$45 “emergency” meal plan for a week for a family of 4-6! This is quite a bit older, so I was curious how much the shopping list would cost in today’s dollars.

I priced it for Walmart, as of 12/27/2018 in Phoenix, AZ. Many of the items would be much more affordable if you can afford ot purchase larger quantities, such as a five-dozen pack of eggs vs. two individual dozen, or a 25 pound bag of sugar vs. the smaller 4lb bag, or a large bag of dried beans vs. the 1 or 2 pounders called for. You’ll also spend less if you already have some basics and spices on hand.

So definitely, if you can swing it, buy larger quantities of those items and then you can repeat this menu often and save even more $. (If you have Sam’s or Costco and a membership, compare before shopping for those larger quanties.)

In general, I chose the least expensive options, which usually were the Great Value brand. I buy this brand with confidence myself and it can save a lot.

Grand total is $63.96 plus tax, in my neck of the woods. An $18 increase from when this was written, but not too shabby since I believe the $45 meal plan is close to 20 years old! Check it out at HillbillyHousewife.com.