Strategies for Provisioning a Family on a Weekly Budget of 2000 Rubles
In Yakutsk, Russia, a freelance correspondent for SakhaPress is demonstrating how a family of three adults can manage on a weekly grocery budget of 2000 rubles. The key to success lies in careful meal planning and focusing on affordable, locally available staple foods.
The correspondent started the week with dinner on Day One, serving macaroni with half a can of "Buryat canned meat" sautéed with onions and carrots. Breakfast the next day consisted of pancakes made with a third of a kilogram of flour, one egg, sugar, and vegetable oil.
On Day Two, the correspondent opted for buckwheat with half a can of "Buryat canned meat" sautéed with carrots, onions, and spices. Breakfast on Day Three featured pancakes made with a little flour, milk, two eggs, and vegetable oil.
Dinner on Day Three was rice with half a can of "Buryat canned meat" mixed with sautéed onions, garlic, and carrots. The correspondent also purchased a bag of long-grain rice (900 grams) for 157 rubles.
On Day Four, the family enjoyed buckwheat with half a can of "Buryat canned meat" sautéed with onions, carrots, and spices. Breakfast on this day consisted of toasted bread slices from half a "Multsid" loaf in an egg mixture.
Dinner on Day Five was rice porridge with two boiled eggs added. Breakfast on the same day consisted of the remaining pancakes with hot tea.
On Day Six, the family had half a pack of macaroni and half a can of "Buryat canned meat" for dinner. Breakfast on this day was leftover rice porridge from dinner.
The correspondent also bought a bag of buckwheat (800 grams) for 105 rubles 60 kopecks, a pack of Princess Nuri tea bags (25 bags) for 78 rubles, and a liter of Sunny Gold sunflower oil for 169 rubles 90 kopecks.
To stretch their budget, the correspondent prioritised basic staples such as buckwheat, rice, and pasta, and focused on affordable protein sources like eggs, milk, and occasional inexpensive cuts of meat or frozen fish. They also shopped at local markets or discount stores to save on produce costs.
On Day Seven, the family had the remaining pancakes from the previous day, along with leftover buckwheat and rice for breakfast. A kilogram of sugar cost 110 rubles, while a pack of 2.5% milk "Molochniy Dojdik" cost 156 rubles.
Three Darnichki bread rolls (1 small - 50 rubles each) cost a total of 150 rubles. The total cost of the purchased products came to 2,086 rubles, staying within the budget.
Overall, careful meal planning focused on simple, nutritious, and locally available ingredients will help a family of three adults manage on a 2000 ruble weekly grocery budget in Yakutsk. Incorporating preserved foods like pickles or frozen vegetables can be practical due to Yakutsk’s continuous permafrost environment, where fresh produce variety might be limited.
- The correspondent's demonstration in Yakutsk emphasizes the importance of personal-finance management, as they show how to make a budget for food-and-drink expenses on a weekly basis.
- In addition to focusing on affordable and locally available staple foods like buckwheat, rice, and pasta, the correspondent also sought out affordable protein sources such as eggs, milk, and occasional inexpensive cuts of meat or frozen fish for lifestyle reasons.
- A careful and thoughtful approach to cooking, such as prioritizing basic staples and shopping at local markets or discount stores, can help one create a delicious and nutritious lifestyle on a budget of 2000 rubles per week.
