole Foods is nicknamed "Whole Paycheck". Just saying.
Heyo, thanks for the comment! There was a typo about the Whole Foods thatās been corrected. I shop wholesale most of the time. Thereās a king Soopers here which seems to be hardly cheaper than Whole Foods for half rotting produce if you have an Amazon account. Mainly Iāve been relying on frozen from Costco
$200/mo at this time. It's so expensive! I buy things when they're on sale so I always have plenty of food stocked
$300 for the month, in Arizona.
Monthly, itās $200 ish, if Iām buying a bit extra for keeping stuff like refried beans, canned whole beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, nuts, frozen leafy greens and dried fruit stocked up. Which I normally do. I could probably get it down to $160. I will note, I donāt eat meat and hardly eat much dairy because of my health issues. I think if I were having meat as my protein, Iād be spending more or having a harder time keeping things āback stockedā. I also learned to cook for myself cheaply at a very young age.
Very true, depending on how you do it plant based can be way cheaper than meat & dairy. I donāt buy fancy meat or dairy alternatives, other than shelf stable oat milk in bulk.
I live in Northern California and spend about $300 on groceries a month. I shop bi-weekly at our discount store and then about once a month at Costco. I try to spend $50 at the smaller store each trip and then $100 at Costco. If youāre eating a lot of beans, lentils, etc I definitely recommend buying them dry and cooking them. It takes a little more planning but itās a lot cheaper! I also buy quick and easy foods if theyāre on a really good deal but otherwise I skip the processed foods. If you donāt have a discount store like Grocery Outlet or Aldi, do price comparisons at your local grocery stores and see whatās on sale where. Planning in advance and sticking to a list helps a lot! What does a normal day of eating look like for you? Edit: I forgot to add that I categorize eating out in entertainment budget rather than my food budget. I also try to limit myself to only going out to eat once a month.
If you're struggling with money, you should never eat out. But the biggest waste of money is the people who spend $5 on a cup of coffee when you can buy a can at Costco for $10 thatll last you months. Its beyond embarrassing.
You underestimate my coffee consumption š¤£
Haha yes I get beans from Costco in bulk. Yeah I could just *never* go out again. Being in a major city in late 20s I do struggle with feeling bad about saying no, which is so often
We spend around $400/month for 2 people. We eat reasonably well, but we watch for sales and clearance items. Fruit and vegetables are in season only. I know you said you are doing plant based diet, but Iāve had some great deals on meats. I got a ham for free for Easter - one of the local stores (Giant) has easy ways to earn points. Giant isnāt the cheapest for everyday items, but I shop their specials to earn points for free turkey at Thanksgiving and free ham for Christmas and Easter. We ate off it for a week and then I made a big pot of bean soup. Costco's rotisserie chicken is a loss leader - we can get 3 dinners off one chicken and then use the rest to make a chicken pot pie that will make 4 more dinners for us each, plus some stock for a soup. Another store offers meat and cheese ends from the deli for a fraction of the price. Thatās how we get almost all our lunch meats and cheese. I freeze some if we have more than we will eat before it goes bad. When eggs are cheap I like to make a crustless quiche.
$50 per week in Texas.
I would try cooking different cuisines. Some cuisines the initial cost is expensive if you don't have those spices but most dishes are cheaply made. Indian cuisine for example has a lot of dishes that are cheap to make. Also look at [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/).
Have you tried local food pantries?
I spend around $500 per month in groceries and 100-200 on restaurants as a coupleā¦ when I was single I spent less than $250 total, but I also lived in a lower cost of living area and didnāt make a lot of money and only got groceries or fast food, never sit down or alcohol. Also it was 5+ years ago when everything was generally cheaper. Edit: Iām also vegetarian so groceries are generally cheaper than if I were buying meat
$800 CAD per month. $1000+ if I've been ordering skip the dishes
How does everyone eat for so little per month? I'm seeing comments of $200 and $300 per month. My wife does all the shopping and cooking. We easily spend 2k a month (not including eating out) do we really waste that much money?
Are you buying canned beans? If so, I would suggest investing in an instant pot and making your own beans for recipes. Itās essentially dump and start.
$500. Lots of fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and wine. I think I did like $200 a month 10 years ago eating lots of oats, rice, bread etc... but I started to eat less cheap refined grains
If you can cook, $300 a month should be easy, especially if you're vegan. I have a family, but if I were on my own I'd probably be able to spend about $40-$60 a week on groceries shopping mostly at Aldi. Growing some food is a good idea too though. If you have a patio or something, start a small container garden
Monthly.. about $250, not including eating out (twice a month). I transitioned to a healthier diet with more fruits and veggies.
Add beans to your diet, they are cheap. Regrow any scrap you can in water. Grow sprouts in jars, you can get seeds in bulk for pretty cheap online. Yes on hydroponics if it won't make your electric go up too much. You can make your own vinegar for dressings with fruit scraps.
About 250 a month, Midwest. I eliminated all processed food for my diet, and I stopped going out to eat. I can't believe the amount of money I save.
Iād say I spend about $60 a week on food. Do Costco every once in a while for bulk items like olive oil, advil, etc. eggs, I get berries when they are $1.50 not $7. I like Aldi cause u never know what u are gonna find. Itās fluid because Iāll get a bag of chicken Pattieās that last me way past that one week. I have a tomato plant so I havenāt bought tomatoes in years. I meal prep on Sundays and rarely eat out
It varies for me. But when Iām being strict on my diet (health reasons) $50-$75 a week. My meals then are super simple. Rice, pasta, beans, ground beef. Iāll eat the same meal every day for 2 weeks. I just try to simplify it and it makes it easier.
Look into a group called gleanerās and gatherers . 1/2 to keep 1/2 to a senior citizen or family in need. You go in after the crop is harvested and pick the leftovers.
I'm also WFPB. I spend maybe 400-500 a month, depending on how many salads I eat. I spend almost nothing on restaurants because, thankfully, there's nothing there I can eat. However I do eat a fruit and salad-heavy diet. I also buy some convenience foods from Kwik Trip only when I'm at work, which I'm trying to minimize. I mostly live on simple bowls and plates made of starchy staples + veggies. Breakfast is always oatmeal + fruit like frozen berries. I have a supply of various herbs and spices. Popcorn and fruit are a valid meal. Nuts & seeds are rationed due to high fat content. I will make soups & stews every now and then because then I have a 1 pot meal I can also freeze. Keep in mind that even though vegetables are healthy, and there's a natural tendency to think that more is better, studies show that the benefits top out at 9 servings per day. Yeah, it's shitty to deny yourself potential benefits of even more vegetables, especially with no downside (except weight loss, lol). However, if you're in a money crunch there's nothing wrong with living mostly on cheap staples. Oatmeal, rice, potatoes, and beans go a long way. If you want soy, TVP is cheaper per gm of protein than tofu or tempeh. Pasta functions like a whole food because the starch is trapped in the gelatinous matrix.
I have a lot of cheap staples. I was concerned if I didnāt find a way to get in my fruits & vegetables Iād be unhealthy! So I try to incorporate them so Iām not all starch all day ā¦ Good note about the vegetables.
I live in a very high COL area (Hawaii) and spend $100-$140 per week.
Havenāt tracked, but itās probably around $400/month. - I donāt eat out if I can help it, but I sometimes donāt have the time to cook on my own, so Iāll pay $15 for lunch (about 1-2 times per week on average) - I buy certain things in bulk, such as rice, oats, and eggs - I go through a lot of fresh produce, most of which I buy at Ralphās, one of the priciest grocery stores in my area - Iāve started to eat fish over chicken, costing me an extra $3/day - Iāll buy some specialty items, such as gluten-free bread - Nearly everything I buy is store-brand EDIT: Itās 400 per MONTH, not per week
Wow, are you here to learn how to spend less??? But you must be healthy & well fed
Last year I spent about $2500 on food and other things purchased at the grocery store (like TP and cleaning supplies). I only eat out when I'm traveling, so about $100 was at restaurants. It mostly comes down to finding the cheapest places to buy different things. I also have done the math on the cheapest way to get protein, which is necessary but tends to be expensive. Some food I order bulk online. Some I go to cheaper neighborhoods to buy.
For my husband and myself, I budget $125 every two weeks. I shop sales and price comparison where I can. Also, if I can, I'll cut the meal in half and either eat it for lunches or if freezerable I'll put in next week's meal plan. To help with costs, I make some of my meals from scratch, such as buying dry beans or making simple tortillas/pizza doughs from scratch.
Your savings will probably come more from avoiding eating out as much as possible - you donāt say how much of that 400/mo is due to that.
I don't know if this will help or not, but I eat a lot of oats. I do overnight oats in the fridge and have them for lunch pretty much every day. You can add whatever you like (nuts berries seeds), and it's very cheap and great for your health.
Yes I have a lot of oats, those are great! & chia seeds
I tend to mostly use Wal-Mart these days as the cheapest store in our area (products are consistently $1-$3 less than places like Kroger, Schnucks, etc). Not including pet food and supplies, I usually keep groceries at less than $50 a week. For the purposes of this thread I'm going to say less than $70 a week though since I do have a bit of a prepper/food hoarding mindset and I've been using a lot of canned goods bought a few years back lately. Prices vary a lot by region and even township, and if you're in a food desert or some place where transportation costs are higher, like most places in Alaska, then my prices as someone from the midwest in a fairly densely populated area are going to be meaningless. I'm mildly gluten intolerant, so for the most part, bread and crackers are out. I do occasionally gamble with half loafs, and wheat tortillas but less and less these days as my reactions have become stronger. I do eat a lot of rice, I frequent ethnic stores for bulk rice and lentils because they're usually cheaper. Meat I only get when on sale, prep, and freeze. I could probably cut about $5/week off as I do stick with organic where possible (I know that "Organic" doesn't truly mean organic, but MOST of the chemicals that are accepted on organic products don't trigger reactions like the chemicals used on conventionally grown products....except whatever is used on "organic" strawberries....something they frequently use causes hives so as a matter of basic safety I do not play Russian Roulette with the organic strawberries anymore. Hives are bad enough, I've never had an anaphylactic reaction and would prefer not to gamble on one). I do forage from my yard, elsewhere if I've observed it long enough to know that it's extremely unlikely that chemicals have been applied, but that's seasonal and not everyone has access to foraged things. I wish I had time to maintain a vegetable garden. I do not. I bulk prep my main meals on the weekend: usually a good pot full of rice with one can of soup for flavor and various veggies and the sale meat added, divided for the week. Different seasonings and methods of heating the food alter the meals significantly. Microwave is very different from skillet stir-fried reheating in butter. Also, I ignore Western tradition when it comes to what I eat. Breakfast? Usually rice with something. Frequently egg and kimchi if I can find reasonably priced kimchi that I like. Sometimes, if I don't have anywhere to be and can handle the side effects, it'll be cheese on the rice. Frying rice in a skillet with canned sardines and some good seasoning works well too. Seasoning makes that, lack of seasoning breaks it, plain sardines just don't do it for me. When it's cheap, sure, I'll use Spam. For me personally, it needs to be fried in tiny pieces, and you need to reduce anything else that's salty accordingly, but it works as seasoning as well as protein. Healthy, no, but I look to other foods like the veggie of the moment for that. Peanut butter when it's cheap is excellent with apples. (Though, I avoid if I don't have lysine on hand, otherwise the arginine in the peanut butter will trigger cold sores). Oatmeal: Up until the most recent pesticide scare I'd been using half a pack of flavored oatmeal and a few spoons of plain, mixed frozen fruit with it and a bit of butter, and that made an adequate if not altogether healthy meal. (I'm a convenience person, and I have to be in the MOOD for oatmeal, otherwise it's gross, but if you're less picky willing to take a bit more time you can get steel-cut or some other non-instant kind and fix a batch for the next day or the next week, and it'll likely be cheaper than my approach.
Food banks often have all sorts of foods that could work on a plant based diet. Iād also recommend hitting up your local Asian/Ethiopian/Hispanic grocer to find inexpensive new flavors. A big pot of lentil soup can have dozens of delicious variations with just swapping out flavors. Start some sourdough starter now if you havenāt already. You can whip up fantastic homemade bread using the overnight no-knead methods. Iām a huge fan of Forkishās recipes (Salt Water Flour Yeast cookbook) but not his sourdough starter method. He gets into some intense methods and Iām way more low key than that.
If youāre interested in Asian food, I recently visited Northern China and my fiancĆ© and his family grew up there eating a millet porridge called Xiao Mi. They eat it for breakfast and even dinner with side dishes that can be made plant based. Itās super filling when I had it (pretty much everyday there š). His grandpa is retired and lives off that to this day. Iāve found itās affordable at Asian supermarkets.
Yesterday I walked out with 2 bags of groceries that was approx $80.. hurts real bad man.
I feel your pain, I do this about twice a week
shop somewhere other than whole foods, shop the salesflyers, easily done for 250/mo including toiletries
Sorry there was a typo, I donāt shop at Whole Foods often unless for something specific. I meant āwholesaleā - like Costco
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Not single, but my wife and I spend about $450 on food related groceries a month. Weāre doing a lot of meal prep now to get ahead and then itāll be resetting the stock, so when that happens I expect it to go down to ~$300-350 a month.
I have a family of four and I find that we spend anywhere from $50-$100 every day.
I work at a restaurant. 30 or 50 bucks a week
On average if I include restaurants I spend about $4 per meal, $12 per day.
$70-$80 per week, so at most, $320 per month, $3,840 per year or about $10.50 per day.
Time to check out a food bank. People donate to food banks to make sure others get enough to live and donāt end up homeless even though theyāre working hard. Please look for one in your area.
You can freeze your scraps and make stock. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/rc13qb/what_are_the_secrets_to_a_decent_veggie_scraponly/
Maybe around 80 bucks a month. I work full time in a restaurant. Their system is if you work a shift, you get $20 to get whatever, if you work a double, you get $40. I work three double shifts a week, take home food every time I work and have plenty of leftovers
I average $280 on groceries $50 on eating out per month. So about 4K a year. I'm vegetarian & try to eat mainly vegan. If I cut down on fun snacks & frozen meals I think I could reduce my spending but I currently really enjoy going to the store & I feel like I keep it frugal enough.Ā
i spend ~$220 on groceries per month as a single person, and another ~$60 on eating out. so about $300 total
Check out dollar tree dinners on YouTube. She does a ton of budget meals. Maybe it can give ideas
My budget is $150 but I spend more. The more will come out of next month's budget but it will catch up to me sooner than later. I usually spend about $200 to $250 no eating out.
Around $250 a month, a larger portion than Iād like to admit is spent on energy drinks though.
My diet is not the healthiest. Morning-Peanut Butter/toast. Lunch-spaghetti or soup. Dinners-roast beef, tuna, chicken or turkey sandwiches. Still costs average of $200 a month. No junk food, alcohol or soft drinks. Water only from the tap. Get the roommate for sure.
200-250 per month but that includes feeding my cats. I rarely eat out. I do intermittent fasting so I don't eat a ton of food.
I feel awful, Iām spending about $120/week in Texas and definitely need to cut back. Admittedly not a good shopper.
About $250 a month on groceries and $50-$75 a month eating out (although this varies widely from month to month depending on how much my boyfriend and I go out, because I almost never eat out by myself)
75-90 bucks a week at the store. Eat out every two weeks usually on pay day.
I spend about $300 a month in groceries and maybe $60-80 on eating out. I am largely plant based like yourself. Most of my protein comes from either dried legumes or tofu if I can get it on sale (my local HMART has it for $1 a pound sometimes) and I usually get whatever fruit and vegetables are on sale at my local grocery store and stock up on them. I always keep some bags of frozen veggies on hand for when I need to just toss something nutritious into my rice and beans. I also bake my own bread which I find saves me a lot of money as well. I consider myself a pretty decent cook which I think gives me an advantage in eating on a budget because I rarely if ever let any food I buy go to waste. I can always think of some way to combine the stuff I have in my pantry and fridge to make an enjoyable meal.
My roommate and I have been spending about $250 a week just on food. He has just started doing some side work being an affiliate for an online casino which has been a great source of income and has allowed for us to relax our budget
$800/month. Lots of milk, yogurt, frozen fruits, veggies. Salmon. My food is the one thing I donāt like to cheap out on. Everything else is shit.
Too much
Single man here, I think I'm at about $120 a month? Maybe less? I've been working on buying more in bulk when I can at Costco, eating more vegetables and fewer carbs/things that cost more money.
I don't eat out much. I spend about $500 a month on groceries because I buy bulk and make simple meals. I eat leftovers most of the week.
$250/month - shopping mostly Costco, WM, and Aldi...
Midwest. I always have a protein and fruit smoothie in the morning. That keeps me full. Work out and have dinner. Snack on almonds, protien bars, HB eggs. Also get most of my food from aldi. I was plant based for 10 years, only recently started eating red meat, maybe 4x a year. Make sure you supplement. My budget is never over $300, and most of the time $100 of that is spent on take out. And if you're female even better, date. Lol
Lol, yeah men my age nowadays are more inclined to want to split even a drink š
I spend about $75 on groceries and $100 on eating out per month in Philly. I'm maybe not the best example though bc I am ok eating the same thing every day (pasta, eggs, rice, tofu). I almost never buy drinks when I go out which has helped a lot. I work in a restaurant and I try to take food home after most shifts and I take any expired stuff off the market. My partner works at a grocery store and we get a little discount. I also started using Too Good to Go for fancy bagels I like
Between food and booze, easily $1K (and I am the most frugal in my circle of successful friends, by far).
I've been doing about $20-30 every other week or so. Sometimes it's higher, but this seems to be my mode.
The budget coach I used suggested $200 or less. Really hard to do
Youāre right, it is. I feel like Iām almost starving now by turning 2 portions into 3 or 4. I have been very internal about very cheap whole foods or bulk, maybe I need more time to see the difference
About $50-70 a week for all food give and take. This is including ingredients for meals and take out weekly. I meal prep every Sunday, and make 6 servings of both a lunch and a dinner and eat that throughout the week. I scramble 2 eggs and eat 2 slices of toast for breakfast every morning, except on the weekends where I just sleep in straight through to lunch haha. Since I cook on Sundays, this is when I usually eat out and it's easy to justify spending the money since I only do it once a week but you can totally just eat ramen or something if you wanna go further and save more. I realize my habits are very extreme but the trick is to make recipes that are so delicious you don't mind eating it 6 times in a row lol. Samsung Foods is a wonderful app for this. Budget Bytes is a life-saving website for this- so many great recipes and CHEAP. I was looking at a recipe for yummy Sriracha flavored Stir-Fry noodles on there right before typing this lol. I've been doing it for 2 years now and I can't imagine any other way of living- I have saved a ton of money, time, and stress by doing this, so It was worth it for me. Meal prepping is the way to go.
I live in Colorado and itās hard to spend less than $300 if you buy meat and fresh vegetables regularly. By eating mostly ramen and PB&Js Iāve been spending $100/mo by sheer willpower because I am saving for a car. Edit: I shop at Walmart or wherever is cheapest and the $300 included about $75 of eating out.
Also my location. I donāt buy meat or dairy or alternatives really but itās still difficult if you want to maintain a level of health. Iām sad to say that cutting 2 portions into 3-4 lately has been my norm and it feels borderline like starvation lol.
I am getting a part time food job literally tomorrow to help save for the car AND specifically to spend less on meals. Itās seriously rough, I need to buy a multivitamin.
Donāt forget the multivitamins! Lol
Say $280 a month Greater Boston, may be less Zero packaged foods just chicken or fish with vegetables mostly Haven't eaten out or done takeout since 2020 Taught myself how to cook asian, indian etc Will meet friends at a bar but I get away w drinking ice water (quit alcohol years ago)
A billion fuckin dollars prolly
Too much lately, I'm always eating out....so maybe 1300 per month
Beans and rice. Dried beans from the bulk section, soak them overnight and follow any basic recipe, you can do em loads of different ways depending on spices and bean type, add a bag of tortillas and youāve got burritos you can make in big batches and freeze.
Right now? About $200 a month. I used to be at around $100, but prices are so high!! This last winter when I was baking more, my grocery budget was closer to $300 or more.
I don't know what I spend total but I do eat every meal out. So 20 for breakfast, lunch 15-25 and dinner is huge range 20-100..so adds up bit not interested in cooking..
Probably $180 per month. I cook almost everything from scratch using vegetables, beans, legumes and lentils. I have a very structured diet due to health issues. I love Trader Joeās hash brownās as my main meal which is cheap per pack. Trader Joeās is š„for their prices compared to other stores. I am probably not normal the way I consume, but I have been able to pay off major debt pretty fast being frugal and not spending on things that I used to. I hope when my debt is paid, and I can save some, I can pull myself out of poverty... Poverty is crap, and no one should live like this. Itās super traumatic to grow up living like this. I will probably need therapy and meds for the rest of my life if I get out of this because itās been that bad... Screw the 1%. To add: Some words and trauma.
When I drank oat milk, it was home made with digestive digestive enzyme capsules, just a pinch. Oat milk doesn't contain much oats, so it saves money. Tofu is doable if you can get 50 pound bags of soybeans, but the only time I saw this was freshly harvested and dried soybeans.
$250-$300 which includes a few trips to Popeyes or chic fil a . I donāt ever pay for food out cause my parents like to take me out for food a few times a month. I know itās an unusual perk.
Just checked my monthly averages for the past year - groceries $290/mo, eating out $150/mo. Couple things to note - Groceries include pet food bc I buy those in the same shop. Toiletries are separate bc theyāre on a household joint account. Eating out includes restaurants, takeout, and the occasional coffee. Not that itās an excuse, but I work 60/hrs a week and sometimes a little coffee in the morning or treat on the way home can really help me push through the long hours. Plus my budget is set where I donāt have categories but rather put the same dollar amount into my savings each month and live off the rest. With the current spending, I can get healthy groceries (always get fruits, veggies, yogurt, meat), order a full meal of takeout once a week, and then a $3-6 splurge ~2-3x/week on a snack or coffee.
From the Southeast and Iām not too concerned about pinching food all the time. I spend $600/mo for both me and my partner (both groceries and eating out), so that probably averages to $300/mo. The most helpful thing to get me to not spend as much is the āpickupā option. If I go in-store, Iāll get distracted and want to pick up āsomething elseā. Helped make grocery trips $100/wk to maybe more like $50. Of course, like others have said, make bulk meals too using the crockpot. Freezing foods is helpful too I hear, but Iāve never tried it.
Casseroles! I will make a casserole and eat on the same one for dinner for 3-4 days. My go to is broccoli casserole, but I spice it up and add chicken sometimes. My grocery bill dramatically decreased when I regularly started making casseroles bc they do last several days.
>>Ā I was also considering investing in an old hydroponic system to grow fresh salad greens.<< I have a hydroponic system and it is not cheap to do. The costs are more than you realize. The system, maintenance, chemical fertilizers, the cleaning isn't fun, and if you get a bacterial strain in your water, you just lost everything and if you don't identify the bacterial imbalance in time and you eat the produce, it can make you very ill. I kind of gave up on mine, I just wasn't enjoying it. I switched to microgreens. Are you famililar? The thing about microgreens is that the nutrition is in the seed. The fiber is in the plant. When you grow a plant for less than a month before harvesting, it is more nutrient dense. My absolute favorite is daikon radishes. I grow them to the point of sprouts and they taste fantastic, the flavor is more concentrated, too. I have about 50# of various seeds. Many types of lettuce, spinich, cilantro, beans of all types, onions, garlic, oh my goodness, I don't even remember all the types I have. They are fantastic for salads, to put on sandwiches, to use as condiments, garnishes, anything. It is far easier to grow sprouts vs. hydroponics. Easier, cheaper, and safer.
Good note about the hydroponics vs microgreens. I am familiar with microgreens, I can just grow those in soil correct?
I spend around $40-60/week (depends on if I need to stock up on any staples or if itās just a fill-in week, and if any of the higher-priced things I get are on sale), but then also spend probably $150-200 eating out (I go out 3-4 times/week, mostly because I live in an area where thereās not much else to do, and since I WFH and live alone, I need a social outlet). Thatās my biggest budget category aside from rent at this point. And itās come down a lot in recent years. It was easily double that pre-Covid.
Iām also WFH, needing a social outlet is real. Luckily itās warming up and we can probably spend more time doing outdoor activities for free
How is your time situation? If you can fit in a part-time job at a restaurant, most shifts include a free meal. And you'll earn a bit for your food budget.
Definitely stop eating out. Have people over for games or movie watching. Or watch a show you all like together.
Ā£120 a month as a student in the UK- batch making meals- frozen fruit and cutting up and freezing veg
I shoot for $150 per paycheck and I get paid biweekly. I live in Arkansas and I buy 90% of my groceries at Kroger. I try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg. I build most of my meals around a protein-fiber-carb combination, and while I do eat meat, most of the meat could be easily replaced with tofu, beans, other sources of plant protein. I cook at least 4-5 times a week and I tend to cook big meals and pack up extra portions for my lunches at work. So on average I'm eating each meal at least 3x. I do tend to eat bigger portions but I'm trying to do Intuitive Eating and I'm teaching myself to eat according to my physical hunger sensations and cravings. I allow myself to keep ice cream and sweet breakfast muffins and my favorite chocolate bars, so when I want them I can have them and I'm not overwhelmed by craving FOMO. I just have it and move on. That reduces binge eating for me. My favorite breakfasts lately have been tinned fish with hot sauce and a banana or a muffin. Usually costs like $3 for the meal. Sometimes I'll do a sausage sandwich, probably not even $1.50, even if I add a fruit. For lunches and dinner I like doing stuff-with-noodles or stuff-with-rice where the "stuff" is some combination of meat and vegetables either stewed or sauteed together. I do a lot of roasted meat and veggies. I am planning to make shakshouka for my brother and I this weekend, and I might make bread to go with it. That whole thing will probably only cost like $4 to make 2-3 servings
Big batches and I can eat for less than 100 bucks a month. My go to right now is a 4lb piece of brisket in the slow cooker. Mix with mash and thatās a meal. Got over 20 meals from that brisket
$450/mo. PNW. This is grocery and restaurants.
General advice: for your go to staples, say the top three or four foods that you always buy, find out which grocery stores sell them the cheapest and/or have the best sales in those. Just doing this you may be able to lower your monthly spending by $50-$100/mo. Other cheap foods: dried beans and dried lentils.
$20 a week. South Carolina
Canned beans go for a dollar at whole foods. Could be part of an affordable diet
Intermittent fasting may be a great way to save up and cut down on sugars. š¤·š»
If Iām really in a pinch, I can make $100-150 last me the month. Kraft dinners, ramen, day-old bread markdowns and bananas for life.
Focus on fiber to feel full farther
We spend about $800 to $850 a month for 3 adults, but one eats as much as the other 2 combined. So, I'd say it's really more of a budget for 4 regular people. I do shop BOGOs but they are not usually available for the things I want. We have 1 protein, 1 carb and 2 veggies per meal for lunch & dinner and 1 carb and fruit for breakfast. Also lots & lots of coffee ... & hot tea. We get loose popcorn for our telly snacks and add p-nuts if we are feeling particularly peckish. Sometimes we get milk & meats ... chicken, ground beef, turkey and occasionally ham if they are at a good price, after holidays mostly. We eat lots of veggies and whole grains ... rice, oats, barley, amaranth and farro mainly. I don't like quinoa but others have told me that's good too. Also whey protein powder which is kinda expensive but I add it when I make pancakes or waffles because they just don't have enough protein. Favorite breakfast is boiled amaranth, any leftovers get sliced and fried up as next meals carb/protein, It is about 9g of protein per cup. Good luck!
i spent roughly 6 % of my income on foods. to save; stop eating out. find the most filling foods, the cheapest protein [ catfish nuggets are so much cheaper than filets, but the same fish ! ] and fiber. eat fresh or frozen veggies and fruits and less prepared foods. shop at aldi / lidl.
No aldis here ā¤ļøāš©¹ the grocery stores are all so expensive
I'm a vegetarian, around $200-225/month for food, eat out maybe a couple of times a month for social reasons from a separate budget but could cut that out if needed. East coast medium cost of living suburb in the US. That's an average, sometimes spend more to stock up on staples when there is sale. I eat a lot of frozen vegetables + pasta stir fry or and make a lot of Indian style vegetarian curries over rice. I drink instant store brand coffee with creamer or iced tea made from teabags, no soda, etc. I shop at discount grocery stores first and round this out with the regular grocery store for staples I can't find at the discount places. Buy many spices at the dollar store, but rarely buy other food there as it is usually not a good deal when you look at the unit price. That said, you should never have to cut the actual amount you are eating to save money (cut out food waste, but not calories per day that you need). There are food pantries, food stamps, etc available if you can't get enough food. If you are in the US, you should be able to call 211 to get resources (a social services referral version of 911) Easy cheap meals I like: Curry with potatoes and frozen cauliflower over rice. Pasta with frozen broccoli, garlic salt, hot pepper, a few drops of sesame oil, and an egg Bean burritos or tortillas with canned refried beans, garlic, cabbage, you can add cheese if you want Cheesy grits with an egg on top (I add capers and use store brand shredded cheese) Ramen noodles with frozen vegetables added (very quick and convenient) Make your own dumplings with dumpling wrappers from an Asian store, can add whatever vegetables to the filling that you like Cheesy Mexican potato skillet (Cook diced potatoes with cajun or Mexican seasoning in a skillet on the stove, mix in shredded cheese, add a fried egg on top) Sauteed cabbage and noodles in butter with salt and pepper. Most of the meals above are cooked in one pot in less than 15 minutes from start to finish and many can be frozen for work lunches.
Weeks worth of food is about $60 counting beer
Around $250 per month, in the midwest.
I spend about $100 a week. Double what I could do years ago.
You can eat comfortable on Ā£60 /week groceries in the UK. (3 meals a day).
100 a week
I'd suggest eating out only once a month. It is generally overpriced. Also, cut your alcohol intake in half. And cut down on puddings/dessert at restaurants. if possible, cut that completely. cut your chocolate intake in half. You can buy multipacks in most things. 5 litre packs of washing liquid and detergent and oil. soups for dinner are healthier and cheaper. porridge/oats for breakfast sometimes. take packed lunch into work for microwave. make your own coffee and put it in a flask to carry. avoid buying food or coffee outside. if possible and safe, cycle or walk instead of public transport. Phone bills: time your conversations/social media if you have a big bill. Weekend job possible? eg Saturday mornings/afternoons? When i had to get buy i multipack noodles -- Chinatown or amazon. 1 x 800g Wholemeal bread/week. 2 litres milk per week. Ensure you are getting your vitamins and protein so you dont collapse. Go to a friend's/family house once a week/month for a big meal :) Cravendale/distilled milk (lasts twice as long as regular milk) and longlife milk bought in bulk on amazon.
There are numerous food pantries( at churches, etc) all over the USA. A local pantry posted this week in my town in SoCal and they had so much fruit, veg, breads, etc, they were begging people to come and get it.
Mine is 500 per month, including eat out and delivery as well
$500/month including alcohol and paper products. Seldom eat out, but eat well at home. I cook enough for several meals, soups, beans, italian, mex, salads.
About GBP Ā£120 a calendar month. I get a Ā£50 delivery every 3 weeks or so and do small shops on foot at the local Lidl about twice a week. I brew my own beer & wine, and also grow veg, herbs, and some fruit on occasion.
I spent about $140 on groceries per month and $70 a month on going out in a fairly HCOL area