Can you survive with only $25 a week for groceries?

[marvholly]

Certainly. I have a generous stockpile and can well wait on most items (esp the $$ proteins like meeat & poultry) until prices hit rock bottom (like Skippy peanut butter at my Food4Less for $1 + 0.50 off coupons).

Currently I am stockpiling baking supplies. Younger DD is pregnant & older DD is having a baby shower befor easter so I am making sure I have butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, nuts & chocolate chips on hand NOW to bake in March.

I am also planning at least 7 days meals to bring to them after DGC is born. I will prep/freeze all these dishes at least 1 month ahead and that is a "difficult" task as DD soes not eat red meat and SIL is a meat FREAK!!

[anonymous_saver]

I live with my partner, but we each buy our own food. That works for us because I am a strict vegetarian and because I like to buy fresh veggies/fruits often.

I spend about $150-$180/month for myself on groceries. I know I could spend less, but this is the only area I let myself splurge. For example, I never want to be in a place where I really want fresh pineapple but don't because it costs $3-$4. My costs are also high because I buy a lot of organic items, and really choose my foods carefully because of the fact that I am a strict vegetarian.

Yeah, maybe I could live off of $25-$30/week but I wouldn't be happy. I have other vegetarian friends that spend less per month, and in fact I have found that they spend less money per month than my non-vegetarian friends.

My monthly expenses are already around $650/month, so I don't feel bad that good food is my splurge.

[tabbycat31]

I spend about $40-$50 week on groceries, and I could go down if needed since I have a few stockplies.

I do buy a few convenience items (rotissery chickens...... must be a loss leader because a whole chicken is only about 30 cents cheaper...... my time and the energy I would use cooking that chicken is worht more than 30 cents). I also make stock after I finish the rotissery chickens too. I also am not an egg person (my parents served them daily when I was growing up to the point where I would scream if I saw another one, but I eat them in cooking)

I could bring it down if I tried, but it's just me. And if I had $25/week for food, Lunchables would nto be on there.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I have survived on $25 a week for groceries, provided I had a stock pile of the expensive things like meat & formula.

Though anyone who's gone to college on their own dime or been low on funds knows one can survive when they need to on PBJ's & Ramen noodle

Last time I posted about this I got flamed.

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Or at least greatly limit what food stamps can be used to purchase.

Exactly! But I think they do to an extent, cause I was in Aldi's a few weeks ago and someone was using foodstamps and the customer questioned what she had to pay for out of her own pocket & the cashier said the state won't pay for fruit cocktail juice blends, but a 100% juice they will. But I don't know when that started or if that's everywhere but it's abt time.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I bet she was using WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) vouchers which provide for only nutritious foods professionally selected by a nutritionist to help meet the needs of pregnant or nursing women and children up to age 4 (at least that was the cut off at one time). With WIC, the nutritionist checks off which products may be gotten, with a narrow range of choices for the shopper. For example, if the voucher provides juice, it probably named about six different juices that meet the nutritional criteria. If it names iron-enriched, folic acid enriched cold cereals, it would be similar--they have to be cereals with nutritional content deemed worthwhile, and usually only a few specific brand names fit the criteria. Also, specific quantities of each food are specified, so that if the shopper has a voucher that specifies 18 eggs, she cannot substitute a bag or carrots or a bag of chips, nor get 12 eggs plus an apple. It is all laid out ahead of time with narrow choices for the shopper. If the shopper is entitled to 3 one pound bags of beans, she cannot substitute rice instead, nor even get canned beans instead.

I think WIC is intended to address actual nutritional deficiencies, so it provides real food for people who need real food. I think this is a program that has really helped a lot of babies (it will provide infant formula) and young children to get a healthier start in life, which probably saves the public much more money in doctor, hospital, and special education bills. I am really glad our US tax dollars do something like that....even if specifically I may see problems with a little bit of the food. For example, I don't think kids need all the fruit juices (concentrated sugar, zero fiber) that WIC generally provides.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Aldi's doesn't take WIC they only take debit, cash or foodstamps/quest cards

I bet she was using WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) vouchers which provide for only nutritious foods professionally selected by a nutritionist to help meet the needs of pregnant or nursing women and children up to age 5 (at least that was the cut off at one time).

[mom-from-missouri]

Currenty I spend $250 a month on the average to feed 5 of us (2 adults, 3 children). However, at times I also feed 2 more (the older ones when home from college). If you do the math, thats coming out to $12.50 a week per person.
We eat good and healthy, but most of our cooking and baking is from scratch. I buy what I can by the case at Aldi's. I also double up on sales with coupons. (Like last week Price Chopper had Duncan Hines cake mixes for 69 cents each, and I had several .50 off coupons-so I paid 19 cents each). Normally I would not buy a cake mix, but for 19 cents...I can't make it from scratch for that.
I buy in bulk and store it well-I probably have a hundred dollars invested in rubbermaid. I also save and reuse large jars for food storage (like big pickle jars).
Check out the aisle in the store where they sell food in the large instutional sized packaging.
It can be done, but no soda, chips, cookies....

[benosayi]

I agree, cooking from scratch has saved me alot. If we had to spend 25 dollar, I think we could.

[Kimber1y]

Wow, Mom from Missouri!

I could learn a thing or two from you. I have three boys and a husband, and I swear they are eating machines!

Kimberly

[shelbylovesmelby]

Thanks for the idea of storing groceries in plastic bins. Never thought of that one!

I wish we had somewhere that we could get double coupoining at. I just know my sale prices vs what Aldi's sells items for & base it on that. The one store that does double coupons is only on 1 day & comes w/ a pile of rules & minimum purchase requirement.

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Though does it blow anyone else away when the person in front of you in line buys $200+ worth of groceries @ the regular store and their cart is barely full????

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Mom-from-Missouri!!!!!! I humbly bow before you. You are incredible. $12.50 a week per person!

Given that you have a farm, can I guess that you also have a personal garden from which you gather and preserve vegetables and fruit? Do you have non-store sources for meats, poultry, eggs, fish?

We need to hear more about this!

[Tree0164]

Honestly that is a crappy menu that site posted.

For a family of 5, I am spending about $400 a month. That breaks down to about $20 a week for each person. This doesn't include eating out which we do ocassionally.

We do eat fairly well, healthy. You can buy junk food which I considered a lot of that article.

[Coleroo]

My husband and I definately can... we normally do (as a newly married couple we learned this fast).... canned foods, rice, meat sales at food lion, discounted store brand frozen foods, dry milk from aldis, and fresh foods from our farmers market (less than a mile from me) make this easy for us to do right now.

[simpleyme]

it is interesting to me that everyone who earns spends their own money seems to be able to survive on such a small amount

[hacik.istanbul@yahoo.ca]

As an investment banker, I can tell you that it is more than feasible to survive on $25.00 a day. I would suggest that you focus primarily on purchasing fresh vegetables and preparing it yourself. I do this to incorporate quality time with my family as well as to enjoy more wholesome and nutritious food. You would be surprised with what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it.