Dinner for a Dollar

1/30/2019

You might remember from a previous blog post that my goal is to spend $1 each on dinner, for both me and my son. In an average month, that's going to be $60.

Update: we are at the end of the month, and I have not yet managed it, but it's definitely still a priority. There's a book in the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle called Dinner for a Dollar, and I am reading it to help me do it.

What's your dinner or general meal-planning budget?

"To do this, look at your income against all your bills, and ask yourself this: Without making more money, reducing other expenses, or going into debt, how much money do you have available to spend on food? "
- Shelly Longenecker, Dinner for a Dollar

The Struggle is Real but the Commitment Continues

I admit that, in the past, I have been careless about spending money on food, even though we were eating or meals at home. Sometimes, I didn't do any meal planning for dinner at all, and just bought whatever seemed good at the time.

So when I decided to take a careful look at where I was throwing money away, dinner came to my attention. This is the one meal where my son and I are sure to sit down at the same time, and eat together.

So it's important. And maybe I wanted to fill it with love and joy.

But as a single mom, I have had to get serious about how to control my food budget, and it looks like I will need to squeeze my dinner budget the hardest.

The book, Dinner for a Dollar (DFAD), and the system that goes with it, are helping me see things more clearly, stay committed and figure out what to change.

In the Healthy Meal Planning bundle, which is where I got the book, there's also a budget-friendly meal planning ebook.

But to be honest, I wouldn't even take a look at that, until you have read DFAD. It walks you through the process of making the commitment, choosing your budget and making the changes.

Once you have done that, then you can get creative with your meal planning. The goal - and the book helps with this, too - is how to buy the best food and get it for the best prices.

Budget Meal Planning Progress

Last week, several of my meals were actually dinner for a $1.50. but this week, because of BOGO deals I bought last week, a couple of meals have been a dollar each. So I'm encouraged! I'm making progress.

I just need to keep it up and get that to happen for every dinner.

What's the hardest part of budget meal planning for you?

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine

14 Comments

Shrilekha joshi link

1/30/2019 11:45:33 am

Brilliant especially the line struggle is real but the commitment stays.

Jeanine Byers link

1/30/2019 03:07:03 pm

Oh, wow, thanks so much!! I appreciate that. :)

Mary Davis link

1/30/2019 12:06:51 pm

I don't budget at all even though I should.

1/30/2019 03:07:48 pm

I totally understand that, Mary! Because I didn't used to, either.

Roy A Ackerman, PhD, EA link

1/30/2019 04:32:18 pm

My dinner costs are all over the map. Of course, when I entertain, dinner runs between $9 and $ 20 per person. For myself- some dinners costs $10, some cost $3.50, and most cost $ 2. Now, I admit kosher food costs a bit more (and I probably eat WAY too much)- but I also skip lunch, so I figure it averages out.

1/30/2019 06:45:33 pm

That's a good point about skipping lunch. I sometimes do, as well.

Martha link

1/30/2019 08:06:26 pm

I like t make a meal for 2 for anywhere from $3 - $5 but can go up to $8 with left overs.

1/31/2019 09:37:48 am

That sounds good, Martha! And your leftovers must be amazing. :)

Nita link

1/31/2019 01:08:12 am

I am struggling with my food budget now, mostly I'm looking for foods that I will actually prepare. Back when my kids were home most weeks our food budget was $2-4 a person a day. That included breakfasts, supper, snacks, and meals when we were out and about. It also included an insane amount of junk food. I probably could've saved at least 1/3 of our budget if those foods had been eliminated or at least reduced. I'm eating much healthier these days, and cheaper. I love your idea of $1 a meal, I'm might try it. Thanks for sharing.

1/31/2019 09:39:50 am

You're most welcome, Nita! And I well understand the junk food thing. I have been thinking about that myself - we could both save money if we gave up snacks and treats. But at the moment, I'd rather pay less for dinner. :)

Shubhra Rastogi link

1/31/2019 10:02:46 am

I also try to budget my dinners when ordering from outside. All the best to you for your determination!

1/31/2019 11:15:41 am

Thank you! I appreciate that. :)

ginia link

2/6/2019 12:15:46 am

This is great idea for everybody who like to go according to a budget. But I cant understand how I will go about putting a price on home cooked meals.

2/9/2019 06:54:43 pm

I think what you do is add up the cost of everything you bought for that meal, and then divide it by how many people were eating it. So if you bought pasta + tomato sauce + hamburger for meatballs, you total could be around $12. If you + your spouse + a child ate the meal, then each person's dinner cost $4. If that works for your budget, then everything is fine. But I need for my meals to be less than that right now.