I am a SNAP recipient who receives $193.00 per month in benefits. To augment that, I am able to budget an additional $32.00 per month for food. Altogether, that leaves me with a budget of just over $50.00 per week. Join me as I share what I do to make it work.
Welcome to Week Twelve
Early last week, my friend texted me and asked if I’d like to meet up for lunch on Thursday afternoon. I immediately said yes. We’ve been wanting to get together for over a year, but she works a physically demanding job, has health problems that require doctors appointments, and also takes care of her elderly mother. That doesn’t leave much time or energy for socializing. Since I’m not working and rarely leave the house, my schedule is much more flexible.
I volunteered to drive to her town, which is just over twenty minutes down the freeway from me. We decided to meet at a diner there. The freeway was very busy for some reason, and the diner was even busier. After seeing the packed diner parking lot, she asked if I’d be okay going to the McDonald’s across the road instead. I wasn’t worried about the food, so I didn’t care; I was just looking forward to chatting with my friend.
After we finished lunch, I went back to her place to hang out and see her three kitties. I also enjoyed snarking on her soap opera because…well, it’s a soap opera. Soon enough, it was time for her to head to her mother’s house. I was more than ready to head home at that point. I was dealing with some type of allergy, and due to allergy fatigue, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I desperately needed a nap.
It was so nice to see my friend, and I hope we can get together a bit more often in the future. Other than that visit, Week Twelve was pretty much the same as the eleven previous weeks. If you are familiar with SpongeBob, my life is like Squidward’s when he moves to Tentacle Acres; each day is pretty much the same as the day before. I sometimes mix things up by going to an appointment, however. Spicy!
This week’s food was also the same ol’, same ol’. I haven’t really been on the lookout for new recipes, and the recipes I’ve had saved are dwindling. Blogging and trying new recipes got me through the winter, but I think I’m dealing with some spring fever and my brain wants to move on to other pursuits. That’s fine as far as food goes; as long as I have food to eat, I’m good. However, I do wish I could get back into blogging!
Meals
Sausage Burritos (2 nights)
My frozen burritos have come to the rescue twice this week. I had them for dinner following my McDonald’s lunch last Thursday. I also plan on eating them tonight. By doing this, I was able to better budget for my lunch date as well as takeout later in the week. However, after finishing this second batch of burritos, I won’t be wanting any more for the foreseeable future.
Tuscan Soup (2 nights)
Since 10-pound bags of russets were on sale, I figured I’d make the Tuscan soup again. I made it, and I decided I’m good on sausage for a long time. In the past month, I’ve made two batches of Tuscan soup, two batches of sausage burritos, and tortellini soup—all of which have contained sausage. Yeah, no more sausage for a long while.
Tacos (2 nights)
The head of lettuce I bought for my tacos had a brown, slimy spot that I didn’t see in the store! I carefully removed all of the bad lettuce and then put the rest of it in a Ziploc bag. A couple days later, when I pulled out the lettuce for tacos, I was disgusted to see more brown slime! I needed lettuce for my tacos though, so I salvaged what I could and used it. It tasted fine, and I’m still alive.
Unfortunately, I had meant to save a few of the leaves for next week’s sandwiches. Well, that didn’t happen. Next week I’ll have to buy another head of lettuce for four lettuce leaves. I have no clue what to do with the rest of it because I’m not feeling salad.
I also bought a one-pound block of colby jack cheese because it was on sale, as well as having a coupon for 75¢ off. I used my KitchenAid attachment to grate some for tacos, and Sassy and I have been snacking on the rest of it.
Mediterranean Takeout (1 night)
The new Mediterranean place in town—that I vowed to never go to again—was having its official grand opening, and so they were running a “buy one, get one free” promotion. Their food is okay. It’s the fact that their wraps are skimpy for the price that led to my decision not to return. However, two wraps for the price of one sounded good to me. Luckily I found out about the promotion before I went shopping, so I was able to work this meal into my budget.
I went with a gyro wrap and a falafel wrap, and I ordered online. When I arrived at 5:00 pm, the shopping center parking lot was nearly full, so I knew it must be extremely busy. As I neared the restaurant, I saw that the line was out the door. However, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was in good spirits, patiently waiting their turns. After waiting in line for about ten minutes, I realized there was a much shorter line for online order pickups. D’oh! Once I got in that line, I was out the door in no time. By that time, the other line had grown much longer.
My wraps actually weren’t too skimpy! They were cold from setting around a while, but I was expecting that. I didn’t care for the gyro meat, which I had never had before, but it wasn’t horrible. My falafel wrap was bland. Overall, it was filling, and I was just happy that, despite the chaos, my order was correct. As always at this location, customer service was excellent despite the fact that they were slammed.
Total Spent on Meals: $26.28
Baking/Dessert Project
I made more no bake cookies over the weekend. I cannot get enough of these lately! I had everything on hand to make them.
Total Spent for Dessert: $0.00
Stock Up
There was nothing on sale that was worth stocking up on, so I only bought eggs & cheese slices. I’ve heard whisperings of impending egg shortages, so I bought a 24-pack of eggs. I also bought Swiss slices for next week’s sandwiches because they were on sale. Had I waited, they would have still been on sale, plus I would have been able to use a 45¢ coupon. Oh well!
Total Spent to Stock Up: $6.99
Miscellaneous
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
McDonald’s prices have gotten out of hand, but my Big Mac meal cost less than what I would have paid at the diner. And that’s a good thing since lunch with my friend put me over budget this week.
Also, what the hell is a “drink upcharge”? A medium drink is included with the meal, so why was I charged extra? I’m not upset over a dime; I’m just curious.
Smoothies
I’m still looking forward to my morning smoothie each day! This week, I’ll be finishing up that year-old frozen fruit blend. I’m glad that, despite being encased in ice crystals, the fruit was fine to use, and so it didn’t go to waste!
Total Spent on Miscellaneous: $21.02
The Final Tally
The regular price on my Meijer shopping trip would have been $39.18, but between sales, digital coupons, and my mPerks points redemption, I saved $8.13. That brought my grand total to $31.05. Then, my Mediterranean takeout was $12.71, and my lunch at McDonald’s was $9.53. Altogether, I spent a total of $53.29 this week. I only went $3.29 over budget despite two fast food meals!
Grand Total Spent on Food This Week: $53.29
In Conclusion
Even on a tight budget, social connections are vital. It was wonderful catching up with my friend, and the shared meal—despite the McDonald’s detour—was worth it. This experience reminds me that budgeting isn’t just about numbers—it’s about making room for the things that matter most.
This week was a great reminder of the importance of budgeting flexibility. While unexpected outings can throw things off a bit, there are always adjustments that can be made. I’m proud of myself for sticking to my careful meal planning and finding ways to save, even with the additional expenses. Here’s to another week of delicious meals and mindful spending!
