Wow, day 1 is barely over, and I already feel like I’ve proven that organization is key when it comes to budgeting! I spent almost an hour this morning 
figuring out what we had on hand (too many greens), what meals I could make with those items, and what exactly I needed to buy. The days of going to the store with a partial grocery list are definitely over, but we did end up with some tasty lasagna tonight as a result (pictured). More on that later though, first things first…the votes are in! And based on everyone’s feedback it looks like we will be attempting to eat real food on a budget of $125/week. It was a surprisingly close race between $125 and $150 and I appreciate everyone who shared their opinion (but especially those who wanted me to have more money to spend! LOL).
So here are the rules:
- We have $125/week to buy food for our family of four, which includes my husband, our two daughters (ages 3 and 5), and me of course. This budget will cover our food from Monday through Sunday each week, and if for some strange reason I end up accidentally going over-budget it will be deducted from the following week (yikes!).
- What’s not in the budget:
- Eating out: We will have $20/week for eating out and since most fast food restaurants don’t fall under the realm of “real food,” I am estimating that the four of us could eat at a restaurant maybe two or three times a month. I will be tracking and sharing the outcome of this category.
- Household products: These expenses will not be part of this project, and will cover things like household cleaners, paper products, and alcohol. No one needs to know how much we spend on our alcohol, which helps us get through these pledges in the first place.
- Garden Harvest: I already spent about $30 on seeds and plants for the fall, which just about filled up 6 out of our 7 raised garden beds. Any veggies we harvest ourselves will be considered free!
- Pantry/Freezer Stock: With the exception of meat and seafood (which can obviously be a big expense) we can use any ingredients, pre-made frozen meals, canned goods, or other items that we already own at no charge. I will also make a point to restock some of these items as I go, but I do believe an important part of budgeting is learning to use what you have on-hand!
- Travel and Entertaining: If we are out of town or entertaining guests we will obviously be under different circumstances. Therefore food that falls under these categories will not be part of our weekly budget nor will it be tracked for the blog.
- As far as what we can eat…we are going to stick to our original real food “rules” from our first pledge as much as possible, but we will have to the ability to waiver on occasion since the focus this time is on how much we spend.
So back to my morning….as I mentioned, organization and planning are key, but I still have a long way to go before I master t
his whole real food on a budget thing. I started off by figuring out what produce we have on hand and pictured you will see the overwhelming amount of greens that I uncovered (from some recent CSA boxes). And I am not kidding when I tell you that I have no idea what the three items in the bags are or how I should cook them for that matter. I am also not kidding when I say I don’t even think I like most greens and my daughters are pretty much in the same boat as me on that one. So after that fun discovery I made a list of things I can make this week:
Monday: Swiss Chard Lasagna with a side of Green Beans (mission accomplished!)
Tuesday: Leftovers and a Salad (for the adults)
Wednesday: Bell Pepper Fajitas (I will attempt to throw some of the greens into the pepper mix)
Thursday: Butternut Squash Soup and Zucchini Bread or Biscuits
Friday: Eggplant gratin with some sort of meat (if we can afford it by Friday!)
I am not sure what I will end up doing with all of the greens that are not accounted for…maybe give them to my neighbor or just force feed them to my husband? I will do a lot for this new budget, but eating some sort of mustard or other greens on a daily basis is not one of them! Anyway, I also made a grocery list for Earth Fare this morning so I could get what I needed to make these meals, and I set a goal to not spend more than $60. I came up with this number because it would allow me to save $30 for our milk bill (we get 4 gallons delivered every Thursday morning…I know you are wondering how long this will last on our new budget!) and about $30 for the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Plus it is always good to have a few bucks you haven’t accounted for yet, which unfortunately already came in handy.
I did my shopping and stuck to my detailed list, but while I was checking out I seriously had to give the cashier back at least a half a dozen items that I couldn’t afford to buy (mental note: bring calculator next time). After we got through that little embarrassing moment my bill came to $67, which I was okay with. I used to very easily drop $200 or more at Earth Fare so I feel like today was A LOT of progress for me. I had to suppress my desire to impulse shop many times and let me tell you it was not fun! Later in the week I will share the list of what I bought for the $67 and an update on how our little weekly meal plan is going so far!
Hi. I live in san Diego, CA & I am very interested in trying the milk you have delivered to your home. How would I go about finding out to do the same?
I found it by googling “milk delivery matthews, nc” …hope that helps!
Kyndra: Claravale Dairy comes twice a month down to San Diego from the Central California Coast and they have raw Jersey cow and raw goat’s milk. The next time they will be at Hillcrest Farmers’ Market and distribute to a couple stores, including Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market will be the weekend of March 10.
Hi, Enjoyed reading the posts. We offer 100% Grass fed Beef, pastured pork and chicken and deliver to Ft Mill. You can check our website at
brickhousefarms1943.com
Your order can be emailed to us. If have questions, let us know.
We feel that having at least your meats on hand at home is the most economical and easiest way to prepare. Personally, we haven’t bought store meats in over 3 years. I make most of our breads and get those items from The GRAIN Loft, they also deliver to Ft Mill. We get our milk from Milky Way Farms, they too deliver to Ft Mill.
I also make our laundry detergent, and plan on making our auto dish detergent. We have 3 kids, and farming is all we do.
We have found that for us, if we can just go to the store every 2-3 weeks, it saves a lot of time and money not driving to the store each week. Depending on how you can buy your items, you don’t always have to pay sales tax either!
Hope this helps some.
Ok, thank you. I Googled Milk Delivery San Diego, CA & found this one website that says no minimum order, no contract & no delivery fee….so I am hoping its what I am looking for. They have milk & they call it Organic Milk….now thats not the same right?
Sounds like a good option…just make sure their cows are grass-fed.
This is what their site says about their various diary products they sell including milk, please tell me what you think…..Certified organic dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones and are fed a 100% certified organic diet produced on lands untreated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. The farm on which the herd is pastured must be certified organic as well.
Sounds like a good choice then!
I am wanting to try Raw Milk, thats what I was oroginally interested in…which is that you & your family drink? This is what they say regarding Raw Milk…..Milk that has not been pasteurized; drinking it is no longer recommended. The risk of bacteria, including salmonella, in raw milk has prompted the U.S. government to require pasteurization for all milk sold interstate
Raw milk is illegal here in N.C. so it’s not an option for us.
oh, ok I see. Its still legal here in CA but having a lot of recall issues the past 6 months or so & 2 so far this 2012 year. I was just reading about it
Well thank you for always responding to my comments & questions, I appreciate!
Thanks so much for all you do. I just found the website and definitely will be trying a lot of the recipes. I am starting to cut out all processed foods from our diet but it will be gradual since we can afford to throw out what’s already in the pantry. Unfortunately our budget is about half of yours but we’ll see how it goes. We receive food stamps but it’s only $288 a month for my family of four. The higher numbers must be for non employed families. At any rate thanks so much I’m hoping that the dietary change will help with my husbands anxiety/ depression.
Yes, the higher number is for families who receive no other assistance/income at all. Wishing you the very best of luck…many people do this cheaper than me so I am sure it can be done!
Stumbled upon the website last night. Looking forward to reading more. Need all the help I can get.
I was reading about your milk did you know that humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy from another species!…if you read pH Miracle book by Robert O. Young PhD. he explains how milk in the body and what it’s effects have on humans….a very good book to read….the true art of eating clean…no meat, no eggs, no milk….www.phmiracleliving.com/ …I switched to almond milk and coconut milk.
$125 a week is totally doable and actually easy if you know how to cook. If you don’t,….. learn! The meals go up in price if you don’t know how to “wing” it! If you can’t cook, find 7 recipes and learn how to cook them well and then start to branch out. If you have a brown rice and any veggie, you have dinner!
Does anyone know of how to get raw milk somehow in NC and or recomendations for fresh beef/chicken..we are near Raleigh
http://realmilk.com/
just recently started reading your blog & i love it! it’s amazing what you’re doing. and i am dying to know- what or how did you make the lasagna pictured?! it looks so yummy. i tried looking in the recipes but haven’t found it. =)
Hi Jamie. Lisa hasn’t shared that recipe yet. Sorry about that. Jill
What is eaten for breakfast and lunch during the day?
Hi Kaytee. You should check out the series “A Week with the Leakes” for some ideas. http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/05/14/a-week-with-the-leakes-breakfast/ and http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/05/17/a-week-with-the-leakes-lunch/. Jill
mystery greens? well then you need to make a big salad! its so easy to hide them in salad or with things like kale and spinach i dehydrate them and them powder them into soups or ground meat adds a great flavor and hey they never know they are in there
$500/mo for food seems quite high!
I’ve been trying to get a handle on our budget for food for awhile, due to the fact that I plan on being a SAHM once we have kids (which we are trying for currently). My husband has a decent job, but there is no way we could afford 500/month for just food.
That said, I still plan on cutting out as much processed food as possible, though we might not be able to do the higher priced meats – that is not to say I won’t do serious research on this! We do already save a lot by visiting farmer’s markets (which we need to find a winter weather market if there is one nearby).
I’m going to attempt to be as process free as possible for probably half that to start (250) this year… and next year I’m planning on planting a garden with some of the things we buy a lot that will alleviate the costs. Hopefully it’ll all work out and we can use the money we save on produce for better quality meats!
One thing at a time… first out, junkfood, sugary cereals and any storebought treats!
I struggle to spend within my 300/week budget for my family of 8. I cannot remember the last time I stayed within budget, actually. We do not buy cereal, sweets, and have a nearly dairy free household. I am enjoying the tips here… Hoping I will strike that one nugget of gold that will keep me within budget! My main struggle is with dairy allergies and GF dietary needs. I would also much rather feed nutritious food to my strong, growing,active children than have the latest cell phones or cable tv… but would love to find ways to have even more wonderful foods in the house.
$125 for a whole week is not bad at all, I spend almost double that for only 3 people. I def have to budget better.
I have about $200 to spend on food for a two week period for three.
How can you accomplish this kind of meal planning on a $30-$60 a week budget for 2 soon to be 3 couple, which includes milk and paper and cleaning products?
The way to keep your food budget down while eating natural and organic is to use whole foods. We still get snacks like organic crackers, fruit leather and bars but meals are usually from scratch. We are a family of 7 and my budget is $500 a month. I get my meat through a csa. We we pay $115 a month for about 22-23 lbs of pastured beef and pork. We spend about $60 from another farm for 4 gallons of raw milk and 2 whole chickens. (I do what’s called rubber chicken which makes one chicken last for 3 to 4 meals.) I order frozen fruit, frozen veggies, tortillas, bulk grains, beans, pasta, apples and other items from Azure Standard. You can get organic apples for $1 a pound. Check out their prices they deliver all over! I get chunk of my food from Trader Joe’s….spaghetti sauce, pasta, snacks, kiebasa, bacon, deli type turkey, all shampoo and conditioner, cheese puffs, tortillas, tortillini and more. Sam’s club…organic kids fruit twists, kids cliff bars, organic spring mix, and a few other things. The rest is from Krogers. Everything I buy is organic or gmo free. Almost anything we would normally eat you can find, here anyway, in a healthy version. A friend of mine helps with food pick-ups. Her hubby picks up the milk run twice a month, 15 minutes from here. I do the co-op (Azure) run 30 minutes from here once a month. I go to Trader Joes about once a month 30 minutes from here. Sam’s is 15 minutes and I go about once a month and Krogers is only 5 minutes. It did take me time to find it in an affordable way. I never buy chicken breast but buy occasional organic chicken thighs, we use ground beef, stew meat and roast. I make cream soup from scratch which saves money and cuts way back on nasty ingredients. My kids have their picky moments but for the most part they eat what I offer or pb and j.
I used to do coupons but for the most part it’s no longer worth my time. Oh…one thing I haven’t given up yet is pizza night. We get two $5 large pizzas from Little Caesars with free bread sticks with our smart card on Thursdays and every other sunday we go with another family after church to Wendy’s. We all get two $2 items from the value menu and free jr. frostys using my free frosty key tags. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what works for my family. I have been doing it long enough that it comes much easier now. 
Wow, now Im impressed!
Shannon-Thank you for listing everything you do for your food budget! It helps me a ton with the ideas!
Hi Amanda. I would encourage you to read through some of the other comments as many of our readers have good suggestions. In addition to that, I would consider keeping meat to a minimum as it tends to be more expensive. Perhaps focus on more beans, pasta, brown rice, vegetables, etc. I hope you find some other good ideas from our readers. Jill
I only saw Monday thru Friday included in your budget and meal planning – what about Saturday and Sunday?
Hi Pat. The budget included all days, it may be that each day is not necessarily documented in terms of what was eaten. Jill
Ok so I see your budget was for $125 per week and that was 2010, are you still at that same budget, since our food prices have gone up quite a bit over 3 years? so just wondering if this is still doable or if we need to readjust?
Hi Rachel. Lisa and her family only stuck strictly to the budget for the 100 days. I’m not really sure if you were to look at food prices since 2010 how much they have gone up, but, I would say to adjust the budget accordingly to reflect the new prices. Best of luck. Jill
I just came upon your blog. I am in my senior years and live alone.
I am looking forward to following this blog and see how this works for me. Eat healthy stay healthy…..Keep it coming
I just stumbled upon this blog and I am so impressed!!! I am for sure going to do the 10 day challenge, and I haven’t decided about the 100-day official challenge, but I’ve been trying to stick to a $150/week budget with the same sort of plan for a family of 4 also, for the past few months and have found it next to impossible (especially with a son who has gluten and dairy allergies)! This blog has given me a new hope that we can do it. And with recipes and new ideas, I am excited to give it a try! Thank you!
We are currently working on a $150 budget per week which includes household items and pet food,cigarettes, alcohol, etc. That doesn’t count the kids lunches at school and I get part of my meals at work for free. We don’t yet follow all the rules, but we’ve cut back on soda and almost eliminated snack items. I’ve increased my veggies and fruits so mission accomplished, sending hubby with a fruit daily and serving 2 veggies at most dinners. So we have made a good start. My biggest struggle will be removing the white breads…son is addicted and reducing meat…son is allergic to nuts so how do we keep calorie count high enough? Hmmm..still thinking this out. But I think $125 a week is still very manageable.