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My grocery challenge actually worked better than I expected | Budgeting Wins - Guest Forum

My grocery challenge actually worked better than I expected

I decided to try a $40 per week grocery budget just to see if I could do it. I live in Portland so I figured there was no way that was going to work with food prices here. I started meal planning around what was on sale at WinCo and bought a big bag of rice and dried beans. After three weeks I ended up averaging $38 per week and I wasn't even starving or miserable. The biggest surprise was how much I saved by cooking one big pot of soup and eating it for lunch four days in a row. I also cut way back on snacks and takeout coffee which I didn't think would be that big of a deal. Did anyone else try a super tight grocery budget and find it easier than you thought?

2 comments

2 Comments

ben4026mo ago

Man this is way too reasonable of a post for someone living in Portland. You're telling me you survived on soup and rice for three weeks and didn't even have a crisis about the lack of artisanal toast? Must be some kind of Portland unicorn. The real test would be if you could do this during the rainy season without breaking down and buying a $7 latte just to feel something. Shout out to WinCo though for keeping us all from going broke while still being able to afford rent. Next challenge try $30 a week and see if you can unlock the secret to living on only carrots and regret.

sandrap406mo ago

Hold up on that $30 challenge, I think you overlooked that carrot and regret diet would actually cost more than $40. A bag of carrots is like $2.50 here and you'd need at least two a day to not completely crash, plus the regret is free but the electrolytes aren't. The real trick I found was that the soup and rice thing isn't just about savings, it's about not having to think about lunch for four days straight. That mental break matters more than people give it credit for.