for context, i'm a female, working a desk job. i live alone. height about 168cm/5ft6in, weight about 70kg/154lb. how much should i expect to spend weekly/monthly on food in order to maintain my current weight (maybe possibly lose a bit) ??
i'm getting paid next week and i need to pull myself together, start tracking my money and meal prepping. i've resorted to just buying ready meals and eating snacks (like, nuts and seeds for cheap protein), but it's not enough. i need proper meals. i can't really cook, but i'm willing to learn.
thank you all in advance!!
what does your typical grocery list look like?
byu/eternally-sad inFrugal
Posted by eternally-sad
7 Comments
Can I ask this? I’m assuming you have already kitchen cookware, maybe toaster oven, microwave, etc? I ask because when I lived alone, a couple of different sized saucepans, a frying pan, and access to toaster oven opens all kinds of easy to cook meals. Maybe not super fancy, but easy and frugal.
I would look on the BudgetBytes website, and find other posts here asking about what basics to buy (rice, pasta, veggie, eggs, black beans, spices, rotisserie chicken…)
Id invest in a slow cooker or instant pot. There are so many meals that are literally set and forget.
But if you’re wanting to cook for yourself the best way is to meal prep. Id invest in frozen veg and fruit for smoothies, oatmeal/eggs/cheese/bread for breakfast or lunches. Chicken and cut it into tenders, and ground beef, rice and pasta. Have bullion or stock, spices like salt pepper Italian seasoning and some kind of season all. This will cover most meals and you can always look up frugal meals to develop a list of go to s.
Food budgets have a lot of variables. Where you live, how many supermarkets in your area, do you eat meat/vegetarian/vegan, do you have any food allergies/medical conditions that limit/require you to eat certain foods.
Track all of your finances in a spreadsheet (what you spend) and this will eventually give you a new perspective – what gets measured gets managed.
Make one or two dishes really well using simple ingredients that are easy to get consistently and cheaply (rice, pasta, lentils, etc). Batch cook – 3-4 portions in one go.
Here’s a thought. Go to the grocery store and look around- slowly. Like when you went with your grandma and wondered how anyone could walk so slowly. That kind of slow. Take a close look at what is there and what interests you. Asian section? Hispanic? Spices?Prepared foods. You will find things that you never noticed. Oh- they have a reduced price bakery section! Looks like they mark down meat that can be purchased and put in the freezer. Take some notes for yourself and see what peaks your interest. Maybe don’t even buy anything that day. THEN-go back with menus in mind and a list. You may find yourself spending a bit more on the first few trips to stock up on pantry items such as spices.
I’ve literally just done my food prep for the next 3 days.
Whole lemon and rosemary chicken roasted over Radishes, Parsnips, carrots, onions, garlic. Some Brussels shoved in the air fryer with roasted sweet potato. I have roast chicken dinner with veggies and gravy for Sunday night meal, mid day Monday is a chicken salad sandwhich with oranges, pickles and grapes as a snack. Monday evening meal is the second portion of roast chicken. Tuesday it’s chicken salad sandwhiches, with apples and caramel sauce to dip, Tuesday evening is some veggie rice, peri peri sauce and the cooked chicken with some garlic bread, Wednesday midday meal is the rice cold with peri peri sauce and last of the chicken in a wrap with veggies and dip. Wednesday evening is usually a jacket potato and cheese or trying something new (this week I’m trying tofu and courgette spaghetti with a lemon and herb sauce)
Then I meal prep for Thursday midday of salad and sweet potato and evening meal of sausages and mash, Friday midday is the last of my salad and fruit and sometimes crackers and cheese or a soup (this week is sweet potato and miso soup with garlic bread) evening meal is fish and chips
Saturday and sunday is what ever is in the fridge or sausage sandwhiches, toast Cerial (whatever left over)
Breakfast Monday to friday is a piece of toast or crumpets with either Jam or marmite as well as some yoghurt m, frozen fruit and m and ms or oats and chocolate chips.
Breakfast Saturday and sunday is all day breakfast or bacon sandwhich and I usually eat breakfast late on weekends so I skip dinner with a banana or orange.
I usually bake something on Wednesday like cookies or brownies but this week I have to orange and pineapple jelly and a crumble.