Scenario 9: Sam Creates a Budget‐Friendly Meal Plan

Requirement Scenario: Budget-Conscious Grocery Shopping

Actor

Registered User: Sam (A budget-conscious consumer)

User Persona

• Name: Sam
• Situation: Sam is a college student on a tight budget who wants to maintain a nutritious diet while minimizing grocery expenses.
• Goal: Sam wants to compare grocery prices, select the most affordable options for his meal plan, and generate a shopping list.

Preconditions

1. Sam is logged into the Affordable & Healthy Eating Hub platform.
2. Sam has created a weekly meal plan. (Requirement 1.5.3)
3. There are multiple grocery listings available in the Market. (Requirement 1.6.2.1)

Main Flow

1. Sam opens the Meal Planner and reviews his weekly meal plan. (Requirement 1.5.4)
2. Sam selects an option to generate a shopping list based on his planned meals. (Requirement 1.6.2.3.1)
3. The system compiles all necessary ingredients into a shopping list and displays the estimated cost based on average prices from nearby stores. (Requirement 1.3.5, 1.6.2.3.1)
4. Sam navigates to the Grocery Search & Filtering section and filters grocery items by:
   • Lowest price (Requirement 1.6.2.1.1)
   • Best cost-to-nutrition ratio (Requirement 1.3.6.c)
   • Store location to ensure the groceries are within a reasonable distance.
5. Sam compares prices and selects the three most affordable grocery stores for his shopping list. (Requirement 1.6.2.1.2)
6. The system updates the shopping list with the cheapest available items from the selected stores.
7. Sam saves the shopping list for later use. (Requirement 1.6.2.3.1.a)
8. Sam shares his shopping list and budgeting experience in the forum, tagging the post with “Budget Shopping” and “Meal Planning”. (Requirement 1.4.1, 1.4.2)

Outcome

• Sam has successfully created a cost-optimized shopping list for his meal plan.
• Other budget-conscious users can learn from Sam’s experience through his forum post.
• The system helps users make informed, affordable, and nutritious grocery choices.

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