The "Rules"

The Rules of the Challenge

First the FIRM rules  :)

• Feed myself at least 3 meals a day while spending no more than $25.00The plan is to provide, breakfast, lunch, dinner and perhaps a snack if the budget allows.

• Each week's meal plan needs to self containedToo often these "How to feed yourself on $x per week" plans have you actually spending ar more than the listed amount.  
  If you truly have $25 per week to feed yourself, you cannot be buying in bulk to reduce costs. eg  Sure, you might be able to buy a bulk of chops or steak for $10.00/kg ( making a 200g serve worth just $2.00)  but that amount might be a 5kg minimum .You simply do not have $50 to spend to be able to have that chop for $2.00  One single chop is more likely to cost you closer to $4.00
  Each one of my weekly menu plans will cost an ACTUAL cost of $25.00 or less. 

• Shop at a national supermarket. (This deleted Aldi as a choice because Aldi is not currently available in all states)
  By shopping at either Woolworths or Coles (usually WW as it is my "local"), each of my menu plans should be roughly the same price throughout Australia.  I KNOW we do not have national pricing and of course regional, rural and remote areas may cost more, but in those areas, there may be farmers markets or other cheaper options.
  If you were to visit farmers markets, asian grocers,roadside stalls etc you may even to have a cheaper shop than I list.

• Aim for a balanced healthy menuI will calculate each week's menu plan on the Calorie King website and post the results of the nutritional results.
  I am aiming for a  kJ count of 7238 per day which is the figure that Calorie King came up with for a woman of my age, weight and lifestyle.  I will average this out over the week, meaning my total food consumption needs to be around 50666 kJ.

• The shop is $25 per week.Yes you may be able to buy better if you shopped with $50 every 2 weeks, but the original challenge was $25 so that is what I will stick to.
  
  If you want to mix 2 or 4 weekly plans together to get a fortnightly or monthly shop...GO FOR IT.. Bet you will be able to do it even cheaper than $25.  

And the "bendy" rules

• I will try not to buy "specials" as the shopping list may not be as accurate for another time.  If there is a particularly good special, I will make a comment as to why I have chosen it on the day and list full price alternatives.

• As I have a well stocked pantry, you may often see an item on the shopping list as a "deemed" cost   This means that I have not physically purchased that item that week, but rather used up what I already have in the house.  You will see this with items that we regularly buy in bulk. (Bacon, Tuna, Meat, some vegetables, cheese)  or products that I have managed to buy at a really reduced price, and have a stockpile of.

• All the meal plans suit MY eating habits, so No..they may not suit your idea of perfect meals. :)   I don't drink coffee, rarely eat chocolate and mostly detest breakfast cereal :)

• Maybe at a future date I will work out meal plans that include coffee, chocolate and porridge.

• The shop is FOOD only... I do realise that there is more to grocery shopping that just food, we do need to be clean and purchase soaps, shampoo, dishwashing soap  toilet paper personal hygiene products etc etc etc. but for this exercise they are not included.