Food shopping advice—what’s my best course of action?

[Anonymous]

This is sort of a weird question, so bear with me, but I’d love your advice!

I’m a newly single mom who has created a budget where I spend only $X amount a week to my CC on “things”. It’s mainly food and household/health and beauty items, plus clothes/shoes/whatever kids need, and whatever I don’t use that week I forward to the next, and whatever is left over I save. It’s helped me really build up my savings. I’m taking my kids on a small “on the cheap” vacation soon and I’d love some advice on ways to save on food the week before and after our trip.

I DON’T want to “eat what you have/clean out pantry” beforehand because then I will just have to replenish it which costs money. I’d love to spend as little as possible the week before and parlay that money into “spending money” for our vacation.

So what are your cheapest meal ideas that my kids won’t complain about, that I can buy and use up so they won’t spoil the week we are away, and what is the best way to proceed when we return so I’m not making that dreaded HUGE post-vacation shopping trip?

Thanks a bunch!

[Anonymous]

Honesly, Kraft mac & cheese with a veg on the side is a cheap meal.

You need to just accept that you're going to have to do a big shopping trip when you come back. If you don't "eat down"what you have before you go on your trip, all the produce will go bad and you'll have to throw it out anyway. Dairy may go bad too.

[Anonymous]

Beans

Buy bone in chicken. When you get home cut it up and make stock with the bones.

Don't buy lunch meat. Roast your own chicken or better yet, just do PB&J.

[Anonymous]

Eggs and toast for breakfast

PB&J and apple for lunch

Chicken and rice with a veg for dinner.

[Anonymous]

Breakfast for dinner like French toast, omelettes, puffy German pancake, etc.. with cheap fruit on the side

Ramen noodles with veggies added and an egg scrambled in or fried on top

Quesadillas with refried beans on the side

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of "extreme budget" meal plan videos on YouTube that are actually really fun to watch. There are folks who will literally feed their family on $25 for one week, and I'll watch it and think "They are eating better than I am."

It takes some cooking skills, but it's worth checking some of that out on YouTube. It's how I learned to make homemade pierogies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of "extreme budget" meal plan videos on YouTube that are actually really fun to watch. There are folks who will literally feed their family on $25 for one week, and I'll watch it and think "They are eating better than I am."

It takes some cooking skills, but it's worth checking some of that out on YouTube. It's how I learned to make homemade pierogies.

NP. Do you have any content creator recommendations?

[Anonymous]

My kids love fried rice with a lot of scrambled egg (like 4!) and some peas inside. I add some chopped carrots to mine too or any leftover protein like chicken sausage.

[Anonymous]

Pulled chicken with BBQ sauce is cheap and delicious. It takes almost zero work, especially if you have a slow cooker. I put a whole chicken in there and let it fall off the bone.

[Anonymous]

I would make oatmeal with peanut butter and bananas for breakfast.

For lunch and dinner (make enough of each for leftovers the next day):

* broccoli-cheddar eggs and toast
* carrot-ginger-chickpea soup and toast
* rice and beans with salsa and frozen spinach and any extra cheddar cheese
* egg roll in a bowl (shredded cabbage and carrots, eggs, soy sauce, ginger, over rice)
* mac and cheese with broccoli

Your grocery list is:
PRODUCE: bananas, cabbage, carrots, onion, ginger (or powdered ginger)
AISLES: oatmeal, peanut butter, rice, black
beans, chickpeas, salsa, soy sauce, bread, box mac and cheese
FROZEN: chopped spinach, broccoli
DAIRY: block or shredded cheddar cheese, eggs, butter, quart of milk

All of that could be used up or would keep until you got back.

[Anonymous]

Eggs are your friend here. Lots of cheap protein. Scrambled eggs or egg salad.

Pancakes make a fun inexpensive meal.

Boxed pasta with tomato sauce.

Grilled cheese

[Anonymous]

How long is your vacation?

A lot of foods are fairly hardy in the refrig for awhile - cheese, milk, yogurt, carrots, apples, romaine lettuce, etc .

The only thing we "eat up" pre vacation are leftovers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pulled chicken with BBQ sauce is cheap and delicious. It takes almost zero work, especially if you have a slow cooker. I put a whole chicken in there and let it fall off the bone.

And you could likely make it so you have leftovers that you freeze and have ready to eat one night when you're back home after vacation. Two for one.

Chili can be made pretty cheaply--and also freezes well. Add a box of jiffy cornbread mix to stretch the meal.

[Anonymous]

I mean, you will have to use up your perishables, right?

So start there, and build meals around those: pad with rice and beans you buy in bulk. Chicken on sale. Frozen veggies are cheaper and just as good for your health as fresh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids love fried rice with a lot of scrambled egg (like 4!) and some peas inside. I add some chopped carrots to mine too or any leftover protein like chicken sausage.

The egg is the best part of fried rice!