Grocery budget planner
Say what you can spend, who you're feeding and what you can cook with. You'll get a practical basket that fits, simple meals it can make, and a list to take to the store. Change anything; the numbers keep up.
Built from 38 everyday budget-grocer items and 37 simple meals.
$25 · 2 people · 4 days
Full kitchen · est. $24.82 · $0.18 left
Roughly 3.5–4 of 4 days of simple meals for 2 people. A range, because portions vary.
Your basket
Estimated prices. Suggested from your answers.
Bananas
bunch of ~6 · est. $1.80 each
Fruit
$3.60
$3.60
Carrots
1 kg bag · est. $2.29 each
Vegetables
$2.29
$2.29
Rolled oats
1 kg bag · est. $2.99 each
Grains
$2.99
$2.99
Long-grain rice
2 kg bag · est. $3.49 each
Grains
$3.49
$3.49
Dried red lentils
900 g · est. $2.49 each
Protein
$2.49
$2.49
Plain yogurt
750 g tub · est. $3.99 each
Dairy & alternatives
$3.99
$3.99
Canned black beans
540 ml can · est. $1.29 each
Canned goods
$1.29
$1.29
Canned corn kernels
341 ml can · est. $1.19 each
Canned goods
$1.19
$1.19
Frozen mixed vegetables
750 g bag · est. $3.49 each
Frozen foods
$3.49
$3.49
| Category | Items | Estimated spend | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grains | 2 | $6.48 | 26% |
| Dairy & alternatives | 1 | $3.99 | 16% |
| Fruit | 1 | $3.60 | 15% |
| Frozen foods | 1 | $3.49 | 14% |
| Protein | 1 | $2.49 | 10% |
| Canned goods | 2 | $2.48 | 10% |
| Vegetables | 1 | $2.29 | 9% |
From this basket
Only meals your basket and your equipment can actually make. Photos are illustrative.
About 5 minMicrowave or stovetop
About 25 minStovetop
About 5 minNo cooking
Easy snacks: carrot sticks, banana.
Take it with you
Grouped by aisle, with quantities and estimated prices. Print it, copy it into your notes, or save it as a text file.
Fruit and vegetables are often cheapest at the Saturday produce market. Riverside Good Food Market runs Saturdays, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Storage: fridge and freezer. Your answers and changes are saved in this browser only and are not sent anywhere.
Budget $25.00 · 2 people · 4 days
| ☐ | 2 × Bananas (bunch of ~6) | est. $3.60 |
| ☐ | 1 × Carrots (1 kg bag) | est. $2.29 |
| ☐ | 1 × Rolled oats (1 kg bag) | est. $2.99 |
| ☐ | 1 × Long-grain rice (2 kg bag) | est. $3.49 |
| ☐ | 1 × Dried red lentils (900 g) | est. $2.49 |
| ☐ | 1 × Plain yogurt (750 g tub) | est. $3.99 |
| ☐ | 1 × Canned black beans (540 ml can) | est. $1.29 |
| ☐ | 1 × Canned corn kernels (341 ml can) | est. $1.19 |
| ☐ | 1 × Frozen mixed vegetables (750 g bag) | est. $3.49 |
Estimated total: $24.82
Estimated left over: $0.18
Prices are demo estimates in Canadian dollars for a budget grocer, not live prices. Actual prices vary by store, season and region.
Transparency
A short set of readable rules, not a black box. The same answers always give the same basket, and you can change anything in it.
Every item is checked against the money left before it goes in. The suggested basket never costs more than the amount you entered.
Simple portion targets per person per day for grains, vegetables and fruit, protein, and dairy or alternatives. The shortest group is filled first.
Items that complete a meal with what is already in the basket get priority, so ingredients combine into breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Portions per dollar matter, but so does not eating the same thing every day. A few different foods per group when the budget allows.
Nothing that needs a stove, an oven, a fridge or a freezer is suggested unless you said you have one.
Items that conflict with a dietary selection are left out entirely, including from swaps and the add-item list.
Meal coverage is shown as a range. A rough count of portions turns into meals differently depending on appetite, age and what else you have at home.
A pantry visit or a community meal can cover part of this basket, which means the money goes to the things free resources rarely provide: fresh fruit, eggs, a protein you actually like. A full plan puts the two together in the right order.
Build a plan with free food and this basketThat is a normal week for many people, and the planner has a mode for it. Today mode asks a shorter set of questions and shows what is listed as open now, with a backup for each stop.
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