If you're in a small bind and need to save a couple hundred dollars for some emergency, consider implementing these short-term diets to grind through a week or two in order to save up.

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Warning: This is just a short-term diet plan not to last too long for the purpose of saving money in the short-term.  Always consult a doctor before implementing any diet regimen, no matter how short of a timeframe.

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Pro Tip: Implementing components of all of these diets together throughout a week can also help you achieve your savings goal.

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Example Week:

Monday: Visiting Costco to get some rotisserie chickens, stopping by the food court to get a hot dog & drink while bringing a pizza home,

Tuesday eating a meal-prepped Costco rotisserie chicken from the day before and any leftover pizza reheated in an air fryer.

Wednesday: Having a day of just bananas including banana smoothies and smoothie bowls

Thursday: Rice Day using meal-prepped chicken from Monday.

Friday:

Saturday: Eating a hodge-podge of whatever is in the fridge, filling in the gaps with rice or any other staples

Sunday: Water Fast 

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Ultimate Cheapest Diet: Just Water

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When you have nothing left and need to get to the next day to get paid, then you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go without food for a water fast.

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Drink plenty of water and keep yourself distracted from even the thought of food.

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Going without food takes discipline, but intermittent fasting has become a growing trend in society today.  You are fasting out of necessity and not necessary for the health and weight loss reasons though.

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Either way, skipping a meal or two may do you much more good for you in both the short and long term than many would realize.

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Proceed with caution, and always listen to your body.

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Banana Island Diet

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Bananas are one of the most cultivated fruits in supermarket shelves today.  

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They are also one of the cheapest fruits you can purchase for the money.

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A ripe banana is speckled, meaning it has little brown spots on the peel.

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To make this diet palatable, implement large batches of smoothies to drink down the calories.

 

Put raw or frozen bananas into a blender and add some cane sugar.  You can add cinnamon, maple syrup, or any other syrups or sweeteners you may have in your cupboard.

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You could make fruit bowls with bananas as the main component, adding in coconut shavings, chocolate chips, honey, and any other toppings you have available.  

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Baked bananas in an air fryer are definitely an option.

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You could even dip bananas into liquid chocolate (chocolate chips melted in the microwave) as a dessert option.

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Costco Food Court Diet

 

Nothing beats the value of Costco Pizzas and their hot dogs from the Food court

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$1.50 hot dogs with a drink are infamous for the value therein.

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$10 for an entire cooked pizza from Costco is also an insane deal, especially given how expensive Little Cesar's is nowadays.

 

I wish these budget options were healthier, or if Costco could even offer a combo version of their pizzas, but it is what it is.

 

Most of the other items in Costco's food court isn't going to be much of a deal apart from the cookie. 

 

The fruit smoothie is just OK, and you can definitely choose that for a healthier option.

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Overall, a great value in light of the hassle of getting parking, waiting in line, and ordering at the Costco Food Court.

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Costco Rotisserie Chicken Diet

 

For those following a more carnivore/keto diet, you'll know just how much of a deal the Costco Rotisserie Chickens are for the whopping price of $5.  A rotisserie chicken would fetch for $9+ anywhere else.​

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A serious eater can eat 2 entire chickens in a day for their daily energy and protein needs.

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Consider purchasing a ton of chickens, tear them down, and meal prep the chicken in Tupperware containers to put into your fridge, while putting any extra chicken pieces in your freezer to use later in the week.

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Chicken and rice is a Bodybuilding staple, if not one of the most iconic meals for that sport, and you can live on both cheaply by utilizing the rotisserie chickens from Costco (and even get your rice from Costco as well).

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Rice and Beans Diet

 

Rice is such a versatile ingredient to base an entire diet off.  You can have savory or sweet rice dishes.

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Get some giant bags of rice from any grocery store, including Costco.  Focus on Jasmine or Basmati rice.  Throw the rice in a rice cooker to make large batches.  The trick to making the diet palatable is in what you add to the rice.  Make some savory rice dishes as well as sweet.  You can add beans from a can to your rice, or any canned vegetables you have laying around.  Soy sauce is one of the cheapest and delicious sauces you can add to your rice.  You can make some cupo noodles in a sauce pan and use the broth in your rice. 

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You can add maple syrup or any jam or jelly you have in your pantry to make a sweet rice.  Even just adding cane sugar with salt will help accent the rice.

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Note: You can substitute the rice for oatmeal or any grain for largely the same effect.

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