Eating Well for Less Than $5.00 a Day

Did you know the average American family of four spends four to six hundred dollars on groceries every month? That adds up to be over five thousand dollars a year...a very nice vacation instead, had the families shopped smarter.

Stop wasting your money on processed food that guarantees to save you time or better yet promises to make you healthier, stronger or help you lose weight. If you make healthy food choices instead, you are bound to lose weight and fill up your pocketbook with ingesting a variety of chemicals and preservatives. It is not only possible to survive on less than five dollars a day, but also to eat well.

Breakfast - Eggs & Toast
1 dozen scrambled eggs - $2.49/12 eggs = $0.21 per egg
1 loaf whole wheat bread - $1.49/16 slices = $0.12 per slice
Butter (for toast) - $2.49/lb./4 sticks per pound = $0.62/8 tablespoons per stick = $0.08 per tablespoon

That is a total of just $0.41 per serving for an entire breakfast, plus the added benefit that you can feed a large number of people with just a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread.

Morning Snack - Fruit & Yogurt
Oranges - $0.33 each
Yogurt - $0.39 each

Enjoy a mid-morning snack with none of the guilt. Oranges and yogurt are not only healthy; the snack only costs about $0.72 per serving.

Lunch - Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
1 can soup - $1.25/2 servings = $0.63 per serving
1 package American cheese slices - $1.77/16 slices = $0.11 per slice
1 loaf whole wheat bread - $1.49/16 slices = $0.12 per slice
Butter (for sandwiches) - $2.49/lb./4 sticks per pound = $0.62/8 tablespoons per stick = $0.08 per tablespoon

Soup and sandwiches have been eaten for lunch as far back as the pioneer days and at just $0.94 per serving, who could blame them?

Afternoon Snack - Apple Slices & Peanut Butter
1 bag of Apples - $1.99/10 apples per bag = $0.19 per apple
1 (18 oz.) jar peanut butter - $1.50/18 ounces = $0.08 per ounce

Treat yourself to an afternoon snack filled with vitamins and protein to keep you going for the rest of the day. At just $0.27 per serving, you might find an extra bounce in your step.

Dinner - Beef Stew
2 lb. package beef stew meat - $1.89/lb. x 2 lbs. = $3.78
1 family sized bag of frozen mixed vegetables - $1.00
3 beef bullion cubes - 1 jar - $1.89/12 cubes per jar = $0.16 x 3 = $0.47
2 cups water - FREE

By far, the most expensive meal of the day, dinner weighs in at $5.25 for a quick and easy beef stew, which will serve six, bringing it to around $0.88 per serving.

The grand total for the day is around $3.22 per serving, leaving you $1.78 leftover for dessert!