4 Weeks to Pantry
If you're starting from absolutely nothing, here's how to feed yourself while building a pantry on $50 per week.
Recently a lot of people, mostly on Threads and YouTube, have been accusing me of being misleading in some way because it’s not actually possible to feed 2 adults on $50 a week because I already have pantry stores. I buy pantry staples every single week within that budget as part of keeping a well-stocked pantry, but apparently that still isn’t realistic. Some people don’t have that and building it up from scratch with that budget would be impossible, they say.
So, here you go. Here is a guide to using $50 per week to start a pantry from scratch while not starving in the mean time. Here are some IMPORTANT NOTES.
These are prices in MY grocery store in MY state. $50 is probably not a realistic budget in California because your prices are higher (and so are your wages). Maybe $75 makes more sense within your local economy, please use your judgement and wisdom of your own personal situation.
Even though I regularly shop at an Indian grocery store and make a lot of Indian food because it’s cost effective, I’m not incorporating any of that here because I know that’s not accessible to everyone and building the spice cabinet takes longer than a month. I did not have a well-stocked Indian spice and lentil cabinet in one month, it was more like six. However, I do strongly recommend exploring that as a strategy for eating on a budget.
I realized by the end that I’ve only accounted for one coffee drinker because there’s only one coffee drinker in my house, sorry. But like, doing this in reality is going to be a little different depending on how you like to eat, I’m just trying to inspire and illustrate for you using 2 hours of my time.
All of this is vegan because I am. It isn’t high-protein, but it has enough protein to live on.
Week One: Staples for survival
Since we are starting from absolutely nothing in the first week, the food here is prioritizing survival and getting close to meeting basic needs, not having amazing meals, and that’s OK. If you truly have nothing at all, just eating enough is the main priority. I’m going to refer to the current weekly ad and coupons at Food Lion in making some decisions here. Everything is store brand unless otherwise noted.
5 lb all purpose flour: $2.49
3 packets of yeast: $1.69
40 oz bottle vegetable oil: $3.59
2 lb bag granulated sugar: $2.79
16 oz creamy peanut butter: $2.29
18 oz grape jam: $2.39
5 lb white rice: $3.49
18 oz can rolled oats: $2.39
2 lb pinto beans: $2.29
1 lb dry chickpeas: $1.59
16 oz box elbow macaroni: $0.99
28 oz can crushed tomatoes: $1.59
8 oz adobo seasoning: $1.89
10 oz bottle soy sauce: $2.00
26 oz can salt: $0.79
7 count instant coffee packets: $1.79
5 lb gold potatoes: $2.99
3 lb navel oranges: $3.49
2 lb bananas: $1.00
2 lb carrots: $1.99
2 lb cabbage: $1.78
0.5 lb jalapenos: $0.65
1/2 gallon soy milk: $3.49
2 lb mixed frozen vegetables: $2.49
25 oz blue bonnet light, currently on closeout for $1.80 plus $1.35 in-app coupon, so $0.45.
This adds up to $49.81.
During this week, you can make a loaf of bread for making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunches and toast with margarine and jam for breakfasts. Oatmeal with peanut butter is another breakfast option, supplemented with fresh oranges and bananas.
Some main meals you can make include a tray bake with roasted chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. This week included salt and adobo seasoning, which doesn’t make for a huge array of flavor, but it’s just one week. We can do anything for one week! If you really need a sauce, peanut butter and soy sauce mixed together with water to thin can do in a pinch. You can also use the crushed tomatoes, pasta, pinto beans, and jalapenos to make a big batch of sopa. Making a large batch of rice to eat with stovetop pinto beans will also make a nourishing if a little boring meal, and you can use the leftover rice, frozen vegetables, and soy sauce to make a very basic fried rice.
For desserts, you can bake some very basic peanut butter cookies. There are also 7 days of instant coffee; I think we can make room for coffee in a later week, but for now instant is what it is. Put in half of a cup of soy milk each time for a little protein and calcium.
Week 2: Staples, seasonings, and baking
This week we’ll add a little bit more in the spices and seasonings and special ingredients realm to start making tastier stuff, while still adding to our supply of dry goods. Fortunately, we will still have rice, beans, chickpeas, flour, sugar, salt, oats, peanut butter, jam, and probably some frozen vegetables, pasta, and potatoes etc. leftover from last week. I’ll refer to the weekly ad preview for next week for prices and deals.
1 lb lentils: $1.89
1 lb dry kidney beans: $1.29
8 oz bottle imitation vanilla: $1.99
16 oz box baking soda: $0.98
16 oz bag flaxseed meal: $3.84 with coupon
Garlic powder: $1.19
Cumin: $2.49
Paprika: $0.99
Chili powder: $2.69
Italian seasoning: $3.18
1 packet ranch dip powder: $0.50
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes: $3.18
2 16 oz boxes of penne: $1.89
1 box of vegetable broth base packets: $1.99
2 lb self-rising corn meal mix: $1.69
7 count box of instant coffee packets: $1.79
5 lb bag red potatoes: $2.49
2 lb baby carrots: $1.99
2 cucumber: $1.38
4 lb of cabbage because it’s on sale for $0.29/lb: $1.16
2 lb yellow onions: $1.89
3 lb bananas: $1.50
2 lb gala apples: $2.78
1/2 gallon soy milk: $3.49
This adds up to $48.25 for the week.
Once again, you can bake a loaf of bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and this week we have the option of a veggie side of baby carrots and cucumber slices with ranch mixed with a bit of soy milk. Toast with margarine and jam or with peanut butter is again a breakfast option, along with oatmeal. Eat some fresh fruit with breakfast. I know you’re getting real sick of these options for breakfast, but don’t worry, there will be more options next week!
For main meals, you can use one can of tomatoes along with lentils, onion, oil, and seasoning to make a basic pasta sauce and serve that with some sauteed cabbage. More cabbage can be mixed with mashed potatoes made with milk and margarine to make colcannon, and then you can use a broth packet, flour, and oil to make a basic gravy. Add in lentils and that’s a complete meal, baby. The kidney beans plus pinto beans from last week, a can of tomatoes, spices, onion, and mixed frozen vegetables can make a hearty chili, and you can serve that with some homemade cornbread. At this point, you might have too many potatoes and if so, cooking and freezing some extra mashed potatoes will come in handy later.
For something sweet, you have enough ingredients now to make a nice banana bread or two. We’re still on instant coffee, but let’s change that soon. Again, half a cup of soy milk with the coffee.
Week 3: You’re probably out of peanut butter and you need real coffee, but no fresh veggies this week
4 lb jar of peanut butter: $6.89
12 oz bag ground coffee: $6.99
1 lb great northern beans: $1.98
Bottle of stir fry sauce: $2.00
32 oz box pancake mix: $1.99
Bottle of pancake syrup: $2.49
16 oz bag chickpea flour: $3.39
18 oz box Post shredded wheat n bran cereal: $4.69
1 box saltine crackers: $1.99
14 oz package tofu: $2.49
12 oz bag stir fry mix vegetables: $1.29
12 oz bag frozen spinach: $1.69
32 oz bag frozen broccoli: $3.49 - $1.25 coupon for 2 bags frozen veg = $2.24
4 oz can mushrooms: $1.39
2 cans green beans: $1.28
1/2 gallon soy milk: $3.49
1/2 gallon almond milk: $2.99 - $1.25 coupon = $1.74
1 lb bananas: $0.50
This adds up to $48.52
Given that over the prior 2 weeks we purchased a total of 10 lb of fruit and I’m assuming this is for two people, I suspect we have fruit leftover this week and can make it through. I added a pound of bananas just in case. This week, we have some more breakfast options including cereal with almond milk and a chickpea flour omelette with spinach and mushrooms, yum! If you’re not into savory breakfast, that could also be a lunch. Also, weekly pancakes are officially on the menu!
Use your last yeast packet to make another loaf of bread and have some PB&Js, sorry if you’re tired of them but they’re so king for cheap nutrition. Since you invested in a 4 lb jar of peanut butter this week, you’re good for a WHILE.
For main meals, you can use some pinto beans, onions, and jalepenos from prior weeks to make stovetop pinto beans and serve it with cornbread. The tofu, stir fry vegetables, and stir fry sauce will make a great (you guessed it) stir fry to serve with steamed rice. You can use the frozen broccoli, blended white beans, vegetable broth base, and flour + oil roux to make a creamy broccoli soup and eat that with saltine crackers. You might have some leftover mashed potatoes from last week, which you could serve with lentil gravy and canned green beans. This is a low fresh produce week, but that’s sometimes necessary to make room in the budget and that’s OK. Canned and frozen are great too.
Now you’ve also got enough REAL coffee for the next two weeks! For a sweet treat, maybe some oatmeal cookies?
Week 4: Getting in the groove of pantry replenishment
By this point, you’ll start running low on and out of stuff from your pantry and you’ll need to keep room in the budget each week to replenish. Now that you have a baseline, you also have room to buy bigger packages which will last longer and are cheaper overall. That’s how I function every week to keep my costs down. Let’s assume that you’ve run out of flour and oats, and add a little more to the pantry.
5 lb all purpose flour: $2.49
42 oz can oats: $4.29
16 oz brown sugar: $1.99
Bottle of liquid smoke: $2.29
Packet of bay leaves: $1.49
Cinnamon: $2.99
Baking powder: $2.69
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes: $0.98
1 dark chocolate bar: $2.29
28 oz can crushed tomatoes: $1.59
12 oz frozen spinach: $1.79
3 lb frozen berry medley: $7.99
32 oz frozen mixed vegetables: $2.49
3 lb sweet potatoes: $3.57
2 lb carrots: $1.99
3 lb bananas: $1.50
Celery bunch: $1.99
Fresh mushrooms: $1.99
1/2 gallon soy milk: $3.59
This comes to $48.
This week you’ve invested in a big ole bag of frozen berries, which you can add to your oatmeals and cereals for fruit, or blend into a smoothie with soy milk along with some flax meal, frozen spinach, and even frozen cooked white beans for a nutritious smoothie. If you need sweetness, you’ve got pancake syrup baby. Also now we have cinnamon and baking powder, adding even more options for baking if you like. I’m not assuming a yeasted bread this week, you’ll need to fit yeast into your budget next time. You could make soda bread if you like!
A couple of weeks ago, you bought two boxes of pasta but you only used one. You can use the can of tomatoes you buy this week to make more pasta sauce if you used all that you made last time, and add lentils or chickpeas for protein. The celery, mushrooms, some of the mixed frozen vegetables, bay leaves, liquid smoke, and fire roasted tomatoes are all for a vegetable gumbo made with kidney beans which you can serve with rice. You won’t use all the celery fo this, so eat the rest with peanut butter for a snack maybe. The sweet potatoes and carrots, along with some blended white beans, can make a delicious creamy sweet potato and carrot soup to have with crackers you bought last week. You can also try making some savory oats with soy peanut sauce and mixed frozen vegetables, which is something I really love.
The brown sugar and chocolate bar will come in real clutch for making some chocolate chunk cookies. You can find and modify recipes for no butter chocolate chip cookies to use flax egg and vegetable oil, but now that the pantry is getting filled out, making room for vegan butter could be possible soon.
Conclusion
I’m not saying that starting from zero and immediately feeding yourself and a partner on $50 a week (or whatever is a low weekly expense in your local economy) is easy. It’s not, and you aren’t able to eat amazing meals for a while. But it’s not impossible start and build a pantry on a low weekly budget, slowly adding dry bulk items to the cabinet over time. And if you’re in this situation, you don’t actually have to do this at all. Go to the food pantry. They can usually give you the basics for free.
Love you.
I love this post, Kate. It’s so thoughtful and inspiring. Just reading it makes me believe I can manage if catastrophe strikes or I just want to make a life choice that requires it. Thank you.
Awesome post! I can imagine the time it took to do this was a lot but it’s very helpful!