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Many couples and single parent households have tight budgets. Often, food is a major line item. While you can’t go completely without, it is possible to cut what you spend dramatically. Plus, you can lower this expense without eating poorly, as long as you plan it right. If you want to find out how to eat well on $100 a month, here’s what you need to know.

Eating Well on $100 Per Month

For most, eating well means handling your nutritional needs without too much junk. Usually, you want a bit of variety, as well as tasty meals.

Usually, the easiest way to begin is to find low-cost meal foundations. Traditionally, this means inexpensive whole grains purchased in bulk. This could include rice, couscous, quinoa, or even whole grain pasta.

Protein Options

When it comes to proteins, you have a few options. Both beans and eggs are great choices, and they can come with fairly small price tags when purchased the right way. For eggs, you want to get large bundles, such as a five-dozen pack, as you’ll pay less per egg. For beans, opt for dry over canned or frozen, as they give you the best bang for your buck.

However, if you consider yourself a meat-eater, you can add some in without busting your budget. Whole chickens can be used to create several meals and are reasonably affordable, making them a great place to start. Canned tuna can work, too. Additionally, you can always shop meat sales to add in some variety.

Fruits and Veggies

For fruits and veggies, frozen is usually your friend. Packages can be stored for a long time, so you can buy large bags if the price per ounce is better than small ones. Plus, frozen produce maintains its nutritional value.

However, certain fruits are fairly frugal, if you’d rather have fresh. For example, apples, oranges, and bananas may all work, especially if they are on sale.

Since a healthy diet doesn’t usually contain a ton of dairy, you can focus on low-cost options that you’ll use sparingly. Store brand shredded cheese, sour cream, or butter are examples. You can also go for milk, if you’d prefer.

Don’t waste money on beverages if you can avoid it, as tap water is usually enough to cover your needs. But, if you simply must have a caffeine fix, go for low-cost bulk coffee or tea bags.

Creating Grocery List for Two Under $100 a Month

Exactly what your grocery list will look like will depend on your eating preferences as well as prices in your local area. Additionally, sales can alter what you choose, as there may be a great deal that lets you get more for less.

However, certain staples should make nearly every monthly shopping list, including:

Eggs or Dried Beans (or both)
Rice, Couscous, Quinoa, or Whole Grain Pasta
Fruits (either frozen or frugal)
Frozen Veggies
Low-Cost Dairy

That approach covers all of your nutritional bases, ensuring you can eat well on just $100 a month.

Do you think a grocery list for two under $100 can work? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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$50 Grocery List

1 box of cereal or oatmeal ($2)

1/2 gallon of milk ($2)

Dozen eggs ($1)

Butter/Margarine ($1)

1 loaf of bread ($1)

1 jar of jelly ($2)

1 jar of peanut butter ($2)

Fruit ($3.50)

Bananas and apples are usually cheapest but you can find good deals different times of the years.

Vegetables ($7)

Like the fruits, you can mix this up based on your preferences and needs.
Don’t forget frozen veggies make great sides and are oftentimes much cheaper than fresh veggies.

Yogurt ($3)

Canned soup ($2)

Canned tomatoes ($1)

Marinara sauce ($2)

Canned beans ($1)

1 pound of meat ($3)

Pasta ($1)

Rice ($2)

The above list will allow for cereal/oatmeal or eggs for breakfast. You can also choose to have fruit and yogurt if you’d like. Lunchtime will call for PB&J sandwiches. You can snack on some veggies, fruit or yogurt with your lunch as well. For dinner you can end the day with soup, spaghetti or meat-based dish with rice.

You may have noticed that the above list only adds up to $36.50 (about $40 with tax). This leaves room for $10 of wiggle room week-to-week. So if you want to buy more veggies one week or more meat, you can. You can also eliminate items if you don’t need them. For instance, if you only used half a box of pasta you won’t need to purchase another this week.

So, how do you go about making one of these $50 grocery lists for yourself?

How to Create Your Own Generic Grocery List

Keep in mind that most generic grocery lists like the one above are not adhering to any food allergies or diet restrictions (gluten allergies, diabetes, etc). Each person’s $50 grocery list will look different, however, it is a good place to start.

If you want to create your own $50 grocery list from scratch you’ll want to gather a few things. First, take a look in your kitchen and decide what your go-to meals and kitchen staples (things you HAVE to have) are. You’ll want to make a running list of thing like flour, sugar, etc that need replaced sparingly so you can add them to your list when you need to purchase them.

Then you’ll want to break meals and grocery list items down by meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks). Make sure that you cover all the food groups and that you’ll have enough for each meal throughout the week.

While a $50 grocery list may not be very glamorous, sticking to a budget can lead to a stable financial life (something we should all strive for). Will you try this $50 grocery list or create your own? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

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How to Eat Well on $100 per Month