# $100 bucks a month?



## Chile Chef (Aug 22, 2009)

Ok here's the situation, 

Right now I got like $200 + a month for gorchies after all my bills, and I'm going to be knocking it down to $100 this winter to prove to my folks I can do it when I actually move to Winter Park Fl, So my question is this? Can you get by ok with $100 for food once all your bills are paid?


Remember this my friends, I will be getting grants for my school supplies and I will be using a city bus to get back and forth with,


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## roadfix (Aug 22, 2009)

That's cutting it close.  With my eating habits, I know I definitely can't....and I'm not a big eater.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 22, 2009)

Hi roadfix, Right now I'm $50 shy of living on my own, that means if I can cut back on buying a lot of fruitless foods I don't need I could totally live on my own right now. 

Right now I drink about 4-7 2 liters of pop/soda week and if I can cut that down from 4-7 to 2-3 there would be $20 saved, if I can stop buying spies I'm only going to be using once there is $10-$15 saved, if I can buy cheap off brand stuff, instead of buying brand named stuff I could save another $30-$50 Dollars and only try recipes I know I can make where I don't have to spend $5-$8 on spices. 


That should be good start now, right?


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## apple*tart (Aug 22, 2009)

Have you already tried and succeeded living on only $200 a month for food? 

I'm not sure, buying so few groceries, that you can save $30-$50 just by buying generic brands.  They're cheaper, but they're not a ton cheaper.  10¢ here, 50¢ there.  Plus, this only applies to processed foods - there's not usually generic bananas or mushrooms or zucchini, you know?


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## roadfix (Aug 22, 2009)

Totally eliminate the sodas and you'll save a bunch.  I don't think I can give up my diet coke habit.  I guess I could attend DCDA if forced to cut down.


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## Chef Munky (Aug 22, 2009)

Chili,
If it's just you it could probably be done.Allot yourself so much money per week.Think of a menu that can be stretched out for other meals.Stick with it.
You will also need money for the little things like soaps,foil..You know stuff 

Do you have a crock pot?What kinds of foods do you like?Can you set aside 1 day a week to buy and prepare ahead of time?


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## GB (Aug 22, 2009)

Make things like rice and beans staples in your diet as they are inexpensive and filling and healthy. Supplement that with whatever veggies are inexpensive and you can get some meat, but use it sparingly as meat is very expensive.


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## Scotch (Aug 22, 2009)

Derek, that's only $3.33 per day. If you allocate 20% of that for breakfast, 30% for lunch, and 50% for dinner, that means 67¢ for breakfast, $1.00 for lunch, and $1.67 for dinner -- every day. That will be tough to do, day after day, especially if you want to be sure you get a balanced diet and enough calories to keep you going. 

In July 2009, the USDA issued a report on the cost of food. Assuming that you buy the food at a market and prepare it at home, they estimated that for a male 20 to 50 years old, the monthly cost of a "thrifty" meal plan was $154.00, a "low-cost" plan was $205.20, a "moderate" plan was $251.90, and a "liberal" meal plan was $304.50 per month. 

Here's the link:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2009/CostofFoodJun09.pdf

You might find the food-plan calculator discussed in this article to be helpful:

The Thrifty Food Plan Calculator - Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy - Tufts University

Other suggestions: 

1. Clip coupons and shop where the store doubles them.
2. Watch for sales and stock up when you can.
3. Check to see if you qualify for food stamps. 

Good luck with it! 

p.s. -- On the bright side, you should be nice and thin by the time you get to Florida.


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## bullseye (Aug 22, 2009)

When I was vegetarian and living in Atlanta in the late 70s and trying to be frugal, I was happy if I could do $65 a month for just me.  I worked the produce stands and sales and went anywhere I was invited to eat.  It was still a struggle.  Considering the increase in food prices, $100 a month is pretty optimistic.  Be prepared to make good friends with rice and beans and forget the meat.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 22, 2009)

apple*tart said:


> Have you already tried and succeeded living on only $200 a month for food?
> 
> I'm not sure, buying so few groceries, that you can save $30-$50 just by buying generic brands.  They're cheaper, but they're not a ton cheaper.  10¢ here, 50¢ there.  Plus, this only applies to processed foods - there's not usually generic bananas or mushrooms or zucchini, you know?


Yes I have more like a $150 a month with a $40 ebt card, and I come up a little short each month. I think it nearly rounds out to $175 and that's trying a few recipes at a time.



roadfix said:


> Totally eliminate the sodas and you'll save a bunch.  I don't think I can give up my diet coke habit.  I guess I could attend DCDA if forced to cut down.


Wow mate, You I would go mad if I had to totally give up on the one thing that makes me happy!



Chef Munky said:


> Chili,
> If it's just you it could probably be done.Allot yourself so much money per week.Think of a menu that can be stretched out for other meals.Stick with it.
> You will also need money for the little things like soaps,foil..You know stuff
> 
> Do you have a crock pot?What kinds of foods do you like?Can you set aside 1 day a week to buy and prepare ahead of time?


I do have a crock pot and I've been using it, had chicken noodle soup for a week straight and it was still tasty at the end of that week! You read my mind about making week long meals, I'm also going to be freezing roast beef, Honey turkey ham, buying up a lot of can goods when they come on sale. 

Instead of buying let's say progressive tomato soup for $1,99 I'm buying value time tomato soup @$0.44 now, And if I need something like flour when I run out I can wait to refill it. 



GB said:


> Make things like rice and beans staples in your diet as they are inexpensive and filling and healthy. Supplement that with whatever veggies are inexpensive and you can get some meat, but use it sparingly as meat is very expensive.


That's actually a good idea and I will start doing that now. 



Scotch said:


> Derek, that's only $3.33 per day. If you allocate 20% of that for breakfast, 30% for lunch, and 50% for dinner, that means 67¢ for breakfast, $1.00 for lunch, and $1.67 for dinner -- every day. That will be tough to do, day after day, especially if you want to be sure you get a balanced diet and enough calories to keep you going.
> 
> In July 2009, the USDA issued a report on the cost of food. Assuming that you buy the food at a market and prepare it at home, they estimated that for a male 20 to 50 years old, the monthly cost of a "thrifty" meal plan was $154.00, a "low-cost" plan was $205.20, a "moderate" plan was $251.90, and a "liberal" meal plan was $304.50 per month.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link mate, Right now I've kind of been buying fruitless stuff such as self rizing corn meal I haven't even opened, and things like that I really don't need, however I will still buy grits, homeny and so on the stables I use weekely. 



bullseye said:


> When I was vegetarian and living in Atlanta in the late 70s and trying to be frugal, I was happy if I could do $65 a month for just me.  I worked the produce stands and sales and went anywhere I was invited to eat.  It was still a struggle.  Considering the increase in food prices, $100 a month is pretty optimistic.  Be prepared to make good friends with rice and beans and forget the meat.


I really don't need to buy meat Bullseye, I'm pretty much a vegtarian, I probably could quit meat all together right now , this very instant if I wanted too.  Basiclly the only time I have meat if I'm at burger king or if a recipe calls for it. 


However I will eat fish though it's not really a meat more like a protine, but someo ne can correct on me on that, thanks everyone!





By the way, I will cut out a lot of pricey meats as well like if a recipe calls for ground lamb, I will switch the lamb to ground turkey, ground beef.


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## babetoo (Aug 22, 2009)

does your bill contain absolutely nothing other than food. if you add in paper goods and t.p. is a must, i don't think it can be done. i spend 300.00 a month on average just for me. but that is everything . i spend a lot on baking supplies, but cooking is my hobby. pet stuff as well. over counter meds. cleaning supplies etc. i eat well but still use club card to save money.

good luck, how old are you? what do your parents have to say about you living alone if you are over eighteen. would seem to me to be up to you


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## GrillingFool (Aug 22, 2009)

> .......if I'm at burger king .


First thing you HAVE to do is give up eating at restaurants. PERIOD.
No more fountain drinks, no more sodas from the machine, no bags of chips from 
the machine. 

Contemplate... a 2 liter of Diet Coke is almost always less than a 20 ounce.
If you have to have a soda fix during the day, buy bulk and bring your own from
home. 
Spending $1 a day on a soda is $30 a month... 1/3-1/4 of your entire food budget.

Ditto buying ANYTHING at a restaurant. 

You need to research the  grocery stores available to you. See if any of them do markdowns on close dated food. 
The Krogers near my house does it every day at about 5pm... and I get there on time, LOL! It's a huge savings on foods and especially meats, which I get half price.

You should make a game of it and see if you can get by ONLY buying things when on sale. 

Spend a week and write down EVERYTHING you spend money on, even if it's a quarter for a penny candy. Then see where you can save a buck here and there
for food!


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## Chile Chef (Aug 23, 2009)

babetoo said:


> does your bill contain absolutely nothing other than food. if you add in paper goods and t.p. is a must, i don't think it can be done. i spend 300.00 a month on average just for me. but that is everything . i spend a lot on baking supplies, but cooking is my hobby. pet stuff as well. over counter meds. cleaning supplies etc. i eat well but still use club card to save money.
> 
> good luck, how old are you? what do your parents have to say about you living alone if you are over eighteen. would seem to me to be up to you


I'm 36 babetoo, and the reason the folks ask me to do this, because I will have no more help from SSI, foodtsamps, and the family,
and I will be cut off ssi but not my health insurance though! Oh sorry I forgot to add $100 is after all the paper goods and misc stuff.  



GrillingFool said:


> First thing you HAVE to do is give up eating at restaurants. PERIOD.
> No more fountain drinks, no more sodas from the machine, no bags of chips from
> the machine.
> 
> ...


Grilling Fool, Thats a good idea man. I will most certainly try that!


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## Wyogal (Aug 23, 2009)

or do what my son is doing, his grant/college loan is enough to get a meal pln at the college. He's living off campus, but wants to make sure he's getting enough to eat, so he's purchasing a plan where he can stop in to the dining hall (lots of choices, good food, all you-can-eat) once a day, at least during the week.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 23, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> or do what my son is doing, his grant/college loan is enough to get a meal pln at the college. He's living off campus, but wants to make sure he's getting enough to eat, so he's purchasing a plan where he can stop in to the dining hall (lots of choices, good food, all you-can-eat) once a day, at least during the week.


Wyogal, I may actually decide on on CMU instead of of fullsail, they have same exact program and I've found out I can do CMU better then fullsail money wise, And CMU actually have the exact program I was talking to you guys about in a different thread! Where I would be able to come in with my laptop, brainstorm for a few hours with the rest of the people in the meeting and leave. I guess it's a graphics desinger 

And I can get a meal plan that has 150 meals per semsester for $1,800 I don't think that's too bad, right?


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## GrillingFool (Aug 23, 2009)

> meal plan that has 150 meals per semsester for $1,800



That is $12 a meal.

At three meals a day, 50 days. 

i'm not excited.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 23, 2009)

GrillingFool said:


> That is $12 a meal.
> 
> At three meals a day, 50 days.
> 
> i'm not excited.




What do you mean?


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## GrillingFool (Aug 23, 2009)

The meal plan doesn't sound like a great deal.
Convenient, but expensive.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 23, 2009)

GrillingFool said:


> The meal plan doesn't sound like a great deal.
> Convenient, but expensive.


Well GF, I wouldn't have to worry about paying for it, I will be able to use part of the pell grant for it, and pay for it, that way!


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## kleenex (Aug 23, 2009)

Time for nothing but ramen noodles, and kraft mac and cheese


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## GrillingFool (Aug 23, 2009)

So use that $1800 toward your food budget.

At $12 a MEAL, you can certainly eat much cheaper in other ways.

Is the convenience worth it? 

Also.. if you aren't LIVING on campus, then you probably won't be around
the cafeteria for breakfast or dinner.

Every uneaten meal on the plan is $12 wasted.


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## apple*tart (Aug 23, 2009)

Since semesters last longer than 50 days, my guess is that the meal plan covers 2 meals a day for the 4 months a typical semester spans.  You definitely want to look into the details, because it's different at every school.  Be prepared that you may need to provide your own food on weekends or for breakfasts; but you could definitely do that on $100 a month.


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## Chile Chef (Aug 23, 2009)

GrillingFool said:


> So use that $1800 toward your food budget.
> 
> At $12 a MEAL, you can certainly eat much cheaper in other ways.
> 
> ...





apple*tart said:


> Since semesters last longer than 50 days, my guess is that the meal plan covers 2 meals a day for the 4 months a typical semester spans.  You definitely want to look into the details, because it's different at every school.  Be prepared that you may need to provide your own food on weekends or for breakfasts; but you could definitely do that on $100 a month.


Thank you guys, And yes the meal plan is more like $5,00 breakfast, $7,00 lunch, $10,00 dinner but it's all you can eat, What I was going to do is take half my dinner home and put it in the fridge and make dinners out of the left over food I couldn't eat, depending on what it is.


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## GrillingFool (Aug 23, 2009)

That could work... best make sure you can. Most buffet places won't allow 
doggie bags.

(I used to be pretty good at sneaking foods into my big winter coat pockets back in the day. Summers were not as easy, LOL)


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## Scotch (Aug 23, 2009)

Most college cafeterias won't let you take food out of the dining hall. Otherwise two people could be eating for the price of one. In fact, some places won't let anyone in who doesn't have a meal ticket.


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## GB (Aug 23, 2009)

Scotch said:


> Most college cafeterias won't let you take food out of the dining hall. Otherwise two people could be eating for the price of one. In fact, some places won't let anyone in who doesn't have a meal ticket.


While this is true, it is also usually very easy to sneak food out, not that I am advocating braking the rules. Also, most places will give you one ewarning and then revoke your meal plan if they catch you so you need to make your decisions wisely.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 23, 2009)

You are NOT going to be able to get a doggie bag for any kind of buffet.  If, however, they provide to go boxes, they usually sell the food by weight. Left-over all-you-care-to-eat-at-one-sitting is probably not going to fly.  Don't expect to get ahead by cheating the system.


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## Scotch (Aug 23, 2009)

Also, beware of the "Freshman Twenty" -- which is what a lot of students gain during the first year of eating dorm food. The all-you-want approach can be disastrous over time, especially when the pies are as good as they were at my college!


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## kitchenelf (Aug 23, 2009)

Scotch said:


> Also, beware of the "Freshman Twenty" -- which is what a lot of students gain during the first year of eating dorm food. The all-you-want approach can be disastrous over time, especially when the pies are as good as they were at my college!



OMG - yes, good advice.  Except mine was a different kind of pie - pizza pie!  Back then the extra 20 came off a LOT easier!


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## luvs (Aug 24, 2009)

i have a lunch meal plan, & they have take-away food, so i get food after class & usually take it with me for dinner. it is so worth it!


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## Chile Chef (Aug 24, 2009)

luvs said:


> i have a lunch meal plan, & they have take-away food, so i get food after class & usually take it with me for dinner. it is so worth it!


That's nice, I wish cmich.edu will not delivery, I think thats the right web address!


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## Wyogal (Aug 25, 2009)

"I wish cmich.edu will not delivery"
point?


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## Wyogal (Aug 25, 2009)

My son is living off campus, but chose the 9-meal/week plan. He's on campus for classes, so it's more convenient to stop in between classes, or if he's at the library studying. The price is worth it, it's convenient, he doesn't have to cook all his meals, and as an athlete, he can be sure to get his protein needs met.
So, at this point, you are changing colleges? Full Sail, from what I remember, is pretty expensive. When do you actually start classes?


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## Chile Chef (Aug 25, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> My son is living off campus, but chose the 9-meal/week plan. He's on campus for classes, so it's more convenient to stop in between classes, or if he's at the library studying. The price is worth it, it's convenient, he doesn't have to cook all his meals, and as an athlete, he can be sure to get his protein needs met.
> So, at this point, you are changing colleges? Full Sail, from what I remember, is pretty expensive. When do you actually start classes?


For the community college I start this coming Monday @ 8am Wyagal, Then as soon as the winter semester is over I will be transferring to CMU.

            Your right about FullSail being exspeinve and it was a pipe dream, I had to weigh my true goals and dreams, and I've notice if I go to Cmich first I can actually buy a house and finally get away from living in any type of apartments. 



          I know if I did the fullsail move,I would be so poor the only way I could get on the net would be via my iphone, and I would need $400 an evxtra per month to be able to livelike I do here in Michigan. 


         I also know that Cmich has college apartments I can handle very well "I would only be -$50 from how I live here at my current place. But as you all know I can make some major cut backs and it would equal out. 




I really hate weighing my pros & cons but you got to now aday's


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## Miriam84 (Sep 21, 2009)

Hey Chile Chef. I don't know if all colleges are like this, but the 2 times I visited my best friend in college, she/we could actually get things to go. I remember when she came back from class early one day and surprised me with my very first panini. It may be worthwhile for you to find out from the school ahead of time if they allow you to get your food to go. If you can squeeze a few extra meals a week out of it, it may be worth it, as their freshly prepared meals are probably more nutritionally sound than living on Raman Noodles and mac-n-cheese.

  On a side note: You mentioned a Pell grant. I wasn't able to go to college (my grandmother left my mother a nice amount of money when she passed away, but unbeknownst to her my father was  piddling it all away behind her back, probably on other women, leaving no college money for me) and have been wanting nothing more than to go back to school. I've heard of Pell grants, but I don't know how one qualifies for one, what they provide money for, and how one goes about applying. Would you be so kind as to give me a little bit of information or at least point me in the right direction? It would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to get on it ASAP, as I'm still young enough (25) and don't want to wait until I just "settle" for the life I have based on the hand that I was dealt.

 By the way, I live in FL, too and strongly suggest doing your grocery shopping at Publix. They are by far the cleanest and have the best quality goods. They even made AOL's list for (I think it was 8-- 4/4) best and worst grocery stores in the country (obviously as one of the best lol). They also run a lot of great sales, including buy-one-get-one often. Hope this helps. Best of luck.


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## apple*tart (Sep 21, 2009)

Miriam, first, you never have to settle! But it does get harder as you take on more obligations and responsibilities. 

If you want to go back to school, fill out a FAFSA.  They'll let you know what programs you're eligible for. Good luck!
FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid


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## Miriam84 (Sep 22, 2009)

Oh, Apple, thank you so much for the resource! Unfortunately, sometimes one's life does force them to settle. I have no one to help me out while I go back to school; I'm still single and my mother is my only living family (my father doesn't count, as he's run out of chances) and we live together, both of our incomes being necessary. Working in the finance industry, it's been tough since the economy has gone down le toilette. I figure if I can manage to get enough assistance to also aid in living expenses, I could work from home at least part time to pick up the slack. Assuming that any programs out there would not help cover living expenses, particularly since there is another income in the household, has kept me from seeking out such resources. And yet, I'm the first person to tell someone what it means to assume... 

 I apologize for being so long-winded, I'm just excited to have a jumping off point. I will look over the information and report back (if you're at all interested) when I know more. Again, thank you for taking the time to provide me with this resource.


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## apple*tart (Sep 22, 2009)

No problem.  If you're over a certain age (I want to say 22 or 24?), you don't have to count your parents' income.  I don't think it's a household thing unless you're married.

There's options out there for non-traditional students.  Talk to someone at schools you'd be interested in, even if they are too far away to commute.  State universities and community colleges will probably be cheapest, and some may have programs that consist entirely of online classes.  Definitely explore your options! And good luck!


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