Food budget for one

[mbsturgill]

I just filed for divorce last month from an emotionally abusive "man" who wouldn't hold down a full-time job and whom I had to support, along with his daughter, for three years. My step-daughter's mother only sees her once a month at the most, so for the past four years I have been her primary mother figure (she just turned eight last month) and before that her grandmother mainly cared for her. The divorce has been pretty nasty so far, due 100% to actions on his part, but I have been adamant that I will not abandon my step-daughter and will continue to care for her as my own. We had a family trip planned to Disney the end of July and he has agreed to "let me" take her. If this trip wasn't already planned, non-refundable park tickets purchased months ago and we weren't using my parents' timeshare for free, we wouldn't be going. I'm an accountant and very frugal and otherwise would never take a trip that strained the budget, but this is the only thing I've been looking forward to for months and it will give me a wonderful week with my stepdaughter whom I don't get to see as often anymore (not by my own choice).

Now to my question... My normal budget after the divorce is final and after the vacation will leave around a thousand dollars per month leftover in which I plan to payoff all debt within a year and then start saving for a down payment on a new house. With all the expenses involved with moving, last month about ran me dry and until the divorce is final I still have to pay $400/month of his medical insurance, car insurance and cell phone. So, basically, I'm cutting it close until after this trip. I just bought the plane tickets which were around $520 and if I budgeted correctly I need to take about $550 with me on the trip. The only discretionary categories in my budget are food and clothes, so I'm obviously not going to buy any clothes and let that one rollover a few months. So, I'm left with food. I'm not good at cooking and the thought overwhelms me, but clearly I need to stop eating out and figure out a way to spend as little as possible for the next seven weeks or so. Does anyone have any suggestions? My budget right now is $350 per month but I need to drop that big time. How little do you think I can spend and how can I do it?

Thank you!!!

 

[donac]

Start cooking simple things like hamburgers, hot dogs and pasta.

MY ds2 is cooking for himself all the time. It is not hard to do and you might learn to enjoy it.

 

[mbsturgill]

I've cooked a few things, but it seems every "simple," healthy recipe requires a bunch of spices or 2tbsp. of this 1tsp. of that so after I buy everything for it I've spent $100 at the grocery on only a few meals! I've got spaghetti down, but it's getting a little old and I'm trying to cut carbs. I'm sure I can figure out how to cook, but I've read here how some people plan a month's worth of meals for their family of four in one afternoon on $200 or something and I can't figure out how?!? And yes, I've googled it but haven't come up with anything helpful.

 

[stasijane]

Good luck on your decision, I couldn't imagine how stressful that would be, but it sounds like it will be better for you in the long run. I dont know your shopping habits but one of the things I try to do is shop better. I always look for a good sale on food. I am also not a cook and dont do it much, but Ramen noodle is one of the cheapest foods!

 

[java]

1. Use meat Sparingly! Quite frankly if it weren't for the boys in our house DD and I would go vegan. We like Eggplant Parm. It's SUPER cheap this time of year. I buy the eggplant at the local farm stand for like nothing!

2. Salads are inexpensive and easy

3. Chicken Thighs are your friend. To me they are so flavorful and they are usually $1 a pound. I love to just pan sear them in some olive oil- salt and pepper smoking hot pan- put them in skin side down- cook for 15 minutes- then throw in a hot oven (like 425) for another 10-15 until it's cooked through. Yummy juicy and simple. Serve it with some green beans mmmmm.

There are plenty of $5 dinner websites out there. But this time of year I try to buy the delicious in season produce and go from there.

Breakfast for dinner is cheap- making pancakes from scratch is so easy and inexpensive. I splurge on blueberries in season and feel like I am getting such a yummy treat.

You can do it! I try to keep our weekly budget to around $100 for 6 people. If it was just me I would aim for way less. The show THE CHEW recently did a segment on eating on like nothing a day- I think it was $7 a day? But that would bring you to about $50 a week. Eating in saves you a bundle and lately for us we think it tastes better!

The trick is to have plenty of quick recipes that you can pull out. So that you are not tempted to take out! Check out the Eat at home thread here on the dis.

 

[AntePrincess]

I feel your pain every time I go to the supermarket, here are some tips that changed the way I shop:

• Pick one signature spice blend (a bought one is fine or mix your own), a vegetable base (the cheap classic is carrots, celery, and onion), and a chosen fat (butter or olive oil). Then when you look at recipes, just use them for the basic idea, then use your signature fat, seasoning, and veggies. Voila, none of that endless series of exotic spices where you use one tsp and no more.
• Quick healthy dinner: take a filet or individual cut of meat, season it and throw it under the broiler. While it is cooking, use the microwave to quick cook a potato and some frozen veggies. Make a salad on the side. Have fruit for dessert, quick low handtime dinner!
• Learn to love hardboiled eggs. We put a whole carton worth in the oven, one egg per well in a muffin tin, at 350° for about 15 minutes. Hardboiled without boiling.
• Sandwiches save us a great deal in summer. We make a lot of "condiment" sandwiches with things like pesto, hummus or bruschetta (well drained) usually with a cheese like mozzarella or riccota. Tastes great, pretty healthy.

 

[msmama]

If you have a grill it's easy to toss on a chicken breast (which you can buy A LOT of for just a few dollars if you're only feeding one). Marinate in some italian dressing (or other salad dressing of your choice).

Also toss some veggies on a grill.

I don't know where you're living now but small balcony grills can be purchased this time of year for about $25-$30.

 

[stasijane]

If you have a grill it's easy to toss on a chicken breast (which you can buy A LOT of for just a few dollars if you're only feeding one). Marinate in some italian dressing (or other salad dressing of your choice).

Also toss some veggies on a grill.

I don't know where you're living now but small balcony grills can be purchased this time of year for about $25-$30.

That is a very good idea. I have a Foreman grill and that thing is amazing! I use it for turkey burgers and grilled chicken. It is so simple and the food is really good.

 

[MartyM]

3. Chicken Thighs are your friend. To me they are so flavorful and they are usually $1 a pound. I love to just pan sear them in some olive oil- salt and pepper smoking hot pan- put them in skin side down- cook for 15 minutes- then throw in a hot oven (like 425) for another 10-15 until it's cooked through. Yummy juicy and simple. Serve it with some green beans mmmmm.

There are plenty of $5 dinner websites out there. But this time of year I try to buy the delicious in season produce and go from there.

Breakfast for dinner is cheap- making pancakes from scratch is so easy and inexpensive. I splurge on blueberries in season and feel like I am getting such a yummy treat.

ITA.

Chicken Thighs and Leg Quarters are cheapcheapcheap! They are also way more tasty than a breast without having to add anything. Separate the packages for freezing in individual servings.

My other rec. is to investigate farm stands and markets in your area. You can get a week's worth of veggies for 10-15. All you need is some olive oil and salt/pepper.

Scratch waffles/pancakes and brownies are cheap and easy sweets for when you just have to have something.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Salad makings can be very inexpensive (organic tubs of mixed lettuce at Sams are bout $4 and they will easily last one person a week) and you can add protien to that for a full meal. It will help cut carbs, too.

Rotisserie chickens at grocery stores are usually excellent buys (and often cheaper than you can make yourself). Another easy to do meal, without having to cook too much for yourself. Add a bag of frozen veggies and you have another simple meal.

Ground meat can be stretched by making it into a "sloppy" whatever (Joe, or Susan, or whomever you care to immortalize in a recipe). A bottle of BBQ sauce can be added for a "Joe" or you can simply add some broth, simmer the meat, (add a bit of onion, and or garlic) and have a base meal. If you add a creamy type of sauce you can put it over noodles (ok, so not so carb friendly) and it will be filling. If you space out your carb meals with low carb meals that will offset the carb "damage."

Soup is always a good idea, but I honestly think you have to like to cook to concoct a decent soup...

 

[mward73]

Also look at Costco for a rotisserie chicken. They're $4.99 here and big enough for several meals. No cooking for you, just the cutting it up - you can make chicken tacos, salad with chicken, etc... super easy things.

Spaghetti is cheap and easy and you can make the sauce in the crockpot then freeze extra - easy the first time and even easier the next time you want it - just thaw it.

I don't know how low you can go, but when I was first out of college and on a tight budget (and a horrible cook), I spent probably $150/month on food. I wasn't big on meat, but used it in tacos, spaghetti and things like that. I also loved baked potatoes and would just top them differently a few times a week. They're easy since the microwave has a button for that. lol

 

[dizluvah]

a few suggestions

a quick, cheap go to meal for us is bean burritos

plan your menu for the week based on the sales ad for the grocery store you shop

shop the outside of the grocery store - produce, dairy and avoid the more expensive convenience type foods in the aisles

 

[*Seanaci*]

I feel your pain every time I go to the supermarket, here are some tips that changed the way I shop:

• 
  [*]Pick one signature spice blend (a bought one is fine or mix your own), a vegetable base (the cheap classic is carrots, celery, and onion), and a chosen fat (butter or olive oil). Then when you look at recipes, just use them for the basic idea, then use your signature fat, seasoning, and veggies. Voila, none of that endless series of exotic spices where you use one tsp and no more.
• Quick healthy dinner: take a filet or individual cut of meat, season it and throw it under the broiler. While it is cooking, use the microwave to quick cook a potato and some frozen veggies. Make a salad on the side. Have fruit for dessert, quick low handtime dinner!
• Learn to love hardboiled eggs. We put a whole carton worth in the oven, one egg per well in a muffin tin, at 350° for about 15 minutes. Hardboiled without boiling.
• Sandwiches save us a great deal in summer. We make a lot of "condiment" sandwiches with things like pesto, hummus or bruschetta (well drained) usually with a cheese like mozzarella or riccota. Tastes great, pretty healthy.

YES to the bolded! We use something called Nature's Seasoning to season anything and everything we cook.

Costco or Sams...if you have a membership...you can buy meats in bulk (we get a big bag of boneless-skinless individually packaged chicken breasts; there's normally 12-15 breasts in there; Costco now sells 4 1lb cartons of ground turkey for around $12-$15). Also, we use the steamer bags in the microwave for our fresh frozen veggies...and they can also be used to cook meat...just follow what it says on the bag (I've not tried this yet...but I know I've seen them cook chicken that way on The Biggest Loser).

 

[jsmith]

remember that a single steak is two meals if you follow the guidline of a 3 oz portion of meat. One package of chicken breasts is several meals. You can by one piece of fish from the seafood counter. Eggs are a cheap source of protien. I can eat quite well on 200 a month for just myself if i use meat carefully and buy produce from the farmers market.

 

[jedijill]

I am cooking a soup from skinnytaste.com right now. She uses pretty basic ingredients for most of her recipes. I try to cut down recipes to half if they seem big...I can't stand eating the same thing for a week! The freezer is your friend. I bought a vacuum sealer and divide things up and freeze them. Don't fall into the trap of buying single serve prepared/processed foods at the store.....its so much more expensive and not very good for you.

HTH

Jill in CO

 

[disneychrista]

I've cooked a few things, but it seems every "simple," healthy recipe requires a bunch of spices or 2tbsp. of this 1tsp. of that so after I buy everything for it I've spent $100 at the grocery on only a few meals!.

But you still have those spices for other meals.

 

[PTMax]

You might want to look at ways to cut down on the money you spend on drinks and snacks. I know they really add to my grocery bill.

 

[Couchy]

It sounds like you are trying to eat healthy so here are my tips

1. I buy chicken breasts in bulk ( like 10 ) and it is much cheaper than a small package. Freeze them in small portions and then take them out and use them as you want.

2. I often buy ground turkey. A 1lb package can make 3-4 turkey burgers. Make a few patties and freeze the extra

3. We don't use a lot of spices. Chicken can be marinated in Italian dressing, bbq sauce, etc for cheap

4. Grill veggies, corn on the cob is a very cheap side, and salad is also cheap.

I hate cooking but the grill is your friend, its fast, easy and not a lot of clean up. It also adds a lot of flavor

 

[cluvsdisney]

I just filed for divorce last month from an emotionally abusive "man" who wouldn't hold down a full-time job and whom I had to support, along with his daughter, for three years. My step-daughter's mother only sees her once a month at the most, so for the past four years I have been her primary mother figure (she just turned eight last month) and before that her grandmother mainly cared for her. The divorce has been pretty nasty so far, due 100% to actions on his part, but I have been adamant that I will not abandon my step-daughter and will continue to care for her as my own. We had a family trip planned to Disney the end of July and he has agreed to "let me" take her. If this trip wasn't already planned, non-refundable park tickets purchased months ago and we weren't using my parents' timeshare for free, we wouldn't be going. I'm an accountant and very frugal and otherwise would never take a trip that strained the budget, but this is the only thing I've been looking forward to for months and it will give me a wonderful week with my stepdaughter whom I don't get to see as often anymore (not by my own choice).

Now to my question... My normal budget after the divorce is final and after the vacation will leave around a thousand dollars per month leftover in which I plan to payoff all debt within a year and then start saving for a down payment on a new house. With all the expenses involved with moving, last month about ran me dry and until the divorce is final I still have to pay $400/month of his medical insurance, car insurance and cell phone. So, basically, I'm cutting it close until after this trip. I just bought the plane tickets which were around $520 and if I budgeted correctly I need to take about $550 with me on the trip. The only discretionary categories in my budget are food and clothes, so I'm obviously not going to buy any clothes and let that one rollover a few months. So, I'm left with food. I'm not good at cooking and the thought overwhelms me, but clearly I need to stop eating out and figure out a way to spend as little as possible for the next seven weeks or so. Does anyone have any suggestions? My budget right now is $350 per month but I need to drop that big time. How little do you think I can spend and how can I do it?

Thank you!!!

Shop sales and keep it simple while you are trying to really tighten your budget.

Frequent sales I notice are
12 packs of english muffins for $4 - great for breakfast, tuna melts, english muffin pizzas. you can also freeze them, just wrap well.
boxes of pasta for $1, jar sauce for $2 - this will last for several meals - toss in some chicken, ground meat, veggies.
various cereals on sale for $3 a box.
hearts of romaine 3 packs for $3.

Do you have a membership to a warehouse club like costco or bjs? My BJs has big packs of chicken breast for appox $20 which comes with 12 breasts. This goes sooooooo far! Each breast is about 6 ounces. I also find cheese is a good buy.


I'll make pan roasted chicken breasts. I only season them with salt & garlic powder so I can add it to salad, pasta, a sandwich and it will take on the flavor of the rest of the food (dressing, sauce, etc).

It's BBQ season so a lot of meats are on sale...get family packs, portion it and then freeze. I'll sometimes freeze the meat in some sort of marinade (salad dressing, BBQ sauce, teryaki sauce), then I can just throw it on a grill pan when I get home from work.

Pizza dough is cheap to make or buy and goes a ways for one person.

Buy seasonal fruit & veggies.

I"ll make things like pulled chicken & ziti which is inexpensive to make and freezes well.

Check out couponmom.com - this sight will guide you with getting the best deals at various supermarkets, target, walmart & drug stores.

 

[AntePrincess]

You might want to look at ways to cut down on the money you spend on drinks and snacks. I know they really add to my grocery bill.

So true! Tea, coffee, soda, juice, etc are expensive! I quit caffeine last week (ironically after starting a thread about instant coffee) and I've already seen a savings. I now take my great aunt's advice and eat my fruits and veggies rather than drink them, it's healthier anyway.

As for snacks, I skip them unless I'm feeling faint. (If you really brush your teeth right after every meal, it cuts down on cravings... and you have nicer teeth!) But I keep a fruit bowl on the table full of ripe apples and bananas and whatever else is seasonal, plus a dish of cherry tomatoes. These are cheap and healthy, and they can substitute for meals if you're short on time.