[MiZTaCCen]

Is anyone else single? Who has no commitment other than a dog or just them self?

I ask this because I'm curious about budgets for groceries. How much do you spend a week or every two weeks on groceries for yourself? This doesn't include eating out.

I feel like I spend too much money like 200 every two weeks and I still barely make it out before pay day with having food.

[Laifierr]

Not single, but I cook for one a lot.

I find that the grocery bill runs high if I buy too many convenience foods. When I was initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I relied on microwave meals to make my life easier with transitioning to a new diet. (Twice a day =$6 =$84 per 2 weeks). I have since cut back to microwave meals to just once a day (and will eventually ween off completely).

I now look for staple foods that I can make many things with and try to stretch certain foods that are the expensive healthy options. For example, I bought wild grain rice which is lower carbs than white or brown rice. $4 for one tiny box which is supposed to be 2.5 servings. I split it into 8 portions to put in my burritos (I eat burritos instead of sandwiches).

And because of other diet restrictions, I have cut out other higher priced items like lunch meats and cheeses. Instead I buy chicken breast and cook it up and dice it to use in whatever I'm making. Five large chicken breasts for about $6 instead of one package of shaved chicken for the same price. I had 8 half cup portions and it is a lot healthier than the lunch meat without preservatives and extra sodium. (I'm supposed to watch my sodium intake).

So I made enough filler for 8 burritos. Mostly relying on fresh ingredients

Wild Rice - $4
Low sodium black beans - $1
Boneless skinless Chicken breast - $6
Red and green bell pepper (one was free from my parents' garden) - $1
Onion - $.25
High Fiber Tortillas - $5

8 Burritos = $17.25 ($2.15~ each) (About 500 calories with guac and salsas) Cheaper and healthier than the pre-made microwave meals and it took me less than 30 minutes to prepare. I divided out portions in separate containers and now all I have to do is microwave it for 30-45 seconds and I have a quick and easy meal.

[MiZTaCCen]

I like that.

I usually make dinner and whatever is for dinner I also have for lunch the next day. I find much easier than planning three meals a day for weightloss. I'm just more curious to how people live cheaply yet healthy.

I'm usually really good one week, but then can't afford food the next week so I have to eat process food etc. How do I get a budget down where Each week I can eat healthy. I get paid every two weeks.

[amy_beth88]

I spend probably around 40 to 60 on food weekly. Frozen vegetables are a good way to go to keep the bill down and they don't go bad as quickly. I have a problem with getting lazy in the evenings and not wanting to cook for myself, so I do a lot of meal prepping on Sundays. I'll make my lunches and dinners for the entire week and then just pull out tupperware as I am hungry. I used to live with roommates and cook for all of us, so this helps since I find it hard cooking for one. But for the food bill, frozen veggies, I buy rice in bulk from my local Asian market (20 dollars for a bag that will last months), and meal planning. By meal planning I don't mean cooking all the food in advance, just knowing exactly what I'm going to cook for the week and not buying extra food that I fancy at the moment. Strictly stick to my list and this cut down at least 20 a week on groceries.

[nerdette]

I got a 10-count set of bento boxes divided into 3 compartments really cheap on Amazon a few months ago. I make the ingredients for 10 meals in one day (meat, veggies, and beans) and freeze most of them for use throughout the week.

Meat is a lot cheaper when you buy in bulk, and if you're planning on cooking & freezing right away, you can often get good deals on packages that are getting close to their sell-by date. I usually do either a half chicken breast or a lean pork cutlet for the main compartment, but every now and then I'll treat myself to some small steaks so I don't get bored.

For the second compartment, I either grill fresh veggies that are in season and on sale, or frozen if I'm in the mood for something that's not in-season.

For the third compartment, I add cooked black or pinto beans with lots of spice. Sometimes I mix it up with 50% rice but I'm lazy and usually just make the beans. If you buy a big bag of dry beans it's literally one of the cheapest foods you can purchase.

[LesGetFit]

Nerdette- Those are great ideas. I'm headed to Amazon to look for bento boxes right now!

[IanG]

Separated. Live alone. I easily blow 200 bucks plus a week on food.

I eat the good stuff. Lots of fish. Olives. Hummus. Guacamole. Kale. Almonds. Walnuts. Flaxseed milk. Balsamic vinegar. Free-range eggs. Dried fruit. etc.

In my experience, losing weight does not cost much (eat less). A healthy diet does (eat better).

[birdtostone]

I am recently single and am trying to figure this out as well. When I was with my ex, we threw a lot of money into fast food. I am trying to figure out and readjust my budget so that I can buy the healthy food I want to eat without having to wait until the end of the week and run on fumes in the middle of it. Any time I was able to do a full grocery run on just healthy food, I did find that it ran me anywhere from $150-200 a week.

I find that when I get creative and try something new, my spending goes up.

[Aileen]

I'm single..I spend $50 a week on groceries, but my diet is very boring. I typically plan to eat the same meal for breakfast each day, same for lunch, and dinner. This is usually a quiche for breakfast, salad and chicken for lunch and soup or other one-pot meal for dinner. Then add some eggs, fruit and veggies for snacks. If I buy from a local non-profit I can cut the budget to $25 a week.

Are you hoping to save money?

[devushka]

Hello! I'm new and newly single. I try and keep it to $100/week for groceries, but that also includes toiletries, paper and cleaning products, and cat food/litter. I obviously don't buy those things every week, but it all adds up. Like Ian mentions, I also try and not begrudge myself the cost as I tend to eat a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and feta or Gorgonzola for salads. I buy free range eggs (but don't eat eggs that often), and try to get organic meats (but don't always succeed) and all of that adds up. I have cut out wine and also try and stick to a list and spread out the $$ stuff throughout the month, so I can get away with $80 some weeks. I also look for meat specials where there is a two for one special and freeze what I can for later. I'm also always interested in what others are spending, since I alwasy feel like I'm on the high end.