A report on how this family of 3 ate frugally, for $37 a week, for a full year. If you're looking for cheap meal ideas or cheap dinners, read these tips!
If you're reading this, you may be in the same position I was back in 2013. A new mom, transitioning to stay home with her newborn, and suddenly realizing you can't breastfeed and have to put your baby on formula, an expensive and unexpected expense.
On top of all the emotional aspects of having a new baby, you now have to figure out where the money for the formula will come from and how you'll make it.
This was an unfortunate reality for me and John after we had Allison, and we decided to take the money out of our grocery budget of $60 a week. We were left with $37 to live on for food and household items, and I wondered how we'd do it.
It wasn't perfect, but we survived, and I want to outline exactly what we did for that entire year in hopes that I can encourage someone who might be in the same situation.
A few things to note before you read on:
Did we buy organic food? No.
Did we eat “clean”? No.
Did we at least try to eat healthy? Depends on what you call healthy. Keep in mind we were dealing with our first baby and all the hormones and depression that can sometimes go with that, so I ask that you read with an open mind and know that we're much better now and can see what we eat in my grocery hauls on Youtube.
Most of the meals we made can be found in my new "Emergency Meals" e-book, which you can find here at a special discount!
cheap foods we Bought and Ate
The two main stores we shopped at during this time were Meijer and Aldi. Aldi was our heavy-hitter, where we bought most of the essentials, and Meijer was for the great coupon deals.
Here were some of the items that made its way into our grocery list most weeks:
Pasta: I only bought pasta when it was less than $1.00 per box. My stock-up price was 50 cents, and I would buy 4-5 boxes at a time.
Salad dressing: Our main vegetable and side item was salad, with cheese, croutons, and bacon bits (See above question about whether we ate healthy). I could get Kraft salad dressing for less than $1.00 after coupons, so it made for a cheap option.
Lunch meat: I distinctly remember one week where John said, “You have $18 this week for food. Can you do it?” Meijer had a Buy 8 Items, Get $8 off sale so I bought a lot of deli ham and bologna for something like $.69 each, along with boxes of Velveeta shells and cheese for $.99. We had macaroni and cheese, sandwiches, and wraps all week, but I was under budget!
Salsa, sour cream, enchilada sauce, tortilla shells: We ate a LOT of simple Mexican food, which consisted of any/all of the previously mentioned items as well as rice and home-cooked dried black beans. We'd eat them as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or just a regular burrito bowl.
Kraft macaroni and cheese: Yep, I said it. We ate Kraft macaroni and cheese. It's still one of our favorite brands and we'd eat it as a complete meal, sometimes adding cut-up hot dogs.
DiGiorno pizza: If we could get these for under $5, I’d buy a few for the freezer. These were great cheap meal nights!
Fruits/veggies and baby food pouches: I made Allison’s baby food, using simple fruits and vegetables, and froze the puree in ice cube trays. When she refused purees on a spoon, I bought the pouches instead and gave her one a day. I found that Beech-Nut is the cheapest at $.88 each at Wal Mart.
Here were some of our staples at Sam's Club:
Chicken breasts: We bought them at $1.88 per pound, in approximately 5-pound packages, and froze some for future use.
Chocolate chips: We'd buy a 4-pound bag and use them in pancakes and waffles.
Pancake mix: I know it's cheaper to make your own, but for $5.00 we got a lot of mix and it lasted us quite awhile.
Ground turkey: I can’t remember when we started to buy this, but we started using this instead of ground beef. $2.59/lb as opposed to $2.99+/lb.
Shredded cheese: We'd buy the 5-pound bags of cheese and froze them into 1-pound bags.
We had to be careful when we bought things at Sam’s. Most things were $10+, so one item would wipe out half our grocery budget for the week. I used Swagbucks when I could, taking surveys here and there to get extra gift cards, but I only got around 2 $25.00 gift cards that entire year.
Cheap meals We Made
Dinner (Lunch was always leftovers)
Slow cooker caesar chicken sandwiches
Crock pot chicken and stuffing
Three cheese macaroni with tomatoes
Cheese quesadillas
Burrito bowls (rice, black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, jalapenos)
Nachos (Same as above but with tortilla chips)
Breakfast
Cereal (from Aldi, or large bags at Meijer)
Piece of sausage on toast
Chocolate peanut butter overnight oats
Pancakes/Waffles (Bought a bulk bag of mix at Sam's, made big batches and froze the leftovers)
How We Finished Out Strong
Allison was born in October 2013, and in April 2014 we got enough money from our tax return to make a big GFS (Gordon Food Services, like Sam’s but mostly restaurant quality food/items) and Sam’s Club run.
We bought household essentials: paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, freezer bags, etc. We also bought food for a month’s worth of meals.
I used this $5 Dinner’s monthly menu for Sam’s Club. (Note: It looks like this menu is now only for purchase and no longer free.)
All the paper goods lasted us almost 6 months, which was when we were able to finally up our grocery budget!
Frequently Asked Questions
Didn't you qualify for food stamps?
To be honest, we didn't check. We were still navigating the basics of budgeting and probably COULD have kept our grocery budget the way it was and found the money for the formula.
I think a lot of this situation was just trying to see if we could actually do it. If we were in dire straights, we definitely would have taken advantage of food stamps and the local food bank.
By the way, there is no shame in accepting assistance. That's why it's there! If you need it, take full advantage.
How did you figure out the cheapest store?
Because I'd done most of my grocery shopping at Aldi already, I knew that was cheapest for a lot of my pantry staples.
There were a few items I knew I could buy cheaper elsewhere when on sale. I'd check the Meijer and Kroger ad for sale prices, and their apps to see if there was a free item to clip. Kroger had a freebie Friday during that time, and I took advantage!
I also found a couple discount stores in my area- mainly bread outlets. I could buy loaves of bread and other bread items for 50 cents each. It was a great way to stock up my freezer.
Are you eating healthier now?
Our weekly budget has increased significantly since then, which has allowed us to buy more whole foods.
We're not perfect (Nobody is), but now I try to include fruits and vegetables in our everyday meals. I still search for the best deals to get the most out of our money!
How important is planning your meals?
SO important! Meal planning has saved my family so much money in the long haul. You need to know what you're eating for the next few days/week, and that means making a shopping list and sticking to it.
Even when John lost his job and we lowered our budget to $30 a week, we still did weekly meal plans because it meant we saved money.
How we survived
I prayed constantly. I didn't think we could continue this for a full year, but little things happened that I just knew was God at work.
If we needed to buy something we were almost out of, it would magically be on sale the next week, or it would be the off week that we didn’t need to buy formula, or I somehow had enough Swagbucks to get a gift card to use at Sam’s!
We were never in need, and we got through it, and we were still faithful.
If you're in a similar situation, remember that you WILL get through this. Times will be tough. You'll probably cry because you just want a little extra money for groceries.
I've been there, multiple times, and there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep praying, keep doing your best with what you have, and you'll make it through your situation with an inspiring story to share and a better understanding of how you can survive on a shoestring budget.
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
I thought you were going to say you didn't eat meat, ate the same thing every night, or ate bland, tasteless meals. I am amaze at your planning, creativity, and determination! Great job!
Thanks,
Raki
Haha, thanks! =) There were times when I got so tired of just plain rice and beans, but I knew it'd get better soon!
I am very wowed. I'm going to try it because we struggle way too often.
After reading this it gave me some hope! Myself, my husband and our daughter are going through very hard times. I am a full time college student and my husband just got laid off for the past few weeks I have had to totally rethink the way I buy groceries. I used to just walk in the grocery store and buy whatever I wanted us to eat for the week and buy pricey meals and now we are having difficulty paying bills and groceries are put on the back burner. So after reading this I feel like you were talking to me and reassured me everything will be okay and god will see us through this.
Amelia, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's job loss! We were in the same situation last year; it really changes the way you think about buying food! I hope that your husband has a quick turn-around and can find a job soon. I wrote a post while my husband was unemployed about how to eat when you have no income. Hopefully this will give you more ideas on how to survive temporarily. Good luck to you! https://www.nogettingoffthistrain.com/frugal/how-to-eat-no-income/
I know that times are rough. You should consider going to your financial aid office and borrowing more money to help you through these difficult times. The room and board portion can be used to live off of campus and get you through these tough times. Also, see if either of you can get a job on campus, then tuition will be for free (you may have to work for a year or so for this benefit).
Hopefully this helps.
It's so refreshing to see such a humbling post. More importantly, you gave God the glory for all the inspiration, the encouragement, the peace you had knowing he was by your side through this tough time, yet relying on Him to be your provider. I see this post is a few years old, but still resonates with people in need today. Thank you for your encouraging comments to them all.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. =)
Look up footbanks in your town on Google it gives you the date they are open what days. I live in California alot of food banks. I get alot of free foods including meats fruits vegetables snaps I have not paid for thanks giving diner in years. Also churchs know where food banks are also. Coupons save alot of money. If you have a aldi store where you live they have the best prices good luck
Thank you for all the advice! I know this will help someone who really needs it. =)
Just got chicken leg quarters 55 cents got 20 pounds for 11 dollars st aldi great store
Wow, that's awesome!! To be honest I've never bought anything besides chicken breasts, but I think that's going to change this week. =)
God
AMEN!!
Amelia Boyett, I am sorry your family was going through a tough time. I hope things are getting better for you. I understand. My husband and I were both laid off our jobs within 9 months of each other. We had worked at our jobs for 20 plus years. It was difficult to find employment making anywhere close to what we were making. It is amazing how resourceful I became. I used the computer, searching different topics on how to be thrifty, and cut costs wherever possible. Best of luck and God bless.
I have a friend whose husband would allow her $60 a week for groceries and the kids clothes. She was amazing--she was the Coupon Queen of our town. One day I was at her house when she came home to unload groceries. She'd bought 2 carts full of groceries and paid a total of $7. 68. Her shopping trips were very well planned the night before, and she went to multiple stores, but she was good at it. She used the money that was left over (her money) for her clothes. Most kids clothes were from yard sales. Hubby never knew how good she was and he's still an a--hole.
That's so crazy! I feel bad that she had to go through that, but her dedication is amazing.
Our family went through a similar struggle several years ago. It was posts like these that reminded me that we weren’t alone. Bless you for taking the time to share this with others. You CAN get through this! Looking back now I am thankful for the experience - we grew closer and it became a challenge to overcome, TOGETHER, every week!
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Jen! While situations can look pretty dire sometimes, you're right that it's good to be thankful for the hard times- you definitely learn a lot and rely on God a whole lot more!
Being a single mom ita a struggle....thank you for your help!!
Great ideA, I also brought toilet paper baggies, cleaning supply toothpaste at dollar store,twice a month, can soups , crackers made banana an pumpkin bread and homemade snack foods supplemented babies diet an used powered formula an les of it an lined diapers w lady pads in a pinch.
I know this is 3 years ago but nobody addressed you using less powdered formula for your baby to save money and lining diapers with lady pads like did you do that before or after they used the diaper hopefully before and I pray your better off now.
Using ground turkey is a great alternative to ground beef and it’s better for you! In spaghetti sauce, chili, and many other meals you cannot taste the difference. Ground turkey is 1.50 in one pound chubs, frozen food dept.
We use ground turkey a lot, too! Sometimes we can get ground beef at the same price, so we'll buy some when it's on sale. It gives us a little iron boost, which my family is a little low on. =)
So true about using ground turkey as an alternative to beef, I just made Turkey Salisbury Steaks last night and they turned out amazing. I just cooked in a cast iron skillet in the oven rather than on the stovetop to make it work and they held up nicely when I flipped them over. I also love buying breakfast sausage when it's on sale to use with pasta and other dishes...much cheaper than chopped beef and even tastier!
I never even thought about using breakfast sausage. That's genius! Thanks for the idea!
I love your faithfulness to God and your family. You inspired me! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Amber! I really appreciate that!
I'm kinda in the same type of situation. Divorced, limited funds. Don't forget about several great, cheap staples; oatmeal, eggs and peanut butter. Goes a long way and eggs and peanut butter add protein.
Thanks, Vickie! My household isn't complete without those 3 items. =) They really help!
I agree good job. Peanut butter and banana sandwich verry
filling
Hi!
I’m from rural US, and wanted to share what my parents did to survive when I was growing up.
First of all, we ate potatoes almost every single day. Occasionally we had noodles, rarely rice.
Mom and Dad had a large garden, and mother would can tomatoes, beets, pickles, green beans, sauerkraut, jams and jellies.
The fruit for jams and jellies usually included us kids, who picked blackberries during the month of August, and from the purchase of crates of peaches and pears (that we also canned and frozen), from local orchards. Of course, the kids helped. We weeded and worked in the garden, as well.
My Dad hunted venison, sometimes when his deer was home, Mom would buy a tag, and they would fill that one, too. The meat was cut and wrapped and put into the freezer.
My parents would buy a male calf, raise it with a bucket and nipple, until it was too big to fit our property, then they would pay to have it pastured out. A vet would help with making it a steer, and removing horns, and someone else would do the demise, often in exchange for half of the meat.
I remember going out to a huge, huge pile of cull potatoes, sorting thru them, and taking away gunny sacks of potatoes for the coolest place in the garage.
Mom made cake and other breads from scratch. We had a goat, and even if us kids wanted nothing to do with it, she would milk the goat and sneak the milk into commercial containers.
We ate beans and steak, and had no idea that other families had steak on paydays and beans on broke ones. We didn’t have government money for anything.
It was a struggle, but an honest one. My parents names were spotless when they passed away, and at Moms memorial a few months ago, the minister called her a true pilgrim.
Thank you for the article. It was very enlightening. God Bless.
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is truly inspiring. =)
I don't think I could ever spend $37 per week for groceries and I only shop for myself, haha! Granted, I do buy a lot of organic food, so I'm sure that isn't helping my bill 😉
Yeah, it'd be kind of difficult to do all organic food that cheaply. =) But organic is good! Perhaps someday I'll get us on more organic foods.
You can pay the farmer or you can pay the doctor. I think you have chosen wisely for the long run.
This is the most important thing to remember! I'm willing to add to my grocery bill (if I can). My mantra is eat the best food you can afford and know you've done what you can. Such awesomeness in the post and comments!
Thanks!
Thank you, Rhonda! I love seeing all the inspiration here. =)
Good comment, Patricia. I'd prefer to choose the farmer every time.
Or, if you have even just a back yard, turn it into a garden and BE the farmer.
wow what an impressive plan you've followed! I need to step up my grocery game 😀 thanks for sharing this!
http://storybookapothecary.com ? stop by and chat 🙂
Thank you! =)
Good job and getting by.
Thank you very much!
This is impressive!
Thank you! I hope it helped!
Wow!! I'm saving this post in case I need it! That was a tight budget, but you made it work, and still ate pretty good!
Yes, I'm so thankful it was at least a little variety. =)
wow! That is incredible. There is no way that I spend under $40 a week for meals and it's just me! Kudos to you for making it work!
$40 is still really good! That's awesome!
I think it is awesome how you guys made it work! We all make sacrifices for the sake of family!
Thank you! It was definitely quite a sacrifice.
This post is awesome! I never thought you would be able to make it on that little! I love the choices too. You didn't have to give up the delicious meals!
Thanks! We were definitely happy to still eat fairly well.
Wow, this is great advice! We are definitely trying to cut down on our grocery bill.....these tips are awesome!
Awesome! You can do it! =)
My household is working on a budget right now (since I have left my job to pursue writing) and man is it tough! Doable, but tough! There are some great tips in here! Sam's is always great for budgets. There is a lot of prep work involved but it is totally worth it. Great post—thanks!
This is super impressive! I spend about $50 every two weeks but I'm only buying for me! I also am picky about certain foods and don't eat many processed foods, so I do hope I could eat more cheaply if I had to.
Awesome!
Wow! Super impressive. I am impressed with myself if I spend under $125 for my family of 4! This is amazing!