Days of Plenty on a Minimum Food Budget

Banana bread

We have brewed iced tea, not pop, and I'll make an "energy drink" out of a splash of fruit juice mixed with 2 Tablespoons of Braggs apple cider vinegar and lots of water and carried in a recycled glass beverage bottle.

Neither of us eat out for lunch, we have a water jug AND a thermos and do not buy expensive coffee drinks at work or on the way to or from. I'll make muffins to have as a mid-morning treat for coffee or tea. Plus - when a local Sears went south, we picked up a deep freezer for $100 for the basement.

So total food and treats if one is closely watching the budget and has essentials on hand in bulk already -  About $250 for the month for two adults for weekly grocery and another $80 a month on average for eating out and wild salmon which we can't get here (sorry, but even the "fresh" salmon in Chicago tastes like cat food to me after growing up eating only stuff caught that day).

We are blessed with a good education (not paid for by the taxpayer but ourselves) and have good jobs. But being raised by parents that understood a budget, mine growing up in the Great Depression, we are fine eating on a budget so that there is money available for unexpected expenses, giving to our church, and helping family members and charities, including sales of all of my books to animal rescue and a couple groups that help with support dogs for Veterans with disabilities. That's important to us.
Yes, we splurge on some Wild Caught Salmon from Alaskan Salmon Co, and some good Bacon, and we eat out about every 3 months, usually Chick Fil-a or Thai.  But we also know that if money was really tight we could eat VERY well, with adequate protein and minerals with a little planning and some time in the kitchen.  Even with these treats, an IPA for Partner on the weekends, and sometimes goodies from the Farmer's Market we average about $350 a month on food and beverages, that extra money going through the years to help my Dad or others in need.  I've stood in line at Walmart and watched someone with a cart full of prepared and prepackaged meals and junk food spend that in a week for a small family.

There have been years we've gone in with others for a 4-H cow, the cost per pound being really low.

But it takes planning - don't wait until you lose your job before establishing a larder of bulk supplies. Do it when times are plentiful, and you'll have less to worry about later because it's vital that you have certain items stored up to make a super cheap meal plan work.  You will need to spend a month's worth of food budget minimum, laying in supplies if you want the absolute minimum cost on dried and bulk items, not something that's practical once the emergency strikes.

Bread - I make it from scratch, often using a sourdough starter made out of wild yeast in place of commercial yeast and a food processor, it takes minutes to prep, then just the rise and bake time for a couple of loaves and a batch of muffins or rolls. An hour of prep, time to rise, and a couple of hours to bake up everything, and I've got bread products for the week for a couple of bucks.

Shopping - I used to hit 3 stores if it saved me 3 or 4 bucks, but with gas about $5 a gallon here, I just watch for specials and hit the grocer that has the best deals.  I regularly check ads to see what's on sale and where and I'm not afraid to clip a coupon. Make sure you look at your receipt - I've been charged other than the sale price at a couple of the big chain grocers.  I make a list.  If I see something super cheap not on the list, I will pick it up to add to the larder. I will NOT buy something just because "it looks good!" if it's not on the list.