Diet on a budget

I'm a bachalor and don't know much about shopping, just go to the shop grab whatever I need and get out. My diet costs me about 500 per week. Let's say 2000 to 2500 per month. Is this normal? Iv see some guys talking about 1600 a month.

Is there any tips you guys that's been in the game for some time can give? Like where to shop? What to buy instead of certain things?

Budget is damn tight this month :pinch: so it got me thinking

2500 is cheap I'm around R3500. I suggest buying in bulk especiallyeat,fish,chicken make a deal with your butcher. Oats, eggs, basmati rice from Indian shops. Look for specials and buy it up. Pick n pay vitality with discovery really assists as well

Yeah discovery vitality is good, If you go to those little halaal shops their chicken are much cheaper than pnp and spar. Also, buy fish from the harbor! R12-20/kg for tuna and tuna steak is much much much much better than canned tuna. Buy meat in bulk as well.

gorilla wrote: Yeah discovery vitality is good, If you go to those little halaal shops their chicken are much cheaper than pnp and spar. Also, buy fish from the harbor! R12-20/kg for tuna and tuna steak is much much much much better than canned tuna. Buy meat in bulk as well.

Ai....wens ek nou ek was by di see. No harbors around here Buying tuna like that would save me a lot. I spend around R1 600 on food at the moment with keto. And on my salary with bills its killing me.

Eish bro ill never do without the sea! Where you from?

North eastern cape halway between east london and aliwal-north

Thanx koe, at this stage my diet is lacking...a lot. But getting help soon, never had a diet designed specially for me so it will be a first, atleast I know for the future what to budget for.

Gorilla I wish I was stil living at the sea, work drove me to gauteng! Bummer. But yeah life isn't as great without the sea, specially if you lived there for 16 years

Iv got the vitality benifit. But not sure if I'm bying all the right stuff to utalise it fully.

Preparing your own food is way cheaper than buying prepared / fast food
Oats and rice are super cheap. They are also filling.
Water is free - drink a lot!
Work out your cheapest protein and make that your main source (for me it goes eggs, chicken, fish, beef, other so i eat loads of chicken and eggs).
Same deal with fats (I find olive oil cheaper than nuts, avo etc so I focus on that)
Buy veggies in bulk
R2,000 p/m is pretty tight man. I don't think you will get much better without raising your own chickens

Great advice guys.

Koe, does your butcher make a deal with you for cheaper meat? I will have to try that, any tips on persuading him?

But yeah, if you are used to the normal bachelor diet of 2 minute noodles and coffee, this is gonna be a bit of an expense
:pinch:
Find a chick (or two) with rich parents and eat there when you can

LXIX wrote: But yeah, if you are used to the normal bachelor diet of 2 minute noodles and coffee, this is gonna be a bit of an expense
:pinch:
Find a chick (or two) with rich parents and eat there when you can

Haha thats the problem, i first need the good body then i can get the chick!

LXIX wrote: Preparing your own food is way cheaper than buying prepared / fast food
Oats and rice are super cheap. They are also filling.
Water is free - drink a lot!
Work out your cheapest protein and make that your main source (for me it goes eggs, chicken, fish, beef, other so i eat loads of chicken and eggs).
Same deal with fats (I find olive oil cheaper than nuts, avo etc so I focus on that)
Buy veggies in bulk
R2,000 p/m is pretty tight man. I don't think you will get much better without raising your own chickens

At this stage I chow about 1kg of raw oats a week. Rice every day. Crap load of chicken, some beef for a change now and than. Could definatly work in some eggs. But soon ill be gettting some help with that. So ill see what the coach says... I usually eat well, I like to cook, but the thing is now I'm working in 3 to 4 meals in with solid protien and that ups the cost a bit.

Atleast next month things will be better. A series of unfortunaye events just screwed me through the earsthis month hahahahahaha

Raising my own chickens haha I can just imagine the smell in my backyard lmao :sick: . Well atleast I feel better now that I know what some of you guys pay aswell, its not a cheap hobby but worth it! Thanx for the input guys. By the looks of things my chow budget should go up to 3000 soon. :whistle:

Try to find local chicken farmers with laying hens. I have once again managed to track one down who supplies to wholesalers and supermarkets. Approached him and said I use tons of eggs as a protein source and that R80 for a box of 60 eggs is ridiculous. He offered to sell me his cracked/deformed/blemished eggs that aren't suitable for sale. There is nothing wrong with them people just don't want eggs with a crack or that looks odd. So now I'm buying +-200 eggs for R150.

Great idea man. There's a few guys I work with that have plots and so like small farming missions. What do you think about whole chickens instead of just breasts (for bulking) needs the fats aswell so it couldn't be that bad could it.

I just hunt neighborhood cats..

CHAPEL wrote: I just hunt neighborhood cats..

Haha funny you mention that. Iv been accused of that a few times. Because of the music I listen to. Judging by the mick thomson profile pic you been accused of that aswell.

hahaha! Ya ADT and I have an ongoing feud, they don't like me using my .303 in a urban area

I'm cutting and still eating whole chicken. Just not the skins. Yeah chicken breasts are expensive but whole chicken isn't really much cheaper. U see deboned breasts are solid meat. Whole chickens are priced much cheaper but u are paying for the weight of the bones as well. I cook up 3 to 4 whole chickens at once and then pull the meat and pre pack and freeze meal size portions. When I'm done I'm left with a huge pile of bones, which I paid for but is totally useless. But if you are on a really strict diet then only breasts or fish. But decent fish at a good price is impossible to find. Maybe I should get some carp recipes..........??

Try a 12 bore and loading a round with your spices of choice! Helps to tenderise aswell.

this is a good idea

chapel try to get a silencer works well

MCJ wrote: I'm cutting and still eating whole chicken. Just not the skins. Yeah chicken breasts are expensive but whole chicken isn't really much cheaper. U see deboned breasts are solid meat. Whole chickens are priced much cheaper but u are paying for the weight of the bones as well. I cook up 3 to 4 whole chickens at once and then pull the meat and pre pack and freeze meal size portions. When I'm done I'm left with a huge pile of bones, which I paid for but is totally useless. But if you are on a really strict diet then only breasts or fish. But decent fish at a good price is impossible to find. Maybe I should get some carp recipes..........??

I can get chickens for a good price by a farmer. Shit man I love fishing. But I'm originally from the sea. Started carp fishing but never tried to chow them. That's a damn good idea man.

I love fishing toO! Bro take the carp and mince it, chop up some parsley,onoins,herbs and spices and make fishcakes! Weigh-less spray and cook and into the oven...mmmm

Waldu wrote:

MCJ wrote: I'm cutting and still eating whole chicken. Just not the skins. Yeah chicken breasts are expensive but whole chicken isn't really much cheaper. U see deboned breasts are solid meat. Whole chickens are priced much cheaper but u are paying for the weight of the bones as well. I cook up 3 to 4 whole chickens at once and then pull the meat and pre pack and freeze meal size portions. When I'm done I'm left with a huge pile of bones, which I paid for but is totally useless. But if you are on a really strict diet then only breasts or fish. But decent fish at a good price is impossible to find. Maybe I should get some carp recipes..........??

I can get chickens for a good price by a farmer. Shit man I love fishing. But I'm originally from the sea. Started carp fishing but never tried to chow them. That's a damn good idea man.

Carp tastes kak bud. Tastes "muddy". Had pickled curried carp and that's quite nice. But honestly I don't know how to prepare carp to get rid of that dirty water taste without currying it. Sea fish is king but sooo expensive. Catfish/barber on the other hand is pretty damn good. Don't let looks fool u. Sweet soft white meat. If prepared correctly it tastes like sole. So if anyone has any carp recipes or ideas to remove that muddy taste.....ship en over please. (No keeping them in fresh water for a few weeks doenst help)