$20 Challenge

[GotGarlic]

This site has a lot of good ideas for budget recipes. https://www.budgetbytes.com

 

[Kevin86]

I could be out to lunch on this I’m still trying to widdle this down but we’ll see if I’m nuts lol. Btw yes Canadian money

 

[Aunt Bea]

I could be out to lunch on this I’m still trying to widdle this down but we’ll see if I’m nuts lol. Btw yes Canadian money

I'm sure that you can survive on $20.00/week if you stick to beans, rice, oatmeal, milk and a sack of oranges or a couple cans of tomatoes.

I guess the question is do you need/want to survive on $20.00/week.

I think that it is a valuable exercise to see what a rock bottom bare bones food budget looks like for you and your SO. If times do get really tough it won't come as much of a shock to adjust your budget. You'll have a good idea of what works for you and what doesn't because you've already gone through a basic training exercise.

Good luck!!!

If you have room in your budget add a sack of plain old popcorn kernels from the dollar store. A big bowl of popcorn will help fill you up when you get the munchies.

 

[roadfix]

If I lived in a van I can survive on $20 per week.

 

[Andy M.]

I've been watching a lot of frugal family cooking so I'm challenging myself to make my meals for $20 for this week coming up. Sunday to next Saturday.

It's just my wife and I so obviously easier than a family of 4.

I'm starting into the week with a big pot of broccoli soup.

Pancakes for breakfast or egg and hashbrown skillets.
A roast as the meat for the week
Beef soup to follow the broccoli

Looking for some other ideas these aren't set in stone. I think I can do all of this without shopping but I have to do a cost break down to come yet.

Anyone else is welcome to see how they can do

Are you buying all the ingredients for these meals and others with the $20 or are you using what's already in your pantry/freezer?

 

[Kevin86]

It also depends upon what Kevin already has in his pantry, fridge, and freezer, to supplement the $20 for the week.

We will be using stocked food. Squash from the fall for a dollar etc. Meat from freezer but try to count the butcher cost etc. I make our pasta, dough, etc so we may make it

 

[Kevin86]

So here we go this is my first draft of our menu
Mind you meat is butcher cost not raising the animal and we get our eggs from layers in dad's barn. As well I'm not including salt, pepper, spices, herbs, syrup,jam,etc.

2 meals $4.25
Spaghetti squash $1
Can of tomato $1
Hamburg $2
Onion & garlic $0.25

4 meals $5.25
Beef soup bone $2
Carrots,onion,garlic $0.75
Potato $0.25
Can of tomato $1
Pasta $0.50
Part of bell pepper $0.50
Homemade bread $0.50

1 meal $1.50
Butter cup squash $0.75
Pasta $0.50
Onion & garlic $0.25


7 meals $6
Roast chicken $2
Onion & garlic $0.50
Potato $1
Pasta & sauce $1.50
Carrots & peppers $0.50
Rice $0.50

7 meals $3
Eggs $0
Potato $1
Onion & garlic $1
Part of bell pepper $0.50
Pancakes $0.50

 

[Kevin86]

Prices are rounded off we buy large bags of potatoes so the cost of one is not a lot etc

 

[blissful]

Kevin! Awesome! That took some time and I don't know that I have the accountant's touch to do all that computation. Excellent.

We grow a lot of stuff but we are missing, here, at my home, carrots, soybeans (I want these), some dried beans, all the chicken and beef (but we do eat venison instead of beef). We don't grow any grain or flours either. And we don't have chickens, so no eggs. Awesome awesome.
We do grow the potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, peppers.

Thanks for doing that for us. I did google $1 a day, $2 per meal and there are all kinds of eating on a budget challenges out there. Yours looks great.

 

[buckytom]

I count 21 meals.

You're short by 7 meals (or 25%) if it's 2 meals per day x 2 people x 7 days.

In keeping with the numbers, you'd end up at $26.66 for all meals.

(which is still amazing)

 

[buckytom]

Btw, how about adding crepes? My mom made them for us for pennies a serving when we were broke.

Just a little flour, salt, water, milk, eggs, and butter.

Fill with jam, or butter and sugar.

 

[Kevin86]

The first 3 sections cover 7 suppers
The fourth section cover 7 lunches
The fifth section cover 7 breakfasts

That's 3 meals 7 days where am I coming up short?

 

[Kevin86]

Btw, how about adding crepes? My mom made them for us for pennies a serving when we were broke.

Just a little flour, salt, water, milk, eggs, and butter.

Fill with jam, or butter and sugar.

True and the Mrs likes them I just grew up doing the same with pancakes. Giant pancakes with almond butter and strawberry jam rolled up for lunch mmm mmm!

 

[buckytom]

The first 3 sections cover 7 suppers
The fourth section cover 7 lunches
The fifth section cover 7 breakfasts

That's 3 meals 7 days where am I coming up short?

I must be misunderstanding the way it's written. 4 meals, 2 meals, and so on.

 

[Kevin86]

I count 21 meals.

You're short by 7 meals (or 25%) if it's 2 meals per day x 2 people x 7 days.

In keeping with the numbers, you'd end up at $26.66 for all meals.

(which is still amazing)

21 is 3x7

 

[buckytom]

I'm curious, how are you getting 7 meals from a $2 chicken?

 

[buckytom]

21 is 3x7

I wasn't sure if you were doing 2 or 3 meals per day.

Ok, so, it's 2 people x 3 meals per day, x 7 days.

That's 42 meals. For $20 in total. Yes?

 

[Kevin86]

That's the kill and bag cost when we take our birds to the butcher our avg bird is about 8 lbs. I didn't factor in raising and farming costs. Way too much math. So the chicken is casseroles, hot dinner, stir fry,sandwiches,etc

 

[Kevin86]

I wasn't sure if you were doing 2 or 3 meals per day.

Ok, so, it's 2 people x 3 meals per day, x 7 days.

That's 42 meals. For $20 in total. Yes?

Yes you're counting portions or servings we don't sit down as a couple to 42 meals a week. Just add don't multiply lol.

 

[buckytom]

Wait, you have free eggs, free chicken (it's pretty easy to kill and dress a bird), free jams, herbs, spices, etc..?

What else are you getting free?

Btw, one of my parrots just told me to F off?

Somewhat like Craigsy, I probably spend $20 a day on our pets .alone