Hi there, I’m a single mom and I don’t know how to explain it but grocery shopping is one thing that dawns on me. I overthink everything I do typically, so sitting down to create a list and figure out our needs, especially when it comes to needing to make sure I have multiple things that can make multiple meals from one shopping trip. Which of course has been harder with prices. I essentially spend so much time thinking about it and planning it that I typically have to do all of my planning 2-3 weeks in advance to ensure I have enough time to iron it all out and place an order.
Well.. the last two months have been pretty rough on us and I have gotten is through with what we had but i am now out of all my back up options too. I just started a new job and wont be getting paid until the 29th this month.. i have $150 to spare for groceries since having to leave my last job and balance bills.
Is there any way to stretch $150 for groceries to last at least 2 weeks? Meats, drinks, snack options, etc. I have nothing but pasta noodles, canned veggies and some greens right now. I know i cant do a full restock, but something would be nice.
ETA: Just me(24) and my daughter(6), but occasionally have an extra mouth or two over the weekends!
What would you buy with a $150 budget?
byu/LuciousLove inFrugal
Posted by LuciousLove
22 Comments
Hi. You haven’t mentioned how many mouths you have to feed.
How many people and ages
Rice and beans with onions and cabbage marinated in lime juice. Topped with an egg. Some home made salsa. Corn tortillas on the side. Canned pears and baby carrots for snacks and desserts.
That diet got me through some rough times.
Do you have an Aldi?
No drinks other than milk. Unless you can’t drink your water from your house for some reason.
$150 for 2 people is easy and more than a lot of people spend. Stick to the outside of the grocery store (no processed foods) , plan to eat the same meal for a few days at a time, and you’ll be under budget.
Beans and rice in the largest quantities possible. Prepare in large quantities, have with every meal. Buy whole chickens, cut into pieces and roast. Make stock from the bones and and vegetable scraps. Buy the big frozen bags of broccoli and whatever vetegables you like. Beans, rice, chicken, vegetables should easily come under that.
Rice like a large 10lb bag – canned curry sauces and bulk chicken to just fry and add to the sauce. You could do beans.
Try to do a food bank to help lighten your load, single mama. See what you can get from a food bank, and then design your spending to fill gaps. If things are that tight, I’d sleep better knowing that I had just a bit of flexibility due to accepting a bit of help when needed. Congrats on the new job.
As a single mother how many children do you have to feed?
Assuming you mean drains, make yourself a list of re-occuring meals and cycle them depending on sales plus figure out subs for things you need.
We would need to know for how many people and country to get you a good price but personally;
* Make iced tea or skip drinks entirely. Expect maybe milk.
* Eggs. Make quiches or egg cups for breakfast / lunch. Overnight oats as a backup.
* Get enough flour to make some pancakes and make a dutch pancake on weekend for fancy treat. Consider a veggie, cheeseless homemade pizza if your other toppings are affordable.
* Figure out what the cheapest sandwhich and fruit is for packed lunches. This bread is only for the sandwhiches, make the buns and other stuff from the flour you bought. Consider yogurt and frozen berries too. Ration the berries.
* Look at the sale frozen veggies, figure out 2-4 stirfries with cheap meat / tofu, chili, some curries and dhal, probably some pasta.
* Popcorn, frozen / canned fruit, apples / oranges, pre-chopped carrots stored in a mason jar of water for snacks.
Do you have access to a food pantry?
One can of cannellini beans added to sautéed greens with some garlic and/or red pepper is always delicious and healthy.
There’s a sub called r / EatCheapAndHealthy that may help.
Step 1 – Go to the food bank. It’s there just for situations like this
Step 1a – Continue going to the food bank until you are financially stable. It’s hard to get help to pay for a flat tire or a tank of gas, but this can help offset
Step 2 – Most stores have discounts you won’t see on the app. Things that are less than perfect or near their expiration dates. Buy meat this way if at all possible, along with anything in the section that else you and your kids will eat.
Step 3 – Figure out what you need on top of what you’ve found above to make actual inexpensive meals. Use Chat GPT if necessary. Don’t be afraid of dried beans.
Rice beans soy curls too
Yes! Esp if you already have things like canned veggies and pasta. I wouldn’t buy drinks with the exception of milk for your daughter. If to have pasta noodles already, buy a can of pasta sauce and some meat if you like meat in your sauce—that plus noodles= multiple meals for $10 or so. Oatmeal is a great cheap breakfast! One canister would easily last two weeks. I’d also pick out some sale meats to pair with canned veggies—for example, where I shop pork chops are on sale this week for around &4:50 a pound—one pound would easily be two meals each for you and your kiddo when paired with veggies.
Basically cut out any junk food except for things that are super cheap. Beans and rice are also a filling and cheap meal! Etc etc
Call 211 or website findHelp.org
Also for ideas, help, referrals, options contact all the St. Vincent de Paul Society at local Catholic churches
Beans.
Rice.
Butter are usual answers
White flour will make pancakes tortillas biscuits naan bread dumplings etc
rice, beans, frozen veggies, eggs, yogurt, rotisserie chicken
i make different combos, ex: fried rice with egg, taco spice (cumin, paprika) bowls and burritos, chicken with rice pilaf, butter chicken and peas (campbells condensed, ~$1)
i have probably 30 different recipes using combinations of these as a base, plus one or two additions
add an xl bag of rolled/quick oats with frozen berries for cheap healthy breakfast.
I would do Mexican rice bowls. Doesn’t have to be authentic and you can add whatever you want to them. Rice and beans. Check the prices for whole chickens as they’re great value. Raleys has whole chickens for .97 cents/lb right now
Well, depending on where you are located and how many people you are feeding this is totally reasonable without hitting a food pantry.
But also, food pantries in your neighborhood will give you a buffer and are exactly what could be used right now.
At grocery outlet or other discount stores shop the outside. Purchase whatever meat is on sale, the last 2 times it’s been 10 oz ny strip steak for 5.00 and the other day I found grass fed ground beef for 5 bucks a pound.
Shrimp at Walmart is usually 12-15 bucks for a huge bag
Also, you can find chicken and pork depending on your location for around 1.50 a pound or less.
From there, grab any produce, frozen is usually my go to but it’s just me. Look for large bags of imperfect stuff, usually bags of apples, or oranges are 5 pound for 5.00
Eggs, and breakfast meat depending on your lactation are hit and miss.
At those discount stores you can usually find cereal less than 3.00 a box. (It’s not the healthiest selections but heck why not)
Also, check the day old bread areas or mark downs and just freeze these almost out products.
There’s so many options, just go slow. Then when you’ve found your proteins and produce ask AI to help you create a menu.
If you have access to a Costco card- get a rotisserie chicken. They’re inexpensive and you can make that whole thing stretch to several meals.
Source- my bf hates rotisserie chickens and it drives me nuts lol
Oatmeal for breakfast, sandwiches with peanut butter for lunch. Buy the Aldi family pack of chicken. Buy potatoes. Buy frozen bags of vegetables and make some different chicken dishes with different potatoe dishes. Get pasta, half pound of cheese. Make baked macaroni and cheese. Make another pasta dishe with the remaining half pound of noodles.
Suggest checking into local food bank or church pantries . You’d be surprised!!! Very worthwhile
Mexican rice- 1c long grain rice with 2c chicken broth and an 8oz can of tomato sauce
Pinto beans – cooked from dry with a bay leaf
Frozen Ground turkey and chicken are very cheap at Walmart, add taco seasoning and make some burritos
Chicken thighs pan fried in oil are delicious (skin on), make a side of rice with a $2 bag of mixed peas and carrots. Another side is teriyaki sauteed cabbage and onion.
Anything potato is pretty cheap.
Fun treats for the kiddos can include boxed pudding or jello. They’re like $1.50
Lentil soup is pretty good, and can be frozen in portions of when you’re feeling lazy.
Eggs are cheap where I live. Egg salad sandwiches for lunch, hardboiled eggs as a snack.
I would buy a reasonably large bag of potatoes, carrots, frozen broccoli, rice, pinto beans, lentils, several cabbages, large trays of skin on chicken thighs, and several 1lb chubs of frozen ground turkey and chicken, a flat of eggs, cheap Walmart bread for 1.50 per loaf, And Freeze what isn’t needed.