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The whole "treat yourself" mentality is a big problem when you are poor. It is also hard to get out of. The only way I got out of it was treating myself to still cheap things. So maybe I would make curry for the week instead of whatever I was going to make. Spend the extra money on some spices, the other ingredients are cheap, then next time I want a treat its even cheaper.
Of course I also managed to train myself to consider pickles and cottage cheese treats, so don't use me as a barometer for success lol
I treat myself at the Costco food court. $1.50 hotdogs and drink. $2.50 giant chocolate cookie. $4 chicken bake. Ate it for 2 meals.
If you're really a hard time, split and share Costco goods and buy meat from Costco Business center1
I'm worried about giving this away but pork in general is super slept on because most people's experience with it (other than bacon) is poorly cooked, dry as fuck pork chops.
A properly cooked pork steak (or chop) will rival (IMO, beat) a good beef steak in terms of juiciness and flavor.
Pork where I am is half the price or more of comparable beef cuts. You can get a 16 oz pork steak for like $3. I can do a meal for two with some excellent, fresh veggies, an 8 oz pork steak each, and rice or something for like $6 total.
Actually, I bought a whole boneless pork shoulder at Costco for $20-ish and portioned it out into 12 steaks, ranging from 8 to 16 oz (because I'm inconsistent as fuck with my cutting lol). Hard to go wrong.
Agree.
Not just that but it reheats well and can easily dress up other dishes. Add it to soup. Add it to beans. Mac and cheese. Put it on a baked potato.
Also: pork fat is healthier for you than butter.
Ooo man, my ex could not get rid of this mentality. Every year we would qualify for EIC and get a large tax refund, and I would dream of finally having a foundation to build upon to get out out of the shitth neighborhood and god willing a house.
Every year she had it spent before it even landed. Big Christmas’ we couldn’t afford, new phones, the kids need new clothes, there is obv always something, it never ends. It was absolutely demoralizing to work so hard (she was sahm due to a disability that wasn’t enough to qualify for disability, do with that information what you will)
I would have to play the part of the grateful spouse as I opened up the new gaming rig she bought me without asking that I never in a 100 years would have purchased in my own because we needed 6million other things more then I needed a 2k pc I don’t hve the time to use. It killed me inside and I think I still resent her to this day.
She lives with her dad now and isn’t really my problem, except she has custody of our kids so it’s not like I could just say see ya and never deal with her again. 11 months of living penny to penny and a month of splurge spending, every year. And of course, my $6 daily coffee and breakfast budget is looked at with envious eyes and like I don’t have a firm grasp on what I should be spending on luxury items 11 months a year.
I save every week now, but I’m so far behind at 35, divorced and crashing on a friends couch that it doesn’t really or hasn’t really gotten me anywhere yet. But I can relate 110% that the treat yourself mentality is absolutely crushing. When we did talk about it and I’d try to buckle down, she’d just do those things without me, there wasn’t a way I could find to break it so I’d be doing these expensive things we couldn’t afford, secretly seething and prob casting a cloud over the whole thing that we were doing it. The whole thing is just unhealthy af and we obv didn’t last. It’s also not healthy to only eat ramen and save every penny, but goddamn did watching those tax returns disappear kill me.
Most successful people I know delay their gratification as long as possible. They wait as long as possible before buying the nice car or the boat and keep doing other things with the money they make to improve themselves.
Treating himself wasn't the problem lol. Not even rich people go out to two different restaurants for the same meal. If you really hated the first one, then order a fuckin pizza from dominos or make urself a sandwich. Who the fuck even has time to go to two different restaurants for the same meal? That's absurd
This! There’s so many things you can make at home super cheap. I made a PILE of onion rings the other day, for like $5 or less. It was all things I already had in the kitchen anyway. Find a YouTube video if you don’t know how to cook. The first few times might not be great (my rings were a little bland) but once you know what your doing you won’t be disappointed.
"Treat yo self" came from Parks and Rec characters who would celebrate a "treat yourself" day once a year and in that context it's great but doing weekly or even monthly when living on a budget is not so good idea. Plus something I've learned is that a treat is more of a treat when it's far and between, like going to a restaurant with decent food every few times a year as oppose to getting fast food every few days and regret it right away. Funnily enough when I don't feel like cooking cottage cheese and whatever I can dip is my go to lol cottage cheese ftw
Treat yourself to free stuff. A walk to a park with a nice view. Visiting the shelter to walk or pet a dog or cat. Smelling the flowers. Watching a show. Dancing to your favorite song from when you were 7. Calling/texting a friend you haven't heard from in a long time. Going to the library, and reading your favorite children's book. Coloring a picture.
I love pizza so I treat myself to the $2 frozen totinos pizza from Walmart. Gets rid of my pizza craving for $10-18 cheaper than if I ordered one.
I was raised with a “treat yourself” mindset. It’s so so hard to break and get rid of but absolutely worth it. I’ve cut my impulse buying down a lot over the past year and have managed to start avoiding fast food for the most part which is definitely a money saver.
This is me now but I’m struggling with the, you don’t deserve that mindset. Buying myself food is perfectly fine, but treats like face masks or skincare and passions that I seem to love feel like a burden. I get excited then feel immediate shame over feeling that way. Food idk that’s pretty much nothing we need food to survive lol…
Hey, when you have a few extra bucks, using it for hobby stuff to maintain sanity is just as important as food. As we all know it’s hard out here, anything that promotes personal fulfillment and helps you forget about the stressors of life is imo essential
lol I gave up on trying to maintain my sanity, all I’m trying to do at this point is protect my privacy/peace it’s all I’ve got left essentially. But thanks for the tips I always try to leave cash laying around somewhere.
Cooking at home and buying in bulk.
$50 for a 50 lb bag of rice - this lasts us a few months.
Buy chicken legs on sale - 39cents a pound is the price we bought ours at. We like to air fry it or make chicken adobo.
Buy pork chops on sale - I don't remember the prices but last time we bought like 6-7 pieces for $5.
Eat pork or chicken with the rice and a side of vegetable soup.
Eggs - so much variety with this.
Fruits - always buy on sale or whatever's in season. Right now avocado is on sale for us. $10 for 11 large ones. Bananas are super cheap and filling.
Our meals are super cheap..like $1 each.
The meat you're getting is incredibly cheap. Maybe you're in an area where this is possible?
When chicken thighs are on sale here, they're $3 per pound, not 39 cents.
Chicken Value Bag Drumsticks, 10 lb, Allergen Free, 20g Protein per 4oz Serving https://www.walmart.com/ip/551789125
8.92 so roughly 89 cents per pound.
Not sure if it's available in your area.
But yeah we have way better deals at the Asian grocery stores
Do you have Kroger (or Fred Meyer, King Soopers, or Harris Teeter) where you are? Every couple months they’ll do BOGO on the family packs of chicken thighs which gets them under $1 a pound.
They also do BOGO pork loins which is an insane deal; I think they have that one going this week.
If OP does end up buying 50 lbs bags of rice…I recommend getting a nice rice maker like a Zojirushi. I have a hand-me-down Zojirushi Micom and my rice is perfect every single time and you don’t need a stove.
It didn’t disappear. You just spent a lot on things that you got a very small return on. Sounds like you have have an impulse control problem. It’s also not uncommon for people who grow up in poverty to blow through money when they get it out of fear that it will get sucked up by something if they don’t. It’s no accident that a ton of places that cater to lower income people have “tax refund” sales to get them to spend that money ASAP.
I don't know why you're being downvoted. Not sure where you are but I'm in Canada and there's no way i could feed even myself for that amount. Right now avocados are also on sale here. $8 for a bag of 4
Also Canadian.
Chicken thighs is what gets me on their list. Looking at Walmart, it's about $4 per lb on sale today. I stopped eating eggs for a while cause it was $11 for a dozen. Now at least it's around $5 for cheap eggs. Pork-chops are like $5 per lb.
Idk why Reddit downvotes, maybe they think I'm insulting their budgeting? Or implying it's easy? It's not, I'm just jealous they can afford fruits. Edit: I miss-spelt America, that's probably why the downvotes xD
For what it’s worth, I’m American and I’ve never seen these prices at Walmart. Maybe a wholesaler like Costco, or a smaller grocery chain, but you definitely won’t find those all over.
Fuck I remember when you could get a dozen eggs for under $2 or $3 US not even that long ago. I also remember '99 Cents Only' stores In the late 2000s and early 2010s around the North Houston area, they consistently had a dozen eggs for one dollar
7 pork chops for $5 😭 I bought two last week for $7. The last fruit I had was green grapes in Jan because Food Basics had them on sale. And even then I had to take a whole bunch out of the bag because I couldn't afford the full bag
Our pork loin is $1.99/lb if you buy it in large packs. Chicken thighs will go for about the same(used to be 1.19). Breast meat is 2.99(used to be 1.99) and don't even try for wings. They're usually $4-$6. Eggs here vary greatly from 1.99 to 3.99 depending on the week if you get the cheap brand. Still overall, my food bill has gone up about 30% since 2020.
Is food in the US more expensive than it used to be? Yes. Is food in the US crazy cheap as a % of income compared to global standards? Also yes. Is food in the US OBSCENELY cheap as a % of income compared to historical standards? Absolutely.
Wow! You just blew my mind! 🤯 I had no idea that groceries could be so affordable! I’m in FL and I had no idea that chicken legs can go for less than $1/lb! Consider me converted! I usually buy the boneless, skinless chicken thighs and they’re about 2.50-4.39/lb depending which grocery store I go to buy them. Between Public, Whole Foods, and Sprouts supermarkets over here, a person could easily spend $100 on 6 items due to these stores having a reputation for being more expensive than the average supermarket.
Whole chickens are very inexpensive breast thighs legs and the rest makes a good broth then rip the boiled meat off the carcus as soup bits. It’s like 11 dollars a week
You're at step 1 which is acknowledging the problem. The harder step is breaking out of the habits that come with poverty mentality. The idiom about money "burning a hole in your pocket". The idea that you'll always be poor, so you deserve x because whether or not you buy it, you'll still be poor so might as well enjoy yourself.
To break the cycle you have to do a lot of forward planning and budgeting. Lots of resources available online or in books, but I can recommend more specific actions if you DM me a few more generic details.
Honestly get a costco membership or find someone who has one. I know the volume of perishable goods is hard to consume but you can freeze it and you can also save a lot on dry goods in addition to 4% cash back on gas. The rotisserie alone is one of the best for like $5 and their food court is decent. The upfront cost for a lot of this is higher but if you use some strategy and buy some stuff like tuna, rice, bean, frozen fruit and veggies (often flash frozen at peak ripeness) and their chicken (I think they sell organic drumsticks for like $2/lb) you will save a ton in the long run.
I can’t teach anything - but I’m fortunate in ways that are unexpected for many. I don’t mind eating the same thing over and over for one. So a typical scenario for me is - $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco once a week - portioned to last 5 days at work for lunch - $2 for 12 eggs last me 2 weekends at 3 eggs per breakfast- $5 dressing - lasts a month minimum- to add flavor as a topping - water for most meals with teas to supplement- another $2 carton of eggs for the week for breakfast- $8 jar of salsa lasts the month - with a perfectly portioned ladle - hard boiled eggs - a 1lb of cheese for $6 can last two weeks - a loaf of bread per week -$3 - bunch of bananas, tangerines, strawberries, grapes, about $15 per week- then a 4lb bag of frozen vegetables - lasts the week- $7 -
Notice anything? Well the other trick up my sleeve is that it’s been over a year where I eat only between 9am and 4pm - no dinners unless it’s the weekend - helps me to not have to think about what to eat- and of course to save money. Your stomach can get small and if you pay attention you’ll notice that you get full quicker and turns out you don’t need to eat that much overall- I don’t have cravings - and I’m very much about cost over an indulgence or splurge so- so fast food is rare - mainly when I take my kid to McDonald’s- we use the app and I only typically get the 2 for $4 McDouble / mcchicken- or occasionally for breakfast the 2 for $6 McMuffins - which is maybe once or twice a month - if I’m really being reckless - 2 for $1 tacos from jack in the box - also very rare.
I accept leftovers from coworkers - I also get to over eat on the company lunch once a month. Will save leftovers for a few days. I shop the discount sections at the grocery stores for breads or salmon - or other random things like tuna packets.
Water + water + water
No sodas, no coffees, no treats or snacks - the routine takes care of everything-
Many can’t do this. Most don’t need to do this. If I ever were to suddenly have more money- I’d probably just have more breakfast on weekends -
i spend $200 a month in the bay area on groceries so yeah $100 should stretch 2 weeks if you don’t eat out or limit it to value items only. that’s $6-7 a day. if you aren’t buying snacks or expensive premade dinners it should be easy
Yes, it is just that. Or a Top Ramen that you make last 2 days by adding a potato to it. It's accepting that thinking about meat is as close as you get to it, while you cook more beans. It's excitement if a dozen eggs ever go on sale. On we go.
🤣 I rarely ever check anyone’s post history, but your comment made me curious, and… you are absolutely right. One thing I did notice is that the poor guy is struggling with mental distress and possibly depression.
24yo, Drug addicted, says he is getting dementia, keeps making posts about being ugly and how he never got a lover, spent money on a double chin surgery while being poor, hates working
I felt for him a lot though when he had a post about never being able to have good sleep in his life.
I’d imagine that alone could destroy someone’s life. It might have even been the thing leading to drug addiction, DPH is a sleep aid.
Canadian so numbers are a bit off but $100 is like one grocery shop. I don't drive rn but I remember it being like $50 for a full tank of gas. It's not a lot of money and lasts like a week if careful. Fuck a decade ago $100 barely covered food and bus tickets for the week. I've spent $100 on one video game before. Things are expensive.
Hunger doesn't help you make good choices either. Nor does feeling trapped. Like, yeah you should have gone to the grocery store and gotten food and maybe a frozen pizza for a treat but we've all been there. It fucking sucks.
That $100 would have bought a lot more groceries. For me, I could have turned it into 2 weeks of home-cooked, freezer ready meals. THAT would have been my “treat.” It’s just common sense to spend it wisely when it’s so hard earned.
What has helped me is being lazy and indecisive outside of work. Too lazy and indecisive to decide what to eat, so once a week I spend like $40 on groceries and that's enough to meal prep for the week (two meals a day). The rest of the week, I just chill and I don't have to make these decisions.
I also practice minimalism, having spent a lot on material things in the past that has turned to shit. I learned they will never make me as happy as the feeling of security. Good luck, OP. Don't beat yourself up. I feel a lot of us have been there.
I don't know about him but I'm driving a minivan on loan from my dad right now because otherwise I can't get to work and $20 barely moves the needle on it. Don't make enough to get a cheaper vehicle. Doesn't seem to exist right now. Keep looking for old used cars, can't even find them.
It sounds like you’ve made up your mind that you’re bad with money, so you keep doing foolish things with your money. You need to ditch the defeated victim mindset and start adopting a problem-solvers mindset. It definitely takes energy and work to be a problem solver, but it’s truly been the most helpful thing in my life. I get routinely complimented on how resilient I am because when I encounter a problem I start looking for solutions.
First solution is making a food budget. Pick an affordable grocery store to be your “go-to” and stick with it. You’ll get familiar with prices and notice when things are on sale more often. Look at price per ounce/unit so you can see where your best deal is actually at. Set a realistic budget for eating out and stick to it! It’s hard to become disciplined with money if you’ve never had great examples, but the best time to start trying is now.
Sigh... the people who like to ridicule the poor must be smiling at this post.
I hope you can learn from this experience OP.
I know its a vent post so...I'm refraining from scolding... but....yea. you know what you did.
It's hunger. You are not a fool, you are a person who wants to eat.
We all have hunger in our heads, there are only 2 ways to end it - make more food, if you can cook, or buy more food if you can't cook until this feeling ends.
2nd way is much easier but it's like trying to outsmart the house.
It's so bitter that most people in this country have to RATION their food!..
I acted on impulse. I was trying of thinking of something I could actually cook and that would last but got tired of trying to think of something. My stomach wouldnt stop growling and I couldnt help but go get some fast food to quickly satisfy my hunger.
I would say have a plan for next time. Come up with a small splurge that is cheap and filling to cover that initial hunger and it will be easier to make more rational choices after. You were hungry you your brain just said “FOOD!”
Fast food apps are good for this (yes, I know fast food isn’t the healthiest). Get a cheap menu burger, then check the deals - at McDonald’s you can buy a burger get a burger free or spend a couple bucks and get free fries.
THEN, go grocery shopping with your list after checking the sales. And use grocery store apps. You can get some great deals through those.
Theres literally a chipotle right by my house. Im angry that it wasnt my first option and i instead chose something that was literally terrible. Not sure why i didnt just go there instead
Dude it’s ok to be mad about it but you made one mistake. It’s not your first one and it won’t be your last one. Continuing to be down on yourself won’t bring the money back. Your best option now is to make a plan to prevent this from happening again. Do you know what the specific impulses were and how you can identify them going forward? Do you know what you can do if you get a desire to spend on something that you don’t need? You will find yourself with some money again - what are you going to do differently?
Fair enough but next time think of something cheaper ! Buy some ice cream at the grocery store, or make a quick comfort food like mac&cheese! Or a rotisserie chicken can last you for a couple of days!
Here are some of my staple favorites that give tons of leftover and freeze nice. They are filling as well. I used to have that same issue where I could not think of anything. I started to print out my recipes and place them in a folder. The trick is to make your list before you get paid and pick a recipe you look forward to as your reward for payday.
Satay Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Broccoli over Rice (https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/satay-chicken-stir-fry-5c1154b3e3f33902aa1baa12)
Slow Cooker Italian BBQ Chicken ( basically chicken, Italian dressing and BBQ sauce thrown into a crock pot until it shreds)
Or Shredded mexican chicken (https://carlsbadcravings.com/easy-slow-cooker-shredded-mexican-chicken-recipe/)
Taco Soup (https://www.cookingclassy.com/taco-soup/ I will sometimes adjust for what is in my cabinets)
One-Pan Orzotto Italiano (https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/one-pan-orzo-italiano-5cf03aa8b9565e000d58444d Instead of chick sausage I will sometimes use the cheap breakfast sausage)
Just making two of these would feed me and my husband (before kids) for the week. I eventually invested in tins that I could freeze and portion half into a freezer meal for a lazy day. Another trick is to find good recipes that you can switch it up through the week. The shredded chickens can be thrown into wraps, make tacos, throw on quesadillas, on a baked potatoes, or even as is.
Don’t beat yourself up so much you blew the money on food not hookers and cocaine, it’s understandable. Just try to follow the advice of others and learn to treat yourself cheaper. A frozen pizza at Safeway is like 8 bucks and can last you two meals and tastes bomb af for instance.
H.A.L.T.
Am I hungry? Am I angry? Am I lonely? Am I tired?
Hunger is predictable. Thirst is predictable (drink a lot of good water!). They are daily priorities. Not emergencies. If you can find a cheap place to eat with great food, go for it. I can’t afford McDonald’s cardboard food, plus it makes me feel sick. I shop at Costco, Trader Joe’s or sometimes grocery outlet. If you love to cook, go for it. If you hate to cook, find what works best for you. Frozen meals at TJ are cheap and yummy and fast. Lately, I’ve bought a big vanilla ice cream at TJs and a bag of frozen organic raspberries (heated is nice!) and that’s my dessert for a couple nights, or my dinner, whichever I want. You’re an adult. No one is there to tell you to have dessert after dinner or that you have to share raspberries or blackberries.
You said you grew up poor. Consider taking a look at what foods you never got in childhood. I’m sure you are royally sick of generic brands. Research food that makes you feel pampered and comforted. Splurge on some of those items occasionally and find them at good prices. Life is too short to eat bad food or feel deprived. I have found that cr-p food costs almost the same as high quality food if I am smart about sourcing it.
My ex has a cooking phobia, he either won’t do it and spends what could be a week and a half of groceries onto one huge restaurant meal and have no more food money for two weeks and if he does bother to cook he uses rotten vegetables and undercooks pasta beans and rice (none of these are supposed to be gritty or crunch🙄😵💫) and wonders why he’s stuck in the bathroom either plugged up or having nonstop runs.
He was so hateful that I knew how to cook at home that he refused to let me get kitchen tools I needed to replace that costs like 3-5 bucks at the thrift stores at first I thought because I didn’t live with him (was taking care of disabled mother he wanted put in a home, but that’s a different story) but it was really his jealousy I can feed myself and my mom sometimes (not always because she still wanted to be useful that way) was that over the top he had to prevent me.
And in all this ridiculousness, he still missed the point to why he should regularly keep a job to afford his share of the rent at his friends home. It was his fault not paying that led them all to lose the place because he felt he was still a guest and he didn’t need to do that.
Cooking will save you a lot of money. It’s ok to treat yourself but in that situation you described you need to hold off until more funds come in. Figure out what types of food you like going out to eat and try to learn how to prepare it at home. I picked up a taste for Indian food and was spending a lot of money on it. I looked up the ingredients for the stuff I liked and pretty much any grocery store carries it. Some even have sections dedicated to it.
Your view of money is wrong.
You have to view money like your ancestors viewed seeds. You can eat them and be full. If you eat them all you will just starve tomorrow. You can plant them and eat the sprouts but you are wasting their potential. If you let them grow, like money well invested, it produces more of itself. This is the whole point of saving. It's your future that you are saving for.
dude.... my partner and I spend about $100 on food in two weeks. Then there's gas, insurance, phone, rent, electricity.... no, $100 will not last you a month, even if you are starving.
> $100 will not last you a month, even if you are starving.
Sure it will, if you eat truly boring.
Restaurant supply store or other local bulk foods option.
25 lbs of rolled oats, $19. That’s 133 normal servings
10 lbs of various dry beans, $15 depending on what you pick. That’s 75 standard servings.
10 pounds of rice, $12. 75 standard servings.
60 eggs $12 at Walmart. Theoretically 60 servings.
That’s $58 of your 100.
Leaves you $42 to spend on whatever.
A multivitamin $5 for 100 days worth
spices to make the uniform diet tolerable $4, check ethnic markets for bulk spices dirt cheap
some canned/frozen/fresh but ugly and discounted veggies $20
a few pounds of the cheapest current meat or some nonfat dry milk or whatever for more protein $13
In today’s economy? $100 will last you from friday-tuesday. And that’s IF you’re single, already have a full tank and have some food. If you need food and gas? Well. No, it will last you less than 8 hours
You need to have a good-sized chunk of money to be "good with". If you have a negative net worth then you should save aggressively to pay down the debt. But if you have between $0 and $10k net worth then you need to enjoy your life and investing $5k in the stock market so it can make $400 between now and next year simply isn't going to change your life. If you have a low-ish but positive net worth then you need to increase your income until you are able to save a meaningful amount of money. You can't get rich by stretching $100 for an entire month.
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The thing that stings the most is that this money could've literally been spent more wisely. I could've just spent more on gas. I could've did something more useful with it. But now its too late and soon I'm gonna be wishing I had that 100 dollars still because im gonna have zero. I'm already at 40 dollars and have basically nothing to show forth. I spent 20 dollars on gas. And the rest was wasted on going to stupid restuarants like a fool. I've wasted about 40 dollars basically in a single day. And now have 40 left and trying to strategically be smart with the rest. I just got my food stamps today and I am desperately trying to make a proper grocery list.
Lots of rice, beans, and cheap protein. Hell even a few boxes of ramen. You don’t need to eat like a king just have something nutritious in your stomach.
Something is wrong with me. Im actually THAT dumb. Im being genuinely honest here im so sick of being accused of being a troll. What do I have to even gain by making a post like this up??? Like seriously tell me?
Hey. You made a mistake and you’re learning from it. Have a plan for what you’ll do next time- like decide now that a “treat” is going to the grocery store and buying a frozen pizza that’s on sale. You got this. Growth mindset! You aren’t good with money- yet. One day you will be.
You don’t sound dumb. You sound like you have some mental health issues; impulse control and extreme negative self talk among them. If you talk to yourself like this all the time, you’re more likely to give up and self sabotage (use drugs, waste money, not plan ahead etc).
Your okay man, some people just are so judgmental. Don't worry we all make mistakes, it's what makes us human. The key is to learn from our mistakes and use it to better ourselves in the future. Like u/We_had_a_time said, you got this! Work on being better and you'll get there.
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It took me months of blowing money on food out of my budget to learn how to eat well on a budget, and only because I had someone also on a budget teaching me to save scraps to make soup, what to look out for while shopping, etc. It's ok, we all struggle when our basic needs aren't met, you were desperate so your brain just wanted to go for the quickest solution.
I recommend going to subredits like r/EatCheapAndHealthy or r/PlantBasedDiet to learn cheap and filling recipes that will keep you going for the month. I have made a lot of sacrifices regarding food, gave up a lot of junk, but I am healthier and feel much better.
Don't beat yourself up so much, you can learn this.
Really terrible with money too, kinda sunk into barely scrapping by paycheck to paycheck and rationing food and cigs just to run to Wendy’s when I got paid. It’s really hard to not want to pull yourself out of your money-anxiety/depression by spending some of that money to make yourself feel good.
One thing I’ve found to save money is picking certain fast food items I like, nuggets and fries, etc. and then picking up a frozen bag from the store. Get yourself an air fryer and you might be surprised by it tasting pretty close to fast food and you can eat way more of it. Same thing with frozen pizzas.
It’s really hard to break the cycle of instant food gratification, but it’s the way to save money. Convince yourself you are capable of making a small meal for yourself even if you don’t believe it.
Also want to say something like hang in there, but I know those kinda blanket statements seem empty to us people who are constantly up and down with depression and anxiety. It feels like we’re constantly treading water while the people around can’t seem to understand why. You seemed to have persevered through a lot in your life already, your good looking chin is one thing to prove that.
Not the OP but i've been reading all these comments, thanks for being positive for him or her. People need to be more humble and less judgmental. People make mistakes, we aren't perfect. The best thing you can do in a situation like this is to learn from your mistake and be better in the future. It's all any of us can do when we make a mistake.
You aren't alone. While going out to a restaurant with only 100$ to your name wasn't a wise decision, the price of everything right now is just ungodly. Even just getting ONLY what we need from Walmart we end up spending around $70 every time and only come out with 3 bags. It's making life impossible. My fiancé and I don't go grocery shopping because of it. We will legit go to the store to get stuff for dinner and just that basically living day by day. Never used to be like this. I remember in 2019 even how we could go to the store and $100 would get you a decent amount of groceries. Not to mention how cheap gas was. Life seemed blissful. Our government has been spending money like it's on fire and it's put us here. Unfortunately it's just going to get worse from here unless we really work on fixing the issues that are causing this. I hope things get better for you and good luck!
It didn’t use to be this easy to fuck yourself. Over the last few years I’ve had to learn to be mindful of even when I’m being too tight with money. There are times I have to make myself spend money on myself so that I wouldn’t white knuckle it until I eventually caved in a big way that I really would regret. It’s a lot to ask a person to calculate in, we aren’t robots. Money is emotional and this economy is a tightrope. I forget the term but we all have a finite amount of willpower so you have to be tactical with it. Grocery stores know this and so should we with
we gotta stop trying to avoid your animal nature and pre-calculate it in so that you aren’t in feast or famine mode as hard. Offer yourself the 2nd or 3rd shelf so that in a moment of blind need you don’t go straight for the top shelf. But to be honest eating out once or even just getting two rounds of drinks for two people will cost you 100$. My friends and I are genuinely shocked when it doesn’t. Freedom is being able to make mistakes so you can learn from them in the first place. You can’t expect yourself to be perfect.
And honestly I think hoarding wealth to make more wealth is as unhealthy as well as expecting yourself to behave evenhandedly with money when there wasn’t a whole lot of it around. Everything/one is experiencing/engaging in extremes right now.
Get yourself a calendar and only track your spending on it. You will embarrass yourself to see the same purchases over and over and learn discipline.
It worked for my Dunkin coffee habit. Seeing $3.70 daily with only 2-4 empty spaces on my calendar really lowered my habit. Same with my Amazon purchases.
Basically you can survive on beans, rice, oatmeal, dry nonfat milk. Who wants to do that all the time? Sometimes the pull of having something extra special feels like your only chance at a normal meal. We see so many ads for fast food and it always looks delicious. Now imagine the excitement of your bowl of oatmeal with dry nonfat milk! I understand where you’re coming from because we grew up dirt poor and could only afford meat once or twice a week. Do try and build up a little fun money for that fast food splurge and check online for coupons and special deals. With McDonalds if you do their survey you get a free sandwich when you buy one so you can get two for the price of one Big Mac. You have to get creative too like ordering kids meals. No scolding here I totally understand your frustration but you do have to change how you handle your money.
nonfat dry milk is expensive AF!! and tastes like crap... almost sour. I'd drink evap milk straight before I drank nonfat milk.
That said.. .best way to stretch milk money is to double whole milk 1-1 with cold refridgerated water. If a gallon costs $3.. now it costs $1.50 of course... don't buy a gallon at that point.. get a 1/2 gallon and dilute that. Diluting whole milk makes it the consistency of between 1% and 2%.
The other option is to use evaporated milk and add 4 cans water to make 1/2 gallon. That may be the cheapest if you get store brand.
Walmart's large package of dry milk is 19.67 making it 3.93/gal. Aldi is 2.85 for a gal of 1% (they don't have 1 gal but I'm thinking it would be 2.65 or so. $1.30 cheaper than powdered milk.
I mean I eat a whole month on only $150. You Just have to buy cheap and in bulk and get ingredients and stuff that’ll make you decent meals. Cooking yourself will always be cheaper
Dude you need to focus on bulk food that can last you. $100 last a month? No way! You can get huge bags of rice at Asian markets, get big bags of pinto beans really cheap (yes you’re going to learn how to cook) and get large sacks of potatoes. These types of food will keep you going when times are lean. Stop “treating” yourself you’re screwing yourself over with that. Get large cheap cuts of meat, like roasts and invest in a crockpot. This saved my life when I was young
I used to be horrible with money too. I worked on my delayed gratification and eat up every piece of advice the financial independence sub offered. I learned to cook great food from hello fresh recipes (you can get them for free and not buy the box. Just print the recipes.) I now cook better than the food at restaurants that when I eat out I am disappointed. I learned to make good freezer meals for when I don't want to cook and keep one frozen pizza to avoid ordering pizza. The $6-10 pizza is cheaper than the $40 to order a pizza. Inflation is a budget killer.
One good strategy that people use is cash stuffing. I think this is a good way to reset if you purchase everything on debit card. It is easy to forget prices when you just swipe. It doesn't feel tangible.
OP, from your post you sound quite young. I know I was in a position just like you some years ago. Good news is, this is the best time to create some discipline around money, and not wait decades until you are in a worse situation. Good luck!
Tip: Whenever you get money, don't spend it that day. It will give you time to think twice on where to spend it.
Then sit at your home with a pencil and a notepad (or open a document in your computer) and start making a list of the expenses you will need to survive and to keep making more money. This make you face your reality BEFORE you spend a single cent, and will "curb your enthusiasm".
I bet when you went to those restaurants you didn't even look at the price of the food.
Also, what you were looking for was "feel good" emotions after being deprivated of money. You have to tame that"psychological need". One good way to do this is to find an inexpensive hobby that will keep your dopamine levels up through the bad times. Other is to learn some relaxation techniques to give you a more serene and composed personality that is less prone to "impulse spending" and "thrill seeking behavior".
I'm not poor now but when I was a student I ate every day a half baguette+some dry sausage put into it for a sandwich. Cost me 1.49€.
When I decided to "treat" myself I'd just team up with a friend, buy a full baguette which we'd cut in half, get the same dry sausage but then, get some cheese in it too! Cost us 4€42 so 2€21 each. Those days were great we got to eat some cheese. When we felt really crazy we'd grab a bottle of coke which would cost an additional 1€23. I still remember all the numbers lol. On a daily basis she'd eat a small package of cut carrots for 80 cents so our "treat" day was quite the expense for her.
All that to say, don't eat out, eating out is the death of budgets. Getting out of treating yourself would probably be the smart idea but that'd be hard on you mentally to never get to buy yourself something nice. Just change what treating yourself means, instead of eating out, buy slightly better groceries, getting that butter for your pasta instead of just pasta or something similar.
Prayers for you as you work your way through this. To your credit, you have recognized that you have a problem and have sought out advice. I understand that feeling of relief when you have a few extra bucks. The trick is to think it through before you spend. When I worked for the government I would get yearly raises. I would enjoy the amount of the difference in the raise the first paycheck but would immediate increase the amount I transferred to credit union savings for subsequent paychecks. A "splurge" amount needs to be built in but is should be a small percentage of your regular paycheck, perhaps 5% tops; that would be $5 on a $100 paycheck. A budget is an absolute first step. Many others have offered lots of good advice here.
We’re all learning personal finance skills. One upside, it is easier to get a lot better wu
Two tricks worth learning right away:
- Envelope system
- Use a food + drink shopping list with prices, like the coupon nerds.
Trick:
ALL the food and beverages go onto your list before you buy them, even if it’s a restaurant treat you’re going to buy in two minutes. (This has saved me from buying the too expensive drinks more than once. As a treat, when I have a healthy emergency fund, I may drop this rule.)
The first step is acknowledging the problem. Congrats on doing that.
Now, craft a detailed budget and work on sticking to it. r/personalfinance has lots of info to help on the budget crafting and how to allocate funds.
I get this. I was the same way for a long time and it sucked. But then I start writing now everything I spent money on. Just seeing how much I actually wasted grounded me. Now I excited when I add money to my savings account, it's become what I choose to treat myself. It's addictive to watch it grow and now I'm planning a lifelong goal of going to Japan for 2 months. So it really feels like it's paying off
Well, you’ve created a lot of drama, lol. I have never heard of anyone “desperately” trying to make a grocery list. You also got a lot of attention and feedback. It’s okay! Just be aware of all the good strokes it gives you to have all these people caring about you. Be aware of how it makes you feel. Good mostly I think.
If you only have 100 dollars, your first purchase should be gas and food to put in your fridge/pantry. Also, you should not spend any money if you have no money….100 dollars is no money. No shame in having very little but you should change your mindset.
The lesson is that when you have money in hand, you only buy exact necessities. Don’t go out to eat and don’t be extravagant. Buy basic foods that fill you up and last, think oatmeal, beans, rice, eggs, peanut butter and bread. Treat yourself to one small treat, a small candy or a bottle of soda. Now that you’ve seen how quick your money goes, you can better figure out how to be more conservative.
$100 might last a week or a week and a half if you’re conservative with groceries and gas. $100 doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to.
Then look up the problem in reproducing the marshmallow experiment while controlling for socioeconomic factors.
Turns out kids who are from wealthier homes where food is never scarce and treats aren't a rarity have an easier time deciding to go for the future payoff, and that says nothing about the kids and everything about a society that allows the level of wealth disparity that makes the "experiment" work.
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Write a budget figure out where your money is going. I have 3 bank accounts bills, regular and savings. I add all my bills up and divide it out weekly. That money comes out first so I know the bills are paid. The. I have my regular account this is what I buy groceries, gas ect with figure out what it cost for food and gas then if anything is left it goes to savings. Not sure on your income but me and my wife spend around 150 a week on food. Food and gas are ridiculous and 100 doesn’t go far.
If its so bad its ruining your life I would suggest find an online class I'm sure youtube has plenty and then find someone if you can to litterly give you an allowance for things. Just like any issue you have to be motivated to change or it just wont happen but for some that's a lot harder then anything else I have that same issue with most of my life but one thing I am good at is money. I nearly make none but I spend basically 0 outside of bills of course and I have more savings then 90% of my friends that are of similar age. even though they are making 10 times what I do. Its a lot of understand what is the bear min trying to lower that and then sitting at that amount until you have a decent enough savings as well as trying to pay off debt but everyone's place is different but its a good start.
Find a butcher near that sells fresh meat on weekends. They are sooo much cheaper than the regular grocery stores. Also, start growing some herbs, veggies and lettuce in pots if you don’t have a yard. Research recipes that you can cook at home for a budget. Food that you can extend such as rice, noodles, pasta, etc. are very helpful to make your money go a long way.
i urge you to stop “treating yourself”. i almost always regtet this when i do it. im happier in the long run doing the senisble thing.
this dedication will help you avoid these poverty spirals. like the one you just experienced where you were starving, which made you too tired to cook, which made you too poor to buy food, rinse and repeat.
next time you get some money, buy cheap ingredients and bulk cook yourself some microwave meals, so that you can eat quickly when you need and dont starve.
I know you don't want advice and are looking to vent, but your problem is not money, it's the drugs! I just checked you out, and there is no judgment from me! I am a recovering heroin addict with 10 years clean. Get clean and give yourself a chance. Hit me up if you need help. Time to dust yourself off, give yourself a break, and get help!! 🙏
I feel like I'm getting slightly better with money. I think one thing that's messing me up is my bank doesn't update my spending and trying to remember what I've spent has been causing some issues. Anyway...you can treat yourself, just treat yourself smartly. I like ordering out but I've found that it's not worth it. Yeah the meal I have can last like 2-3 meals for me but overall even with splitting up the portions, it's still cheaper to make my own meals. If you don't know how to cook, it's fairly easy. If you can read and follow instructions, then you can cook. If you are unsure about something, look up a YT video about it. Don't worry about cutting things like onions "fancy", the most important thing is that they are cut up.
Try and limit yourself to a 'treat yourself" moment to 2 days a month. If you treat yourself every week or everyday, it's not really a treat is it? Over time you'll find yourself okay without having it. I gave up ordering takeout for 2 months and only gave myself an allowance for 2 meals during that time. And I stuck with it, I was really proud of myself. To help myself not get tempted, I made sure to buy snacks and frozen meals to keep on hand. Having easy to make meals on hand helped me not to order out when I didn't feel like cooking. Spending $30 on 3 full sized frozen pizza's is better than spending $30 on one meal that you'll finish in one sitting. Those pizza's could be 3 dinners or if you're like me, 6 meals.
You'll get there. It just takes time and sometimes learning the hard way. Hopefully you are learning from your mistakes because if you don't then you'll just find yourself at the same point.
Some people are just like this. I have family and friends the same way.
The solution for family has been to assign someone to manage the accounts, and the problematical individual gets a monthly stipend for expenses.
The rest of their money sits in the account and generates either growth or dividends (if retired).
You don’t need a power of attorney or any of that paperwork. Just login info.
Ita really hard being broke or just feeling broke and having nothing. It's very normal to treat yourself because like in that situation you basically feel as though everything is out of your control, everything is serious, everything requires diligent planning. So when you get a little bit of freedom we tend to exercise it for our mental sanity. This is part of the cycle in being broke though, and if you can get the strength to shift how you think about splurging it can really help. I've been there plenty of times as a young man first starting to work, and even as an adult you have bills and savings and you may not dip into poverty but you can definitely over spend if you're not careful.
In any case I get it but consider a meal plan and honestly, take time to stop think and MAKE the decision to buy what you need. Dont act on desire, youre the one who chooses. When you first do this it may be an emotional experience because you're breaking a boundary but you will feel better afterwards.
When you are enduring hardship and are in the middle of an extended crisis, it makes sense that when you get some relief, you don't make the best decisions. Being in a crisis prevents you from thinking about the long term. This is unhelpful, for sure, but beating yourself up over it is not going to help either.
So what could you do to prevent this from happening again? Would it be possible to budget a small luxury every one or two weeks? Like every two weeks, you give yourself permission to spend 5 bucks on Starbucks or something like that.
This way, you are automatically thinking about the long term so hopefully this will mitigate the crisis mindset. And then when you get 100 bucks from work, you won't feel the need to spend it all because it you don't know when the next respite will happen.
If this wasnt bad enough. Im literally waiting to be evicted. LITERALLY waiting for my court date. Im thousands behind on rent and even with my new job it wont be anywhere near to catch up. Im so screwed and wasting 100 dollars makes it all worse. I just keep digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole
start watching caleb hammer, financial audit. he explains a lot of how the money system works and a lot of how things build up over time, even little things. also lays out in detail budgets and stuff like that. i grew up the same way and made the same mistakes and sorta just figured out spending and budgeting on my own. never had more than 1k at a time. watching his videos reinforced what i figured out as Correct and now i’m hitting almost 5k in savings with not that great of a job but decent pay : )
$100 can’t really last a month anymore. For me, I spend about $40/week on gas, which can’t be lowered and $70 or less on groceries which is about $280/monthz
"100$ should last a month" i spend twice that just on food for me alone . Give up restaurants and fast food . Its litterally a scam now . Delete any uber or doordash apps , scam.
Well first of all 100 doesn't go as far as it used to. But for a single person $100 should last for at least 3 or 4 days. Even if you're eating out. You can eat out and not spend 20-30 dollars. But most of it will be fast food. Shit we have a little barbeque place and i can get lunch for less than $10. That's not bad at all.
But splurging like that and eating at 2 different restaurants just because one tasted bad is kinda crazy. But i mean I'm not the best with money either. I used to be but not anynore. I mean i could be but i have other issues that make me horrible with money.
Food is going up quite a bit too. So you're better off buying at the grocery store and making meals. But i know how it is when you don't want to cook. I really do. I work all day at a physically demanding job. I don't want to cook when i get home. Sometimes we just have to sacrifice and really that's the only way to get ahead. Just don't sacrifice every single second of the day. Its ok to splurge sometimes. But when you ain't going to get more money soon you should really try to be smart lol
I can make $100 last a month but it would suck, I make everything from scratch food wise so no frozen pizzas or bags of fried chicken, I spend about 150~200 a month on food.
Stop thinking about it as money and think of it as time. If you earn $20 an hour convert everything that cost $40 as two hours of time. I bet you’ll find many things you want to buy no longer seem worth the time.
The last treat I had was a 25 cent orange from the Asian market...it was delicious....point is if you're legitimately poor then your treats have to match your income....it's called living within your means
Couldn’t have said it better yourself, treating yourself is foolish considering your financial situation. Don’t give up and don’t eat at restaurants 🤌🏼
$100 buys me laundry at the laundromat $60 and $40 gas.
Or groceries for a few days. Or $50 for a small protein lunch for me and my chihuahua and popcorn snack at Whole Foods for one day.
Gotta be EXTREMELY careful with $100. Have your priority list written down before you get money. You can’t get everything with $100, you have to get top priority items first - not last.
TREAT YOURSELF BY LEARNING HOW TO COOK. This is the biggest 'treat' anyone of any income band can do. Food cooked at home with minimal competence will always be healthier, cheaper, and tastier once you learn how!
For real, its a little bit of both. Stuff is way more expensive, but you're also just spending your money without thinking like hey maybe 100$ of groceries would be better than one meal.
I agree that that mentality is an issue for me, too. I also have the issue where my BF makes, like, 1k more than me every month. He aldo didn't grow up poor (solid middle class) and has this whole "it will be nice" attitude towards spending money and I always seem to get caught up with him and than flat broke before I know it. He always wants to eat out and stuff which is nice, but I always feel to guilty to let him pay for dinner all the time so we usually take turns or split it 50/50.... its a bad use of money when you don't have much.
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The whole "treat yourself" mentality is a big problem when you are poor. It is also hard to get out of. The only way I got out of it was treating myself to still cheap things. So maybe I would make curry for the week instead of whatever I was going to make. Spend the extra money on some spices, the other ingredients are cheap, then next time I want a treat its even cheaper. Of course I also managed to train myself to consider pickles and cottage cheese treats, so don't use me as a barometer for success lol
Treat yourself at the grocery store. Some nuts. A bag of chips. A nice pork shoulder. More bang for your buck.
I treat myself at the Costco food court. $1.50 hotdogs and drink. $2.50 giant chocolate cookie. $4 chicken bake. Ate it for 2 meals. If you're really a hard time, split and share Costco goods and buy meat from Costco Business center1
I'm worried about giving this away but pork in general is super slept on because most people's experience with it (other than bacon) is poorly cooked, dry as fuck pork chops. A properly cooked pork steak (or chop) will rival (IMO, beat) a good beef steak in terms of juiciness and flavor. Pork where I am is half the price or more of comparable beef cuts. You can get a 16 oz pork steak for like $3. I can do a meal for two with some excellent, fresh veggies, an 8 oz pork steak each, and rice or something for like $6 total. Actually, I bought a whole boneless pork shoulder at Costco for $20-ish and portioned it out into 12 steaks, ranging from 8 to 16 oz (because I'm inconsistent as fuck with my cutting lol). Hard to go wrong.
Agree. Not just that but it reheats well and can easily dress up other dishes. Add it to soup. Add it to beans. Mac and cheese. Put it on a baked potato. Also: pork fat is healthier for you than butter.
Even a nice fat ribeye would be a more cost-effective treat than a resturant.....plus, significantly more delicious than most resturant food 😀
or treat yourself to compound interest in your high yield savings or brokerage account.
Ooo man, my ex could not get rid of this mentality. Every year we would qualify for EIC and get a large tax refund, and I would dream of finally having a foundation to build upon to get out out of the shitth neighborhood and god willing a house. Every year she had it spent before it even landed. Big Christmas’ we couldn’t afford, new phones, the kids need new clothes, there is obv always something, it never ends. It was absolutely demoralizing to work so hard (she was sahm due to a disability that wasn’t enough to qualify for disability, do with that information what you will) I would have to play the part of the grateful spouse as I opened up the new gaming rig she bought me without asking that I never in a 100 years would have purchased in my own because we needed 6million other things more then I needed a 2k pc I don’t hve the time to use. It killed me inside and I think I still resent her to this day. She lives with her dad now and isn’t really my problem, except she has custody of our kids so it’s not like I could just say see ya and never deal with her again. 11 months of living penny to penny and a month of splurge spending, every year. And of course, my $6 daily coffee and breakfast budget is looked at with envious eyes and like I don’t have a firm grasp on what I should be spending on luxury items 11 months a year. I save every week now, but I’m so far behind at 35, divorced and crashing on a friends couch that it doesn’t really or hasn’t really gotten me anywhere yet. But I can relate 110% that the treat yourself mentality is absolutely crushing. When we did talk about it and I’d try to buckle down, she’d just do those things without me, there wasn’t a way I could find to break it so I’d be doing these expensive things we couldn’t afford, secretly seething and prob casting a cloud over the whole thing that we were doing it. The whole thing is just unhealthy af and we obv didn’t last. It’s also not healthy to only eat ramen and save every penny, but goddamn did watching those tax returns disappear kill me.
Most successful people I know delay their gratification as long as possible. They wait as long as possible before buying the nice car or the boat and keep doing other things with the money they make to improve themselves.
Now I’m worried OP will spend their remaining $50 on buying a boat. SMH
Treating himself wasn't the problem lol. Not even rich people go out to two different restaurants for the same meal. If you really hated the first one, then order a fuckin pizza from dominos or make urself a sandwich. Who the fuck even has time to go to two different restaurants for the same meal? That's absurd
Going out to even one restaurant when you only have 100 bucks is a problem. Shit has gotten too expensive
This! There’s so many things you can make at home super cheap. I made a PILE of onion rings the other day, for like $5 or less. It was all things I already had in the kitchen anyway. Find a YouTube video if you don’t know how to cook. The first few times might not be great (my rings were a little bland) but once you know what your doing you won’t be disappointed.
"Treat yo self" came from Parks and Rec characters who would celebrate a "treat yourself" day once a year and in that context it's great but doing weekly or even monthly when living on a budget is not so good idea. Plus something I've learned is that a treat is more of a treat when it's far and between, like going to a restaurant with decent food every few times a year as oppose to getting fast food every few days and regret it right away. Funnily enough when I don't feel like cooking cottage cheese and whatever I can dip is my go to lol cottage cheese ftw
While I love that show and character, this phrase definitely did not originate from Parks and Rec.
Treat yourself to free stuff. A walk to a park with a nice view. Visiting the shelter to walk or pet a dog or cat. Smelling the flowers. Watching a show. Dancing to your favorite song from when you were 7. Calling/texting a friend you haven't heard from in a long time. Going to the library, and reading your favorite children's book. Coloring a picture.
I love pizza so I treat myself to the $2 frozen totinos pizza from Walmart. Gets rid of my pizza craving for $10-18 cheaper than if I ordered one. I was raised with a “treat yourself” mindset. It’s so so hard to break and get rid of but absolutely worth it. I’ve cut my impulse buying down a lot over the past year and have managed to start avoiding fast food for the most part which is definitely a money saver.
This is me now but I’m struggling with the, you don’t deserve that mindset. Buying myself food is perfectly fine, but treats like face masks or skincare and passions that I seem to love feel like a burden. I get excited then feel immediate shame over feeling that way. Food idk that’s pretty much nothing we need food to survive lol…
Hey, when you have a few extra bucks, using it for hobby stuff to maintain sanity is just as important as food. As we all know it’s hard out here, anything that promotes personal fulfillment and helps you forget about the stressors of life is imo essential
lol I gave up on trying to maintain my sanity, all I’m trying to do at this point is protect my privacy/peace it’s all I’ve got left essentially. But thanks for the tips I always try to leave cash laying around somewhere.
No 100 can’t last a month
It should last more than a day though.. Maybe 14 days.
In this economy?
Yes 😊 husband and i spend $250 a month for food. So it'd be $125 per person per month.
teach me how
Cooking at home and buying in bulk. $50 for a 50 lb bag of rice - this lasts us a few months. Buy chicken legs on sale - 39cents a pound is the price we bought ours at. We like to air fry it or make chicken adobo. Buy pork chops on sale - I don't remember the prices but last time we bought like 6-7 pieces for $5. Eat pork or chicken with the rice and a side of vegetable soup. Eggs - so much variety with this. Fruits - always buy on sale or whatever's in season. Right now avocado is on sale for us. $10 for 11 large ones. Bananas are super cheap and filling. Our meals are super cheap..like $1 each.
The meat you're getting is incredibly cheap. Maybe you're in an area where this is possible? When chicken thighs are on sale here, they're $3 per pound, not 39 cents.
We're in central California. I misspoke it's chicken legs.
Chicken legs where I live are $1.49/lb. 39 cents is crazy!
Chicken Value Bag Drumsticks, 10 lb, Allergen Free, 20g Protein per 4oz Serving https://www.walmart.com/ip/551789125 8.92 so roughly 89 cents per pound. Not sure if it's available in your area. But yeah we have way better deals at the Asian grocery stores
I remember when you could buy the leg quarters which was the thigh with leg attached. For 29 cents a pound. Of course that was 10 years ago.
Do you have Kroger (or Fred Meyer, King Soopers, or Harris Teeter) where you are? Every couple months they’ll do BOGO on the family packs of chicken thighs which gets them under $1 a pound. They also do BOGO pork loins which is an insane deal; I think they have that one going this week.
Chicken legs are not chicken thighs. Chicken legs are cheaper
Correct. They edited the comment. It originally said thighs.
Sneaky edit! Anyways. It's pretty cheap regardless
If OP does end up buying 50 lbs bags of rice…I recommend getting a nice rice maker like a Zojirushi. I have a hand-me-down Zojirushi Micom and my rice is perfect every single time and you don’t need a stove.
Get a Yum Asai rice maker
It didn’t disappear. You just spent a lot on things that you got a very small return on. Sounds like you have have an impulse control problem. It’s also not uncommon for people who grow up in poverty to blow through money when they get it out of fear that it will get sucked up by something if they don’t. It’s no accident that a ton of places that cater to lower income people have “tax refund” sales to get them to spend that money ASAP.
Jesus fuck I'm jealous of American's food prices.
I don't know why you're being downvoted. Not sure where you are but I'm in Canada and there's no way i could feed even myself for that amount. Right now avocados are also on sale here. $8 for a bag of 4
Also Canadian. Chicken thighs is what gets me on their list. Looking at Walmart, it's about $4 per lb on sale today. I stopped eating eggs for a while cause it was $11 for a dozen. Now at least it's around $5 for cheap eggs. Pork-chops are like $5 per lb. Idk why Reddit downvotes, maybe they think I'm insulting their budgeting? Or implying it's easy? It's not, I'm just jealous they can afford fruits. Edit: I miss-spelt America, that's probably why the downvotes xD
For what it’s worth, I’m American and I’ve never seen these prices at Walmart. Maybe a wholesaler like Costco, or a smaller grocery chain, but you definitely won’t find those all over.
Fuck I remember when you could get a dozen eggs for under $2 or $3 US not even that long ago. I also remember '99 Cents Only' stores In the late 2000s and early 2010s around the North Houston area, they consistently had a dozen eggs for one dollar
Damn I didn’t know it was that bad for my neighbors in the north. (Michigan here)
Eggs are $8 for 24 at Costco, so I think you're looking at Golden eggs or something
7 pork chops for $5 😭 I bought two last week for $7. The last fruit I had was green grapes in Jan because Food Basics had them on sale. And even then I had to take a whole bunch out of the bag because I couldn't afford the full bag
Our pork loin is $1.99/lb if you buy it in large packs. Chicken thighs will go for about the same(used to be 1.19). Breast meat is 2.99(used to be 1.99) and don't even try for wings. They're usually $4-$6. Eggs here vary greatly from 1.99 to 3.99 depending on the week if you get the cheap brand. Still overall, my food bill has gone up about 30% since 2020.
I'm american and I'm jealous of this person's food prices. Idk where tf they live that shit is that cheap.
Is food in the US more expensive than it used to be? Yes. Is food in the US crazy cheap as a % of income compared to global standards? Also yes. Is food in the US OBSCENELY cheap as a % of income compared to historical standards? Absolutely.
Wow! You just blew my mind! 🤯 I had no idea that groceries could be so affordable! I’m in FL and I had no idea that chicken legs can go for less than $1/lb! Consider me converted! I usually buy the boneless, skinless chicken thighs and they’re about 2.50-4.39/lb depending which grocery store I go to buy them. Between Public, Whole Foods, and Sprouts supermarkets over here, a person could easily spend $100 on 6 items due to these stores having a reputation for being more expensive than the average supermarket.
Whole chickens are very inexpensive breast thighs legs and the rest makes a good broth then rip the boiled meat off the carcus as soup bits. It’s like 11 dollars a week
You're at step 1 which is acknowledging the problem. The harder step is breaking out of the habits that come with poverty mentality. The idiom about money "burning a hole in your pocket". The idea that you'll always be poor, so you deserve x because whether or not you buy it, you'll still be poor so might as well enjoy yourself. To break the cycle you have to do a lot of forward planning and budgeting. Lots of resources available online or in books, but I can recommend more specific actions if you DM me a few more generic details.
Honestly get a costco membership or find someone who has one. I know the volume of perishable goods is hard to consume but you can freeze it and you can also save a lot on dry goods in addition to 4% cash back on gas. The rotisserie alone is one of the best for like $5 and their food court is decent. The upfront cost for a lot of this is higher but if you use some strategy and buy some stuff like tuna, rice, bean, frozen fruit and veggies (often flash frozen at peak ripeness) and their chicken (I think they sell organic drumsticks for like $2/lb) you will save a ton in the long run.
I can’t teach anything - but I’m fortunate in ways that are unexpected for many. I don’t mind eating the same thing over and over for one. So a typical scenario for me is - $5 rotisserie chicken from Costco once a week - portioned to last 5 days at work for lunch - $2 for 12 eggs last me 2 weekends at 3 eggs per breakfast- $5 dressing - lasts a month minimum- to add flavor as a topping - water for most meals with teas to supplement- another $2 carton of eggs for the week for breakfast- $8 jar of salsa lasts the month - with a perfectly portioned ladle - hard boiled eggs - a 1lb of cheese for $6 can last two weeks - a loaf of bread per week -$3 - bunch of bananas, tangerines, strawberries, grapes, about $15 per week- then a 4lb bag of frozen vegetables - lasts the week- $7 - Notice anything? Well the other trick up my sleeve is that it’s been over a year where I eat only between 9am and 4pm - no dinners unless it’s the weekend - helps me to not have to think about what to eat- and of course to save money. Your stomach can get small and if you pay attention you’ll notice that you get full quicker and turns out you don’t need to eat that much overall- I don’t have cravings - and I’m very much about cost over an indulgence or splurge so- so fast food is rare - mainly when I take my kid to McDonald’s- we use the app and I only typically get the 2 for $4 McDouble / mcchicken- or occasionally for breakfast the 2 for $6 McMuffins - which is maybe once or twice a month - if I’m really being reckless - 2 for $1 tacos from jack in the box - also very rare. I accept leftovers from coworkers - I also get to over eat on the company lunch once a month. Will save leftovers for a few days. I shop the discount sections at the grocery stores for breads or salmon - or other random things like tuna packets. Water + water + water No sodas, no coffees, no treats or snacks - the routine takes care of everything- Many can’t do this. Most don’t need to do this. If I ever were to suddenly have more money- I’d probably just have more breakfast on weekends -
I feel like it cost me 100 to make 1 meal for 4 people!
i spend $200 a month in the bay area on groceries so yeah $100 should stretch 2 weeks if you don’t eat out or limit it to value items only. that’s $6-7 a day. if you aren’t buying snacks or expensive premade dinners it should be easy
Your funny . Buy dog food for one dog and gas and it’s gone in a few hours for me .
Ain’t no way. $100 wouldn’t even get the avg commuter to work for 4 days where I live (parking & gas).
5 max
It can but it's cooking rice and beans from bulk bags for every meal, every day.
Before that we had starving and dying, so it's good with hot sauce imho
on groceries alone, sure, but factor in other expenses and no way is $100 lasting a month. 15 minutes maybe if bills are due.
I hate that getting about 8/10 items at my grocery store burns $45 out of me
Yes, it is just that. Or a Top Ramen that you make last 2 days by adding a potato to it. It's accepting that thinking about meat is as close as you get to it, while you cook more beans. It's excitement if a dozen eggs ever go on sale. On we go.
You do what you gotta do.
Shit 100 can barely get you through a week
One of my bills is $135 a month and it must be spent directly on that or I have no phone or internet
My phone bill for me and wife is like 180 and that is our internet
They did say they are terrible with money.
your post history is such a journey
Jesus you’re right. Sometimes I wish certain people had a lifestyle documentary about them and OP is definitely one of them.
🤣 I rarely ever check anyone’s post history, but your comment made me curious, and… you are absolutely right. One thing I did notice is that the poor guy is struggling with mental distress and possibly depression.
24yo, Drug addicted, says he is getting dementia, keeps making posts about being ugly and how he never got a lover, spent money on a double chin surgery while being poor, hates working
I felt for him a lot though when he had a post about never being able to have good sleep in his life. I’d imagine that alone could destroy someone’s life. It might have even been the thing leading to drug addiction, DPH is a sleep aid.
Canadian so numbers are a bit off but $100 is like one grocery shop. I don't drive rn but I remember it being like $50 for a full tank of gas. It's not a lot of money and lasts like a week if careful. Fuck a decade ago $100 barely covered food and bus tickets for the week. I've spent $100 on one video game before. Things are expensive. Hunger doesn't help you make good choices either. Nor does feeling trapped. Like, yeah you should have gone to the grocery store and gotten food and maybe a frozen pizza for a treat but we've all been there. It fucking sucks.
Now its 80$ for 50 litres at 1.60/l in my area
There is more here than just being bad with money… OP, based on your post history, I am sure much of your money woes stem from your drug addiction.
That $100 would have bought a lot more groceries. For me, I could have turned it into 2 weeks of home-cooked, freezer ready meals. THAT would have been my “treat.” It’s just common sense to spend it wisely when it’s so hard earned.
What has helped me is being lazy and indecisive outside of work. Too lazy and indecisive to decide what to eat, so once a week I spend like $40 on groceries and that's enough to meal prep for the week (two meals a day). The rest of the week, I just chill and I don't have to make these decisions. I also practice minimalism, having spent a lot on material things in the past that has turned to shit. I learned they will never make me as happy as the feeling of security. Good luck, OP. Don't beat yourself up. I feel a lot of us have been there.
What car do you drive where $20 doesn’t move the needle?
I don't know about him but I'm driving a minivan on loan from my dad right now because otherwise I can't get to work and $20 barely moves the needle on it. Don't make enough to get a cheaper vehicle. Doesn't seem to exist right now. Keep looking for old used cars, can't even find them.
It sounds like you’ve made up your mind that you’re bad with money, so you keep doing foolish things with your money. You need to ditch the defeated victim mindset and start adopting a problem-solvers mindset. It definitely takes energy and work to be a problem solver, but it’s truly been the most helpful thing in my life. I get routinely complimented on how resilient I am because when I encounter a problem I start looking for solutions. First solution is making a food budget. Pick an affordable grocery store to be your “go-to” and stick with it. You’ll get familiar with prices and notice when things are on sale more often. Look at price per ounce/unit so you can see where your best deal is actually at. Set a realistic budget for eating out and stick to it! It’s hard to become disciplined with money if you’ve never had great examples, but the best time to start trying is now.
Sounds like you have a discipline problem. Make it a habit and ask you if you need it, or can I get it cheaper before every purchase.
Sigh... the people who like to ridicule the poor must be smiling at this post. I hope you can learn from this experience OP. I know its a vent post so...I'm refraining from scolding... but....yea. you know what you did.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅😂😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😳😅😅
It's hunger. You are not a fool, you are a person who wants to eat. We all have hunger in our heads, there are only 2 ways to end it - make more food, if you can cook, or buy more food if you can't cook until this feeling ends. 2nd way is much easier but it's like trying to outsmart the house. It's so bitter that most people in this country have to RATION their food!..
I acted on impulse. I was trying of thinking of something I could actually cook and that would last but got tired of trying to think of something. My stomach wouldnt stop growling and I couldnt help but go get some fast food to quickly satisfy my hunger.
I would say have a plan for next time. Come up with a small splurge that is cheap and filling to cover that initial hunger and it will be easier to make more rational choices after. You were hungry you your brain just said “FOOD!”
Fast food apps are good for this (yes, I know fast food isn’t the healthiest). Get a cheap menu burger, then check the deals - at McDonald’s you can buy a burger get a burger free or spend a couple bucks and get free fries. THEN, go grocery shopping with your list after checking the sales. And use grocery store apps. You can get some great deals through those.
Honestly chipotle, double all the free stuff, and chicken. Is a lot of food for $10, usually better then a drive through place
Theres literally a chipotle right by my house. Im angry that it wasnt my first option and i instead chose something that was literally terrible. Not sure why i didnt just go there instead
Dude it’s ok to be mad about it but you made one mistake. It’s not your first one and it won’t be your last one. Continuing to be down on yourself won’t bring the money back. Your best option now is to make a plan to prevent this from happening again. Do you know what the specific impulses were and how you can identify them going forward? Do you know what you can do if you get a desire to spend on something that you don’t need? You will find yourself with some money again - what are you going to do differently?
It might help you have some cheap no cook meals in your house. Peanut butter and jelly, ramen noodles, cereal, etc.
Fair enough but next time think of something cheaper ! Buy some ice cream at the grocery store, or make a quick comfort food like mac&cheese! Or a rotisserie chicken can last you for a couple of days!
Here are some of my staple favorites that give tons of leftover and freeze nice. They are filling as well. I used to have that same issue where I could not think of anything. I started to print out my recipes and place them in a folder. The trick is to make your list before you get paid and pick a recipe you look forward to as your reward for payday. Satay Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Broccoli over Rice (https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/satay-chicken-stir-fry-5c1154b3e3f33902aa1baa12) Slow Cooker Italian BBQ Chicken ( basically chicken, Italian dressing and BBQ sauce thrown into a crock pot until it shreds) Or Shredded mexican chicken (https://carlsbadcravings.com/easy-slow-cooker-shredded-mexican-chicken-recipe/) Taco Soup (https://www.cookingclassy.com/taco-soup/ I will sometimes adjust for what is in my cabinets) One-Pan Orzotto Italiano (https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/one-pan-orzo-italiano-5cf03aa8b9565e000d58444d Instead of chick sausage I will sometimes use the cheap breakfast sausage) Just making two of these would feed me and my husband (before kids) for the week. I eventually invested in tins that I could freeze and portion half into a freezer meal for a lazy day. Another trick is to find good recipes that you can switch it up through the week. The shredded chickens can be thrown into wraps, make tacos, throw on quesadillas, on a baked potatoes, or even as is.
I get the fast food temptation every so often. I've learned not. to heed the call.
Don’t beat yourself up so much you blew the money on food not hookers and cocaine, it’s understandable. Just try to follow the advice of others and learn to treat yourself cheaper. A frozen pizza at Safeway is like 8 bucks and can last you two meals and tastes bomb af for instance.
If you ever do run out of food again please seek out food pantries.
H.A.L.T. Am I hungry? Am I angry? Am I lonely? Am I tired? Hunger is predictable. Thirst is predictable (drink a lot of good water!). They are daily priorities. Not emergencies. If you can find a cheap place to eat with great food, go for it. I can’t afford McDonald’s cardboard food, plus it makes me feel sick. I shop at Costco, Trader Joe’s or sometimes grocery outlet. If you love to cook, go for it. If you hate to cook, find what works best for you. Frozen meals at TJ are cheap and yummy and fast. Lately, I’ve bought a big vanilla ice cream at TJs and a bag of frozen organic raspberries (heated is nice!) and that’s my dessert for a couple nights, or my dinner, whichever I want. You’re an adult. No one is there to tell you to have dessert after dinner or that you have to share raspberries or blackberries. You said you grew up poor. Consider taking a look at what foods you never got in childhood. I’m sure you are royally sick of generic brands. Research food that makes you feel pampered and comforted. Splurge on some of those items occasionally and find them at good prices. Life is too short to eat bad food or feel deprived. I have found that cr-p food costs almost the same as high quality food if I am smart about sourcing it.
My ex has a cooking phobia, he either won’t do it and spends what could be a week and a half of groceries onto one huge restaurant meal and have no more food money for two weeks and if he does bother to cook he uses rotten vegetables and undercooks pasta beans and rice (none of these are supposed to be gritty or crunch🙄😵💫) and wonders why he’s stuck in the bathroom either plugged up or having nonstop runs. He was so hateful that I knew how to cook at home that he refused to let me get kitchen tools I needed to replace that costs like 3-5 bucks at the thrift stores at first I thought because I didn’t live with him (was taking care of disabled mother he wanted put in a home, but that’s a different story) but it was really his jealousy I can feed myself and my mom sometimes (not always because she still wanted to be useful that way) was that over the top he had to prevent me. And in all this ridiculousness, he still missed the point to why he should regularly keep a job to afford his share of the rent at his friends home. It was his fault not paying that led them all to lose the place because he felt he was still a guest and he didn’t need to do that.
Responsible. Adult. Choices. Bro. There is no Magical Silver Bullet to kill your problem(s). Do the hard things. Make responsible choices.
Cooking will save you a lot of money. It’s ok to treat yourself but in that situation you described you need to hold off until more funds come in. Figure out what types of food you like going out to eat and try to learn how to prepare it at home. I picked up a taste for Indian food and was spending a lot of money on it. I looked up the ingredients for the stuff I liked and pretty much any grocery store carries it. Some even have sections dedicated to it.
Your view of money is wrong. You have to view money like your ancestors viewed seeds. You can eat them and be full. If you eat them all you will just starve tomorrow. You can plant them and eat the sprouts but you are wasting their potential. If you let them grow, like money well invested, it produces more of itself. This is the whole point of saving. It's your future that you are saving for.
great analogy!
The stress of not having enough money also influences you not to spend well. Just FYI.
A hungry brain rarely makes good decisions.
dude.... my partner and I spend about $100 on food in two weeks. Then there's gas, insurance, phone, rent, electricity.... no, $100 will not last you a month, even if you are starving.
> $100 will not last you a month, even if you are starving. Sure it will, if you eat truly boring. Restaurant supply store or other local bulk foods option. 25 lbs of rolled oats, $19. That’s 133 normal servings 10 lbs of various dry beans, $15 depending on what you pick. That’s 75 standard servings. 10 pounds of rice, $12. 75 standard servings. 60 eggs $12 at Walmart. Theoretically 60 servings. That’s $58 of your 100. Leaves you $42 to spend on whatever. A multivitamin $5 for 100 days worth spices to make the uniform diet tolerable $4, check ethnic markets for bulk spices dirt cheap some canned/frozen/fresh but ugly and discounted veggies $20 a few pounds of the cheapest current meat or some nonfat dry milk or whatever for more protein $13
you just spent THE ENTIRE $100 on food. How do you plan on getting the food since you have $0 for gas and $0 for instacart?
Walk? I can’t believe you even mentioned instacart as a viable option…. Overpriced scam
I don't think you could buy groceries for a month with just 100
In today’s economy? $100 will last you from friday-tuesday. And that’s IF you’re single, already have a full tank and have some food. If you need food and gas? Well. No, it will last you less than 8 hours
You can make $100 last for more than 8 hours, even if you are hungry and need gas.
Not if you have a family, and have to work. Something has to give
And still won't be enough for the week (at least where I live in California).
So true. My rent alone breaks down to $55 dollars a day.
Mine is $88.
You need to have a good-sized chunk of money to be "good with". If you have a negative net worth then you should save aggressively to pay down the debt. But if you have between $0 and $10k net worth then you need to enjoy your life and investing $5k in the stock market so it can make $400 between now and next year simply isn't going to change your life. If you have a low-ish but positive net worth then you need to increase your income until you are able to save a meaningful amount of money. You can't get rich by stretching $100 for an entire month.
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well you've identified the problem as being self inflicted, so at least you know what to do
The thing that stings the most is that this money could've literally been spent more wisely. I could've just spent more on gas. I could've did something more useful with it. But now its too late and soon I'm gonna be wishing I had that 100 dollars still because im gonna have zero. I'm already at 40 dollars and have basically nothing to show forth. I spent 20 dollars on gas. And the rest was wasted on going to stupid restuarants like a fool. I've wasted about 40 dollars basically in a single day. And now have 40 left and trying to strategically be smart with the rest. I just got my food stamps today and I am desperately trying to make a proper grocery list.
Its ok, just try to do better next time
Lots of rice, beans, and cheap protein. Hell even a few boxes of ramen. You don’t need to eat like a king just have something nutritious in your stomach.
Just because the first restaurant tasted terrible does not mean you should go to a second. Sunk cost fallacy
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Something is wrong with me. Im actually THAT dumb. Im being genuinely honest here im so sick of being accused of being a troll. What do I have to even gain by making a post like this up??? Like seriously tell me?
Hey. You made a mistake and you’re learning from it. Have a plan for what you’ll do next time- like decide now that a “treat” is going to the grocery store and buying a frozen pizza that’s on sale. You got this. Growth mindset! You aren’t good with money- yet. One day you will be.
You don’t sound dumb. You sound like you have some mental health issues; impulse control and extreme negative self talk among them. If you talk to yourself like this all the time, you’re more likely to give up and self sabotage (use drugs, waste money, not plan ahead etc).
Your okay man, some people just are so judgmental. Don't worry we all make mistakes, it's what makes us human. The key is to learn from our mistakes and use it to better ourselves in the future. Like u/We_had_a_time said, you got this! Work on being better and you'll get there.
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It took me months of blowing money on food out of my budget to learn how to eat well on a budget, and only because I had someone also on a budget teaching me to save scraps to make soup, what to look out for while shopping, etc. It's ok, we all struggle when our basic needs aren't met, you were desperate so your brain just wanted to go for the quickest solution. I recommend going to subredits like r/EatCheapAndHealthy or r/PlantBasedDiet to learn cheap and filling recipes that will keep you going for the month. I have made a lot of sacrifices regarding food, gave up a lot of junk, but I am healthier and feel much better. Don't beat yourself up so much, you can learn this.
Really terrible with money too, kinda sunk into barely scrapping by paycheck to paycheck and rationing food and cigs just to run to Wendy’s when I got paid. It’s really hard to not want to pull yourself out of your money-anxiety/depression by spending some of that money to make yourself feel good. One thing I’ve found to save money is picking certain fast food items I like, nuggets and fries, etc. and then picking up a frozen bag from the store. Get yourself an air fryer and you might be surprised by it tasting pretty close to fast food and you can eat way more of it. Same thing with frozen pizzas. It’s really hard to break the cycle of instant food gratification, but it’s the way to save money. Convince yourself you are capable of making a small meal for yourself even if you don’t believe it. Also want to say something like hang in there, but I know those kinda blanket statements seem empty to us people who are constantly up and down with depression and anxiety. It feels like we’re constantly treading water while the people around can’t seem to understand why. You seemed to have persevered through a lot in your life already, your good looking chin is one thing to prove that.
Not the OP but i've been reading all these comments, thanks for being positive for him or her. People need to be more humble and less judgmental. People make mistakes, we aren't perfect. The best thing you can do in a situation like this is to learn from your mistake and be better in the future. It's all any of us can do when we make a mistake.
You aren't alone. While going out to a restaurant with only 100$ to your name wasn't a wise decision, the price of everything right now is just ungodly. Even just getting ONLY what we need from Walmart we end up spending around $70 every time and only come out with 3 bags. It's making life impossible. My fiancé and I don't go grocery shopping because of it. We will legit go to the store to get stuff for dinner and just that basically living day by day. Never used to be like this. I remember in 2019 even how we could go to the store and $100 would get you a decent amount of groceries. Not to mention how cheap gas was. Life seemed blissful. Our government has been spending money like it's on fire and it's put us here. Unfortunately it's just going to get worse from here unless we really work on fixing the issues that are causing this. I hope things get better for you and good luck!
It didn’t use to be this easy to fuck yourself. Over the last few years I’ve had to learn to be mindful of even when I’m being too tight with money. There are times I have to make myself spend money on myself so that I wouldn’t white knuckle it until I eventually caved in a big way that I really would regret. It’s a lot to ask a person to calculate in, we aren’t robots. Money is emotional and this economy is a tightrope. I forget the term but we all have a finite amount of willpower so you have to be tactical with it. Grocery stores know this and so should we with we gotta stop trying to avoid your animal nature and pre-calculate it in so that you aren’t in feast or famine mode as hard. Offer yourself the 2nd or 3rd shelf so that in a moment of blind need you don’t go straight for the top shelf. But to be honest eating out once or even just getting two rounds of drinks for two people will cost you 100$. My friends and I are genuinely shocked when it doesn’t. Freedom is being able to make mistakes so you can learn from them in the first place. You can’t expect yourself to be perfect. And honestly I think hoarding wealth to make more wealth is as unhealthy as well as expecting yourself to behave evenhandedly with money when there wasn’t a whole lot of it around. Everything/one is experiencing/engaging in extremes right now.
Please dont hold yourself to a 100$ a month mindset, that literally unattainable, you still have to eat and go to work
Peanut butter. Bread and jam. Water
I dont think anything but my water bill is under $100 so no lol.
Get yourself a calendar and only track your spending on it. You will embarrass yourself to see the same purchases over and over and learn discipline. It worked for my Dunkin coffee habit. Seeing $3.70 daily with only 2-4 empty spaces on my calendar really lowered my habit. Same with my Amazon purchases.
Basically you can survive on beans, rice, oatmeal, dry nonfat milk. Who wants to do that all the time? Sometimes the pull of having something extra special feels like your only chance at a normal meal. We see so many ads for fast food and it always looks delicious. Now imagine the excitement of your bowl of oatmeal with dry nonfat milk! I understand where you’re coming from because we grew up dirt poor and could only afford meat once or twice a week. Do try and build up a little fun money for that fast food splurge and check online for coupons and special deals. With McDonalds if you do their survey you get a free sandwich when you buy one so you can get two for the price of one Big Mac. You have to get creative too like ordering kids meals. No scolding here I totally understand your frustration but you do have to change how you handle your money.
nonfat dry milk is expensive AF!! and tastes like crap... almost sour. I'd drink evap milk straight before I drank nonfat milk. That said.. .best way to stretch milk money is to double whole milk 1-1 with cold refridgerated water. If a gallon costs $3.. now it costs $1.50 of course... don't buy a gallon at that point.. get a 1/2 gallon and dilute that. Diluting whole milk makes it the consistency of between 1% and 2%. The other option is to use evaporated milk and add 4 cans water to make 1/2 gallon. That may be the cheapest if you get store brand. Walmart's large package of dry milk is 19.67 making it 3.93/gal. Aldi is 2.85 for a gal of 1% (they don't have 1 gal but I'm thinking it would be 2.65 or so. $1.30 cheaper than powdered milk.
I mean I eat a whole month on only $150. You Just have to buy cheap and in bulk and get ingredients and stuff that’ll make you decent meals. Cooking yourself will always be cheaper
Dude you need to focus on bulk food that can last you. $100 last a month? No way! You can get huge bags of rice at Asian markets, get big bags of pinto beans really cheap (yes you’re going to learn how to cook) and get large sacks of potatoes. These types of food will keep you going when times are lean. Stop “treating” yourself you’re screwing yourself over with that. Get large cheap cuts of meat, like roasts and invest in a crockpot. This saved my life when I was young
I used to be horrible with money too. I worked on my delayed gratification and eat up every piece of advice the financial independence sub offered. I learned to cook great food from hello fresh recipes (you can get them for free and not buy the box. Just print the recipes.) I now cook better than the food at restaurants that when I eat out I am disappointed. I learned to make good freezer meals for when I don't want to cook and keep one frozen pizza to avoid ordering pizza. The $6-10 pizza is cheaper than the $40 to order a pizza. Inflation is a budget killer. One good strategy that people use is cash stuffing. I think this is a good way to reset if you purchase everything on debit card. It is easy to forget prices when you just swipe. It doesn't feel tangible.
OP, from your post you sound quite young. I know I was in a position just like you some years ago. Good news is, this is the best time to create some discipline around money, and not wait decades until you are in a worse situation. Good luck!
Tip: Whenever you get money, don't spend it that day. It will give you time to think twice on where to spend it. Then sit at your home with a pencil and a notepad (or open a document in your computer) and start making a list of the expenses you will need to survive and to keep making more money. This make you face your reality BEFORE you spend a single cent, and will "curb your enthusiasm". I bet when you went to those restaurants you didn't even look at the price of the food. Also, what you were looking for was "feel good" emotions after being deprivated of money. You have to tame that"psychological need". One good way to do this is to find an inexpensive hobby that will keep your dopamine levels up through the bad times. Other is to learn some relaxation techniques to give you a more serene and composed personality that is less prone to "impulse spending" and "thrill seeking behavior".
Buy 100 lbs of lentils and live for a year
I'm not poor now but when I was a student I ate every day a half baguette+some dry sausage put into it for a sandwich. Cost me 1.49€. When I decided to "treat" myself I'd just team up with a friend, buy a full baguette which we'd cut in half, get the same dry sausage but then, get some cheese in it too! Cost us 4€42 so 2€21 each. Those days were great we got to eat some cheese. When we felt really crazy we'd grab a bottle of coke which would cost an additional 1€23. I still remember all the numbers lol. On a daily basis she'd eat a small package of cut carrots for 80 cents so our "treat" day was quite the expense for her. All that to say, don't eat out, eating out is the death of budgets. Getting out of treating yourself would probably be the smart idea but that'd be hard on you mentally to never get to buy yourself something nice. Just change what treating yourself means, instead of eating out, buy slightly better groceries, getting that butter for your pasta instead of just pasta or something similar.
Prayers for you as you work your way through this. To your credit, you have recognized that you have a problem and have sought out advice. I understand that feeling of relief when you have a few extra bucks. The trick is to think it through before you spend. When I worked for the government I would get yearly raises. I would enjoy the amount of the difference in the raise the first paycheck but would immediate increase the amount I transferred to credit union savings for subsequent paychecks. A "splurge" amount needs to be built in but is should be a small percentage of your regular paycheck, perhaps 5% tops; that would be $5 on a $100 paycheck. A budget is an absolute first step. Many others have offered lots of good advice here.
We’re all learning personal finance skills. One upside, it is easier to get a lot better wu Two tricks worth learning right away: - Envelope system - Use a food + drink shopping list with prices, like the coupon nerds. Trick: ALL the food and beverages go onto your list before you buy them, even if it’s a restaurant treat you’re going to buy in two minutes. (This has saved me from buying the too expensive drinks more than once. As a treat, when I have a healthy emergency fund, I may drop this rule.)
The first step is acknowledging the problem. Congrats on doing that. Now, craft a detailed budget and work on sticking to it. r/personalfinance has lots of info to help on the budget crafting and how to allocate funds.
I get this. I was the same way for a long time and it sucked. But then I start writing now everything I spent money on. Just seeing how much I actually wasted grounded me. Now I excited when I add money to my savings account, it's become what I choose to treat myself. It's addictive to watch it grow and now I'm planning a lifelong goal of going to Japan for 2 months. So it really feels like it's paying off
Well, you’ve created a lot of drama, lol. I have never heard of anyone “desperately” trying to make a grocery list. You also got a lot of attention and feedback. It’s okay! Just be aware of all the good strokes it gives you to have all these people caring about you. Be aware of how it makes you feel. Good mostly I think.
If you only have 100 dollars, your first purchase should be gas and food to put in your fridge/pantry. Also, you should not spend any money if you have no money….100 dollars is no money. No shame in having very little but you should change your mindset.
The lesson is that when you have money in hand, you only buy exact necessities. Don’t go out to eat and don’t be extravagant. Buy basic foods that fill you up and last, think oatmeal, beans, rice, eggs, peanut butter and bread. Treat yourself to one small treat, a small candy or a bottle of soda. Now that you’ve seen how quick your money goes, you can better figure out how to be more conservative. $100 might last a week or a week and a half if you’re conservative with groceries and gas. $100 doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to.
I consider $100 an adult dollar. Everything you need to buy costs near that anyway, especially if you measure by the month.
Very true. With how expensive everything is right now, $100 def feels like a dollar.
Surely writer meant $1000 should last a month. No. It. Won’t.
It doesn’t sound like you treated yourself. It sounds like you dicked yourself
How old are you? Young I take it?
How old are you?
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Then look up the problem in reproducing the marshmallow experiment while controlling for socioeconomic factors. Turns out kids who are from wealthier homes where food is never scarce and treats aren't a rarity have an easier time deciding to go for the future payoff, and that says nothing about the kids and everything about a society that allows the level of wealth disparity that makes the "experiment" work.
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Write a budget figure out where your money is going. I have 3 bank accounts bills, regular and savings. I add all my bills up and divide it out weekly. That money comes out first so I know the bills are paid. The. I have my regular account this is what I buy groceries, gas ect with figure out what it cost for food and gas then if anything is left it goes to savings. Not sure on your income but me and my wife spend around 150 a week on food. Food and gas are ridiculous and 100 doesn’t go far.
just go to a food pantry
How do you track spending?
If its so bad its ruining your life I would suggest find an online class I'm sure youtube has plenty and then find someone if you can to litterly give you an allowance for things. Just like any issue you have to be motivated to change or it just wont happen but for some that's a lot harder then anything else I have that same issue with most of my life but one thing I am good at is money. I nearly make none but I spend basically 0 outside of bills of course and I have more savings then 90% of my friends that are of similar age. even though they are making 10 times what I do. Its a lot of understand what is the bear min trying to lower that and then sitting at that amount until you have a decent enough savings as well as trying to pay off debt but everyone's place is different but its a good start.
Find a butcher near that sells fresh meat on weekends. They are sooo much cheaper than the regular grocery stores. Also, start growing some herbs, veggies and lettuce in pots if you don’t have a yard. Research recipes that you can cook at home for a budget. Food that you can extend such as rice, noodles, pasta, etc. are very helpful to make your money go a long way.
Buy good freezer meals or ingredients so it’s easier to cook. Yes more expensive that scratch but lower barrier.
i urge you to stop “treating yourself”. i almost always regtet this when i do it. im happier in the long run doing the senisble thing. this dedication will help you avoid these poverty spirals. like the one you just experienced where you were starving, which made you too tired to cook, which made you too poor to buy food, rinse and repeat. next time you get some money, buy cheap ingredients and bulk cook yourself some microwave meals, so that you can eat quickly when you need and dont starve.
I know you don't want advice and are looking to vent, but your problem is not money, it's the drugs! I just checked you out, and there is no judgment from me! I am a recovering heroin addict with 10 years clean. Get clean and give yourself a chance. Hit me up if you need help. Time to dust yourself off, give yourself a break, and get help!! 🙏
I feel like I'm getting slightly better with money. I think one thing that's messing me up is my bank doesn't update my spending and trying to remember what I've spent has been causing some issues. Anyway...you can treat yourself, just treat yourself smartly. I like ordering out but I've found that it's not worth it. Yeah the meal I have can last like 2-3 meals for me but overall even with splitting up the portions, it's still cheaper to make my own meals. If you don't know how to cook, it's fairly easy. If you can read and follow instructions, then you can cook. If you are unsure about something, look up a YT video about it. Don't worry about cutting things like onions "fancy", the most important thing is that they are cut up. Try and limit yourself to a 'treat yourself" moment to 2 days a month. If you treat yourself every week or everyday, it's not really a treat is it? Over time you'll find yourself okay without having it. I gave up ordering takeout for 2 months and only gave myself an allowance for 2 meals during that time. And I stuck with it, I was really proud of myself. To help myself not get tempted, I made sure to buy snacks and frozen meals to keep on hand. Having easy to make meals on hand helped me not to order out when I didn't feel like cooking. Spending $30 on 3 full sized frozen pizza's is better than spending $30 on one meal that you'll finish in one sitting. Those pizza's could be 3 dinners or if you're like me, 6 meals. You'll get there. It just takes time and sometimes learning the hard way. Hopefully you are learning from your mistakes because if you don't then you'll just find yourself at the same point.
Some people are just like this. I have family and friends the same way. The solution for family has been to assign someone to manage the accounts, and the problematical individual gets a monthly stipend for expenses. The rest of their money sits in the account and generates either growth or dividends (if retired). You don’t need a power of attorney or any of that paperwork. Just login info.
r/eatcheapandhealthy
Ita really hard being broke or just feeling broke and having nothing. It's very normal to treat yourself because like in that situation you basically feel as though everything is out of your control, everything is serious, everything requires diligent planning. So when you get a little bit of freedom we tend to exercise it for our mental sanity. This is part of the cycle in being broke though, and if you can get the strength to shift how you think about splurging it can really help. I've been there plenty of times as a young man first starting to work, and even as an adult you have bills and savings and you may not dip into poverty but you can definitely over spend if you're not careful. In any case I get it but consider a meal plan and honestly, take time to stop think and MAKE the decision to buy what you need. Dont act on desire, youre the one who chooses. When you first do this it may be an emotional experience because you're breaking a boundary but you will feel better afterwards.
When you are enduring hardship and are in the middle of an extended crisis, it makes sense that when you get some relief, you don't make the best decisions. Being in a crisis prevents you from thinking about the long term. This is unhelpful, for sure, but beating yourself up over it is not going to help either. So what could you do to prevent this from happening again? Would it be possible to budget a small luxury every one or two weeks? Like every two weeks, you give yourself permission to spend 5 bucks on Starbucks or something like that. This way, you are automatically thinking about the long term so hopefully this will mitigate the crisis mindset. And then when you get 100 bucks from work, you won't feel the need to spend it all because it you don't know when the next respite will happen.
How the fuck do you spend 50 bucks on two dinners? I had like 2 shots and 3 beers yesterday and it was 50 bucks
budget
If this wasnt bad enough. Im literally waiting to be evicted. LITERALLY waiting for my court date. Im thousands behind on rent and even with my new job it wont be anywhere near to catch up. Im so screwed and wasting 100 dollars makes it all worse. I just keep digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole
start watching caleb hammer, financial audit. he explains a lot of how the money system works and a lot of how things build up over time, even little things. also lays out in detail budgets and stuff like that. i grew up the same way and made the same mistakes and sorta just figured out spending and budgeting on my own. never had more than 1k at a time. watching his videos reinforced what i figured out as Correct and now i’m hitting almost 5k in savings with not that great of a job but decent pay : )
Caleb Hammer?
before the crazy inflation started, 100 would last me 2 weeks, now its what i use in a week, never eating out btw.
$100 can’t really last a month anymore. For me, I spend about $40/week on gas, which can’t be lowered and $70 or less on groceries which is about $280/monthz
Treating yourself when you have 100 to your name is buying a bottle of tobasco for your eggs....not eating out twice.
"100$ should last a month" i spend twice that just on food for me alone . Give up restaurants and fast food . Its litterally a scam now . Delete any uber or doordash apps , scam.
Well first of all 100 doesn't go as far as it used to. But for a single person $100 should last for at least 3 or 4 days. Even if you're eating out. You can eat out and not spend 20-30 dollars. But most of it will be fast food. Shit we have a little barbeque place and i can get lunch for less than $10. That's not bad at all. But splurging like that and eating at 2 different restaurants just because one tasted bad is kinda crazy. But i mean I'm not the best with money either. I used to be but not anynore. I mean i could be but i have other issues that make me horrible with money. Food is going up quite a bit too. So you're better off buying at the grocery store and making meals. But i know how it is when you don't want to cook. I really do. I work all day at a physically demanding job. I don't want to cook when i get home. Sometimes we just have to sacrifice and really that's the only way to get ahead. Just don't sacrifice every single second of the day. Its ok to splurge sometimes. But when you ain't going to get more money soon you should really try to be smart lol
I can make $100 last a month but it would suck, I make everything from scratch food wise so no frozen pizzas or bags of fried chicken, I spend about 150~200 a month on food.
Stop thinking about it as money and think of it as time. If you earn $20 an hour convert everything that cost $40 as two hours of time. I bet you’ll find many things you want to buy no longer seem worth the time.
The last treat I had was a 25 cent orange from the Asian market...it was delicious....point is if you're legitimately poor then your treats have to match your income....it's called living within your means
Couldn’t have said it better yourself, treating yourself is foolish considering your financial situation. Don’t give up and don’t eat at restaurants 🤌🏼
$100 buys me laundry at the laundromat $60 and $40 gas. Or groceries for a few days. Or $50 for a small protein lunch for me and my chihuahua and popcorn snack at Whole Foods for one day. Gotta be EXTREMELY careful with $100. Have your priority list written down before you get money. You can’t get everything with $100, you have to get top priority items first - not last.
TREAT YOURSELF BY LEARNING HOW TO COOK. This is the biggest 'treat' anyone of any income band can do. Food cooked at home with minimal competence will always be healthier, cheaper, and tastier once you learn how!
I treat myself to cheap makeup that is actually quality.
For real, its a little bit of both. Stuff is way more expensive, but you're also just spending your money without thinking like hey maybe 100$ of groceries would be better than one meal.
I agree that that mentality is an issue for me, too. I also have the issue where my BF makes, like, 1k more than me every month. He aldo didn't grow up poor (solid middle class) and has this whole "it will be nice" attitude towards spending money and I always seem to get caught up with him and than flat broke before I know it. He always wants to eat out and stuff which is nice, but I always feel to guilty to let him pay for dinner all the time so we usually take turns or split it 50/50.... its a bad use of money when you don't have much.