How to feed four people for less than $130 per week or feed yourself for less than $32 per week (All Meals):
This is not the type of article I would normally write or share, however I think someone out there could benefit from this. Recently I set out to see just how little I could get the weekly food bill down for my family while maintaining a relatively healthy and enjoyable menu.
Surprisingly, it is achievable. The myth of healthy food being unaffordable is just that, a myth. At least it is in New Zealand. You can go to your local countdown and buy a 1kg bag of frozen vegetables for $2.50. $2.50 at your local fast food joint on the other hand will get you small fries if you are lucky. Hell, you cannot even get half a kg of potato chips for that price, making frozen vegetables technically “cheaper than chips”. Add to this a 1kg bag of brown rice for $3.25 and you are well on your way to a nutritious meal.
Eating healthy and to a tight budget is not easy and requires planning and discipline. That said, even if you are super busy you will have more than enough time to crank out the quick recipes I have devised. Do not worry, you will still get your Sunday bacon and eggs on toast.
The following is a rough list of what you will need and how much (or how little) it will cost you. Prices are accurate as of the time of writing, but costs obviously will go up over time. Prices and items were taken from Countdown but the other supermarket chains in New Zealand will have similar offerings and prices.
Breakfast:
Quick oats 750 Grams $2.10
Gopala Greek yoghurt 750g $3.5
Countdown brand caged eggs dozen grade 7 $4.30 x 2
Bananas loose $3.00kg
Toast bread wholemeal $3 x 2
Milk 3L $5
Peanut butter $3
Countdown streaky bacon $6.5
Essentials Instant Coffee Powder $1.80 X 2
Dinners:
Wholemeal penne 500g $2
Mexicano corn chips 170g $2
Sun rice brown rice calrose 1kg $3.25
Countdown Mexican tortillas 690g (15pk) $4
Romanos pizza bases 500g (3pk) $3
Essentials mixed veges 1kg $2.30
Onions loose $2.20kg
Carrots loose $2.50kg
Agria potatoes loose $2.99kg
Salami stick $5
Beef mince $10 worth
Brioche buns 6pk $4
Iceburg lettuce $1.5
Tomato loose $7 kg
Tinned diced tomatoes basil, garlic, and onion $1 x 2
Select tinned lentils $1.1
Select tinned chickpeas $1.1
Chicken thigh $8 worth
Cheese 500g $7.5
Deli ham $5
Snacks:
Countdown sunshine snack mix 500g $7
Countdown Potato Chips $1.5 each x 2
Subtotal: $127.75
The meals themselves:
Breakfasts: Weekdays (alternating between the first two options or as you like)
-Oats
(quick oats, milk, Greek yoghurt, honey)
-Peanut butter and banana Smoothies
(banana, peanut butter, milk, greek yoghurt, honey)
Sunday:
-Bacon and Eggs on toast
Lunches: Weekdays
-ham, cheese, and tomato sandwiches
(bread, deli ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce)
-Leftover pasta/rice meals
Weekends
-toasties
(bread, ham, cheese, tomato, any extras/leftovers) Dinners:
Monday: Quesadilla w/salsa or guac and corn chips
(cheese, tortillas, Greek yoghurt, homemade salsa, salami, Simple salad (tomato, lettuce))
Tuesday: Penne chorizo pasta
(Penne pasta, salami, tomato tin, chickpea tin, frozen vegetables, onion)
Wednesday: Homemade pizza
(pizza bases, tinned tomatoes, cheese, salami, ½ tomatoes)
Thursday: Fried rice with honey mustard chicken
(brown rice, frozen vege, chicken thighs, mustard, other seasonings to taste)
Friday: Burgers and homemade chips
(rolls, 1/2 mince, eggs, spices, onions, potatoes, lettuce, 1/2 tomatoes)
Saturday: Nachos
(1/2 beef mince, lentils tin, tomato tin, spices, 1 bag of corn chips, homemade salsa, onions)
Sunday: Spanish Style omelette
(6–8 eggs, potato, carrot, ¼ chorizo, cheese, lettuce, tomato) Snacks:
-Carrot sticks
-trail mix
-Potato Chips
Drinks:
-Water
- Coffee
Summary and Notes:
Yes, this menu will not suit every taste or dietary requirement, but it will be fine for most people, especially if you’re keen to start eating healthier while saving money to pay off your student debt or buy a house. If you are spending $5 on your daily coffee and are still wondering why your savings balance is low, you need to double check yourself.
The main area this menu saves money on is drinks and snacks. Sugary soft drinks are a huge factor in the rising obesity epidemic that is consuming NZ and other nations presently. Unhealthy snacking is another component of this problem, however I have made allowance for some potato chips, because these things are ok in moderation. The menu is also missing a couple of staples, but these items such as butter and sugar are a bi-weekly to monthly expense, therefore have no place here.
There is little compromise with this menu compared to other budget options I have seen; therefore, it would be a great start to anyone looking to cut down on their waistline and spending habits. If you have any questions or comments feel free to get in touch. I’d love to have a discussion about this.
Originally published at http://mitchellcarlyle.wordpress.com on July 20, 2020.