1 Week, 2 Adults, $14 Grocery Challenge
For many Americans, $1 per person per day is their max grocery budget. It's not uncommon to work full time at a minimum wage job and make too much to qualify for food stamps but not make enough to feed yourself and family. And let's not even get into food deserts where you only have access to dollar stores for any groceries (check out this heartbreaking article on that topic).
As someone who has had to cut their grocery budget to almost nothing in the past, I've learned the hard way how to maximize my grocery budget without skipping too much on nutrition. I've used budget food boxes from church programs, I've shopped food "thrift" stores, I've used point and rebate apps for extra food money, and I've turned every food scrap into a new meal in every way possible. Ten years ago, my monthly bills left me $10 in red every month before food and gas and I relied on my parents for grocery and gas money (and I am grateful every day for every last cent they have ever given me).
And thanks to my parents, green thumb and my husband's knack for finding things to sell/flip in our home quickly, I've never had to live on $1 per person per day for longer than a week (I have done $20-$25 per week for 2 people long term before and that little bit of extra room made all the difference). But I see plenty of people on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit asking exactly how to do just this. So I decided to show you how if you can feed yourself and another adult when you only have only $14 for an entire week of meals.
For more shoestring grocery budgets, check out my $10 Grocery Challenge and my Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Shoestring Budget.
Eggs (3dz) - $2 ($1.96)
Rice - $1 (white rice and brown are the same price for 32oz in my area) ($0.78/16oz brown)
Dried beans/lentils - $1 (pinto and lentils are $0.92 and $0.96 respectively at my store) ($0.96/16oz)
Fresh spinach - $1.60 ($1.54/10oz)
Green beans (frozen) - $1 ($0.77/12oz)
Potatoes - $3 ($2.77/5lbs for russet or sweet potatoes)
Canned tomatoes - $1 ($0.82/28oz for petite diced Italian style)
Butter/margarine - $1 ($0.97, 4 sticks margarine)
Bulk carrots - $.50 ($0.82/1lb)
Onion - $1 ($0.98/1lb)
Broth - $1 ($0.68/8-count Knorrs beef bullion or $0.52/8-count Cons-Mat chicken and tomato tablets)
Extras depending on budget
Peanut butter $2
Meat $2+
Coffee, sugar, cream $5+
Bread $1
Pasta $1
Sauces $1
Meals
Eggs & oven roasted potatoes cooked in butter (breakfasts/lunches)
Leftovers if available (breakfasts/lunches)
Bean/lentil, rice and veggie soup x2
Bean burger patties with homemade chips
Rice, spinach, bean, egg bowls x2
Stir fry/frittata (eggs, beans, leftover veggies)
Eggs, refried beans (or whole beans) and rice/potatoes
Recipe Guides
These are not hard and fast recipes (as my IG family and readers know, I suck at them). Just plan out how much of each ingredient you will need/want to use per meal and go from there. Pre-planning is key here. Also, if you are using a long-cook bean such as pinto, make them in advance so they are ready to use each night.
Eggs and oven roasted potatoes - Scramble or fry 2 eggs per person in some melted butter/margarine. Dice a potato and toss in melted butter/margarine. Cook in a heated 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until done, stirring halfway through.
Bean, veggie, rice soup - Soak, cook, and drain your beans in advance. To a large pot, melt a pat of butter and cook 1/4 diced onion until soft. Add beans, green beans, diced carrots, half a 28oz can of tomatoes, enough bullion for 2 cups, and 2 cups of water. Cook until everything is tender and done to your liking. In a separate pot, cook 1/2 cup rice in water. To serve, add half the cooked rice (or less if you like) and top with soup. (For an added touch of green, add a handful of spinach the last minute of cooking the soup.)
Bean patties and homemade chips - Start with soaking, cooking, draining, and cooling your beans. Mash up your beans, grate in a bit of onion (or add finely minced onion), add an egg to bind and mix. Form into patties and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F. Thin slice a potato and pat dry. Toss potato slices in melted butter/margarine and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook until crisp (10-20 minutes depending on oven and slice thickness). Sprinkle with salt if you have it immediately after removing from oven. Cook bean patties in a skillet with melted butter/margarine or on an indoor grill if you have one.
Rice, spinach, bean, egg bowls - This is pretty self-explanatory. Cook up beans, rice and a couple of eggs, toss in some spinach and enjoy!
Stir fry - Start with soaked, cooked, and drained beans and cooked and cooled rice. Cook onion, carrots and green beans (whatever you got left) in some melted butter/margarine until soft. Scramble a couple of eggs in pan. Toss in spinach, beans and rice. Cook until everything is heated through.
Frittata - This is not a true frittata as I actually don't know how you make one, but it's an egg bake with veggies so that makes it a frittata to me! Preheat your oven to 375°F and using some butter/margarine, grease a casserole dish/pie tin/loaf pan. Mix together eggs, leftover onion, carrots, green beans, spinach, beans, and rice (cooked, drained and cooled beans and rice). Pour into pan and bake until done, this varies based on pan size so start checking at 10 minutes.
Eggs, refried beans, rice/potatoes - Start with soaked, cooked, and drained beans. Mash in a skillet with butter/margarine and cook until heated through. Cook rice according to package instructions or make up a batch of oven roasted potatoes or do both based on what you have left/available. Cook up your eggs however you like them best. Serve all together in a bowl or separately on a plate. You do you boo!
Notes
As someone who has had to cut their grocery budget to almost nothing in the past, I've learned the hard way how to maximize my grocery budget without skipping too much on nutrition. I've used budget food boxes from church programs, I've shopped food "thrift" stores, I've used point and rebate apps for extra food money, and I've turned every food scrap into a new meal in every way possible. Ten years ago, my monthly bills left me $10 in red every month before food and gas and I relied on my parents for grocery and gas money (and I am grateful every day for every last cent they have ever given me).
And thanks to my parents, green thumb and my husband's knack for finding things to sell/flip in our home quickly, I've never had to live on $1 per person per day for longer than a week (I have done $20-$25 per week for 2 people long term before and that little bit of extra room made all the difference). But I see plenty of people on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit asking exactly how to do just this. So I decided to show you how if you can feed yourself and another adult when you only have only $14 for an entire week of meals.
For more shoestring grocery budgets, check out my $10 Grocery Challenge and my Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Shoestring Budget.
1 Week, 2 Adults, $14 Grocery Challenge
List & Budget = $14 (Actual = $13.05 pre-tax)Eggs (3dz) - $2 ($1.96)
Rice - $1 (white rice and brown are the same price for 32oz in my area) ($0.78/16oz brown)
Dried beans/lentils - $1 (pinto and lentils are $0.92 and $0.96 respectively at my store) ($0.96/16oz)
Fresh spinach - $1.60 ($1.54/10oz)
Green beans (frozen) - $1 ($0.77/12oz)
Potatoes - $3 ($2.77/5lbs for russet or sweet potatoes)
Canned tomatoes - $1 ($0.82/28oz for petite diced Italian style)
Butter/margarine - $1 ($0.97, 4 sticks margarine)
Bulk carrots - $.50 ($0.82/1lb)
Onion - $1 ($0.98/1lb)
Broth - $1 ($0.68/8-count Knorrs beef bullion or $0.52/8-count Cons-Mat chicken and tomato tablets)
Extras depending on budget
Peanut butter $2
Meat $2+
Coffee, sugar, cream $5+
Bread $1
Pasta $1
Sauces $1
Meals
Eggs & oven roasted potatoes cooked in butter (breakfasts/lunches)
Leftovers if available (breakfasts/lunches)
Bean/lentil, rice and veggie soup x2
Bean burger patties with homemade chips
Rice, spinach, bean, egg bowls x2
Stir fry/frittata (eggs, beans, leftover veggies)
Eggs, refried beans (or whole beans) and rice/potatoes
Recipe Guides
These are not hard and fast recipes (as my IG family and readers know, I suck at them). Just plan out how much of each ingredient you will need/want to use per meal and go from there. Pre-planning is key here. Also, if you are using a long-cook bean such as pinto, make them in advance so they are ready to use each night.
Eggs and oven roasted potatoes - Scramble or fry 2 eggs per person in some melted butter/margarine. Dice a potato and toss in melted butter/margarine. Cook in a heated 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until done, stirring halfway through.
Bean, veggie, rice soup - Soak, cook, and drain your beans in advance. To a large pot, melt a pat of butter and cook 1/4 diced onion until soft. Add beans, green beans, diced carrots, half a 28oz can of tomatoes, enough bullion for 2 cups, and 2 cups of water. Cook until everything is tender and done to your liking. In a separate pot, cook 1/2 cup rice in water. To serve, add half the cooked rice (or less if you like) and top with soup. (For an added touch of green, add a handful of spinach the last minute of cooking the soup.)
Bean patties and homemade chips - Start with soaking, cooking, draining, and cooling your beans. Mash up your beans, grate in a bit of onion (or add finely minced onion), add an egg to bind and mix. Form into patties and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F. Thin slice a potato and pat dry. Toss potato slices in melted butter/margarine and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook until crisp (10-20 minutes depending on oven and slice thickness). Sprinkle with salt if you have it immediately after removing from oven. Cook bean patties in a skillet with melted butter/margarine or on an indoor grill if you have one.
Rice, spinach, bean, egg bowls - This is pretty self-explanatory. Cook up beans, rice and a couple of eggs, toss in some spinach and enjoy!
Stir fry - Start with soaked, cooked, and drained beans and cooked and cooled rice. Cook onion, carrots and green beans (whatever you got left) in some melted butter/margarine until soft. Scramble a couple of eggs in pan. Toss in spinach, beans and rice. Cook until everything is heated through.
Frittata - This is not a true frittata as I actually don't know how you make one, but it's an egg bake with veggies so that makes it a frittata to me! Preheat your oven to 375°F and using some butter/margarine, grease a casserole dish/pie tin/loaf pan. Mix together eggs, leftover onion, carrots, green beans, spinach, beans, and rice (cooked, drained and cooled beans and rice). Pour into pan and bake until done, this varies based on pan size so start checking at 10 minutes.
Eggs, refried beans, rice/potatoes - Start with soaked, cooked, and drained beans. Mash in a skillet with butter/margarine and cook until heated through. Cook rice according to package instructions or make up a batch of oven roasted potatoes or do both based on what you have left/available. Cook up your eggs however you like them best. Serve all together in a bowl or separately on a plate. You do you boo!
Notes
- This does not include tax as food tax varies from state to state.
- These prices are all for a NC Walmart as of December 2019.
- This list contains no meat. Meat can be expensive depending on what you have available. I know I can get a pound of ground turkey for $1.66 at Walmart but I can get a pound of dried pinto beans for $0.92. The difference in price can mean additional produce, can of veggies, mustard, or be put toward another lean week's budget.
- This list does include margarine or butter as a fat/oil and for flavor. I always try to get butter as it's less processed, but do the best you can with what you got. It's not a necessity, so you could opt for another fat, flavor enhancement, more beans or anything else. I just don't like plain scrambled eggs that stick to my pan.
- If this is a prolonged budget, each week/shopping trip swap out produce, beans and grains to mix up nutrients, especially if a multivitamin can't be afforded.
- Pinto beans are slightly cheaper at my Walmart than lentils and are larger, so you feel like you are eating more. However, they require overnight soaking and take longer to cook, so I often opt for lentils and their 20 minute, no soaking cook time but you do you!
- And again, at my Walmart brown rice and white rice cost the same amount but brown is more filling and flavorful so I always opt for brown rice if it's available.
- Same applies to sweet potatoes vs russet potatoes. Same cost, same amount, but different tastes.
- And lastly, these portions run kind of small to stretch them out. A single person would be very well-fed on this meal plan, two people are probably going to be a little extra hungry, especially if you work a labor intensive job. Whenever possible, work in extras (and freebies) into your budget to fill it out. $2 for a jar of cheap peanut butter can go a long way for adding something extra to your day and caloric intake.
Until next time my lovelies!
-M
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