How to Feed a Family of 4 on $100 a Week (No Coupons, No Stress)

How to Feed a Family of 4 on $100 a Week

Without clipping coupons!

The Frugal Cheapskate Mindset

Buy Less, Waste Less

Intentional vs Emotional Shopping

Here’s the method to my madness:

Tip #4 in How I lost 200lbs
IS the #1 tip for eating within a budget.

Plan Meals Before You Shop

Assign meals to specific days

This day and age; literally everyone is saying “Groceries are so expensive”. There are memes circulating around how 3 bags of groceries=$100

I’m here to tell you that you CAN feed your family on less than $100 a week. And I don’t even coupon! Or spend hours leafing through sales ads. However, I DO cook
(I love being in the kitchen!).

Walk through the grocery store with me..

Grab a buggy and a sales ad. What catches your eye? Front page! Cauliflower is 99 cents this week! Head over to the produce..

My thoughts in the grocery store are something like this;

“There is the cauliflower! And it is on sale! 99 cents. Tonight we’ll have cauliflower and chicken”

“I’ll grab a couple of zucchini for tomorrow. Maybe have fish or shrimp with it. ”

“The day after tomorrow is Saturday. Oh! That’s when we’re going to the Demolition Derby. I’ll plan on pizza or something quick”.

Assign what you’re buying to prepare a meal.
Then, assign the day the meal will be prepared.

Shop Often, Spend Less

$20–$40 trips vs $200 hauls

Why smaller trips reduce waste

I go grocery shopping two or three times a week. Each time I go to the store; it’s about $20 to $40. Then once or twice a month at Sam’s; $100 to $200.

How to Buy Produce Without Wasting Money

Only buy 2–3 days worth

Vegetables

I really do enjoy fresh produce. We eat fresh produce about two or three nights a week. We also enjoy canned or frozen vegetables. On pizza night; who needs vegetables? Right?!

Quick tip: Never buy more than three days worth of produce. Typically (two or three veggies and one or two fruit “packages“)

I really like Aldis exclusively for produce.

Meat

Meat Strategy: How to Save Big

We eat meat probably five or six nights a week. It’s a rotation of chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, ham, sausage.

Buy frozen over fresh

I keep stocked on frozen chicken tenders. Frozen shrimp. Burger comes frozen from a local meat market; in one pound tubes. We do eat processed meats; kielbasa and sausages. I rarely buy fresh meat; UNLESS.. it’s on sale.

Reduce Waste = Save Money

Write expiration dates on fridge

Cook exact portions

KNOW when it’s about to GO!
Write expiration dates ON the Fridge
For things IN the Fridge.

What Frugal People DON’T Buy

The Middle Section

The middle section is shelf-stable/mostly-processed foods. Like pasta, cereal, chips, and cookies.

When I’m grocery shopping, I keep myself to the outside of the store exclusively. Produce, meats, cheeses, milk.. Then to the checkout!

I’ll weave into the middle section for rice or spaghetti. Or cereal.

Whenever necessary. However, I try to keep myself on the outskirts of the store; UNLESS.. there’s something I need.

Oh, the things I NEVER buy!

Rather than dropping a pack of $5 Oreos into your shopping cart; plan to make cookies this weekend.

Sales

I do like sales! They’re enticing! As much as I love a good deal, I also hate wasting food. Check expiration dates and do the math before buying.

Let’s pretend the 1lb pasta boxes are on sale for 75 Cents;

You COULD buy up to 32 boxes.

But is it necessary?

Sales rotate, flip, and circulate each week. Pasta is pretty shelf safe. However, I’ve been guilty of “stocking up”, then throwing a bunch of food away.