I’m spending about $2000 a month on groceries and eating out. I use coupons. I do not have a kitchen to cook in. I buy a lot of prepackaged food/snacks/microwave meals. I have to buy precut veggies/fruits. I want to eat healthier so I tend to go out to restaurants vs fast food chains. I have 2 kids to feed. What can I do to get this expense down but also eat healthier? I have evictions so I cannot move for another 3 years. I would like to learn how to budget my income as well.
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Air fryer. Instapot pressure cooker. Crockpot. Mini waffle maker. A stove top/oven isnt always necessary to have a home cooked meal
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I have a microwave that I got from Walmart that is also an air fryer and has several baking options too! It was less than $150. I’m not at home so can’t see what brand it is. This may help or also like I have seen a few mention: crockpots-they even have a silicone insert that allows you to cook more than one food at a time. When I didn’t have a stove/oven but had a refrigerator and sink I also used a toaster oven and a single burner that plugged into a regular outlet. I’ve also lived in hotels and used all these methods. If you don’t have a refrigerator then look into a smaller one or one of the Coleman (or other brands) coolers that can plug into the wall or vehicle. Also look into foods that are shelf stable or fresh that don’t need refrigeration.
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Can you use a crockpot, air fryer or electric skillet? Why do the fruit n veggies need to be precut?
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Do you have fridge and freezer? You can buy small kitchen appliances like a multicooker and be able to cook from home without a kitchen.
I actually don’t have an oven where I’m at. You can always use a camping burner, air fryer, toaster oven, and microwave. I cook most of my meal with those things. There’s actually a mom on tiktok who lives in a shelter with her kids and has no kitchen. She uses these things as well. With a mini fridge!
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You could always get electric things to cook like air fryer, electric skillet, electric burners, crock pot, instant pot. Also a grill is great. With all these things you can make tons of well balanced meals. Protein and veggies are great.
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A crockpot is safe. Also a cutting board & a knife you could use on top of a counter. I assume you have access to water so you could buy 2 small tubs to do dishes in. That’s what I’d do if I were in your situation. Good luck
I find that grocery shopping with the cost of food I can’t go every two weeks comfortably I have to budget for weekly - and planning my meals and writing them down helps me to not throw everything in my basket! I rather eat a home cook meal any day fast food is 
now I learned good recipes with watching TikTok, and looking up group food pages on here for stove meals, easy crock pot and instant pot meals too when you work
Our oven went out so we bought a toaster oven. It’s simple and let’s us cook random things.
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Overnight oats are very healthy.dont require cooking.
You don’t have a kitchen but to me sounded like you can’t have knives I don’t know it could be me lol but I was wondering because you don’t need to buy pre cut fruits and veggies those are expensive also you can cook in the slow cooker , instant pot , or air fryer etc etc
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Buy a instapot with a air fryer and a crockpot. Makes meals at home with no kitchen needed. There small enough to sit on a coffee table if needed or a small shelf.
You can buy a single burner from walmart relatively cheap to cook on. Also air fryer and crockpots are great.
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You need to sit down and plan your meals so you don’t buy on impulse. Buying in larger quantities tends to be cheaper. For example buy 2kgs mince, there’s meatballs, spag bol, savoury mince etc. and they can all have lots of veg to bulk them up and give you healthy meals. Slow cook a piece of corned silverside, slice hot with vegies, add to rolls, dice it into a hash. The options go on, you can create a lot of variety with limited protein and veggies.
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Crock pot, air fryer, toaster oven and faithful microwave.
Thrift stores often have cooking appliances like those mentioned at a discount.
Get an Air Fryer then you can cook many things. I use mine for everything. Buy a couple foil pans from Dollar General to use
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Maybe invest in a grill? If you search the Amazon bar “portable cooking” a lot of ideas pop up
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Crockpot will be ur best friend
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Go to farmers market for cheap fruit and vegetables. Buy bulk food and potions them so they last longer.
Do you live in a hotel? If you’re homeless with kids check into resources to help you. This isn’t as easy as some think it is. You may have to go into a shelter. In the long run it’ll be safer & happier for you & your kids.
As far as meals when I was in a hotel we bought a toaster oven. It was a lifesaver. It wasn’t necessarily healthier but cheaper than eating out. That was before air fryers. If I was in that position today I’d get an air fryer.
Get an air fryer and a crockpot
The first thing you should do is to buy a air fryer, stove top or a instant pot etc . Cooking at your place will save you a lot of money , try go to make groceries every other week ( the frequent you go the most you will spend ) try to plan your cooking and write down what you need, that way you save money .
For budgeting:
Have like a agenda or a little notebook, write down all of your expenses and bills . Divide them accordingly on how you gets pay
And the date they have to be pay.
That way , you will not forget to pay anything, you will pay everything on time and you know if you will have anything extra for the month
If you have an air fryer you can make almost anything
Same if you have a crockpot
Or a grill
Doctor up some salad mixes
rotisserie chickens can be made into a million leftovers
pasta or rice can cook in a microwave as well as steamer veggies
Tuna salad or chicken salad croissants
(Premade) Pulled pork/chicken sandwiches
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I lived without a kitchen for 2 years. I had a crockpot, toaster oven, single burner that you plug in the wall, and Air fryer. I could cook anything.
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We (family of 6) lived in a hotel without a kitchen after our house fire. I used air fryer, instapot, Keurig & microwave steamer.
Keurig- coffee, tea, oatmeal, cup of noodles. Anything you need hot water for.
Instapot- roast, ribs, yogurt, veggies. I got 2 different cookbooks at 2nd hand stores.
Air fryer- everything from snack foods, fish, meat, veggies. The key is two leave a little oil in the bottom.
The steamer- veggies, rice.
Fresh fruit, veggies & Snacks that can be left out. Snacks buy big packs & brake them down. Dollar tree has ziplock bags for cheap.
If electric appliances won’t work. Get a BBQ (pick the size that works for your situation) a cookie sheet (dollar tree) can be put on the grates to make a flat grill. You can do breakfast, hibachi, chopped veggies.You can also put pots on the bbq & boil.
Costco rotisserie chicken! I can make about 3-5 diff meals with that. Also, can you get like a mobile
Burner that runs on those little gas cans?
I order Clicklist. Not because I’m too lazy to grocery shop or anything, but it saves a lot of money because I’m not going in store. My husband is an impulse shopper and always takes the bill up if we go in.
Don’t be afraid to eat more plants and keep it simple sometimes. I very easily forget how satisfied I am when I have fruits or veggies or a big salad with lots of mixed in goodies and make meals more complicated than they should be. 
I also agree with the air fryer comments! Ours has been so useful. You can do this, mama.
Why not buy a cutting board and a knife and cut your own at the least? Do you have a fridge? Keeping berries, grapes, carrots, etc. in mason/glass jars makes produce last much longer.
A griddle is $25 at Walmart I think. You can do pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc on that.
An air fryer is super versatile as well! I cook an amazing pork tenderloin in mine. I literally just spread mustard over it and all my favorite spices and air fry for about 22 minutes on 400. It’s very tender! A pork tenderloin at Walmart is less than $9 right now and it will feed my family of 5. Add some instant rice and a can of black eyed peas.
Can you get an air fryer or toaster oven? Maybe a slow cooker? You can make tons of things in those. Look up easy recipes for those and meal plan. Make a list of everything and only get those things.
Electric skillet, air fryer or a buy a stove thats a lot of money you could purchase one unless there’s another issue.
Invest in a single burner induction stove top (requires just a regular outlet) and an air fryer or toaster oven. You’ll be able to cook a bunch of things.
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I bought a induction cooktop plate, and do mostly skillet meals. Proteins, veggies and spice.
Invest in a knife and cutting board and cut up your own fruits and vegetables… you can lay that any where… table… night stand… etc… will save you a fortune!!
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When I didn’t have a “kitchen” the plug in skillet is where it’s at and then an air fryer or toaster oven.
Depending on where you’re living at the moment, see if you have any restrictions on what you can and can’t have. I have a full kitchen, but I primarily use my air fryer, griddle and electric skillet over my range/oven. I can make pretty much anything with those three things.
Even if you have to go to the store daily to get what you need for meals for the day, it would still be cheaper to invest in those kitchen items and grocery shop daily than to eat out daily.
Hot plate, crockpot, airfryer, griddle, insta pot and waffle iron.
Can you get a George Foreman grill of small camping stove? Or a single or double burner?
For budgeting look up Dave Ramsey.
Bar b que… a good time all around.
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