50 bucks a week

quigley

Member
hey everyone! need some serious help... i have 50 dollars a week i can use to buy food with. I never eat out, so all of this will go to groceries.

I need approx 3500 calories a day from this 50 bucks per week.

I need suggestions and help please? Cheap meals, bulking foods, recipies... without sacrificing health if possible.

Or is this an impossible task?

Regards,
Nathan
 
raginfcktard said:
you're gonna starve!
Click to expand...

probably lol...

ill also mention that this is AUS dollars and that im a full time medical student..

Ok so eggs, bread and rice...im guessing i can put mabe $10 for that a week.
What about cottage cheese? is that reasonably priced?
I know i can get mince for around $5 a kilo which is good
 
quigley said:
hey everyone! need some serious help... i have 50 dollars a week i can use to buy food with. I never eat out, so all of this will go to groceries.

I need approx 3500 calories a day from this 50 bucks per week.

I need suggestions and help please? Cheap meals, bulking foods, recipies... without sacrificing health if possible.

Or is this an impossible task?

Regards,
Nathan
Click to expand...
Hi.
I would go for some whey protein, you can get it at Wally World for like 15$
Also eggs and PB.

For Calories you can get ham and cheese pockets cheap. Good in Protien as well as Calorie count. Turkey is good as well.

For cost saveings get the stuff and make it yourself

If you really want to save, spring is here. Anyone can grow a garden anywhere. Plant your own. wheather you have 100 yards for a garden, or a plastic troft out side your window It's cheap and good for ya. (I do the troft thing)

Look for sales on chicken and red meat. Just kind of shop around.

Hope this helps..

JP..
 
Last edited:
heres a good start...
2 bags of chicken 6lbs -10$
5lbs lean ground beef 93/7-12$
7 cans tuna- 7$
5 dozen eggs-6$
bacon- 4$
oatmeal-3$
ground turkey meat-$5
bag of cheese- 4$
whole wheat bread-2$
pb-3$

about fifty dollars there......... thats a good amount of food each week.. id u can swindle another ten dollars in there you can throw in about 10 servings of salmon
 
bigzach1234 said:
heres a good start...
2 bags of chicken 6lbs -10$
5lbs lean ground beef 93/7-12$
7 cans tuna- 7$
5 dozen eggs-6$
bacon- 4$
oatmeal-3$
ground turkey meat-$5
bag of cheese- 4$
whole wheat bread-2$
pb-3$

about fifty dollars there......... thats a good amount of food each week.. id u can swindle another ten dollars in there you can throw in about 10 servings of salmon
Click to expand...

Very good suggestions. Also try searching the grocery store's day old racks for your breads, bagels,.... ect. Save about 50% there. Money gets tight for me too, i take one (or both sometimes depending) days im free every week and find neighbors in need of a little muscle around the yard or house for some spending money that i usually allocate towards my diet... Not much but every little bit helps when you're looking to gain!
 
bigzach1234 said:
heres a good start...
2 bags of chicken 6lbs -10$
5lbs lean ground beef 93/7-12$
7 cans tuna- 7$
5 dozen eggs-6$
bacon- 4$
oatmeal-3$
ground turkey meat-$5
bag of cheese- 4$
whole wheat bread-2$
pb-3$

about fifty dollars there......... thats a good amount of food each week.. id u can swindle another ten dollars in there you can throw in about 10 servings of salmon
Click to expand...

Great suggestions mate... i have a local ALDI ill be shoppin at tomorrow. I think i might be able to get away with $60 a week, so ill incorporate your suggestions! There is hope :)
 
elementrip said:
Very good suggestions. Also try searching the grocery store's day old racks for your breads, bagels,.... ect. Save about 50% there. Money gets tight for me too, i take one (or both sometimes depending) days im free every week and find neighbors in need of a little muscle around the yard or house for some spending money that i usually allocate towards my diet... Not much but every little bit helps when you're looking to gain!
Click to expand...

Yeah ill keep that in mind...ive been thinking about doing personal training part time (i have a diploma in fitness) if i can find some clients.... bit of extra cash
 
quigley said:
Great suggestions mate... i have a local ALDI ill be shoppin at tomorrow. I think i might be able to get away with $60 a week, so ill incorporate your suggestions! There is hope :)
Click to expand...

I dont know about ALdi threre but here in the states I can get 85-15 dark meat ground turkey for 1.19 a lb. Eggs are a buck a dozen. Cottage cheese is the cheapest source of LEAN protein there is I believe. At wal- mart here i can get 4 servings of fat free (320 cals 52g of protein) for 1.25.
 
Well, since you live in aus what about roo and lamb meat? I remember Jakellpet saying roo was pretty inexpensive.

Anything in the bulk aisles will be great to go after. Also, if you can find bones really cheap they are a great source to make broth with. Also, if you are that hard up when you make the broth you can stick it in the freezer and pull the fat off the top and portion it out with your meals as extra calories. Lentils are great, beans are great, not sure what grains besides brown rice are affordable in aus but quinoa, buckwheat and some others are high in protein content.

You could also get in touch with local farmers markets/grocers and offer to take some of the produce off their hand that is getting on the edge; freezing works well for many vegetables and fruits.

I know I'm missing things here, but maybe some of it helps. Also, cooking a huge recipe of one thing a week and eating the leftovers all week is a great way to save...one of the things beans and lentils are great for.
 
Throw some veggies in there too. Canned or frozen very cheap. Oatmeal, peanut butter, tuna, and potatoes.... Good to go. When I'm bulking I spend only approx 55 a week. Cutting I'm down to about 30
 
When I'm bulking, I spend about $50 as well. I make chili. Loads of protein, fiber, and low glycemic carbs. I make enough to last a week, which only comes out to about 30 bucks per week. I buy all of my spices in bulk, which is a bit more of an outlay at first, but they last a long time. I spend the rest on protein powder, (gemma from trueprotein, much cheaper than whey, but with high leucine content, and just as good,) and vitamins. If you can stand eating the same thing day in and day out, it's a cheap, and time saving. I like chili because it's got everything I need, and I can tweek the recipe from week to week, so it's not quite like I'm eating the same thing for weeks on end. I'm a picky eater, but if something is good, I can eat it for as long as I need to. If interested, I could give you the "recipe" that I use.
 
ejg700 said:
When I'm bulking, I spend about $50 as well. I make chili. Loads of protein, fiber, and low glycemic carbs. I make enough to last a week, which only comes out to about 30 bucks per week. I buy all of my spices in bulk, which is a bit more of an outlay at first, but they last a long time. I spend the rest on protein powder, (gemma from trueprotein, much cheaper than whey, but with high leucine content, and just as good,) and vitamins. If you can stand eating the same thing day in and day out, it's a cheap, and time saving. I like chili because it's got everything I need, and I can tweek the recipe from week to week, so it's not quite like I'm eating the same thing for weeks on end. I'm a picky eater, but if something is good, I can eat it for as long as I need to. If interested, I could give you the "recipe" that I use.
Click to expand...

recipe would be very helpful, thankyou
 
bigzach1234 said:
heres a good start...
2 bags of chicken 6lbs -10$
5lbs lean ground beef 93/7-12$
7 cans tuna- 7$
5 dozen eggs-6$
bacon- 4$
oatmeal-3$
ground turkey meat-$5
bag of cheese- 4$
whole wheat bread-2$
pb-3$

about fifty dollars there......... thats a good amount of food each week.. id u can swindle another ten dollars in there you can throw in about 10 servings of salmon
Click to expand...


You wont get all of that for $50 in Aust!
 
Peanut butter and wheat bread, eggs w/ toast. All day everyday. I think that's your only hope.

But invest in a good multi. You're going to be a little short of your nutrients so that's a must!
 
alright thanks guys...rhys26, there isnt any ALDI's in perth mate, im in bris there's one here but i lived in perth for 18 years (since i was born till 2 years ago)
Where bouts u from? I lived out near midland in helena valley

Ok so im gonna stick to mince ($5 a kilo) Bread, eggs (shitloads) tuna, potatoes, sweet potatoe, and oats. Ill try and get steam veggies in and fruit, and ill b talkin a multi vitamin plus a zinc, fish oils and a probiotic as a sorry to my poor gut
 
quigley said:
alright thanks guys...rhys26, there isnt any ALDI's in perth mate, im in bris there's one here but i lived in perth for 18 years (since i was born till 2 years ago)
Where bouts u from? I lived out near midland in helena valley

Ok so im gonna stick to mince ($5 a kilo) Bread, eggs (shitloads) tuna, potatoes, sweet potatoe, and oats. Ill try and get steam veggies in and fruit, and ill b talkin a multi vitamin plus a zinc, fish oils and a probiotic as a sorry to my poor gut
Click to expand...

Tuart Hill atm mate
 
Hey man, sounds like you are a college student like myself. I am actually on a similar budget. I spend about 68 bucks a week. While everybody has made good recomendations, I have to totally agree with bigzach. One thing I would like to add is brown rice. Depending on your weight and goals 1-2 boxes of brown rice a week is dirt cheap. I buy the wallmart brand and its like 1.82 a box. That lasts me about 7 days. I also get canned yams. They are close in price to the brown rice, and you get a lot. The only down side is there is 16grams of sugar for 2/3 a cup. Then again, your goals don't sound like this is a bad thing. I got a friend on a similar diet as mine, and he has put on 20lbs of lean muscle (he was also taking sus500 haha)
 
Here Is the recipe that I use:
10 pounds regular ground beef(70-75% lean. I get this when it goes on reduced for quick sale,@1.28 per pound.)
3 bags red kidney beans
5, 8-oz cans crushed tomatoes.
1.5 tbls Italian seasoning.
1tbls curry powder.
2 tbls cayenne.
2 large onions
1 large can, (not sure of the ounces,) sliced jalapeños.
8 garlic cloves, peeled, and pressed.
In a large skillet, fry, and season ground beef. Don't try to to cook it all at the same time. drain and set aside. In the same skillet, peel, and slice onions, drain jalapenos, and sautée with 3 tbls olive oil. In a large dutch oven, boil beans until desired texture. drain beans, and add all ingredients to dutch oven. With a large, and sturdy metal spoon, stir ingredients without heat, thourally mixing all ingredients together. Stir in salt to taste, 1/2 tsp at a time. Store in large Tupperware container for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to meld.
 
ejg70 this sounds really good, but I buy extra lean ground been 2lbs at a time, how would you suggest I modify the rest of the ingrediants/ directions?
 
1/5 the ingredients. I use regular ground beef, because the x-lean stuff get too dry, and if you drain the beef while it's still hot, you get most of the fat out of it.
 
Once you get stuff like cooking oil and rice in large quantities it will get easier, you won't need to buy them every week.
 
i'm pretty much in the same situation away at college. I usually stock up on chicken tenderloins, natty peanut butter, cottage cheese, and wheat bread. I also get two meals a day free so that helps as ton.
 
Bags of frozen chicken breasts - Chef Boy r dee (high calories and protien)- lipton/knor rice or pasta sides carbs (usually .99 cents) - tops frozen hamburgers - cold cuts turkey and ham (make wraps for snacks or meals)
 
earlier you said something about a job....if you have time to be thinking about it, then you have time to do it...get a job!!! i worked all the way through school....and never once had to worry about having 50 bucks(or 35 for that matter) for food for the week....
 
mooch2321 said:
earlier you said something about a job....if you have time to be thinking about it, then you have time to do it...get a job!!! i worked all the way through school....and never once had to worry about having 50 bucks(or 35 for that matter) for food for the week....
Click to expand...

Or, get a girlfriend and make her pay for your food.
 
thats bodybuilding on budget bro,i would go for whey protein some rice chicken pork tenderloin its pretty good and cheap,somo eggs peanut butter and some vegetables and off course skimmed milk..cheers
 
I'm a big fan of fried rice, it's very easy to make from scratch. You can use almost any kind of meat with it. It usually makes leftovers, and I eat it for lunch the next day.
 
hey guys thanks for all your suggestions! im slowly building a good list with all your input!

in regards to a job, am i thinking of it, but as i study medicine my uni hours (30 hours) plus study load (20-30 hours) makes me quite busy as it is so im trying to avoid it unless there's nothing else for it. Also the recession makes gettin a part time job not easy where i am, but if it comes to it, i have my cert 3 and cert 4 in fitness so i might try some pt on the side

also, ive heard some people say they shot olive oil..is this any good?

regards,
nathan
 
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