NYCchic,

Wow I'm impressed by the amount you spend on food each month I don't even live in NYC right now and I spend probably twice that. Out of curiousity, how are you keeping that cost so low? Are there things you are going without?(ie., when I was a college student, I spend 20 bucks a week on food - but went without meat and most items). Just curious.

I'm worried about the increased cost of living when I move out there. I would be ecstatic if I can drop the cost of food in half without compromosing health.

hey,how did you survive $20/wk on food? that would be impossible for me! me and my friend are trying to work out a future budget because we will be moving to new york once we save enough money and go to college, maybe get a few degrees. i want to study crime, psychology, and early childhood development. she wants to be a vet. i would be interested to find out how so many new yorkers keep their costs so low.....i want to live comfortably but cheap in nyc, so does my friend. bye for now!

The art of cooking is probably how. Real food is less than processed food,and if you plan your meals they cost less. Though there are a million ways to cook Top Ramen, and if you are lucky you know how to make rice and beans just as many ways. Not to mention eggs what you can do with 12 eggs.

I sit down once a week and look in the cupboards, fridge and freezer to see what I already have, then start going through recipes to plan menus. I write my menu on one side of a list and groceries need on the other. This saves a ton of money, because you are only buying what you need, vs "maybe I'll make this, or buy this to do that, and then coming back for forgotten ingredients. The list of groceries is always in process, because throughout everyone writes down if we are in need of catsup, mustard, shampoo and whatever. Then on Saturday or Sunday it's shopping. I buy for 5 different meals, and the other two days are Fend For Yourself Days using up the leftovers or making your own thing. Lots of leftovers go to work for lunch throughout the week.

I can feed 6 on (including a tall teen son) $200 a week and we eat well. Last night was tenderloins wrapped in bacon, fresh corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes w/cheese, (from first baked on Sunday - always throw in extra) and a salad of mixed greens, a pear, slivered almonds and craisons. Tonight is chicken tacos and spanish rice. Chicken is from Sunday too. Corn Tortillas are from pkg of 36 used to make Beef Enchiladas the week before (if they are not organic they last forever - scary, but good). There are only 4 of us at the moment and grocery bill will go down more as Mom says FFY more often with summer gardening and no students to host.

As a single person I would shop every couple of days, always with planning in mind, and always with an eye to cheaper to eat out, cheaper to cook in.

My way of budgetting is simple : just put aside what you want to save up when you get your paycheck and spent the rest !!!
Don't forget to live and enjoy !!!

Sorry I didn't notice this thread earlier. I do eat meat. I am a big fan of rice and pasta (definitely a starch girl!) While things can be very expensive here I generally don't buy the super expensive things. When cereal I like goes on sale I buy 4 boxes. I buy meat when it is on sale and freeze it. Most of the things I eat are cheap though, box of pasta (0.99) rice (2.99 big bag). Meat at my grocery store runs about 2.99/lb when it goes on sale, which is when I buy most of it. For a single girl food goes really far. I like to do as Salsa and make a recipe and eat it for a while as leftovers. I don't have an appreciation for exotic food so I eat the cheap stuff. DON'T buy the frozen dinners, they cost a ton here! The thing that costs the most that I buy is milk ($4 a gallon) that kills me. I went home over Memorial Day (to Western NYS) and milk there is $1.49. I just about died! Just watch what you spend, I generally spend about $40 a week on my food shopping. I must admit I have learned to live without my beloved strawberries, I just can't justify the prices that they cost nowadays. You should do fine I would suggest taking a look at what you eat weekly now and going to the grocery store and doing a run of what a typical week should look like and see how much that would cost. Track the first couple weeks and you will get an idea of what you will spend on average. Another great way to keep costs down don't eat out every weekend like so many in NYC do. I work with a girl who goes out for lunch everyday and buys dinner everynight. I couldn't justify that, as much as food is in NYC eating out is more!