Most people are very hesitant to try and find savings in the food department, as they assume it means a reduction in healthiness, taste, or quality.  None of these need be true if you can emulate how my family manages to eat well for less than $5 per person per day!

How It’s Done

• We cook many meals from ‘scratch’ as in basic ingredients, not prepared foods.  A little work goes a long way in cost savings. Plus you get the satisfaction in that you created the meal yourself.
• We don’t eat a lot of meat.  Meat is not only expensive, but it can be unhealthy, at least in the quantities most North Americans eat it in.  Meat is healthier (and cheaper) as a side dish or accompanied to a meal than as the main course.
• We spend a half hour a week browsing the flyers for deals.  Every week you’ll generally find something you can stock up on for sale.  We buy meats than can be frozen, canned goods that can be stored, fruits that last long in a fridge, etc. Food basics and Price Chopper tend to have great deals (click on the links to view the latest flyers).
• We buy in season and local, as much as possible.  There are huge savings (and environmental benefits) to be had if you simply adapt your eating habits to fit the climate you’re in.  Where I am, we eat loads of asparagus in spring, berries in summer, corn in fall, etc.  Before winter, we store long lasting apples, pears, and squash, among others.  We bulk buy berries in season and freeze them for use in winter, etc.   Requires a bit of forethought, but it’s well worth it!
• We plan our meals a week in advance, so we’re never scrambling at the last minute, picking up high cost convenience items at full price.

Sample Meals to Get You Going

Before you start to think that we are spending hours in the stores and kitchen preparing these meals, let me give you a sample list of some recent meals we’ve made to show you how easy it can be;

• Tuna and shrimp salad

• Three bean chili

• Chick pea curry with rice

• Eggplant Parmigian

• Portobello burgers

• Fajitas

• Fresh fish with rice

• Spicy lentil soup

Conclusion

All simple and quick to make, all delicious, and all very low cost.  None of those dinners cost more than $10 in total, and they fed two adults and two children.  I should also add that I have a high metabolism, and therefore a large appetite, so I usually eat a double portion!

Bullseye’s Final Tip

Get a slow cooker!  These are great for busy people who arrive home hungry, saves time and money.