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Thread Number: 88496
/ Tag: Recipes, Cooking Accessories
How to prepare/estimate a food budget? |
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| Post# 1130519 10/6/2021 at 10:27 (925 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN) | ||
Circumstances are reaching a point that I need to draw up and monitor a food/market budget for my household, which consists of myself (a 60 year old man) and my 80-something year-old father.
I am asking members of this forum if they have any insights. I should state first, that although this subject *can* be researched on the internet, 80% of what I find is not helpful, mostly sites that read more like money-challenges like "how to eat like a king on $3 a day." I have been cooking and shopping for myself my entire life and I'm very familiar with "First steps" in domestic economy (Shop the perimeter, the day-old bread racks, etc), but I am looking for a reasonable dollar figure for two elderly men per week/month. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful consideration - Bill (Scoots)
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Post# 1130521 , Reply# 1 10/6/2021 at 11:04 (925 days old) by Yogitunes  (New Jersey) |
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I find most times....$40.00 to $60.00 per person, per week.....each additional person add 50% to that budget....
I dont just count food only...there is personal/toiletries, detergents/cleaners, household items all part of my shopping bill... even for 2 people, Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner, @20.00 a day rounds out to be $600.00 a month....but in somewhat reality, can be done for $400.00 or less... oddly enough, it seemed more costly to buy/cook for one versus 2+ people.... every one is going to have variables into how/what they buy, cook, leftovers, shop sales, buy in bulk.....basically save where you can and stretch that budget... your mileage may vary... | ||
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Post# 1130525 , Reply# 3 10/6/2021 at 11:37 (925 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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$600.00 per month
is also about what I we spend per month for groceries for two Martin. Like you I count all the other items we buy at the store weekly besides food, like paper products, cleaning products, toiletries and OTC medicines and vitamins.
I make a weekly menu plan and buy accordingly taking into consideration what items we already have on hand. I always have an extra on hand for anything that we use regularly. I also buy the larger packages of boneless chicken breasts and pork chops and freeze them in two portion sizes in plastic freezer bags. We both eat only cereal every morning for breakfast and since we are both of an age when we don’t need to consume large amounts we have a 1/2 sandwich and an apple or orange for lunch everyday. Dinners are our main meal and we always have a fresh green salad with our entree. If I make a casserole or anything else that has more than two servings we eat it for the next one to three dinners depending upon how many servings are left over. We don’t throw anything away! I bake all of our bread, rolls, hamburger and hot dog buns and desserts and make my own salad dressings too. I realize that most people won’t go this far in planning and economization, but I enjoy doing it so it doesn’t seem like a chore. Most importantly, I rotate the menus so there is always variety and we don’t get bored. I have prepared our daily dinners at least 350 out of 365 days per year for the last 40+ years. It seems like second nature to me. We have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and use butter cheese and other dairy products in moderation. And we always eat at the table off of real dishes (Corelle), with real flatware and cloth napkins. We NEVER use paper plates of plastic utensils, but we do use paper napkins for breakfast and lunch. The most important thing about shopping and not overspending is to MAKE LIST, and STICK TO IT! I keep a running list in the kitchen on top of the microwave and anything that we run out of goes on the list. Since the beginning of this year when the pandemic really started to ramp up and it was suggested that old coots like me stay out of the stores I’ve been ordering our groceries online at Target for delivery. Surprisingly, even with a 20% tip I’m not spending much more than if I went the store myself. Eddie | ||
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Post# 1130526 , Reply# 4 10/6/2021 at 12:00 (925 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany) |
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For a good start it might be helpful to collect all grocery receipts, restaurant bills if there are any, drug store receipts and so on for at least a few weeks to get an idea where you stand with your expenses.
If you know exactly how much you`ve spent on certain items it`s much easier to adjust your shopping accordingly. I hope you`re not at a point where you have to sacrifice healthy fresh food with junk food only. | ||
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Post# 1130533 , Reply# 5 10/6/2021 at 14:44 (925 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Well, my approach is to shop the ads for bargains, freeze whatever I can't use right away, and to make stuff from scratch whenever possible. Beef too expensive? Get chicken, eggs, etc. The point is to get sufficient protein, and most Americans apparently get too much protein anyway. If you have a yard, growing your own fruits and veggies can help a lot and is probably better than store-bought anyway. I make about two cups (dry) of brown rice at a time in a pressure cooker. Lasts about a week or more. Any chicken or meat bones get bagged and frozen, and then turned into broth in the pressure cooker, which can be used to make soup or as a base for the brown rice to cook in.
And if push comes to shove, most communities have food banks and other services for the honestly destitute. YMMV | ||
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Post# 1130567 , Reply# 6 10/6/2021 at 18:53 (925 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA) |
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You may have access to an RD (registered dietitian) through your health plan (particularly if you have diabetes or another similar disease). They can connect you to some resources to plan meals. The USDA has some good materials out there; finally contact your county extension service (from your land grant university) who have home economist resources available.
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Post# 1130646 , Reply# 8 10/7/2021 at 18:40 (924 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Sorbitol, like manitol is a sugar alcohol. It is non-caloric because the body cannot metabolize it. Alcohol is a very thirsty molecule. It pulls a lot of water with it as it leaves the body so it can give you the runs if consumed in large quantities. | ||
| Post# 1130654 , Reply# 9 10/7/2021 at 19:37 (924 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
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Post# 1130708 , Reply# 11 10/8/2021 at 13:31 (923 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Re: Reply#10
Jon, thats pretty much how I do it too, except I don’t the prices on my list, I have a good memory and know what most things cost anyway. But I think this is a good idea if your budget is tight, then you’ll know you can afford what you plan on shopping for. I think you are a very good planner!
Eddie | ||
| Post# 1130808 , Reply# 13 10/10/2021 at 09:43 (921 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan) | ||
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New Whey protein ingredient: The new whey protein powder contains ultra filtered whey isolate. Sort of like ultra filtered milk has less sugar and is lactose free. | ||
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Post# 1130842 , Reply# 14 10/10/2021 at 13:13 (921 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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