How to Feed Yourself for $15 a Week

Here is a very interesting piece I found at Get Rich Slowly .

How to Feed Yourself for $15 a Week

Saturday, 8th September 2007 (by J.D.)
This article is about Frugality, Food, Real-Life, Money Hacks

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Our discussion about how to eat for cheap generated a lot of great tips. Daiko shared a detailed explanation of how he once got by spending just $15/week on food. This is a great real-life example of how it’s possible to eat well without breaking the bank. I’m posting it here so that more people will see it.

Although I don’t do this now, I once lived on $15 a week for food in the early 1990s. This was helped by the fact that my workplace fed me five meals a week, but I was still carrying the weight of sixteen additional meals (for slightly less than a dollar per meal). This was not easy or comfortable to do — I did it by necessity — but I believe it could still be done for $20/week in most parts of the U.S. Also, while I was satisfied at the time, the fare was probably a bit more spartan than most would willingly eat.

Here is some of what I did: Follow link

This is a very interesting piece. I grew up eating purposefully and with simple intent. I keep staples and bulk items and I freeze leftovers for later variety. I eat very little meat and when I buy it, I look for half price tags on Thursday evenings because Friday is toss out day and the meat cases are prepped for the weekend shopper. Then I use the meat as an adjunct to dishes rather than as the main course. I am fortunate to live in a very competitive neighborhood with three major grocery giants jockeying for customers. I have their web sites marked and I am for each, their worst kind of customer. I also buy store brands as much as I am able or want. I have a failing just now for Kozy-Snak sugar free tapioca pudding. It is usually six serving cups for $3.00. I now have tapioca pearls, a double boiler and I make my own tapioca custard for about 25 cents per serving. I also have a failing for Kashi Go-Lean Crunch. I have made a perfect knock off with bulk supplies from the health food grocery.

My skills have earned me a spot on hunting, fishing and sailing ventures. My principle collaborator and mentor is my long time friend Big Kat. BK can smoke a varmint or produce a pan of or scratch biscuits ready for butter and preserves in about 30 minutes. Together we can do things to egg plant that would make Em'ril weep.

Please go on to the link above.

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