I can eat well on $35 a week. That seems like a modern marvel we take for granted. — Erik August Johnson (@8EJ3) July 4, 2014

I composed the tweet above while in the euphoria of a post-run peanut butter sandwich. The cost of my grocery run earlier in the week was right around $35. Enjoying my peanut butter on whole wheat bread while pondering that relatively small amount of money made me wonder.

@8EJ3 $35/week sounds amazing. You should do a blog on that. — Tim Loyer (@7liter) July 8, 2014

That’s a great idea, and I am doing just that – writing a blog series about eating on $35 per week.

The $35/Week series is about eating on a $35/week budget. I hope through my efforts to show that eating well does not have to come with a high cost. I also hope to sharpen my self-discipline and learn a bunch of things – about food, recipes, creativity and about myself.

Another facet I am exploring through this blog is the food industry and American culture – as it relates to food.

Food is one of the few true necessities in life, yet affordable and healthy alternatives to junk food and eating out are often overlooked in mainstream thought – at least in my age and demographic. Being a single 30 year old urban professional male means a lot of conspicuous food consumption is being marketed to me every day. I also live in Boston, MA, a city with an immense restaurant, pizza place and bar culture.

My intention here is simply carve out some time and space to explore food from a practical standpoint – both nutritionally and financially.

To properly preface this series and how I will spend my $35/week, there are a few things that should be laid out.

Personal Considerations

1. I have no dietary restrictions. I am not allergic to gluten, dairy, shellfish, nuts, etc.

2. I have moved towards a more animal-free diet. This is for numerous reasons but one is simply cost consideration. Meat is expensive. That being said, I am neither vegan nor vegetarian.

3. I am a fairly serious runner – averaging 35 – 50 miles per week. This is a major difference between me and most people. If I was not so physically active I am positive I could get by on maybe $25 a week. That being said, even trying to keep very lean – I’m still consuming 1800 – 4500 calories per day.

4. Not included in my budget is $25/month for supplements. I am spending that mostly on multi-vitamins. Most other supplements are running-based: Tailwind, GU, gels. Whey Protein is occasionally part of the mix as well.

5. I am single – and the only one in my household. 85% of the time I am the only one consuming the food I buy. 15% is reserved for guests – so that is to be reflected in the cost and buying considerations as well.

6. I will likely eat out on average once per week. That will not be included in the cost. If I do eat out during the week – it will be noted.

7. I will prefer organic or all-natural to conventional (or unnatural – ha). My decision on which to choose will depend on cost considerations but I will likely spend up to 20% more to buy organic.

8. The goal is to eat with health in mind. If I wanted to eat ramen every meal I could spend much less than $35. That is not the point here.

9. I will accept and use free food. This does not mean I will take on a bunch of potential client lunches to eat for free nor does it mean you will find me dumpster diving. No, you will not find me hoarding samples at Trader Joe’s. But if there is leftover food in my office for the taking, for example, I may incorporate it. I would guess free food will account for about 2-3% of my intake weekly.

Current Inventory

It is to be noted that I am starting with the big advantage of existing food. The following is a list of food items I currently have in my cupboard, refrigerator and freezer:

Cupboard

Cuban Style Black Beans – 1 can

Tomato Soup – 2 cans

Refried Beans – 1 can

Fat-Free Refried Beans – 2 cans

Tuna in Olive Oil – 3 cans

Organic Pinto Beans – 1 can

Organic Garbanzo Beans – 1 can

Vegan Mac and Cheese – 1 box

All Natural Whole Wheat Bread – 1/2 loaf

Converted Rice – 1/2 pound

Egg Noodles – 2 cups

Tomato Basil Marinara – 1 jar

Stove Top Stuffing – 1 box

Freezer

Chicken Shu Mai – 1 box

Frozen Broccoli – 2 medium bags

Frozen Meatballs – ~2 cups

Frozen Peas – 2 medium bags

Frozen Hash Browns – ~8 ounces

Frozen Mixed Vegetables – 2 bags

Frozen Corn – 1 medium bag

Refrigerator

Lettuce – 1 medium bag

Chopped Onion – 1 cup

Cream Cheese – ~1 cup

Margarine – ~1 cup

Olive Oil Mayo – 1 jar

Ranch Dressing Dip – ~1 cup

Italian Dressing – 1/2 bottle

Organic Chia Seeds – ~6 ounces

Miscellaneous

Condiments – Ketchup, Mustard

Various Salad Dressings

Maple Syrup – 1 jar

Olive Oil – 1/3rd bottle

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – 1/2 bottle

Sriracha – 1 bottle

Keeping my existing inventory in mind, I will be shopping at Trader Joe’s today for my initial week’s grocery – and of course, spending $35 or less. I would love to get your initial reactions from hearing about my experiment. Please leave comments!