We've all been there. You have a week left before you get paid again, and your checking account has $17.42 and some cobwebs in it. If you have never had this experience or something akin to it, then GTFO. Seriously.
Don't panic. You can make this work without resorting to selling a kidney (But if you do decide to sell a kidney, LMK ok? I can Paypal you.) Here are my tips to working through a budget crunch without having to eat your cat.
1) Figure out what food you already have:
Chances are you have some. Go through your cabinets, fridge and freezer. Throw out anything that is moldy or smells bad, and isn't supposed to smell bad or be moldy. Now write down everything you have left. Everything. You might be surprised at all the odds and ends you find that have been forgotten by time.
2) Figure out what you can make with what you already have:
Paying particular attention to any perishable items you have, start brainstorming. If you are comfortable with cooking without using recipes, now is the time to bust that out. Keep an open mind. If you normally do one pot meals, consider doing a main dish and sides, or vice versa. If you don't usually do much baking, try some. Think outside the box. Can you use tortillas to make sandwich wraps instead of burritos? Can you serve some veggies and peanut sauce with spaghetti instead of rice? Yes you can.
If you have an ingredient you are not sure what to do with, Google that item + "recipes" and see if you don't find something you can work with. If you are missing an ingredient you need to make a particular dish, see if there may be something you already have that will work as a substitution. Google is your friend. Don't go crazy with the substitutions trying to make something fancy though. Keep it simple, and don't stray too far outside of your comfort range. This is not the time to screw up and wind up with a big pot of something inedible.
3) Figure out out what you still need and buy it:
Here is where you really want to maximize your tiny little budget. If you need a small amount of a particular ingredient, see if you can buy just what you need from bulk bins. If you need any seasonings, definitely buy those in bulk (which you should be doing anyway). If you only buy as much as you need to get you through the week, it will just cost you a few cents per baggie usually. Use less expensive produce. Potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, lettuce, bananas, greens, celery, carrots, plum tomatoes. You get a lot of bang for your buck out of these. Check the sales flyer too. Something that is normally more expensive might be super cheap this week. Frozen produce can be very cost effective as well.
If you are short on protein foods at home, go vegetarian as much as possible. Eggs, peanut butter, beans, and lentils are good cheap and healthy sources of protein, and are also pretty versatile. If you want meat, check to see if there are any packages that have been reduced for quick sale. Cut up meat into small pieces and incorporate it into a larger dish (like a soup or stir fry) instead of just eating a big chunk of meat. You can get away with using less this way. These are both great ways to use up odds and ends of vegetables too.
4) If all else fails there is oatmeal, beans and rice
A canister of oats, a pound of rice, and a pound of beans or lentils will cost you around 5$ and will keep a single person alive for a week. All of these things bulk up substantially once you add water and cook them, so you get a lot of food for your money. Add a little sugar to the oatmeal, and a little salt to the beans to make them more palatable. If you have a bit more to spend, use it on some carrots and canned tomatoes to cook with the beans/lentils. And get some bananas to eat with your oatmeal.
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