If you’re on a tight budget, you may think the only food you can afford are bologna sandwiches or bags of chocolate chip cookies but the truth is you can eat well even if you don’t have much money. You just need to know a few tips.
1. Eat at home – Eating at restaurants can be very expensive. A family of three could spend $30 or $40 at most restaurants for one meal. Cooking at home will cost you a fraction of that price, plus you’ll have more control over ingredients.
2. Spend less for produce – Local supermarkets charge a fortune for produce, but produce is important if you want to eat healthy and/or tasty meals. Look for other options for buying your produce, such as the farmer’s market where growers can sell their foods directly to customers for much less. You could also consider growing some of your own produce, such as tomatoes or strawberries.
3. Stock up during sales – Most supermarkets run weekly sales. Take advantage of these opportunities to stock up your kitchen with items you enjoy eating or need for cooking. You may spend a little more initially but you’ll end up saving money in the long run and being able to enjoy the food you really love.
4. Buy meat in bulk – Another supermarket secret is that bulk meat is often cheaper per pound. Unless you have a big family, those gigantic slabs of steaks or mounds of ground chuck may never have caught your eye. But you can purchase meat, divide it into smaller portions in freezer bags, and save it in your freezer for months. Make sure to mark each bag with the date so you’ll know when the meat needs to be used.
5. Shop with a list – Never go to the grocery store without knowing exactly what you need. Pushing a cart down those aisles of delicious food can be tempting and you can end up spending a fortune on food without even having a clear idea of the meals you are going to cook. Put together a meal plan for the week and use that plan as the basis for your list. Make sure to write down everything you need and even plan for snack foods.
6. Shop on a full stomach – Cutting down your grocery bill also means only shopping when the food will be least appealing. Never go into the store when you are hungry or thirsty. You’ll end up filling your cart without everything that makes your stomach growl and your bill will be sky high.
7. Try new recipes – One reason people want to eat at restaurants is the idea of trying new foods. Most of us just eat the same foods over and over again at home. Borrow cookbooks from your local library and try a new recipe at least once a week.
8. Make favorite meals at home – Maybe your favorite luxurious meal at a restaurant is lasagna. Well, that’s fairly easy to make at home, too. The cost may be higher but you’ll be making a larger batch. Save the rest of the lasagna and use it for lunches or even for a future dinner.
Remember that eating well doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Just follow the pointers above and you should be well on your way to delicious meals even on a tight budget.
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Skip the meat. It is overpriced, and you can’t afford it. (OK, maybe chicken or something.) Potatoes are the cheapest food you can eat. You probably don’t want to drink milk at your age.
Never buy anything in a supermarket box, jar or can if you do not get some kind of discount.
The less money you spend on food, the better off you are. We have been living on about $300/ month for a family of four for many years now. It just means that we skip most of the junk.
We are going to start making large batches on weekends, so that we can have better things to eat during the week, when we don’t have much time to cook. We can avoid even more snack foods that way.
Produce doesn’t necessarily cost a lot – sometimes it’s the cheapest thing going. It definitely helps if you live in an agricultural state – I live in CA, and there are always deals to be had on produce at my local supermarket. Probably the most important thing is to buy what’s in season – everything tastes better in season, and prices can be more than 50% lower. This also helps to maintain variety through the year, and avoid falling into a rut of eating the same things every week.
One great thing for produce is a local mexican market. They work with local growers and smaller-scale farmers than big companies do. The produce is fresher, tastier and you save 25-70% depending on what you are buying. They also have a bit more variety — they may only have two kinds of lettuce, but sometimes it’s the only place where you can find okra and tamarinds.
If you have a costco card, I highly recommend going for cases of soymilk (12 for $10). They come in small quarts and don’t have to be refrigerated until you open them. They last about a year before opening and about a week after you open them. I find them incredibly handy, and a good way to get in protein (plus I hate regular milk). I’ve also used dried milk (look in the baking section) with great success — you really can’t find a better deal than 40 gallons for $11.
Bags of frozen (skinless, boneless) chicken are a great buy. They save time and money and they are good for you. I’ve price-compared whole chickens and found that the bags save money and help prevent waste.
Even though I’m not a hillbilly or a housewife lol, I like http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com . They have very nutritious (free) meal plans that can feed a family of 4-6 for $45/week and another one that feeds a family for $75/week. You’ll probably have to swap some foods that you like, but you can eat very cheaply. One thing is that she is very religious (bible verses sprinkled on the site), but isn’t preachy and doesn’t judge anyone. She also seems pretty open-minded.
I’ve been really studying her site recently, trying to whittle my food bills down as far as possible while still having the fresh foods that I really love.
Don’t get stuck in potato-land. It’s really tempting to just buy 50 lbs of potatoes and call it a day, but variety is necessary! Just eating the same vegetables all the time will drive you crazy and make you want to eat out more.
PS: I am also a “Debt Kid” (23)
Does anyone know where I can find more information about this?