Phoenix Wright Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 starting this upcoming school year, i'm gonna have to start budgeting like a big boytm. if you're comfortable with sharing, how much do you spend on groceries? what are your staples? got any budgeting tips for someone planning on going $100/month? i know rice and veggies with spices are going to be the main meals, but i'm sure there's more i could do. additionally, i sorta need a lot of protein (180~200g) at least 3 days a week. anyone here know if it's possible to attain that sort of diet on $100 a month? this can also be a general budgeting topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 If I can pull it off in a place where food expenses are stupid-high, you can do it~! For protein, you can go with tofu (dunno how much it costs over there), or try to use something like lentils to cover the balance. See if someone you know has a membership to something like Costco, buy a lot of raw meat there, and freeze it in cooking portions. The rotisserie chicken can be a good deal, if you're willing to turn the chicken carcass into a broth base (and the meat freezes well, from what I hear). I think your biggest expense will be things that can't be frozen (like lettuce) and the occasional treat. tl;dr - Buy in bulk and abuse your freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiki Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 (edited) 100 dollars a month? On food? Wow, that's how much I need per week. You probably want eggs/lentils/pinto beans for proteins, and rice daily. Edited June 21, 2014 by Chiki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 (edited) Wow, I have trouble imagining spending less than $150-200 a month on food for myself. I just love eating too much and don't have the self control. Then again I'm sure it's doable if you're skinny and really push stuff like onions, cabbage and whole beans as your staples. Costco has high quality meat but it will lead you to break the bank if you're shopping for yourself. In fact Costco is a bad idea for personal shopping all around, anything that's not frozen or heavily preserved will likely start going bad before you use it all. What I do to save money is buy most of my meat at Hispanic or Asian markets where it's cheaper per pound and then separate it into freezer bags when I get home so that I don't ruin the quality by defrosting and refreezing everything multiple times. Those are also the places to get lots of veggies that are ridiculously overpriced in grocery stores like bell peppers. Another way to save money is if you know people who are in the military and there's a base nearby, get them to buy things for you at the commissary. That's how I stay rolling in steak and paper towels. In general the key to saving money on food is the same as with saving money on anything, shop around. 24 hour chain grocery stores like Safeway are the most convenient places to shop and might seem cheap but they gouge you wherever they think they can get away with it, even on items with a substantial price reduction listed. Edited June 21, 2014 by Hero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Wright Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 If I can pull it off in a place where food expenses are stupid-high, you can do it~! For protein, you can go with tofu (dunno how much it costs over there), or try to use something like lentils to cover the balance. See if someone you know has a membership to something like Costco, buy a lot of raw meat there, and freeze it in cooking portions. The rotisserie chicken can be a good deal, if you're willing to turn the chicken carcass into a broth base (and the meat freezes well, from what I hear). I think your biggest expense will be things that can't be frozen (like lettuce) and the occasional treat. tl;dr - Buy in bulk and abuse your freezer. good advice--i need to get chicken/beef/turkey somehow. costco is a good idea, but as hero points out, it is damn expensive. i was there with my mom earlier, haha. though, i'll also have 5 roommates, so perhaps buying our meats in bulk is a pretty good option. 100 dollars a month? On food? Wow, that's how much I need per week. You probably want eggs/lentils/pinto beans for proteins, and rice daily. i get one a meal a day for the work-week, so it's not as bad as it sounds. it's possible to survive on $30! Wow, I have trouble imagining spending less than $150-200 a month on food for myself. I just love eating too much and don't have the self control. Then again I'm sure it's doable if you're skinny and really push stuff like onions, cabbage and whole beans as your staples. Costco has high quality meat but it will lead you to break the bank if you're shopping for yourself. In fact Costco is a bad idea for personal shopping all around, anything that's not frozen or heavily preserved will likely start going bad before you use it all. What I do to save money is buy most of my meat at Hispanic or Asian markets where it's cheaper per pound and then separate it into freezer bags when I get home so that I don't ruin the quality by defrosting and refreezing everything multiple times. In general the key to saving money on food is the same as with saving money on anything, shop around. 24 hour chain grocery stores like Safeway are the most convenient places to shop and might seem cheap but they gouge you wherever they think they can get away with it, even on items with a substantial price reduction listed. that's why i think i'm in trouble--i'm not exactly skinny (~200 lbs), and i'm not trying to lose my hard work to malnutrition. but then again, i cannot go over budget so i'm planning early to make sure i get everything i need with the provided budget. shopping around is a good idea. why didn't i think of that? i can spend a day doing that once every other week, or every week if necessary. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celice Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I've lived the past few years on less than $100 a month. A rice cooker and local food donation will get you across just fine. Knowing how much you actually need to eat is also helpful, as opposed to what you want to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrhesia Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 There's this place around ANU called the Food Co-op - more or less it works on food being plentiful, filling, nutritious and tasting alright, cutting costs by having the people wash the dishes themselves after they're done. Is there any place like that near your university? Probably too expensive to have often, but it's an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyWalk Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 i get one a meal a day for the work-week, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Wait what? You're expecting yourself to survive on one meal a day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magical CC Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Where the hell are you living? $100 is my whole living expense for a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Wright Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 (edited) There's this place around ANU called the Food Co-op - more or less it works on food being plentiful, filling, nutritious and tasting alright, cutting costs by having the people wash the dishes themselves after they're done. Is there any place like that near your university? Probably too expensive to have often, but it's an option. santa cruz seems like the kind of place to have something like this. i'll look into it. thanks! Wait what? You're expecting yourself to survive on one meal a day? haha no! i mean my current meal plan provides one meal for every day of the work-week, i provide the rest for myself. Where the hell are you living? $100 is my whole living expense for a month. as above, santa cruz. where the hell are you living where the expense is that low? Edited June 23, 2014 by Phoenix Wright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celice Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 santa cruz seems like the kind of place to have something like this. i'll look into it. thanks! SC def has stuff like that. A friend used to work around donation places before she settled at a Veterans aid place. Check out the local county offices, they probably have a catalog of public services and aid you could get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dondon151 Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 it's possible to survive on $30! yeah, but $30 on food per month is terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkhead Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Wait what? You're expecting yourself to survive on one meal a day? Assuming you get a good, big meal, you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excellen Browning Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 a lot of homeless people live on one meal a day. it's all about adaption. anyway, i would recommend buying with your housemates because buying in larger quantities is always cheaper per head, and going for the cheaper proteins. ground meat and tofu and beans. you should also adapt to drinking water instead of soda and other drinks if you haven't yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonesaw Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) - check around local orchards, farmer's markets, etc. canning and transportation greatly increase price. - COMPARE PRICES ON BRANDS. it's amazing how many people continue to buy the highest priced jar of pasta sauce because "it's what i grew up with so it's what i look for." - beans are extremely cheap and filling, especially if you buy bagged ones. look up proper handling/cooking instructions before doing this though (it's not complicated). - meat is expensive. learn to get your protein other places. this goes along with the beans thing. - also about meat, there's a lot of supermarkets that will sell discounted meat because the colour has gone bad. this meat is perfectly fine to eat. colour is not a perfect indicator of freshness, and if the meat was actually spoilt it would be thrown away. - chili is filling, easy to make in bulk, all ingredients are relatively cheap and can be frozen and will not decrease in quality for quite some time. - crockpot is a good investment. especially a large one. - cook big and freeze. this goes along with the crockpot thing. - consider growing your own vegetables and herbs, if you can. - stir fry. that's all. Edited June 24, 2014 by bonesaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magical CC Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 as above, santa cruz. where the hell are you living where the expense is that low? A third world country. But I am still able to pay for internet, electric and I have meat almost everyday with just $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Chili stays good in the freezer for a fairly good time. You should also check around the little "mom and pop" shops too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elieson Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I've worked in a meat market for a while, and learned that meat color changes even as easily as when pressure is applied to it. One customer was a jerk and would come in the morning and put something on top of a prepacked [product], leave, then come back later in the day and demand that we lower the price because it was discolored. Buy in Bulk, like the above have said. Don't skimp out on the necessities though. Milk, Eggs, Bread, PeanutButter, are all necessary, and have to be constantly maintained. Look into buying those juice mixes like Crystal Light packets and such. They're relatively inexpensive, and at least add flavor to pure water, without adding much, if any, sugar and other bad-for-your-health ingredients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excellen Browning Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 The most important thing about living on the cheap side is to buy as little extras as you can/want/need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Wright Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 yeah, but $30 on food per month is terrible. not contesting that! A third world country. But I am still able to pay for internet, electric and I have meat almost everyday with just $100. ah, okay. the united states, i think even its cheapest-to-live states, won't have a livable standard that low. thanks for the help everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I just cooked myself dinner. Here's the breakdown of my food bill: - Pork (0.9 lb): $3.50 (it came pre-sliced, and was on sale. Since the pork chops were about the same price per pound, I went with convenience) - Mushrooms (8 oz tray): $1.87 (on sale; usually, it's cheaper loose, but this was an exception) - Carrots (8 oz baby carrots): $2.69 (this was for convenience, because cleaning up carrot peels is a pain. If possible, get whichever of the cello whole carrots or loose carrots is cheaper by the pound; for the amount I used, I could've gotten a whole one for half the price) - Tofu (8 oz): $1.48 (stir-fry ingredients, and I'll sooner give up a lung than eat a stir-fry without tofu) - Konyaku (8 oz): $1.48 (this is one of my preferences; I think you can grab a bell pepper/can of water chestnuts for a comparable cost) Total: $11.02 From this, I should get four meals total, for a cost of $2.75 + 2 cents per meal. Including the rice, it'll probably be in the vicinity of $3/meal, and I have leftover mushrooms and carrots (looks like I'm eating salad). Hopefully, food prices in your area are a little less crazy, so you can get your meals cheaper. This is an example of what I do - hope it helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junk Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 4 meals for 11.02. woah that seems expensive.(Then again i've never gotten a job so i don't know to much about this stuff). Although hawaii is a bit more expensive than the mainland(the US) so I guess it would be cheaper on the mainland. Is 2140.80 a month realistic? 1241.1 is the cost of expenses a month.(rent,food gas). So they get 900$ extra to spend(based off hawaii prices). I don't think i'm doing this right. I did the rent based on if you had another roomate so it would be around 1671 by yourself. I guess that makes the prices match up better but most people tend to live with roomates due to expenses etc so i think there's something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 4 meals for 11.02. woah that seems expensive.(Then again i've never gotten a job so i don't know to much about this stuff). Although hawaii is a bit more expensive than the mainland(the US) so I guess it would be cheaper on the mainland. Is 2140.80 a month realistic? 1241.1 is the cost of expenses a month.(rent,food gas). So they get 900$ extra to spend(based off hawaii prices). I don't think i'm doing this right. I did the rent based on if you had another roomate so it would be around 1671 by yourself. I guess that makes the prices match up better but most people tend to live with roomates due to expenses etc so i think there's something wrong. Yeah, it seems expensive, but that's because many things are imported, so shipping costs get added to it. Going to the farmer's market is a toss-up, as certain things are stupid-expensive (meat) while others are cheaper (certain fruits and vegetables) or come in sizes that are hard to find elsewhere (I buy 4 oz. bottles of honey on occasion). For example, good prices here are the 1 lb. container of strawberries for $3, any meat that's less than $4/lb. (this includes stuff like pork shoulder, which is absolutely godly when combined with a slow cooker), onions for $1.69/lb., and those mushrooms I mentioned earlier (normal price for loose mushrooms is $6/lb.). [spoiler=Boring finances]Rent depends on what type of place you go for - I got extremely lucky, and managed something that's under $1,000/mo. When I checked a few years back, studios went as low as $800/mo. Water is usually taken care of by the landlord, which leaves electricity/gas (some places don't bother with gas). My electric bill can go up to $80/mo (when I run my AC), and gas tends to be about $50/mo. My internet bill is less than my gas bill, so whee~! ~$2,100/mo. in income seems about right. There's other costs that need to be addressed, such as gas (we're one of the most expensive places in the nation), other car costs, clothes, entertainment (well. . .depends), etc. If you'd like, see if you can find out how much the stuff I outlined costs in your area (except the konyaku/conjac, which may not be too common elsewhere). Something tells me that my dinner would've been a lot cheaper if I lived elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacLovin Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 It does depend on where you are. I mean, I could subside on about $5 a week in the Philippines, but the food is pretty much all local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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