Saving on food as a single person

[joeea]

I am in my 40s living in the New England area in the US.

Have you already retired? Or is this part of your early retirement plan?

 

[teetee]

I am the OP (not a troll).

I'm a single person who cooks for herself too, but I'd need a lot more information to give you ideas. First of all, do you/are you willing to cook?

I used to make large quantity of steam dumplings every Saturday afternoon (~5 hours/wk) for the whole week wroth and put them into three large containers before freezing them. Then I just lived on those. It was ok for a while but I got tired of it (listened to lots of podcasts and audiobooks from that experience though). I don't mind boiling water and cook noodles (then just throw in the fish and spices / sauce into the mix) but have become lazy to do anything more that requires preparation/portioning and cleaning.

And do you enjoy it?

I've spent 5 years in the past working in a restaurant as a part-time cook during my graduate school days. Not a fan of cooking because of that to be honest. Perhaps cooking can be a hobby after FIRE but not now when my financial goal has been set.

The menu you described is very light on cooking. Second, are you hungry?

I am hungry pretty much all the time especially before I fall into sleep at night in the past month when I start the dinner-skipping practice. Though I don't mind as much as time went by after my body is getting used to the new schedule.



I may add a light dinner for my diet in the fall and winter. That's the time I have bigger appetite.

Although many here have disciplined themselves down to one meal per day, many of us enjoy and do better on three - particularly as your two seem kind of light. Third, I see you eat fish, but do you eat meat and dairy? What you described seems kind of light on protein.

One factor I failed to mention before is that I am sharing a refrigerator with my housemate and I prefer not to use too much room in the fridge. Eggs are the only exception. Things like vegs or meat requires cooling and I prefer not to do that (hence the tin fish, cereal, noodles, etc).


I am lactose intolerant. No milk for me. It's OK to have ice cream or yogurt from time to time as long as they are in small portion.

Fourth, are you devoted to any particular diet right now, or is the world of food wide open to you? And finally, are you able to keep larger quantities of food (Costco and similar bargains!)?

I am not currently on any specific diet. I can keep bulk food I got from Walmart / Chinese supermarket in the pantry or in my room as long as they don't need chilling..

Mom would have liked www.chronometer.com, a nutrition/exercise tracking program. It can help you maximize your savings versus nutrition by showing you what's missing from your diet.
...
Good luck!

As for vacuum sealers, if I could do things all over again, starting out I'd get a good chamber sealer as my main machine. An initial investment but overall, in the long run a big savings on bags compared to those expensive Foodsaver type bags.

Got it from https://cronometer.com/ Thanks. Looks like I will be tracking the food price in my local supermarket to get this software to work.


Thanks for the vacuum sealer idea too.


I will try both ideas once I source a personal freezer. Right now I am looking into the fruit dryer solution which if I understand correctly does not require cooling/freezing afterwards.

I send about the same per week on food, but eat a lot more! Not sure how you
spend that much on so little. Are you in a high cost of living area? Anyway to source your food better?

I do eat some rice and beans, but throw in sausage or steaks and fresh veggies. Chili is a staple of mine as well.

Rhode Island. Not the cheapest state to live in but not as outrageous as Hawaii (https://www.missourieconomy.org/indicators/cost_of_living/)



I just came back from weekend grocery shopping from Walmart.

Apples 5lb | 5.92
Pork skin8.5oz | 2.98

Honey roast peanuts 34.5oz | 5.14
baked beans 28oz | 1.42
Pork beans 15oz | 0.56
Pork beans 15oz | 0.56

Mackerel15oz | 1.44
Mackerel15oz | 1.44
Mackerel15oz | 1.44
SloppyJoe sauce 15oz | 0.03
SloppyJoe sauce 15oz | 0.03 (yeah I was surprised too)


Receipt:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oD2dzwwCjPozu1B4BU6YzBYKwzqN-ONA


I still have cereal, noodles, and other Mackerel15oz tins from bulk purchase. Adding those based on the amount I will consume and the $10 weekend spending it's about right on $35 food budget for this week.

$35/week minus $10 eat out is $25/week. Surely, the OP can get more than just an egg or apple for breakfast, and a tin of fish for lunch (no dinner).

By the way, he says he lives in New England, but the profile says Arizona.

This sounds fishy (the OP says he eats a lot of tinned fish).

And Arizona is in New England?

Troll?

Rhode Island. No idea how or why the incorrect state was chosen in my profile. Likely to be human error when I registered (can't remember I was asked about the state I was from tbh).

In addition to the basics my go to items are frozen vegetables and frozen shrimp.

Nice idea though I stopped eating shrimp due to its high cholesterol content (doctor's orders). Can of mackerel is on my radar since they can be bought for ~$1.5/lb from my local walmart.

$2k/year is your single largest expense?

...
It's not clear what your goal is.

So housing is under $170 per month? That's very thrifty.

Clarification: my housemate is the landlord and I am responsible for paying my rental in the form of property tax and the utilities.

Combining both types of expense will result in around 5k a year. I normally pay the bills separately so tax, water, electricity, gas each type is less than food cost but more if combined. It's unimaginable to me that in other parts of the country people actually pay that much for monthly rental.

My goal is to find a better balance on a diet method with all the restrictions I have (less cooking time, no fridge space except for eggs) so I can save and keep me healthy. I agree that may seem like unnecessary challenges.

Eating one egg for breakfast, and one can of sardines for lunch each day? No dinner?

That does not add up to $2K/year. One egg+sardine or tuna is around $1/day. Well, maybe $1.50 if you do not catch them on sale.

Anyway, if that $2K on food is the largest expense category, I guess he can live on perhaps $4K a year?

If the OP can manage all that, he is already so frugal, I don't know how any of us can help him save more money.

PS. The OP would be extremely lean with that diet. Egg = 80 calories. Small can of sardines = 90 calories. Total = less than 200 cal/day.

PPS. Yes, it is a mild troll. He was having fun with us.

It's not my intention to use my first post to have fun (it takes at least 20 posts to know where the fun may be). I'm trying to pick anyone's brain and replicate their ideas. Snacks and eating out give more energy content besides the regular diet.

 

[teetee]

I've just got two questions:

What do you do for fun?
How are you going to remain healthy on such an extreme diet?

I too was single for 12 years after college. I lived moderately with a nice home, nice cars and I cooked for myself a very normal diet.

I also had lots of friends, and led a very full life--traveling extensively in business and personally.

I saved the max on my 401k, had a defined pension and maxed out the IRA's. I iinvested in equities moderately aggressively, and paid attention to my portfolio.

I later married and had one child. We moved a couple of times, and had large homes with low mortgages. At 58 years old, I retired and haven't hit a lick in 10 years. And I'm expecting to have no problems financially living into my 90's--all a product of living moderately frugal and not missing anything.

Computer games, podcasts, ebooks are my daily R&R. Though work has been busy these days and I barely recognize myself as efficient employee.

I only started working full time and saving about 6 years ago so I figured with my unusual starting point, I need some unusual strategy to reach my financial goal.

I chose to use net worth as my goal instead of age and the current target is $2M. I am a long term whole stock market index fund investor and my 401k/Roth 401k/Roth IRA/HSA/529(for my new born niece or myself in the future) are fully funded with just the one index portfolio. It's nothing special. It's just I don't have the wits or energy to do the research and worry about the risks later. That's another topic.

Not looking for married life right now. But it's always good to hear someone made it to the family stage in their lives (as if there is a documented rule on how one's life should be). I do wish to be able to travel all over the US after my passive income can handle my daily and health expenses. Perhaps that will be the time for mee to get to know someone nice to travel with.

 

[tmm99]

Looking at what you eat daily, I would not lower the food budget; in fact, I would raise it by adding a variety of healthy foods including a variety of leafy/root vegetables and fruits and focus on lowering some other budget.

 

[skipro33]

Have you a 'dented can' store in your area? Big Lots, for example, or a Dollar Store? Gotta check expiration dates, but good value there.

If you are serious about going low budget, have you ever gleaned from a grocery store dumpster? They throw out a lot of visually imperfect, but absolutely fine produce not to mention other goods with 'sell by' dates that still have life on their 'use by' dates. Learn when they do their gleaning and be there ready before it's dumped.

BTW, I know about this because I raised some pigs and went to the grocery store and discovered this. I knew when to be at the back door, truck tailgate down, and they'd load it right into my truck. Lots of yogurt, cottage cheese still plenty cold. Lots of bread still in their wrappers. I'd take home, divide into 5 gallon plastic buckets for the week and slop the hogs all week on one trip.

 

[Aerides]

Welcome,

To me your food budget seems very low and super restricted, so I can't give you any advice. I'd recommend you focus on balance and health even if that means you need a little more flexibility in your budget.

(mod hat on)
To everyone else, if you ever suspect someone is "trolling", please take the opportunity to report the post, to notify the mod team, vs. calling out and sowing premature (and often incorrect) suspicions in threads. We can and will perform necessary diligence, and you can save the popcorn.
(mod hat off)

 

[teetee]

Have you already retired? Or is this part of your early retirement plan?

I wish. I only started working full time and saving from zero net worth like 6 years ago. Before that, I was a lost cause. Right now after over half a million saved I am going to speed things up because I don't expect that I am still able to continue do what I am doing (software development/support) when I am in my 50s.

 

[LOL!]

Cereal is expensive unless it is oatmeal. 2 oz of oatmeal is 21 servings per 42 oz cylinder which costs no more than $2 or 10 cents per serving. Cook in the microwave. Of course, to make it palatable one is going to have to add some walnuts and fresh or dried fruit, but not more than 50 cents worth. One could add an egg, too, but protein powder is about 50 cents a serving. So let's say breakfast w/tea is $1 a day.

Lunch is all about portion control. A can of black beans is 80 cents, so that is 3 lunches when it is the base of a salad. Put one-quarter to one-third of a can of black beans in a glass mixing bowl. Sprinkle in some frozen corn kernels ($1 a bag yields 20 to 30 sprinkles), some baby carrots (bite them into chunks and spit them out in the bowl), add salt & pepper, and a spoonful of seasoning (thai sauce, hot bean paste, whatever) and microwave to heat. Now add an ounce or two of fresh spinach leaves that's 30 cents worth of bagged spinach leaves at my grocery store, sliced mushrooms, and one roma tomato (about 20 cents per tomato) cut into bite-size pieces. toss the spinach with salad dressing (2 tsp) of your choice and slice in a boiled egg. Lunch is now about $1 a lunch with those ingredients. The salad could be changed easily by adding some Chinese or Thai leftovers.

One doesn't even have to eat dinner, but cheap dinners are available. A Chipotle burrito bowl is under $10 and can go for 3 meals. (Remember I said Portion Control is key). A Chinese, Thai, or Mexican take-out of $15 can go for 4 or 5 meals).

Anyways one can eat very decently for $5 a day and many people can eat for less. I showed eating out dinner every day on that kind of budget.

Get a $10 to $15 digital kitchen scale from Amazon and measure out your meals / ingredients.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I'm single and don't cook, unless you count boiling ravioli or hard boil eggs as cooking.

Between Trader Joe's and Sprouts, I'm pretty sure I'm in the top 1% for healthy eating. I know where every salmon restaurant meal is served near me.

For breakfast today was a portion of curry chicken salad from TJ's. Lunch was a pita bread, garlic paste, hummus, avocado and this artichoke paste I get from TJ. So I believe I "prepare food" , not cook. The pita bread ( a whole bag!) and garlic paste was free from a Mediterranean place I go to about once a week.

And I eat a lot of oatmeal as well. With cinnamon and berries.

 

[MichaelB]

I wish. I only started working full time and saving from zero net worth like 6 years ago. Before that, I was a lost cause. Right now after over half a million saved I am going to speed things up because I don't expect that I am still able to continue do what I am doing (software development/support) when I am in my 50s.

That’s a smart attitude with more up than downside.

 

[Marita40]

You are already being very thrifty. Just a few suggestions for both thrift and health. Pasta is not that good for you. I'd suggest beans, brown rice, and oatmeal are pretty healthy and cheap. Find an Asian grocery store and stock up! In my area at least you can get lots of discounts there. Shop Aldi for really good prices, especially on produce and meat. Buy fruit and veggies in season, and check out farmer's markets. Or, big bags of frozen veggies such as broccoli go very far and are inexpensive. Many of my neighbors are begging people to take their zucchini and other home grown veggies free by the end of the season, so keep your ears open. If you can, get some chickens for eggs.

 

[ImaCheesehead]

, some baby carrots (bite them into chunks and spit them out in the bowl),.

Can’t believe no one has called you on this, lol, that has to be the most disgusting recipe instruction I have ever heard.

 

[LOL!]

Can’t believe no one has called you on this, lol, that has to be the most disgusting recipe instruction I have ever heard.

It is a well-known meal prep technique all over the internet and in cook books. You are going to eat the food anyways, so use your teeth instead of a cutting board and a knife and avoid the clean up chore.

 

[teetee]

It is a well-known meal prep technique all over the internet and in cook books. You are going to eat the food anyways, so use your teeth instead of a cutting board and a knife and avoid the clean up chore.

I actually thought it was pretty natural thing to do (for my meal obviously) but often I only produce half of them. The other half goes down to my stomach (might as well eat it since it's already in my mouth) lol.


Baby carrots used to be my snacks.

 

[joeea]

My goal is to find a better balance on a diet method with all the restrictions I have (less cooking time, no fridge space except for eggs) so I can save and keep me healthy. I agree that may seem like unnecessary challenges.

Why?

Are you "income-challenged"? Is this a "see if I can do it" kind of thing?

 

[imoldernu]

Where in R.I.? My hometown was Pawtucket for the first 20 years.
You have 3 Aldi's.... Providence, Rumford and Warwick... Overall savings... about 20% less than Walmart.
Not your main choices, but part of our typical grocery bill.

Eggs $1.29 (last week $.99)
Oysters 8 oz. $1.19 ($1.00 at the Dollar tree)
Ramen Noodle Soup (12) $1.89
5 .oz. canned tuna $.89
1 lb. tiny carrots $.89
Chiquita bananas $.29 lb.
1 lb. Saltines $.73
10 indiv pkg. oatmeal $1.89
12 oz. sunflower seeds. $1.69
8 oz. block swiss cheese $2.19
1 lb Wheat bread $.79
20 oz. Blueberry Bagels $1.49
10 oz. campfire marshmallows $.89
gal. 1% milk $1.19
quart Moose Tracks Ice Cream $2.19 ( for me)
Qt. jeanie's ice cream (vanilla) $1.89

They also now have organic fruits and vegetables, but am too old to do that. After all, how long have these been tested to prove they are healthy?

 

[Oz investor]

Never mind. I never assume that OP's are going to use my posts - but I do imagine that some reader or other may find them useful. My post can be thriftily recycled and reused

indeed there will probably several looking for that extra idea to trim costs , or just get better nutrition for the same price .

a single person has two factors deterring frequrnt home/food prepration , time and motivation ( cooking for several puts more focus on content and taste ),

 

[njhowie]

Your food budget for one person is not bad at all - $5/day. I don't know that you are going to do much better. However, eating only 2 meals a day and what you are eating is not the healthiest. I notice a general lack of protein and no vegetables. Also, is there milk/juice/beverages in this diet? Certainly you aren't eating the cereal dry, are you? Are you a vegetarian? Any eating disorders?

If you have a freezer, and not vegetarian/vegan I'll suggest perusing the clearance section of your grocers meat section. Ours regularly discounts 30% to 70% or more for stuff as it hits the expiry date. You have to carefully check the dates and that stuff is not rotten, but if you immediately cook it or put in the freezer it's easy to get cheap protein - I regularly get excellent cuts of meat and chicken breast for about $1/pound.

Similar for produce - generally there will be a clearance section. Fruits and vegetables are more difficult because when they are discounting, they are already ripe so you have to plan on eating them immediately or the next couple days.

Try picking up a jar of peanut butter - unless you are allergic. Store brand is generally priced very well and periodically brand names have very good sales. It's a good source of protein, it goes well on apples and celery, and you will get a lot of use out of a single jar.

Try visiting a Walmart to check their groceries. They always have discounts on food that they are trying to move and excellent prices in general. If you find non-perishables heavily discounted, then stock up. I do the shopping/cooking in our house, and if I see an unbelievable price, I have no problem clearing the shelf.

Also, visit your local Costco (if you are a member) and pick up one of their pre-cooked chickens every week. For $4.99 an individual can easily get 4 to 6 meals out of it. These chickens are much bigger than the $4.99 ones they sell at Walmart or your local grocer. I'll buy one and after having the chicken itself the first night (cooking for 2 or 3 of us), I can easily make 2 or 3 more meals out of the leftovers. It goes on salads, tossed in with pasta, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. You can also buy a couple chickens at a time and cut them up and put in the freezer - they keep very well and easily reheat in the microwave.

 

[MarieIG]

Never mind. I never assume that OP's are going to use my posts - but I do imagine that some reader or other may find them useful. My post can be thriftily recycled and reused

I will!

 

[ImaCheesehead]

It is a well-known meal prep technique all over the internet and in cook books. You are going to eat the food anyways, so use your teeth instead of a cutting board and a knife and avoid the clean up chore.

But you are cutting up mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs anyways, so you already have a knife out......

Anyway, ewwwwww.

 

[teetee]

Where in R.I.? My hometown was Pawtucket for the first 20 years.
You have 3 Aldi's.... Providence, Rumford and Warwick... Overall savings... about 20% less than Walmart.
Not your main choices, but part of our typical grocery bill.

They also now have organic fruits and vegetables, but am too old to do that. After all, how long have these been tested to prove they are healthy?

Thank you! The Middletown Aldi's store is the closest to where I live. It's probably going to be my new goto grocery store from now on.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

But you are cutting up mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs anyways, so you already have a knife out......

Anyway, ewwwwww.

Unless your knife is ridiculously sharp, something hard like baby carrots usually goes flying when you cut it. Probably one of the reasons you usually only find grated carrot on salads, rather than sliced.

 

[Amethyst]

Personally I can't stand "baby" carrots. To me, they have no flavor. I'd rather take a few extra seconds to peel a regulation-sized, full-flavored Carrot and eat it raw or cook it. Regular carrots are also cheaper.

 

[Chuckanut]

Personally I can't stand "baby" carrots. To me, they have no flavor. I'd rather take a few extra seconds to peel a regulation-sized, full-flavored Carrot and eat it raw or cook it. Regular carrots are also cheaper.

My understanding is that 'baby' carrots are just chunks of regular carrots ground down in size. My guess is that something int he processing reduces the flavors in the carrot.

 

[Chuckanut]

As a single person I rarely cook a dish for one person. I always cook for 2-4 people. Even if I eat alone, since over a period of a few days I can be persons # 2, 3, and 4.

In my youth, my mother would look at most processed foods with disgust. She would tell us that for the prices of a few packages of some processed food she could feed us for days using basic foods - cuts of meat, produce, cheese etc. . Today, we seem to have the reverse. Processed junk (Ramen noodles for example) are dirt cheap and real food is far more expensive. And don't get me started on supposedly healthier factory Frankenfoods foods like vegan cheese, consumer sports drinks, processed cheeses, gluten free breads, and now meatless meat.

cheese product
noun
a processed cheese consisting in the U.S. of at least 50 percent cheese to which cheese whey or whey albumin may be added.

OTOH, the savings on processed foods are often temporary as we then give the saved money and more to the doctors, the drug companies, the supplement companies, etc. etc. etc. Just my 2¢.