Cooking on a tight budget is honestly one of my favorite challenges. It forces me to get creative, avoid food waste, and think like a true tipid queen. So this week, I decided to test myself with a ₱500 Meal Challenge — good for 2 full days of meals for the family.
And yes, Mommy Peach survived… with yummy ulam to spare.
(At syempre, may konting hugot habang nag-iisip ako kung paano pagkakasyahin yung ₱500. 😂)
Let me walk you through what I bought, what I cooked, and how I stretched everything para sulit na sulit.
My ₱500 Grocery List
I went to the nearest palengke + mini grocery and here’s what I got:
- Sayote – ₱25
- Carrots – ₱20
- Tokwa (3 pcs) – ₱30
- Eggs (6 pcs) – ₱60
- Canned Spam Lite (small) – ₱70
- Ground Pork (250g) – ₱75
- Mushrooms (canned) – ₱35
- Onion + Garlic – ₱20
- Pasta (250g pack) – ₱40
- Milk (small) – ₱25
- Soy sauce, calamansi, chili (timpla budget pack) – ₱20
- Rice (1 kilo) – ₱60
TOTAL: ₱480
May sukli pa akong ₱20 para pang-yelo sa iced coffee. Priorities. 😌☕
DAY 1 MEALS
Breakfast: Spam Rice Bowl (Budget Edition)
I sliced half the can and sautéed it until crispy.
Served with garlic rice + a fried egg.
Super simple but nakakabusog and comforting.
Perfect for mornings when you need a little push to start the day.
Lunch: Ginisang Sayote with Eggs
Ah yes, the ultimate tipid ulam na hindi nakakasawa.
I sautéed garlic, onions, sliced sayote, then cracked two eggs into the pot para maging slightly creamy.
The kids love this because it’s soft and subtly sweet — and I love it because it costs almost nothing.
Sabaw pa lang, ulam na. 💚
Dinner: Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
This one surprised me.
I used half the canned mushrooms, a bit of butter, garlic, and milk to create a simple creamy sauce.
It tasted like a cozy weekday pasta — the kind you make when you’re tired but still want something delicious.
And since pasta is filling, konti lang nauubos, kaya very budget-friendly.
DAY 2 MEALS
Breakfast: Tofu Sisig + Rice
This is one of my favorite cheap meals ever.
I air-fried the tokwa until crispy (pwede rin i-pan fry), then sautéed it with onions, soy sauce, calamansi, and chili.
Added a bit of mayo for creaminess — konti lang, promise!
It tastes like legit sisig but healthy and sobrang mura.
Daddydoodledoo approved! 😂
Lunch: Ground Pork Guisado
I used the remaining vegetables — carrots + sayote bits — and cooked everything with ground pork.
Very flexible ulam:
Puwedeng may sabaw, puwedeng dry.
This lasted until merienda time because it’s so hearty.
Also a good “refrigerator cleanout” dish.
Dinner: Mushroom & Egg Omelette Rice
By dinner time, I was determined to use every last ingredient.
I sautéed the rest of the mushrooms, added beaten eggs, and made a thick, fluffy omelette.
Served with rice, syempre.
It was simple but comforting — like the kind of dish you eat while watching your favorite K-drama, naka-pajamas na, hindi na mag-iisip.
Wrapping It Up
I honestly enjoyed doing this ₱500 Meal Challenge. May konting adjustment lang regarding sa rice and the ingredients we already have at home. But it reminded me that:
✨ You don’t need expensive ingredients to enjoy delicious meals.
✨ A little planning goes a long way.
✨ Filipino budget cooking is truly creative and resilient.
And best of all?
Walang gutom dito — just smart, practical meals that still feel like home.
If you want me to do a ₱700 version, 1-week version, or ₱1,000 challenge for a family of four, just tell me! 💛
