Living on 166€ Monthly Food Budget and Donating 200€ to Charity
A budget showing 166€ monthly food costs and 200€ donated reopens the debate on the true cost of living in Spain.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Living on 166€ monthly food budget and donating 200€ to charity
An annual budget of slightly over 5,000 euros in fixed expenses, 6,600 euros in income, and a surplus of around 900-1,000 euros. This arithmetic has sparked a debate lasting nearly two years, touching on three key issues: the real cost of food, what to do with surplus money, and whether donating to large organizations is effective. The author summarizes it simply: "It works for me. I don't need more."
The breakdown is specific: 2,000 euros for food, 1,400 for community fees and property tax (IBI), 1,000 for utilities, 130 for insurance, 200 for donations to the José Carreras Foundation and Aldeas Infantiles, 120 for telecommunications, and 200-300 for contingencies. The figure that sparked controversy is food: around 166 euros per month, or just over five euros per day. The majority reaction has been disbelief.
Can you eat on 166 euros per month?
The author’s answer is yes, and no more is needed: eggs, rice, pasta, fish, meat, fruit, and cereals, with excellent health checkups. He firmly rejects ultra-processed and pre-cooked foods, which consume most household budgets, and boasts of not being a compulsive eater. The most repeated counterargument is that this figure only works if you eat like a bird or rely on social canteens, family support, or supermarket discounts.
Not everyone dismisses it. Some argue that buying offers, cooking and freezing, and giving up prepared foods allows five euros per day to cover everything: milk, eggs, pasta, rice, legumes, fruit, vegetables, yogurts, cereals, weekly salmon loins, and chicken or pork loin as cheap protein. The complete, item-by-item calculation allows discussing it with numbers in hand.
The 200€ donation no one asked for
The second front is harsher. Donations to two organizations have received hostile responses: the donor is accused of wasting money, maintaining structures that keep most of the funds raised, and achieving nothing. The author’s defense is simple: "We must be solidarity with those in need", preferring to help at the source so people do not have to emigrate. The counter-offensive argues that much of the donated money stays in structural costs and that money yields more when delivered directly to those asking at a supermarket door.
The author does not back down: he recalls that one organization fights leukemia and others work with minors. The discussion shifts to whether the donor seeks real impact or the sarracena benefit of sharing it, and consensus breaks entirely. Critics argue that those who donate and publicize it do so for posturing; the response is that the alternative—donating nothing and staying silent—solves nothing.
Where the money comes from: 66% disability benefit
The most repeated question throughout the conversation is where these 6,600 annual euros come from. The answer comes late and is startling: a 66% disability benefit. This reframes the issue. It is no longer an extreme saver with a middle-class salary, but someone with low income who spends little because they live with little, yet still allocates 200 euros annually to third parties.
The author adds that he does not want to reach old age and does not consider reverse mortgages or retirement plans. The apartment, according to his account, is paid off, explaining the absence of the heaviest item in any Spanish budget. This is the piece many consider unfair: without rent or a mortgage, any expense figure becomes presentable.
What is compared when compared
The contrast with other budgets gives meaning to the exercise. Against 2,000 euros annually for food, cases appear with 6,000 euros in food, 7,200 in mortgage, 6,000 in school and children’s clothes, plus insurance, utilities, and various provisions. The difference is not in fine savings: it is in the life structure. A household with children, a mortgage, and a car cannot replicate this budget, even if they wanted to.
Some also point to technical details: 120 euros annually for telecommunications equals ten euros per month, a low-cost tariff with questionable coverage; 130 euros for insurance is low if there is a mortgage, as home and life insurance are mandatory. These nuances do not undermine the budget but place it in its real context: a profile without family burdens, no outstanding debt, and minimal consumption.
The lingering question is not how much can be saved, but how much of this budget is replicable and how much is the result of a life without the expenses that consume everyone else’s salaries.
An annual budget of slightly over 5,000 euros in fixed expenses, 6,600 euros in income, and a surplus of around 900-1,000 euros. This arithmetic has sparked a debate lasting nearly two years, touching on three key issues: the real cost of food, what to do with surplus money, and whether donating to large organizations is effective. The author summarizes it simply: "It works for me. I don't need more."
The breakdown is specific: 2,000 euros for food, 1,400 for community fees and property tax (IBI), 1,000 for utilities, 130 for insurance, 200 for donations to the José Carreras Foundation and Aldeas Infantiles, 120 for telecommunications, and 200-300 for contingencies. The figure that sparked controversy is food: around 166 euros per month, or just over five euros per day. The majority reaction has been disbelief.
Can you eat on 166 euros per month?
The author’s answer is yes, and no more is needed: eggs, rice, pasta, fish, meat, fruit, and cereals, with excellent health checkups. He firmly rejects ultra-processed and pre-cooked foods, which consume most household budgets, and boasts of not being a compulsive eater. The most repeated counterargument is that this figure only works if you eat like a bird or rely on social canteens, family support, or supermarket discounts.
Not everyone dismisses it. Some argue that buying offers, cooking and freezing, and giving up prepared foods allows five euros per day to cover everything: milk, eggs, pasta, rice, legumes, fruit, vegetables, yogurts, cereals, weekly salmon loins, and chicken or pork loin as cheap protein. The complete, item-by-item calculation allows discussing it with numbers in hand.
The 200€ donation no one asked for
The second front is harsher. Donations to two organizations have received hostile responses: the donor is accused of wasting money, maintaining structures that keep most of the funds raised, and achieving nothing. The author’s defense is simple: "We must be solidarity with those in need", preferring to help at the source so people do not have to emigrate. The counter-offensive argues that much of the donated money stays in structural costs and that money yields more when delivered directly to those asking at a supermarket door.
The author does not back down: he recalls that one organization fights leukemia and others work with minors. The discussion shifts to whether the donor seeks real impact or the sarracena benefit of sharing it, and consensus breaks entirely. Critics argue that those who donate and publicize it do so for posturing; the response is that the alternative—donating nothing and staying silent—solves nothing.
Where the money comes from: 66% disability benefit
The most repeated question throughout the conversation is where these 6,600 annual euros come from. The answer comes late and is startling: a 66% disability benefit. This reframes the issue. It is no longer an extreme saver with a middle-class salary, but someone with low income who spends little because they live with little, yet still allocates 200 euros annually to third parties.
The author adds that he does not want to reach old age and does not consider reverse mortgages or retirement plans. The apartment, according to his account, is paid off, explaining the absence of the heaviest item in any Spanish budget. This is the piece many consider unfair: without rent or a mortgage, any expense figure becomes presentable.
What is compared when compared
The contrast with other budgets gives meaning to the exercise. Against 2,000 euros annually for food, cases appear with 6,000 euros in food, 7,200 in mortgage, 6,000 in school and children’s clothes, plus insurance, utilities, and various provisions. The difference is not in fine savings: it is in the life structure. A household with children, a mortgage, and a car cannot replicate this budget, even if they wanted to.
Some also point to technical details: 120 euros annually for telecommunications equals ten euros per month, a low-cost tariff with questionable coverage; 130 euros for insurance is low if there is a mortgage, as home and life insurance are mandatory. These nuances do not undermine the budget but place it in its real context: a profile without family burdens, no outstanding debt, and minimal consumption.
The lingering question is not how much can be saved, but how much of this budget is replicable and how much is the result of a life without the expenses that consume everyone else’s salaries.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (106 replies).
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