Have you ever seen Money Saving Mom’s article about feeding yourself on $30 a week? It showed up in my Pinterest feed a while back, and I was super inspired when I saw it.
It’s so simple, no coupon clipping or deal crunching. Just a good old fashioned shopping list and menu plan.
Even though that particular plan wouldn’t work for us because of Gabriel’s food allergies (specifically, he’s allergic to gluten), I knew there had to be a few substitutions we could use to still come up with a bare bones, $30 or less gluten-free recipe meal plan.
After some more thought, (about the fact that I function so much better on a relatively high protein diet) I got to wondering how much protein I could pack into such a tight grocery budget.
With that in mind, I drug Gabriel and the kids through the store, where I basically wrote down how much everything cost, then we went home and crunched a bunch of numbers.
I’m so excited to report that you can have a healthy diet for a mere $20.00 per week!
Here are the differences between my list, and Money Saving Mom’s:
- Mine feeds two people based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet – which is why this actual list totals $40.
- It’s gluten-free
- It Provides a daily average of 117 grams of protein per person.
- Is all real food. I suppose some folks might consider packaged corn tortillas to be manufactured food, but they’re basically made with masa and water. By the way, if you have time and inclination, you could buy a bag of masa and make your own tortillas instead. They’ll be cheaper, and taste way, way better.
- Can easily be made dairy-free by swapping out the butter for another cooking oil, and the cheese for your preference of substitute.
So here we go.
Update: This is new and exciting! Now you can get the $20 Meal Plan Printable Shopping list and meal plan for free by filling out the form below!
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A Healthy Diet For $20 A Week
The shopping list:
**these prices are all real, current prices from grocery stores in the greater Nashville area**
- Eggs, 2 1/2 dozen. $2.69
- Potatoes, 10 lbs. $2.89
- Carrots, 2lbs. $0.99
- Cabbage, 2 heads. $1.98
- Onions, 3lbs. $0.69
- Corn tortillas, 2pkgs (60). $2.56
- Pinto beans, 2lbs. $1.78
- Salsa, 1 jar. $1.69
- Shredded cheese, 1lb. $2.88
- Rice, 2lbs. $1.50
- Chicken leg quarters, 8lbs. $7.60
- Apples, 3lbs. $3.00
- Bananas, $2.00
- Butter, 1lb. $2.39
- Frozen veggies, 3 bags, $2.97 (See why I buy frozen veggies)
- Oatmeal, 1 carton, $2.39
Total: $39.95
Menu plan/ideas:
Breakfasts:
- eggs, oatmeal (with butter and fruit) or hash browns/fried potatoes
Lunches:
- Bean and cheese burritos with salsa.(make refried beans in the crockpot at the beginning of the week to cut out prep time).
- Beans and rice.
- Leftovers
Dinners:
- Stir-Fry (cabbage, onion, and carrots), with chicken and rice
- Chicken-veggie soup (carrots, onions, potatoes, rice).
- Chicken with steamed veggies.
- Chicken tacos.
- Potato and broccoli soup (using broth from chicken you’ve cooked previously), devilled eggs.
- chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy (make sure to use the broth from your chicken in the gravy!)
- Baked (or slow cooked) chicken and rice, veggies.
Snacks:
- bananas,
- apples,
- carrots
Also see: The $20 meal plan for more recipe ideas.
There are endless variations you can make on these. Get creative! Add different spices, makes casseroles, etc. it doesn’t have to be the same meal every night.
The idea with this menu is to keep your grocery expenditure down as low as possible, so that you can save as much of your grocery budget back as you can to take advantage of sales and such to create a stockpile so that eventually you’re eating a much wider variety of things, but still not spending a lot.
I’ll be honest though, I like this menu a lot the way it is! Although I do think I’d like some beef eventually.
What do you think?
Update 1/27/2016
Does the $20 grocery budget still work? A lot of you have left some very heated comments here, and I do realize that every area differs in the prices you will find, but I whole-heartedly believe that even the biggest skeptic will be surprised by how cheaply they can get groceries if they broaden their shopping habits a little.
Proof? Here’s a snapshot of our shopping receipt from yesterday. Obviously, we no longer live in Nashville, as you can see looking at the receipt, and we bought butter for less than $2 per pound! (I folded the receipt so you couldn’t see how much chocolate I bought. Just kidding! I folded it because it was too long to take a picture of otherwise.)
Is that a normal price? Well, that depends. It’s NOT a normal price for any other store I’ve been to in a 100 mile radius of that Aldi. But it’s normal for THAT ALDI.
So every time we go (it’s 60 miles away, so not often!), we stock up, and as a result, the butter we use every day costs us less than $2/lb.So YES this shopping plan does work – but not if you shop at Kroger or Whole Foods.
Update #2 February 2019
Do I still maintain that the $20 grocery budget works?
Yes – with some modifications. I find it very difficult to stay within that budget when buying small quantities. Instead, I buy Chicken leg quarters in 10# bags for $0.49-$0.59/lb (Most stores in our area carry these bulk-ish bags including Aldi, HEB, and Walmart). This is actually cheaper per pound than the 2015 price I quoted above.
On the other hand, unless there’s a really great sale (the last one was the week before Christmas), it’s nearly impossible to find butter for under $2/lb anymore.
It seems like the price of a lot of the other basics has stayed relatively the same – potatoes, vegetables, dry beans, tortillas.
The biggest trick to saving money on your grocery budget is being willing to find and try new things. Adapt!
Get The $20 Meal Plan Printable!
Want the printable version of this $20 plan? Sign up to get it WITH a complete shopping list, and meal prep instructions!
Vanessa says
This is a good list! ! it’s totally possible to eat healthy on a budget!
Amanda says
This is a lifesaver! I’m celiac as well as highly allergic to wheat, eggs, sesame, peanuts, soy, and dairy just makes my joints hurt. Entire food groups..I know. I didn’t find out I was allergic to all of these things until age 26 and now I’m 28..weird. 3 kidney stones and other problems later I feel great :). I got our grocery budget down to $400 for 3 people. We live in a very expensive part of Arizona. We have very expensive stores in our surrounding area like whole foods. Even though we are frugal. Our higher paying jobs allow us flexibility. There’s just no reason to spend so much on food! I know this can be done in more expensive areas of the country. It just requires some rearranging of recipes. Nooo you don’t need that expensive brie to make that recipe work or a seasoning you’ll use once. I’m working really hard on perfecting my homemade versions of gluten free bread and other substitutes. These are great recipes I can use! I like to use chickpeas instead of eggs or hemp tofu if it’s on sale. We also enjoy meatless meals throughout the week to save money. We are on baby step 5 and saving for our 7 year olds college. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Judith Chestnut says
I enjoyed the article. While I may not be under the $20 budget, the plan still keeps my budget lower than before. Every budget is not black or white , you need to have those grey areas to account for personal taste or life style. Keep up the good work!
Jenn says
08/11/2018 – Prices in Kent WA at WinCo were US$44.31 (without tax) for these same items. Nothing was organic and a few things were on sale, but on a normal non-sales day it would probably be closer to US$50.00. Does it “work” as a $20/person/day thing here? It probably could with a few more coupons or sales. But it works generally. and that’s what matters at the end of the day!
Eggs per dozen are $1.38, so the total was $3.45
Potatoes, 10#: $1.98
Carrots, 2#: $0.98
Cabbage – smallest I could find was 4#: $2.72
Onions, 3#: $1.38
Corn Tortillas, 60 cnt: $2.96
Pinto Beans, 2#: $1.54
Salsa: $1.58
Shredded cheese (1 lb): $3.00
Rice, 2#: $1.59
Chicken leg quarters: 8# @ $0.88/lb = $7.04
Apples, 3#: $4.99
Bananas, 3 lb @ $0.52/lb: $1.56
Butter, 1#: $3.25
Frozen vegetables, 3×1# bags: $3.99
Oatmeal: $2.30
Harmony says
Wow. I wish prices were like that in Southern California!!
Kristina Holcomb says
Well, I can attest to the fact that it’s possible today to eat this cheaply. I spend $40 a week for a family of 4. Not only does that buy our groceries but also other necessities. I take 2 $20 bills out of the atm and head to the stores. I don’t even have an Aldi 🙁 I shop at Walmart, Save a Lot, which is kinda similar to Aldi, maybe… they have good sales on produce and meat. I buy our milk, cheese and butter from Braums, which is a local dairy store. They only have stores within a 300 mile radius of their farm in Oklahoma. I use the summer months when I have lots of produce growing to stock up on extra pantry staples and meats with the money I don’t have to pay for fruits and veggies. Anyone could do this if they really wanted to. You absolutely can eat well and healthily on a tiny budget and I have proof of it!
Willow says
This is a really great list ( and my son is also gluten free and we live in Northern California -one of the most expensive places) my advice to sceptics is check sale add and compare stores. Go to grocery outlets if possible.
Pat says
That is a great list. I want it. I have to cook ahead, because I work a lot and I could make this work. Thanks.
Sandy says
I have spent15-20 a week for a single since retirement and use the same formula of $5 for protein, 5 for dairy(yogurt, cheese) $5 for vegs,fresh or frozen, and $5 for oatmeal and bread. It works by watching special buys and sales.
Does it really matter? says
Time to update this list to reflect real prices in 2020! Please stop circulating this $20 per week bullshit.
Eggs, 2 1/2 dozen. $8
Potatoes, 10 lbs. $9
Carrots, 2lbs. $4
Cabbage, 2 heads. $8
Onions, 3lbs. $3
Corn tortillas, 2pkgs (16). $8
Pinto beans, 2lbs. $5
Salsa, 1 jar. $4
Shredded cheese, 1lb. $10
Rice, 2lbs. $9
Chicken leg quarters, 8lbs. $40
Apples, 3lbs. $5
Bananas, $4.00
Butter, 1lb. $5
Frozen veggies, 3 bags, $10(See why I buy frozen veggies)
Oatmeal, 1 carton, $5
Elise says
I have no idea where you’re buying groceries, but I highly suggest finding somewhere cheaper. For instance, eggs at the two Aldis nearest me run $.69-89/dozen. $.90 per dozen at our nearest Walmart, and it looks like $5.68 for a carton of THREE dozen at HEB.
Grocery prices ARE going to be relative to where you live, but $5/lb for butter and chicken is wild.
Cheryl says
I live in Chicago. 4.00 is about the cheapest to be seen for a pound of butter. Also, the Aldi’s where I live do not have good produce and I would never buy meat there. Eggs are 1.49 a dozen at our Aldi and milk has gone up to 2.49 a gallon at out Aldi as well. . I only go there for milk, eggs, flour, salt, sugar and coffee. The produce is very low quality. Their gluten free items are ok, but the prices are not much lower than the other stores.
Kath says
Agreed that your prices will vary some from location to location, but compare your costs accurately shopping at an Aldi, Save a Lot or even Walmart. Prices will be MUCH cheaper than the highway robbery prices “Does it Really Matter” is quoting. If you are in the US then you have many affordable options.
Unfortunately, costs for our friends in Europe and down under are a great deal higher than here in the states. But as I have many online friends in those locations who share their deals, please know you can lower your costs, it will just take a little work and shopping smart.
Have a blessed day!
Cheryl says
This sounds about right to me. I refuse to buy the nasty produce and fatty rotten meat at Aldi. I also live in a big city. Your list is pretty accurate for my area. Also I have to feed a family of 4. My husband works in fitness and he consumes 2-3 potatoes each night along with around a pound and a half of meat, plus 3-4 fruits. 3-4 veggies. Protein shakes. 2 glasses of milk etc… also, neither my children nor I eat poultry. At bare bones our grocery budget is 150 a week. It includes fresh fruits frozen veggies eggs meats grains dairy. Salad makings etc… We go through 2 gallons of milk per week. Buying organic that is nearly 10 dollars plus orange juice. I love it when people who live in rural areas try to tell people to live off 20 dollars a week that would get me 2 gallons of milk a loaf of gluten free bread and a bag of apples.
Cheryl says
I live in Chicago. 8lbs of Chicken quarters is about 17 dollars. Potatoes are 4 dollars for 5lbs. Produce is super expensive even frozen veggies are almost 2 dollars a bag. My husband is also gluten free. 2.5 dozen eggs would be around 6 dollars more if you want organic. I think this is a good list of healthy foods to buy but should include the caveat that you don’t live in a big city.