How to Eat Well on Just $20 a Week (With Meal Plans!)
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Can you eat for just $20 a week? Well, I've been feeding my family of three on an average of $65 a week for several years now — so you can certainly get close. Beyond a basic shopping list, eating on a budget — any budget — takes some patience, planning, and creativity.
When I was cooking for only myself, I found shopping for two weeks at a time most helpful with my budgeting. Packages of food don't seem to be made for the individual alone; it's easy to create food waste if you don't plan out meals in advance. Thing is, the same concept applies no matter how many people I'm shopping for. (See also: What to Eat Every Day: A Month of Frugal Meals)
Check out this healthy foods grocery list and (mostly vegetarian) menu plans for a week of eats — no coupons required.
Shopping List
My family has switched to shopping at discount grocery stores like Aldi. The prices below are from my own Aldi receipts, so be sure to check out the prices at your local grocer to compare. If you haven't checked out this stripped down way of shopping, it's worth your time and effort, as I'm always amazed at just how much I can fit into a single grocery cart without breaking the bank. (Related: 6 Awesome Reasons to Shop at Aldi)
|
Item |
Cost |
|
Box of spaghetti noodles |
$0.89 |
|
Container rolled oats |
$1.99 |
|
Flour tortillas |
$1.19 |
|
Loaf sliced bread |
$1.19 |
|
3-pack of bell peppers |
$1.99 |
|
Couple heads broccoli |
$1.19 |
|
Bag of apples |
$1.49 |
|
2 bunches of bananas |
$1.50 |
|
Cauliflower |
$2.39 |
|
3 pounds onions |
$1.39 |
|
2 pounds carrots |
$1.19 |
|
5 pounds russet potatoes |
$2.89 |
|
2 cans chickpeas |
$1.20 ($0.59/each) |
|
2 cans black beans |
$1.20 ($0.59/each) |
|
2 cans other beans |
$1.20 ($0.58/each) |
|
1 large can peeled tomatoes |
$1.50 |
|
Jar of peanut butter |
$1.69 |
|
Jar of pasta sauce |
$1.99 |
|
2 cans of tuna |
$2.30 ($1.15/each) |
|
Jar of salsa |
$1.99 |
|
2 tubs low-fat yogurt |
$4.00 ($1.99/each) |
|
2 blocks of hard cheese |
$4.00 ($1.99/each) |
|
Dozen eggs |
$1.55 |
TOTAL: $41.91 (for two weeks)
Now that you have your groceries, let's talk meals. The key with shopping and cooking on a budget is making your precious ingredients stretch. Use the same types of ingredients in different ways to make simple meals without any fuss. And there is also a certain level of predictability — learning to love cheap meals and to rotate them into your routine often.
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Breakfast
As a vegetarian, I like to start my day with a dose of protein. About three times a week, I scramble or fry two eggs. The rest of the time I like oatmeal or toast because it fills my stomach. If you start to run out of sweeter staples, you can always cook veggies for breakfast!
- Eggs atop toast
- Eggs with potatoes and veggies
- Oatmeal with peanut butter and sliced bananas or apples
- Peanut butter toast with yogurt
- Bean burrito with diced veggies and beans
Lunch
Sandwiches are an inexpensive, portable lunch option. You can serve them with sliced fruit and veggies on the side to make it a fuller meal. And a note with the bread: I like to divide the loaf I buy in half and then freeze half (around 12 slices) so it stays good for the following week.
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich
- Tuna sandwich, subbing lowfat yogurt in for the mayo
- Egg salad sandwich
- Tahini-free hummus melts
- Toasted cheese sandwich
- Veggie stuffed baked potato
Dinner
Beans are a fantastic protein option for dinners because they are filling and frugal. With many of the following meals, you might consider making enough for two nights and eating leftovers to save some time, all while using up the ingredients from your grocery list.
- Veggie stir-fry, using spaghetti noodles for bulk
- Roasted or grilled vegetables with cheesy beans
- Veggie quesadillas with salsa and yogurt for dipping
- Stuffed bell peppers (beans and veggies) topped with melted cheese
- Spaghetti with sauce and roasted veggies
- Crock pot soup (use leftovers for lunch!)
- Veggie burgers on toast or tortillas
Final Notes
- Most of these meals don't require much in way of recipes. Instead, it's all about learning to cook basic meals with basic methods (roasting, for example). That way, if you find yourself with a random set of leftover ingredients, you can whip something up without wasting food in the process.
- Vegetarian and vegan meals are inherently cheaper, but that doesn't mean you need to change your entire diet to eat on a budget. Instead, aim for a few sans-meat meals per week to see some savings.
- Keep an eye on seasonal items and certain sales at your store. Although stocking up may initially cost more, you can enjoy some major cost reductions by shopping smart.
- And if you do stock up, learn some basic food preservation methods to get the most out of your investment.
- Shopping in larger increments — like an entire month — can also be a great way to save time and money. If you're interested in trying this method out, I wrote all about a month of freezer meals, complete with instructions and meal ideas.
More Cheap Eats
- 10 Budget Friendly Meals Everyone Should Know How to Make
- 25 Frugal Foods for Your Organic Vegan Grocery List
- 35 Delicious Rice and Bean Dishes
- 35 Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Vegetarians
- 9 Cheap and Healthy Filler Foods
- 50 Ways to Use Canned Salmon
- 25 Quick, Cheap Lunch Options
- What to Eat Every Day: A Month of Frugal Meals
- 25 Clever Ways to Dress Up Cheap Food
What's your weekly food budget? How do you keep it frugal?
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Yuck. White bread, refined flour, and NO greens. This is a recipe for weight gain and upset tummies in our house. Also no consideration for diabetics or allergies. Won't work for a lot of people.
Thanks for your feedback, Jill. Having written about food as a vegetarian and vegan for, well, nearly a decade -- I've come to the conclusion that it's incredibly difficult to please/consider all possible diets for tips like these in a single article. There are innumerable choices when it comes to food and ways of eating, and this is just one example of a frugal meal plan. As well, the list states "sliced bread" -- and at my stores, there are many choices, from wheat to multigrain to, yes, the dreaded white. You can choose whichever is your preference and meets your health goals. As for greens, again -- this article is just an example . . . there are many other vegetables, beans, etc., in there. If I wrote another one, you can substitute in greens for one of the vegetables. In a way, this list is a guide that is meant as a jumping off point and not a closed circuit.
That response, Ashley! :)
Oh good grief, she bought onions, carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli--very healthy and nutrient dense vegetables.
This is actually really good advice - cheers!
Thank you!
These grocery items are even more economical at the 99 cent only store!! Live that place!
I am very sad that the grocery prices in my neighbourhood are at least double the numbers you have listed here on almost every single food item!
Thank you for the comprehensive menu and list, I think it's a marvellous menu for tight budgets. I could have really used this list in college!
As for Jill's comment, I agree that it could be uncomfortable for sensitive tummies, but it is REAL food, and not fast food garbage! A severely limited budget means a balance of fibre, proteins, carbs and other nutrients can be difficult, but I think you have done a good job here. Of course more greens would be ideal, but they'd have to be the in season varieties- a keen eye on the flyers and markets to deduce what exactly is the bargain green of the week. I'm a fan of windowsill sprouts as a cheap good green that can be grown anywhere in a short time - Not everyone's taste though. LOL
Tracy -- I understand the lack of access to cheaper groceries. On a trip to my hometown recently, I went shopping with my mother, and most of the prices were much higher than what I am able to find where I currently live. My parents actually live in a relatively remote area, so they combine a lot of errands and make a 45 minute to hour drive to get access to cheaper foods. And I think the key with some of the foods on this list (pasta, bread, etc.) is choosing the whole grain options. Our Aldi has whole grain and whole wheat options for most all of these things, which is great, and they are still at a low price. Thank you so much for your comment, and I'm glad this list helps!
I agree. I live in a major city and I spend at least $80 a week on food for myself. I could probably cut it down a little, but not to this level. Most of what is listed here is 2 or 3 times the cost where I live, and with no car I have no option to go to cheaper stores in other neighborhoods.
I like they foundation of staples. I have family of 4 and if I could use this list, of course I will sub the items I don't like, and buy protein powder, milk and some hamburger meat or chicken, I could keep it at $75-$100 a week. Every family and every budget is different. $75 or $100 a week for my family of 4 would be a huge help. I'm in the minority that has to work for my food.
I completely agree that $75-$100 would be an AMAZING budget for a family of 4! We are a family of three and I am usually able to stick around $65 up to $75, but it's very hard. And we need to keep those numbers low in the picture of the rest of our budget. So, I'm right there with you :)
I am with you: family of three, and we end up around $60/week. We also love scratch 'n dent type grocery stores, and we use our short growing season to reap extra veggies and stuff
This IS a good jumping-off point, thank you! Our grocery budget is the fianl frontier in our frugal life, and I'm always happy to find ideas and inspiration for lowering our number. We're also going for as many unprocessed, organic options as possible, but we're far from perfect in adhering to our own standards.
Articles like this are INCREDIBLY helpful and much appreciated!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
One error with this grocery list is a miscalculation with the bread. On the shopping list it has one loaf of bread, yet when I add up all of the bread needed for lunches and breakfasts for a family of three it comes out to 36 slices of bread for the week (5 sandwiches = 10 slices times 3 people = 30 slices just for lunch, plus 1 slice of toast 2 mornings times 3 people = 6 slices, 30 slices for lunch + 6 for breakfast = 36 slices per week)...and then 12 left to freeze? I have never bought one loaf of bread that contains 36-48 slices. According to this meal plan for a family of 3 you'd need at least 2 loaves containing 24 slices of bread to last one week (36 to eat and 12 to freeze)....and this list of groceries is supposed to last 2 weeks? For 2 weeks you'd need 72 slices of bread to eat. I'm assuming the bread you buy has 24 slices, if you can freeze half (12 slices) like you say. For 2 weeks then you'd need 3 loaves. So the total for bread would be $3.57
I pay $1.99 for a loaf with 12 slices of bread. (almost the cheapest loaf that I can find) So for my family to eat this much bread we would spend $6 per week on bread which is more than 1/4 of this $20 weekly budget spent just on bread! (and we're a family of 4 so I'd need more than 3 loaves a week to follow this plan)
Be thankful for inexpensive groceries. I too pay 2-3X more for some of these items at our cheapest grocery store. I've never even heard of a discount grocery store....
Hi -- Just a couple notes: This list is intended for just one person, not an entire family, for $20 a week. I make a note that I've been feeding my family for around $65 a week, but that's around $20/person average. The meals in the plan are just suggestions -- not a play by play of what you should eat for the week -- and you need not eat sandwiches each day. The meals can mix and match. Sandwiches are just easy to make, so I suggested several options.
And -- yes -- I am thankful for Aldi and access to less expensive groceries. In the town where I grew up -- which is located in the mountains of PA -- I cannot find groceries this cheap. However, a 45 minute drive from there can get me to an Aldi. It's all in the hunting around. Or also general cost of living, I suppose.
This appears to be a very high carbohydrate, low protein based diet. I understand it's inexpensive, but it's also a tough sell for me. Thank you for your opinion though, as different perspectives are always useful to draw from.
From where I'm sitting there is quite a bit of protein on the grocery list. Much of it is plant based(beans) however, it is protein. Garbanzos have 14 grams of protein per cup. Kidney beans have around 16. Eggs,cheese and yogurt are sources of protein. So is tuna and peanut butter. It's not a horrible looking diet by any stretch although her prices are way better than what I can find in my neck of the woods. There's is no way I'd be able to find peanut butter)even the cheap stuff with trans fats) for $1.69.
This menu draws from known vegetarian/pescetarian sources of protein like eggs, beans, peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, tuna, etc. I'm a relatively competitive distance runner and do just fine on this sort of diet. But we all have very unique nutritional needs -- that's for sure!
This is a great idea and it's awesome for people who live in places where groceries are inexpensive, but I calculated this myself with the cheapest corresponding items I could find at my market and it would cost over $100 to get what is on this list. Never live in a college town. They suck you of your money any way they possibly can. Looks like I'll be back on the frozen peas and canned beans and pray to God the multivitamins work.
I used to live in a college town (Ithaca, NY), and I completely know what you mean. But in ours, there was still an Aldi with the same prices -- thank goodness. It’s such a shame that these deals can’t be found everywhere. I’m currently working on another post like this one where I’m going to attempt another go at the meal plan to see if I can get some other options.
I don't know when these so called "$20. grocery list" were made? Not in Texas unless around 1970 maybe. Try $40.-$50. at least for these simple inexpensive lists here. Even at the cheaper stores,...especially
Great advise for families that are struggling and for those who just want to cut back and live simply. I believe you are on the mark. There is a way to eat well on a budget, it just takes time, dedication and a little know how. Thanks!
Please tell us where you live because food here in my neck of the woods, the Las Vegas valley, costs twice this. A bag of apples for $1.49? I can buy ONE apple for $1.10. A jar of pnut butter under $3? Wow. I need to move. I do appreciate the article, though. I'm a vegetarian and looking around for tips to stretch my money. Thanks!
This looks fantastic! I cannot wait to try it! THANK YOU!
Tuna isn't vegetarian...
Also where do you live with a bag of apples only costing $1.49 and eggs less than $2?! I'm so jealous!
Good place to start but I really need to know what sizes/weights of things you're buying. Bag of apples - what weight? PB what size jar - is it natural or like Jif? We don't have an Aldi's yet - one is being built to open in a few months and I will be checking prices. I can feed myself for about $20 a week as a whole-food, little oil added diabetic but for me that excludes good but cheap foods like pastas, almost all breads & crackers, potatoes and rice.
Boy what a difference a year makes. Eggs are now about three to four times the price you were paying in 2014. If our government would stop printing money, inflation would be under control!
I do the same I buy pretty much the same thing every two weeks but I do buy more veggies for salads and for making a stir fry. I also add beans to my salads along with a boiled egg or chicken breast for proteins and make a beans and rice dish.
I make my own bread buy using an inexpensive bread machine to make the dough and then I usually make a soft flat bread from it for using like an open sandwich in which I pile on a protein and veggies and then fold it up to eat or I can put on a few items and mozzarella and heat in the oven for a mini pizza.
Also, I cook both a ground turkey with mushrooms and seasoning and also some chicken breasts which I use for different meals during the week. I find these two meats give me a lot of variety for different meals at a lower cost. I have a low budget but I feel I eat very well and healthy from the items I do buy. Thanks for your article.
Where we live the broccoli would have been $5, the peanut butter $6, the block of cheese $8 to $9 dollars at a good price. The eggs up to $6. I could re-write the article with the title "How to actually feed your family on $1000 a month"
If prices go up again this year it will be time for getting chickens and a large garden again.
Where I live everything on this list costs at least 3x as much.
Bwahahahahahaha @ the prices. I shop at Food for less its almost 2016 and none of the prices are even close. a bag of apples 1.49? hahahahahahhahahaahh a dozen eegs 1.55? ahahahahahahahah 2 blocks of cheese 4 bucks? ahhhhh my head just fell off laughing. and wait here comes the funnies one of all. Flour tortillas 1.19 !!!! BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
I can get eggs for $1.10 at the local dollar general store. $1 pasta sauce, bread for $1.19, peanut butter ( store brand ) $1.89, plus many other cheap items. Sometimes you have to think outside the box And shop places other than just grocery stores.
The sample grocery list is enough to feed one person for two weeks. This is definitely not enough for a family. Two eggs three times a week totals a dozen eggs PER person. There is no way that dozen eggs can feed more than one, nor that box of spaghetti provide enough for two weeks. Please provide realistic options for FAMILIES. This is very misleading.
This is a list for 1 person. you would have to double it for a couple and so on :)
The sample grocery list is enough to feed only one person for two weeks. This is definitely NOT enough for a family. Two eggs three times a week totals a dozen eggs PER person. There is no way that dozen eggs can feed more than one, nor that box of spaghetti provide enough for two weeks. Please provide realistic options for FAMILIES. This is very misleading.
As a starving college student i can fully appreciate the simplicity, yum factor, price points, ease of prep, and flexibility of this meal plan. I have to completely disagree with some people complaining about the list not having enough greens. I am THE HEALTHIEST eater i know even when going by this meal plan. Sure its not super packed with greens but if you have to live off of $20 a week you could be doing a whole hell of a lot worse than this list. I actually think its a pretty even compromise between low fat/ healthy and sustenance, keeping me feeling alive and functional in my busy day. If you need some more greens add some salad for $3 dollars and problem solved.
this is great. I'm trying to pay my student loans off so I need a good list. we have a Market basket which has comparable prices to this list. Thank goodness for them.
Our budget is higher than yours, as we eat out once a week, (not expensively), buy meat, and include household items, (personal care, cleaning products), in the budget. Still it seems pretty good at $35 per person. Some of our prices are higher than yours, some lower.
We found alternative sources to be our biggest help. A farm lady who sells eggs, a bump and dent grocer, and raised bed garden (enough tomatoes and basil for a year's worth of sauce).
with a few substitutions, this looks like a great guideline for me as a vegan college student trying to save money :)
Show me a place where you can buy a jar of peanut butter for 1.69 and I'll show you a liar.
Is this list for just a single person or a 2 or 3 person family? I can see maybe two people. We made freezer meals for our family of 3 for $290 including toilet paper and other necessities, but that's not including the tiips back to the grocery store for more eggs or milk or bread almost every week. I'm thinking we could get a few more gallons of milk and loaves of bread at the beginning of the month and freeze them until we need a new one. I know eggs aren't gong to freeze well at all obviously! LOL I'm thinking my family and I could bring our budget down a bit more by doing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a few meals a week with a side of fruit. Thanks for this list thought! I'll definitely be keeping it in my future resources list! :D
The grocery prices where I live in Colorado are at least 3 to 4 times the amount you have listed. A really good month for us which includes lots of planning and leftovers is $500 for the month. But that assumes we have good amounts leftover from previous months and don't have to replace a lot.
This is pointless unless you live somewhere with extremely cheap food prices. I haven't seen prices like that in 10 years. Fail of an article.
You should buy a bag of flour and make your own bread rather than buy it and also buy dried beans rather than canned.
This does not work if you're a low-carb eater. All those refined starches and sugars are simply not good for you!
You are NOT vegetarian if you eat tuna.
I thought they recently discovered that low-fat yogurt is not beneficial. Especially Greek yogurt. It must be full fat and pasture-raised or organic. But at LEAST full fat. No?
Tuna is not a vegetarian food. I speak as a former veg. and current omni. Fish are definitely in the animal kingdom, high school biology.
That being said, It looks like a good foundation for an inexpensive diet.
I really love this. im only 17 but have so much responsibility to take care of and about 75% of my paycheck has been used for lunches, every TWO weeks! I cannot wait to start budgeting my money and actually being careful of what I eat and what i am putting into my body. Thank You!!!
it's absolutely impossible to get that much food or $20 where I live. Maybe $100 if you're lucky.