Some say that P500 is not enough for a day’s food budget. It may be true if the number of people in the family is more than a dozen but if you only have four or less number of household members, then your P500 will suffice your week’s food budget.
Our household is composed of three grown-ups - me, my husband and our helper, and one child. We all love to eat but since all of us have medium body built, we don’t consume so much food every meal and so, we cook food just enough for one meal. Besides, my husband does not like to eat leftovers.
When in tight budget, I buy in the wet market because the prices there are cheaper compared to those in the supermarkets and I make sure that the food supply will last for at least five days. I once challenged myself with a P500 food budget which should last for five days. By the way, the budget for the rice is not included. Here’s what I bought:
Galungong (1 kilo or 13 pcs.) 60.00
Hasa-hasa (1 kilo or 20 pcs)) 65.00
Pork 100.00
Ground Pork or Shanghai Mix 125.00
Mongoes (1/2 kl.) 15.00
Eggs (6 pcs.) 28.00
Sardines 10.00
Lumpia Wrapper (10 pcs.) 9.00
All-Purpose Flour 13.00
Dried Fish (4 pcs.) 10.00
Cooking Oil 30.00
Malunggay 3.00
Pinakbet 10.00
Kangkong (2 bundles @P5) 10.00
Sayote (2 pcs.) 14.00
Pechay 5.00
Camote Tops (1 bundle) 3.00
Total P500.00
Day 1
Breakfast – Sardines Scrambled in Eggs
1 sardines
2 eggs
Lunch - Tinolang Isda w/ Camote Tops
1/3 kl. Hasa-hasa
1 bundle camote tops
Dinner – Sinugbang Isda & Sauted kangkong
1/3 kl. Galunggong
1 bundle kangkong
Day 2
Breakfast – Scrambled eggs
3 pcs. eggs
Lunch - Isdang Paksiw & Kangkong
1/3 kl. Hasa-hasa
1 bundle kangkong
Dinner – Fried Fish & Pinakbet
1/3 kl. galunggong
Pinakbet
Day 3
Breakfast – Mongo Burger & dried fish
1/3 part Mongo
3 tbsp. Flour
1 pc. Egg
2 pcs. Dried fish
Lunch - Fish Fillet & sauted pechay
1/3 kl. galunggong
1 bundle pechay
Dinner – Nilagang Baboy w/malunggay
Half of the Pork
1 bundle malunggay
Day 4
Breakfast - Dried Fish & Fried Fish
1/3 kl. Hasa-hasa
2 pcs. Dried fish
Lunch – Burger Patties & Mongo Vegetable
One-third of the shanghai mix
¼ kl. mongo
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Dinner - Meat Balls & Stir Fried Sayote
One-third of the shanghai mix
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 pc. sayote
Day 5
Breakfast – Lumpiang Shanghai
10 pcs. Lumpia wrapper
One-third of the shanghai mix
Lunch – Pork Adobo & Sayote
1/3 part pork
1 pc. sayote
Dinner – Mongo with pork
1/3 part mongo
1/3 part pork
TIPS:
Make sure that the fish and port will be stored in the freezer after cleaned washed. For easier budgeting, divide the galunggong, hasa-hasa, pork and shanghai mix into three parts each and put each part in separate cellophanes.
To maintain the freshness of your leafy vegetables, do not refrigerate it, instead, simply put it in a container filled with water.
Leafy vegetables should be cooked first before the other types of vegetables.
