You only have $20 for the week....what do you buy?

[BPM]

Great thread! Just want to mark my spot!!

[kitkat36]

Originally Posted by BPM

Great thread! Just want to mark my spot!!

Ditto. I'll have to save my grocery receipt from Kroger next time I go.

[gettinserious]

Originally Posted by walkingwoman

Fun thread If this was truly my budget I would go to the 99 cents store for my veggies/eggs/snacks/cheese

Whole chicken on sale this week for .67 a pound=3.00
Pork chops on sale for .99 a pound =1.00
1 lb. London broil 2.00
1 pkg sausage links 1.00
1 dozen eggs 1.00
Cheese 1.00
Pkg of mushrooms 1.00
Pkg of guacamole ingredients 1.00 (not to make guac but because it comes with a variety of produce, onion, tomato, avocado, peppers)
1 pkg salad mix 1.00
1 bottle salad dressing 1.00
2 packs dry marinade 1.00
3 pkgs frozen veggies 3.00
1 pkg pork rinds 1.00
1 pkg pistashios 1.00
2 pkgs of sf jello mix 1.00

I want one of those stores and I want it right now!

Originally Posted by Kimberli33

1# bacon for 2.00
1# sausage 1.00
2 dz. eggs for 2.50
1 block cheese 3.00
2 hotdogs 2.00
4 gr. beans 2.00
1 whole chicken 4.00
1 bag salad 1.00
1# burger 2.50
20.00

Thats what i would most likely get if I shopped weekly.


I do monthly shopping and take that 20 a week to my local meat store. I can get around 30-40 lbs of various meats for around $50 and it lasts me and my two kids a month and a half. Then I take the rest and fill in with veggies, cheese and milk as needed.

[ThisTime!]

Originally Posted by chantyl03

3.5 dozen eggs $5
2.5 pounds ground beef $4.00
5 packs of frozen veggies $5
cheese $3
pickles $1.50

I like this ^^^ list, but I'd get three packs of veggies, and two dozen eggs.

[sassy_red]

I love this thread! Getting back into this WOE and being on a budget has REALLY made these posts a lifesaver!!!!!

[brandy998]

Not to threadjack...but yesterday I got two filet mignon's on sale for $6.31 TOTAL for BOTH! I also found beef ribs on sale for $3.50 per pkg so I bought all 8 pkg's and froze them. I plan to cook them in the crock pot and make a sweet mustard sauce using a spice rub and some no carb maple syrup! I blow my budget one week buying up specials like that and then spend next to nothing in the next few weeks!

[BPM]

Originally Posted by brandy998

Not to threadjack...but yesterday I got two filet mignon's on sale for $6.31 TOTAL for BOTH! I also found beef ribs on sale for $3.50 per pkg so I bought all 8 pkg's and froze them. I plan to cook them in the crock pot and make a sweet mustard sauce using a spice rub and some no carb maple syrup! I blow my budget one week buying up specials like that and then spend next to nothing in the next few weeks!

Great deal! I don't think I have ever tried filet mignon.

[bomen1948]

Originally Posted by brandy998

I blow my budget one week buying up specials like that and then spend next to nothing in the next few weeks!

I do this when I find bargains. I was able to find a coupon online for Hormel products, $1 off. Then I found lots of stuff on sale over the July 4th weekend and combined them with my coupons = super cheap meat. YAY!!!

[RhondasComputer]

1 bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts $5
4 cans of tuna 4@.70= $2.80
2 dozen eggs $2.00
a head of cabbage= $1.00
2 bags of frozen french cut green beans= $2.00
a bottle of hot sauce= $1.00
Mayo= $2.00
2 lbs of ground turkey= $3.00
$1.20 worth of sliced almonds.

[lowcarbie]

How about buying 4 packs of hot dogs, some frozen vegetables, that might add up to $13.00?

[stardustshadow]

LOL If I had 20 bucks for the week where I live, it would buy food for maybe 2 days (for me only, not my husband). The exchange rate KILLS!! (of course our wages make up for it but it is so strange to think about!!)

[24Fan]

Originally Posted by lowcarbie

How about buying 4 packs of hot dogs, some frozen vegetables, that might add up to $13.00?

I like this. Maybe throw in a dozen eggs. ive done this on broke weeks.

[juddinminime]

Nice to see the creativity!
And its nice to see that I'm not the only one hardly eating anything...

[can't weight]

20 USD would be 15.29 Euro today.

I just did my week's shop today and spent 262.85 E, so this would be tough!!

Bacon lardons (300g) 2.39
dozen eggs 2.99 (forgot how cheap eggs are in N. America)
6 100g 100% beef burgers 3.49
1 head romaine- 1.24
tiny brick of Irish cheddar (the most expensive cheese here) 2.77
4 vine ripe tomatoes 1.32
edam 1.06

WOW- let's hope I never only have 20 dollars to spend!!This would be sparse.

B- 1 or 2 eggs
L- Small salad with 1/2 tomato and 1oz of bacon
D- a burger with 1 oz cheese
S- 1 oz cheese

[stardustshadow]

I think Tuna and eggs would top my list...cheap mayo (make deviled eggs with tuna salad filling)...
cheapish veg-lettuce??
oh yeah...big block o colby or cheddar cheese...!

[Straighthoodtea]

I spend alot more than $20 on food a week. BUT when I shop, I shop as if I only have that much to spend.

$20 can get me:

1-18 ct. large eggs-$1.98
2-Heads of lettuce-$2
2 Cartons of heavy whipping cream-$3
2-8 oz of phili cream cheese- $1.75
4-Pack of drumsticks-$3
1-24 oz. spring water- $2.49
4- Cans of tuna-$3.54
1-Can of chicken-$1( my weekly indulgence)
1-Cherry Tomatos-$1.50
that comes to $20.30+ tax...$21.72
I went a little over. But oh well, that's life!
Do I win??? :O!

Oh, and the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese is to make that cream cheese dessert toping that's almost like eating icecream. But low carb.

[granolamom]

Subscribing for ideas

[IDT]

I would buy as much ground beef and eggs as I could and skip everything else.

[flatferenghi]

$20 dollars worth of London Broil. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[Auntie Em]

Hmmm, that doesn't buy much food anymore:

2 dozen eggs ($3)
3 pounds of beef roast ($12)
1 pound of butter ($2.5)
1 tin of wild salmon ($2.20)

I grow herbs and a few veggies.

(I usually buy Omega-3 eggs, which are $2.5 per dozen, and buy pastured butter at $4 per 1/2 pound.
And, produce, such as: celery, Brussels sprouts, turnips, celery root and lemons.
And, one or two pounds of grass-fed ground beef at $5.50 per pound.
And three tins of wild salmon.
And tea, sea salt, seaweed, herbs, etc., which makes the grocery bill $40 or more, per week.)

[ENDZONE]

1 pkg Sam's chicken thighs (approximately 12) $7 (6 meals)

1 Sam's pre-cooked chicken $5 - 4 meals
Swanson's Chicken Stock - $2
Rotel Tomates $1

Lg Eggs - $2 - 5 meals
1 pkg hot dogs - $2

Total - 16 meals - $19

(Hopefully there are some canned veggies in the pantry!)

[Madam De Leon]

Originally Posted by Auntie Em

Hmmm, that doesn't buy much food anymore:
~snip~
(I usually buy Omega-3 eggs, which are $2.5 per dozen, and buy pastured butter at $4 per 1/2 pound.
And, produce, such as: celery, Brussels sprouts, turnips, celery root and lemons.
And, one or two pounds of grass-fed ground beef at $5.50 per pound.
And three tins of wild salmon.
And tea, sea salt, seaweed, herbs, etc., which makes the grocery bill $40 or more, per week.)

Depends on what you're buying. I'm not criticizing your choice to buy the higher priced specialty items like omega 3 eggs, pastured butter, grass fed beef and wild salmon, or even fresh veggies, because it's always best if you can buy the most naturally raised foods you can, but for those who are on a seriously strict budget of $20 for the week, it would have to go more like this:

Whole chicken legs - .69/lb for 3 lbs or larger package. $2.07
85% ground beef - $2.59/lb if you buy 3 lbs - $7.77
Large eggs - $1.29/dozen - $1.29
Broccoli crowns - $1.69/lb. (most packages are a little over a pound) figure about $2.25
Frozen veggies - 4/$6 $6

Total - $19.38

Prices have indeed gone up a good bit since the OP first asked her question, but by planning and shopping very carefully, you can still come in under $20 for the week. It may not be exciting to have chicken legs, ground beef, and eggs every single day for a week, but you will be able to make things more interesting by using various spices you already have on hand, and by using an assortment of veggies.

All these prices are from this week's circular from one of the local "high priced" stores. There may actually be better prices on other brands in the store - these are just the advertised specials for the week. Other stores may have much lower prices on some items, so if you're able to make the rounds, you could probably afford to buy more eggs, or even some butter.

I didn't put any butter on the list because if you're on such a strict budget that you need to be really careful with money, you can save the fat that cooks off the chicken legs to use for your cooking fat instead of buying butter for cooking. If you can't bring yourself to do that and don't have butter left from the previous week, allow another $3.50 for a pound of butter (a national brand that's also on sale at this particular store - but the store brand may be less expensive).

The frozen veggies that are on sale are the elite "gold line" from a national brand, so you can choose any 4 from their assortment: asparagus, spinach, brussels sprouts, baby carrots, petite green beans, snow peas, and broccoli florets are the most LC friendly. If you choose the frozen broccoli florets rather than the fresh broccoli, you'll have enough left from your $20 to buy a pound of bacon, which is on sale for $3.34. Save the bacon drippings to cook your eggs and season your veggies.

The 3 lb package of ground beef may be more than you'll use in a week, so you can either freeze a pound of it for later, or pay a slightly higher price per lb for 2 lbs ($2.99/lb instead of $2.59/lb). That would save you another $1.79, which you could put towards a head of fresh cabbage (.69/lb) and a bag of onions (2 lbs/.99), or a package of cream cheese (not on sale -the store brand is usually around $1.69), or a 2nd dozen eggs.

There are ways to eat pretty well for $20/week, I'm just not sure you could expect to buy anything other than standard brands on sale, or store brands, and still have enough food to really last the week.



One of the other things that can be done to avoid spending more money at the store include making your own stock instead of buying bouillon or packaged broth for use in recipes. Save the bones from the chicken legs, and then cover them with water and simmer all day (a crock pot is perfect for this) to make some of the richest, tastiest chicken broth you've ever tasted. The browned bits that remain in the pan after you've cooked your ground beef can be deglazed from the pan using a little water and whisking up the browned bits to dissolve them, then save the liquid for tasty beef broth to use in recipes.

I generally save money by shopping the best deals at several different stores (including buying some things in a warehouse store and other items at Aldi's) and stocking up on whatever is on sale any given week. Doing that does require having enough extra money at the time to invest in several weeks worth of a particular item (and the money for gas to get to all those different stores), in addition to the fact that you need to have adequate freezer space to hold what you won't be using that week.

[kajunmommiee]

with 20 bucks this is my lis
LArge package of bacon 8$
5 DZ eggs 5 bucks
Lettuce 1$
Cabbages 5$ ( ILOVE CABBAGE)
i have a buck left over to by a pack of sugar fee dentene lol

[nerma]

subbing. love this thread! you people are making me hungry!

I would also check out the 99 cent store.

I also like the asian markets for some REALLY good deals on things like green veggies.

I would go with some eggs, canned tuna, whatever meat is on sale, a bag of green veggies, and something for salad xD

[Victorious Vickie]

What an interesting thread.

[Mad4Chillas]

This was a fun game for me. I played by the rules that I only have salt and pepper and cooking utensils at home. Also, that I needed to buy enough food to last me a week. This is what I came up with by using an actual online grocery store website

1 Dozen Large Eggs-$1.49
20 oz. Chicken Thighs- $3.99
16 oz Ground Turkey-$2.10
12 Sausages-$2.00
4 Oz. Cheddar Cheese-$2.00
8 oz. Butter-$2.00
1 Can Tuna-$.95
1lb Frozen Cauliflower-$.80
1lb Frozen Broccoli-$.80
1 Head of Lettuce-$1.50
1 Packet Taco Seasoning-$.50
1 Pack SF Jell-O-$.50
1 Jar Salsa-$1.10

Total = $19.73 (Not including tax )

[Amber_Baby]

That's about £13 here. I'm sure food must be more expensive here reading some of your answers!

24 eggs £4
Mushrooms 80p
500g cheddar £2.50
Big bag of lettuce £1.50
Chicken wings £2.20
500g ground beef £2

[Madam De Leon]

Originally Posted by Mad4Chillas

This was a fun game for me. I played by the rules that I only have salt and pepper and cooking utensils at home. Also, that I needed to buy enough food to last me a week. This is what I came up with by using an actual online grocery store website

1 Dozen Large Eggs-$1.49
20 oz. Chicken Thighs- $3.99
16 oz Ground Turkey-$2.10
12 Sausages-$2.00
4 Oz. Cheddar Cheese-$2.00
8 oz. Butter-$2.00
1 Can Tuna-$.95
1lb Frozen Cauliflower-$.80
1lb Frozen Broccoli-$.80
1 Head of Lettuce-$1.50
1 Packet Taco Seasoning-$.50
1 Pack SF Jell-O-$.50
1 Jar Salsa-$1.10

Total = $19.73 (Not including tax )

I wasn't aware that there were any rules to this - I always went by the assumption that I'd have all kinds of seasonings and a few odds and ends left over from the previous week or in the freezer to supplement the $20 worth of groceries, if needed.

Originally Posted by Amber_Baby

That's about £13 here. I'm sure food must be more expensive here reading some of your answers!

24 eggs £4
Mushrooms 80p
500g cheddar £2.50
Big bag of lettuce £1.50
Chicken wings £2.20
500g ground beef £2

Yes, our groceries are far cheaper in the US (DD was just home from the UK for a short visit and kept telling me that the regular prices that I thought were too high to consider buying that week were great prices), and are also affected by the time of year and where you live in the US, as well as which stores you have in your area. I suppose the UK prices are affected in similar ways, just higher prices to begin with.

We also don't have the VAT here, which automatically adds something like 20% (I think that's what DD said it is over there) to your shelf prices. Not all US states charge sales tax on necessities like food, and the ones that do tax food often only charge 4% or 6%, which is added to the total bill at the cash register, and therefore not even included in this $20 challenge. (Although if the person literally only has $20 to spend at the grocery store and their state charges sales tax on food, obviously they'd need to take that into consideration)

[Mad4Chillas]

Originally Posted by Madam De Leon

I wasn't aware that there were any rules to this - I always went by the assumption that I'd have all kinds of seasonings and a few odds and ends left over from the previous week or in the freezer to supplement the $20 worth of groceries, if needed.

I made up my own rules

[amywah]

Prices ure have gone up since 2009.
I would proably get chicken legs, ground turkey or beef (whichever was cheapest), head of cabbage, 2 dozen eggs, and frozen veggies.