[How Much Did We Spend, Really?]
Whew! Surviving the Arctic Blast was more manageable thanks to our $100 grocery challenge. (It was perfect timing to cook and keep our house warm!) Could we stick to a tight budget, eat delicious meals, and avoid the dreaded meal prep rut? We jumped in with sharpened pencils (and knives), and now we're excited to share how it turned out, what we learned, and our best tips for anyone ready to try it themselves!
Before I get into how Aric came up with the meal plan and how he prepped the meals…
Are you curious how much we spent on the groceries? (Drumroll, please!)
We spent exactly $100.00!!! 😳 Not a penny, more or less! Aric and I were staring at the register screen while the cashier rang up all our items in the cart. Each scanner beep felt like a tiny countdown, and we held our breath, hoping we hadn't miscalculated. When the cashier finally said, "Your total is $100 today," we froze for a second. Did we really nail it? 😳
We burst into laughter when it hit us—right there in the checkout line. It was almost too good to be true! On our way back to the car, we couldn't stop grinning and re-checking the receipt just to make sure we hadn't missed something. And sure enough, it was $100 to the penny.
Honestly, it felt like winning a game show. We even high-fived in the parking lot—yes, we were that couple celebrating over groceries. Of course, our primary goal was to keep the cost $100 or less, but this challenge also gave us some unexpected thrill and suspense, and we both felt the grocery shopping was fun!
[Planning The Shopping List]
Before we went to the grocery store, Aric had to plan the meals. First, he needed to consider the
most important thing—the budget. His thought processes were these:
1.) What is the most affordable protein? (Bang for the buck!)
2.) How can I use them in different ways?
3.) What starches and veggies can I buy after the protein?
Since we frequently grocery shop for our meal prep and private dinner party clients, we've gained a good understanding of ingredient costs. If you're new to budget shopping, start by paying attention to prices and comparing store brands—for example, opting for store-brand ground beef over pricier alternatives.
[Aric's Budget Menu Strategy]Â
Aric approached the $100 challenge by carefully planning every meal for the week. Here's his strategy.Â
Start with Protein:Â He prioritized affordable and versatile proteins for various meals, such as whole chicken and eggs.
Add Starches and Veggies:Â To round out the meals, Aric chose budget-friendly staples like rice, tortillas, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, and green beans.
Spices for Variety:Â A simple spice or two transformed the same base ingredients into entirely different dishes across cuisines.
By following these steps, Aric created a diverse menu of seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and seven dinners without repeating a dish.
The Menu
Day 1: Dinner: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes
Day 2: Breakfast: Egg Frittata
Day 3: Lunch: Bean Soup and Cheese Quesadilla
(Want to see the full menu? Sign up for our Email newsletter and grab the free downloadable PDF!)Â
[How Leftovers Simplified Meal Prep]
Many people consider "meal prep" as setting aside one Sunday to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the same. For example, you might have yogurt and berries four times for breakfast, bread and tuna salad four times for lunch, salmon teriyaki four times for dinner, and so on. When Aric and I saw some YouTube videos that showed how to do meal prep, we knew we would hate these same meals over and over every week. So, Aric had a different idea. One of his goals was to "Plan to make leftovers so he can make different and fresh meals as quickly as possible each day." I'll get deeper into this mindset next.Â
When I saw the menu on paper, I knew how he would use the ingredients. But let me break it down so you can get an idea. Aric's secret (well, it's not a top secret…) was designing meals around techniques rather than fixed recipes. For example:
Roasting two whole chickens: Roasting whole chickens on Day 1 provided shredded meat for soups and salads and bones for homemade chicken stock throughout the week.
Basic Tomato Sauce: With just a few spice adjustments, a basic tomato sauce became the base for Italian, soup, and even Middle Eastern cuisine.
Prepping Essentials Ahead: Cooking off all the starches, blanched vegetables, and baked potatoes ahead of time means quicker meals all week. Even simple prep, like peeling onions and carrots, cutting them in half, and storing them in the fridge, makes a big difference!
[Aric's Top Cooking Hacks]
The simple prep Aric did after he cooked two whole chickens and baked potatoes on Day 1, the rest of the week was a breeze. With the starches cooked, the chicken roasted, and veggies peeled and cut, assembling meals took just minutes. (Even me, who doesn't have as sharp knife skills as Aric has!) We spent less time cooking and cleaning—and more time enjoying the meals and ourselves.
For example:
Chicken Stock: By saving chicken bones, onion and carrot peels, and celery trimmings, he minimized waste and made flavorful chicken stock. It's homemade, tastes better, and is more delicious. In addition, he saved money instead of purchasing store-bought chicken stock.
Chicken Pot Pie: Aric Sauteed Pre-peeled carrots, onions, and celery combined with pre-cooked chicken, homemade chicken stock, and baked potatoes for a hearty, flavorful dinner.
[Things We Learned From the $100 Groceries Challenge]
1.) It's Tough but Possible:Â Sticking to a tight budget is possible without relying on pre-made or processed shortcuts. Fresh veggies and proteins go further than you think with some creativity and planning. Even though we could have made the same cuisine three times a day, Aric refused to create a repetitive menu. His biggest challenge was mixing and matching cuisines for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the week, but he said the entire menu came together in just 20-30 minutes.
Aric shared this advice: "Start simple if you're new to meal planning. First, check your fridge before heading to the grocery store—you don’t want to buy something you already have at home. It’s okay to buy chicken stock if you’re not ready to make it from scratch, and picking up a rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut if roasting a whole chicken feels intimidating. As you get more comfortable planning meals, join us to learn how to make these from scratch!"
2.) Techniques > Recipes: "Learning to use the same ingredients in multiple ways in different cuisines" was the key. It made assembling meals in under 20 minutes, keeping the kitchen cleaner, and ensuring we had flavorful, enjoyable dishes all week. Aric's three main workhorses-whole chicken, chicken stock, and tomato sauce-were the MVPs!
3.) Be Flexible: Even with careful planning, Aric slightly miscalculated—he bought too much tofu and not enough bread. Instead of letting that throw off the entire menu, he adapted on the fly, turning sandwiches into wraps. The recipe books don't always prepare you for real life. Learning cooking techniques is so much more valuable than memorizing recipes because it allows you to pivot and improvise.
4.) Spices Are Game-Changers:Â The right spices can make simple ingredients shine, even on a budget. In our next post, we'll share our go-to spice combinations and how we used them to transform simple ingredients into exciting dishes. Stay tuned!
The challenge reminded us that eating on a budget doesn't mean skimping joy. Sitting down to meals Aric thoughtfully planned and cooked together (well, I mostly watched him cook and do dishes, though…) gave us a deeper appreciation for the food on our plates—and made us want to help others see that budget cooking can be possible, can be fun and delicious!
Ready to take on the $100 grocery challenge yourself? Let us know in the comments—we'd love to hear your favorite budget-friendly meal tips or how you'd tackle this challenge!
Is this helpful? Share this blog with friends and family who could use some budget cooking inspiration.
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