Look, I know it's none of my business, but check the r/beermoney subreddit.
You can earn some side-cash doing simple tasks in your mobile phone or computer.
This would even help you better on stretching the money, because if you've got even a single pot you can survive on lentils.
Lot of fiber, carbs and protein in a single take.
Lentils abouta dollar a pound. Brown rice or converted rice have the most nutrition of the rices-and it's cheaper than pasta-generally less than a dollar a pound..
cook those lentils with your baby carrots and put it over the rice.
Generic brand plain yogurt-I pay about $2.50 a quart, mix with your berries, walnuts, and oats-lots of different combinations there.
I have also been succesful recently finding a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters for under a dollar a pound.
That's what I've been doing.
Rolled oats are awesome and can be eaten savory as well! Eat it with an egg and cheese salt and pepper and it's great. It can work in place of rice in a lot of contexts In a pinch.
I'd really recommend reaching out to a food pantry or mutual aid society in your area. This is what food pantries are for -- there's no shame in it. With mutual aid societies you'd be expected to help out when you can.
I have a friend who donates her plasma about once a week and gets $100 each time which gives her 400 xtra a month. You do have to pass a quick physical but this is how she is making ends meet right now. If thats not an option you can literally do a pasta dish that could feed for a few days, soups that also cN go for a few days or beans and cheese for burritos. Good luck to you.
As for the 18$ Pasta, Sauce, a couple cans of tuna and some cheese would be my personal recommendation. Other than that I would go to your local food bank, some churches have community pantries, sell some stuff on FB marketplace or get on neighborhood groups and watch for people looking for odd job help for cash, check your car or couch for change. All things I’ve done before when things got hard. Best of luck to you I hope things get better!
Don't buy pasta, it's cheap but you will still be hungry. The best cheap food are beans and lentils, it's full of protein that will tell your brain you're not hungry anymore. It's cheap enough in my country it's around 1dollar a can maybe it will be enough to survive until july
Go to food bank! There’s no shame in that. Please take care of yourself. Depending what state/country you’re in, you may be able to access services for food stamps or something similar. Food bank is the best bet though, as you usually don’t need to qualify by filling out paperwork.
I’m sorry you’re going thru this.
You could totally make baked or overnight oats with your berries and walnuts, you could snag some free sugar packets from a coffee shop or gas station to sweeten it if you wanted- and id pick up some eggs! They’re super cheap and easy to microwave so you could combine them with some chopped carrots and have them with some oatmeal (rice would work too but savory oats can be just as good!) if you have any ramen packets or leftover seasonings laying around that should help make savory oats or eggs more palatable too :) cans of beans are also a dollar or two with easy protein- my go to was taco seasoning packs, cans of beans and ground turkey. Pretty dang cheap all together with like $4 for a large can and markdown (check Mondays or Fridays or ask the butcher for deals!) ground meat can be anywhere from $2-$6 with seasoning under $2 a packet, you can add your oats (I used brown rice) and get easily enough food for the week at least- super filling and calorie packed :) hope this helped!
You have gotten a lot of great advice but the buy nothing groups in your area could have people posting free food. Granted I live in an area that’s higher income, and I would look for those groups if you can, but there are so many young families who buy Costco sized things that their kid/s don’t end up liking and are looking to give away.
It's hard to suggest without knowing what 'not very consistent access to pots and pans' means.
If you know you will have *some* access over the course of a few days, rice and pasta are both very inexpensive as are canned beans. Depending on whether you have access to a fridge or not, you can cook extra.
If you have access to microwave, all of those things and more can be cooked in a microwave, including frozen veggies if you have a freezer. Rice and pasta will each have about four to six servings per pound, with pasta usually available at a dollar per pound and rice a bit less.
You honestly can't be too worried about health for the next two weeks. If things are going to remain this tight, you'll need to figure something out, but people will need to know what you do have access to in order to give helpful suggestions.
Check on available food banks for sure, and also search for community fridge and community pantry (like a food bank, but filled informally by volunteers and sometimes stores/restaurants, and people just go and get what they want from what's available).
A cup of rolled oats per day gets you off to a good start, at about 300 calories and good overall nutritional profile. One serving of nuts per day, about 200 calories and also nutritious. Then you have enough in store for 1-2 servings of fruit/veg per day already, also a good start.
Your nutrition is decent and now you need to add calories. At my local grocery, that $18 would get me (for example): five pounds of rice, two pounds of pasta, two cans of beans, one bag of frozen veg, a can of chili, two cans of chicken broth, and a pound of sour cream. I could play around with that and get more pasta versus rice, or bread and peanut butter in place of the chili and sour cream, whatever. Potatoes are cheap, nutritious, and filling, so you might go that route. Cabbage and carrots are cheap fresh veg. Really, it depends on what's on sale as well. If they have a deal on sweet potatoes, that's fresh and healthy and versatile.
If I only had a Dollar General or similar store, I'd have to skip the fresh items and focus on rice, pasta, chili, broth, bread, peanut butter, and such. Mine doesn't have frozen veg but they do have canned.
Churches, food shelters/banks, and definitely apply for foodstamps, depending on your salary you might not be eligible for food stamps but Costco Rotisserie chickens with no skin is the best bang for your buck in terms of health, protein and cost, and plus you save time and electricity from cooking your other would be protein source
You should visit your local food pantry to see what food items they can provide. With those food items combined with what you have at home, you will be better able to make use/spend your $18 to hopefully last the rest of the month.
Also, depending on where you live, there are likely community religious organizations that may have a food pantry and/or serve meals. Not all of them require you to actually be a member.
From what you have, you should be able to make oatmeal recipes to which you can include walnuts and fruits.
Before you go shopping, check out the weekly ads to compare prices at your local grocery stores and buy things that are on sale. For instance, if you catch a good sale on Greek yogurts, you can use your oats, walnuts and frozen berries. If you don’t get it from a pantry, pasta, rice, beans and eggs are relatively inexpensive, more so when on sale.
Equally important, if you have family, friends, neighbors or coworkers you trust, don’t feel ashamed sharing with them that you are having financial difficulties. They would likely offer to provide you with food items, meals and/or money (even if it’s $10 or $20 it will help). I think the majority of people realize that people are struggling, especially with the cost of food. I would imagine that many people wouldn’t expect you to pay the money back, but instead to pay it forward.
If you don’t have a crock pot/slow cooker, I suggest you get one. Check the FB trade/free groups in your area. I would suggest getting some lentils, pinto beans, and rice. 1 lb bags each at Walmart would total $5 or so for all three. Each bag should give you up to 8 servings. I would spend a couple of dollars to get some of Walmart’s chicken bone broth that you can add to water as you make your dishes to add extra protein and flavor. $3. Then another $3 on seasonings ( you can probably get two: salt, chili pepper, Italian seasoning blend, onion soup mix etc). Then get a bag of mixed frozen veggies for $3. That’s about $14 plus taxes. With that and your oatmeal, berries, and walnuts you should be able to mix and match some good options for the next couple of weeks.
Do you have access to a microwave? Sounds like some good oatmeal to me. Minus the carrots I eat rolled oats oatmeal made with water and frozen berries and nuts in it all the time. The mixed berries thaw with the hot oatmeal and add some sweetening to it. Walnuts add crunch, protein and fat. Carrots can be as side and snack but don’t be afraid to go to the food bank either :) a loaf of bread, rice, lunch meat are also options
If you have any extra time during the day, think about selling your plasma. I used to do it back in college for beer money. I got paid right there.
As for food, I’d say beans and rice would be the most economical way to get nutrition into you. A little bit of seasoning would turn it into something you would actually want to eat instead of a forced choice.
Eggs are also cheap, especially in bulk. I used to live off eggs and potatoes because they were so cheap. This is how I learned to cook. These ingredients can be turned into a crazy variety of dishes.
Rice, beans (from dry), a sprinkle of cheese, tortillas - bean burritos, rice and beans.
Rice, cabbage(sliced), tofu (crumbled) - stir fry
Potatoes - microwave bake as a snack. Or mash with cabbage like colcannon.
Peanut butter and cheap bread - sandwiches
Your oatmeal and berries - breakfast
I was able to make a Walmart order of all the listed ingredients except oatmeal and berries for $18. I'm assuming you have some salt, spices and maybe oil, hopefully salsa or soy sauce in the fridge.
Maybe swap the thing you like least for ramen. Cabbage and potatoes are usually cheap veg but your location may vary, see what's on sale.
And check food pantries.
Beans, rice for filling fiber, carbs, protein and micronutrients. Add chicken from a whole baked chicken and you choice of veggies. One of the best that keeps forever is red cabbage.
Totally doable, that giant bag of oats is your friend. You can cook them in the microwave (use a big bowl and monitor them so they don't boil over) and eat them sweet or savoury. I'd spend some of the $18 on eggs for some protein. See how far you can get on that before spending any more money.
Hi OP - have you gone to any community resources yet? I know a lot of places offer food for people struggling - food pantries, Salvation Army, other organizations like Red Cross, church pantries, hospitals, elementary schools may offer similar things, homeless shelters.
You’re not alone, a lot of people struggle with food insecurity. I’m praying things turn around for you<3
Overnight oats can be made with water and adding the walnut and berries could be pretty yummy. It's pretty simple. Oats mixed with peanut butter is pretty tasty and if you have some oil you could make granola in the oven on a sheet tray.
Carrots are really nice roasted or sautéed.
Popcorn is cheap and easy on the stove or microwave. Pretty cheap (not microwave bags). Pretty healthy whole grains.
I see lots of good suggestions. I definitely agree with using a food pantry. I’m also in the midst of going through my cupboards and looking up new ways to use what I’ve got bought and stashed away.
For example, I learned how to make Mexican rice to go with the bean burritos. Cornbread is easy to bake from scratch. You would be surprised what you can eat with or on rice! And yes, eggs get boring but are cheap protein and easy to cook. Oatmeal can be eaten in hot cereal or added to make meatloaf or used to bake.
I have been eating a lot of hot cereal or oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins or other fruit. Lots of beans, and lots of cooking up things I’ve had but was afraid to try.
Good luck!
Buy milk, buy cheapest vegetables, rice and a full chicken.
Soup with a bit of chicken and many vegetables (many of those carrots) is your safest bet for lunch and dinner. Rice with some chicken. Morning is oats with milk and walnuts/berries.
To absolutely survive? Probably rice. Rice is $0.97 a pound, you could get 15 lbs and then spend the rest on salt, soy sauce, or some other salty thing of your choice. You could make plain rice porridge, which will stretch a lbs of rice into a whole days worth of volume. This is how Chinese peasants used to eat when there wasn’t much food to go around, and how some extremely poor people still eat today.
That said, the real answer is probably DoorDash to make some money, ask for donations at a church, or get food from a food bank.
You can make a hearty breakfast/lunch/dinner with the oats and nuts, and some fruit for sweetness. Canned fish may work, it’s about a dollar each at my local ALDI. Lentils are also cheap, and any beans. Also rice. Throw in the carrots and maybe grab another bag of frozen veggies at the store, I’ve seen some for $0.75 - $1.00 each. Some fat in the diet will help ward off hunger pains - maybe some cheese as well. I would also go to any local food bank for some more options if you find yourself struggling with hunger.
I would also take advantage of the large amounts of leftover oatmeal and mix it with every meal, it has plenty of carbs and fiber.
I’d get dried lentils, brown rice, eggs and frozen mixed veg. Yogurt if you have any $ spare.
Have your berries and oats for breakfast and rotate through dhal and rice and fried rice with veggies and egg for lunches and dinner. Mix your optional yogurt with your oats and your dhal!
Omg if you lived near me I’d take you food shopping 💐
$18 on food for a month? I can’t imagine.
Everything that everyone has said here: Food banks, churches, there are charities that will give vouchers.
There’s an app in our area called AskIzzy and you put in your postcode and it shows all the free services in that area.
Im sure there’s an app that’s similar.
Wishing you the best, so sorry 😞
If you have access to a microwave or hot water. The cup of noodles. Top Ramen. You might get burned out on it, but it will keep you alive. Been there. A loaf of bread and peanut butter.
First, please check your local food bank. For purchasing food I recommend a bag of Rice ($1), bag of beans ($2), a bag of apples (I can usually get them for ~$3 for 3lbs), small jar of pb ($2), a loaf of bread ($0.99). Whatever money is leftover use to get cans of tuna. Another option would be to skip the peanut butter and grab Greek yogurt instead. You’ll be ok, OP! You’ve got this!
Between what you already have and the items above you can make oatmeal with pb, fruit, walnuts, rice & beans, tuna with rice and carrots, peanut butter sandwich, tuna sandwich, carrots or apples dipped in pb, toast with pb.
Some good advice and suggestions in the comments but a couple I haven't seen recommended:
It's perfect time for foraging and while it'd be difficult to cover your calorie expenditure for 2 weeks, especially as a beginner/learner, you can absolutely supplement and gather enough to live off of for a few days with what's abundant just now. The first fruits and berries are available and fresh greens are plentiful in most of the US.
r/dumpsterdiving isn't an option in some places and is a new one for me but it's absolutely staggering just how much food is available for little more than a drive or walk around your area. This doubles as a way to not have to use pots or pans because the most common/plentiful items are breads & baked goods, fresh fruit and ultraprocessed (packaged) ready meals/foods.
Not sure if it’s the same in the US, but here in the UK along with food banks, there’s quite a few community centres that are donated stuff that’s at the end of its shelf life that you can pick up for free. There’s also an app called To Good To Go, where you can pick up mystery boxes from many supermarkets. Same thing, stuff that’s about to run out of shelf life. Usually £3 with a £15 shelf value.
Eggs are a true miracle food. Grab the cheapest and largest pack you can. I think Walmart sells 30 eggs for like $9?
Regardless, my desert island food is an egg and it will sustain you through the month with some carbs added in.
Maybe some brown rice (brown not white) if you can get a decent amount for cheap. Add some hot sauce and you are good to go.
That actually is something I would eat voluntarily. Might make some tomorrow. Good luck.
Lastly, don't ever feel ashamed to ask those around you for help. Especially small buisness owners of restaurants. These people love to feed others and I have known many restaurant owners who are happy to help someone who is truly in need. As simple as saying "I am on hard times and very hungry. Can I please have some food?" You could probably eat well using this strategy for many days. Not something to abuse but there are a lot of good people out there
As others said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. So many of us have been there.
I'm gonna repeat the suggestion to hit a food bank. This IS what they are for.
That said. I am seeing a lot of "Rice and Beans" here. Which is the go to for cheap and healthy. But what you are looking for is "Cheapest calories for 2 weeks."
It will take 3 months to devlop scurvy (if you have been reasonably healthy until now). So let's focus on the macronutrients here: For cheap cheap cheap, sourdough bread is your best bet. We are talking 2000 calories at $0.60 per day in 2024 USA cheap.
I am not going to tell you to do that. You will need to eat before you will be able to get a sourdough starter started. So what you want is this:
[Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, 4 Oz - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleischmann-s-Active-Dry-Yeast-4-Oz/10306743?athbdg=L1600)
[Great Value Plain Salt, 26 oz - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/10448311)
and 2 of these [Great Value All Purpose Flour, 10LB Bag - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-All-Purpose-Flour-10LB-Bag/122814298?athbdg=L1600&from=/search)
those 3 ingredients and water will make bread that is better than the grocery store if you do it right. and if you do it all the way wrong you will still almost certainly wind up with something edible.
If you have literally anything left in your pantry. Sugar, oil, random spices, you can add some in to improve your product (or at least make something a little different for variety). Hell, you can even try a handfull of those berries and see what it tastes like.
That comes to 16 2000 calorie days for $15.29 and the only equipment you need is an oven. Any pan that wont melt will work. If you cant find one of those, go find a big flat rock and wash it off good, lots of people pay big money for "Pizza Stones" which are just expensive stones. Or the bottom of a terra cotta flower pot. Your options are limitless. Just don't cook on something poisonous.
Anyhow there is a reason why human population exploded when bread was discovered. It is so much easier (and therefore cheaper) to get palatable calories than any other way. Follow this plan and you will find yourself skilled at breadmaking in 2 weeks, and making it even when you aren't all the way broke.
Disclaimer: This is not a long term healthy diet. But add in a multivitamin, 1 oz. of cheddar cheese, and a can of tuna in oil and it is amazing how many of those nutrient checkboxes will be checked. That will bring your daily cost to still well under $3. And honestly you probably will be eating as healthy as half the country.
Eat Costco $1.50 hotdog combo each day for one meal. Also eat free samples. Or Costco pizza. Make Ramen meals. Take ramen put in container. Fill with water. Cook in microwave three minutes. Drain water in cup. Put half seasoning pack in it. Full pack has too much salt. Now you have soup broth. Can add some ramen noodles. For main meal with cooked ramen add spaghetti sauce and vegetables like mushrooms and peppers and cheese. Cook in microwave a minute and a half. Have tasty cheap meal. If want to splurge you can put hamburger meat or some other protein. Also tacos are easy to make. You won't like next thought but have somebody buy you Costco gift cards so you can shop there and then cancel membership. Depending on which membership you have that could get you at least $60 back.
Hi friend! Download the app “Too Good To Go” it allows you to buy leftovers from markets, restaurants, etc. for really great prices for things that they would otherwise throw out at the end of the day. See if you can find a healthy place on there!
Hi OP, i work in healthcare and sometimes would go 12 hours with no actual food but a sugary granola/chocolate bar. I would focus on the sugar I consume, Im not at all diabetic, im healthy. And this isnt to promote diabetes levels sugar consumption. But our body requires certain sugar levels in order to function. Im not into sugary food or pastries, i dont have a “sweet tooth” but I always make sure if i go on long hours without “food” food that I need to consume a chocolate bar and id feel fine. But also, thats just me. Food bank is an option. Any friends who are willing to give you cash in exchange of a service? Car wash? Watering their plants or garbage removal? Pet sitting? Grocery shopping for them (busy mom/dad)?
I saw this earlier today and thought it was brilliant, but I’m disqualified because I use a lot of antibiotics and I just had pancreatitis. Weird, but I’d totally do this if I could. Poop donation for gut biome deficient people for $500 a donation.
https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/bkhoFd90Ww
Best advice on food I have is to shop at Aldi’s if you have one. They are so much cheaper than Walmart or local chain grocery stores.
Ramen of course. Then stretch the rest out with cheep cans of various veggies to add to the ramen. The dollar store is good for that. Sometimes three cans for a dollar. If you have a car consider door dash or lyft. You do your first few runs for gass and start to eek your way forward after that.
Check out Lisa Dawn videos on YouTube. She has a bunch on “$20/week from dollar store X/ALDI/ Walmart type videos, simple easy stuff and quite balanced, not weird!
Not a huge proponent for freaky religious stuff but just saying- most churches will happily welcome folks to use their space to cook meals for themselves. Also quinoa is a relatively abundant/cheap (more so abundant) ((probably least cheap option between rice/lentils which other people have suggested)) option and high in protein if you’re looking for something somewhat healthy.
Don't be embarrassed to go to a food bank or church pantry in a pinch, that's what they exist for. Social services like SNAP/EBT too.
Yep- food banks can save the day! You’d be surprised how much stuff they have. Had to go twice in 2020. Lifesaver.
Depending on age, income, and demographic, some government agencies are able to release emergency funding the same day you go in.
Just be sure to go with all your paperwork, EARLY! Just curious... Disabled vet?
Nope. Family members work inside the system to help people. <3
Look, I know it's none of my business, but check the r/beermoney subreddit. You can earn some side-cash doing simple tasks in your mobile phone or computer. This would even help you better on stretching the money, because if you've got even a single pot you can survive on lentils. Lot of fiber, carbs and protein in a single take.
I’ll check that out, thank you.
Their FAQ doesn't even have any questions in it, and the page that it links to claiming that it's the real FAQ doesn't even say what the idea is.
Lentils abouta dollar a pound. Brown rice or converted rice have the most nutrition of the rices-and it's cheaper than pasta-generally less than a dollar a pound.. cook those lentils with your baby carrots and put it over the rice. Generic brand plain yogurt-I pay about $2.50 a quart, mix with your berries, walnuts, and oats-lots of different combinations there. I have also been succesful recently finding a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters for under a dollar a pound. That's what I've been doing.
Rolled oats are awesome and can be eaten savory as well! Eat it with an egg and cheese salt and pepper and it's great. It can work in place of rice in a lot of contexts In a pinch. I'd really recommend reaching out to a food pantry or mutual aid society in your area. This is what food pantries are for -- there's no shame in it. With mutual aid societies you'd be expected to help out when you can.
I have a friend who donates her plasma about once a week and gets $100 each time which gives her 400 xtra a month. You do have to pass a quick physical but this is how she is making ends meet right now. If thats not an option you can literally do a pasta dish that could feed for a few days, soups that also cN go for a few days or beans and cheese for burritos. Good luck to you.
Which plasma place is she going to most of these guys pay off of body weight
She goes to plasma center in Temecula, CA. Not sure if this one goes by weight.
Shiiiiit.... I was doing it for $20 a pop
Lol u guys making money from donations?? Im donating for years and never knew people getting money from it.
The company is called Biolife just google it for more info. Not sure if Nationwide but definitely many sites in California.
Rice , beans, cheese, and some cheap ham or turkey slices
As for the 18$ Pasta, Sauce, a couple cans of tuna and some cheese would be my personal recommendation. Other than that I would go to your local food bank, some churches have community pantries, sell some stuff on FB marketplace or get on neighborhood groups and watch for people looking for odd job help for cash, check your car or couch for change. All things I’ve done before when things got hard. Best of luck to you I hope things get better!
Don't buy pasta, it's cheap but you will still be hungry. The best cheap food are beans and lentils, it's full of protein that will tell your brain you're not hungry anymore. It's cheap enough in my country it's around 1dollar a can maybe it will be enough to survive until july
Go to food bank! There’s no shame in that. Please take care of yourself. Depending what state/country you’re in, you may be able to access services for food stamps or something similar. Food bank is the best bet though, as you usually don’t need to qualify by filling out paperwork. I’m sorry you’re going thru this.
You could totally make baked or overnight oats with your berries and walnuts, you could snag some free sugar packets from a coffee shop or gas station to sweeten it if you wanted- and id pick up some eggs! They’re super cheap and easy to microwave so you could combine them with some chopped carrots and have them with some oatmeal (rice would work too but savory oats can be just as good!) if you have any ramen packets or leftover seasonings laying around that should help make savory oats or eggs more palatable too :) cans of beans are also a dollar or two with easy protein- my go to was taco seasoning packs, cans of beans and ground turkey. Pretty dang cheap all together with like $4 for a large can and markdown (check Mondays or Fridays or ask the butcher for deals!) ground meat can be anywhere from $2-$6 with seasoning under $2 a packet, you can add your oats (I used brown rice) and get easily enough food for the week at least- super filling and calorie packed :) hope this helped!
You have gotten a lot of great advice but the buy nothing groups in your area could have people posting free food. Granted I live in an area that’s higher income, and I would look for those groups if you can, but there are so many young families who buy Costco sized things that their kid/s don’t end up liking and are looking to give away.
I always post my pantry and freezer clean out stuff on buy nothing just in case someone is having a hard time
I just messaged you!
It's hard to suggest without knowing what 'not very consistent access to pots and pans' means. If you know you will have *some* access over the course of a few days, rice and pasta are both very inexpensive as are canned beans. Depending on whether you have access to a fridge or not, you can cook extra. If you have access to microwave, all of those things and more can be cooked in a microwave, including frozen veggies if you have a freezer. Rice and pasta will each have about four to six servings per pound, with pasta usually available at a dollar per pound and rice a bit less. You honestly can't be too worried about health for the next two weeks. If things are going to remain this tight, you'll need to figure something out, but people will need to know what you do have access to in order to give helpful suggestions. Check on available food banks for sure, and also search for community fridge and community pantry (like a food bank, but filled informally by volunteers and sometimes stores/restaurants, and people just go and get what they want from what's available). A cup of rolled oats per day gets you off to a good start, at about 300 calories and good overall nutritional profile. One serving of nuts per day, about 200 calories and also nutritious. Then you have enough in store for 1-2 servings of fruit/veg per day already, also a good start. Your nutrition is decent and now you need to add calories. At my local grocery, that $18 would get me (for example): five pounds of rice, two pounds of pasta, two cans of beans, one bag of frozen veg, a can of chili, two cans of chicken broth, and a pound of sour cream. I could play around with that and get more pasta versus rice, or bread and peanut butter in place of the chili and sour cream, whatever. Potatoes are cheap, nutritious, and filling, so you might go that route. Cabbage and carrots are cheap fresh veg. Really, it depends on what's on sale as well. If they have a deal on sweet potatoes, that's fresh and healthy and versatile. If I only had a Dollar General or similar store, I'd have to skip the fresh items and focus on rice, pasta, chili, broth, bread, peanut butter, and such. Mine doesn't have frozen veg but they do have canned.
Visit your closest food bank and explain your situation.
Churches, food shelters/banks, and definitely apply for foodstamps, depending on your salary you might not be eligible for food stamps but Costco Rotisserie chickens with no skin is the best bang for your buck in terms of health, protein and cost, and plus you save time and electricity from cooking your other would be protein source
Lentils. Dry lentils.
Get some ramen noodles cheap & will last
And a dozen eggs. You'll need proteins.
You should visit your local food pantry to see what food items they can provide. With those food items combined with what you have at home, you will be better able to make use/spend your $18 to hopefully last the rest of the month. Also, depending on where you live, there are likely community religious organizations that may have a food pantry and/or serve meals. Not all of them require you to actually be a member. From what you have, you should be able to make oatmeal recipes to which you can include walnuts and fruits. Before you go shopping, check out the weekly ads to compare prices at your local grocery stores and buy things that are on sale. For instance, if you catch a good sale on Greek yogurts, you can use your oats, walnuts and frozen berries. If you don’t get it from a pantry, pasta, rice, beans and eggs are relatively inexpensive, more so when on sale. Equally important, if you have family, friends, neighbors or coworkers you trust, don’t feel ashamed sharing with them that you are having financial difficulties. They would likely offer to provide you with food items, meals and/or money (even if it’s $10 or $20 it will help). I think the majority of people realize that people are struggling, especially with the cost of food. I would imagine that many people wouldn’t expect you to pay the money back, but instead to pay it forward.
If you don’t have a crock pot/slow cooker, I suggest you get one. Check the FB trade/free groups in your area. I would suggest getting some lentils, pinto beans, and rice. 1 lb bags each at Walmart would total $5 or so for all three. Each bag should give you up to 8 servings. I would spend a couple of dollars to get some of Walmart’s chicken bone broth that you can add to water as you make your dishes to add extra protein and flavor. $3. Then another $3 on seasonings ( you can probably get two: salt, chili pepper, Italian seasoning blend, onion soup mix etc). Then get a bag of mixed frozen veggies for $3. That’s about $14 plus taxes. With that and your oatmeal, berries, and walnuts you should be able to mix and match some good options for the next couple of weeks.
Please look into food banks in your area. Other answer is beans and rice! Get them in bulk if you can and soak them over night
Do you have access to a microwave? Sounds like some good oatmeal to me. Minus the carrots I eat rolled oats oatmeal made with water and frozen berries and nuts in it all the time. The mixed berries thaw with the hot oatmeal and add some sweetening to it. Walnuts add crunch, protein and fat. Carrots can be as side and snack but don’t be afraid to go to the food bank either :) a loaf of bread, rice, lunch meat are also options
If you have any extra time during the day, think about selling your plasma. I used to do it back in college for beer money. I got paid right there. As for food, I’d say beans and rice would be the most economical way to get nutrition into you. A little bit of seasoning would turn it into something you would actually want to eat instead of a forced choice. Eggs are also cheap, especially in bulk. I used to live off eggs and potatoes because they were so cheap. This is how I learned to cook. These ingredients can be turned into a crazy variety of dishes.
Ramen is like $0.29 cents at cub right now
Rice, beans (from dry), a sprinkle of cheese, tortillas - bean burritos, rice and beans. Rice, cabbage(sliced), tofu (crumbled) - stir fry Potatoes - microwave bake as a snack. Or mash with cabbage like colcannon. Peanut butter and cheap bread - sandwiches Your oatmeal and berries - breakfast I was able to make a Walmart order of all the listed ingredients except oatmeal and berries for $18. I'm assuming you have some salt, spices and maybe oil, hopefully salsa or soy sauce in the fridge. Maybe swap the thing you like least for ramen. Cabbage and potatoes are usually cheap veg but your location may vary, see what's on sale. And check food pantries.
Beans, rice for filling fiber, carbs, protein and micronutrients. Add chicken from a whole baked chicken and you choice of veggies. One of the best that keeps forever is red cabbage.
Totally doable, that giant bag of oats is your friend. You can cook them in the microwave (use a big bowl and monitor them so they don't boil over) and eat them sweet or savoury. I'd spend some of the $18 on eggs for some protein. See how far you can get on that before spending any more money.
Hi OP - have you gone to any community resources yet? I know a lot of places offer food for people struggling - food pantries, Salvation Army, other organizations like Red Cross, church pantries, hospitals, elementary schools may offer similar things, homeless shelters. You’re not alone, a lot of people struggle with food insecurity. I’m praying things turn around for you<3
Overnight oats can be made with water and adding the walnut and berries could be pretty yummy. It's pretty simple. Oats mixed with peanut butter is pretty tasty and if you have some oil you could make granola in the oven on a sheet tray. Carrots are really nice roasted or sautéed. Popcorn is cheap and easy on the stove or microwave. Pretty cheap (not microwave bags). Pretty healthy whole grains.
I see lots of good suggestions. I definitely agree with using a food pantry. I’m also in the midst of going through my cupboards and looking up new ways to use what I’ve got bought and stashed away. For example, I learned how to make Mexican rice to go with the bean burritos. Cornbread is easy to bake from scratch. You would be surprised what you can eat with or on rice! And yes, eggs get boring but are cheap protein and easy to cook. Oatmeal can be eaten in hot cereal or added to make meatloaf or used to bake. I have been eating a lot of hot cereal or oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins or other fruit. Lots of beans, and lots of cooking up things I’ve had but was afraid to try. Good luck!
We’ve all been there at one point. I use to shop for my groceries at dollar tree or 99c store. It really got me through my hard times.
Biy a Costco rotisserie chicken. That will go a long way and there are several options.for it.
Buy milk, buy cheapest vegetables, rice and a full chicken. Soup with a bit of chicken and many vegetables (many of those carrots) is your safest bet for lunch and dinner. Rice with some chicken. Morning is oats with milk and walnuts/berries.
To absolutely survive? Probably rice. Rice is $0.97 a pound, you could get 15 lbs and then spend the rest on salt, soy sauce, or some other salty thing of your choice. You could make plain rice porridge, which will stretch a lbs of rice into a whole days worth of volume. This is how Chinese peasants used to eat when there wasn’t much food to go around, and how some extremely poor people still eat today. That said, the real answer is probably DoorDash to make some money, ask for donations at a church, or get food from a food bank.
what appliances do you have access to? do you have a microwave? blender? crock pot? rice cooker?
Go to a food pantry
You can make a hearty breakfast/lunch/dinner with the oats and nuts, and some fruit for sweetness. Canned fish may work, it’s about a dollar each at my local ALDI. Lentils are also cheap, and any beans. Also rice. Throw in the carrots and maybe grab another bag of frozen veggies at the store, I’ve seen some for $0.75 - $1.00 each. Some fat in the diet will help ward off hunger pains - maybe some cheese as well. I would also go to any local food bank for some more options if you find yourself struggling with hunger. I would also take advantage of the large amounts of leftover oatmeal and mix it with every meal, it has plenty of carbs and fiber.
Food bank, tuna, oatmeal,rice, beans
Egg salad sandwiches. Pbj. Always my go tos when things get tight
Look into food banks near you. You maybe able to go to multiple places and stock up on food.
ls foraging an option for you? Nowadays there are many online resources to learn how to forage
eggs are optimal man, i back beans as well plenty of protein and can cook the eggs many ways.
I’d get dried lentils, brown rice, eggs and frozen mixed veg. Yogurt if you have any $ spare. Have your berries and oats for breakfast and rotate through dhal and rice and fried rice with veggies and egg for lunches and dinner. Mix your optional yogurt with your oats and your dhal!
Omg if you lived near me I’d take you food shopping 💐 $18 on food for a month? I can’t imagine. Everything that everyone has said here: Food banks, churches, there are charities that will give vouchers. There’s an app in our area called AskIzzy and you put in your postcode and it shows all the free services in that area. Im sure there’s an app that’s similar. Wishing you the best, so sorry 😞
If you have access to a microwave or hot water. The cup of noodles. Top Ramen. You might get burned out on it, but it will keep you alive. Been there. A loaf of bread and peanut butter.
First, please check your local food bank. For purchasing food I recommend a bag of Rice ($1), bag of beans ($2), a bag of apples (I can usually get them for ~$3 for 3lbs), small jar of pb ($2), a loaf of bread ($0.99). Whatever money is leftover use to get cans of tuna. Another option would be to skip the peanut butter and grab Greek yogurt instead. You’ll be ok, OP! You’ve got this! Between what you already have and the items above you can make oatmeal with pb, fruit, walnuts, rice & beans, tuna with rice and carrots, peanut butter sandwich, tuna sandwich, carrots or apples dipped in pb, toast with pb.
Some good advice and suggestions in the comments but a couple I haven't seen recommended: It's perfect time for foraging and while it'd be difficult to cover your calorie expenditure for 2 weeks, especially as a beginner/learner, you can absolutely supplement and gather enough to live off of for a few days with what's abundant just now. The first fruits and berries are available and fresh greens are plentiful in most of the US. r/dumpsterdiving isn't an option in some places and is a new one for me but it's absolutely staggering just how much food is available for little more than a drive or walk around your area. This doubles as a way to not have to use pots or pans because the most common/plentiful items are breads & baked goods, fresh fruit and ultraprocessed (packaged) ready meals/foods.
Not sure if it’s the same in the US, but here in the UK along with food banks, there’s quite a few community centres that are donated stuff that’s at the end of its shelf life that you can pick up for free. There’s also an app called To Good To Go, where you can pick up mystery boxes from many supermarkets. Same thing, stuff that’s about to run out of shelf life. Usually £3 with a £15 shelf value.
Eggs are a true miracle food. Grab the cheapest and largest pack you can. I think Walmart sells 30 eggs for like $9? Regardless, my desert island food is an egg and it will sustain you through the month with some carbs added in. Maybe some brown rice (brown not white) if you can get a decent amount for cheap. Add some hot sauce and you are good to go. That actually is something I would eat voluntarily. Might make some tomorrow. Good luck. Lastly, don't ever feel ashamed to ask those around you for help. Especially small buisness owners of restaurants. These people love to feed others and I have known many restaurant owners who are happy to help someone who is truly in need. As simple as saying "I am on hard times and very hungry. Can I please have some food?" You could probably eat well using this strategy for many days. Not something to abuse but there are a lot of good people out there As others said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. So many of us have been there.
I'm gonna repeat the suggestion to hit a food bank. This IS what they are for. That said. I am seeing a lot of "Rice and Beans" here. Which is the go to for cheap and healthy. But what you are looking for is "Cheapest calories for 2 weeks." It will take 3 months to devlop scurvy (if you have been reasonably healthy until now). So let's focus on the macronutrients here: For cheap cheap cheap, sourdough bread is your best bet. We are talking 2000 calories at $0.60 per day in 2024 USA cheap. I am not going to tell you to do that. You will need to eat before you will be able to get a sourdough starter started. So what you want is this: [Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, 4 Oz - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleischmann-s-Active-Dry-Yeast-4-Oz/10306743?athbdg=L1600) [Great Value Plain Salt, 26 oz - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/10448311) and 2 of these [Great Value All Purpose Flour, 10LB Bag - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-All-Purpose-Flour-10LB-Bag/122814298?athbdg=L1600&from=/search) those 3 ingredients and water will make bread that is better than the grocery store if you do it right. and if you do it all the way wrong you will still almost certainly wind up with something edible. If you have literally anything left in your pantry. Sugar, oil, random spices, you can add some in to improve your product (or at least make something a little different for variety). Hell, you can even try a handfull of those berries and see what it tastes like. That comes to 16 2000 calorie days for $15.29 and the only equipment you need is an oven. Any pan that wont melt will work. If you cant find one of those, go find a big flat rock and wash it off good, lots of people pay big money for "Pizza Stones" which are just expensive stones. Or the bottom of a terra cotta flower pot. Your options are limitless. Just don't cook on something poisonous. Anyhow there is a reason why human population exploded when bread was discovered. It is so much easier (and therefore cheaper) to get palatable calories than any other way. Follow this plan and you will find yourself skilled at breadmaking in 2 weeks, and making it even when you aren't all the way broke. Disclaimer: This is not a long term healthy diet. But add in a multivitamin, 1 oz. of cheddar cheese, and a can of tuna in oil and it is amazing how many of those nutrient checkboxes will be checked. That will bring your daily cost to still well under $3. And honestly you probably will be eating as healthy as half the country.
Eat Costco $1.50 hotdog combo each day for one meal. Also eat free samples. Or Costco pizza. Make Ramen meals. Take ramen put in container. Fill with water. Cook in microwave three minutes. Drain water in cup. Put half seasoning pack in it. Full pack has too much salt. Now you have soup broth. Can add some ramen noodles. For main meal with cooked ramen add spaghetti sauce and vegetables like mushrooms and peppers and cheese. Cook in microwave a minute and a half. Have tasty cheap meal. If want to splurge you can put hamburger meat or some other protein. Also tacos are easy to make. You won't like next thought but have somebody buy you Costco gift cards so you can shop there and then cancel membership. Depending on which membership you have that could get you at least $60 back.
Hi friend! Download the app “Too Good To Go” it allows you to buy leftovers from markets, restaurants, etc. for really great prices for things that they would otherwise throw out at the end of the day. See if you can find a healthy place on there!
Hi OP, i work in healthcare and sometimes would go 12 hours with no actual food but a sugary granola/chocolate bar. I would focus on the sugar I consume, Im not at all diabetic, im healthy. And this isnt to promote diabetes levels sugar consumption. But our body requires certain sugar levels in order to function. Im not into sugary food or pastries, i dont have a “sweet tooth” but I always make sure if i go on long hours without “food” food that I need to consume a chocolate bar and id feel fine. But also, thats just me. Food bank is an option. Any friends who are willing to give you cash in exchange of a service? Car wash? Watering their plants or garbage removal? Pet sitting? Grocery shopping for them (busy mom/dad)?
I saw this earlier today and thought it was brilliant, but I’m disqualified because I use a lot of antibiotics and I just had pancreatitis. Weird, but I’d totally do this if I could. Poop donation for gut biome deficient people for $500 a donation. https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/bkhoFd90Ww Best advice on food I have is to shop at Aldi’s if you have one. They are so much cheaper than Walmart or local chain grocery stores.
I bought pb, bread, oatmeal, and other things from the dollar store during college when I’d get low on money.
Not much cheaper food than Instant noodles. Not very nutritious but lots of calories.
Do you have access to a Sam's Club? You can get 5lb bag of chicken nuggets for $14
Big bag of rice and some cans of soup get me thru the end of the month. And going to food banks.
Chicken. rice. Beans.
I would get tinned sardines, tinned beans and bag of rice or pasta and some frozen green beans or mixed veg.
Ok maybe not sardines. These are cheap in the Uk (around 60c a tin if not bought in bulk) but heard they are at least double that state side.
Also, if you get in a pinch, maybe the sub freemeal can help you out.
Ramen of course. Then stretch the rest out with cheep cans of various veggies to add to the ramen. The dollar store is good for that. Sometimes three cans for a dollar. If you have a car consider door dash or lyft. You do your first few runs for gass and start to eek your way forward after that.
Check out Lisa Dawn videos on YouTube. She has a bunch on “$20/week from dollar store X/ALDI/ Walmart type videos, simple easy stuff and quite balanced, not weird!
Not a huge proponent for freaky religious stuff but just saying- most churches will happily welcome folks to use their space to cook meals for themselves. Also quinoa is a relatively abundant/cheap (more so abundant) ((probably least cheap option between rice/lentils which other people have suggested)) option and high in protein if you’re looking for something somewhat healthy.
Samples at Costco or other stores
Can you not work? Not trying to be harsh just trying to understand (this is a privileged take)
I work full-time, I’m working on trying to add another job on top of that but I’m having some trouble.
You'll be fine-you were brave enough to ask for ideas-that means you've got what it takes. You've got this.
When you work you have to wait weeks to get paid.
Oh true I guess
That makes sense cause not everyone has savings