help me stretch my $$$. $100 for 8 days
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Anonymous
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I need to make this $100 last until next Friday. Feeding three people (one a teen)
I have on hand in the house basic pantry supplies but don't have a fully stocked freezer or anything like that to pull from. I know from that $100 I need to buy 1 more gallon milk, and likely another dozen eggs and some sandwich bread, for sure. I'm pretty set for breakfast and coffee, fortunately. Just inventoried and this is what I have to work with. Help me figure out what to buy for the week to get me to Friday. Needs to include lunch, dinner and snacks. Definitely need more vegetables. Don't have any bread, bagels, english muffins, etc. 1 LB jumbo shrimp (unpeeled) 1 LB pork chops (thin, bone in) 1 dozen eggs onions (lots) carrots (a few) celery (1 clump) garlic (plenty) ginger (small knob) limes (8) potatoes - about 2 lbs 1 bag spinach some parsley apples naval oranges bag fresh cranberries bread crumbs olive oil canola oil mayo old-fashioned oats old-fashioned grits bag of granola rice noodles macaroni 2 boxes spaghetti 2 pounds soy sauce oyster sauce coffee- enough for the week bag of popcorn (kernels) peanut butter Jams and jellies walnuts Box pancake/waffle mix Canned tomatoes 2 Canned black beans 2 Canned chickpeas 2 1 jar prepared pasta sauce Canned tuna, salmon several Cream of chicken soup 1 Cream of mushroom soup 1 Better than Boulion - chicken flavor basic spices, sugar, white flour, corn flour |
Anonymous
| I could probably make that almost last. Make shepherds pie, tuna melts, salmon cakes, chili, tacos, pasta, and breakfast for dinner. |
Anonymous
Also Asian stir fry with the shrimp. |
Anonymous
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It depends a lot on your stores and sales.
Look to see if there are Thanksgiving doorbusters already. If you had rice, you could make Spanish Rice with the pork chops. That was a favorite when I was a kid. Here is an example of a recipe. I'm sure there are others. https://www.dontsweattherecipe.com/spanish-pork-chops-and-rice/ You probably want more eggs if you could find them cheap. Then you could make egg-only fried rice. Or maybe make shrimp fried rice. |
Anonymous
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PP. For vegetables, look for store brand frozen peas, corn, or cubed carrots and peas.
My kids love ramen. It's pretty cheap. And quick to cook. You could get a box of Maruchan ramen packs. Serve water with lime wedges. If you've got teabags, make iced tea. A few bananas to slice and top things. Have you got cinnamon? |
Anonymous
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This is a task that ChatGPT is really good at. Put in exactly what you’ve written here then start a conversation (what if I used shrimp with ramen?) to get to a menu plan you like.
I tested it out on your message but it’s a lot to paste in. I recommend trying it yourself. If you tell it where you live and what stores you frequent it can probably do even better. |
Anonymous
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PBJ sandwiches for lunch. Just buy bread.
Make a large batch of waffles. That can be snack, plus fruit. Here are things that are cheap that you could buy: beans, big bag of rice (can have beans & rice for dinner; or rice with pork chops that you have), sweet potatoes (good side dish), cabbage and carrots (can make tons of Cole slaw if you have mayo on hand too), bananas, rotisserie chicken (you can buy for like $6 and that should be 2 meals — shred it up and put it in a sandwich). Other ideas that would be filling: large tub of yogurt, buy a bag of flour to make bread if bread is too expensive. |
Anonymous
| I don't think you need a gallon of milk unless you're cooking meals with it. |
Anonymous
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Thanks PP -- I ended up trying that. It gave me some random results but by tweaking it I got a few good ideas.
I also found 2 cans of coconut milk and a bag of chia seeds. Of course, the foods I have plenty of in my pantry (chia, tuna) are ones I bought aspirationally but don't actually eat/serve on a regular basis! 
But I definitely think I can make a big batch of overnight oats - with chia, walnuts, and various fruits for toppings. (can buy a thing of berries on sale for variety). And pancakes/waffles for sure. That plus eggs and granola is plenty of breakfast options for the week. |
Anonymous
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Hey there....hope that whatever has you stretching this food out gets better.
Want my favorite really cheap tofu meal? I'll gift link it from NYT if so (for the future). And so glad you have enough coffee for the week! |
Anonymous
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Shrimp and veggie stir fry
pancakes, oats and grits for breakfast Pasta and sauce mac and cheese if you buy cheese and milk Pork and potatoes/veggies and homemade cranberry sauce Bean tacos if you buy shells can cheese Tuna Chickpea salad Baked potato with tuna/chickpeas, beans Potato pancakes Sandwiches (cheap wheat bread is $2 for store brand) |
Anonymous
I’d love to see recipe, yes! |
Anonymous
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023462-sheet-pan-sesame-tofu-and-red-onions My log in is not working so I can't activate a gift link. Here's what it says: Intro: This sheet-pan recipe makes simple ingredients into a meal of delightful contrasts: savory and sweet, crisp and soft. The roasted tofu’s nuttiness is accentuated by a coating of turmeric and sesame seeds. Onions, which are often the sidekick to other vegetables, are roasted until soft, crackly-edged and sweet, becoming alluring enough to take top billing. A scattering of citrus-dressed herbs adds freshness. This dish goes well with steamed or roasted sweet potatoes or squash; massaged or sautéed hearty greens; rice or other grains; pita or tortillas; or something rich and creamy, like hummus, yogurt, mozzarella,peanut sauce or avocado. Ingredients: Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1(14- to 16-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, drained 2medium red or yellow onions, or a mix, each cut through the root into 8 wedges 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper 2tablespoons white sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted) 1teaspoon ground turmeric 1½cups parsley or cilantro leaves and tender stems, tough stems thinly sliced 2tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice Steps: Preparation Step 1 Arrange a rack on the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the tofu in half lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into 8 pieces, for a total of 16 domino-size pieces. Pat them dry and set aside. Step 2 On a parchment-lined sheet pan, toss the onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. (It’s OK — good even — if the wedges come apart; this will result in crisp edges.) Step 3 In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the sesame seeds, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pat the tofu dry once more, then add to the turmeric mixture and toss gently to coat. (Tofu can be refrigerated in the marinade up to 1 day ahead.) Step 4 Nestle the tofu among the onions. Reserve the bowl; no need to wash. Roast the tofu and onions on the bottom rack until the onions are soft and browned and the tofu is crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Step 5 Let the tofu cool slightly. Meanwhile, in the reserved bowl, add the parsley and lemon juice and toss, scraping all the turmeric and sesame seeds from the sides of the bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then top the tofu and onions with a pile of the parsley salad. Serve warm or at room temperature. |
Anonymous
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I’d buy coleslaw and bulk sausage for egg roll in a bowl; the makings for pizzas, quesadillas, tacos, omelets, and a few packets of rice sticks or cellophane noodles for stir fries. The pork chops can be seasoned and diced and used for at least 2 meals as stir fries.
Look up Leanne Brown’s Good and Cheap cookbook online for ideas. There are also threads on this site for “struggle meals” and such. Think about where you’re going to do your shopping. I haven’t been to Aldi or Lidl, but Amazon Fresh has good prices, so you’ll be able to stretch your dollars . Baked oatmeal, oatmeal with toppings, biscuits, pancakes — are all good for breakfasts and snacks. Lentils or beans and rice, gumbo — will be good as is, or good ways to stretch meat — with maybe a bit of sausage like chorizo. You’ve got this. |
Anonymous
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Depends on how the teen eats. If adults don't have dietary restrictions maybe give more to growing teen.
'Scallion pancakes' or whatever veg type item you have on hand. Noodles egg/shrimp or veg. |