Poormans Low Carb... Please help

[sTaRiA]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping you can help here as I am in a bit of a pickle.

My finance has been very Ill for most of this year and has been unable to work, so we're living on one wage at the moment. Payday is in 2 days time and I have $15.58 to my name. Basicly we're screwed

I really really REALLY dont want to go off plan but I feel like I'm left with no choice. We need to eat for the next few days and lets face it... carbs are cheaper than protein!

Is there anything you guys can think of that I could get for 2 nights worth of food for less than that?

If I go off plan it's gonna be so hard to get back on the wagon and I'll risk losing everything I've worked for!!

At home I have 2 eggs, cheese, a can of tuna, almond meal and flax meal...

Thanks in advance.

[mccb17]

Eggs, chicken drumsticks, store brand sausages, chicken stock, frozen veggies.

I've been there, and it can be done. It might not be the most exciting meal, but hey, it's two days...

Good luck and keep strong!

[granolamom]

A 3-4lb chicken for 99 cents a lb (I know around here they go on sale to .79 but .99 is average) Roast it and for night one have chicken, night two chicken salad (keep a little shredded chicken for the next night, night 3 take the bones and make a chicken stock add shredded chicken..
Or with the can of tuna....serve it on top of some lettuce

Eggs are cheap.....we had eggs & bacon for dinner tonight..filling and tasty. With the flax meal if you are eating the one minute muffin that can be your breakfast.

[LowCarbPanda86]

Eggs - get the 2 1/2 dozen pack as usually cheaper
Any "Manager Special" meat pack
I would not try for fresh veggies as they will be too expensive, maybe frozen veggies but only after buying meat and eggs and if you have enough cash left over.

[Liz1959]

A whole chicken.

[RealFoodLiving]

EGGGGGSS!
Frozen veggies
Ground beef (sale)

[tulipsandroses]

chicken thighs

[luxdeluxe]

The original poster is in Australia- food prices there are very different to in the US.

Ground/minced beef is a lifesaver for me- you can make so many delicious LC meals from it- try rolling it up to make meatballs (or small meatloaves) baked in the oven, meatza (ground beef mixed with 1-2 eggs, and pressed into a pizza pan, baked with cheese and other toppings on),

If you have a slow cooker, you can make 'roast' or stews out of very cheap cuts of meat.

I would definitely get some more eggs, and eat them hard boiled, poached, fried, omelettes, quiche (using your tuna!), scrambled, any way you can think of.

[starry sky]

take your can of tuna, a tbsp of so of flax meal, and an egg or two mix together and fry in butter/oil = tuna patties

As for buying food just try to stick with the cheaper items like eggs, bone in chicken, cheap cuts of meat. I have no idea what the cost of food is like in Australia but if you shop for the cheaper items or those that are reduced to sell you should be able to live for 2 days pretty easy.

You can do it low carb! Good luck!

[Erica L. Butler]

A big quiche could potentially get you both through...eggs, cheese, veggie and your choice of meat--even a pack of sausage would work.

[sTaRiA]

Originally Posted by granolamom

A 3-4lb chicken for 99 cents a lb (I know around here they go on sale to .79 but .99 is average) .

I wanna live wherever you live!! Here a chicken (raw or cooked) is about $10!

[sTaRiA]

[QUOTE=luxdeluxe;14509218]
) baked in the oven, meatza (ground beef mixed with 1-2 eggs, and pressed into a pizza pan, baked with cheese and other toppings on),
QUOTE]


Oh this sounds yummy!

[sTaRiA]

Thanks for the responses guys. Sorry I just kinda had a mini freak out! lol

[hockey_gal]

I think money stresses everyone out.

good luck. I know we've had lots of threads where it's debated whether LC is more expensive or not. I have come to the conclusion that it matters where you live and what foods prices are in your area. I'm in Canada and I'm quite jealous when I see the price of eggs across America, LOL.

Hope you are able to get what you need,

Deanne

[sTaRiA]

Surprisingly I got heaps of food!! I spent $11:50 and got a dozen eggs, 10 Rashers of bacon, 2 tomatoes, an onion, a litre of milk, a loaf of bread (not for me of course!) and a packet of crumpets (not for me either!)

How crazy is that?!

[tiggy_oz]

Glad you found some food you can eat in your budget. Sydney prices are better than out bush, but not near as nice as you americans have it.

Nice to see another aussie around

[jessreadytolose]

My DH has been out of work for 3 weeks and I am a SAHM, so we are about a month with no income!! Luckily he is back to work today, but the past few weeks I have had to be VERY frugal at the grocery store for our family of 6 to eat. I spent $107 last week, and $89 yesterday for this weeks food. It can be done, and I was actually quite impressed with my ability to bargain hunt! I even stuck with organic dairy, free range eggs, all natural, nitrate free bacon, etc. I may challenge myself to keep it under $100 a few times a month even when DH gets back to work.

[ladyinlove56]

I watch the managers markdowns and some towns have stores that have the overtruck loads of foods and they have different things all the time for a low price....Even when you have the money it still pays to watch your food cost...I am always watching for the bargains...

[Cryssi]

Cheri compiled this awesome thread a few months back

Eating within your low carb budget.. Several threads included

[tonyalaya]

Can't help it. I'm too curious. What's a 'rasher'?

[Neko]

Everyone keeps saying frozen vegetables. But when you're in a pinch, canned can be cheaper. Canned green beans are very low in carbs, not super tasty, but better than nothing.

[makrida]

Originally Posted by tonyalaya

Can't help it. I'm too curious. What's a 'rasher'?

LOL...its just another name for a " slice " of bacon

[John Paulson]

Well shopping Australia can be pretty expensive! First go to Woolworths or Coles avoid the mini-supermarkets like IGA sometimes. You will likely have to avoid the fruit and veg shops as they can real routs. Thru I do think some of them do baskets and discount bins but you might have to find when is the best time.

Also be very careful with where you shop. I think the more central you are in Sydney the more expensive it will be. If you can take the bus to an outlier suburb to one of the big shops you might save. Avoid the shops at the big shopping centers. If you can find a woollys or coles in a small shopping center - go.

Well I found you have to shop the hour before closing - ignore the discounted donuts or bread (ahh memories). If your lucky you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli if they have any left over or you might have to do a 2 for 10 dollars deal. Just give a walk by at 8:30 or is 9:30 (weird closing times in Oz) and if any chickens left - keep close and keep an eye out of course you might have to fight with a store worker first. Also sometimes the meat will start to be discounted around then. Get some Kanger Bangers or any other roo meat as they tend not to sell quickly.

Also try out Crazy Clarks and other dollar/cheap stores. You can always get some cheap tuna there. Sometimes you can get some other food. But mostly junk food and candy. If you get canned vegetables - drain the juices and wash with clear water.

As to vegetables - find a good local co-op. Check with student/hippies and the University areas they can likely point the way to some cheap vegetables. I once got a once a week box of mixed organic veggies - no real choice but it helped. It pretty inexpensive.

No options with Centrelink!

[Jaded62]

Do you not have a place whereyou could gt some food for free. Like a food bank or a church?? Over here we have them and they come in handy when something happens and you need some food and have very little or no money. You might want to check into it for next time. Good Luck.

[drjlocarb]

Might be a good time for an egg fast. Good luck!

[Crazy Cat]

Eggs, tuna, salami & cream cheese. It's practically what I live on now, and at least here in the states it's cheap. The quiche idea is good too, cheap & filling. Actually tastes too good, I had to stop making them for awhile because I was eating too much.

[tiggy_oz]

Originally Posted by John Paulson

You will likely have to avoid the fruit and veg shops as they can real routs. Thru I do think some of them do baskets and discount bins but you might have to find when is the best time.

Also be very careful with where you shop. I think the more central you are in Sydney the more expensive it will be.

Well I found you have to shop the hour before closing - ignore the discounted donuts or bread (ahh memories). If your lucky you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli if they have any left over or you might have to do a 2 for 10 dollars deal. Just give a walk by at 8:30 or is 9:30 (weird closing times in Oz) and if any chickens left - keep close and keep an eye out of course you might have to fight with a store worker first. Also sometimes the meat will start to be discounted around then. Get some Kanger Bangers or any other roo meat as they tend not to sell quickly.

Ok I dissagree on the fruit and veg shops. You can get stuff waaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper in there than in coles or woolies. They usually have great deals on whatever the wholesaler has a glut of that is in season. Woolies and coles are the routs when it comes to fresh produce IMO.

Perhaps you have been away but the goverment passed some legislation a year or so ago making coles and woolies keep static prices throughout their stores. So no longer can an outter suburb shop be cheaper than an inner one. There are a few exceptions, like Alice Springs where they can charge whatever they want due to freight costs.

The tip on chickens is great. Except when the stores are open till midnight (used to manage woolies deli).

And yup a rasher is a portion of bacon, but our bacon here is totally different to the yank or canadian ones. We get the lovely lean round end attached to the streaky bit, and our bacon is generally a foot long or more for a rasher . Aussie bacon rules.

[John Paulson]

Originally Posted by tiggy_oz

Perhaps you have been away but the goverment passed some legislation a year or so ago making coles and woolies keep static prices throughout their stores. So no longer can an outter suburb shop be cheaper than an inner one. There are a few exceptions, like Alice Springs where they can charge whatever they want due to freight costs.

Ok that is different. Do not agree with it - politically - but topic that is for another board.

Yea I may be wrong about the fruit and veg shops. Those are very common in Oz no so much in Canada and the states I think. You just have to look for the deals!

Actually I am Canadian I have lived in Australia two time for a a couple months each time.

Rasher I understood it is words like breky and arvo that to me I find strange.

Nobody has asked yet about the Kanger Bangers and that yet?

[tonyalaya]

Well, I figured a 'banger' is some kind of sausage. I've heard of "bangers and mash". So I deduced that a 'kanger banger' is some kind of kangaroo sausage? Didn't see 'breky' or 'arvo' anywhere in the post.

I'm fascinated by other cultures, so do tell. What's a breky? Or and Arvo?

[Darkginger]

From my deep and longterm study of all things Aussie (OK, I used to watch Neighbours), a breky is a breakfast, and an arvo is an afternoon