A $20 Meal Plan in one week is not impossible! It is incredibly challenging and this post covers dinners only, but the grocery budget is one of the most flexible expense in a monthly budget so it’s totally worth it! The main way to bolster the cost of grocery shopping is a meal plan, and a routine. Breakfast and lunch can be flexible- you can eat the same thing almost everyday for breakfast and not get bored- almost the same is true for lunch, but having the same dinner everyday? That’s where we need variety! And that’s why I keep a Meal Plan Rotation– I have 40+ dinners that I rotate through so that we don’t get bored.
Crash Course for Meal Planning
Initially, it takes quite a lot of work to begin starting a meal plan. That starts with understanding, or knowing, the different prices between stores- or at least knowing price ranges for items like milk, produce, breads, meats. Meats tend to be the most expensive, breads are sometimes most cost effective if purchased at stores like Costco. I buy my produce from the local grocery store and buy staples plus in-season produce, and I only buy what is on the meal plan, plus snacks, plus extras for breakfast.
If you made a dish for more than one night on the meal plan, then you would waste money by not eating the leftovers. You can also get very creative and experiment with new flavors. Check out my blog post for Leftovers Recreations– four recipes from scraps.
Chicken & Rice Dish from leftovers
Bell pepper, from fajita night
Leftover chicken strips
Rice (cooked with 1/2 water and 1/2 broth)
Seasoning
Chicken Broth
Final Thoughts on This $20 Meal Plan
It is not impossible to make a meal plan with only $20 for one week of dinners. You just need to keep things simple, on a rotation and remember to buy staples. While I normally advocate for low carb options and recipes, dinners with starches are often the most cheap- it’s cheap to make pastas and breads!
Asparagus and Lemon and Basil Ricotta Stuffed Salmon Rolls with Lemon Sauce. Asparagus and Lemon and Basil Ricotta Stuffed Salmon Rolls with Lemon Sauce. ...
0:50. Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta TheCozyCook.com. ...
According to the USDA, the average weekly grocery bill for a family of four in the United States fluctuates between $150 to $300. This variance accounts for differences in dietary preferences, geographical location, and individual shopping habits.
Small amounts will add up over time and compounding interest will help your money grow. $20 per week may not seem like much, but it's more than $1,000 per year. Saving this much year after year can make a substantial difference as it can help keep your financial goal on your mind and keep you motivated.
For reference, a family of six typically spends anywhere from $1126 to $1546 per month on food and approximately $1,200 per month on other necessities, such as cleaning supplies.
If you make $20 per week, your Yearly salary would be $1,040. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week.
An adult male from 19 to 50 years of age would account for $82.00 a week on a moderate food budget, and a 19- to 50-year-old woman would be allocated $73.80 a week.
Hobby: Shopping, Table tennis, Snowboarding, Rafting, Motor sports, Homebrewing, Taxidermy
Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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