<prompt> Human: So, Ive been lurking here for a while, and while I agree with a lot of the discussion around building an emergency fund, proper budgeting, and not getting into debt, I also see a lot of people posting some rather startling food budgets. Startling not in the sense of expensive, but rather, cheap. Im failing to see how in the world anyone eats on 200 a month.For example, heres a typical receipt from a casual grocery shopping trip for me:Ice cream - 3.99Ice cream - 3.99Yogurt - 2.55Ziplock bags - 3.00Eggs - 3.69Onion - 1.01Drinks - 3.99Dill - 1.99Apples - 3.49Bread - 3.39Sauce - 4.79Sauerkraut - 1.49Olives - 4.39Corn - 1.00Carrots - 1.69Potatoes - 4.69Hummus - 3.00Total with Tax: 54.35These items will last me about 5-6 days if I have 100 utilization i.e., I dont decide that Im not in the mood for apples and let them go bad. Sometimes, I dont have time to run home, and have to eat out for lunch. Thatll be another 20 per week. Add to that the fact that some long-term item needs replacing my toothpaste or shampoo runs out, I need more trash bags, or I need to replace a lightbulb virtually every time I go grocery shopping, and theres no feasible way for me to go below 100 a week, which comes out to 400 a month.Of course, I can certainly afford 400 a month, so Im not particularly worried, but I wonder what other people are doing to eat on 150- 200. I mean, Im not even buying organic food. Do you guys just eat nothing but pasta and rice? Serious question.  <response>: I dont consider stuff like toothpaste or plastic bags under food. And when people say 200 that doesnt include eating out. So if you consider at least 25week is non food and not eating out, youre at 300. Cut out junk food and drinks and you could probably get close to 200. 