Let’s be honest — grocery shopping on a budget these days feels like a game of “Saan aabot ang ₱2,000 mo?” But after lots of trial and error (and a few impulse snack buys I now avoid!), I’ve finally figured out a grocery list that feeds my family of four without going over budget for 4-5 days — and yes, may meat pa rin!
We’re a family of four — two adults, one teenager, and one grade-schooler — so our meals need to be sulit, filling, and kid-approved. Here’s my go-to list for 4-5 day menu that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a few snacks in between. Well, in a perfect world, siguro kaya nito a week pero most of the time consumable na to in 4-5 days.
🛒 My ₱2,000 Grocery List
Protein
- 1 whole chicken – ₱250
- ½ kilo ground chicken – ₱150
- ½ kilo tilapia or galunggong – ₱120
- ½ kilo chicken breast – ₱130
- 1 dozen eggs – ₱100
- 1 can tuna – ₱40
Vegetables
- Sayote (3 pcs) – ₱30
- Carrots (2 pcs) – ₱30
- Cabbage – ₱40
- Ampalaya or kangkong – ₱25
- Tomatoes and onions – ₱50
- Garlic – ₱15
Pantry Staples
- Rice (5 kilos) – ₱250
- Cooking oil (small) – ₱60
- Soy sauce, vinegar, magic sarap – ₱80
- Canned sardines (2) – ₱40
- Tomato sauce – ₱20
- Pasta noodles – ₱30
- Instant noodles (4 pcs) – ₱40
Breakfast & Snacks
- Loaf bread – ₱70
- Peanut butter – ₱60
- Oatmeal (small pack) – ₱50
- Coffee – ₱50
- Bananas – ₱50
- Biskwit or crackers – ₱40
🥘 Sample Weekly Meals
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana, peanut butter sandwich, eggs with rice
- Lunch/Dinner: Chicken tinola, ginisang sayote, tilapia with tomatoes, ground chicken giniling, sardines with miswa, chicken adobo
- Snacks: Crackers, fruit, bread with choco spread or peanut butter
❤️ Tips to Stretch Your Budget
- Repurpose ulam for baon (ex. adobo → adobo flakes sandwich!)
- Add gulay to extend meat dishes
- Buy from wet markets for better prices
- Cook from scratch — mas mura, mas masarap
To be honest plus or minus P2,000 to kasi ang mahal ng bilihin no! Pero kaya pa rin ang masarap at balanced meals kahit tight ang budget (kayanin natin, nanay tayo eh!). Planning ahead and sticking to a list helps me say no to unnecessary items — and yes to more savings for our family.
If you’re also trying to stretch every peso, this list is a good place to start. Try it out next grocery trip and let me know how it works for you!
PS. Next week, Will try P4,000 for one week.
One Response
Super relatable! Grocery shopping on a tight budget these days really does feel like a challenge—you walk into the store with your ₱2,000 and a full plan, but somehow end up second-guessing every item you pick up. I’ve also been there—trying to make sure there’s enough food for the family without sacrificing nutrition or taste, especially when you have picky eaters or growing kids who seem to be hungry all the time! It takes so much trial and error to find that sweet spot between budget-friendly and “masarap at busog,” and even more discipline to resist the temptation of those impulse snack buys. So having a go-to grocery list that covers full meals and still includes meat? That’s a huge win. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about sticking to a budget—it’s about making sure your family is fed, happy, and satisfied without the stress.