$30 a week

[momma4]

Re: $30 a week

OMG that is awesome I am going to have to try your method cause I am feeding 7 ppl here and our grocery bill is over $100 a week + We have started eating salads with every other meal or so which has cut my veggie costs to about $13 a week and I try to keep meat costs to about $70 a week so about $10 per meal. If you add that up that does not include dairy, cereal, or any extras nor cleaning supplies.

[momma4]

Re: $30 a week

milk- was on sale this week for .88 1/2 gal
biscuits on sale for 5 for 1.00; .40
1 jar any kind pizza sauce (.58 cents)
1 pkg. mozzarella cheese ($.99)
1 8 count hamburger buns (.65 cents)
Eggs in a Basket- $.59
Cereal 3X .98 for a box
Baked Apples -$1.50
DRINKS- Water-milk and juice .59

I just reread this wow you have low prices in your area. even on sales.
milk here never goes below $1.80 for a half gal, biscuits are $1 container(if you get the tubes), pizza sauces are $1.99+, Mozzarella chs is $2.99+, hamburger buns I got lucky and the cheapest I got them was 79¢, eggs are like 99¢+ (depends on season I guess cause I have seen lg eggs for $1.60 at the store), OMG $1 for cereal you are so lucky the least I have paid is maybe $1.70, Apples are $2.99 a bag, wow water, juice and milk for a week for you guys is only 59¢ wow we are spending like $21 on juice and milk a week. I am so grateful for WIC they save us alot otherwise we would only drink water here. Anyway I still love your weekly budget and I am going to try to do it myself I just might have to double it since there is 7 of us here. OH how do you deal with too many snackers? I swear it is like they are in the fridge all day. I am trying to figure out how I am going to make what I have in the fridge work for the next two weeks but if ppl don't keep their hands out of the food we won't make it. I have already told them "IT HAS TO LAST TIL THE 8th or we will stare" plain and simple next weeks check is pretty much gone rent is due I will have ONLY $15 for food next week and I figured I could get 4lz of bread, 1 bag of carrots, Mushrooms(?), cheese, and that was about all I think we could afford.

[niki_the_tiger]

Re: $30 a week

Wow none of the stores around here offer prices so low!! About once or twice a year we can get a dozen eggs for $0.77... the rest of the time they are $1.99 for a dozen. Milk is $2.89 at the cheapest for one gallon (gas station). Cheese comes on sale for $2.00 for a package, no cheaper. And cereal is always $2.00 or more.

There is a store called "Sav-A-Lot" that offers a little bit cheaper prices - but it is 60 miles away... and with the price of gas... it's not worth it.

We're going to try buying in bulk and see if that cuts costs.

[catlover15]

Re: $30 a week

I wish my the grocery store I shop at had such low prices. Where do you shop?

[catlover15]

Re: $30 a week

Wow none of the stores around here offer prices so low!! About once or twice a year we can get a dozen eggs for $0.77... the rest of the time they are $1.99 for a dozen. Milk is $2.89 at the cheapest for one gallon (gas station). Cheese comes on sale for $2.00 for a package, no cheaper. And cereal is always $2.00 or more.

There is a store called "Sav-A-Lot" that offers a little bit cheaper prices - but it is 60 miles away... and with the price of gas... it's not worth it.

We're going to try buying in bulk and see if that cuts costs.

The prices at my store are about the same, but a little higher, I think.

[markio26]

Re: $30 a week

in the summer and winter times.. i can spend under $25 a week on groceries, we use our stockpile... in the spring and fall, we are busy working on other projects, and do not have alot of prep time.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: $30 a week

*bumping*

what great recipies OP!

I can live on $30 a week for groceries so long as the expensive items like meat are already stockpiled in the freezer & I think that's pretty good for a family of 4

[ggbwg]

Re: $30 a week

WOW i have not checked back on this thread for a while, MAN GLAD I DID!!! Nice recipes and nice comments thank you. Well alot has changed since then. My budgeting has increased and i am going to have to go back to the basics. We're at $100 -$200 every 2 weeks. What changed so much hubby switched jobs has longer hours leaves me no time to cook or do errands and we have a 6 month old now. Laura

[Beckiboo]

I just couldn't do it! I could not feed my family for $30 per week! I'm impressed by your ability to shop and cook so frugally!

I do have an idea for a cheap snack. Did your kids ever have those frozen uncrustable sandwiches? They serve them at our school as the alternative "hot lunch" choice, instead of plain old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Well, the kids say the uncrustables are pretty yucky, but I found a recipe on-line and they LOVE IT!

You simply spread two slices of bread with peanut butter, and then add jelly on one slice, but only in the middle. We use jelly, marshmallow fluff, or chocolate hazelnut filling in the center. Next put the sandwich together, and the peanut butter edges will kind of seal, keeping the filling inside. Then put each one in individual ziplocs to freeze. I actually have the kids make them up (ages 8 and 12), and it provides them with a filling snack later.

The chocolate hazelnut filling is costly, and maybe the individual ziplocs. But this is a great use for bread that might be leftover to get stale. Or we often make up extra sandwiches when bread is on sale. My kids prefer to eat them frozen, although occasionally they will take one to school for lunch.

[jamiefic]

That's great! I do about $50 a week and try to plan meals around sale items. Where do you shop to get those prices? Just curious!

[Aleta]

The article reads $30 a week and the thread started in 2005. It's now over 3 years later. I wonder what the original poster is paying weekly today?

[belic3000]

$48.03 for 23.28. Can I do better?

Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix $1.99
$1.00 COUPON $.99

WHITE LILY PLAIN FLOUR $2.99
$2.99

(2) Ortega Taco Shells $1.64
$.75 COUPON $2.53

1 lb. Pinto Beans $1.19
$1.19

Jello Pudding Singles (6 pack) $1.49
$1.00 COUPON $.49

Hungry Jack Maple Syrup $3.49
$.50 COUPON $2.99

(5) Wyler's Grape Mix $.20
$1.00

Montery Jack Block Cheese (8 oz) $3.49
Store Coupon 1.50 $1.99

(5) Dannon Yogurt $2.99
(5) Store Coupons 1.50 (5) Coupons $1.00 $.95

Gallon Milk $2.35
$2.35

1/2 Gallon Chocolate Milk $2.45
$2.45

(3) Orange Juice $7.17
(3) Store Coupon 1.50 $2.67

Helluva Good French Onion Dip $2.19
Store Coupon 1.50 $.69

Total $48.03 $23.28


This is at Piggly Wiggly. Normally. The milk and chocolate milk would be hot tab with store coupons, but not this week.

[Madwand]

$30 bucks to live on for a week.

I would buy:

Lots of beans and rice.
Tuna Fish
Milk
Oatmeal
Bread
Turkey from deli
Ground beef
Spagehti
Potatoes

I could live a week on these things for a long time.

[ThriftoRama]

Two favs at my house:

Vegetarian Chili
2 large cans of dice tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chick peas
1 can pinto beans
1 onion
Sautee onion, add all canned items and simmer on low. Add chili powder to taste. It keeps well for leftovers too.

And Pizza Boats
1 loaf french bread
mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce
SLice open french bread. cover in pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.

[KatieNK]

Here is a great link to the USDA website where they plan out 2 weeks of thrifty and healthy meals, along with the recipes and a shopping list

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/MiscPubs/FoodPlansRecipeBook.pdf

It is really neat! Some of the meals do not appeal to me, but the others are great ideas for cheap meals that are also very easy to make and are good for you. Sometimes I just pick out a few meals to make and it helps make weekly meal planning really easy.