I haven’t seen a lot of posts specifically about this, though if I’m just missing them please feel free to point me in the right direction.
My question is basically the title, though I’ll add some extra details since I know this will vary depending on location. Currently in the US, living in a city with approximately ~500k people. Good access to fresh produce, though I do think that the average basket of goods here (west coast) is probably higher than the national average.
So, with that in mind, what is a good PPM target? Meaning what is a good price per meal for each time that I sit down to eat it. Easy answer is the lower the better, but I’m curious what people are spending on what they consider high frugality PPMs and what exactly they’re eating. Currently I’ve estimated that, while eating reasonably well, I’m getting an average PPM of about $3.27 per meal, but I feel like that number can be drastically reduced even without forgoing the high quality food I’m consuming.
I’d love any thoughts.
What is a good PPM (price per meal) to aim for?
byu/BrighterReader inFrugal
Posted by BrighterReader
8 Comments
it depends a little on your location and grocery prices like you said, but for me living in a HCOL city (not nyc or sf)i stick between $2-$3, with an occasionally meat-heavy $5 post-workout meal
budgetbytes blog is really great at listing out recipes and their costs btw
We aim for $2 per person.
$1.00
I usually aim for $2-3, but occasional special meals like pot roast or requiring unusual ingredients can be more.
I feel that $4 for a meal is good. Less than a dollar for breakfast and probably $2.50 for a lunch
Around $3.50/weeknight meal that usually has rice, meat, and vegetables on sale. I use too good to go a lot to supplement my meals when I’m bored of what I cook. NYC
I target $125/week for my kid and I. 3.5 meals per day comes to $2.25/meal.
Costs vary so much from place to place, dietary needs and preferences.
IMHO, your best bet is to start with typical menus. Meals of different ranges of types – sandwiches and sides, breakfasts, dinners. Make them meet your caloric/nutritional needs.
THEN price it out. Figure out exchanges for more expensive items for when budget is tight. There undoubtedly will be some items that surprise you (bologna cheaper than peanut butter?).