So, I challenged myself to eating on just one shopping trip while the Sarge is gone. Actually, that's not one hundred percent accurate -- I think I'll be subscribing to an organic produce delivery service but it won't start just yet. And.. well.. sometimes you get down to the last of your food money and the envelope just isn't producing like it used to (Dave Ramsey fans will know what I'm talking about!).
First of all, I blame the sarge, because we went out to eat SO much before he left. He just can't reign me in, and I apparently thought every night was a celebratory dinner.
Anyway.
Back when we FIRST got married and we were basically runnin' on fumes, I searched the internet for things like, "What to do with your last $20" and "How to stretch $50 to feed 2 for 2 weeks". Didn't everyone? No? Okay, we'll just say that we're the only couple in the world who has ever been broke. (Broke... not poor. Poverty is a state of mind. Some of the "poorest" people I have ever known were rich with something much more valuable..... but this is another post.)
Anyway. I thought I'd dig up some of those old posts for my "single" life. I found this post for a $20 shopping list to feed yourself for a week.. It's where I started. I think this list could feed two people for a week, or me for two weeks.
A few words about this little experiment.
1. It is not necessarily a balanced diet, but it is much less unhealthy than fast food and most prepackaged meals (the decent ones are mostly too expensive for this list anyway). But I am taking a multivitamin every day, so.. there's that.
2. I had somethings on hand. This may not be fully duplicatable (that's a word) but you can surely get close if you have a couple extra dollars, or a few things on hand.
3. Supplement with more fresh fruit or veggies if you have more to spend. I DID have some frozen fruit that I made super simple smoothies from. But hey, we're talking about being BROKE not healthy.
4. Even if you ate off the dollar menu, you wouldn't have 3 (relatively) square meals for seven days.. and certainly not fourteen days. I know it seems easier. But fast food is REALLY not for the budget conscious.
So here it is. I got the following from Aldi. It cost me just under $23.
- 1 loaf of bread
- A bag of onions
- A 5-lb bag of potatoes
- A jar of peanut butter
- 16-slice pack of cheese
- Package of deli ham
- 6 Roma tomatos (it was $.99)
- a head of cabbage or lettuce (I prefer cabbage)
- 1lb 93% lean ground beef
- Chicken legs -- there were 10 in the package
- A dozen eggs
You may also need: Spaghetti and sauce ($2 tops from pretty much anywhere)
Day 1
B: Grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg
L: PB Toast 2 slices
D: 2 smothered chicken legs & cabbage (or a salad) -- I cooked 4.
[Minimally, you'll need an onion, some kind of fat (I had butter), flour and seasonings. You could also just pan fry it. If you have it, you can also make some rice]
Day 2
B: Scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese & a piece of toast
L: Leftover chicken
D: Spaghetti (Make half the package)
Day 3
B: PB Toast 2 slices
L: Leftover spaghetti
D: 1/4 lb hamburger on toasted bread with tomato and onion if you want, and lettuce if you have it.
Day 4
B: Cheese Toast (makes me happy)
L: Ham & Cheese sandwich
D: Fried cabbage with tomato and eggs ... Fry your cabbage then push it to one side. Add more oil if the pan is too dry, and add a few beaten eggs to the empty spot. Scramble until firm, then add a chopped tomato and toss together. Drizzle on soy sauce at the end if you have it.
OR salad with tomatoes, cheese, a hard boiled egg, and a piece of toast as croutons. No dressing? Olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar make a great, simple dressing.
Day 5
B: Two egg omelet with diced ham & cheese
L: Fried/braised cabbage OR a small salad
D: From the original plan: Mini Shepherds pie
[Cut up and boil the potato, and brown the ground beef with a diced onion. Layer beef, some cheese slices and smashed potato in a small oven dish (add butter and a splash of milk or cream to the potatoes if you have it.]
Day 6
B: Fried egg and toast
L: Spaghetti
D: Fried or baked chicken with cabbage or salad
Day 7 - Leftover day. You really should have plenty of leftover food.
OR start the week over to go for two weeks :))
Here are a few more tips to making a little food a long way! How to feed yourself for $15 a week
So there you go. What do you do when you're down to your last $20 or so and need to feed yourself ?
