Could you eat on $30 a week?

[Scarpozzi]

A good way to get cheap spices is bulk buy the big containers from restaurant supply stores with friends and family splitting the cost, then divide them up into smaller containers.

I typically just buy them from Sam's Club or the dollar stores in bulk or for under $1....


If I need specialty spices, I go to the organic food stores...

 

[gothamhunter]

You aren't buying all that on 30 a week....show me a reciept

You're a moron:

1 carton of grade A large eggs: $1.40
Eat 2 eggs for breakfast at 8am

1 pound of Red seedless grapes: 99cents
Eat a small handful every day at 10am

Frozen bags of chicken breast, just iced and nothing else: $6x2
For lunch, eat with part of a bag of Dole Salad mix, 99cents

1 pound bag of baby carrots: $2 if not on sale
Eat small handful at 2 or 3pm

For dinner, eat chicken with part of a bag of vegetables, say I mix them up and get corn, beans, and peas, so 97cents x 3

Man, look at that. A full week of healthy meals. That total comes to..what...
01.40
00.99
12.00
00.99
02.00
+02.91
20.29
+tax
21.70

Plenty of room to buy some milk, maybe some peaches at $1.50/lb, some fresh deli lunch meat at $2/lb, etc...

How much of that is processed? Maybe 5% because it's packaged.

So screw you from someone who's not retarded and just knows how to shop.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

For my roommate? About 95% of her diet is unprocessed. Unprocessed foods are cheaper than processed in general. She can eat for a day on the cost of a box of cheez-its.

I don't believe it.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

You're a moron:

1 carton of grade A large eggs: $1.40
Eat 2 eggs for breakfast at 8am

1 pound of Red seedless grapes: 99cents
Eat a small handful every day at 10am

Frozen bags of chicken breast, just iced and nothing else: $6x2
For lunch, eat with part of a bag of Dole Salad mix, 99cents

1 pound bag of baby carrots: $2 if not on sale
Eat small handful at 2 or 3pm

For dinner, eat chicken with part of a bag of vegetables, say I mix them up and get corn, beans, and peas, so 97cents x 3

Man, look at that. A full week of healthy meals. That total comes to..what...
01.40
00.99
12.00
00.99
02.00
+02.91
20.29
+tax
21.70

Plenty of room to buy some milk, maybe some peaches at $1.50/lb, some fresh deli lunch meat at $2/lb, etc...

How much of that is processed? Maybe 5% because it's packaged.

So screw you from someone who's not retarded and just knows how to shop.

Where do you live....? Those prices are simply not possible here even with extreme couponiing

Also what is the calorie count of that you listed. I have it at about 1400 calories tops. I would be starving quite literally.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't believe it.

Unprocessed food is actually pretty cheap. The big problem is it's perishable. You can't stock it on sale like you can with canned/frozen food. If you live close to a store, and buy it on an as-needed basis, you can do pretty well. Growing your own blows all that away, but not everyone has the space for a garden.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

its funny you think all processed food is nutritionally void...

Its funny you think its not!

calories != nutrition

 

[Via]

I did it for years.

Lucnhmeat, Bread, canned veg/soup (dark red kidney beans for sure), bagels, cream cheese, whatever fruit and fresh veggies that are cheap, instant mashed potatoes, eggs, whatever meat is on sale, milk, whatever cereal is on sale, a head of lettuce, and generally anything that is deeply discounted or buy one-get one free.

Grab condiments as they go on sale.

 

[gothamhunter]

Where do you live....? Those prices are simply not possible here even with extreme couponiing

Also what is the calorie count of that you listed. I have it at about 1400 calories tops. I would be starving quite literally.

I live in Iowa.

Price of food is obviously different in different states, so it would not surprise me that many here could not afford that on less than $30. But, at the same time, your average salary is most likely higher.

I don't calorie count; I just eat healthy and until I feel satisfied.

 

[alkemyst]

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/09/21/could-you-eat-on-30-a-week/?hpt=hp_bn8



i did a quick search on freshdirect, which probably aren't the cheapest priced groceries but here is what i got for $30 for what i think i could live on (tax puts it over the total i think):

5lb rice $5.99
1dz eggs $2.49
2lb ground meat $7.58
2lb pasta $3.38
2jar pasta sauce $5.58
2stick butter $2.39
.5gal whole milk $2.49

TOTAL: $29.90

my meals would get boring fast. i could probably sub the rice out for something else since i have so much pasta but i don't know. 7 days is a long time.

You'd buy rice and beans in 25lb or bigger bags firstly. Sauce for anything you'd make in bulk.

On welfare the idea is feeding someone, not living like a king or even court jester.

Yeah though, not a lot of animal products. Soy is a good alternative in broth/bullion. You can only find it cheap usually at asian/ethnic markets.

The same package of Tofu we buy for like $4 is $9.99 at the grocery store. "sushi rice" is about the same for 1lb as it is for 5lbs.

I am so fucking glad I don't have to eat like that tough. Personally I think the poor eat too well. Now they want to use those food stamps at fast food places.

We have been too liberal.

 

[tfinch2]

I think so, it is me and my wife, so $60 a week?

I rounded up to the nearest dollar, so this is an overestimate.

Here are the items we buy about once a month:

Sugar - $3
Ice Tea Bags - $2
Baking mix - $2.50
Syrup - $3
5 lb bag potatoes - $2.50
Butter - $2
Trail Mix - $5
Salsa - $3
Peanut Butter - $2
Jelly - $2

Here's what we buy once a week:

Yogurt - $2
Cheese - $2
Bag of chips - $3
Dozen eggs - $2
Breakfast sausage - $3
Tortillas - $1
1 gallon milk - $3
1 lb pasta - $1
2 cans tomato sauce or paste - $1
Various spices - $2
Fruits (Whatever is on sale) - $5
Frozen veggies - $2
Rice - $1
Loaf of bread - $2
Assorted meat (ground sirloin, chicken, steak, basically whatever is on sale) - $10
Assorted stuff that changes (cream cheese, crackers, french fries, baking stuff, etc) - $5

 

[Patranus]

$21 per week.

 

[bfdd]

Obviously yes. You have to spend around 4 dollars a day right? Can of tuna is like 70 cents, loaf of bread a buck, peanut butter isn't much, a 18 pack of eggs is like 3 dollars, if you could spend like 20-30 up front you could get enough rice to last months as well. Chicken can be had for like 69-99 cents a pound almost every day some where(at least around me). I try to keep my food budget at 50 dollars a week right now, so cutting another 20 I don't think would be that hard.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Plenty of room to buy some milk, maybe some peaches at $1.50/lb, some fresh deli lunch meat at $2/lb, etc...

Deli lunch meat at $2/lb? In what era, the 1940s?

I paid $3.49/lb for some turkey ham, and that was the cheapest thing there. I also paid $5.99/lb for some provolone that was on sale.

 

[spidey07]

Unprocessed food is actually pretty cheap. The big problem is it's perishable. You can't stock it on sale like you can with canned/frozen food. If you live close to a store, and buy it on an as-needed basis, you can do pretty well. Growing your own blows all that away, but not everyone has the space for a garden.

We buy corn when it's 5 for a dollar by the bushel and can it at home.

OMG! Processed!

 

[HydroSqueegee]

Its funny you think its not!

calories != nutrition

you think i dont know that?

typical stuff on our grocery list:

1 dozen Eggs
3 gallons 2% milk
Pork, chicken, turkey, beef, kilbasa... whatevers on sale in the adds + get more for stockup if on really good sale
canned green beans, peas, corn
frozen green beans, corn, mixed veggies, peas
canned pears, peaches, oranges
applesauce
flavored rice or noodles
pasta noodles
spices if needed (lasts a while)
Flour
frozen meals for lunches (processed to hell and back)
deli meat (turkey, roast beef, ham)
cheese (blocks, slices, sticks)
yogurt
apples
carrots
onions
potatoes
cucumber
tomatoes
breen peppers
bananas
strawberries
Muffin mix if its on sale, otherwise my wife makes them from scratch (banana, blueberry, pumpkin)
Cereal for us and the kids
long grain rice
juice
loaf of bread or two
peanut butter
jelly

...

maybe i dont eat as much processed food as i thought. most meals we eat are meat and veggies with rice, potatoes, noodles, bread of some kind and fruit

meh

 

[crownjules]

Its funny you think its not!

calories != nutrition

You're way overstating your position. Yes, processed foods have lower nutrients since vitamins/minerals can be affected by factors involved in processing (ie. vitamin C breaks down in heat). But you're talking about a 5-20% difference at most. It's pretty minimal according to official studies.

You should be more concerned with the additives. Especially sodium.

 

[gothamhunter]

Deli lunch meat at $2/lb? In what era, the 1940s?

I paid $3.49/lb for some turkey ham, and that was the cheapest thing there. I also paid $5.99/lb for some provolone that was on sale.

Basic deli ham, nothing special, is $2/lb in special. Maybe $3/lb if not on sale.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Unprocessed food is actually pretty cheap. The big problem is it's perishable. You can't stock it on sale like you can with canned/frozen food. If you live close to a store, and buy it on an as-needed basis, you can do pretty well. Growing your own blows all that away, but not everyone has the space for a garden.

Maybe its my geographic location but produce is not cheap. Typically I don't even go down the aisles. I stick to the perimeter where produce, meats and dairy are found. My food bill is rarely sub $50 though it fell some while I was growing this summer.

 

[Pantlegz]

I can barely eat on $30 a day and I don't eat out or eat stupid expensive shit.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

You're a moron:

1 carton of grade A large eggs: $1.40
Eat 2 eggs for breakfast at 8am

1 pound of Red seedless grapes: 99cents
Eat a small handful every day at 10am

Frozen bags of chicken breast, just iced and nothing else: $6x2
For lunch, eat with part of a bag of Dole Salad mix, 99cents

1 pound bag of baby carrots: $2 if not on sale
Eat small handful at 2 or 3pm

For dinner, eat chicken with part of a bag of vegetables, say I mix them up and get corn, beans, and peas, so 97cents x 3

Man, look at that. A full week of healthy meals. That total comes to..what...
01.40
00.99
12.00
00.99
02.00
+02.91
20.29
+tax
21.70

Plenty of room to buy some milk, maybe some peaches at $1.50/lb, some fresh deli lunch meat at $2/lb, etc...

How much of that is processed? Maybe 5% because it's packaged.

So screw you from someone who's not retarded and just knows how to shop.

That is a starvation diet. Holy crap. Unless you weigh about 120 pounds, that would NOT be a viable food budget.

2 Eggs for breakfast? Thats 140 calories. Add the grapes? MAYBE a 100 calories. I cannot last 4 hours on 240 calories. For lunch, average chicken breast is what, 200 calories at most? Salad is another 150 calories assuming no dressing, We're up to 540.

Baby carrots, lets be generous and say 150 calories, We're up to 690

Finally dinner generous and lets say 700 calories considering there is nohting in there.

1390 calories. My BMR is 2200 pounds, and that's not in including the exercise I do.

That is an unlivable diet. Even at +- 200 calories. I say bare minimum for me is 1800 daly.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Basic deli ham, nothing special, is $2/lb in special. Maybe $3/lb if not on sale.

moot point deli meats are processed shit anyways.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

you think i dont know that?

typical stuff on our grocery list:

1 dozen Eggs
3 gallons 2% milk
Pork, chicken, turkey, beef, kilbasa... whatevers on sale in the adds + get more for stockup if on really good sale
canned green beans, peas, corn
frozen green beans, corn, mixed veggies, peas
canned pears, peaches, oranges
applesauce
flavored rice or noodles
pasta noodles
spices if needed (lasts a while)
Flour
frozen meals for lunches (processed to hell and back)
deli meat (turkey, roast beef, ham)
cheese (blocks, slices, sticks)
yogurt
apples
carrots
onions
potatoes
cucumber
tomatoes
breen peppers
bananas
strawberries
Muffin mix if its on sale, otherwise my wife makes them from scratch (banana, blueberry, pumpkin)
Cereal for us and the kids
long grain rice
juice
loaf of bread or two
peanut butter
jelly

...

maybe i dont eat as much processed food as i thought. most meals we eat are meat and veggies with rice, potatoes, noodles, bread of some kind and fruit

meh

high in carbs too.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

We buy corn when it's 5 for a dollar by the bushel and can it at home.

OMG! Processed!

poor example as corn doesn't have a high nutritional value to begin with.

 

[lxskllr]

Maybe its my geographic location but produce is not cheap. Typically I don't even go down the aisles. I stick to the perimeter where produce, meats and dairy are found. My food bill is rarely sub $50 though it fell some while I was growing this summer.

Depends on what you get. Green peppers are ridiculously expensive for some reason, so I very seldom buy them. When buying fresh produce, I generally get what's cheap, and adjust my cooking to that, rather than going to the store with a recipe, and filling it regardless of price.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Chicken is $1.79/lb at my local grocery store. I could eat meat every day, with some variety.