food spending plan
Hi there, I need assistance learning how to budget, especially for food, as I recently moved out on my own.
I would really appreciate any advice that someone could give me on this! I’m grateful.
When cooking for one the easiest way for me to save money and not have food waste is to stick to 1-2 types of fruits and vegetables for the week, 1-2 protein sources and 1-2 carb sources. If you start to add a lot of variety it makes it expensive or you end up with food waste. Based on my experience. If you don’t mind frozen veg (it’s just as nutritious if not more) then you can get a variety. Each week chose different ones so it doesn’t get boring. So you don’t get a lot of variety each day but overall you are getting variety. I also try to avoid complex recipes that require a lot of ingredients. Example grocery list: oatmeal, bananas, canned salmon, spring mix, vinaigrette dressing, chicken legs, gold potatoes green beans, bag of apples, loaf of bread and peanut butter. Breakfast: oatmeal with bananas, lunch salad with spring mix and canned salmon and side of potato wedges. Dinner: (use salad dressing to marinate chicken legs and green beans) roast chicken legs with potatoes and green beans. For snacks you can have roast with peanut butter or peanut butter and banana sandwich. Depending on where you live, this should cost about $50/week. For cleaning supplies use rags as much as possible instead of paper towels, vinegar and water for homemade cleaning spray. Store brand laundry detergent. Bar soap. Store brand shampoo is fine but I prefer a quality conditioner.
Congrats on your independence! Budget $200/month per adult for groceries. Plan meals, buy in bulk, and choose store brands!
$200 per person? That’s only $6.60 per person per day.
How in the world do you do that? What are you eating?
Absolutely possible! Stick to off-brand foods, buy on sale, plan meals, and shop smart. My meals include rice, pasta, and lots of fruits/veggies. Check out Frugal Fit Mom for inspiration!
Crazy. I’m spending around $1,000 a month. But I know I could be more disciplined and spend less. But no way could I go down to 200 or 400.
I Admire you.
Haha! I really appreciate it, that made my evening. Do what works for you and what you want, and you’ll be fine. Happy budgeting!