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.
We have had to do this since 2007 and I make it work. The one other thing we do budget for is $10.00 each week for a date. My husband can be very creative and we live in a very expensive area but we always have a date. There have been a few times we just did a shared dessert but most always we do lunch out on Sunday. For example tomorrow he has a coupon and a gift card to some place that we are going to so it is buy one meal get one free it is a nice place to eat and he has $18 left on his gift card which gives him $28 to spend on one meal . He likely won't spend it all but that will give him roll over for the next week. I can't believe all of the things we have managed on just $10 per week. We have gone away for one night (total cost was $17.00) We have visited the aquarium , we have gone on hikes picnics museums and a great deal of adventures a boat ride. All for his $10.00 budget.
That is amazing, Jenna! You've inspired me to do some research and try to do this as well. =)
Oh...you are lucky in USA, you have cupons...se don't have that here in Europe, and if se have any kind of discount se can't add to the discount that the store mau have in the moment... It's very sad!!
That's crazy! The US is definitely lucky in that we can use coupons. I have another post that may help: Meals to Make When You Have No Money. https://www.nogettingoffthistrain.com/frugal/meals-to-make-when-you-have-no-money/
I don't use quite as many coupons anymore, but they certainly do help!
Thank you, living on social security. The food budget is always tight, your post is awesome, could use more like this so I could stretch what little we have. Thank you again.
Thank you, Terri! I have a few more posts similar to this that you can check out:
Meals to Make When You Have No Money
How I Stick to a $60 a Week Grocery Budget
Well done to you for
1. Giving God the glory
2. Being a steward over your finances and
3. Sharing what you learned along the way with the rest of us!
Keep on, keeping on!!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Goldie!
Thank you for sharing this Jaime! It’s so nice to see someone sharing their real life and being open about what it’s like to struggle at times.I know it’s not easy, but it is inspiring. We’ve all been there in one way or another and it’s wonderful to not only see other people sharing tips in the comments but also hope! I look forward to Checking out more of your articles..
Btw one tip with this I have with budgeting is if you have friends or family on a budget too, meal plan and divvy up the shopping list then everybody buy what they can in bulk and have a day to shop and divide groceries. We do this and GFS and Aldi are our go to stores. You can get a 50lb box of chicken quarters for like $35 that’s enough to split 5 ways for a month.. rice and frozen veg and beans too... anyway rambling.. lol best of luck and much love to everybody!
Thank you very much, Sarah! And that's a great tip. Buying in bulk definitely saves money, especially if you split the items! =)
I found this article through Pinterest and just wanted to thank you for being so encouraging and real. It's refreshing to find a genuine voice on the internet when most things are designed to present a polished picture. I love how you are partnering with God to take a subject that you're passionate about and make it a ministry to others. I personally am feeling very encouraged by you today!
Thank you Sarah, I really appreciate that! =)
Thank you for sharing with us. I literally just told my husband a couple hours ago something needed to be done with our food budget. Your meal ideas were an inspiration. I also want to add that the Dollar Tree has great food items. So it will take being creative but your food budget can come down. Thank you again for sharing.
Thank you very much, Beverly! I also love the Dollar Tree; their spices are only a dollar which is now cheaper than Aldi!
My family of 5 is going through a period right now if hardly paying our bills and buying little to no groceries every 2 weeks. My husband is working but with no overtime like he was before which helped a lil bit and going to college which uses more gas money. I am a stay at home mom and watch a baby every now and then but that doesn't pay much either. Thanks much for the encouragement and ideas. However I have a very picky bunch and if they dont like it they will not eat it. So making food on a small budgets gets extremely hard. I am going to try a few of these ideas and pray they will eat what I prepare
Hi Dawn! I understand about the picky eater, although I just have one. It's frustrating when you spend all this money and work hard on good healthy food, and nobody wants to eat it. Do what you can and definitely pray! I know God will bring you through this.
Hi Dawn! I was a very picky eater as a kid. My mother grew up very poor, and did not want me to go without, so whenever I rejected supper, she would let me have whatever I wanted to eat from the kitchen because she did not want me to go hungry. As a result, I never had most vegetables until I was an adult and realized that I had missed out on all kinds of yummy stuff. Now I am in my 60s. When my children were growing, whenever I put food on my kids' plates, they were expected to eat it. If they refused, they would not have dessert (on the days we had it) nor would they be allowed to "rummage" for something else. If I knew one hated broccoli, that one would get just a tiny serving. Something else - no one was allowed to complain about the food. We came together at the table as a family - to enjoy each other's company as well as nourish our bodies. Everyone stayed until everyone was done. Those were wonderful times. I think the kids learned patience as well.
I love this story! I feel guilty and hopeless a lot because Allison doesn't eat vegetables; but I do try every day and pray that eventually she'll turn around.
That’s great this worked for you! I was attracted to this article because I always feel my grocery bill is way too high. But, I cannot have gluten (in most things) dairy, eggs, and I’m also vegetarian. So it makes it really difficult to eat cheap much less find anything in a typical grocery store.
Wow! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to have such restrictions. I hope you can find a good solution that works for you!
Vanessa, we have food restrictions here similar to yours. One thing I make a lot of is bean- and legume-based dishes. Look up Mexican and Indian recipes in particular on places like allrecipes.com where you can plug in the ingredients on hand and it comes up with suggestions. We have a lot of variety and can eat on a small amount of money and supplies each week.
I also always have sprouts and spinach growing in a windowsill in my kitchen, along with a few herbs like thyme, basil and cilantro. They help a ton with flavor and they grow easily!
Great ideas, Erin! I need to try growing a few herbs, too. I just don't have much of a green thumb, haha. =)
Thank you! I really needed to read this ??
Thanks, Melissa! I'm glad it could encourage you. =)
It is really encouraging to read your post. I live in the UK and we are lucky to have a welfare state unlike some parts of the world. I am in a fortunate position of not struggling to make ends meet having a very well paid job as does my other half. But your honesty and cleverly thought out ways of making your budget stretch and still have tasty food is fabulous. Well done for surviving harrowing times, and I pray your fortunes can only get better. I only hope that should I ever be in that position I can make it all work.
Thank you so much, June, for the encouraging words!
Absolute respect, well done. I also had to feed my family of 7 on minimal money and found many of the ideas you used here employed by me, including the most important one: prayer. Made it through with healthy, happy children and a huge appreciation for the leading of the Lord in my life. Kudos mom!
Thank you so much! Feeding a family of 7 is impressive!
Love this! Especially the prayer and encouragement
I was on the phone with a friend looking on Pinterest for something cheap to make for dinner. as right now we have no possible way to make ends meet. we are full of stress, I cant sleep at night, and I DO cry often just from wondering how and when our situation will be over. Anyway, I was talking to her about our situation and I found something similar "$60 a week for groceries" I read it and the meals were RIDICULOUS. their main dishes were what id feed my toddler for a snack. so we laughed, but not at the fact that they have to eat that way but because I said "if this is what we have to do I mean, I might as well". I kept looking and found one that said "$50 a week on groceries." I was curious thinking "what could they be eating that isn't anything different from the first post I saw." I read that one and it was all stuff that seemed very expensive and wasn't believable to me. so I moved on. then I found "$37 a week". I laughed and said "these are fun to read lets read this one" but to my surprise you ATE GOOD MEALS. our of the little that you were able to buy. now im still curious how you found pasta for less than a dollar and other things for the same price! but I was truly inspired by this entire thing. but then. I got to "how we survived" and of course my eyes got watery. we are a military family and things just took a wrong turn. and now I do believe God is there for us because of course regardless we do eventually get by but with VERY LITTLE. and believe me when I say that, im not exaggerating. but something always good happens when things get REALLY bad which make things easier for just a little bit. and im grateful for that. I just would like you to know that I no longer think these things are silly. you truly made me think this is possible for us as well and I know eventually we will get through it even though right now it really doesnt feel like it. we have one toddler and a baby on the way! you gave me hope and im truly happy I found this post! thank you!
Alexces, this means so much to me to read. Thank you for sharing this! I'm praying that your family can find peace, and that God will open a door for you (As you know He does!).
As far as pasta prices, Kroger would usually have boxes on sale for $1.00. And there would be coupons for $1.00 off 2, making them around 50 cents each. =) And a lot of times their Creamette pasta goes on sale for $.49 with their Buy 5, Save $5 event!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I found myself in a unique situation when my now exhusband of almost 20 years decided... he didn't want to be married anymore. I had been a housewife and mother to our son.... but wasn't remotely prepared to be kicked out of my home and suddenly responsible for everything. I manage, even though things get tight.... I'm always on the look out for stuff like this!
Angela, I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this! I hope things are working out for you right now.