Help BK budget! How can I live on $200/month for food?
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  Help BK budget! How can I live on $200/month for food?
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Author Topic: Help BK budget! How can I live on $200/month for food?  (Read 1179 times)
Bacon King
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« on: September 11, 2016, 10:48:02 PM »

My financial aid is finally arriving this week and I've budgeted out how much my fiancee and I will need for rent, all my bills, gasoline, etc., though to the end of January. With everything else accounted for, I'm left with a meager $206 per month for food/groceries. Is this realistic? Please give me all the advice you can!

My fiancee August and I live in Dahlonega, GA. The only grocery store within a 30 minute drive is the local Super  Walmart. We have absolutely terrible eating habits and an addiction to processed foods. Neither of us are very good at cooking anything complicated - we can make pasta, mix up beans and rice,  bake some chicken, etc. We have a gas stove/oven, which is a first for both of us, and we secretly fear we are somehow using it wrong and will die from a horrible explosion and/or gas inhalation (it has a tendency to set off the fire alarm when it's baking something which I'm not sure is normal?). We also have a toaster (we love making sandwiches and also eating toast with any kind of spread) and a microwave, and I think we have an old toaster oven in a closet somewhere.

We prefer foods that have way too much fat, sugar and/or salt in them, although that's a habit we definitely need to change. We don't eat enough fruits and vegetables though we want to change that if it's economically feasible to do so. August has intense cravings for meat if she goes too long without eating any. We generally prefer several small snack/meals throughout the day rather than a few big meals but sometimes we do enjoy a big dinner.

Please guide us atlas forum because we have no idea what we are doing!
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Virginiá
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« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2016, 10:50:52 PM »

hot pockets sweetie. lots of hot pockets
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2016, 11:03:24 PM »

You clearly already know this if your name means anything, but Bacon is your friend.

The meat is filling and tasty, and the grease is an excellent stand-in for cooking oil, as well as a great way of getting around buying extra flavors.

Also, cheap-a%^ soda makes for surprisingly decent marinade for all sorts of meats.




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RFayette
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« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2016, 11:19:00 PM »

hot pockets sweetie. lots of hot pockets

Chicken pot pies also.
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politicallefty
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« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2016, 11:27:28 PM »

Do they have 99 Cent stores in Georgia?
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#TheShadowyAbyss
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« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2016, 11:34:45 PM »

Hot Pockets and Ramen (I buy tons of Ramen and spice it up with lots of goodies)
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JerryArkansas
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« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2016, 12:01:28 AM »

Buy a microwave and lots of frozen Burritos and Hot-pockets. 
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Stranger in a strange land
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« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2016, 12:20:41 AM »

Beans, rice, and lentils are dirt-cheap, good for you, and filling. Frozen vegetables are a good option as well. So's pasta.
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Lyin' Steve
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« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2016, 12:52:57 AM »
« Edited: September 12, 2016, 12:56:23 AM by Lyin' Steve »

When I was in college I would get like three 12oz boneless skinless chicken breasts for $8-10, add some lemon juice and spices and throw them on the George Foreman Grill.  Took about ten minutes, just one was filling enough for most of the day and a solid source of protein.  I got more protein from peanut butter toast in the morning, and the rest was just fruit and dairy really... bananas and cottage cheese are mad cheap.  Built a lot of lean muscle and I think I was spending around $200/mo.

Those bulk nuts aisles at Whole Foods, etc. are pretty good too.  You can get a week's supply of almonds for around $10, healthy and they fill you up fast.

I know this doesn't match up with your current eating habits so you can't just cold-turkey go healthy, but if you start out just trying to eat one more banana per day each week until you get up to three or four a day you'd be surprised how easy it is and how much less hungry or crave-y you feel.  Salted almonds give a reasonable salt/fat fix without really being junk food.  The chicken was actually really good, I always enjoyed buying a new spice off the spice rack every week to try out until I had a big collection that people were always impressed by cause they thought it indicated I actually knew how to cook.  I still don't even own any pots or pans.
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dead0man
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« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2016, 04:22:58 AM »

DON'T get on hot pockets and Ramen.  Samiches aren't good for you, but still better than those two things by a mile, plus are easier to make with MUCH more variety....and probably cheaper than hot pockets.  Get a loaf of bread, some cold cuts and cheese and a jar of whatever condiment(s) you use.  BAM! Meals for a week for like $5.
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
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« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2016, 07:27:46 AM »

My fiancee August and I live in Dahlonega, GA. The only grocery store within a 30 minute drive is the local Super  Walmart.

What about the Krogers in Dawsonville or Gainsville? Those should be about 25-30 min away from Dahlonega according to Google Maps.

It's a shame you don't have a Bi-Lo nearby,  They use their store brand of bread as a loss leader and its surprisingly good, especially for only $1/loaf.  Walmart is surprisingly not a good store if you're trying to save money on groceries as they rarely have loss leaders you can load up on. If it's something that doesn't usually get put on sale at any store, they often have the best price, but loading up on sale priced items at Walmart just isn't an option.
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Kingpoleon
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« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2016, 07:39:25 AM »

Ramen noodles, beans, and rice are the cheapest options which are fairly healthy. Cheap vegetables and fruits are advisable to some extent as well. As mentioned before, bananas are a good option. I'm not sure if you have any vegetables you like, but steamed broccoli with a bit of spices can be healthy and delicious.

Of the above posts, Lyin' Steve's recommended diet is probably healthiest for you, as well as pretty cheap. It is advisable to find either a cheap salad or vegetables you like/don't hate, as that would help you quite a bit in terms of health.
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Antonio the Sixth
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« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2016, 07:48:47 AM »

Oh wow... $200 a month would is $7 a day. Shocked I have no idea how it's even possible to survive on that budget in Los Angeles. I hope cost of living is a lot lower where you live?

Anyway, what I do is that I usually have only one meal a day (usually from fast food, since my cooking abilities are very limited), plus a snack (usually Oreos or ice cream). That still amounts to about $15-20 a day from what I've seen, but again hopefully prices are lower for you. Of course that's not a very mainstream choice. Tongue
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DC Al Fine
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« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2016, 07:58:41 AM »

DON'T get on hot pockets and Ramen. 

Beans, rice, and lentils are dirt-cheap, good for you, and filling. Frozen vegetables are a good option as well. So's pasta.

Dead0man and Strangeland are right. That stuff isn't great for your health, and you can get cheap healthier food.

Another overlooked source of food costs is one off items that either go bad or sit unused in the pantry after one recipe. Once you have a solid core of ingredients and some spices, you can have a decent variety in your diet without spending a lot.

Here are some reasonably cheap ingredients. Eliminate whatever doesn't suit your fancy:

Breakfast: Bread, Oats, Peanut butter, eggs

Lunch/Dinner: Rice, beans, lentils, chicken, ground beef, sausages, pasta, frozen vegetables, spices, canned diced tomatoes, lemon juice.

Oh wow... $200 a month would is $7 a day. Shocked I have no idea how it's even possible to survive on that budget in Los Angeles. I hope cost of living is a lot lower where you live?

Anyway, what I do is that I usually have only one meal a day (usually from fast food, since my cooking abilities are very limited), plus a snack (usually Oreos or ice cream). That still amounts to about $15-20 a day from what I've seen, but again hopefully prices are lower for you. Of course that's not a very mainstream choice. Tongue

Tony, you would not believe how expensive eating out is compared to home cooking. My dinner last night of chicken, rice, and vegetables cost about $2.50.

My wife and I together spend less than you on food, and that is in high-cost Canada. We enjoy three meals a day and expensive cuts of meat too Smiley

Seriously dude, learn to cook. Your wallet will thank you.
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« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2016, 08:25:00 AM »

Do you have a freezer? But just one type of meat at bulk prices. Not sure what's cheapest, though I suspect beef has a horrible unit rate.
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Antonio the Sixth
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« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2016, 08:43:00 AM »

I try to cook meat twice a week, but if I ate meat all week Alcon and others would rightfully get mad at me. Tongue Other stuff I know how to cook just take too long.
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snowguy716
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« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2016, 12:06:02 PM »

Sandwiches are great for a budget. 

Tips:

Frozen veggies are super super cheap and can be added to soups, casseroles, or you can just steam them and make an easy, quick cream or cheese sauce for them (a little flour, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese).

Frozen foods are your friend. 

Buy all of your produce and fresh meat on sale and plan around that.  If pork roast is on sale...learn how to make pork roast! (If you have a crockpot, this is super easy.)

Check for coupons for the items you need.  Then only use the coupons for items you need.  Also...take advantage of Wal-Marts ad-matching if it is still allowed.  Or join Wal-Marts app and they will list sale items.

Also, eggs are cheap, healthy, and versatile.  Keeping eggs, butter, sugar, flour, beans, potatoes, and some canned veggies makes sense cuz they either last or can be used a million ways.

Also..if you have milk and it goes sour...don't throw it out 'fer chrissakes'...make pancakes!  The sour milk is akin to buttermilk and makes yumminess. 
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Coolface Sock #42069
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« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2016, 12:44:06 PM »

That's about how much money my wife and I (a preschool teacher and an actuary) spend per month for food. As long as you don't go out to eat, it's actually not that hard. We aren't great cooks, either. Just take $50 out of the bank every 7-8 days and buy the stuff you've run out of.

Also, if you have the space and can afford it, buy beef in bulk. Buy a quarter of a cow and freeze it. It'll keep for a long time. You'll need a ton of freezer space, though.

It's also never been easier to learn how to cook. There are tons of websites and YouTube videos on the subject. It makes a fun hobby as well.

Stay away from high-sodium convenience foods. While cheap, they're really bad for you!

Still schedule a couple of nights a month for eating dinner out. If you don't, you'll start being tempted to do it every night, and eventually, you'll give in, and your entire budget will be destroyed.
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Atlas Has Shrugged
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« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2016, 12:58:39 PM »

I usually get several small cans of Ravioli for like $0.69 and eat off of that for weeks at a time.
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2016, 01:01:36 PM »

That's about how much money my wife and I (a preschool teacher and an actuary) spend per month for food. As long as you don't go out to eat, it's actually not that hard. We aren't great cooks, either. Just take $50 out of the bank every 7-8 days and buy the stuff you've run out of.

Also, if you have the space and can afford it, buy beef in bulk. Buy a quarter of a cow and freeze it. It'll keep for a long time. You'll need a ton of freezer space, though.

It's also never been easier to learn how to cook. There are tons of websites and YouTube videos on the subject. It makes a fun hobby as well.

Stay away from high-sodium convenience foods. While cheap, they're really bad for you!

Still schedule a couple of nights a month for eating dinner out. If you don't, you'll start being tempted to do it every night, and eventually, you'll give in, and your entire budget will be destroyed.

Thing is, they aren't all that cheap in the long run. Eventually, the bulk things like flour, spices, butter, sugar, salt combined with meats and veggies do end up being cheaper per day.

I just bought a weeks worth of chicken gizzards for less than 6 bucks. And I can trust it to slowly boil for half a day while I run errands or nap or go on shift to work. And when I'm ready, it's the perfect tenderness to fry on the skillet.

Also, two teaspoons of Cream of Wheat, makes a really belly satisfying bowl that clings to the ribs. Literally just need to boil water, put the stuff in, and stir on the lowest for 2 mins....literally quicker than boxed mac n cheese.

Angel Hair pasta is also quicker and cheaper than Mac 'n Cheese.
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Seneca
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« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2016, 01:09:14 PM »

Rice and beans, stir fries, and pasta dishes are the way to go. You just need to find time to cook (or learn how to cook? I don't know your background). But that is cheaper and better for you than any processed junk.

Also, are you on food stamps? If not, look into that. Nothing wrong with taking assistance, especially when you're in a jam financially.

Oh and seriously, if you're in a tough spot dumpster diving is a real possibility, particularly once it gets colder. Some friends and I have scavenged plenty of still good bread and produce that way.
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snowguy716
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« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2016, 01:53:19 PM »

Yeah...def try to get food stamps.  Your $200 could turn into $300 and now you can put part of your food budget towards an emergency fund.  Even if it's $25-50/month.
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DC Al Fine
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« Reply #22 on: September 12, 2016, 02:17:11 PM »

Also, cheap-a%^ soda makes for surprisingly decent marinade for all sorts of meats.

Very true. I can attest to the tastiness of Great Value Cola marinated pulled pork Tongue

I try to cook meat twice a week, but if I ate meat all week Alcon and others would rightfully get mad at me. Tongue Other stuff I know how to cook just take too long.

Haha fair enough. Remind me to buy you a slow cooker for Christmas.
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Virginiá
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« Reply #23 on: September 12, 2016, 03:44:52 PM »

Anyway, what I do is that I usually have only one meal a day (usually from fast food, since my cooking abilities are very limited), plus a snack (usually Oreos or ice cream). That still amounts to about $15-20 a day from what I've seen, but again hopefully prices are lower for you. Of course that's not a very mainstream choice. Tongue

sweetie that is a large amount of fast food! Even $15 worth of McDonalds is an obscene amount of food for one sitting. Like you can get 48 chicken nuggets for roughly $15, or 2 large big mac meals. Pretty much same levels of food at other well-known fast food places. I can only hope you aren't eating out at Checkers a lot, whose food is probably unmatched in its generous helpings of grease.

Get those arteries checked Sad
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« Reply #24 on: September 12, 2016, 03:50:17 PM »

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