Spent my last $20 on groceries. Wondering if this is enough to last a month and if it’s enough nutrition. I also have a bag of black beans. Diet Cola was a pickmeup.
Spent my last $20 on groceries. Wondering if this is enough to last a month and if it’s enough nutrition. I also have a bag of black beans. Diet Cola was a pickmeup.
by Retired_alligator
28 Comments
Retired_alligator
Another note, I live close to a lake and have fishing equipment. Should be able to supply at least 1 fish per week.
kevloid
a month? no. I’m not sure that could support an adult for a week.
SealedRoute
That’s tight. Can you get SNAP/ EBT?
Not_Paid_Just_Intern
Not a lot of fruit or veg here. Unless that’s some kind of special vitamin-enhanced Ramen, you’re going to need more vitamins and minerals that you’d get from that stuff. I’m not sure it’s smart to spend like 20-25% of your last bit of money just on diet cola…
Civil_Maverick
Hit up a local food panty. No shame in it.
Ramitt80
Go to a food bank and seek out other assistance in your community, no one should go hungry.
edit: No that is not a healthy subsistence for a month. I almost feel like this is a troll.
NoMoreSmoress
Nutrition? No. Will it last 30 days? No. As sad as it is you should save as much $ as you can and buy a bag of potatoes, bag of onions, big bag of rice, bag of dried beans. Obviously you’ll need to supplement with things like seasoning and sauces but those or 1 time purchases that’ll last a long time. Also, fresh vegetables can be cheap as fuck, learn to make a dish you like with them.
inversekd
Your spent 25% of your budget on soda?
gunnchow2
You can re grow the green onion a few times. Just cut down above white part and put in water. It will grow back. Look it up.
PeavyNeckVeins
We have local parks that have community gardens where you can pick fresh fruits and veggies (free of charge). Might be something to look into. We happened to just stumble upon one near us so I’m not sure how to go about searching.
BrokilonDryad
That’s a recipe for scurvy and starvation.
Like others have said, food bank. You need fresh fruit and veggies else you’re legit gonna get scurvy. Shit, take whatever pennies you have left and get a lemon. Slice off a chunk every day and eat it, add sugar if it’s too sour. Your body will thank you.
You’re sorely lacking in protein. It’s good you have beans but fuck some spam or if you wanna be bougie tuna would do a world of good. And I know it sounds like a lot but you can get a cooked rotisserie chicken for like $10 and pick all the meat off and freeze it, it’ll go a long way.
You can then boil the carcass with onions and garlic for a soup stock you can add your ramen to. Get a pack of eggs and some soy sauce and you have a basic bitch ramen noodle soup with chicken.
You gotta be smart about cooking poor. Use every ingredient. Yeah a rotisserie chicken sounds like a lot but you get all that meat plus soup stock. Yeah eggs are expensive these days but they’ll last a month in the fridge. Yeah veggies can be pricey but get frozen so they don’t go bad. Fresh onions and garlic can last a while if they’re stored cool with no light.
Get a sweet potato roasted and canned pumpkin and a couple cups flour with salt, make a dough, cut out circles with a cup. Fry em in some oil and you got a bread snack full of nutrients for the next few days. Eat ‘em with salsa or maple or cinnamon sugar.
You gotta think smart, not poor. Don’t get stuck in the im poor mindset. Think around those corners. Think bigger. What can you do that’s the most nutritious and will last a bit.
Good luck.
Ok_Representative732
Just throwing it out there. Look at the cost of the 12 diet colas to what you spent on ramen. You could have had 14 ramen and drank water
sojo_racer
Buy a multivitamin – winco, or others, sell cheap generics
Rosanna44
I love gizzards. My nonna used to make only on Sunday. Grand kids would fight for it.
Moangu5
A lot of churches give food like bread, milk, eggs and veggies! A lot of times during the days during the week. The church I grew up at did them Saturday mornings. If you look on Facebook at churches in your area, they usually advertise weekly!
tittyswan
I’d suggest going with non processed staples instead of ramen next time.
Rice, flour, black beans, milk powder, potatoes will let you make more versatile meals and be more nutritious.
preppermomma
This is absolutely not enough for a month. Go to all the food banks in your area. Not just one. You need to build a survival pantry. Go every week.
Dustdevil88
1 ramen (370 cal) + 1 egg (78 cal) = 448 cal
The average 20 yr old adult male needs 2400 cal/day to maintain weight with low activity. So, you have 2-4 days of food. Get help from a local food bank or food stamps, if possible.
————————————-
I’d you’re looking for the cheapest calories per $, I suggest you read on….
I’ve found this website that lists the most cost efficient foods. They currently track calories/$ and protein/$ but also added a page on how to “Eat For $1.50 Per Day” with mostly complete macro/micronutrients with some recipes too. Even though inflation has increased prices of groceries, I highly recommend reviewing and pricing things out for your local store.
Goals: 1) get recommended calories needed at the cheapest price 2) have expected ratio of macronutrients protein/carbs/fat 3) have balance of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) 4) create a varied and fun recipe list for this plan to be sustainable
For folks who need to work 2-3 jobs, prep time matters, so may tweak
Sad_Struggle_8131
Be careful with the Diet Coke. Not knocking you for needing a pick-me-up (I’m a Diet Coke drinker too) but studies have shown the sweeteners in it can make you hungrier. Also, if you have social media, try to find local pages/groups that post things happening in your area. I follow one for my city, and they post weekly where this one group is handing out food at a specific location. It’s good stuff, too, like Hello Fresh meal kits. I would never had heard about it otherwise! Good luck to you.
Maleficent_Soft4560
Potatoes are often inexpensive this time of year and can be rather filling and provide a lot of nutrients.
Honest_Sector_2585
Just going to say it because we need to hear the truth sometimes. When times are super rough, you don’t always get a pick me up. The money spent on that soda could have bought 18 cans of tuna where I live. Sometimes, not always, our choices put us in predicaments. Your choice to buy soda worsens your predicament. Choices have to change.
boom_squid
Next time buy rice instead of ramen. More versatile and similarly priced. Large bag of frozen veg. Some eggs. Chicken drumsticks are usually really cheap too (or whole chickens). Bag of potatoes. Powdered bouillon.
Make soups. Water is free. This will stretch that food out a bit.
Do not throw the bones away, they can be used to make stock and flavor that rice.
Reach out to neighbors, see if anyone is willing to let you harvest fruit trees or gardens in exchange for some of the produce, or if they will share from their gardens. Frequently I just give away whatever I cannot consume when my garden overproduces.
leftyshuckles
If you can come across a bag of rice or a bag of potatoes, those can both go pretty far
chimpsimulator
Potatoes
One of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Super cheap.
Eggs, beans, cheese, veggies, fruit and oatmeal and you now you actually have a healthier diet than most people on the planet.
banderdragon
That looks like more than 30 meals but less then 50 Possibly the beans can drag you to 60.
​
If you have pantry items like Oil and flour that can bulk the meal out. Oil adds calories and can let you use less green onion and mushroom for a similar flavor.
​
A basic tortilla is just fat (butter, oil, gizzard and heart drippings) flour and water.
2be0rNot2021
Can I send you some money?
boom_squid
r/cheapmeals
Thatonegirl_79
The eggs are a good start. Instead of buying ramen, buy some chicken buillon and make your own egg drop soup (you can use the mushrooms and green onion in it, too). It’s so simple to make!
When shopping, think of your macros….protein, fat, and fiber satiate longer. Tuna, peanut butter, a loaf of whole wheat bread, oats, milk, yogurt, rice, beans (lentils are protein packed), whole wheat noodles, apples, bananas. If you have a store near you that sells foods in bulk bins, such as a Winco, you will get a better bang for your buck there. I know Winco also sells large bags of some of their bulk foods like rice, beans, oats, etc.
I also agree with everyone else to look into your local food bank, churches, and state programs like SNAP. Most of us have been in your situation. It’s not easy, but there’s help, and you’ll get through this!
28 Comments
Another note, I live close to a lake and have fishing equipment. Should be able to supply at least 1 fish per week.
a month? no. I’m not sure that could support an adult for a week.
That’s tight. Can you get SNAP/ EBT?
Not a lot of fruit or veg here. Unless that’s some kind of special vitamin-enhanced Ramen, you’re going to need more vitamins and minerals that you’d get from that stuff. I’m not sure it’s smart to spend like 20-25% of your last bit of money just on diet cola…
Hit up a local food panty. No shame in it.
Go to a food bank and seek out other assistance in your community, no one should go hungry.
edit: No that is not a healthy subsistence for a month. I almost feel like this is a troll.
Nutrition? No. Will it last 30 days? No. As sad as it is you should save as much $ as you can and buy a bag of potatoes, bag of onions, big bag of rice, bag of dried beans. Obviously you’ll need to supplement with things like seasoning and sauces but those or 1 time purchases that’ll last a long time. Also, fresh vegetables can be cheap as fuck, learn to make a dish you like with them.
Your spent 25% of your budget on soda?
You can re grow the green onion a few times. Just cut down above white part and put in water. It will grow back. Look it up.
We have local parks that have community gardens where you can pick fresh fruits and veggies (free of charge). Might be something to look into. We happened to just stumble upon one near us so I’m not sure how to go about searching.
That’s a recipe for scurvy and starvation.
Like others have said, food bank. You need fresh fruit and veggies else you’re legit gonna get scurvy. Shit, take whatever pennies you have left and get a lemon. Slice off a chunk every day and eat it, add sugar if it’s too sour. Your body will thank you.
You’re sorely lacking in protein. It’s good you have beans but fuck some spam or if you wanna be bougie tuna would do a world of good. And I know it sounds like a lot but you can get a cooked rotisserie chicken for like $10 and pick all the meat off and freeze it, it’ll go a long way.
You can then boil the carcass with onions and garlic for a soup stock you can add your ramen to. Get a pack of eggs and some soy sauce and you have a basic bitch ramen noodle soup with chicken.
You gotta be smart about cooking poor. Use every ingredient. Yeah a rotisserie chicken sounds like a lot but you get all that meat plus soup stock. Yeah eggs are expensive these days but they’ll last a month in the fridge. Yeah veggies can be pricey but get frozen so they don’t go bad. Fresh onions and garlic can last a while if they’re stored cool with no light.
Get a sweet potato roasted and canned pumpkin and a couple cups flour with salt, make a dough, cut out circles with a cup. Fry em in some oil and you got a bread snack full of nutrients for the next few days. Eat ‘em with salsa or maple or cinnamon sugar.
You gotta think smart, not poor. Don’t get stuck in the im poor mindset. Think around those corners. Think bigger. What can you do that’s the most nutritious and will last a bit.
Good luck.
Just throwing it out there. Look at the cost of the 12 diet colas to what you spent on ramen. You could have had 14 ramen and drank water
Buy a multivitamin – winco, or others, sell cheap generics
I love gizzards. My nonna used to make only on Sunday. Grand kids would fight for it.
A lot of churches give food like bread, milk, eggs and veggies! A lot of times during the days during the week. The church I grew up at did them Saturday mornings. If you look on Facebook at churches in your area, they usually advertise weekly!
I’d suggest going with non processed staples instead of ramen next time.
Rice, flour, black beans, milk powder, potatoes will let you make more versatile meals and be more nutritious.
This is absolutely not enough for a month. Go to all the food banks in your area. Not just one. You need to build a survival pantry. Go every week.
1 ramen (370 cal) + 1 egg (78 cal) = 448 cal
The average 20 yr old adult male needs 2400 cal/day to maintain weight with low activity. So, you have 2-4 days of food. Get help from a local food bank or food stamps, if possible.
————————————-
I’d you’re looking for the cheapest calories per $, I suggest you read on….
I’ve found this website that lists the most cost efficient foods. They currently track calories/$ and protein/$ but also added a page on how to “Eat For $1.50 Per Day” with mostly complete macro/micronutrients with some recipes too. Even though inflation has increased prices of groceries, I highly recommend reviewing and pricing things out for your local store.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layoffs-coronavirus-quarantine-food-shortages/
Goals:
1) get recommended calories needed at the cheapest price
2) have expected ratio of macronutrients protein/carbs/fat
3) have balance of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals)
4) create a varied and fun recipe list for this plan to be sustainable
Theme:
For price: Flour/bread, beans, lentils, pasta, rice, oats, eggs, peanut butter.
For nutrition: kale, potatoes, milk, flour, eggs
For folks who need to work 2-3 jobs, prep time matters, so may tweak
Be careful with the Diet Coke. Not knocking you for needing a pick-me-up (I’m a Diet Coke drinker too) but studies have shown the sweeteners in it can make you hungrier. Also, if you have social media, try to find local pages/groups that post things happening in your area. I follow one for my city, and they post weekly where this one group is handing out food at a specific location. It’s good stuff, too, like Hello Fresh meal kits. I would never had heard about it otherwise! Good luck to you.
Potatoes are often inexpensive this time of year and can be rather filling and provide a lot of nutrients.
Just going to say it because we need to hear the truth sometimes. When times are super rough, you don’t always get a pick me up. The money spent on that soda could have bought 18 cans of tuna where I live. Sometimes, not always, our choices put us in predicaments. Your choice to buy soda worsens your predicament. Choices have to change.
Next time buy rice instead of ramen. More versatile and similarly priced. Large bag of frozen veg. Some eggs. Chicken drumsticks are usually really cheap too (or whole chickens). Bag of potatoes. Powdered bouillon.
Make soups. Water is free. This will stretch that food out a bit.
Do not throw the bones away, they can be used to make stock and flavor that rice.
Reach out to neighbors, see if anyone is willing to let you harvest fruit trees or gardens in exchange for some of the produce, or if they will share from their gardens. Frequently I just give away whatever I cannot consume when my garden overproduces.
If you can come across a bag of rice or a bag of potatoes, those can both go pretty far
Potatoes
One of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Super cheap.
Eggs, beans, cheese, veggies, fruit and oatmeal and you now you actually have a healthier diet than most people on the planet.
That looks like more than 30 meals but less then 50 Possibly the beans can drag you to 60.
​
If you have pantry items like Oil and flour that can bulk the meal out. Oil adds calories and can let you use less green onion and mushroom for a similar flavor.
​
A basic tortilla is just fat (butter, oil, gizzard and heart drippings) flour and water.
Can I send you some money?
r/cheapmeals
The eggs are a good start. Instead of buying ramen, buy some chicken buillon and make your own egg drop soup (you can use the mushrooms and green onion in it, too). It’s so simple to make!
When shopping, think of your macros….protein, fat, and fiber satiate longer. Tuna, peanut butter, a loaf of whole wheat bread, oats, milk, yogurt, rice, beans (lentils are protein packed), whole wheat noodles, apples, bananas. If you have a store near you that sells foods in bulk bins, such as a Winco, you will get a better bang for your buck there. I know Winco also sells large bags of some of their bulk foods like rice, beans, oats, etc.
I also agree with everyone else to look into your local food bank, churches, and state programs like SNAP. Most of us have been in your situation. It’s not easy, but there’s help, and you’ll get through this!