The $50 food budget
By p1kef1sh
@p1kef1sh (45681)
April 13, 2008 9:37am CST
A coupe of weeks ago I posted a discussion about how much you spend a week on food. I would like to thank the 92 people that responded with their costs etc. One of those posts explained how the poster was feeding her family on £25 ($50) a week. My wife and I decided that we could cut our weekly bill of £80 and endeavour to live on £25 a week too. Just for one week mind. That week is up today. We didn't manage it I am afraid. We actually spent £31 ($62) but we do have enough for several meals next week and we have decided to persevere for another week. I also posted a discussion about eating cheaply. I had some fabulous recipes sent in and we have not gone hungry once. We've experienced European, Asian and American dishes. Fantastic. So here we go again. Thank you all.
5 people like this
25 responses
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
24 Jun 08
Thats cool, I know if you buy alot of rice and pasta as food fillers and a few sides of veggies..If my husband wasn't such a picky gotta have what he wants person I think we could live on that a week. I have before, but it was alot of soupbeans,mac and cheese,ramen noodles rice, and little meats unless I could make it stretch into 2 meals.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
24 Jun 08
Well, rice and pasta make you fill full longer..Starchy foods always do. Our food money is $250 and almost $50 of that being for coffee since we have to get 6 or more jars a month and he only drinks Maxwell House. So I normal food bill is basically $50 a week.
1 person likes this
@MichaelJay (1100)
•
24 Jun 08
I really don't know where we go wrong as we are spending £100 ($200) a week on the grocery bill. I suspect there are many items which get included that are not classed as food. For example if my teenage daughter wants personal items or certain cosmetics they end up getting tossed in the shopping trolley.
We simply have to cut back.
One way of doing that is I'v made a big effort to grow more food this year in our small garden and greenhouse. Some of it's ready and we've stopped buying lettuce and cucumbers. The tomatoes will be ready next, and there are quite a fe starwberries.
There is a dustbin full of new potatoes which should be ready soon.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
24 Jun 08
When I say $50 (£25) a week I mean for food items only. My daughter does that trick too. In truth we spend a few pounds more, but not excessively so. We were spending £30 a week at least more and throwing food away because we bought more than we could eat. I have some fruit in the garden too. But I didn't get myself organised on the veg front. I can still stick a couple of lettuce in though.
1 person likes this
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
24 Jun 08
We have five people and a dog to feed each week so I don't think we could do it on $50 per week. We do spend around $500 per month so, that may actually be close to what you spend for the two of you, well if there were more of you that is! We do try to buy foods that can be made into casseroles and such to stretch ingredients and that food dollar.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208878)
• United States
24 Jun 08
One thing I think I'm going to do is to go meatless one day per week. I think that will have an effect on my food budget. I like the idea of that anyway. I think it is healthier.
1 person likes this
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
24 Jun 08
Wow, $50 a week that is amazing. I have a big family 2 adults, 2 kids and a baby. My budget varies, I spend anywhere from $150-$250 a week. Don't think it would be possible for me to live off $50 a week. That would be awesome if I could. I might check out your other discussions. Great discussion!
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
24 Jun 08
Thank you. Truthfully we have never managed $50. But we have got down to $60 and average about $70 - 80. We only buy what we need and we shop more frequently. But then I have the time to do that. If we had small children then I think that we would struggle. But the menus don't have to be boring and folk on this site gave me some great menu ideas.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Jun 08
I dont know how you do it but I buy only for myself and
I am still paying more than fifty a week altho I also have to'
pay ten dollars each week delivery fee as I depend on albertsons online to deliver to my apartment. I am partly handicapped and cannnot carry heavy sacks plus I have to rely on public
transportation. I think I average more like seventy but then I do eat a very healthy veggies and fruits with lean meats lo fat dairy and whole grains type diet and I thinkit costs a bit more.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
13 Apr 08
Even $62/week for 2 people is not bad. We have 3 people in our house and we try to stick to $100/week. I am trying to get that amount down to $150/2 weeks.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
13 Apr 08
To me $50 buys nothing LOL I know some of it has to do with the fact of what we buy, like we don't buy a lot of processed items but the ones we do are all organic to avoid certain sugars, fats and oils. I bought the "America's Cheapest Family" book and am starting to use some tips from there to help cut down our food budget (really our overall budget too).
@Sissygrl (10909)
• Canada
14 Apr 08
I see.. yea if we need more then food and i wasnt' getting free milk and fruit and veggies from mothercare we would be spending close to 100$ too not including diapers and cleaning stuff. . if we just get food for the week we CAN do 50$ but i gotta stretch it!
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
14 Apr 08
You were indeed Sissy. I would say that the average was somewhere between $150 - $200 a week. Some spent a deal more and some as little as $50. But this is for food only. Usually when people go shopping they buy a reasonable amount of non food items, cleaning stuff etc. I am not confident that everybody gave me food costs only, I know that some didn't. prices in India are a lot less, but I suspect that they don't have the same choice they we get routinely and the costs there reflect wages etc as do ours.
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
31 Aug 08
That is great that you were able to lower your budget for food and save money and still provide. We live on a limited income each month for food also. Everything is so expensive, especially when you have to buy side items too and the other household needs.
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
17 Apr 08
Food prices are so out of control and it is only getting worse. I wish I could find more ways to make more food at home. The garden can only put out so much.
@popciclecold (40214)
• United States
13 Apr 08
dear p1kef1sh, I just wanted to say with things being the way they are, we all need all the help we can get, I am so glad that you get so many responses from Mylot, now if they could just come up with a solution for the gas. lol, popciclecold
@chrislotz (8136)
• Canada
23 Jun 08
And did you find it difficult to go shipping and not buy what you would normally buy? I don't spend very much on food, every week, My daughter, 25 years old, and I are living together and we only spend about $50 a week each. And we don't buy anything frivorous or fancy. So we are spending about $100 a week together. We spend a lot of money on fresh vegetables and fruits since we are both trying to eat more healthy. We go to the market not a store for those and since they are supposed to be fresh, just picked, we pay more for them. We spend about $30 a week just on that.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
23 Jun 08
To be honest no we don't miss too much. We buy what we always have done, just less of it. However, we do manage on about $70-80 a week for the two of us, but more when our daughter is home from university. My sister works for a major UK supermarket chain and tells me that frozen veg is better than fresh as fresh has been lying about for longer. That said, we still but more fresh than frozen.
@ruby222 (4847)
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13 Apr 08
Piky..Hello..im so pleased that you decided to let us all know the outcome of this...
This is interesting because my daughter has decided to go `back to basics`..she needs to be at home at the moment ..hence she is reigning in tightly....we were chatting on the phone this morning and talking about menu`s etc..and drastically reducing her food costs...she thought that there was great scope for her to lower her household budget....by menu planning..and shopping around etc...
If any of the recipes you received looked exceptionally tantalizing pass them on my duck....
Ps....he finished the marathon 4hours 35 minutes....
@ruby222 (4847)
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13 Apr 08
Its amazing what you can do if you need to..or set your mind to....im going to try the cabbage leaves recipe maybe..the dates i would leave out...but mainly because they are a thing that i wouldnt normally buy!!...Oh skinflint me!....
We eat well..but we are plain eaters...we enjoy plenty of vegetables and little meat....bakers bread..a you say a good loaf lasts two people a few days.
But being raised in an old fashioned way ...we love creamed potatoes,onion gravy,cottage pies,braised beef...all the things of yesterday really!!!
Are you going to keep going with your budget?.or has it hit the end of the road?....
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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25 Jun 08
It takes a little planning and forethought but we have made a considerable reduction in what we buy. People here have also been very good at sending me recipes. I said that i didn't want to live on a diet of pasta and beans and I received some wonderful ideas. Minced meat and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and baked in a tomato sauce was heavenly. As was chicken in orange sauce with dates.
@plumwish07 (4057)
• Indonesia
14 Apr 08
gee, spending about $50 per week for food is quite huge amount for me. mostly i spend budget for $30 per month with my husband in food matter. we should go more efficeintly since everything getting higher in prices
after all, we still happy to have it at least that we able to get food everyday with those kind budget.
about your recipes, i would like take a look and see if its really cheaper enough to try, dear friend
after all, we still happy to have it at least that we able to get food everyday with those kind budget.
about your recipes, i would like take a look and see if its really cheaper enough to try, dear friend@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
14 Apr 08
I think that $50 is not much in the West, but prices are relative to wages etc wherever in the World we live. Several people have given me recipes and they are on my discussion here: www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1465831.aspx I have had some fun with them and there are some more that we have yet to cook. Thank you Plumwish.
@lingli_78 (12821)
• Australia
14 Apr 08
that's amazing that you can survive on the $50 food budget per week... i can't never do that... i spend quite a lot on my food bills especially nowadays... the price of groceries are increasing at an alarming rate here... so i really have to be very wise in preparing my meal and shopping for the right food...
@Modestah (11177)
• United States
13 Apr 08
I reckon I missed your previous discussion. it sounds like it was a doozie - congrats in your experiment and not giving up but giving it another go. It certainly helps if you have the staple foods already on hand, and if you grow a garden.
my family of five spends roughly $100 a week. We have had leaner times and we could do it for a lot less if I was not an impulse bargain buyer - I buy things for later when they are on sale now - so we could actually go with foods already purchased and not have to buy anything but for a few fresh food items for a little while anyhow.
www.hillbillyhousewife.com has some good budget menu ideas.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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13 Apr 08
Thank you Modestah and for the link. I shall have a good look at it. Obviously we have some food already in which makes life a tad easier. But I have been shopping every other day and so am finding stuff that I might not get when I shop once a week or fortnight. But if you can get stuff for later; that seems a great idea.
@citrusemma (508)
•
14 Apr 08
Well done!
I am staying with my parents currently, but for periods during the term I have stayed in a rented accommadation.
I've also had to survive on a very small food budget- sometimes under £40.
Rice, Bread, Potatoes, Butter, Beans, Tinned fruit + Veg, Pasta, Tomatoes, Spices, Cereal and Milk can go a LONG, LONG way, hehe =]
It may seem like a lot, but for somebody who previously depended on their parents, having to survive on a low budget on my own definitely taught me a lot!
Good luck with your challenge!
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
14 Apr 08
Thank you. I started this to prove to myself and a friend that I could drastically cut our weekly food bill and live well without compromising my organic/free range meat standards and not live on, with respect, "student" food. i.e pasta, beans and pizza. So far we are doing OK. Tonight was my own concoction loosely based on a recipe that a friend gave me. Brown six chicken thighs. Add mushrooms, peppers, new potatoes and two cans of chopped tomatoes. Bung in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. I also chucked in a few slices of mozzarella cheese. Came out surprisingly well.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Apr 08
thanks to your post I have been trying to do a better job of budgeting my food costs too. I am coming closer to sixty dollar s week. like everything else in la la land food is expensive but fresh food does seem a bit cheaper here. I am a diabetic thus I nust eat really healthy foods. veggies and fruits and lean dairy and lean meats and whole grains are all a must and some are not cheap. If you guys can make it on sixty two then I should also be able to do that for just me.
