How to Eat for $15 a Week | Dollar Tree Budget Meal Plan | Extreme Grocery Haul

[@Jennheartsqs]

Years ago I was in a position where I only had $10/wk for food. I ate this exact combo of beans, rice, and salsa for lunch and dinner for a very long time. It's truly impressive how much food you can get from one bag of rice and beans and I never got tired of it. Sometimes I would even "splurge" and add corn or olives to the mix. These are definitely my favorite types of videos you make. Keep 'em coming!

[@jillnelsonmalmt6085]

Ohhhh! Good idea to add the corn and black olives! Thanks for sharing.

[@CarFreeKC]

I'm a college student living on a small tiny budget. I celebrated like you would not believe when I landed 4 pound bags of pinto beans for 50 cents at walmart AND A 20 POUND BAG OF JASMINE RICE FOR ONE WHOLE DOLL HAIR!

[@marjoriejohnson4559]

In 2014 gas went to $4 a gallon and wiped out my food budget. I would alternate weeks of that beans and rice or a 10# sack of potatoes.

[@christinatareski8882]

Yes! She does an amazing job on these ki ds of videos :)

[@susanolson3611]

The Unapologetic Reader, you were more creative than me, I once lived on peanut butter sandwiches for 10 months!

[@emmaalbrow9697]

You should start writing these down. A dollar tree cookbook would be amazing

[@sandrashull8641]

I wish someone would do that

[@Justanotherfuckingobserver]

Years ago, I wanted to do one for Aldi 😀

[@emmaalbrow9697]

@@Justanotherfuckingobserver that'd be awesome!

[@wendywendy8379]

Great idea!

[@MrCarter4121]

What's the problem with YOU writing them down....🤔. She already took the time to video and narrate a video 😞

[@TheNhanvey]

You should do one of these for back to school packed lunches!

[@jonihaworth7016]

Yes!

[@wyllia4]

Excellent idea!

[@robynlaube1024]

Yes please!!!

[@howitworksforme]

Yeah! Good idea!

[@alilbitoferika1367]

Bento boxes preferably lol

[@sammi_norris]

These videos are so important and so helpful. Please do not go hungry, reach out to your community to help! Everyone needs support from time to time-sometimes it’s financial sometimes it’s just a listening ear. You shouldn’t be embarrassed or concerned about anyone else’s opinion. Most people would gladly share🖤

[@candytiger644]

You're Right, And There's No Shame In Asking For Help.. 😊

[@Justanotherfuckingobserver]

There's a woman in my town who rented a small space and opened a small food pantry, she takes clothing, donations.. she takes everything and she's got quite the haul...she opens her doors and she'll help anyone ❣️❣️❣️

[@lauramolloy9777]

Amen to that 🙏

[@milktoast8071]

As an Asian, I’m so glad that you used cooled leftover rice for fried rice 😆. It’s definitely better because fresh cooked rice becomes soggy

[@GlamourNNail]

I made the mistake of trying to use fresh rice once because I forgot to make it the day before. It was not good. Lol Never again!

[@painiacs83]

I'm agree with you !!

[@PlushFairytale]

im chinese and my mom doesnt know to use leftover rice. fried rice has always been bad at this home

[@danamama6766]

@@PlushFairytale oh my goodness loved this!

[@danamama6766]

This is great to know. I always botch it if trying because of course I use fresh. I will shock every one now when I get it right. Thank you :)

[@janesimmons8201]

These $15 grocery videos remind me of my time away attending university. My dorm allowed a microwave, crock pot, rice cooker and small fridge. There was a full kitchen in the basement that we could reserve for an hour and all too often there was 3-4 of us ladies sharing it at the same time. Two blocks off campus was a Winn-Dixie with all the options. I remember eating cereal w/milk for breakfast, fresh fruit and a granola bar between classes and for dinner I'd have soup with bread I made. During the weekends my dorm would have a potluck style dinner and we'd all watch a movie together. Everyone that didn't go home that weekend attended. My fresh baked farm style white bread was always requested and nothing ever went to waste.

[@sahpem4425]

I love when you talk about food programs available to people. You are genuinely passionate about it. I appreciate that!

[@Cocobi1982]

That’s honestly my favorite part too. She’s not mentioning them just to be virtuous on the internet, she’s mentioning them because she’s passionate about people using every resource available to feed their families and I love that.

[@TravelingSag]

So true, our tax dollars pay for these services. No real need for people to be hungry with Chris' extreme meal prep video's and your local resources.

[@candytiger644]

She's Amazing Isn't She?!? She Inspire My Hubby And I With Her Budgeting And Ideas.

[@terrigomez5540]

Cyn This you said "our tax dollars pay for these services" which is actually NOT TRUE 9 times out of 10 local community food banks/ pantries are funded with donations not tax dollars.

[@TravelingSag]

@@terrigomez5540 you'd be surprised how many tax payer funded Agency's give grants to these organizations and I seriously don't have a problem with that. The help is out there for people who need it, and I hope they use it. :)

[@samanthabarron8481]

Thank you Christine for showing people that it’s possible to eat for very little money! I think a lot of people lack the creativity to come up with this, so your ideas are really helpful!

[@teresahaven9222]

Not just lacking imagination, also lacking ability to cook foods from scratch.

[@shandra413]

I got a large griddle at a yard sale this summer for $2. I wasn’t sure if I’d use it much but I’ve been loving it!! It’s great for grilled cheese and pancakes for our family of 6.

[@betsybabf748]

Variety of quesadillas can be done quickly on one too. Can do chicken & cheese, or mix it up with leftover steak & cheese, leftover meat loaf, meatballs or sausages with mozzarella, tuna melts, ham or turkey or Italian cold cuts with cheese, etc.Just butter tortillas and fill with anything you have, & grill. Had 7 kids in the house. Quick dinner when a night of sports or activities.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

These are all great ideas for a griddle.

[@brendablaine8392]

Was it an electric griddle

[@shandra413]

@@brendablaine8392 yes it is!

[@DemDisaster]

I love griddles! I tell everyone it’s my favorite kitchen tool! We use it for burgers or if we do tacos, it’s perfect to make the meat then heat the tortillas 😻

[@sarahm2566]

You could also do a veggie- egg combo like a quiche or omelet to eat for several days, or added a can of tomato sauce to part of the beans to have chili on rice for variety

[@candytiger644]

I'm Getting Hungry, Lol...

[@SnapszDuhh]

oooo. Great tips.

[@Renaid13]

I have two young adult daughters getting ready to move out on their own. I send them all of your frugal shopping/meal prep videos to give them an edge and help them learn to plan ahead when it comes to spending money on food. Thank you!

[@thebiggshomesteadkitchen]

The spring rolls are well worth the extra dollar. You did great for just $16. Your breakfast sets a great tone for the day. Abundant and yummy too

[@moniquemc4553]

I love that you do these type of videos. I’ve always worried about being able to make money for food stretch, if I were to ever lose my job or have unexpected expenses. Your videos have given me so many ideas and I feel prepared if anything were to happen.

[@burnttoast4821]

When my hours got cut at work I had to decide between groceries or my rent... I cut off cable and a few other extras but I was still looking at a very low budget. While watching youtube ( i had no cable tv) I came across couponing videos. That was 3 yrs ago and I don't worry about it as much anymore. I also coupon my toiletries and laundry needs. Best thing I ever did. I wish I had learned in high school how to coupon. Try it. I love it.

[@usersteven]

*The philosophy of the rich and the poor is this: the rich invest their money and spend what is left. The poor spend their money and invest what is left"*

[@henry2188]

@@usersteven Investing in today is priceless because tomorrow isn't promised, trading Bitcoins,gold, silver and crypto secure a better Tomorrow.

[@jerrymark9588]

@@henry2188 Interesting, most people don't understand the market moves and tend to be mislead in facts like this and always depend on Money in the Bank very bad idea

[@Rachel-fz5zj]

It's nice to hear people discuss about investment, because investment always beat cash

[@janecoder1]

Thank you so much. Even if a person doesn't have such a restricted budget it helps to think outside the box on what can be had or made.

[@nicicolourful]

It would be great to see one of these but using less fancy equipment - when I was at my poorest, I had a few pots and pans and a small rice cooker. That might be helpful to those who don’t have much equipment to cook with!

[@alyssa7473]

The Quaint Housewife has some amazing videos like that. She just did 7 days for $7!

[@MaryTheresa1986]

@@alyssa7473 I love her channel!

[@inderwink]

I like this idea. Learning to cook without special function devices (i.e. cooking rice in a pot on the stove) is worthwhile!

[@WeberIMayRoam]

Great idea! When I was first married, I had a hotplate and a microwave (the oven/stove didn't work at all in our rental!)

[@CarFreeKC]

Understandable but Christine likely doesn't have less fancy equipment as she's clearly been building up her kitchen to be her dream kitchen with high end products. Would be ridiculous for her to go out and purchase equipment just to please viewers when she has perfectly usable equipment at home. If someone needs help cooking rice without a rice cooker, there are surely additional resources somewhere on the internet.

[@jaydahome-teillarddeyry6200]

For breakfast we grew up eating congee occasionally as a savoury breakfast. You could do it from the dollar store using long grain rice & chicken bouillon and add a soft boiled egg, peanuts, canned chicken etc. I don’t like eating sweet things for breakfast all the time so I find congee is a nice alternative.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

My grandmother used to make her syrup from brown sugar. You could make syrup with the brown sugar in lieu of the pancake syrup and then have the brown sugar needed for your stir fry recipe, too.

[@AD-rp8xw]

My mother used to mix maple syrup with brown sugar to stretch it out. :)

[@Kimunicator]

My mom made syrup this way too.

[@lorrimcwilliams1268]

This is what my mom did too!

[@anetzband1383]

My dad always made the syrup this way. Usually he would flavor it with vanilla, but we loved it especially if he had any maple flavoring and would put that in. Years later, when living in the Philippines, I always cooked breakfast for the kids, and we often made this syrup.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

@@anetzband1383 I forgot about the additional vanilla. YES!!!

[@temi-twistedzones]

Do one without a refrigerator for a week

[@rebeccadenson4054]

That would be awesome

[@pioneerprepper2048]

That would be a great opportunity to make your own cheese with pantry Staples.

[@wildshadowstar]

I’d imagine a lot of fluffernutter sandwiches (peanut butter and marshmallow fluff) to be in the mix. If you’ve got the money for a mini fridge, pb&j sandwiches or lunch meat, or pinwheels.

[@Fiery154]

I do this while out camping for 2 weeks a year! • canned chicken, canned peas & couscous • split pea soup with Country Ham • taco salad with canned chili • macaroni and cheese and spam • canned corned beef with cabbage and onions • the ever popular pasta and sauce, although once I found canned meatballs!

[@MissouriPrepper64052]

I love this I know that the dollar tree isn’t always the best price sometimes Walmart is even cheaper on some items but this is amazing I think you did very well and just goes to show that people on lower budgets can still eat three meals a day awesome sauce

[@cindybledsoe2423]

Love this! I like that you spoke of resources at the end. A lot of people just don't know where to start. You are such an inspiration.

[@apond04]

Loved this! Two thoughts-first, I second the idea of dropping the pancake syrup and making your own syrup from brown sugar, but second: if you switch to brown sugar, you had all the ingredients to make a simple rice pudding (milk, sugar, rice) which makes a great breakfast hot or dessert/snack cold!

[@deneandoll9922]

I thought the same with all that rice. although you do need some cinnamon.

[@evelinholmes6401]

French toast is another option.

[@daniellebarker7667]

Need to cook some of the rice without the chicken bullion then.

[@barbarafowler6581]

I think the browns sugar syrup would be better than that bottled syrup and could be added to the oatmeal for a lot of flavor.

[@christinagarrett4769]

Agreed, I’d love to see one of these focused on school lunches-I have a kiddo who is anti-bread so sandwiches are out.

[@GlamourNNail]

Seemindymom has done a few kid/school lunch videos. I think they are focused on low budget as well. I know there was a dollar tree summer kid lunches video in the last month or so.

[@sarakennedy4715]

Does your child just dislike bread in general or all types of bread like products? My mom used to make me cheese quesadillas for school lunch and would pack them in foil and they were still warm for lunch.

[@howmanyspecialpeoplechange9205]

The Family Fudge youtube channel with Jennifer has tons of "bunches of lunches" videos with no sandwhiches, all hot lunches, all cold, all a certain colour, favourite birthday lunches subscribers submit, different country themed lunches, some lunches all using a letter of the alphabet! And some are budget friendly, most videos have at least a few cheap meals in them. Would highly reccomend, great for inspiration :)

[@mommyingBetchay]

Pasta? Fried rice? Spam musubi? Wraps?

[@mariong.632]

My community college started a food pantry for the students

[@candytiger644]

That's Awesome To Hear.. My Grandma Used To Cook And Freeze Meals For The Hungry In Our Community, Through Church, Food Pantries/Donation Programs, And We Would Go Hand Out Homemade Meals To The Homeless.. It's Always Inspiring To Hear About Stories Where People Contribute To Others..

[@jujube2407]

I gotta say... your meals def looked fairly nutritionally balanced without researching anything and I LOVE that! So many grt very starch heavy! And ps not judging... fed is best no matter what! But 16 bucks a week ...is amazing!!! 16 bucks and hitting fairly good if not great macros? Even better! Great job!

[@miriamhdez4900]

I don’t know if your DT ever carries frozen blueberries and turkey bacon which would have really been awesome with the pancakes and still kept you in a $20 budget.

[@NetNY2002]

They do in my area. They also have steak! Yes! Steak for a dollar!

[@NetNY2002]

So does mine. Salmon!

[@LiveFree123]

These are such helpful videos for those of us on a very tight budget. Our dollar stores here where I live in Canada don’t have refrigerated or freezer items ☹️ BUT I can find whatever else I need at our Walmart. Thanks, Christine. You’re delightful to watch.❤️

[@carolynmills513]

Not all Dollar Stores in the US have cold sections either. Depends on the population for the area.

[@samanthab3292]

Usually Walmart has a better deal than dollar tree per weight or volume :)

[@crazycatslave]

Dollar Tree in my area beats Walmart hands down on dry beans. Walmart wants $1.89 for 1 pound.

[@carolynmills513]

@@crazycatslave interesting...our Walmart 1# bags of pintos are $1

[@texasstardust6010]

I'm a Senior and live on a food budget, BUT , I spend the extra $ on these items : Grass-fed organic ground beef; nitrate free bacon, organic chix.( or close to organic as possible) .And organic eggs, celery, apples, romaine . 60 dollars or less ,included rice, and beans, butter , spinach as well. That's for 3 weeks of meals, + one or two extra days. I really enjoy seeing these, so if I break down the 60 $ into cost per week, it's about the same . ( give or take) . I make spaghetti sauce, freeze 2 portions. I cook off 1 lb. of ground beef, divide into two portions, so it can be used for tacos, nachos, etc. Or for Sloppy Joe's. ( I live alone ) Same with the rice, just as you did. Beans with onions, extra portions went to the freezer . I use these for nachos, tacos, or just a meal with some cornbread. I love that you made the cornbread pancakes, my Grandmother used to make those, I love them with butter ,and blackberry jam on them. Thanks, Christine. ..Again, ...It's a great video !

[@dawngrover2410]

I keep that milk in my pantry for emergency and long food storage. We take it camping, use it when I run out and no one told me and when they power goes out for bad storms. If I don’t use it up before it expires I use it to bake with. My kids can’t tell the difference once it’s chilled.

[@emilybelcher2669]

I love getting the milk for the same reason. We always realize we ran out of milk in the middle of cooking. It's also great for people that like to shop only once or twice month

[@dawngrover2410]

@@emilybelcher2669 I started getting it at the start of hurricane season but during the lockdown, I was concerned about not being able to get to a store, or them not having milk. Now I just keep it on hand and I get all three (whole, 2% and 1%) and use it as needed. My kid’s normally are the ones to eat cereal and it’s good to have when I get “Mom, we are out of milk and I’m already at work!” Lol

[@dianasimplifies]

@@dawngrover2410 such great ideas for ways to use that milk. 💜

[@anitaholmes6824]

I only wish our Canadian Dollar Stores carried even a fraction of what you showed! I love going to Dollar Tree when we spend the winter in AZ. Love your meal plans, everything looked yummy! TFS

[@sherisutherland1416]

Right? So jealous!

[@LiveFree123]

I hear ya!

[@lisakaye2110]

Try using the maple and brown sugar oatmeal packets in muffin batter!! It is FANTASTIC!! I was making muffins and realized the grandkids used my applesauce. (Applesauce muffins are the bomb). So I had to come up with a new idea. And BOOM, maples d brown sugar muffins!!!

[@Emma-Sharon]

I’m curious do you add the liquid on the oatmeal package to the muffin mix?

[@lisakaye2110]

@@Emma-Sharon no, I just put them in dry. I adjust the liquid for the muffins after it's in. But, I usually follow an oatmeal muffin recipe. The flavor is fantastic when you use those packets!

[@Emma-Sharon]

@@lisakaye2110 how much liquid do you think you add to the muffin box mix?

[@lisakaye2110]

@@Emma-Sharon I believe I use approx 1 cup of milk when I make muffins. I don't use a box mix. But, if I were, I'd mix up the box mix, then add in my packets of oatmeal and just add in milk in small amounts until it looks right.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

@@lisakaye2110 That sounds like a great idea. I bet you could do the same to make heartier pancakes, too.

[@robertadunaway7030]

$16 for 21+ meals I think is pretty good especially since you have lots of veggies.

[@foreverhis5833]

That shelf stable milk is really good. I buy it often. You don't have to refrigerate till you open it. Way better than storing powder or canned milk!

[@Linda-sk9nt]

Would love to see you do a grocery challenge with only sticker reduced food for either your family or 1 person for a week. I do a lot of my meal planning this way.

[@SpoonMe]

Marinades are concentrated; always figure 1:1 for water. Adding buillon added to the salt. I saw it happening, but I knew that yelling at the monitor wasn't really helping lol! Edit add:

[@angiesmith2877]

People need salt, so adding bullion is a great way to do it and get some extra flavor at the same time. If you don't like salt, you can always leave it out.

[@soulstealer1667]

@@angiesmith2877 I think they meant that adding the marinade and the boulion would be too much salt. I've tried that marinade from DT and it is incredibly salty.

[@barbarafowler6581]

@@soulstealer1667 I cringed when she added so much of the marinade and then the bullion too latera after already cooking the rice in the bullion. Way tooo much salt. At least, for someone who needs to restrict salt, but too much really for anyone as far as I am concerned. But, she did mentioned that one would not need as much of the marinade that she used.

[@Elizabeth-qp1rn]

It was very kind of you to talk about food resources for those who need assistance.

[@sjean2166]

Another meal idea to toss in a change midweek: reserve a tablespoon or so each of the cooked rice, peas and carrots, stir fry peppers&onions, and cooked beans, use the chicken boullion to make a broth and you have soup. You could add a bit of the salsa for some extra flavor (even if you just rinse the bottle out and use that water as your broth).

[@debrawalkermeyer9109]

Or add to an egg as an omelet. You have a great idea!!

[@edlane1883]

I’ve always been frugal and ate simply with a lot of meal prep and planning. Currently being unemployed, watching your videos has been very helpful with different ideas. I do add more proteins when I can because I’ve always been a meat and potatoes guy. I find that I actually like ground turkey and canned chicken/turkey to add that protein. I also grow some veggies and greens in pots and I have a friend who gives me her extra eggs.

[@susannesanchez2987]

I love those spring rolls! They're delicious in an air fryer. I love these kinds of videos. Thanks!!

[@gkdavies8179]

Cornbread/cornbread muffin mix made into pancakes are great with chili on top. Makes a nice change on chili night.

[@glendamartin7249]

Just a thought, I would make the corn meal into, dollar size corn cakes. Put some butter with honey on the corn cakes, to eat along with your bowl of chili.

[@NuggetFarm2011]

This was awesome! I am so impressed by the amount of food you made with so much flavor on such a limited amount of money. Keep sharing vlogs like this they are a blessing!

[@amandaredd3057]

I just found your channel today and I'm totally hooked! I'm a young(ish) widowed mama raising my young son and working full time as a nurse. These tips are truly invaluable 🥰

[@kt_rvs2731]

What an incredible resource your videos are for anyone! My husband and I are on a tight budget and sometimes it's overwhelming that even thinking of meal ideas is hard. Thank you for your videos.

[@ryanvadis]

So glad you are working on reducing the shame of getting help from local food services! There is so much unnecessary fear and shame involved in needing help, and its great to see you talking about it regularly.

[@wildshadowstar]

Even though you’ve preheated your griddle for your pancakes, the longer you use it to cook, the hotter it gets, so the first batch isn’t made on its hottest setting, making them come out differently.

[@katiemulhearn9363]

I love the spring rolls, I'm vegetarian they are so good. And a fun treat for cheap!!!

[@jadesreviewgems5158]

We LOVE the Jennifer spring rolls. We call then a Dollar tree hidden gem. To some people the filling may seem overly soft, but my wife has chewing issues & that is what she/we love about them.

[@Fiery154]

I’m an SLP, I’ll keep this in mind to tell some of my patients with similar issues. Thanks! I’ll have to try them out myself first tho

[@gailcardo8996]

Thank you so much, Christine, for normalizing need. You're right, of course. Many people need help and there should be no shame in seeking it. I have been in the position of needing help and also in the position of being able to provide help. I have found both to be humbling. Thanks so much for your wonderful content and for caring for others.

[@teeser2436]

Grew up and still live in Georgia so Grits are a must I add scrabbled egg bacon after I cook the grits. Love these videos living on SS and a widow you give me some great ideas .❤️❤️

[@michelledalenaa]

Finally! Another person who adds scrambled egg and bacon to their grits! Why eat them separately when it makes a great meal mixed together?

[@beverlyharward9631]

@@michelledalenaa here in the southern states we call it a grit bowl. Nothing new and they are delicious.

[@amandajean7738]

What are grits? Sorry, I'm a Yankee from New England.

[@danarenken491]

Oh sweetie I am so thankful that you do these type if vids. My oldest and I are NOT number people. Lol so i think he will appreciate your info. What you made for your week was everything he loves. Thank you!!

[@tabitha9890]

This is amazing for anyone on a tight budget, especially during these times. You are so amazing for making these type of videos. Quick, easy, and so budget friendly.

[@katievdbshsh757]

These frugal priced meals fit my budget - thanks. I have to keep prices less but this helps. God bless you from grandma Katie in oregon

[@sandymyers1182]

You never fail to impress me. Love this kind of video but then again, I love all your content

[@sophiamakohon-p7980]

Just wanted you know that I have watched your programs religiously. Your tips are amazing. I have learned how to stretch more for my budget. I also want to thank you for being down to earth and explaining step by step. You are awesome! Thank you Sophia

[@mommamoore]

I always love to see what you come up with using simple ingredients

[@mommagator9899]

Veterans can reach out to their local VFW post and inquire about the "Veterans serving Veterans" food programs in their area. It is available to veterans & their spouses / widows. All you generally need is a copy of the DD214 I appreciate what you do with these budget meal videos. I wish there was more diversity in in the overall meals for the week. Try to get as many different dishes as you can out of the ingredients or repurpose the leftovers into something different. I understand that you are working with bare essentials but making just one big amount to eat for an entire week can cause food fatigue and a loss of overall appetite.

[@lorla85]

I heard that my local meals on wheels gives meals to veterans, regardless what age, no questions asked… 😃💕 I’m from Ohio

[@rosaryfitzgerald165]

Those spring rolls are my favorite vegan item. I buy two packages every time I walk in there lol

[@Mrrngglory3043]

You did great! These meals should appeal across the spectrum as well as inspire other ideas. Christine, you are amazing!

[@kaylamize1558]

Love these videos! Sometimes I forget about simple, cheaper meals as I’m watching cooking shows, Pinterest, etc. thanks Christine!

[@darlenem4940]

I love the maple and brown sugar oatmeal. The best. I love these kinds of extreme food videos. I feel that alot of us can feel the cash pinch. And everyone gets hungry

[@p3ischarmed13]

Since starting to watch frugal fit mom, I have totally been stalking my family dollar and dollar tree for deals on food!!

[@kristinatidwell6563]

P3ischarmed13 One of our stores shutdown bc all of the employees quit bc they weren't allowed to use the restroom or get a drink during their entire shift. The Mgr went to work this morning by herself. The news people interviewed her and they noted a now hiring sign in the window. So hopefully they'll be able to get things fixed at Dollar Tree!

[@tiffanywhitmore5068]

I used to use the dollar tree in college but then everything went to $1 and now at $1.25 i find items to be a better deal at Lidl or Aldi and possibly Walmart. I would spend $320 for 5 for a month and I probably spend that shopping elsewhere now. I stock my pantry/fridge more than buying to make a recipe and working at a grocery store I can get expired/best by dated items so that helps a lot too.

[@davidlowe3483]

THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO! THIS IS WHY I FOLLOW HER! THESE TYPE VIDEOS ARE HER STRONG POINT! A GREAT EXAMPLE HOW TO EAT ON A BUDGET AND EAT HEALTHY. ALOT OF THESE FOODS CAN BE HAD IN MY AREA FOR FREE AT FOOD BANKS/CHURCHES THAT DO FOOD BANKS. I LOVE THE WHY SHE EXPAINED THE MEALS, COST AND CALORIES. AWESOME VIDEO!

[@laurenpigott885]

wow... great video. These types of videos are really your jam. You are making such a difference with these. Thanks for making them!

[@jujube2407]

Side note hack... if you ever went to famous Dave's and LOVED their corn muffins... make a white cake mix (and their just add eggs oil milk whatevs) and 2 jiffy corn muffin mixes plus the milk and eggs... and you will be up to your eyeballs for famous daves "corn muffins" on point...and they freeze well... it makes over 30 muffins 😋 for the 3 mixes( less than $3/4 at my store.. I wonder how this texas mix would work!) Since dollar tree has cake mix too!

[@barbarafowler6581]

If you use a yellow cake mix and two jiffy corn mixes plus the ingredients called for in both, you will have a knock off version of Boston Market corn muffins.

[@lyoung8584]

Loved this! I'm a RDN (nutritionist) + also love to find ways to save without eating junk. I am a numbers person. the Myers Briggs professional personality test actually shows similar results for Nutritionists + Accountants! Both like to balance Numbers.. Calories or dollars! Both are important. I always tell my students (imma college Professor) that our body is like a bank account! Its all about the balance!

[@papercuts500]

These are my favorite types of videos from you

[@dianasimplifies]

Picky eater here. Some of this looks good for hubby. Some great ideas, I may have to get him those spring rolls! Thx for your videos. 💜 I used to keep shelf stable milk on hand all the time for emergencies. I gotta have my milk!

[@grannyprepper1181]

🤣 I was yelling at the video when you were pouring all that teriyaki sauce on the rice. I use teriyaki a lot. A little goes a long way. If you like the flavor of the teriyaki, you can add water to the bottle and thin it out a little.

[@crystaldon4995]

If you went with brown rice and left out the bullion it might actually be healthy, very interesting ideas!!

[@TheNinnyfee]

It's really nice to see how easily you can feed yourself without having to eat something different every day. You could even dilute the milk for the pancake batter with water 50:50 and have half a container of milk left. Then you could make "rice pudding". You could also make a kind of baked beans with salsa and part of the pinto beans if you like more variety.

[@juliehadley8336]

When you added that salsa I just kept thinking, "add a little water. Get the rest of that goodness into your bowl!" Thank you for the great suggestions. My budget isn't that extreme but it is tighter now and this gives me ideas! Looking forward to your next video.

[@andrea.rivers]

I could totally eat those lunches. It's just the husband and I and he usually gets the dinner leftovers for lunch. Maybe it's time I start prepping some extra lunches for myself so I'm not stuck eating pb and j when I don't feel like making anything.

[@candytiger644]

I read in a frugal cooking cookbook once about making meals ahead of time, at the beginning of the week.. like she says in video, cooking and freezing meals. Homemade tv dinners kinda.

[@keeleysasseen218]

I’m not sure if you already knew this but for a time saver if you use your instapot to make the beans you do not need to soak them over night. Just an FYI. I cook them straight from the bag all the time.

[@buffiecar]

Looks great! I used to love cornmeal pancakes. You could make your beans, rice, and veggies and switch out your sauces every night so it's not always the same. I save all my extra sauces...barbecue, honey mustard, taco sauces, etc. Yum!

[@catsrockthehouse1]

I only earn a little under $2000 monthly living in the bay area, rent is 500 for a room, and utilities cost another 200. Gas to and from work and school is roughly $50 a week. I'm so grateful for your meal plans and ideas, I can save my money for emergencies and even afford to go on a vacation in the summer.

[@jdewitt2531]

Love these videos. Grateful to not struggle with food but these definitely help me think differently about food waste and buying intentionally, making sure I use what I have as well as being creative with recipes. The Quaint Housewife has similar challenges that I love too...you guys should do a collab!

[@lorla85]

Yes, I do enjoy Quaint Housewife also! 😃

[@tiredapplestar]

Those veggie spring rolls are so good! I just went to DT today looking for those, and unfortunately they were out. I always stock up when I see them, because the ingredients aren’t half bad either.

[@CreativeLifeMisfits]

there are lots of things in Dollar tree that actually cost more in the end. When I was struggling financially, I used to get lots of healthier, yet still cheap stuff from Trader Joe's and some from Walmart. TJ has surprisingly low prices - and usually better quality, plus you can buy some fresh produce too to add some vitamins into your diet.

[@Angel-rq3pi]

True. But unfortunately Trader Joe's not everywhere. I miss Aldi's and Harps (local to AR area)

[@CreativeLifeMisfits]

@@Angel-rq3pi back then I didn't have Aldi or Lidl in my area, now I shop at Lidl a lot and TJ is far away, so I only go there once in a blue moon (I'm in Northern VA).

[@mysticallavish1360]

OMG, thank you for sharing! I am going to Dollar Tree today to food shop, I am unemployed, live alone, and start a new job until few more weeks and on extreme food budget right now. And I love how you kept track of the calories, I never made my own burritos, this will work for me!! Much blessings to you.

[@beehappy7897]

Great idea on the cornbread pancakes. Looking forward to trying. I’ve purchased the Garlic Herb marinade from the Dollar Tree and the ingredients and nutrition are identical to the Great Value Garlic Herb marinade from Walmart…and .50 cents cheaper.

[@maryjothompson4578]

The mix makes great waffles, too.

[@RachelDAdams]

My kids who are just now getting on their own really need more videos like these.

[@leighdegenhardt485]

One if my favorite meals is leftover rice reheated in a skillet and add a couple of eggs and stir til eggs are done to your liking! Yummy!

[@glendamartin7249]

One of my favorite dishes. I absolutely love rice mixed into eggs.

[@DCupcake58]

Have you tried beans in the crockpot? Works amazing. Rinse and sort beans as normal, dump in crock pot, cover with enough water to cover to about an inch or more above the beans, add teaspoon of baking soda and I toss in a bay leaf or two or some garlic cloves. Cook on low 8 hours (I do mine overnight) and done. Best thing is when I want to make hummus, I do this when the beans are still warm by draining the cooking liquid which I save to add to the beans as needed and once the other spices and ingredients are added back into the crock pot, I use my immersion blender in the crock pot to make the hummus. AND I keep the cooking liquid to use as a base for soups. I let it cool and freeze it. Black bean reserved liquid goes into my black bean soup and the garbanzo bean liquid is for vegetable or split pea soup. And I typed this comment before you mentioned the different ways you cook beans so maybe you already do this. 👍🏻

[@natashav6432]

This was a great video especially since I’ve noticed just about everything on my grocery list has increased .25 to over a $1 in the past month .

[@francois3116]

In France too 😣

[@connieketring8315]

I love these type of videos! And I really enjoy how you just get to the point with what you're buying, the recipes and how you put everything together! I also love the way you talk fast, it's hard for me to listen and stay interested to someone that talks slow. 🤗 I really really enjoy your Channel and it has helped me tremendously with getting started with my Frugal Living plan🙏🥰

[@lorenet.2182]

Another great meal plan. Economical and delicious!!! Try mashing ripe bananas into your pancake mix. Tasty and golden brown and lightly sweet.

[@cherylmclaverty2182]

I can’t stop watching your videos u make it simple for people like me even at 61 ty

[@inderwink]

REQUEST: I like the cost breakdown per meal at the end. Since you focus on frugal AND fit, please consider providing a nutritional breakdown for each meal, too. Thanks for the great content!

[@donnabennett4075]

Thank you so much for these videos! My husband and I just started our debt free journey and we will be on extremely tight grocery budget. This is a great starting place for us, I truly had no idea how many food options Dollar Tree has!

[@howitworksforme]

As usual a great video! I used to be very poor, what I tried to incorporate in my budget for the week was a cheap package of multivitamins. Don' t know how much they are where you live, but here you get 20 tablets (one per day) for about 0.65 cents. BTW: HUGE fan of your budget vids!

[@daniellebarker7667]

Its good to eat this wsy at least one week of the month even if you don't Have to. Keeps you aware of what you Can do and keeps your taste buds humble. It can also allow for a bit of a splurge budget where none existed. I love that you included plenty of veggie proteins with the beans and peas.

[@juliaaltizer9588]

I like that you counted the calories provided. In an emergency frugal situation that is important. Good food selection too. But I do think it may be even cheaper to go to Walmart sometimes or even another grocery store that you know well. For example, right now large eggs are on sale at my local grocery store for 77 cents a dozen. Yeah I'm stocking up. :)

[@lindawilson290]

YES! Please continue doing these extreme meals-on-a-budget videos!

[@teresamunoz91]

I'm saving your Playlist bc I've been spending way too much on groceries for just my toddler and me 🙃

[@Amy-mx6sy]

I’m blown away! I’ve never shopped for food at Dollar Tree, maybe I should start!

[@paulaflatt2936]

You have the amazing ability to make something delicious out of not much. Kind of like stone soup. Thank you Christine love your channel:)

[@marymarysmarket3508]

This is the first video of hers that I’ve seen. Very nice indeed.

[@dlarsen325]

I love how you mention about local food and resources for people. thank you

[@gwenfrazier7027]

ISO wish we had KZbin back when I was a starving student!!💕You would have been my hero!!

[@stefaniemiles8855]

These are great tips especially for those in a food desert and the dollar store is their grocery store. BTW cornbread pancakes are my favorite.