$75/month food budget
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Khan
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Probably, if approached rationally: mainly beans and brown rice with fresh/frozen vegetables and occasional fish/fowl.
Darryl
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Not me.
We are ate $205 per week for 4 people and two of them weigh less than 90lbs so 205 x 52 / 12 / 4 = $222 per month for one person. For grocery items not just food, cleaners toothpaste etc...
I know we could drive this lower but I'm just not seeing $75 per month.
We are ate $205 per week for 4 people and two of them weigh less than 90lbs so 205 x 52 / 12 / 4 = $222 per month for one person. For grocery items not just food, cleaners toothpaste etc...
I know we could drive this lower but I'm just not seeing $75 per month.
Only if I was spending it on ammunition, bait, & irrigation...
thefed
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nutritional? no. food? yes
pasta is supposedly the best value for your money when considering 'calories per dollar'
pasta is supposedly the best value for your money when considering 'calories per dollar'
crazy connie
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Can it be done on $75 a month? Yes. Think garden and canning and some hunting and fishing with a milk cow or goat for your dairy. If you mean all from the local grocery store... I doubt $75 would be sufficient but I think it could be done for $125. Just my thoughts having grown up in a farm family but got turned into a city girl!
chinaco
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Maybe $75 a week.
I think someone could probably live on $75 a month for food (1 person). But it would not be something that you would probably want to do unless you had no choice.
Think about it. That is $2.50 per day ($17.50 per week). If your diet consisted of rice, beans and potatoes with a few other veg. You would maybe be able to maybe afford a few basic spices. You would probably be drinking plain tap water. It would be difficult for an American. Essentially it would be close to a third world diet of a poor person (over there).
I think someone could probably live on $75 a month for food (1 person). But it would not be something that you would probably want to do unless you had no choice.
Think about it. That is $2.50 per day ($17.50 per week). If your diet consisted of rice, beans and potatoes with a few other veg. You would maybe be able to maybe afford a few basic spices. You would probably be drinking plain tap water. It would be difficult for an American. Essentially it would be close to a third world diet of a poor person (over there).
CourtneyC
Dryer sheet aficionado
You could live on peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, pasta, and rice probably. Cheap carbs would probably be the way to go, but you might end up paying for it down the road since your health might suffer.
DblDoc
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We do it for about $150/mo per person with the bulk of our vegetables and fruit coming from our garden. Of course there are costs associated with the garden as well as the energy and supplies for canning etc.
DD
ladelfina
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Some politicians took up a "live (eat) on food stamps alone" trial a few months ago. It came out to about $3/day and was very difficult with even more money than what you're proposing... more like $90-100/month.
Congressional Food Stamp Challenge
crazy connie: What's your budget for buying the cow/goat (plus land, shelter, fencing, vet bills, feed, etc.)?
"..cows may consume 100 pounds of feed and 50 gallons of water per day"
Florida Dairy Farm Situation and Outlook 2005
Wow! I think a cow is a budget buster. A goat is probably more manageable; plus you can rent it out to the neighbors to clear brush and weeds.
--
Just curious, wildcat: where did you come up with this number, $75?
Congressional Food Stamp Challenge
crazy connie: What's your budget for buying the cow/goat (plus land, shelter, fencing, vet bills, feed, etc.)?
"..cows may consume 100 pounds of feed and 50 gallons of water per day"
Florida Dairy Farm Situation and Outlook 2005
Wow! I think a cow is a budget buster. A goat is probably more manageable; plus you can rent it out to the neighbors to clear brush and weeds.
--
Just curious, wildcat: where did you come up with this number, $75?
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
My health is very important to me - - after all, we only get one body so I might as well take care of mine.
Given that, I would not choose to spend only $75/month on food for myself.
If that was all that I had, and if I did not have the option of seeking employment to earn some additional money for my food budget, then I would tackle the problem because you just can't ignore it and expect to eat well. Here are some of the things I might do. I would:
1) start a vegetable garden.
2) look into governmental programs such as food stamps, free cheese, and so on.
3) find out about church related programs in my area to feed the needy.
4) spend a lot of time researching and gathering coupons.
5) check out availability of cheap stale bread at the bread outlet stores.
6) drop in at my friends' houses at dinnertime and look hungry
I am SO glad that I do not have to swallow my pride and do these things, nor do I envision ever being in that sort of financial dilemma.
Given that, I would not choose to spend only $75/month on food for myself.
If that was all that I had, and if I did not have the option of seeking employment to earn some additional money for my food budget, then I would tackle the problem because you just can't ignore it and expect to eat well. Here are some of the things I might do. I would:
1) start a vegetable garden.
2) look into governmental programs such as food stamps, free cheese, and so on.
3) find out about church related programs in my area to feed the needy.
4) spend a lot of time researching and gathering coupons.
5) check out availability of cheap stale bread at the bread outlet stores.
6) drop in at my friends' houses at dinnertime and look hungry
I am SO glad that I do not have to swallow my pride and do these things, nor do I envision ever being in that sort of financial dilemma.
dumpster56
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75 dollars a month is my budget for alcohol ya know a few six packs of beer, a few bottles of wine and a nice bottle of good scotch or tequilla.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
I don't see how anybody can afford to drink or smoke, these days! Luckily, I haven't done either for many years. I struggle with the "cheaper vices" such as refined sugar and junk food, and just when I think I have conquered them for good, I relapse and indulge myself.
I don't even try to stay away from coffee though I should be drinking decaf, I suppose. That's another thing I would do on the $75/mo budget - - give up coffee completely. Have you seen how MUCH coffee costs these days?
dumpster56
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Oh I can show you how.. Schlitz beer 1.99 a six pack on sale, trader joes charles shaw wines 2.99 a bottle. Now the tequilla will set ya back a bit gotta drink the preimium stuff the cheap stuff will make you take off the clothes and run naked thru the streets and wake up with an awful headache, in a far away place not knowing how ya got there.
FinallyRetired
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We're at around $500 per month for two, so $250 per person. I'm with you, we could get this a bit lower but no way can we approach anything close to $75. I think even getting down to $200 pp would be tough. I'm really puzzled by how others do it, it's not like we're eating steak and lobster every night, in fact, we never eat it. We just eat standard fare, DW is a great cook so she doesn't use many prepared and costly foods.
Scratching my head.
fluffy
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We're at about $75/week for two (not counting occasional eating out which is ignored for the purposes of this exercise). As mentioned before, some of the healthiest food choices are actually quite cheap per calorie -- oats, beans and lentils, brown rice, olive oil. In addition go with whatever fruits and vegetables are on sale and/or in season and you have a very affordable yet healthy diet. We shop mostly at Sprouts (think Whole Foods with Walmart prices. I wish it was publicly traded) and a little bit at Sam's.
I think $120/month for a single person is doable if you're not picky and live in a cheap area. $75/month is really pushing it though. It's not worth sacrificing your health for a couple of bucks.
I think $120/month for a single person is doable if you're not picky and live in a cheap area. $75/month is really pushing it though. It's not worth sacrificing your health for a couple of bucks.
Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
Oh I can show you how.. Schlitz beer 1.99 a six pack on sale, trader joes charles shaw wines 2.99 a bottle. Now the tequilla will set ya back a bit gotta drink the preimium stuff the cheap stuff will make you take off the clothes and run naked thru the streets and wake up with an awful headache, in a far away place not knowing how ya got there.
Really, you too? I thought that just happened to us--the naked part, but DH was famous for wandering off to the beach, taking off all his clothes to go swimming, then spending hours in the dark looking for them! He'll be glad to know that you can prevent it with the premium stuff!
He's been on tequila restriction for years!For two people our budget for food/dining is $500 a month.
OP
OP
wildcat
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Some politicians took up a "live (eat) on food stamps alone" trial a few months ago. It came out to about $3/day and was very difficult with even more money than what you're proposing... more like $90-100/month.
Congressional Food Stamp Challenge
crazy connie: What's your budget for buying the cow/goat (plus land, shelter, fencing, vet bills, feed, etc.)?
"..cows may consume 100 pounds of feed and 50 gallons of water per day"
Florida Dairy Farm Situation and Outlook 2005
Wow! I think a cow is a budget buster. A goat is probably more manageable; plus you can rent it out to the neighbors to clear brush and weeds.
--
Just curious, wildcat: where did you come up with this number, $75?[/quote]
A $75/mo food bill for a month will give me enough wiggle room to take a kick ass mountain biking tour in November O0
limpid lizard
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Cheap Eats
I spend about $40.00 a week at the grocery store. I can easily spend more on one meal if I have company, than I do in a week of just feeding my self.
The $40.00 covers a lot of junk food. Chips, chocolate, fancy yogurt and wine. I do not know how to break out the rest of my food costs. I like to hike, can and bake. If I take a walk in the woods and bring home venison, is the expense all for food or is entertainment included? If I take a walk and bring home enough wild fruit to make jam and jelly for a year, how is the cost broken down?
Right now, I am sitting here having a slice of homemade sourdough toast and a cup of tea. I stock up on sugar and flour when it is on sale, and the tea costs me about $1.50 a month at Costco.
Several months ago, I made a trip to Costco. I bought fish, pork, and chicken that when interspersed with venison will last me the rest of the year. I probably spent about $100 on it. If I spot top sirloin on sale, I stock up. These are the things I prepare when I have company.
Since one of my hobbies is gunsmithing, the firearms used in hunting probably are not a true food cost.
It is important to note that I really make no effort to conserve on food costs. This is just how I live. Someone with different life experiences, lesser wild resources, and different food prep skils would be hard pressed to even see the things I consume as tasty meals while they were in an unprocessed state. I imagine most people looking at a wild apple tree would not see apple butter, apple sauce, apple jelly, apple pie filling etc..
With all that said, I could not imagine eating well on $75 per month spent at a grocery store. It has got to be more pleasant to make several things out of apples than to try and make 365 tasty dinners a year out of lentils.
I spend about $40.00 a week at the grocery store. I can easily spend more on one meal if I have company, than I do in a week of just feeding my self.
The $40.00 covers a lot of junk food. Chips, chocolate, fancy yogurt and wine. I do not know how to break out the rest of my food costs. I like to hike, can and bake. If I take a walk in the woods and bring home venison, is the expense all for food or is entertainment included? If I take a walk and bring home enough wild fruit to make jam and jelly for a year, how is the cost broken down?
Right now, I am sitting here having a slice of homemade sourdough toast and a cup of tea. I stock up on sugar and flour when it is on sale, and the tea costs me about $1.50 a month at Costco.
Several months ago, I made a trip to Costco. I bought fish, pork, and chicken that when interspersed with venison will last me the rest of the year. I probably spent about $100 on it. If I spot top sirloin on sale, I stock up. These are the things I prepare when I have company.
Since one of my hobbies is gunsmithing, the firearms used in hunting probably are not a true food cost.
It is important to note that I really make no effort to conserve on food costs. This is just how I live. Someone with different life experiences, lesser wild resources, and different food prep skils would be hard pressed to even see the things I consume as tasty meals while they were in an unprocessed state. I imagine most people looking at a wild apple tree would not see apple butter, apple sauce, apple jelly, apple pie filling etc..
With all that said, I could not imagine eating well on $75 per month spent at a grocery store. It has got to be more pleasant to make several things out of apples than to try and make 365 tasty dinners a year out of lentils.
Fireup2020
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I had to be an involuntary vegetarian in my POOR days. Like many posters have mentioned, not something I'd want to go back to. Programs for volunteering in your community for X hours can bring in food packages (back in the Tidewater, VA area we got a bag of apples or oranges, onions, canned goods and sometimes perishibles - depended upon the charity of the suppliers) We had a monthly food budget of approx $400/mo for a family of 5 - and it stunk! Kid's lunches were taken care of at school. So while I think $75 for one person is "doable" - I too, would NOT recommend it.
Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
I like your "involuntary vegetarian"!
We had a really imaginative young hippie volunteer when I worked at Habitat that called himself an opportunivore! I loved that--he would eat whatever you would give him!
Fun kid!
We had a really imaginative young hippie volunteer when I worked at Habitat that called himself an opportunivore! I loved that--he would eat whatever you would give him!
Fun kid!
ladelfina
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It think there was a thread here on dumpster-diving.
Could be an "opportunivore" option.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/dumpster-diver-message-boards-20464.html
Fresh foraging:
Foraging and Ethnobotany Links Page
Maybe get a part-time job at a restaurant/supermarket to snag leftovers or things past the sell-by date? Offer to deep-clean the refrigerator/cabinets for friends and family in exchange for a bag of what-have-you odds&ends? Do a "personal charity bake sale" where you make baked goods for friends/colleagues and sell them at market price? I don't know how much ingredients for 12 muffins would cost but less than the $1-$2 apiece people would likely give you for them.
Maybe you should just look into ways to make some extra pocket money this month instead of compromising your health. If you are doing a lot of bike-riding, you will need more calories than us couch potatoes.
Could be an "opportunivore" option.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/dumpster-diver-message-boards-20464.html
Fresh foraging:
Foraging and Ethnobotany Links Page
Maybe get a part-time job at a restaurant/supermarket to snag leftovers or things past the sell-by date? Offer to deep-clean the refrigerator/cabinets for friends and family in exchange for a bag of what-have-you odds&ends? Do a "personal charity bake sale" where you make baked goods for friends/colleagues and sell them at market price? I don't know how much ingredients for 12 muffins would cost but less than the $1-$2 apiece people would likely give you for them.
Maybe you should just look into ways to make some extra pocket money this month instead of compromising your health. If you are doing a lot of bike-riding, you will need more calories than us couch potatoes.
Dawg52
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I probably get by on $75 a month at the grocery store, but another $150 a month eating out. Still pretty reasonable, I think. ![:-\](https://www.early-retirement.org/sk/forums/images/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
SecondCor521
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Three things that I think would drive down grocery costs for many:
1. A price book.
2. Pantry stockpiling.
3. Agressive couponing.
At least the first two, if not all three, are discussed in the Tightwad Gazette.
2Cor521
1. A price book.
2. Pantry stockpiling.
3. Agressive couponing.
At least the first two, if not all three, are discussed in the Tightwad Gazette.
2Cor521
Why would you want to?
I don't get the context of the question. Clearly if you are considering such a budget you haven't yet saved enough to be involved with the ER board. What gives? You can do most anything if you set your mind to it, but it sure wouldn't be fun. I'd have to agree my Beer and Wine budget is in that ballpark. Food? Quite a bit more, and I'd never want to track it.
I don't get the context of the question. Clearly if you are considering such a budget you haven't yet saved enough to be involved with the ER board. What gives? You can do most anything if you set your mind to it, but it sure wouldn't be fun. I'd have to agree my Beer and Wine budget is in that ballpark. Food? Quite a bit more, and I'd never want to track it.
