A weekly salary of $200 can feed two people? The shopping list from netizens left me stunned.

Question

Recently, someone asked on Reddit: Is $200 a week enough for two people to eat? This directly set off a storm in the comments section.

A guy from a family of seven put it even more bluntly—his monthly vegetable expenses ($1400) have already rivaled their mortgage ($1950). What's their secret weapon? A big purchase from Costco (once $1000) + 25-pound bags of rice as their staple food. They also plan to start a vegetable garden in the spring for self-sufficiency, growing beans, carrots, and potatoes, and his wife will also do pickling for preservation.

Even more ridiculous is a guy from Florida who spends only $80 on groceries a month. His trick:

Go shopping at Aldi and the local farmers market
Stock up 20-30 pounds of chicken when on sale, vacuum freeze.
Batch cook the same lunch every week (truly eating the same thing repeatedly)
Cheap chicken on a daily basis, shrimp/trout only prepared when friends come.

Benchmark against U.S. government standards:

“Frugal Package” ( SNAP Standard ): Female $242/month, Male $303/month
“Medium Package”: Female $317/month, Male $376/month
“Luxury Package”: Female $405/month, Male $457/month

A family of two with $200/week belongs to the “upper middle” level. What do they buy? Eggs, beef and lamb, fish, yogurt, coffee, rice, fruits and vegetables, and chocolate snacks.

Core Money-Saving Tips:

Bulk purchasing (Costco/Sam's Club) can indeed save hundreds of dollars a month.
Local Agricultural Markets > Supermarket Chains
Cheap protein is chicken, expensive beef and pork can be saved if possible.
Vacuum freeze-dried meat, stock up for a few weeks at once.
Grow your own vegetables + preserve food = long-term passive income

That said, the toughest one is that guy who spends $80 a month. Most people might not be able to do it, but the idea is worth borrowing – cheap ingredients + repetitive menu + buy fewer snacks = this is the ultimate formula for saving money.