40+ Best Foods To Buy When You're Broke

Have you been stretching your budget as far as you can but feel like its just not going as far as you’d like? Living on a tight budget while trying to feed your family or even just yourself can be really tough.

In addition to money being tight you’re probably trying to figure out what healthy yet cheap foods you can buy when you’re broke. All of this can lead to a whole lot of overwhelm.

My grocery budget has always been the first place I look when I know I need to cut costs and save some money. I’ve been able to significantly decrease the amount of money I spend on groceries by implementing some of these techniques.

Don’t get me wrong saving money on your grocery bill can be overwhelming especially when you’re trying to be eat healthy on a tight food budget.

That’s why I can’t wait to provide you some of the resources you need for the cheapest foods you should buy when you’re broke.

I want the best for you and your family and I want you to know you don’t have to resort to processed junk food or drive thru restaurants. You really can eat tasty and healthy food without breaking your bank.

I highly recommend you take some time to plan some meals around these cheap and frugal foods for a couple of months.

I also recommend signing up for my frugal food tips below to help you stay within your budget.

By implementing these two strategies I really think you’ll notice a difference in the money you’re able to save and it may just help you feel a bit more in control of your budget.

With the list of cheap foods below the sky’s the limit in what you can make. However, if you’re still feeling a bit lost and looking for some some cheap recipe ideas, here are some ideas to help get the ball rolling for you!

Another great way to save money on your grocery bill each month is by learning to meal plan. It definitely requires a bit of time but if you can save hundreds a month by doing it I think its worth the effort!

Are you curious what the average food costs are for where you live? Checkout this article from Business Insider to learn how drastically food costs can vary depending on where you live.

Table of Contents

Need help with meal prep or planning check out these posts

TIP: To begin saving money and feel the financial benefits from purchasing healthy yet cheap food checkout my TOP 25 frugal food tips! (don’t worry- they aren’t crazy hard to follow) at the bottom of this post.

The Cheapest Foods To Buy When You’re Broke

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Canned vegetables (chopped or whole)
Apples
Bananas
Cabbage
Lettuce
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Garlic
Frozen vegetables
Frozen fruits
Tomato sauce

PROTEIN

Eggs
Lentils (red, yellow, green or brown)
Dry Beans (kidney, black, pinto)
Canned Baked Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Canned Tuna
Whole chicken
Chicken thighs
Chicken legs
Whole chicken
Canned chicken
Sausages
Ground beef
Peanut butter

CARBOHYDRATES

Old-Fashioned Oats
Rice
Quinoa
Pasta
Couscous

MISCELLANEOUS

Sugar
Flour
Vinegar
Salt/Pepper
Other Seasonings (garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, dried herbs)
Popcorn kernels
Cornmeal
Bouillon cubes

MILK & DAIRY

Whole Milk
Powdered Milk
Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Cheese Singles

FREE PRINTABLE- 25 FRUGAL FOOD TIPS TO SAVE YOUR BUDGET

Get the password for the library with the free frugal food tips here by filling out this form

Final Thoughts On Cheap Foods To Buy When You’re Broke

Please realize that by purchasing the foods on this list you are sure to save yourself a good amount of money each month.

This isn’t something that you have to do forever but I guarantee if you try it for a couple months you’ll notice a difference in your bank account.

Just take a moment to think about what debts you could pay off if you had an extra couple hundred dollars each month because you chose to eat a bit more frugally.

40+ Best Foods To Buy When You’re Broke