A frugal mom who discovers she has only $33 to her weekly grocery store has revealed exactly how she’s feeding her family and the meals she’s planned.
The Melbourne shopper, who lives with her husband and baby, has planned meals for a week using parts already in the pantry and a carefully planned shopping list of just 11 items to feed her husband and baby.
In a Facebook budget group post, he said the family had only $33 left for their weekly store, which normally costs around $150, and decided to challenge each other to stick to a tight budget.
A frugal mom who discovers she has only $33 to her weekly grocery store has revealed exactly how she’s feeding her family and the meals she’s planned.
She had written a meal plan for the week that cost her regular $150, but “trashed it and started over” to handle the $33 limit.
“We just opened a separate bank account for food just to make sure we stick to our weekly budget. We went out for a fancy party lunch on Sunday and left us $33 for our weekly groceries,” he wrote.
‘We decided to take the challenge to see if we could stick to our budget. We planned our meals at home, checked the prices before going to the shops, and we’re happy to say it worked!!’
Mom said she’s planning a variety of snacks, such as porridge and smoothies or tuna sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, curry, fried rice and Bolognese spaghetti and avocado crackers, veggie toast, and popcorn.
He went to his local Coles in Collingwood and collected only 11 items, including milk, tuna, oats, chicken breast and eggs, and nothing cost more than $8.
He went to his local Coles in Collingwood and collected only 11 items including milk, tuna, oats, chicken breast and eggs, and nothing cost more than $8.
He said you don’t have your usual weekly shop because of the tight budget, uses a lot of stuff already in the pantry and freezer, and doesn’t end up with staples.
“This isn’t a matter of budgeting for the week, but to show that you can have an awkward week using what you have and taking the time to watch and plan,” The Keeper wrote.
“This week will probably be a little less meat and vegetables than usual for us, but for a one-off week it’s okay,” he added.
She said each dinner would provide two more meals of leftovers and her son had $0 a week for grocery shopping as they breastfeed and use cloth diapers and wipes.
Hundreds of people were impressed by smart moms who squeezed tensions with someone who said they were “inspirational”.
‘This shows it’s possible. If everyone did something like this once a month and gradually built it up, think about the savings. I know it’s not for everyone, but think about it,” one woman said.
‘Enormous!!! you motivated me!!! Also the idea of a separate food bank account is great!!! I can’t believe I never thought of doing this. Thanks for sharing,” another exclaimed.
‘It was great! For us, shopping and going out, coffee etc. So if we eat at home more/we are smart that would be an incentive, then money to eat out stays,” the mom replied, adding that they also use the weekly Uber Meals they gave up.
Others offered their own money-saving tricks they used amid the rising cost of living.
‘It’s very doable. This week I went to a $50 store with a lactose- and egg-intolerant baby and a picky teenager,” one mom said.
“For lunch, we have fruit salad, toast, sushi, spaghetti, sushi, chips, veggies and stir-fry, Maryland, veggie and salsa. We also have yogurt and other stuff, we also have cake mixes. It’s all a matter of mindset.’
“Plan your spring onions as soon as you get home. Do not put them in the refrigerator. They will continue to grow and you can cut them off if you wish. Very hardy plant!’ else is recommended.
Source: Daily Mail
