How to Survive on a $30 2-Week Grocery Budget

[introverting]

Good suggestions in the comments section as well.

www.thepennyhoarder.com/food/two-week-grocery-budget/

 

[GotSmart]

That diet would kill me.  Quickly.  

 

[jonsun]

I could get that way lower


Two bags cheap Corn Flakes
2-3 cans evaporated milk
One 32-ounce box of pasta from dollar store - $1
pasta sauce made from tomato paste @ $.40-60 a can x2 cans
Sliced bread: $1
A 12-pack of sliced cheese: $2.22 9 (I hate sliced cheese so substitute peanut butter and grated parm)
Three yellow onions: $2.85
make bread in dutch oven from scratch - $.50
dry soup mix - $3-4

 

[SoulRaven]

I would not have bought the fancy bread. Probably would have chosen old-fashioned oatmeal over the corn flakes. Rice over pasta and some cheap vegetables. Grilled cheese and tomato soup has always been a favorite, oh, but I do love peanut butter. I would have tried to fit a dozen of eggs in the budget too.

 

[LeeRevell]

This sounds more like what I'd do too. And Ramen. Also, a pack of eight frozen Burritos is just less than 8 bucks, say a buck apiece. One of these with a cheapo side make a meal. Two are a feast.

 

[FastEddie313]

Anything you can shoot and eat around there?

 

[#1BonBonQueen]

I can't eat that cereal for a whole 2 weeks. That would make me ill. lol
I would have bought some potatoes, eggs, the pasta is OK, but since I always have some of that on hand, I wouldn't buy that when my money was so scarce.
I would not buy the sliced cheese either, but it would be OK, if you like it.
I would be eating a lot better on less, if I had to, my hubby and I always discuss this and how we can stop over spending when we need to, and we do it all the time.
That carb diet is a diabetic coming on. How sad that so many people can't cook their own foods and do it reasonably. We have lost that in our society how to cook with nothing but what is in the cupboard. Sad, really sad.
Sharon

 

[jonsun]

if carbs are a worry you could substitute corn flakes with eggs. pasta with egg noodles.

if you have an aldi's around I think a dozen eggs can be had for well under a dollar. buy in bulk for tuna salads, hard boiled, scrambled, etc.

a good way to make chili is to get it in a can and use those onions and maybe some canned tomato and with a tiny amount of beef its enough to give it proper flavor. season to taste.

use leftover beef in conjunction with refried beans and rice for burrito's. use leftover tortillas for eggs.

 

[minimotos95]

Veggies, peanut butter, seeds, flour, beans, potatoes, oatmeal, rice, a 99c french bread loaf or two for making subs and most importantly actually taking time to prepare and cook meals can keep you under $30 every 2 weeks. Even with luxuries/addictions like coffee and sugar I am not far over that budget. I'm actually goin in depth tracking my grocery bill this month to figure out the exact number, I already spent more than I should have on overpriced habaneros(walmart) and "organic" potatoes but that was only an extra few bucks

Daily vitamins and nutritional yeast to get what you need to process plant proteins.
cheap meats, like chicken can be replace beans.

 

[bullfrog]

Our big problem is portions, we make too much and allow ourselves to eat too much, especially when made from scratch.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Way too many heavily processed starches for me.

 -- Spiff

 

[steamjam1]

30 bux for two weeks?

Hmmm

Id get two cans of black beans, two small cans of corn kernels, flour tortillas, and a few packs of uncle bens instant rice, or a bag of basmati rice if your good at cooking rice. A pack of dried beef, and a dozen eggs and some cheap bread. A bottle of Tapatio hot sauce, and some chips. Ive done it before. Not quite for two weeks tho. A week and a few days. I know I could manage two weeks if I had too.

 

[firebob]

Were only talking about 36 meals for me and snack food.

I would need 4 pounds of meat that's marked down or on sale. A small bags on onions. 4 pounds of lentils. 1 or 2 brand x bags of cereal eaten dry as snakes depending on what i'm doing the 2 weeks. 2 boxes store brand onion soup or beef and onion soup mix.

The bad part is i eat like this most of the week anyway. I like to make a big stir fry once a week.

 

[sushidog]

Instead of buying meat you could get a couple mousetraps, bait them with a little of the cheese you bought and try to catch a squirrel or two. Buy a little rice, a bag of potatoes, a little flour and oil and make a great squirrel stew that you can eat off of a few days. If the authorities say anything you can just tell them you were trying to catch a pesky mouse and just happened to catch a squirrel by mistake - and since you didn't want it going to waste....

Chip

 

[ArtW]

Okay, if I weren't diabetic:
Big bag o beans: 3 bux
Big bag o Rice: 3 bux
loaf o cheapo bread: 1buk
Margerine: 1 buk
8 bux for 2 weeks food
If I wanted fancy I'd add a bit of meat for flavor

since i am diabetic, I can't eat like that anymore, which sux, because I used to love my rice and beans

Haven't figured out how to 30 bux or less a week, let alone 2 since i have become diabetic, I'm sure it could be done though

 

[LeeRevell]

Instead of buying meat you could get a couple mousetraps, bait them with a little of the cheese you bought and try to catch a squirrel or two. Buy a little rice, a bag of potatoes, a little flour and oil and make a great squirrel stew that you can eat off of a few days. If the authorities say anything you can just tell them you were trying to catch a pesky mouse and just happened to catch a squirrel by mistake - and since you didn't want it going to waste....

Chip

Poor people in cities have been known to trap and eat pigeons, aka "skyrats".
Squab, anyone? ;-)

 

[bLEEp]

Pigeons and rats are both edible....
I'd personally gig some frogs and try to catch a few fish if cold water was around, can't stand mushie nasty bottom feeding warm water catfish or the like. Crawdads, pine nuts, watercress, mushrooms (I am a trained identifier, there is no such thing as an old, bold, mushroom hunter for a reason lol). And YES the Dutch oven bread for sure! Brown rice is cheap and sooo good and healthy. Def down with the dry soup mixes.
I'm a pro at eating cheap and foraging, I like the challenge.

 

[bullfrog]

Snake and eggs with cactus jelly! Squirrel or rabbit gravy! Frog legs! Got Stripper meat in the fridge, and I still spend more than $30 a week on oil, flour,sauce, sweets, chips, and all the other stuff that goes with it but then that is why I'm so fat!

 

[FastEddie313]

Snake and eggs with cactus jelly!

I hear rattlesnake is really good eating..
Then, if you skin it correctly, head, rattle, you might be able to sell it on CL for more food budget??

And what about food pantries?
Around here, if you want, their are many places you can go once a week to get a nice big box full of food..

 

[highdesertranger]

I have eaten rattlesnake. it's like undercooked calamari(rubber bands) with a ton of bones and there ain't much meat between the bones. highdesertranger