First of all, you have to use the eggs for baking b/c we use 8 in omlets. And we are a family of 4, with two of those under 2.5yo!

The first couple of items on the list:
Baking soda ($2)
Baking powder ($2)
Mini chocolate chips ($4)
Cooking oil ($3)

(Now I can make muffins, pancakes, and waffles.)

Use part of the bread/eggs/milk making french toast. You're probably going to have to repeate pancakes a few times?

Buy zuchinni and potatoes. Stir fry with sausage for dinner. ($6)

Buttered or jam toast/corn on the cob/ 1# hamburger pattie-shaped meat with gravy for dinner.

Buy spagetti sauce & spagetti noodles - use 1/2# hamburger in that. Is there any toast left with some garlic salt? ($6)

Buy two cans cream of mushroom soup and noodles, mix with last of hamburger and pour over noodles. Serve with last of the corn. ($3-$4)

Probably have to buy something for dinner #5 but you'll probably have potatoes left over, so maybe mash them with a pot roast. I don't even know how much roasts cost....but leftovers would be good as bar-b-que beef sandwhiches for lunch. Have no clue as to another side dish - we had T-bone and cantelope last night. Great combo, huh? And I don't even eat cantelope, so I just had t-bone! LOL ($12)

If you add yeast to the shopping list you could make more bread and serve peanut butter & jellies. I would probably spend a bit on fruit and veggies ($5?) and pray I had some leftovers. You could get an extra bag of noodles and a can of tuna and some cheese and make mac & cheese - enough for possibly two lunches? ($5)

That would probably take the last of the $50 down to the last dime. This is all I can come up with off the top of my head without spending a lot more time on it! :) I *did* make all of my estimates on the high end, and if I were you I would write out a list on the "high" side, and as I go through the store, mark down the actual price or a +$1 or -$1 so you know what wiggle room you have or don't have. Hopefully you actually have baking power & soda already or you find cooking oil cheaper I just like to guess high.

Blessings!
Ashley

Ashley

Well, I will have to think on this one and give you a complete answer later. However I know when money is tight, we have had stirfrys with minimal or no meat, cheese pizza, ramen noodles with frozen veggies and maybe a little chicken, or homemade goulash or spaghetti. Meat can really rack up a grocery bill if you are not careful. Stirfrys can be done with no meat if needed, ramen noodles and veggies are yummy with or without the meat because of the seasoning packet, and you can stretch goulash or spaghetti by using less hamburger and more veggies if needed.

Seeing what Ashley had to write, I have this to say:

I NEVER buy spaghetti sauce unless it is on a tremendous sale, because I can buy tomato paste cheaper, and add water and all the herbs myself, and it is better too!!! LOL

Also, in tight times, I wouldn't buy the chocolate chips, because plan muffins with that strawberry jam is cheaper.

I will think on this more, and might make some notes while at the grocery store this weekend on how to do this. I love this challange, because as a family of 3, we currently spend about $300 a month on groceries and household supplies (diapers, toothpaste, lightbulbs, soap, etc), and I would love to get this down even more if possible so we can put more money either in savings for emergencies, or into more principlal payments on our home.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

I just couldn't sleep until I answered this challange for some reason! LOL So, I just wanted to tell you that I posted a blog with the challange and my findings on it. I went over (including taxes in my area) by 76 cents, so not too bad!!! LOL

Anyway, give it a look, and thanks so much for posting this!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

This is a work in progress, but here is my suggestion.
The grocery list is on the left and the menu is on the right.

1 chicken-- Chicken and slider dumplings
1 can of pork n beans-- Rinktomyditty---1/2 lb of hamburger, corn from 2-3 ears, 1 can of beans. Heat and mix Yum!
Speghetti sauce & noodles-- Speghetti and garlic toast
1 onion, 5 lbs potatoes-- Meatballs (1 lb of hamburg), mashed potatoes with gravy and 5 roasted ears of corn
1 gal milk, rice -- Sausage & gravy over toast or rice
1 package of egg noodles, crackers-- Hamburger & noodle soup with crackers (use one ear of corn for veggie in soup)
1 chicken, 1 lg can of greenbeans, tomato-- Roast chicken, greenbeans with diced tomato, mashed potatoes & gravy

Lunches

Leftovers-- Leftover stew over rice
Peanut butter-- PBJ's with bread or crackers
Pork n beans, hotdogs, applesauce-- Beanie weenies with some applesauce on the side

Breakfasts

Rice with sugar and milk--Yum!
Oatmeal-- Oatmeal with milk and some jam mixed in
Raisins-- Oatmeal with raisins in milk and sugar
1 doz eggs, 1 loaf of bread-- Eggs on toast
Boiled eggs with toast and jam


Dessert
Ice cream-- Vanilla ice cream with or without strawberry jam mixed in

This should cost less than 50 dollars. Just another way of doing things.
Sharon

Edited by 1ladybeale on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 09:23