With prices going up everywhere — from bigas to beef — grocery shopping can feel like a challenge. But with careful planning and a set budget, feeding a family of four for a week is totally doable.
Our budget this week? ₱4,000. And yes, that covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, and even some treats! Sulit na sulit, mommies.
Here’s exactly what I buy to make sure everyone’s busog and happy from Monday to Sunday.
🛒 My ₱4,000 Grocery List
Protein
- 1 whole chicken – ₱220
- 1/2 kilo chicken breast – ₱130
- 1/2 kilo chicken wings – ₱120
- 1/2 kilo pork liempo – ₱180
- 1/2 kilo ground pork – ₱140
- 1/2 kilo beef cubes (for nilaga/kare-kare) – ₱250
- 1/2 kilo tilapia or galunggong – ₱100
- 1 dozen eggs – ₱100
- 2 cans tuna – ₱80
- 2 cans sardines – ₱40
Vegetables
- Sayote (4 pcs) – ₱40
- Carrots (3 pcs) – ₱40
- Cabbage – ₱50
- Pechay or Kangkong – ₱30
- Ampalaya – ₱25
- Potatoes (½ kilo) – ₱35
- Tomatoes, onions, garlic – ₱100
- Malunggay or other leafy greens – ₱25
Pantry Staples
- Rice (10 kilos) – ₱500
- Cooking oil (1L) – ₱100
- Soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce – ₱100
- Magic sarap or bouillon cubes – ₱30
- Tomato sauce – ₱25
- Pasta noodles – ₱40
- Miswa or sotanghon – ₱30
- Instant noodles (6 pcs) – ₱60
- Peanut butter – ₱60
- Choco spread – ₱60
Breakfast & Snacks
- Loaf bread – ₱60
- Oatmeal (medium pack) – ₱100
- Coffee – ₱70
- Milk (1L fresh or powdered) – ₱120
- Bananas or seasonal fruit – ₱100
- Biscuits or crackers – ₱50
- Hotdogs (small pack) – ₱100
- Cheese – ₱70
- Eggs – included above
- Pancake mix – ₱50
- Margarine – ₱30
Extras
- Condensed milk – ₱40
- Ice candy ingredients (perfect pang-meryenda!) – ₱100
- Lumpia wrapper – ₱30
- Sweet corn or cream-style corn – ₱40
- Gelatin mix – ₱25
🥘 Sample Meal Ideas
Breakfast
- Oatmeal with banana
- Scrambled egg + fried rice
- Toast with peanut butter or choco spread
- Pancakes with margarine or condensed milk
Lunch/Dinner
- Chicken tinola
- Pork giniling with potatoes
- Beef Nilaga
- Tilapia with ensalada
- Kare-kare with veggies (tokwa if no tripe)
- Sardines with miswa
- Chicken adobo
- Ginisang munggo with tinapa
Snacks/Meryenda
- Pancakes
- Ice candy
- Crackers
- Lumpiang prito
- Banana cue
- Bread with cheese or choco spread
With a ₱4,000 budget, I have a bit more room to buy variety, add extra snacks, and even sneak in some fun treats for the kids. The key is planning ahead and making use of what’s already in the pantry.
Remember, it’s not about having a huge budget — it’s about stretching what you have with love, creativity, and a good list!
