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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: premar16 on May 26, 2013, 04:24:00 pm

Title: Grocery Challenge
Post by: premar16 on May 26, 2013, 04:24:00 pm
NEW CHALLENGE EVERYONE!

If you had only $20 dollars to buy a weeks worth of groceries could you survive? If so what would you buy????

Please share your suggestions with all of us
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: msmoneybags48 on May 26, 2013, 05:07:52 pm
I am thrilled, premar16, to be the first to answer this question.  If I only had $20 and had to buy a week's worth of groceries, I would buy a roll of sausage, eggs, bread, ground beef, ramen noodles, and an onion. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: kapeh12 on May 26, 2013, 07:06:27 pm
I pretty much average about $20-25 per week normally.  My weekly buys are basically fruit (bananas, grapes, berries) for my breakfast smoothies (homemade), and a package of deli meat for lunch.  Once per month I'll pick up eggs, milk (rice and/or almond), cheese, oatmeal, raisins, frozen veggies.

Every few months I'll pick up other misc things - like toiletries as needed.  And flour, yeast, butter, honey for making bread (I typically only get these every 9 months or so...haven't bought store bread in almost a year now), and pecans for making granola (one bag lasts about 6 months for me).

I do most of my shopping at a SuperTarget, so I'd also use the Gift Card Granny online router site to buy a $21.50 gift card with the $20 first.  Nothing like "free" money.   ;)
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: lbeery on May 26, 2013, 07:36:31 pm
Milk $3.19 gallon
Potatoes  $2.59 5#  bag
Pork Butt Roast (cheapest meat these days) 6.95  3#
Lettuce   2.00 for 2 heads iceberg
Bread 2.00 for 2 loaves
Eggs  2.89 for 18 eggs
I am assuming I have toilet paper, salt and pepper and either oil or butter for frying the potatoes.  If not, use the fat from the port roast for the potatoes (or you could boil them) and if no toilet paper, hope I have a phone book!
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: premar16 on May 26, 2013, 09:49:15 pm
cool ... today I had $14 to buy groceries for me and my sister tell the 7th
I got
potatoes
eggs
bread
ground beef
fresh veggies( carrots and celery)
milk
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: dmitchn1 on May 26, 2013, 10:03:27 pm
I have 4 people to feed and they are all big eaters so I would just buy as many ramen noodle packages as I could!  ;)
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: premar16 on May 27, 2013, 01:34:00 am
Milk $3.19 gallon
Potatoes  $2.59 5#  bag
Pork Butt Roast (cheapest meat these days) 6.95  3#
Lettuce   2.00 for 2 heads iceberg
Bread 2.00 for 2 loaves
Eggs  2.89 for 18 eggs
I am assuming I have toilet paper, salt and pepper and either oil or butter for frying the potatoes.  If not, use the fat from the port roast for the potatoes (or you could boil them) and if no toilet paper, hope I have a phone book!

I salt/pepper and butter.But thats a neat trick I didnt have butter I will have to remember that. I didnt have toilet paper luckily I started having a change jar about 3 weeks ago so we used some of that money to but toilet paper and laundry soap.There was 20 some dollars in the jar.Thats a lot change I suggest every do it .Like this shows change adds up
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: sdenimandlace1 on May 27, 2013, 06:25:53 am
I would get eggs, carrots celery, sliced cheese, Pinto beans dry, flour tortillas, potatoes, ground beef.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: cowgirl2116 on May 27, 2013, 06:40:24 am
I would buy a bag of beans, a bag of rice, milk, oatmeal, butter, 1 pack of lunch meat and 1 loaf of bread.  Whatever is left over, I would go to a meat market and buy some ground beef.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: camellia0 on May 27, 2013, 07:00:46 am
you can buy a bag of beans (about $1) that would last all week. Lunch meat and bread. You could buy some greens in the produce (less than $1 per pound. Also eggs (these could last thru the next week) also rice, sugar, milk. It can be done, just have to compare prices at different stores.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: alice44 on May 27, 2013, 08:00:11 am
I have to admit this would be a challenge for me.  Assuming you are figuring only food (no personal or household items) I would get the following:
powered milk
eggs
macaroni
loaf of bread
peanut butter
can black beans
can tomatoes
ground beef


Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: bianca07 on May 27, 2013, 08:04:37 am
20 bucks, huh? Um, whole chicken, rice, ramen noodles, bread, eggs
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: meg0694 on May 27, 2013, 08:51:45 am
Bread, milk, beans, noodles, cereal
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: 5Yari32 on May 27, 2013, 09:11:18 am
bread,potatos,ramen soup,water,carnationmilk
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: pattersondebra on May 27, 2013, 09:13:32 am
eggs, macaroni, rice, soup base, cheese, and chicken
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: torch71 on May 27, 2013, 09:23:22 am
NEW CHALLENGE EVERYONE!

If you had only $20 dollars to buy a weeks worth of groceries could you survive? If so what would you buy????

Please share your suggestions with all of us

Just purchased 60 eggs/$4.98 - two chickens - $7  - box of rice - $2 - a bag of romaine lettuce for $3
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: erinelise2 on May 27, 2013, 10:49:12 am
I would get rice for certain. You can pad almost any meal with rice.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: Clandestine1 on May 27, 2013, 01:00:48 pm
Yes I could survive but the food wouldn't be healthy at all. I could buy ramen and other cheap noodles. Some college students really survive on that.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: patti4me on May 27, 2013, 01:09:51 pm
I would buy eggs, dry pinto beans, rice, ground beef, lunch meat, bread, and canned tuna.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: msmoneybags48 on May 28, 2013, 05:22:30 am
I know I answered once, but here goes.  I saw some very entertaining answers on here.  I see that a lot of people, like me, went for ramen noodles.  They come 6 in a pack and my grandson and I eat them around here.  When I want something that is quick, I make sloppy joes, boil a pack of ramen noodles, drain them and put sloppy joes on top of my ramen noodles with some cheese.  I then nuke it in the microwave for two minutes.  It is filling, and does not take a lot of time. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: sak4kat on May 28, 2013, 06:05:26 am
I would shop at Aldi.  Seems I can always get more for my money there.

Let's see...I'm considering myself, my partner and my 3 kids in this for $20.  If it were just me...not problem.  Here Goes.
A canister of oatmeal
Gallon of milk
bag of apples
hot dogs
mac n' cheese 3 boxes
peanut butter
eggs 1 carton
bread 3 loaves
1 case of water

Okay it could be done...I don't think I could stretch it for all 5 of us.  Thank God I'm not in that situation.  Yikes.  I know people who are with kids in diapers and I don't know how they do it.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: lvstephanie on May 28, 2013, 07:00:37 am
If I were really strapped for cash and had to start from scratch, I'd probably try to get as much of the basics and make as much on my own as I could... Like instead of buying pasta or ramen noodles, I'd buy flour, eggs, milk, milk, salt and sugar to make my own pasta and flat-bread. I'd also try to get a whole chicken so that I can use the legs to make a soup, and probably roast the rest, maybe saving the breast-meat for sandwiches. For produce, I'd get cheap veggies like lettuce, carrots, and celery.

If we could use the stuff we already had around the house (just deducting what was used from the $20) it'd be even easier, esp. since a lot of the basics I can buy once and it'll last for several weeks (eg. a bag of flour, salt, sugar, spices, even a gallon of milk lasts me a couple weeks). Then I'd spend more of the money at the store on proteins and produce.

If I knew that this was how it'd be for awhile (eg I lost my job or some other expenses (eg serious medical expenses) caused me to shrink my food budget), I'd also try buying seeds to grow my own garden for the produce... Probably plant things, like tomatoes, that are easy to can so that I can can them and save them for the winter months.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: mjdoug03 on May 28, 2013, 07:24:02 am
That's not a lot to live on.  You'd have to have coupons!
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: gbabesmom on May 28, 2013, 07:40:15 am
I like Save A Lot. They have a limited selection but I could get what I needed.

Bread - although I may check Dollar Tree which is next door for bread or I'd skip the bread and buy tortillas
Milk
Bananas
Pasta or rice
2 pound chub of ground chuck or a bag of chicken drumsticks
Eggs
A jar of pasta sauce
A bag of frozen broccoli
8 oz block of cheddar cheese

I love to bake so I always have flour and baking supplies. I'd make bagels, biscuits, pancakes or waffles.




Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: jenniferhoder on May 28, 2013, 07:42:45 am
Well milk, cheese, bread and maybe some meat if some sort.... It would be pretty hard tho!!!
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: xAJx on May 28, 2013, 01:46:33 pm
hmm.  $20 worth groceries heh,  well i am unemployed and to survive i get foods that come in small but large amounts

1. Oatmeal - its delicious and healthy and brings alot of oats.
2. Vegetables - fresh cuts in your fridge make a fine snack, lunch, breakfast.
3. Fruits   -  i usually buy apples, oranges, and bananas
i drink only water and aside i have a box of tea bags (green tea) i like them unsweatened so it limits me to buy sugar

and if u want something fun try peanut butter, pretzels.
i have to eat this way due to economy and the non-employed part, plus i do stay healthy to limit doctors visit  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: tea4me on May 28, 2013, 03:28:56 pm
I am thrilled, premar16, to be the first to answer this question.  If I only had $20 and had to buy a week's worth of groceries, I would buy a roll of sausage, eggs, bread, ground beef, ramen noodles, and an onion. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I was hoping someone would mention ramen noodles!  That is a great list for the shopping trip, msmoneybags!
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: pwhittle1 on May 29, 2013, 09:18:11 pm
I would have to go to a discount store like Sav A lot. Probably buy 2 dozen eggs, Macaroni, Jar of sauce, rice, Oranges, Peanut Butter, 2 loafs of Bread, and maybe fit in cheap soup. :dontknow: I don't even want to try it. 
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: Tresbn00 on June 01, 2013, 08:16:47 am
I can, and have, lived on Twentty dollars in groceries. I have a family of four that lives on less than one hundred dollars per week in groceries. This wasn't true up until about three months ago when my son decided he wanted to go to private school and we didn't know how to make it happen. We make good cash so I examined our expenses and cut back in each area. By planning out the weekly meals, each Sunday, I was able to cut our grocery bill to about eighty dollars. I make one casserole on Sunday(different casserole each week for under ten dollars)and it lasts two to three days. Making a Turkey or ham lasts for several lunches and dinners. Tuna fish covers lunches and dinners.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: ljrjess69 on June 01, 2013, 08:18:28 am
yes i do believe i could do it  ,,,,,,, :icon_rr:
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: mrisha on June 01, 2013, 10:56:50 am
I don't shop weekly, but with everything being very expensive, $20 doesn't take you far.  Possibly some ramen noodles, cheaper bread and maybe ground beef-one small package.
Title: Re: Grocery Challenge
Post by: alamedann on June 01, 2013, 11:26:11 am
My list:

Ground beef
milk
eggs
bread
some cheap veggies
chicken

Unfortunately, $20 a week doesn't get much at the grocery stores these days.