# Food Budgets



## Zoetrope (Jun 30, 2012)

I can afford to spend $200-$300 a month on food. And still have money to spare. Sometimes I spend $200 because I buy quick, ready made meals like a sandwich at a deli. $6 a sandwich, 2 sandwiches a day = $360 a month. It adds up really fast. I have never spent that much, but I am using it as an example.

The point of this thread is ideas to spend money on food WISELY. And for anyone that does the same/ has an interest in doing the same can share their wisdom.

So. I live on my own and rent is expensive. I work a full time job and thus rent is covered, however, it is difficult at this juncture to save any money. I have the standard bills. I guess I could get rid of the internet but I don't have a phone, so that would be my only means of communication gone. Other than that the only things that are 'optional' are the two charities I donate to monthly. I have trouble justifying cancelling my aid just because I want to save money to buy frivolous things.

Option 1 is get a second job. I don't like this option because it will leave a lot less time for me to draw and improve my art.

Option 2 is to budget my food. And I'm kind of looking for experience/suggestions for this. 

I was aiming for $60 a month and I want to eat relatively healthy. So no ramen for me. I have rice, oatmeal, vegetables, beans, lentils, milk. An endless free supply of fruit through my work. I think that covers the 'things people should eat to stay healthy'. I also have multivitamins.

So, if you were eating healthy-ish and on a budget, what would you go for? Is there anything I'm missing? Anyone else living on a budget like this?


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## WanderingFox (Jun 30, 2012)

As a broke ass college student, I can give a few tips: 

You seem  to already know about how cheap stuff like rice is, I stretch stuff like  that out for days. Another option is... Coupons. Now hear me out, if  you REALLY comb through books of coupons, junk mail, and your other  standard sources of coupons, you can save a TON of money over time. The  last time I went to the grocery store, I saved nearly $35 out of a $100  purchase of food after picking up every source of coupons I could and I  also very thoroughly search for clearance/bulk items and weigh the  costs. 

I also don't eat completely healthy all the time, but I'm so active  I never put on weight. Regardless, I usually do see plenty of coupons  for healthier food. Pair that with buying cheap, long lasting food sources usually gets me by on significantly less cash.


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## CaptainCool (Jun 30, 2012)

if you eat fruits you can leave out the vitamins. at this point they are really just useful to make very expensive pee.
also, if you dont have that much money to begin with you really shouldnt donate anything. its a good thing to share but you really shouldnt do it if you have problems like this.
as for option 2, i am at roughly 15â‚¬ a week right now. i dont know what food costs where you live so im just gonna agree to that and say thats pretty reasonable :3

option 1 really is your choice. it would make things a lot easier for you but might not be as comfortable.


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## Catilda Lily (Jun 30, 2012)

If it is that much of a problem I think you should get a second job.


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## Ad Hoc (Jun 30, 2012)

Can you work eggs in? They have one of the most complete amino acid profiles of any commonly available, cheapish food


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## Zoetrope (Jul 1, 2012)

WanderingFox said:


> As a broke ass college student, I can give a few tips:
> 
> You seem to already know about how cheap stuff like rice is, I stretch stuff like that out for days. Another option is... Coupons. Now hear me out, if you REALLY comb through books of coupons, junk mail, and your other standard sources of coupons, you can save a TON of money over time. The last time I went to the grocery store, I saved nearly $35 out of a $100 purchase of food after picking up every source of coupons I could and I also very thoroughly search for clearance/bulk items and weigh the costs.
> 
> I also don't eat completely healthy all the time, but I'm so active I never put on weight. Regardless, I usually do see plenty of coupons for healthier food. Pair that with buying cheap, long lasting food sources usually gets me by on significantly less cash.



I'll start stealing the neighbors paper. Kidding. I'll just see if I can find coupon books, not entirely sure where to look other than the newspaper though.



CaptainCool said:


> option 1 really is your choice. it would make things a lot easier for you but might not be as comfortable.



Working a second job on top of a full time job doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun. Especially the line of work I'm in, it is filled with drunk/unreliable people that never make it to work on time. Often times I'm doing the job of two people in an 8 hour shift. *shakesfist* Nooooot appealing, unless by some magic I get a second job in a different field of work with good employees. HAH!

And screw MSF! I want a new tattoo.



catilda lily said:


> If it is that much of a problem I think you should get a second job.



Perhaps I was unclear? *Food isn't a problem.* Saving money for shinies is. Rent, Bills, Food. All covered. I am trying to lower my food costs so I can buy nice things for myself and remain on a *healthy* diet at the same time. 



Ad Hoc said:


> Can you work eggs in? They have one of the most complete amino acid profiles of any commonly available, cheapish food



Probably. And they do in a pinch, and as much as I love oatmeal and sunnyboy cereal, an egg here and there may be a nice change.


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## Lobar (Jul 2, 2012)

Seconding eggs.  Also buy flour and yeast and learn to make bread, it's not hard (google "artisan bread five minutes a day" for a recipe if you don't have any).


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## Aetius (Jul 2, 2012)

OP, remember to search and look closely at coupons, sometimes you can find amazing shit to save on.


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## Jaxinc (Jul 2, 2012)

It all depends on your income?

I'm assuming at average minimum wage of 7.5/h @ 40 hours a week, which is about 520 every two weeks after taxes. So right at over 1000 dollars a month total income.

How much is going out?

 If you're so scarce with money that you're having to budget 60 for food why are you donating at all?


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## Batty Krueger (Jul 2, 2012)

What I did was I found a local farmers market and got a ton of fresh veggies and fruits for dirt cheap.  
Dunno how those things go in canada but here in so cal they are everywhere.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 2, 2012)

Jaxinc said:


> It all depends on your income?
> 
> I'm assuming at average minimum wage of 7.5/h @ 40 hours a week, which is about 520 every two weeks after taxes. So right at over 1000 dollars a month total income.
> 
> ...



As it was, I spent far too much money on food. Every day I worked I would spend $5-$10 on snacks and lunches. So, that's $100+  a month just on lunches. I can afford this. But it wouldn't hurt to actually make my lunches and budget my food so it doesn't get too crazy outrageous as it has been.

I live comfortably. I'm not rich or drowning in cash, but all the necessities are paid for. Just would be nice to save some money and buy frivolous things sometimes.

And my boyfriend is trying to convince me to stop donating too. Saying that the charities will be fine without me. I have no doubt this is true, but cancelling my donations so I can better afford things like movies, dying my hair, new video games sounds really silly.



d.batty said:


> What I did was I found a local farmers market and got a ton of fresh veggies and fruits for dirt cheap.
> Dunno how those things go in canada but here in so cal they are everywhere.



This is a really great idea. We have them around here but I have no idea where to find them, I'll have to ask around.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 2, 2012)

FFFFFF-

Accidental double post.


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## Jaxinc (Jul 2, 2012)

10 dollars a day for a meal is a tad much, if you made something at home and brought it with you it'd be a fraction of that. If there is two people in the household then 100~ a month for food(that you buy, cook, ect...) would be perfect, 60 isn't much for two people...


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## Zoetrope (Jul 2, 2012)

Jaxinc said:


> 10 dollars a day for a meal is a tad much, if you made something at home and brought it with you it'd be a fraction of that. If there is two people in the household then 100~ a month for food(that you buy, cook, ect...) would be perfect, 60 isn't much for two people...



It's just me here. Getting a roommate would solve a lot of problems to be honest. That's 1/3 to 1/2 of my rent costs gone. Alas, it is not an option.


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## ramsay_baggins (Jul 2, 2012)

Make your lunches and take them to work, it's much cheaper. Lentil soup is cheap and awesome. I'm pretty much living off of the stuff at the moment.


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## Batty Krueger (Jul 2, 2012)

Yeah of you like lentils they are a great source of protein.
Lots of tasty recipes using lentils as the main ingredient.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 2, 2012)

ramsay_baggins said:


> Make your lunches and take them to work, it's much cheaper. Lentil soup is cheap and awesome. I'm pretty much living off of the stuff at the moment.



I have some lentil and rice soup in the fridge at the moment. I love lentils. 



d.batty said:


> Yeah of you like lentils they are a great source of protein.
> Lots of tasty recipes using lentils as the main ingredient.



Yesss!


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## Dreaming (Jul 2, 2012)

Zoetrope said:


> Option 2 is to budget my food. And I'm kind of looking for experience/suggestions for this.
> 
> I was aiming for $60 a month and I want to eat relatively healthy. So no ramen for me. I have rice, oatmeal, vegetables, beans, lentils, milk. An endless free supply of fruit through my work. I think that covers the 'things people should eat to stay healthy'. I also have multivitamins.


Do you have Lidl in Canada? They sell some pretty cheap shit there, and it ain't too bad either, most of their food is okay.

Other than that, sticking to primarily fruit-based meals wouldn't be too bad, and healthy too.


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## Lobar (Jul 2, 2012)

Also if you don't have any spices, don't get those tiny expensive shakers of McCormick's or Tones in the regular supermarket.  Find an ethnic market (preferably Mexican or Indian) and get huge bags of spices for much cheaper there.  Ethnic markets are also good places to get giant bags of rice.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 6, 2012)

Lol, eating healthy on a tight budget, do you want miracles?


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## ramsay_baggins (Jul 6, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Lol, eating healthy on a tight budget, do you want miracles?



It's actually pretty cheap to eat healthily on a low budget. Seriously. I can make my super healthy, super filling dinner for around 30p a serving. Much cheaper than chips and chicken in breadcrumbs, or whatever.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 6, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Lol, eating healthy on a tight budget, do you want miracles?



It's not as hard as you think, and actually quite rewarding in more ways than one.

As an update? Doing fine this month. Have $55 left in my budget, though I imagine it will be a little less after I go to get some veg.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 6, 2012)

ramsay_baggins said:


> It's actually pretty cheap to eat healthily on a low budget. Seriously. I can make my super healthy, super filling dinner for around 30p a serving. Much cheaper than chips and chicken in breadcrumbs, or whatever.



You can't in Sainsbury's. I hate that fecking store for multiple reasons.

I wanted low fat marge a coupler weeks ago. All Sainsbury's had was Flora and that was more expensive than buying standard marge. I only have a choice out of Sainsbury and Lidl and both suck for choice imo. You can't even get a decent sized joint of meat in Sainsbury's.


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## Ricky (Jul 6, 2012)

Canned chili!!!

Milk (maybe with cereal and oatmeal and bananas and shit)

Lots of lettuce, veggies and eggs and/or tuna and/or bacon to make a healthy salad (you can get clever with salads and make a lot of it for cheap.  You can even make your own dressings)

Jack mackerel, breadcrumbs and eggs to make mackerel burgers (maybe with onion and some seasonings)

Mac and cheese with tuna (and a salad on the side)

Meat loaf

...how strict is your budget?

Unfortunately in this day and age UN-healthy food usually costs more than the healthy stuff :\

I probably know a lot of recipes I'm not thinking of though.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 6, 2012)

I used to make some awesome spicy noodles with vegetables and prawns that was extremely cheap and could feed me all day. Literally $1.25 a day. But there was so much sodium in the hotsauce I'm pretty sure it was terrible for me, and I never seem to get enough hot sauce.


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## Ricky (Jul 6, 2012)

Zoetrope said:


> I used to make some awesome spicy noodles with vegetables and prawns that was extremely cheap and could feed me all day. Literally $1.25 a day. But there was so much sodium in the hotsauce I'm pretty sure it was terrible for me, and I never seem to get enough hot sauce.



Eh...

Unless you have a REASON to worry about sodium, I don't think it matters that much.  Ask your doctor.

If you have high blood pressure or something you may need to watch out.

I don't care about my sodium intake that much.  It's probably a lot higher than average but so is my caloric intake.

I'm surprised you can get prawns that cheap though.  They are usually kind of expensive.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 6, 2012)

Ricky said:


> I'm surprised you can get prawns that cheap though.  They are usually kind of expensive.



It's a really big bag, it's also frozen. :/ However I live near the ocean and should really check out some local fish markets. I would probably find fresh fish for quite cheap, or get myself a licence and go grab something myself. And while I'm relatively healthy and in good shape, I don't want to over do it on sodium.


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## Ricky (Jul 6, 2012)

Zoetrope said:


> And while I'm relatively healthy and in good shape, I don't want to over do it on sodium.



Out of curiosity, is there a specific reason?

I didn't think salt was really bad for people unless they had a problem processing it...

Then again, a lot of this kinda stuff is uncertain so if it's a "better to be safe" thing, I understand.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 6, 2012)

Ricky said:


> Out of curiosity, is there a specific reason?
> 
> I didn't think salt was really bad for people unless they had a problem processing it...
> 
> Then again, a lot of this kinda stuff is uncertain so if it's a "better to be safe" thing, I understand.



Not really, it's just numbers, and realizing how much sodium is in the stuff. One teaspoon of the hot sauce I like is 100mg. And then I add sambal oelek on top of that. Which has about the same amount of sodium. Daily recommended sodium intake for an adult is 1500mg.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 7, 2012)

Ricky said:


> Canned chili!!!
> 
> Milk (maybe with cereal and oatmeal and bananas and shit)
> 
> ...



Why the fuck is that unfortunate?


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## softi (Jul 7, 2012)

hit up your local homeless shelter.  they'll give you literally like 3 boxes of food a week.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 7, 2012)

softi said:


> hit up your local homeless shelter.  they'll give you literally like 3 boxes of food a week.



People who can afford to buy food should fucking buy it and leave the homeless shelters to those who don't have a fucking home to go to. What you suggested just abuses the system.


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## Ricky (Jul 8, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Why the fuck is that unfortunate?



Sorry, I meant "less."

Dyslexic moment...



Randy-Darkshade said:


> People who can afford to buy food should  fucking buy it and leave the homeless shelters to those who don't have a  fucking home to go to. What you suggested just abuses the  system.



The thread was about people who are struggling to afford food...


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Ricky said:


> Sorry, I meant "less."
> 
> Dyslexic moment...
> 
> ...



Exactly, not about the homeless which is what a homeless shelter is for. Seriously, if you're working and can't afford to eat there is something wrong there. You either need a new job or to move to a more affordable place to live. 

I mean the OP claims they can't afford to eat yet they are typing a thread on here. So if they can afford the internet, how come they can't afford food? with a job too. If the OP is that strapped for cash maybe they should consider ditching the internet until there financial situation improves, or like I said, find a cheaper place to live/better job, or even a second part time job.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

It truly is disgusting how many people there are in 1st world countries in full time employment that are struggling with food security. The number of food banks in the UK have doubled in 2011, because people are having to decide between driving to work/paying rent/the mortgage or eating.

It really does make you disgusted, especially when the people who caused this economic mess are having money shoved into every orifice no matter how much they cock up.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 9, 2012)

Ricky said:


> Sorry, I meant "less."
> 
> The thread was about people who are struggling to afford food...





Randy-Darkshade said:


> I mean the OP claims they can't afford to eat yet they are typing a thread on here. So if they can afford the internet, how come they can't afford food? with a job too. If the OP is that strapped for cash maybe they should consider ditching the internet until there financial situation improves, or like I said, find a cheaper place to live/better job, or even a second part time job.



Learn to read.

Actually, not sure why I bothered to type that, because you won't.

Someone looking to budget what they spend on food =/= omg starving can't afford to live.

Budgeting your food is responsible, as is controlling your expenses.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> It truly is disgusting how many people there are in 1st world countries in full time employment that are struggling with food security. The number of food banks in the UK have doubled in 2011, because people are having to decide between driving to work/paying rent/the mortgage or eating.
> 
> It really does make you disgusted, especially when the people who caused this economic mess are having money shoved into every orifice no matter how much they cock up.



Yet EU chiefs, despite the economic crisis in Europe has just gone and spent 350 fucking million on a new fucking HQ while it's people have to fucking suffer.

Personally I think that it's complete bullshit that there is an economic crisis, it's just bullshit created by Governemt as an excuse to cut back on spending so they can afford to build these fucking buildings that they don't need. The world is just fucking shit.



Zoetrope said:


> Learn to read.
> 
> Actually, not sure why I bothered to type that, because you won't.
> 
> ...



Learn to word things better. You've completely re edited the OP since I last read it. Conveniently after you read my post I might add, then have the ordacity to tell me to learn to read. >.>


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## Zoetrope (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Learn to word things better. You've completely re edited the OP since I last read it. Conveniently after you read my post I might add, then have the AUDACITY to tell me to learn to read. >.>



Fixed that for you.

Reworded it? No. The OP is exactly the same as it was originally except for the BIG BOLD TEXT I added to the beginning.

If you had bother to read the thread you also would have found these little gems of information.



Zoetrope said:


> Perhaps I was unclear? *Food isn't a problem.* Saving money for shinies is. Rent, Bills, Food. All covered. I am trying to lower my food costs so I can buy nice things for myself and remain on a *healthy* diet at the same time.





Zoetrope said:


> As it was, I spent far too much money on food. Every day I worked I would spend $5-$10 on snacks and lunches. So, that's $100+ a month just on lunches. I can afford this. But it wouldn't hurt to actually make my lunches and budget my food so it doesn't get too crazy outrageous as it has been.
> 
> I live comfortably. I'm not rich or drowning in cash, but all the necessities are paid for. Just would be nice to save some money and buy frivolous things sometimes.
> 
> And my boyfriend is trying to convince me to stop donating too. Saying that the charities will be fine without me. I have no doubt this is true, but cancelling my donations so I can better afford things like movies, dying my hair, new video games sounds really silly.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Zoetrope said:


> Fixed that for you.
> 
> Reworded it? No. The OP is exactly the same as it was originally except for the BIG BOLD TEXT I added to the beginning.
> 
> If you had bother to read the thread you also would have found these little gems of information.



Now those I didn't see....so...er...oopsy daisy. I guess I am also going gaga cause the OP looked different to me when I re-read it but it obviously isn't apart from the bold. (Seriously, I am starting to worry myself cause my head just seems like it's not even on this planet sometimes)

Well, instead of out right cancel your donations could you donate a little less instead?

Also, buying snacks and lunches is more expensive than taking in a packed lunch. You'd save quite a bit if you stopped buying snacks. 

Try to steer away from really expensive stuff. Try some cheaper versions of your fave foods. Some cheap stuff isn't too bad and some is utter crap. You can always try it and if you really don;t like the cheap stuff you can always revert back to your normal faves.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Yet EU chiefs, despite the economic crisis in Europe has just gone and spent 350 fucking million on a new fucking HQ while it's people have to fucking suffer.



Europhiles live on a different planet where growing the power of their pet political project is more important than the people paying for it all putting food on the table.

If there was ever any doubt the EU was deluded, they're demanding a 6.8% budget increase in 2013 while EU member states are all in recessions/depressions. Their justification? To fund growth measures... How about leaving the bloody money with countries where it belongs and let them use it as they see fit? That will do a whole lot more for growth than the unelected, unaccountable, ex-soviet career politicians in Brussels pissing even more of other people's money up a wall on some central economic planning agenda.



Randy-Darkshade said:


> Personally I think that it's complete bullshit that there is an economic crisis, it's just bullshit created by Governemt as an excuse to cut back on spending so they can afford to build these fucking buildings that they don't need. The world is just fucking shit.



There is a genuine economic crisis with government spending being unsustainable in this bust period, them being addicted to credit but unable to generate the growth in this recession period to fund it. But the main crisis, something things would be a lot easier right now without, is the huge burden placed on society trying to save a crooked banking system from itself.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> Europhiles live on a different planet where growing the power of their pet political project is more important than the people paying for it all putting food on the table.
> 
> If there was ever any doubt the EU was deluded, they're demanding a 6.8% budget increase in 2013 while EU member states are all in recessions/depressions. Their justification? To fund growth measures... How about leaving the bloody money with countries where it belongs and let them use it as they see fit? That will do a whole lot more for growth than the unelected, unaccountable, ex-soviet career politicians in Brussels pissing even more of other people's money up a wall on some central economic planning agenda.
> 
> ...



So if it is true and there is an economic crisis then where did European chiefs find 350 million to build a new HQ? Yet we are supposed to have cutbacks so the government can "pay back" it's debts. Yet somehow 350 million comes out of nowhere? Do you see how I am having trouble believing it?

even if we assume it is genuine and not some bullshit set up by government agencies, I still can not trust people who are willing to spend such money during an economic crisis. I mean if that is how the EU is going to behave during such a "crisis" then I want Britain to pull out of the EU cause the EU obviously can't prioritize.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> So if it is true and there is an economic crisis then where did European chiefs find 350 million to build a new HQ? Yet we are supposed to have cutbacks so the government can "pay back" it's debts. Yet somehow 350 million comes out of nowhere? Do you see how I am having trouble believing it?
> 
> even if we assume it is genuine and not some bullshit set up by government agencies, I still can not trust people who are willing to spend such money during an economic crisis. I mean if that is how the EU is going to behave during such a "crisis" then I want Britain to pull out of the EU cause the EU obviously can't prioritize.



The EU pissing away other people's money on frivolous projects; sadly is not an argument against the recession. They're just deluded. Deluded enough to demand a near 7% budget rise from countries trying to cut spending, when they're just going to blow it on something stupid anyway.

Remember what happened the last time the UK demanded a reduction in their EU contribution? They recommend if we wanted to cut costs, that we should increase our EU contributions... That we should sack everyone in our governments financial department and let the EU's financial department run our countries finances... because we were paying for the EU's department anyway so we might as well use it and save the money... Only a Europhile would recommend further integration into the EU as a cost saving measure, when they haven't had their accounts signed in 16+ years.

Of course our politicians will do everything in their power to keep us in the EU, despite all this. Trying to get politicians to leave a big club built by and for politicians interests; is like getting turkeys to vote for Christmas.


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## Onnes (Jul 9, 2012)

Congratulations on sending this thread into an irrelevant topic. Give yourselves a pat on the back.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Exactly, not about the homeless which is what a homeless shelter is for. Seriously, if you're working and can't afford to eat there is something wrong there. You either need a new job or to move to a more affordable place to live.
> 
> I mean the OP claims they can't afford to eat yet they are typing a thread on here. So if they can afford the internet, how come they can't afford food? with a job too. If the OP is that strapped for cash maybe they should consider ditching the internet until there financial situation improves, or like I said, find a cheaper place to live/better job, or even a second part time job.



Just because someone has internet doesn't mean that they're living well. Having an internet connection is now a necessity because jobs are now "apply online only". Also given that jobs are gems to come by (nevermind GOOD paying jobs) simply saying "oh just find a better job" is ridiculous and insulting.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Onnes said:


> Congratulations on sending this thread into an irrelevant topic. Give yourselves a pat on the back.



The reason money is tight and food prices are increasing hasn't anything to do with this thread?


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## Xenke (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> The reason money is tight and food prices are increasing hasn't anything to do with this thread?



Correct.

The thread is about how to buy food on a strict budget.

It has nothing to do with the fiscal status of the EU.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Xenke said:


> Correct.
> 
> The thread is about how to buy food on a strict budget.
> 
> It has nothing to do with the fiscal status of the EU.



Sorry I forget FA users only concern themselves with symptoms and their treatment, not causes.


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## Xenke (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> Sorry I forget FA users only concern themselves with symptoms and their treatment, not causes.



OP lives in Canada.

Try again.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> Sorry I forget FA users only concern themselves with symptoms and their treatment, not causes.



We can't do anything about whatever the fuck the EU is doing. Politicians fucking us over? Awesome, that doesn't put food in the pantry nor does it give us any tips on budgeting.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Xenke said:


> OP lives in Canada.
> 
> Try again.



Myself and Randy-Darkshade live in the UK, we were talking to each other regarding the same problem afflicting the OP; but our end.



Aleu said:


> We can't do anything about whatever the fuck the EU is doing. Politicians fucking us over? Awesome, that doesn't put food in the pantry nor does it give us any tips on budgeting.



No it's quite the opposite, it takes food from the pantry when they raise taxes to pay for all that crap. Just earlier this year there was all sorts of drama in government, as they tried to increase taxes on everything from hot pasties to reducing elderly benefits. And for what? So we can afford a 6.8% rise in EU contributions?

Complaining at us for discussing a related topic in our part of the world, the rising cost of living and its causes, is just doing the exact thing you think you're avoiding. Derailing the thread.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> Myself and Randy-Darkshade live in the UK, we were talking to each other regarding the same problem afflicting the OP; but our end.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So how is it even relevant? Cost of food has gone up. Whoop de fricken doo. That doesn't have anything to do with how to budget yourself. That's just bitching at other people on why you need to budget.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> Just because someone has internet doesn't mean that they're living well. Having an internet connection is now a necessity because jobs are now "apply online only". Also given that jobs are gems to come by (nevermind GOOD paying jobs) simply saying "oh just find a better job" is ridiculous and insulting.



Just because one has a job doesn't mean they have to stop looking for something better. If you don't actually look you don't know whats out there. They may be hard to come by if you don't look regularly you may miss out on an opportunity. I don't see how trying is ridiculous or insulting. The job market is crap here in England, Nothing has really changed in the job search section on Direct.gov for well over a month now. 

I agree with you about the internet, these days it is definitely a necessity as well as a luxury. Most of my applications are done via email. Then there are other services available via the internet such as internet banking, sorting out insurance for the car, paying bills, you can even order your groceries from some super markets online and have them delivered to your door, very handy if you're elderly, or perhaps sick.



Aleu said:


> So how is it even relevant? Cost of food has gone  up. Whoop de fricken doo. That doesn't have anything to do with how to  budget yourself. That's just bitching at other people on why you need to  budget.



If it were not for the government making insane cutbacks, and the prices of things going up due to VAT, or some other fricken reason, like food here often goes up but never comes back down in price, we wouldn't HAVE to budget so badly. It's a result of greedy banks, businesses and government that has forced us to have to budget just to make ends meet.

Forgot to mention that our government increased Taxes too so it takes more from someones wages/business, increased VAT means household utility bills also increased, then they wanted to reduce how much pension the retired elderly get. Our government makes things bad by increasing tax and cutting back on government spending in sectors that really should have been left alone (such as the NHS and Police) and then rub salt into the wound for the elderly by wanting to cut their pensions.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> So how is it even relevant? Cost of food has gone up. Whoop de fricken doo. That doesn't have anything to do with how to budget yourself. That's just bitching at other people on why you need to budget.



I fail to see why our conversation on the cause of rising living costs, such as food, has anything to do with you. You've derailed the thread significantly more than two people simply having a related conversation on the side. Our discussion was not detracting from the available information others are providing, you've just decided to kick up a fuss over it for no apparent reason.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> I fail to see why our conversation on the cause of rising living costs, such as food, has anything to do with you. You've derailed the thread significantly more than two people simply having a related conversation on the side. Our discussion was not detracting from the available information others are providing, you've just decided to kick up a fuss over it for no apparent reason.



It's because we ain't talking about Amurrica. :v


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

To throw some money saving recommendations out there. Supermarkets that offer freshly baked bread tend to discount large quantities of perfectly good bread; because it is no longer "fresh" at the end of the day. It's not uncommon to see a 60 pence French stick going for 10 pence, or a portable shelf full of in store baked loafs going for the cheap. The good thing about bread being it can be frozen easily and is just as good after defrosting, though hard bread like crusty cobs and French sticks can get a bit crumbly.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

If either of you had bothered to read the OP, your conversation still has little to do with the topic. The topic is "How do you budget?" not "Who can we blame the cost of food on?"


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> If either of you had bothered to read the OP, your conversation still has little to do with the topic. The topic is "How do you budget?" not "Who can we blame the cost of food on?"



They're talking about reducing their food expenses, we were just discussing the causes of food eating into a ever larger portion of the budget. More specifically, two residents of the UK discussing UK relevant causes of the rising cost of living.

You really do need to stop going on about this.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> If either of you had bothered to read the OP, your conversation still has little to do with the topic. The topic is "How do you budget?" not "Who can we blame the cost of food on?"



If you read the thread you'd have seen I have given some advice previously. All me and ADF have done is broaden the discussion into the causes.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> If you read the thread you'd have seen I have given some advice previously. All me and ADF have done is broaden the discussion into the causes.



Which is...irrelevant to the discussion as Onnes and Xenke had pointed out.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> Which is...irrelevant to the discussion as Onnes and Xenke had pointed out.



Well, really you're doing worse than us by continuing to derail the thread even further by not dropping the subject. I'm out.


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## Greyscale (Jul 9, 2012)

Back on the topic of budgeting for food.

When I lived by myself I tended to buy a lot of bulk pasta and cook simple meals that I could eat all week (make a large dish on Monday, eat leftovers all week). I usually had a budget of around $200 a month for myself. I bought a few extras and went out to eat occasionally, but I usually kept it simple and as cheap as I could.
Living with my current boyfriend we don't have a specific food budget. We buy things as we need them, regardless of cost. We could probably be a little bit more thrifty, but its not an issue at this point. Plus we both eat a few small meals each day right now because of this stupid diet thing.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Greyscale said:


> Back on the topic of budgeting for food.
> 
> When I lived by myself I tended to buy a lot of bulk pasta and cook simple meals that I could eat all week (make a large dish on Monday, eat leftovers all week). I usually had a budget of around $200 a month for myself. I bought a few extras and went out to eat occasionally, but I usually kept it simple and as cheap as I could.
> Living with my current boyfriend we don't have a specific food budget. We buy things as we need them, regardless of cost. We could probably be a little bit more thrifty, but its not an issue at this point. Plus we both eat a few small meals each day right now because of this stupid diet thing.



Good idea. Pasta is cheap, so is rice and you can produce some good meals with them. Buying bags of frozen vegetables instead of fresh is cheaper, you get much more, and it will last longer. 

Could always look for things on special offer, also beware that just because something is cheap doesn't mean it's good value for money. Take marge for example, sometimes when I go into the store I find two smaller pots of marge which equate to a large one, is cheaper than buying a large pot. Check item weight and see if you can find a cheaper alternative because sometimes, you can.


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## Greyscale (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> Good idea. Pasta is cheap, so is rice and you can produce some good meals with them. Buying bags of frozen vegetables instead of fresh is cheaper, you get much more, and it will last longer.



I used to make a dish containing frozen chicken breast over rice mixed with canned tomatoes and spices covered in cheese. Put it together in a baking pan, throw it in the over eat cheap for a week.


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## Aleu (Jul 9, 2012)

It's always nice to also pay attention to events especially when it comes to local sports teams. The sales are a life saver. Sure there's a lot of junk food but there's also discounts on steaks and burgers depending on where you go. There used to be weekly bargains at the supermarket near here but they stopped doing that :c

There'd be stuff like..."buy two pizzas and get a 2L soda, a side of chicken nuggets, and a small container of ice cream for free". The pizzas themselves were maybe $14.00. Given that our budget is $50 if we're lucky, all of that was pretty nice.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Aleu said:


> It's always nice to also pay attention to events especially when it comes to local sports teams. The sales are a life saver. Sure there's a lot of junk food but there's also discounts on steaks and burgers depending on where you go. There used to be weekly bargains at the supermarket near here but they stopped doing that :c
> 
> There'd be stuff like..."buy two pizzas and get a 2L soda, a side of chicken nuggets, and a small container of ice cream for free". The pizzas themselves were maybe $14.00. Given that our budget is $50 if we're lucky, all of that was pretty nice.



I know stores have a "reduced" section or two here, it pays to check those out. Usually you'll just find things with like one item missing from a pack or the packaging has been damaged during transit in the reduced sections. Beware about chiller sections because those are more often or not close to the sell by date. 

I don't know if American stores have reduced sections like this?

My mom also shops in different local stores because some items you'll find cheaper in one store, but more expensive in another. That's another possibility to consider.


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## Xenke (Jul 9, 2012)

It also helps to look at sales in store ads, KEEPING IN MIND alternative brands while doing so. I try to buy cheap (because if I don't I could easily spend my entire paycheck on food), so I tend to compare prices. Some brand of bread on sale as buy one get one free? Sounds good right? Well, if one loaf is 2 something dollars, and the cheap-o store brand is less than a dollar, which do you think is a better buy? :V

I loved when a brand of pasta went on sale though, it was like 0.25 per package. Stocked up like a bitch and I still have one package left. Good thing it keeps foreverrr.


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## ScaredToBreathe (Jul 9, 2012)

Buying food in bulk is a real money saver.
We buy our meat in bulk from a restaurant supplier and use those little vacuum sealers, then throw them in the freezer. Whenever we want something, we just defrost it and eat it.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Do not overlook local markets. While fruit and veg tend to be below supermarket standard, it's not uncommon for local markets to walk all over supermarkets with certain items. For instance my local market (Birkenhead market) sells a kilogram of high quality sliced meat for Â£3+, I've yet to see any super market compete with that item in quality and price.

Of course a kilogram of meat is a lot for a person, which is why you split it up into portions and freeze it. Ham is the best for freezing I find, chicken and beef aren't quite the same when defrosted.

If you can get direct from suppliers, that's also great. Yes you have to buy in bulk, but it tends to be much higher quality than supermarkets and ends up being cheaper per portion. We bought a box of chicken breasts from a restaurant supplier, largest/highest quality portions I've ever seen. Again, froze in portions and enjoyed over time.

Really the size of your freezer plays a large role


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## ScaredToBreathe (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> Really the size of your freezer plays a large role



If you think you might want to follow the buy-in-bulk-and-freeze method, it's a good idea to invest in a home freezer unit that usually provides more room than standard attached-to-fridge ones. They can be bought fairly cheaply (and sometimes are even given away for free) on Craigslist. 
This only really works if you have a garage or shed to keep the freezer unit in, as they can be noisy/bulky.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Xenke said:


> It also helps to look at sales in store ads, KEEPING IN MIND alternative brands while doing so. I try to buy cheap (because if I don't I could easily spend my entire paycheck on food), so I tend to compare prices. Some brand of bread on sale as buy one get one free? Sounds good right? Well, if one loaf is 2 something dollars, and the cheap-o store brand is less than a dollar, which do you think is a better buy? :V
> 
> I loved when a brand of pasta went on sale though, it was like 0.25 per package. Stocked up like a bitch and I still have one package left. Good thing it keeps foreverrr.



I don't see many big supermarkets advertising special offers over here,well, except a few in the news papers. Lidl however about once a week posts a couple of fliers through my letter box, one for food offers and one showing what home and garden stuff they have in that week. (for some reason Lidl changes the home and garden stuff each week) the fliers are good to look through instead of just tossing them straight into the recycle bin. 

Some stores here also have advertising boards outside the store showing their best offers. Some have fliers you can pick up in store.



ScaredToBreathe said:


> If you think you might want to follow the  buy-in-bulk-and-freeze method, it's a good idea to invest in a home  freezer unit that usually provides more room than standard  attached-to-fridge ones. They can be bought fairly cheaply (and  sometimes are even given away for free) on Craigslist.
> This only really works if you have a garage or shed to keep the freezer unit in, as they can be noisy/bulky.



1: attached-to-fridge would translate too Fridge-freezer here. 
2: Home freezer unit is pretty much what me and ADF would likely know as a chest freezer. 

What freezer you need depends on what you eat and how much you buy. Obviously a family may need a larger freezer and/or fridge than a single person like me would.


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## Captain Howdy (Jul 9, 2012)

200-300 bucks a month on food o_o sheez. I spend less than 150..."Fresh" food is rather expensive. 

So I normally eat fast food value menu stuff every day (2-3 bucks a day) for lunch, and might have hotdogs/peanut butter sandwiches/tortilla's mixed in there. I fight my cheap, yet unhealthy eating with exercise. The hotdogs are name brand and cost a buck per pack of 8 (though can go up to 2 bucks a pack), the buns are 1.50, the tortilla's are 1.50, and peanut butter is like 2.50 - Add in cheez-its for 2 bucks a week.

I'm probably losing, but I'm savin' da mon-nay!


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

Lastdirewolf said:


> 200-300 bucks a month on food o_o sheez. I spend less than 150..."Fresh" food is rather expensive.
> 
> So I normally eat fast food value menu stuff every day (2-3 bucks a day) for lunch, and might have hotdogs/peanut butter sandwiches/tortilla's mixed in there. I fight my cheap, yet unhealthy eating with exercise. The hotdogs are name brand and cost a buck per pack of 8 (though can go up to 2 bucks a pack), the buns are 1.50, the tortilla's are 1.50, and peanut butter is like 2.50 - Add in cheez-its for 2 bucks a week.
> 
> I'm probably losing, but I'm savin' da mon-nay!



I spend roughly the same as you, I bit less most likely if I do a proper conversation rate. Well, I would be spending the same as you if I didn't go without so many items that I'd like to have. I also have the added complication of diabetes to contend with. I don;t eat cereal anymore because even with artificial sweetener sprinkled on top for some reason cereal pushes my sugars up higher than I'd like them to be. In fact if you read the nutrition info on a box of cereal most, if not all contain sugar and quite a bit of it.


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

ScaredToBreathe said:


> If you think you might want to follow the buy-in-bulk-and-freeze method, it's a good idea to invest in a home freezer unit that usually provides more room than standard attached-to-fridge ones. They can be bought fairly cheaply (and sometimes are even given away for free) on Craigslist.
> This only really works if you have a garage or shed to keep the freezer unit in, as they can be noisy/bulky.



We've got a normal fridge freezer in the house, but we've also got this hefty thing in the garage. If the bread is cheap because it's near its sell by date, if the meats are on offer, if we buy bulk. Into the big freezer in the garage. Although I imagine it's a electricity hog, what you save on food in the long term makes it worthwhile.

Though as ScaredToBreathe said, they're too noisy to be in the house.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> We've got a normal fridge freezer in the house, but we've also got this hefty thing in the garage. If the bread is cheap because it's near its sell by date, if the meats are on offer, if we buy bulk. Into the big freezer in the garage. Although I imagine it's a electricity hog, what you save on food in the long term makes it worthwhile.
> 
> Though as ScaredToBreathe said, they're too noisy to be in the house.



And here I thought the outside of my fidge-freezer gets dirty. :v

Also, Dad has one in his garage and it is pretty quiet.


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## Captain Howdy (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> I spend roughly the same as you, I bit less most likely if I do a proper conversation rate. Well, I would be spending the same as you if I didn't go without so many items that I'd like to have. I also have the added complication of diabetes to contend with. I don;t eat cereal anymore because even with artificial sweetener sprinkled on top for some reason cereal pushes my sugars up higher than I'd like them to be. In fact if you read the nutrition info on a box of cereal most, if not all contain sugar and quite a bit of it.



I'm usually at less than 100, but more recently I've had some munchies due to illegal activity. 

I can't have sugar due to dental bills, so I might have 5-10grams of sugar (at least the stuff that's listed as sugar on the Nutrition label) a day at most from Peanut butter, carbonated water, and such. 

Cereal is expensive for what little you get out of it - At least, hunger wise. I tend to eat things that stick with me, which means a slightly higher caloric/carb/sodium intake, but it's worked off every day, and lasts me almost all day (I eat a small cup of cheez-its, fruits, and smaller things throughout the day to keep up my metabolism, because it's relatively slow).


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## ADF (Jul 9, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> And here I thought the outside of my fidge-freezer gets dirty. :v
> 
> Also, Dad has one in his garage and it is pretty quiet.



Years of dust and rusty tools  But the contents are safe and clean.



Lastdirewolf said:


> Cereal is expensive for what little you get out of it - At least, hunger wise. I tend to eat things that stick with me, which means a slightly higher caloric/carb/sodium intake, but it's worked off every day, and lasts me almost all day (I eat a small cup of cheez-its, fruits, and smaller things throughout the day to keep up my metabolism, because it's relatively slow).



No brand oats are cheap and it's basically a super cereal with how well it keeps you fed.


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## Captain Howdy (Jul 9, 2012)

ADF said:


> No brand oats are cheap and it's basically a super cereal with how well it keeps you fed.



I...Completely forgot those exist. Derp, haha. Good point. 

That gives me an idea...Imma go do some pricing on them, heh. Thanks.


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## Zoetrope (Jul 9, 2012)

This thread took a turn for the productive. I appreciate it. Here's a couple I want to respond to, but there were many great suggestions.



Greyscale said:


> When I lived by myself I tended to buy a lot of bulk pasta and cook simple meals that I could eat all week (make a large dish on Monday, eat leftovers all week). I usually had a budget of around $200 a month for myself. I bought a few extras and went out to eat occasionally, but I usually kept it simple and as cheap as I could.



I do like pasta. My failing is that I forget to cook food, which is something I'm trying to fix. I also work at a place loaded with convenient meals. So if I'm hungry at work I buy a sandwich. I guess foods I'm aiming for now are meals I can make and will last me for several days. Lasgna or shepherds pie, or something. I'm not sure to be honest. I'm happy to see that someone had a budget close to what I was spending before. Makes me feel less out of control.



Greyscale said:


> I used to make a dish containing frozen chicken breast over rice mixed with canned tomatoes and spices covered in cheese. Put it together in a baking pan, throw it in the over eat cheap for a week.



I make similar dishes when I remember to. I'm realizing that cheese is quite expensive though.



Lastdirewolf said:


> 200-300 bucks a month on food o_o sheez. I spend less than 150..."Fresh" food is rather expensive.
> 
> So I normally eat fast food value menu stuff every day (2-3 bucks a day) for lunch, and might have hotdogs/peanut butter sandwiches/tortilla's mixed in there. I fight my cheap, yet unhealthy eating with exercise. The hotdogs are name brand and cost a buck per pack of 8 (though can go up to 2 bucks a pack), the buns are 1.50, the tortilla's are 1.50, and peanut butter is like 2.50 - Add in cheez-its for 2 bucks a week.
> 
> I'm probably losing, but I'm savin' da mon-nay!



It was a bit of an exaggeration to prove the point that I'm not hurting for money. I'm not poor, I'm just looking for ways to save money on food and still remain healthy. I think $200 is closer to what I was spending a month before, and I think that is beyond what a single person should be paying for food. I think $60 is doable, and while I may not be able to hit my target the first month, there is always next month. I made a few foolish purchases, like a six pack of buns when I could have purchase a loaf of bread for half the price. I have all the things here to make my own bread, so that expense will go away once I get my baking on.

I am _extremely_ active too. However I try to stay away from junk. Some days I can clearly feel like I have not had enough food even though I have eaten quite a bit. Maybe I should incorporate some junk just to kind of feel fuller sometimes, I dunno.


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## Xenke (Jul 10, 2012)

Zoetrope said:


> I'm realizing that cheese is quite expensive though.



Whenever I buy cheese I feel like I'm splurging.

But i just... can't live without it.


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## Batty Krueger (Jul 10, 2012)

Cheese is the devils amazing.


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## Commiecomrade (Jul 10, 2012)

I don't have to worry about food budgets until after college but even I realize how ridiculous the expenses can be, especially for a recent grad.


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## Yvvki (Jul 18, 2017)

sams740 said:


> Food budget......If you try to stop eating the junk food in your daily life. it will also save lots of money. This my real experience.


You know. I gained a ton of weight because I was not allowed to eat junk food when I was a kid. So when I got older I started sneaking it and then it just got worse.

Moral of the story. If you tell people not to do something, you could be making things worse. Everyone is always so concerned about body image that they don't realise that out there no one really cares how you look as long as you can live and be happy with yourself.

I mean I'm fat and I got those hips but I can still run/walk around for five hours.


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## Yvvki (Jul 18, 2017)

Now onto the topic. My bf and I will make cheap large meals like chilli. And then with the leftovers we will make chili hot dogs or put it on toast.

That seems to help a lot for us. ☆

If it's spicy chilli you can put that on rice.

Another thing I use to do a lot at home was mix a full raw egg in with rice and fry that with some seasoning salt. If you have any meat laying around it would be great with that as well but be sure to cook the meat seperatly.


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## Sergei Sóhomo (Jul 18, 2017)

Rice
Rice vermicelli
Cheap pasta noodles
Spinach
Frozen peas+carrots
Eggs
Tofu (Buy only what you plan to use within a week)
Greek or Icelandic yogurt when it's on sale if you like 'em

That'll give you plenty of nutrients while saving you a fucktonne because you're not buying meat


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## Scorpen (Jul 20, 2017)

Bringing your own lunch to work will save you a ton of money.  I usually bring leftovers from a previous meal or just pack a sandwich, chips, yogurt, and some kind of sweet. When I don't feel like spending much time in the kitchen a couple of frozen pot pies, frozen vegetables steamed and seasoned (or covered with cheese) is fast, cheap, and filing.


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## Yakamaru (Jul 20, 2017)

We don't really have coupons 'n shit over here. We do have a properly functioning welfare system, but its main goal is to get people a job if it's at all possible.

As for my budget: It varies from everything from $400-$700, depending on my expenditures of the month, and whether or not I want more expensive and more tasty shit. I can go over that, though will most likely cut into what I intend to save each month.


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