My $45 menu has been so popular that I’ve taken a shot at another one. I tried to duplicate the $45 price tag, but it was just too hard. Instead I’ve developed a relatively low cost menu. This one has much more meat, a few more fruits and veggi
es and a greater variety. I hope this one will prove to be as popular as the first. If you need more information about packing lunches see Lunch Box Basics & Lunch Box Food. For even more information about this menu, to ask questions about it or to leave feedback, go to the Hillbilly Housewife Blog.
You may also want to take a look at the ebooks and resources provided by Living On A Dime – their ebooks are well worth the small fee they charge for all the money saving tips and ideas that you will get out of them. I usually make up the money I pay on the ebook within less than a week (often in one shopping trip) from purchase. Take a look and see for yourself at LivingOnADime.com.
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After starting to type I realized I am commenting on an older conversation. However, just in case someone is reading I’ll go ahead and share. Several years ago our family of then six was given groceries by a mother of 15 every Friday afternoon. There was always a variety of food. Sometimes fresh fruit and vegetables were included. I believe that the woman was participating in a gathering program. The foods were past due date so could no longer be kept in the stores but were still good. Perhaps other people have the same sort of program available in their area and could utilize this for their own families. It couldn’t hurt to ask the manager of groceries, delis, and/or restaurants what they do with the foods that are still good but must be tossed out due to regulations. The most they can say is no. Also, there might be people who would consider bartering or trading services in exchange for food goods. At one time I received two gallons of fresh milk as payment for piano lessons. Oh the delicious eating that rich, wholesome milk provided our young family! I would never have been able to afford this if I had to pay for it with money. Organizing, decorating, clerical help, babysitting, barbering, manicurist, cleaning, yard work, computer work, and many other skills could be traded for food. There may be someone with more eggs than their family can use who would be delighted to pay for lessons in whatever your skill set is with eggs. This can be adjusted to fit any situation. I know that I personally would be overjoyed to exchange homemade bread or some other service in return for guitar lessons for my children. After years of living on less, MUCH less, I have found that altering my perspective and realizing truth is essential. What is the real need in this situation? I don’t need more money. My family needs food. Food is the need not money. Realigning my focus and thoughts to view each situation clearly and accurately enables me to see possibilities I would otherwise miss. I can not feed my family on the amount of money available, but God can. I just have to listen and look for His provision. If I’m looking for money when I need food, I will often miss the provision of food because I was too busy looking for the money to buy the food myself. Anyway, this really isn’t relevant to the discussion so I will close. Just wanted to share about the gathering and bartering/trading. Thank you for your time.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this menu. I am horrible and meal planning. I wish you had several of these $70 menu’s or even higher just menu’s period available. I would use them all. Thank you for your hard work.
The link to the overnight bread goes to the Family bread. It doesnt say anything in the recipe about letting it set overnight. How does that work?
Thank you for letting me know, Vicki. The link was indeed wrong. I went in and found the recipe that was supposed to link there. It was quite a mission as the recipe had a different name. “Old Fashioned Overnight Bread” was a more descriptive name for what is the “Kingdom of Heaven Bread.” Now the link goes to the right recipe. Thank you again for the heads-up. I sure appreciate it!
oh I’m so excited to try your menu. I’ve gotten so bored with my current menu. It’s wonderful that the price is so affordable. I’m combining your $45 dollar menu with your $70 one to do an every other week for the month. Thanks for your hard work and time to allow us to use it.
I recently used the hamburger pinwheels recipe but added my own twist to use what I had on hand. Instead of ground beef, I used bulk breakfast sausage. I added some shredded garlic-herb cheese. These were *wonderful* served with marinara for dinner! Then the next morning they were a great grab-and-go breakfast – kind of like a breakfast sandwich. I was thinking they’d also be great served on a plate with a white/country gravy.
Hope this helps someone who might have slightly different ingredients on hand but would still like to use the recipe!
i love your $45 and $70 (old prices) menus. i was wondering if you were up to making a couple of $100 (current price) menus? i think it would really help to have a few different weekly menus handy, so that when things are really lean you can turn to the emergency menu, but when finances allow, you can turn to a more “normal” menu that’s still frugal for those in need.
i was directed to your site years ago and still come back for ideas. i’m in canada so things are much more expensive here, but you can still use the ideas and principles to save you money especially if you are able to find good sales.
Oh, yes, that would be lovely. I truly appreciate your menus and hard work. A current version if you were up to it — or even just two different weeks to alternate — would be amazing!
Thanks again so much.
I live in alaska and I would love to purchase this complete menu and post the prices. $.69 for a doz eggs!!!! I pay $5 a dz!
It would be lovely if all the recipies for the $45 and $70 menu were printed in a booklet or even an e book so as to aid in not having to search for them….I sooo love these ideas they are so helpful thank you….
Thank you, Lori. I will do my best to investigate the possibility.
Yes, I agree with you Lori. It was easier to find these recipes on the old website, I would love to have the recipes for the $45 and $70 menus in an easy to access format.
I so agree that it was much easier to find recipes on the old website.
WHERE are the fresh fruits and veggies???? No way my kids would go for this type of menu. They love their salads with greens, tomatoes, cukes, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli. Lots of fresh fruit as well – bananas, berries, oranges, pineapple, watermelon, apples. I guess this is why my grocery bill will never be this low…..probably not even the produce section of my grocery receipt!!
I understand your concern, Heather. You do want to serve a balanced diet, complete with lots of fruits and veggies. This menu is meant to give families on a very limited budget some ideas to get by from paycheck to paycheck without empty bellies. If a family finds itself in the situation that requires them to stretch each dollar as far as possible, these menus will get you by.
If a family must follow a low cost menu to be able to feed the family, it makes sense to add fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible. Finding fresh produce at a reasonable price is a task, to be sure, but not entirely impossible. If you have a friendly farm or market, one solution is buying bruised or ‘not perfect’ produce. Also, the ‘humble’ fruits and veggies are healthy, too. Celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, collards… all good and often cheaper than peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, etc. Also, a bag of baking apples are just as nutritious as Granny Smiths, and much less expensive.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Heather.
wow, susanne! this is incredible. i have a series on my website called $30 for 5 meals, but it is not half as detailed and organized as this. very impressive.
Thank you, Tijuana. I’m glad you find this menu useful. I’m including the link to your website’s “$30 for 5 meals” post for anyone interested in finding even more frugal recipes. Thanks for the ‘heads up’ about your research. Here is the link: http://www.pomanmeals.com/30-for-5-meals-1212-edition/
Thank you for this. For the firs two weeks in Jan I’m going to have to feed my whole family on under $20/day This menu is a godsend, even though I *know* some members of my family will choose to not eat the offerings (that’s their problem not mine..their bellies will be empty, not mine)
I like this one better than the $45 one because you include the links to your recipes at the bottom of the page makes it easier to look and cook.
I am going to substitute the white flour for whole wheat and the white rice for brown though. Just for the extra fiber.
I have shared these menues with friends over the years-the $40 and this one. recently I have learned that if you live in a large city with any asian or hispanic markets you have a great resource for inexpensive foods. I recently purchased a 6lb bag of turbinado sugar for 10.00 and the fruits and vegetables are quite a bit less expensive. spices are really cheap-even though sometimes you have to really look at the package to know for sure what it is
My ddl turned me on to this menu a long time ago. It was a life saver. We had visiting missionaries in our home (mom dad and 5 kids). We stacked ‘em up like cord wood but I was at a loss as to what to cook! We were flat broke. I used the $70 menu for the first time the week this family was with us. I received SO many compliments on the food and especially the bread. I had to increase the amounts because with our family the total amount of folks at the table each meal/snack was 10-12. Thanks for all the help! God bless you!
13.68- Instant Dry Milk, 64oz
3.50- Butter
4.00 Eggs
2.50 Cheese
10.00 Ground beef
3.00 Salmon
1.40 Tuna
1.40 Navy Beans
4.00 Bacon
1.00 Cheap Hotdogs
2.00 Turkey Sausage
.80 Kidney Beans
1.00 Frozen peas
2.00 Frozen Broccoli
1.50 Instant Potatoes
1.60 Green Beans
1.50 Cabbage
1.80 Tomato Sauce
3.00 Apple Sauce
3.00 Frozen Orange Juice
2.00 Onions
2.00 carrots
1.50 Celery
2.00 peaches
2.00 pineapples
4.00 Rice
4.00 Flour
2.00 Corn Meal
2.50 Mac and Cheese
1.50 Ramen
1.00 Baking Powder
3.00 Yeast
3.00 Molasses
4.00 Sugar
1.50 Pancake Syrup
1.50 Ranch
1.50 Jelly
1.00 Mustard
1.00 Ketchup
1.50 Mayo
1.00 Worcestershire
1.00 Hot pepper sauce
.50 Salt
.50 Black Pepper
.50 Chili Powder
.50 Garlic Powder
.50 Cinnamon
2.00 Tea
111.68- 70= 41.68 – 26 (reusables: salt, pepper, butter, etc..) = 15.68 over budget – 5 (food estimates from personal experience) = 10.68 over budget.
Yea, unless you have all of these items already, you would have to initially pay close to 100 dollars instead of 70 by my estimates (perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think so: that’s even taking away 10 dollars for flaws in pricing). I don’t see how this would work in a real world if you are shopping at a major chain such as Walmart or some other cheap retail. Is coupons being used or prices being calculated only on used portions? How can 5lbs of ground beef cost 2.00 in any reality? It costs about 2.00 a pound at it’s cheapest and highest fat content. A lot of these foods are so unhealthy as well looking from the ingredient: cheapest sausage, cheapest hamburger, cheapest eggs, cheapest butter, etc…. What you save would probably end up costing you later in health. I don’t know… Doesn’t seem realistic to me. Perhaps you can clarify so it makes sense.
I know that these are 2009 prices but still… I don’t think that even in 2009 you could buy 5lbs of hamburger for 2.00. That’s like 40 cents a pound? LOL.
Take care, I spake my mind