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How can I live on $30 a week for food?

Here's how I keep my grocery bill under $30 a week Breakfast: Cheerios with milk and a banana, plus the free coffee I get from my office. Mid-morning snack: Granola bar or orange. Lunch: Whole wheat pasta dressed up with butter and salt. Dinner: Fried eggs, a side of rice, and a glass of milk.

cnbc.com - Here's how I keep my grocery bill under $30 a week - CNBC

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When your weekly budget is $60 — and that's what mine is for my two-month-long "cash diet" — you have to be strategic when it comes to shopping for food. I set a loose goal of spending less than $30 a week on groceries. That leaves me with another $30 for everyday expenses, which so far have included gifts, toilet paper, laundry, and a couple of rides on the subway. During Week One of my cash diet, I managed to keep my grocery bill under $20: $17.50, to be exact. That went towards cereal, pasta, rice, eggs, oranges, bananas, almond milk, granola bars, and Goldfish crackers. To give you an idea of what my meals looked like, here's a typical day: Breakfast: Cheerios with milk and a banana, plus the free coffee I get from my office

Mid-morning snack: Granola bar or orange

Lunch: Whole wheat pasta dressed up with butter and salt

Dinner: Fried eggs, a side of rice, and a glass of milk

A typical lunch Kathleen Elkins

Yes, this is incredibly minimal, and Week Two will definitely feature more vegetables, but my groceries got me through the week, I never felt hungry, and I truly don't mind no-frills meals. If you're looking to trim your grocery bill — to $17.50, $30, or just anything less than what you're spending now — here are my best tips for making it happen. 1. Start by figuring out how much you spend Do you know exactly how much you spent on groceries last month? If not, look at your credit card statements or, if you're like me, sort through your receipts. Use the data to form an estimate, and then aim to cut that number. The average family wastes about 20% of their groceries, so chances are, you're over-purchasing in some way. Set a realistic goal, like cutting your bill by 25% or a specific dollar amount, that makes sense for your spending habits. After all, you can't regularly lower your bill if you don't know how much you're spending in the first place. 2. Plan your meals out and make a list Before heading to the store, think about all the meals you want to prepare for the week and make a list of the ingredients you'll need for them. Then, when you're actually shopping, stick to the list. No impulse buys! Once you have all the ingredients you need for the week, prepare as many meals in advance as you can. I've found that I'm much less inclined to order in or go out when I have my dinner prepped and waiting for me in the fridge.

A dozen of eggs only cost me $1.49! Kathleen Elkins

3. Stick to the basics Complex meals with a lot of spices or sauces can get pricey. When it comes to buying flavor enhancers, pick out condiments that are versatile — like salt, soy sauce, or olive oil — and can be used on multiple foods. Of course, you don't have to strip your meals down to the absolute bare minimum. While I'm content with plain pasta and eggs, that's not to say you can't make tasty meals on a budget. There are a lot of food blogs devoted to eating well on the cheap, such as Budget Bytes, Stone Soup, and BrokeAss Gourmet.

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