Author Topic: Under $20 for groceries  (Read 8326 times)

tukk323

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Under $20 for groceries
« on: November 11, 2015, 03:01:02 PM »
Just decided to try this little 'game' with myself this week.
I set myself at only spending $20 on groceries for the week. Went to the supermarket yesterday and am done for the week, came out at $19.52.
It was quite interesting, I found myself questioning every item I picked up in order to keep within the budget, but somehow still managed to get enough to live off fine(oats, fruit, veges, tuna).

katsiki

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2015, 03:16:38 PM »
I'm curious.. Would you mind sharing your list?

Jack

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2015, 03:17:12 PM »
What's your menu for the week? Is this for all meals, or does it not include expected eating out? Are you eating only what you bought, or are you "spending down" your pantry?

tukk323

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2015, 03:37:41 PM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

I can't remember the exact prices, but yes I did draw down from my pantry a little bit at the start of the week with some rice and remainder of a previous bag of frozen veges that had about 1/4 left so not total eating expenses for the week, but still feels good nonetheless


Bearded Man

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2015, 04:49:15 PM »
I was able to do this when I was in my mid twenties, so about 10 years ago when things where even cheaper. Of course I was very skinny as a result. Are you a skinny guy?

civil

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2015, 09:19:24 AM »
Is this for food only? Non food items used to destroy my grocery budget. I grocery shopped on $18/week for about four years (by necessity), and the weeks I needed a drug or hygiene product, I was very hungry. Some weeks I found a good deal and spent $12 or $15, and the savings went toward toiletries/drugs in a future week. That was about 10 years ago. I would want at least $25 now.

Gone Fishing

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2015, 09:26:48 AM »
My $20 college grocery budget:

12 pack cheap beer
10 lb bag of potatoes
10 lbs leg quarters
4 Totinos Pizzas
As much ramen and mac & cheese as I could get with the rest!

I dare say your list looks healthier than mine!

MrSal

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2015, 06:46:28 PM »
Just decided to try this little 'game' with myself this week.
I set myself at only spending $20 on groceries for the week. Went to the supermarket yesterday and am done for the week, came out at $19.52.
It was quite interesting, I found myself questioning every item I picked up in order to keep within the budget, but somehow still managed to get enough to live off fine(oats, fruit, veges, tuna).

I think its easy if you know the items and know how to cook.

MY wife and I spend about 120 dollars per person with LUXURIOUS items included and with crappy processed expensive food that she likes to buy that is expensive. If it werent for that and we really tried it I believe we could easily do 70 dollars per person per month.

Most items we buy in our groceries list are:

Ribs, T-Bones, Flank steak, salmon, cod... rice, spaghetti, tomatoes, apples, oranges, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, onions and so forth.

I cook everything from mostly scratch... i am not a fan of pre-made stuff. Even pizza's I make my own base with flour, water, salt, etc ...

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2015, 08:49:23 PM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

I can't remember the exact prices, but yes I did draw down from my pantry a little bit at the start of the week with some rice and remainder of a previous bag of frozen veges that had about 1/4 left so not total eating expenses for the week, but still feels good nonetheless

Am I crazy? This doesn't seem like enough food for a week. More like 2 or 3 days...

JZinCO

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2015, 11:16:01 PM »
I do about $80-100 a month for myself. Have been for years using a mix of fresh food and pantry items. There's a lot of calories per dollar in canned soups, instant potatoes, making your own flapjack mix, peanut butter, etc. A normal week for me is half cooking from scratch, half cooking from processed pantry items. I posted a couple weeks ago that I go a few pumpkins, a few squashes, some carrots, peppers, tomatoes, beets for $10 from a farm. I also find it favorable to buy from the bag-yer-own bulk section.
Course I spend $20-60 on beer on top of food, because I'm too good for macrobrews :)

So kudos to Tukk for making it work.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2015, 11:17:33 PM by JZinCO »

libertarian4321

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2015, 11:28:36 PM »
One week is 21 meals.

21 packs of Ramen noodles on sale go for what, $3.15?

So lets go with:

21 packs of Ramen 3.15
5-liter Box of Franzia Blush (on sale at $9.98) (cheaper than beer and I'm going to need to drink if I have to eat this junk)
7 cans of peas (so y'all can't say my menu is unhealthy) 3.50
loaf of cheap bread and generic peanut butter (for deserts): (1.19 + 2.18= 3.37).

Total:  $20.00 exactly.

Now that's some good eatin'!

bigalsmith101

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2015, 12:27:35 AM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

This makes me laugh. I'm 6'6" and 220lbs. When I'm not lazy, I have about 12-15% body fat. My point? I consume about 3300 calories a day, making this week long list of groceries laughable to me.

My weekly totals (basic)

Breakfast: Half a kilo of oats, 14 eggs (2/day), and 7 bananas.
Lunch: 1lbs of brown rice, 4 heads of broccoli, 7 chicken breasts, 7 apples, 1lb cheese (2oz/day)
Dinner: Another pound of rice, more veggies, more meat, lots of potatoes.

The more I exercise, the more I eat. The less meat/cheese, the cheaper it is, as long as I eat calorie dense food.


forestj

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2015, 02:16:09 PM »
Our house spends about 20$ per week per person on groceries, but we eat really well. Each person has one day a week that they cook dinner, so we usually have the time to cook from whole ingredients.  Just for fun I'm gonna go through the list of what I bought last month and organize it.

Protein:
Tofu, wheat gluten, peanuts, farmed catfish, eggs, TVP, sunflower seeds,
canned black beans, dried black beans, dried garbanzo beans, edamame

Fat:
coconut milk, tortilla chips, canola oil, cheese, case of instant noodles

Simple Carbs:
corn tortillas, malt-o-meal off brand cerials, bagels, pasta

Complex Carbs / fiber / vitamins:
roma tomatoes, jackfruit, a big jug of salsa, cucumbers, zuchinis,  b-grade kale, b-grade button mushrooms
cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots,  big cans of tomatoes, onions, squash apples, oranges

Bearded Man

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2015, 10:59:25 AM »
I am really looking forward to being able to have a real garden, rabbits and chickens again...

I really enjoyed being able to go outside and grab dinner, right out of my own back yard. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, corn, eggs, meat, snap peas, potatoes, etc. I'm even considering getting a goat as well this time. Longing for the days I move out of the HOA and back into one of my rentals with huge yard.

mm1970

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2015, 11:26:02 AM »
Just decided to try this little 'game' with myself this week.
I set myself at only spending $20 on groceries for the week. Went to the supermarket yesterday and am done for the week, came out at $19.52.
It was quite interesting, I found myself questioning every item I picked up in order to keep within the budget, but somehow still managed to get enough to live off fine(oats, fruit, veges, tuna).

I think its easy if you know the items and know how to cook.

MY wife and I spend about 120 dollars per person with LUXURIOUS items included and with crappy processed expensive food that she likes to buy that is expensive. If it werent for that and we really tried it I believe we could easily do 70 dollars per person per month.

Most items we buy in our groceries list are:

Ribs, T-Bones, Flank steak, salmon, cod... rice, spaghetti, tomatoes, apples, oranges, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, onions and so forth.

I cook everything from mostly scratch... i am not a fan of pre-made stuff. Even pizza's I make my own base with flour, water, salt, etc ...
$120 per person per month, $240 a month, about $60 a week.  $30 per person per week.  That's pretty good.

But remember location is a big part of it.

mm1970

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2015, 11:27:21 AM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

This makes me laugh. I'm 6'6" and 220lbs. When I'm not lazy, I have about 12-15% body fat. My point? I consume about 3300 calories a day, making this week long list of groceries laughable to me.

My weekly totals (basic)

Breakfast: Half a kilo of oats, 14 eggs (2/day), and 7 bananas.
Lunch: 1lbs of brown rice, 4 heads of broccoli, 7 chicken breasts, 7 apples, 1lb cheese (2oz/day)
Dinner: Another pound of rice, more veggies, more meat, lots of potatoes.

The more I exercise, the more I eat. The less meat/cheese, the cheaper it is, as long as I eat calorie dense food.
It kind of made me laugh too.

I'm a 5'2", 45 year old female trying to lose a few pounds.  And I thought that it looked a little low.  But I could probably drop weight quick!

MrSal

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2015, 10:41:42 PM »
Just decided to try this little 'game' with myself this week.
I set myself at only spending $20 on groceries for the week. Went to the supermarket yesterday and am done for the week, came out at $19.52.
It was quite interesting, I found myself questioning every item I picked up in order to keep within the budget, but somehow still managed to get enough to live off fine(oats, fruit, veges, tuna).

I think its easy if you know the items and know how to cook.

MY wife and I spend about 120 dollars per person with LUXURIOUS items included and with crappy processed expensive food that she likes to buy that is expensive. If it werent for that and we really tried it I believe we could easily do 70 dollars per person per month.

Most items we buy in our groceries list are:

Ribs, T-Bones, Flank steak, salmon, cod... rice, spaghetti, tomatoes, apples, oranges, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, onions and so forth.

I cook everything from mostly scratch... i am not a fan of pre-made stuff. Even pizza's I make my own base with flour, water, salt, etc ...
$120 per person per month, $240 a month, about $60 a week.  $30 per person per week.  That's pretty good.

But remember location is a big part of it.

True... I was actually surprised to be that low considering on how we eat. Mostly from my wife's said where she spends a lot on more expensive items that are not even whole foods... Also we eat a lot of premium fish and meat... So I was definitely surprised when that number came out of mint

albijaji

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #17 on: November 21, 2015, 12:36:53 AM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

I can't remember the exact prices, but yes I did draw down from my pantry a little bit at the start of the week with some rice and remainder of a previous bag of frozen veges that had about 1/4 left so not total eating expenses for the week, but still feels good nonetheless

wow that's 2 days of food for my 14 year old alone.. ok maybe the yogurt and the oats will last till day 3..

Conjou

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2015, 03:55:19 PM »
Make the rounds on some dumpsters and you can knock this down to zilch. ;)

elaine amj

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #19 on: November 24, 2015, 12:04:23 PM »
I'm trying to see how you made meals out of this. Did you just eat fruit salads and plain broccoli/frozen veggies? The two tins of tuna would be what...2-4 lunches? What did you eat for dinners for the entire week?

Veggie
2 large stalks of broccoli
1kg bag of frozen veges

Fruit
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes

Breakfast
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats

Protein
2 tins of tuna

By the way, congrats on working so hard on your grocery bill! That's badass :)

MrSal

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #20 on: November 26, 2015, 05:12:09 PM »
YEsterday was at my grocery store and for 37 dollars total I bought 14 pieces of Wrapped Filet Mignon tenderloin at 8 oz each ... and four 8 oz pieces of organic Ribeye.

Total 37.50 dollars !! They were discounted if using the grocery saver card but they also had a coupon on it for 2-3$ off each (they usually do this when the sell by date is approaching)

Got super premium meat for like 2 dollars a piece !

honeybbq

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Re: Under $20 for groceries
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2015, 11:24:34 AM »
Ok so the list was
2 large stalks of broccoli
4 bananas
3 apples
1 tub of red and green mixed grapes
1kg tub of yoghurt
1.5 kg of rolled oats
2 tins of tuna
1kg bag of frozen veges

I can't remember the exact prices, but yes I did draw down from my pantry a little bit at the start of the week with some rice and remainder of a previous bag of frozen veges that had about 1/4 left so not total eating expenses for the week, but still feels good nonetheless


Wow. That would be gone in 2 days. Ok, maybe not the oatmeal, but most of the rest.