A strategy for a $35/week food budget
I am inspired by Crystal at the blog Money Saving Mom to try my shopping and menu planning in a new way. She spends $35 per week on her groceries to feed two adults and two babies. Wow! I don’t know what part of the country she lives in, but I hope prices here in Pittsburgh will be kind to me on that endeavor.
What we eat:
Breakfasts are simple, usually a bowl of cereal or toast and milk.
I pack my husband’s lunches for him five days out of the week. For one thing, they’re way cheap, and another, I can make sure they’re healthy. He tells me every time he opens his lunchbox, he feels loved. Aww :)
These days, I eat lunch at home. I tend to be a grazer, so I don’t end up eating large meals–just lots of small meals and snacks.
I try to make more of a fuss about dinner since we eat it together. I usually make enough for leftovers or for freezing for another time.
Here’s my strategy:
- I’m taking a careful inventory of my pantry and refrigerator to find out what I already have and what I need.
- I have the weekly ads (in paper or online) for Giant Eagle, Kuhn’s and Shop n’ Save. I’ll also visit Aldi.
- I’m armed with my coupon file and price book (more on those later) to get the best deals. Oh, and a calculator for sure!
Using all the info I can gather, I’m going to hash out a shopping list and menu for seven days. I hope it will add up to $35 or less.
I would LOVE to be able to spend only $35 a week on groceries. I think I’m going to try it, even though light trips to the grocery here have been pricey. I’ll let you know how it goes!