Some years ago, I wrote a post on buying groceries if you only had $30 weekly to spend. That post has been visited and revisited -- and its general advice still holds. But boy, have prices been changing!
*Milk is nearly $4 a gallon here in the Denver CO area...on sale. It can easily go up to $6 or so.
*Eggs have skyrocketed to $5 or more for a large dozen. That's right -- the cheapest kind. If you want organic or free-range, you'll be paying at least $5 on top of that.
And butter? During a stop at King Soopers (our Kroger) on New Year's Eve, I noticed the 'everyday' price: $8.69 a pound.
Yow.
We don't have that kind of money to spend on groceries. Neither, I suspect, do you. So here are some ideas that should help keep your expenditures at a sort-of reasonable level:
*Buy generies and house brands. Get the fancypants stuff later, when your budget's not so limited.
*Buy on sale -- and stock up whenever possible. If the price is right, buy as many extra as you're allowed to.
*Put it in the freezer. Milk, butter and cheese keep just fine this way. Entrees and soups can be easily stored (plastic bags or tubs) for future use. Cookies and bread, baked or unbaked, will do just fine, as well.
*Grow your own -- or buy your veggies from a stand. It helps them, and you get fresher produce in the bargain.
Green beans are one of the easiest things to grow for yourself.
Canned or frozen green beans are good, too.
*Check the clearance and discount bins.
*Check in at Amazon Warehouse for canned goods and specialty items... but always cross-check with Walmart's and SamsClub or Costco's websites. Sometimes the prices listed sound good -- but aren't.
*Make it yourself. Bread is not difficult to bake, especially when you use Mavis' recipe. The internet is filled with good, easy recipes for all sorts of things.
*Make more than enough -- and stash it for future meals. This can be a real timesaver, but is a Godsend when it's late, you're cold, tired -- and hungry. Just pull the pan out of the freezer and heat it up. (Keeping some good canned soups and stews, or corned beef hash, will do the same thing. And it's a lot cheaper than a trip to Burger King.)
*Use up your bits, pieces and leftovers. They can be the foundation for some great soups and stirfries, especially. Or dishes like Hoppin' John. I currently have some in the crockpot.This is good- luck eating around New Year's Day! But it's also using up a hambone, celery leaves, an onion and a small amount of tomatoes I had sitting around.
Now for the grocery list. Denver is not the cheapest of cities to live in, so I feel confident that you could do as well as this -- if not better. I'm assuming that you have baking powder, baking soda, salt, some sugar ($2-3/lb) and flour ($3.50/five pounds) in your cupboard. (If not, spend a little extra and get some.) Spices like garlic, marjoram, basil, etc. add flavor and texture.
A $30 Grocery List for One Person - One Week
*half-dozen eggs $3.00
*pound of oatmeal 1.50
*pound margarine 1.50 (If butter's on sale at $1.97, get that, instead)
*two pounds rice 2.00
*tomatoes 1.50 (fresh, or a few cans)
*gallon milk 3.60 (get whole milk - a half-gallon, if price is too high)
*celery 1.25 (a pound)
*chicken 3.00
(Chicken breasts are 97 cents a pound at Safeway this week -- or buy at least two pounds worth of thighs, leg quarters, etc.)
*onions 1.50 (a pound)
*potatoes 3.00 (5 pounds)
*loaf of bread 2.00 (or make your own, and save)
*peanut butter 2.00 (one jar)
*bacon 4.00 (on sale - or get a half-pound at the deli section)
-------------------
$29.85
These are prices I've seen -- or paid -- in recent months here in the Denver area. If chicken isn't on sale, buy $3.00 worth of something else -- ham has been 97 cents a pound here ($1.27/lb for spiral-cut) all through December. If you've gotten some items cheaper and have money leftover, buy apples or a can of peaches, for a batch of fruit crisp. (Use less fruit, if you have to -- you've got the other ingredients already on this list.)
Here goes:
First, pour 1/3 - 1/2 of your milk in another container -- then fill the gallon back up with water. You've just given yourself '2%' milk which tastes a lot better than the stuff in the cooler. Not to mention a 'free' gallon or so for next week.
Next, chop up your celery and onion. (Add a chopped pepper -- $1 -- if you can afford it.) This mixture will keep all week in the fridge. Put the celery end and onion skins in the crockpot along with one of the chicken breasts, then fill with water. (Add a few chicken bouillon cubes, if you've got them.) Let cook on low overnight, pull the meat off and set aside, then strain -- this broth is the basis for your chicken soup.
More chicken can be diced, cooked or uncooked, for future meals -- cooking the meat in the dish adds flavor. (Keep any bones for making more broth.)
Think of the bacon as a flavor enhancer -- not a primary source of protein. One or two slices, chopped, can be used for frying. Or crumble ocooked bacon over the final dish. Butter/margarine should be used the same way -- or spread thinly on bread or toast. Fresh tomatoes are tasty on sliced bread -- canned tomatoes can be added to any of the supper dishes.
If possible, make some bread. Or biscuits. This will help stretch your meals further.
BREAKFASTS----
Oatmeal with milk and sugar
One egg (boiled or fried) with toast
One strip bacon with toast
French toast (bread soaked in egg/a little milk mixture, then fried. Sprinkle with sugar before serving)
Hashbrowns (chopped potatoes) with onion, fried with 1 slice chopped bacon
Leftovers from lunches & suppers
LUNCHES --
Peanut butter sandwich
Sliced chicken...in a sandwich, or just by itself
Any of the soups (see below)
Any of the supper leftovers
SUPPERS --
Chicken & rice
Chicken soup with veggies (The broth, plus one handful each of diced chicken, rice and the veggie mixture. Some tomato is good, too.)
Potato soup (chopped potatoes, a tablespoon of the veggies cooked in water. Drain, add milk and a pat of butter when the potatoes are done, and heat to boiling. Salt and pepper heavily.)
Baked potatoes -- with chicken, an egg or a strip of bacon inserted inside the potato when nearly baked
Spanish rice (veggies, tomato, rice -- and an egg stirred in just before serving)
Chicken and dumplings (chicken, veggies, a little of the chicken soup broth -- and this basic recipe)
That should get you through the week -- with leftovers. A biscuit or slice of bread and butter will help fill you up, if soup's the only thing on the menu. Or use one of the eggs to make oatmeal cookies. (You can use an eggshell of water for the second egg -- but you'll need the first one.) For this week, drink water or milk.
NEXT WEEK: Plan to use any leftovers from Week #1. Use the savings on the milk to buy coffee or teabags, instead. Get a pound of white or pinto beans. (Beans and rice are the universal moneysaving food the world around.) Jam! (It's good on toast, and stirred into the oatmeal.) Buy a different protein, for variety -- or get a pound of cheese and have grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese-topped baked potatoes, instead. You were short on dessert last week -- maybe a sampler pack of candy bars, or chocolate chips for cookies?
For two people, you can easily stay in the $50 range each week, instead of spending $60. (Use the extra for canned veggies on sale, salad makings, popcorn, beans, etc.)
It won't be lavish. And you'll have to plan ahead. But if you truly need to, you can stick with a $30-a-week budget until things get better.
They will.
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