Dozen Eggs - $2
Tortillas - $2
Half Gallon of Milk - $1.50
Brick of Cheese - $2.50
Bag of Beans - $2
Loaf of Bread - $1.50
Bag of Kale - $2
Bananas - $1.50
A few apples or a cheap bag - $2
Salsa - $2
Cookie dough, because you deserve it - $2 on sale (bake as you want, not all at once)
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That's exactly $20 but with sales/deals you could do better. I'd consider things like frozen veggies, a can of rotel (to spice up beans and rice) or tuna or roasted peppers to jazz up extras if you have money leftover.

Considering your staples/pantry (I assume you have things like flour, oil, cinnamon, etc...) you can make the following:

Breakfast: eggs, toast, bananas, apples
Lunch: grilled cheese, egg salad, do you have canned soup?, leftovers, quesedillas
Dinner: mac and cheese, pasta, beans and rice, quesedillas, plain rice, wilted kale, baked apples, huevos rancheros

If you're concerned about dried beans (which can take a while to cook if not soaked long enough), get a bag of green or brown lentils. Just as inexpensive, but don't require massive pre-cooking. Red/orange ones cook up in no time, but get too mushy for my taste.

I would add loaf of whole wheat bread and peanut butter. Bananas tend to be the cheapest fruit.

If you have a crock pot, you can put chicken in there with some broth and cook it that way. I buy chicken breasts and do that because I also hate dealing with raw chicken.

Once cooked, you can freeze the chicken and thaw it out as needed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am very sorry.

What kind of condiments do you have in your cabinet?

Is it a bag of rice, or a box of rice?

Do you not eat chicken, or is it that you just don't want to get a whole chicken?

Thank you. I have the basic condiments (mustard, mayo, soy sauce, vinegars, ketchup). I have a bag of Jasmine rice. I do eat chk, it's just I have a problem touching a whole raw chk.

Do you have an Aldis near you?

Anonymous wrote:Get a whole cooked rotisserie chicken ($5 at safeway on fridays) and a can of cream of chicken soup. Make a chicken and rice casserole, that should last you at least two days and maybe even be enough to take to lunch one day. Get some dried beans and maybe some salted pork and make a big pot of rice and beans - again enough for two days. And get some fruit, maybe a bag of apples or whatever fruit is on sale this week. $20 should be able to get you all this, I think...

OP here. $5 rotisserie chk?? I didn't know that, I always see them for about $8. I will def get this. I guess dried beans is the way to go since everyone is suggesting this. Never cooked them before, but I'll give it a shot. Really trying to keep my DD from realizing that there is a problem. She fights with me when I'm short on money (never been this bad before) and I'm really trying hard to keep us afloat. ((sigh))). Thanks everyone.

Get a whole cooked rotisserie chicken ($5 at safeway on fridays) and a can of cream of chicken soup. Make a chicken and rice casserole, that should last you at least two days and maybe even be enough to take to lunch one day. Get some dried beans and maybe some salted pork and make a big pot of rice and beans - again enough for two days. And get some fruit, maybe a bag of apples or whatever fruit is on sale this week. $20 should be able to get you all this, I think...

Anonymous wrote:I am very sorry.

What kind of condiments do you have in your cabinet?

Is it a bag of rice, or a box of rice?

Do you not eat chicken, or is it that you just don't want to get a whole chicken?

Thank you. I have the basic condiments (mustard, mayo, soy sauce, vinegars, ketchup). I have a bag of Jasmine rice. I do eat chk, it's just I have a problem touching a whole raw chk.

agree with dried beans for rice and beans. sandwich bread and tuna if it's on sale, can make egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches. also agree with egg dishes - can have friend, omelette, or really good baked on top of rice and beans. get some frozen veggies & use with the green beans for stir fry. do you have peanut butter? you can make cold peanut noodles with the pasta. we really like getting a big box of elbow macaroni, mixing with mayo, tuna, and peas and onions plus whatever other veggies and spices you have on hand. it feeds me and my (large portion eating) husband at least three filling meals.

Ditto the dried beans and whatever frozen veggies are on sale.

Also, I'd suggest calling a local food bank to see if they can tie you over for a few days?

Are you in NoVA? I can help if you want to post an email address.

I am very sorry.

What kind of condiments do you have in your cabinet?

Is it a bag of rice, or a box of rice?

Do you not eat chicken, or is it that you just don't want to get a whole chicken?

dry beans, rice, greens, eggs. On that budget I would skip the meat.

Bag of dried beans (soak and cook), broth for flavoring. Eat with rice for a complete protein. 99 cents for the beans, probably (much cheaper than canned!)

Frozen vegetables on sale at whatever store has them on sale now.

yogurt, cheese, Bisquick (make pancakes or waffles), frozen pizza,

but honestly isn't pasta, vegetables and scrambled eggs for a few nights ok?

It's just for 2 people (teen DD and myself). I can't touch a whole raw chk so pls don't suggest that. I have a few things in the cabinet (pasta, spaghetti sauce, rice, 2 cans of green beans). What I don't have are meats or other veggies. I'm more concerned about her eating well. I can survive on eggs and large bag of fresh kale. Thanks.