I Feed My Family Of Five For $120 A Week — Here's What A Week Of Groceries And Meals Looks Like For Us

Buzzfeed via Yahoo ^ | January 21, 2023 | Sydney Martin

[grundle]

Hi! I'm Sydney, a stay-at-home mom of three, and I make homemade meals for my Colorado family every week.

Each weekend — with that budget in mind — I plan all my family's meals for the upcoming week. This includes choosing the recipes I will make, plus the actual shopping. I cook pretty much every meal every day due to a severe peanut allergy in my household. We don't rely on much takeout for this reason.

(Produce: Garlic, bok choy, green onions, cilantro, ginger, red bell pepper, green beans, carrots, lime, avocado, oranges, lettuce, tomato, bananas, parsley. Dairy: Ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, cream cheese, cheddar, colby jack, sour cream, milk Meat: Chicken, ground beef, breakfast sausage, hot dogs. Pantry: Marinara, lasagna noodles, artichoke hearts, chicken broth, ramen, soy sauce, taco seasoning, refried beans, salsa, coconut milk, basmati rice, taco shells, black beans, tortillas, cheddar cheese soup, oats, brown sugar. Misc: Mini muffins, crescent rolls, frozen hash browns, frozen spinach. (**Not pictured: Costco eggs.)

[Grampa Dave]

Our mothers and grannies would have made soup or a tossed green salad with from the left overs.

The Costco chicken in our area went up a $/bird and is about 4-6 ozs smaller. It still is a bargain.

[Roccus]

I don’t need quick. I like the way it makes the house smell.
lol

[mass55th]

Bottled spaghetti sauce? Blllccchhh!!

[scottiemom]

That was my thought. Saying she feeds a family of 4 is ztretching the truth somewhat. It’s just me and my dog at my house. He weighs about 25 lbs and I weigh about 110, but I spend about $175 twice a month because of items like toilet tissue, paper towels and other non-food items. About every other month have enough frozen leftover meals that I spend only $200 for the whole month. Another thing is that if she is going to other stores in search of specials then she is using gasoline as well.

[TheWriterTX]

Some of my best memories are with my kids in the kitchen, teaching them how to bake and cook.

So glad you did that, too.

[Dust in the Wind]

I agree, should be 2-3 gallons of whole milk a week. She didn’t mention supplements...

[GOPJ]

The Dems’ Inflation Reduction Act has NOT kicked in.

They lied - it was just another slush fund stunt for liberal 'elites' and their grievance-group pets.

[GOPJ]

1) I pick recipes with ingredients that can be used for multiple meals (and in multiple ways). This also includes getting creative with leftovers.

This is the key - could be time for Sydney Martin to write a cookbook 'Food by the week - Waste Not Want Not...'

[Chickensoup]

It was a good time and the only way they got any treats. I didnt buy bagged foods.

They also baked with their friends when they visited.

[goodnesswins]

My instapot has a bunch of functions including crockpot...and steam, which is great for reheating leftovers. (We do not own a microwave.)

[ansel12]

My teen son visited me and when I saw him take a cooked pot of about a 1-pound bag of dry rice, dump it into a giant salad bowl, and then open three cans of canned chile and pour over it, grab a big spoon and start woofing it down like Jethro (Beverly Hillbillies), I thought ‘my god’, that is what I looked like to other people in my teens and 20s? It was disgusting to see.

[daniel1212]

OK, as a researcher of low prices, I take this as a challenge (not that I but half the items here). Do the math (I did not) and most of these would last over a week, while it provides for making your own bread, etc. if wanted. Many are store specific, but here in MA just at Walmart (store or ship) here are most foods (and thank GOD for it all):

Great Value Sun-Dried Raisins, 20 oz $3.98

Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce, 67 Oz Jar $4.9 total.$

Contadina Tomato Sauce, 15 oz Can $0.98Item price is $0.98 total.

Great Value Whole Vitamin D Milk, Gallon, 128 fl oz $3.07

Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter, Spread, 64 oz $5.48

Great Value Elbows, 48 oz $2.72

Quaker, Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Whole Grain, 42 oz $5.6813.5 ¢/oz

King Arthur Flour All-Purpose Flour Unbleached, 10lb (4.3)4.3 stars out of 39 reviews 39 reviews $9.986.2 ¢/oz

King Arthur Flour 100% Premium Whole Wheat Flour, 80 oz (4.3)4.3 stars out of 278 reviews 278 reviews $5.587.0 ¢/oz

Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast, 0.75 Oz, 3 Pack (4.7)4.7 stars out of 181 reviews 181 reviews $1.72$2.15/oz

Great Value Ground Cinnamon, 18 oz (4.8)4.8 stars out of 200 reviews 200 reviews $11.1261.8 ¢/oz

Great Value Large White Eggs, 60 Count (2.4)2.4 stars out of 820 reviews 820 reviews $19.9833.3 ¢/ea

Great Value Double Acting Baking Powder, 8.1 oz (4.6)4.6 stars out of 226 reviews 226 reviews $1.5619.3 ¢/o

Great Value Grape 100% Juice, 96 fl oz $4.68

Great Value Frozen Orange Juice, 12 fl oz (4.0)4 stars out of 88 reviews 88 reviews $1.5012.5 ¢/fl oz

Great Value Sweet Cream Salted Butter Twin Pack, 16 oz, 2 Count $8.5826.8 ¢/oz

(4 Cans) Great Value Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 oz (4.5)4.5 stars out of 1889 reviews 1889 reviews $3.2816.4 ¢/oz

Pampa Mackerel in Brine, 15 oz Can (3.7)3.7 stars out of 66 reviews 66 reviews $2.9819.9 ¢/oz

Great Value Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 12 oz (4.5)4.5 stars out of 232 reviews 232 reviews $1.9015.8 ¢/oz

Great Value Bun Length Uncured Beef Franks, 14 oz (3.9)3.9 stars out of 25 reviews 25 reviews $3.48$3.96/lb >Great Value 100% Whole Wheat Round Top Bread Loaf, 20 oz (3.1)3.1 stars out of 267 reviews 267 reviews $1.889.4 ¢/oz

73% Lean/27% Fat Ground Beef Roll, 1lb (Frozen) $3.27

Great Value Deli Style Sliced Mild Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz, 12 Count (3.1)3.1 stars out of 156 reviews 156 reviews $2.2227.8 ¢/oz

Glory Foods Canned Seasoned Spinach, 27 oz (4.4)4.4 stars out of 83 reviews 83 reviews $1.987.3 ¢/oz

Fresh Blueberries, 18 oz $4.44

Clementines, 3lb bag >Romaine Lettuce Hearts, 3 Pack $3.74

Tomato on the Vine, Bag $1.98

Marketside Fresh Spinach Salad, 10 oz $2.2822.8 ¢/oz

Celery Stalk $1.74

Broccoli Crowns, per lb $1.83each$2.44/ea

Great Value Granulated Sugar, 10 lbs $12.94

Fresh Green Bell Pepper, Each $0.82

Tetley Classic Blend Rich Black Tea, 100 Count Tea Bags $3.42

[Sacajaweau]

I buy a lot of the Great Value brand. I don't buy juices...sugar is sugar. I do buy whole milk and heavy cream for my coffee...as it has a two month shelf life. I freeze some milk in case of coffee emergency. No powder cr** allowed.

What I don't find at Walmart...I'm fortunate to have an Aldi right around the corner. Their fresh vegetables are better than Walmart.

[Sacajaweau]

I boil a cinnamon stick occasionally.

[Sacajaweau]

My son had his own giant salad bowl. Favorite food in my house....goulash...and they all still make it...and they’re in their 50s.

[Sacajaweau]

Chicken broth...ramens?? I buy Orrington Farms Broth Base...it's dry, cheap and great. I also buy Angel Hair...cooks in 3 minutes...good in so many recipes.

Those kids are not getting the protein they need. Wondering if they get their breakfast and lunch at school...free.

[MayflowerMadam]

What is chicken French?

[Sacajaweau]

I don’t own a microwave either. Here’s my trick...When I have leftovers, I put the pan of whatever right in the fridge. It makes you eat the leftovers cuz having a pan take up the room in the fridge is just not right. Living alone has advantages. I also gulp milk right out of the bottle. lol

[Sacajaweau]

Thin slices of chicken breast...dipped in egg and then flour and sauteed in olive oil. Set aside. Sauce is olive oil, butter, lemon, wine, garlic....look on the web for Rochester recipe.

Veal French was the big thing years ago...but chicken french came into its own because of the cost of veal.

[Sacajaweau]

One year I was really, really broke. I picked raspberries and made $5. Bought chicken, mac and vegies and made enough soup for a week. Of course that was about 35 years ago.