When doing the weekly shopping we see the amount of money that goes on food. In these times of economic crisis, getting an economical shopping list but that at the same time allows us to eat in a healthy way is fundamental.
So at CLARA we have pulled out the calculator to offer you a very economical weekly shopping list for 4 people.
The challenge is for 4 people to eat healthy meals for less than 5€, for example. We can tell you that it is possible and you don’t have to give up eating well, enjoying the good table.
We are not going to fool you by saying that you can feed 4 for less than 50€ a week, because no matter how many numbers we have done, we have seen that it is not possible. We don’t cheat with a shopping list that does not include breakfasts or mid-mornings and afternoons or that only talks about main dishes but excludes dessert.
How did we make CLARA’s cheap shopping list?
First, we planned a weekly menu with all the meals of the day for 4 people. We made sure, as in all our diets, that there is enough vegetables, fruit, animal protein (fish, egg, poultry…) and vegetable protein (legumes, tofu…) and carbohydrates.
To calculate the prices, we took as reference the prices of markets and supermarkets that have stores throughout the country. Always taking into account the seasonality of the products.
It is true that prices may have some fluctuations depending on where you live, because there are provinces where you can do a more economical shopping than in others, but we have looked for them to be as similar as possible in all places.
And it must be said that, from the first sketch of the menu, we made some changes so that the price would fit us perfectly.
Although the menu and the shopping list are important to buy cheap, being flexible when you are in the market and in the supermarket is also and that is why it is key to make changes on the fly to reduce the shopping basket even more.
Here’s The List of Grocery List on a Budget”
- Cheap shopping list: We got the best prices In our menu, the cheapest breakfast (oat flakes boiled in milk and cinnamon) is 0.30€ per person (1.20€ for the 4) and the most expensive (toasts with tomato, cucumber and tuna slices) costs 1.18€ per person (4.75 for the 4). As for the lunches, the cheapest (salad, Cuban rice and pear) comes out at 0.85€ per person (3.42€ for the 4) and the most expensive (spinach with potatoes, lemon chicken and watermelon) at 2.11€ per person (8.47€ for the 4). And the dinners, the one that costs the least (homemade tomato and mozzarella pizza and baked apple) comes out at 0.99€ per person (3.97€ for the 4) and the most expensive (cold zucchini cream and curry apple, sautéed tofu with onion and peppers and yogurt) costs 2.23€ per person (8.95€ for the 4). The mid-mornings come out at 0.23€ per person (0.94€ for the 4) and the mid-afternoons come out at an average of 0.30€ per person (1.20 for the 4).
- Family weekly menu of the cheap shopping list If you want to discover how we got these prices, download our menu, where we have also specified the prices of each meal (as we always told you based on the reference prices of a supermarket that is in all of Spain).
- Cheap shopping list And, finally, here you have the cheap shopping list so that you can download it too and take it with you to the market.
- Recipes of the cheap shopping list: this is what you should know The quantities are important when making the menu and the list. So we are going to specify some things: The portion of oat flakes is about 40 g and they are cooked in 250 ml of milk. The measure for banana pancakes is 200 g of flakes, for 8 eggs (the whites) and 2 bananas. The tortillas, both potato and eggplant, carry about 6 eggs. The portion of meat or fish is about 120 g (less in the stew which is smaller). The stuffed eggplants are two large units for 4 people.
31+ Budget Grocery List for 4 People (USA Prices)
The following grocery list is based on the meals and ingredients mentioned in your content. Prices are estimated average low-budget supermarket prices in the USA for affordable weekly shopping.
| # | Product Name | Estimated USA Price | Per Person Cost | Cost for 4 People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oat Flakes (1 kg) | $3.50 | $0.22 | $0.88 |
| 2 | Milk (1 gallon) | $4.20 | $0.28 | $1.12 |
| 3 | Cinnamon Powder | $2.00 | $0.03 | $0.12 |
| 4 | Whole Wheat Bread | $2.50 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
| 5 | Tomatoes | $3.00 | $0.25 | $1.00 |
| 6 | Cucumbers | $2.20 | $0.18 | $0.72 |
| 7 | Tuna Cans (2 pack) | $4.80 | $0.40 | $1.60 |
| 8 | White Rice (5 lb) | $5.50 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 9 | Pears | $3.20 | $0.25 | $1.00 |
| 10 | Lettuce | $2.00 | $0.15 | $0.60 |
| 11 | Spinach | $3.50 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 12 | Potatoes (5 lb) | $4.50 | $0.35 | $1.40 |
| 13 | Chicken Breast | $9.00 | $0.90 | $3.60 |
| 14 | Lemons | $2.50 | $0.15 | $0.60 |
| 15 | Watermelon | $6.00 | $0.45 | $1.80 |
| 16 | Pizza Dough | $3.00 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 17 | Mozzarella Cheese | $4.50 | $0.40 | $1.60 |
| 18 | Apples | $4.00 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 19 | Zucchini | $3.00 | $0.25 | $1.00 |
| 20 | Curry Powder | $2.50 | $0.05 | $0.20 |
| 21 | Tofu | $3.80 | $0.35 | $1.40 |
| 22 | Onions | $3.00 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
| 23 | Bell Peppers | $4.50 | $0.35 | $1.40 |
| 24 | Yogurt Tub | $4.00 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 25 | Bananas | $2.50 | $0.18 | $0.72 |
| 26 | Eggs (12 pack) | $4.20 | $0.35 | $1.40 |
| 27 | Eggplants | $4.00 | $0.30 | $1.20 |
| 28 | Olive Oil | $7.00 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
| 29 | Garlic | $1.50 | $0.08 | $0.32 |
| 30 | Salt | $1.20 | $0.03 | $0.12 |
| 31 | Black Pepper | $2.00 | $0.04 | $0.16 |
| 32 | Flour | $3.00 | $0.15 | $0.60 |
| 33 | Tomato Sauce | $2.50 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
| 34 | Carrots | $2.50 | $0.18 | $0.72 |
| 35 | Canned Beans | $2.20 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
Estimated Total Budget
| Category | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Total Grocery Cost for 4 People | $39 – $55 |
| Average Cost Per Person | $10 – $14 |
Conclusion: The quantities are important when making the menu and the list. So we are going to specify some things.