conversation: User (hform123): "I see $200 a month for groceries recommended on this sub a lot. Does anybody have a shopping plan or something that they could share? Just curious as to what types of stuff I should be buying/ eating. I live in LA and am just shopping for myself, with some items being split with my roommate."
  Self: "\~50 a week is comfortable in eating just for yourself. Buy staples and frozen veggies that can last and be versatile in preparation, buy meat fresh/frozen as needed, buy eggs when you need to. Another way to look at it is budgeting that amount by day and/or by meal. In a 30 day period, that will get you 6.66 USD per day, whether you approach it by budgeting every single  meal or cooking a multi-meal preparation. \n\nAs long as you are cognizant of your working budget, stay disciplined, you can move the budget per meal or per day as needed.\n\nSample Breakfast:\n\n \- 2 Eggs (in LA I've seen a general price of .25 cents per large egg, give or take)\n\n \- Toast/Staple \n\n \- Protein (2 slices of bacon, as an example) \n\nOR\n\n\- Oatmeal (If you eat just 1 pack from quaker instant oatmeal from Wal-Mart, as an example), it'll cost 16 cents. Treat yourself to two and it jumps to 32 cents)\n\nSample Multimeal:\n\n\- 1lb Dry Pasta (Cooked) - 0.99 cents in LA\n\n\- 1 jar Pasta Sauce - \~2.00 dollars (depending from budget to mainstream brand, I would say it averages about 2 dollars for mainstream brands readily available)\n\n\- Parmesan Cheese (probably less than 30-50 cents worth, but you might really like cheese)\n\n\- Protein (Can vary wildly, but hot dogs are not a bad pasta addition and are dirt cheap) - \~1.50 worth (estimate but fair)\n\nDepending on your needs, appetite, and so on, this meal can cost you about \~5USD and feed you easily for 4 meals at around 600 calories per meal minimum (just using round numbers here based on quick nutritional fact searches, that's 4oz of cooked pasta plus sauce/cheese/protein). It holds well over a few days without a huge dent in perceivable taste. \n\nAnother example is buying chicken thigh, seasoning and grilling/baking to your preference, and preparing a staple (rice, pasta, beans, whatever you prefer) and banging out half the week. \n\nWhen I was just starting my career and living in LA, I would usually do 2 cooking sessions per week that covered 90% of my lunches and dinners. If given a choice and capable, I believe most people would gravitate towards a little bit of selection and variance within their eating, and what I would do is simultaneously prep 3 days worth of Lunch and Dinner Sunday and again on Wednesday (Wednesday I would eat the prepped dinner so after cooking I would just go to sleep/relax). Unless you're on a specific diet, switching the meal doesn't matter. I'll even throw in a ready prep item that I think has pretty good value if you want a change and are not confident as a homecook.\n\nExample:\n\nLunch/Dinner 1\n\n\- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs (\~2.50 per lb)\n\n\- Baked homemade potato wedges (plethora of recipes, typically went with Garlic/Herb preparation)\n\n\- Veggies\n\nLunch/Dinner 2\n\n\- Full Package of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken (5 bucks)\n\n\- Steamed Rice\n\n\- Veggies \n\nI would then switch up a recipe for Wednesday. Sometimes I would bake a casserole dish to eat that night and save the leftovers for when I need to.\n\nBy sprinkling in lower cost meals throughout the week, you can still afford to home cook a more luxurious meal if wanted.\n\nStaples:\n\n\- Eggs (Truly the most versatile, highly available protein you can buy. It doesn't cost much nor does it take much skill/time to prepare passably. Fried, boiled, whatever)\n\n\- Potatoes\n\n\- Bread/Toast \n\n\- Rice (Dry)\n\n\- Dried Beans\n\n\- Tortillas\n\n\- Dried Pasta \n\nProtein: Chicken Thighs/Pork (8oz a day will require 240oz per 30 days. \~15lbs and select a protein around the 2-3.50 per lb price. I feel that that is a fair amount of protein per day on a standard diet)\n\nFrozen Veggies\n\n\- Your preference (I buy frozen since I am admittedly more of a carnivore)\n\n\- On that note I recommend onions/garlic/mushrooms (non frozen). Supremely versatile and can liven any dish up or act as a solid star in the case of mushrooms.\n\nSpices/Sauces\n\n\- Tomato Sauce/Pasta Sauce \n\n\- Core stuff (Salt/Pepper/Paprika/Chili/Garlic whatever preferences you like. Usually once every few month purchases, if that)\n\n \- Olive Oil/Avocado Oil/Canola Oil (whichever you want. EVOO is highly versatile, I prefer Avocado over Canola since it has the highest smoke point and makes for easier frying/cooking for lesser experienced home cooks)"
  