How to cut down grocery bill, and still eat healthy?
Replies
-
I mentioned earlier that I shop at aldi and it is key to staying in budget but I also buy my meat in bulk (ish) once a month or every other month from sams club1
-
I save money on food by scanning the weekly supermarket ads for sales and buy fresh produce that I need at the cheapest price a week at a time.
I buy meat/seafood in bulk and use a Foodsaver to freeze it. The lastest meat purchase was 5# of chicken thighs for 69 cents/#. Lastest seafood deal was 6# of fresh salmon fillets for just $4/#. Typical price for salmon is $8-10/#.
Meat sealed by the Foodsaver will last for months and months. Just defrosted 4# of pork belly that I bought in Nov 2017 and it looks the same as the day I bought it.
I also buy dry, canned or bottled goods in bulk where ever I can find them for the cheapest price. Last best buy was 24 cans of Progresso lentil and split pea soup (12@) for just 88 cents/can. A can of these typically sells for $2/can.
Use coupons when I see/find them for things I want/need to buy.
BTW, I live alone and my frig/freezer and cupboards are always full.
You are doing the "foot work" and it pays off for you. I need to do even a little of what you do, and I'll be saving dollars on food;)
I am still thinking about getting the Foodsaver. My sister has one and they catch a lot of trout this time of year, up near Coos Bay Oregon. They freeze a lot of it, and she LOVES the Foodsaver. I was going to get a Seal a Meal at one time, but since she "knew" how well a Foodsaver works I will go with that if I buy one;)
The only thing I'm not keeping up on in my kitchen is the freezer being stocked. Funny, I noticed your Salmon prices are much like the Salmon I can find here. Thanks so much for your reply, full of good pointers & info;)
0 -
I don't think I'll be adding anything new here, but Aldi and Lidl are very good for meat and veg at decent prices. I love fruit - particularly berries, but it was costing me a fortune buying them fresh as I eat them every day. Buying them frozen has saved me so much money - I got 1kg of mixed berries from Aldi at the weekend for £2, whereas a punnet of strawberries (400g) can be anywhere between £2.50-£4. I actually picked that tip up from the BBC programme 'how to eat well for less'.
I also cook in bulk occasionally and portion it out - my partner doesn't eat anything I eat so I either have the same thing for a couple of days or freeze them for a quick meal at a later date. Bulking food out with beans and veg makes meals go further and adds some much needed fibre
I LOVE THAT SHOW! That is why I started shopping in Aldi. To be honest my DH hasn't noticed I'm not buying branded things. I actually got a double thumbs up the other day for the burgers I made. He doesn't have a clue I saved £20 on the weekly shop this week.
I'll be looking to see if I get that show on BBC;)
0 -
abbynormal52 wrote: »Hmm, had never heard of ALDI but I found this interesting when I did a search: https://marketwatch.com/story/5-reasons-not-to-shop-at-aldi-and-one-big-reason-why-you-should-2017-06-13
"Shoppers should be aware of a few ground rules: Customers need to bring a quarter if they want to use a shopping cart: They deposit the coin and get it back when they return their cart. Customers bag their own groceries: Bags are available for purchase at checkout or shoppers can use old boxes for free)."
Ha ha welcome to every food store in England. I don't think I have ever had anyone pack my bag for me. I'm not sure I would want someone else packing my food.
I have to admit, I started shopping in Aldi 3 weeks ago and I haven't gone to any other store. I like the fact that there isn't 12 brands of coffee to chose from. Not only have I saved money, I've save time not having to chose. Want bread?, here's bread. Want eggs, here's eggs.
But back to the OP I was going to say have you considered changing where you shop first? Or using own brands instead of branded foods. I'm pretty sure own branded cola is about £1.50 cheaper than Coca-Cola over here.
We have bulk markets around, and I think Winco is the closest we have to an ALDI. I think i had to bag-my-own there;) But now I live in a teenie town and have 4 markets only. So I shop at them all depending on which has what I need/like;) I think "generic" might be what you are talking about when you say "own" and yes, I buy generic on some things, but not food usually.
I like our Grocery Outlet. I read how they operate, but it's been awhile. They buy from companies that are overstocked, and get the foods for a lower price. I think that's how it works. Anyway, I find great goods there but have to be sure and check expiration dates;)
1 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »Good ole rice and beans if you want to be cheap. Good mix of carb and protein. Can put some spinach in there for greens. True, and one of my faves is black beans, rice, salsa, onions, kitchen sink
on a tortilla! Oh yes, and definitely spinach, yum yum 
1 -
Meal planning is a good idea if you have a tight budget or want to lower costs.
Low budget friendly foods where I live are oatmeal, tuna, whole chicken or chicken thighs, dry beans, lentils, rice, pasta, bread, peanut butter, eggs, potatoes, carrots, apples, ground turkey, cabbage, onions, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables
Soup can be very economical, freezes and reheats well.
Buy things whole and skin, shred, bone, cut them up yourself.
Buy store brand/generic when you can.
Buy produce in season or grown locally.
Look at what is on sale when making your shopping list.
Use meat cut up and put in a mixed dish instead of a large piece of meat alone.
A slow cooker can be useful.
http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/
Low budget menu planning and recipes:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70dollarmenu.htm
http://www.budgetbytes.com
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/03/35-meatless-meals.html
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/
http://www.lentils.org/recipes-cooking/recipes/
Some MFP threads you may find useful:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10518784/healthy-food-choice-on-a-budget/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10500423/costing-a-lot-more-money-to-eat-healthier/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10490067/most-healthy-food-options-are-very-expensive-and-im-on-a-very-poor-budget-what-to-do/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10020804/looking-for-vegetarian-recipes#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10614805/need-quick-cheap-nutritious-food#latest
Thank you so much for your reply, and tips. Thank you for all the links as well;)0 -
Wow - this is a fantastic tip - thanks for sharing!777Gemma888 wrote: »I use ziplock and squeeze the air out.
Here's a neat trick I started doing for the past 2 weeks, as a lot of our things are still in storage in SD. Works rather well, even with meats using a Ziploc or Freezer bag.
https://youtu.be/XrZPLF0ezw8
1 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »The thing that is so subjective in posts like these, is what one deems 'a lot of money'.
When it's just my son and I, which it is most of the time, I spend (give or take) $75 a week. We eat mostly fruits, veg, and meat (generally chicken but will pick up others if its on sale). When my fiance is home, add another $40 to it, mainly because I cook more 'complicated' meals and bake when hes home.
There is no Aldi's in my area, but where i moved from there was, and I loved it, primarily for the spices, produce and snack type foods and baking supplies. Milk, butter and eggs were also significantly cheaper. Was never a huge fan of their meat and the only canned goods I regularly buy are canned tomatoes (which I did get there but were price wise on par with walmart most of the time). I will still stop at Aldis when I'm down that way, but it isnt often.
You are organized, and to me, that is more than half the battle. It's how we use what we buy as well, especially in things that we can either freeze and use later, or make a big pot of whatever, that will be good for leftovers.
I remember one of my friends saying "my husband won't eat leftovers" (I think it was a husband, or maybe kids) and my thought was, I'm cookin, you'll eat what is fixed. Of course some things have changed since I was being raised by my mom on her own 0 -
I don't think I'll be adding anything new here, but Aldi and Lidl are very good for meat and veg at decent prices. I love fruit - particularly berries, but it was costing me a fortune buying them fresh as I eat them every day. Buying them frozen has saved me so much money - I got 1kg of mixed berries from Aldi at the weekend for £2, whereas a punnet of strawberries (400g) can be anywhere between £2.50-£4. I actually picked that tip up from the BBC programme 'how to eat well for less'.
I also cook in bulk occasionally and portion it out - my partner doesn't eat anything I eat so I either have the same thing for a couple of days or freeze them for a quick meal at a later date. Bulking food out with beans and veg makes meals go further and adds some much needed fibre
Glad you replied, you add something just by being here Damie Hate to throw a party and no one shows up I've gained so much from this thread. A lot of it I know, but just not doing, so needed the reminder. And knowing others are "doing" it is encouraging. Sometimes I feel so alone in life, in general, and being here at MFP has changed things for the good, not just in my fitness and eating, but being around, and visiting with people that share the same types of goals/interests:)
3 -
MerryMavis1 wrote: »abbynormal52 wrote: »MerryMavis1 wrote: »abbynormal52 wrote: »I struggle with this too because I don't eat super cheap things. If I eat yogurt, it's FAGE and I eat a whole medium tub at once. I can eat that every day. I love Halo Top. I probably do about 600 per month or more just for myself.
That's a lot, way more than I would have to spend. But I do tend to buy the best product I "can" afford;) Living alone I can do that, but if I had a family to feed, well, I don't know how some folks can even feed their families in America.
I've fed a family of 5 on as little as $50 a week when things were really tight. Lots of pre-planning and doing simple meals. As my grocery budget has gone up I've gotten more lazy with menu planning, using up leftovers, baking etc. I really should work on these things again, they save so much money!
Have you used coupons much? I wonder if people really save a lot doing that. I have used one or two, but rarely in my whole life. People also get so impatient in grocery lines, I can't help but think it may not be worth it. But, feeding a family would be a whole, different thing and I commend you for doing so well at it.
I don't know what kind of wife, or mother I would have been nowadays, but especially don't know how I would have manage being born a century earlier!!
I used clip coupons back in the day, but Aldi/Daily Deals don't do coupons, Costco does instant ones and then the two local grocery chains by me now have customer loyalty programs where you get instant coupons when you swipe your rewards cards. So I'll get discounts that way but it's not really intentional anymore.
This may be true at a couple of our markets Mavis;) I know I have apps for scanning, and saw something when I was adding a "shopping list" app. It was to do with coupons, so I'll take a look at that today;) With gas to drive the distance to other markets (best are about 2 hours) I doubt I'd save any money. But I can apply what I've learned here, and been reminded of here, to the markets I do have.
Here's what I have here:
Grocery Outlet
Safeway
Walmart SuperCenter
Wild River Market (Healthfoods w/produce section, very high-priced).2 -
My husband is fussy about leftovers so I would pack up the leftovers for lunch the next day. Now that I've been laid up by an ankle injury, the poor guy has been responsible for all the cooking for the last ten days. A true reversal in our relationship! It's amazing how good those reheated meals look now.6
-
Oh, and he doubles and triples the batches, so he only has to cook once. Stinker.4
-
instead of cottage cheese(which is a little fatty), you can try curd(just with the least fat possible). And cheers. Curd has more proteins overall.3
-
For me. I eat what I always ate, just less of it. that way your grocery bill goes down, unless the price rises. essentially, if I eat 15% less than I used to, but eat the same foods, by bill should go down by about that 15%, if prices rose overtime by 5%, by bill still would have dropped by about 10%.4
-
kimondo666 wrote: »instead of cottage cheese(which is a little fatty), you can try curd(just with the least fat possible). And cheers. Curd has more proteins overall.
fatty? fat is good for you, why avoid it. that said you can by 0%, 1% or 2% MF cottage cheese, all of those would be lower fat options anyway.6 -
My husband is fussy about leftovers so I would pack up the leftovers for lunch the next day. Now that I've been laid up by an ankle injury, the poor guy has been responsible for all the cooking for the last ten days. A true reversal in our relationship! It's amazing how good those reheated meals look now.
How good they look to him, LOL!! I'm the same way though, necessity is the mother of invention they say, and that includes on "re-inventing" my habits, likes and dislikes. Gets me trying new things;) I never thought I'd try, let alone "like" the foods I eat today;)
I hope your ankle heals quickly Jg, and you are fortunate to have a guy that will jump in where, and when, he's needed. The men I know that cook are excellent cooks, or maybe it's just nice to have a meal cooked for you hey;) Denise
0 -
-
kimondo666 wrote: »instead of cottage cheese(which is a little fatty), you can try curd(just with the least fat possible). And cheers. Curd has more proteins overall.
I've seen curds (same thing??) but they seemed kind of gross though. But hey, there's something for me to be willing to try right and I need to be open to trying More protein yessssssss!!
0 -
For me. I eat what I always ate, just less of it. that way your grocery bill goes down, unless the price rises. essentially, if I eat 15% less than I used to, but eat the same foods, by bill should go down by about that 15%, if prices rose overtime by 5%, by bill still would have dropped by about 10%.
Yes, sometimes I feel I am eating "more" but actually, it's just more of the good macros I need. Portions are important for me too though. I'm using my kitchen scale again, measuring spoons and cups. I was going overboard on everything, including sugars and chips;) Now that I'm tracking, I see how much I was going over;)
0 -
abbynormal52 wrote: »I am still thinking about getting the Foodsaver. My sister has one and they catch a lot of trout this time of year, up near Coos Bay Oregon. They freeze a lot of it, and she LOVES the Foodsaver. I was going to get a Seal a Meal at one time, but since she "knew" how well a Foodsaver works I will go with that if I buy one;
I've purchased a lot of kitchen gadgets in my life and the FoodSaver is absolutely one the best of them (the others are my Japanese rice cooker, Oster blender and "built like a tank" Cuisinart food processor, which are all 30+ yrs old now) and is absolutely indispensible to me.
The FoodSaver seals your food as well as any vacuum packed food you buy at the store. There's nothing better.
The rolls of "bags" that you cut to size yourself are pricey but their cost is far offset by the money saved on "food saved" from spoilage or freezer burn.
As mentioned earlier, I have found that meat sealed w/a FoodSaver will last indefinitely in the freezer. The only time I ever had a problem w/freezer burn was when I didn't seal the item completely to begin w/or when the seal broke for some unknown reason, which happens very infrequently.
I also vacuum seal other items for storage in the frig and cupboard.
I buy blocks of cheese in bulk and, when I need some, I just cut off what I need, reseal the rest and put it back in the frig. The cheese lasts forever this way; no mold or dessication.
I do the same w/brown sugar (which I use very infrequently) that's moist, crumbly and favorful when fresh but quickly becomes a rock hard flavorless brick if left in a, ziplock bag on the self.
The brown sugar I buy now lasts forever. Same applies to "golden raisins", ground flax seed, coffee and other things that I buy in bulk that lose their moisture, flavor and freshness if not vacuum sealed prior to storage.
So, if you buy meat and other food in bulk, I cannot recommend the purchase/use of a FoodSaver more highly.
2 -
I buy a huge things of spring salad mix. Feeds my boyfriend and I for 4 lunches each. That is $1.99 at Kroger.
We add in some veggies and then go to the meat counter and have them give us chicken from there (its cheaper than the pre-packaged chicken as they aren't weight it with the container). We got 5 lbs of chicken for $11.
Basically lunch for the two of us a week is :
Chicken: $7
Salad Mix: $2
Cucumbers: $1
Onions: $1
Dressing: $1.5 (the bottle lasts about 2 weeks)
Tortilla Strips: $1.50
Tomatoes: $1
Cheese: $2
Lunch Total: $8.50 per person a week.
Snacks:
2 Packs of Celery: $4
Sour Cream: $3
Dip Mix: $3
(we don't like the same dip mix)
2 Packages Beef Jerky: $6
Laughing Cow Cheese Dippers: $2.50
Snack Total: $9.25 per person.
3 -
Breakfast varies weekly (and I forgot some of these go in our salads) and you can make these in so many variances
2 18 count eggs: $5
Bacon for me: $2.50
Turkey sausage for him: $3.50
Breakfast Total: $5.50 per person.2 -
I just found several brand names and was about to ask if anyone uses any of the ones below, as some are less expensive, but after your post, I'm definitely leaning toward a Foodsaver. I think my sister mentioned being able to buy the "cut to fit" rolls in another brand name and they work great for her, and cost a bit less?? Anyway, I'll put the link here, just to get feedback if anyone uses any of these. I'd be sealing a lot of individual things, not sealing a lot of bulk. Something else I don't know is about freezing cooked items, soups, meats??
Here's the link to a few other sealers in other brands, and also, size:
https://amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kitchen-Dining-Vacuum-Sealers/zgbs/kitchen/1090768
I do know "sometimes" you still get what you pay for, but I've found, not always;) I'm not sounded too cheap here I hope, just want to make a good decision, the best I can anyway;)0 -
Breakfast varies weekly (and I forgot some of these go in our salads) and you can make these in so many variances
2 18 count eggs: $5
Bacon for me: $2.50
Turkey sausage for him: $3.50
Breakfast Total: $5.50 per person.
You are so organized as well boehle! From your photo I'm thinking you are very young and when I was young, I didn't know how to shop at all;) Looks like you two do very well at getting your "fuel"! I love salads as well, and love the Spring Mix. I've bought the large containers, but didn't finish it up fast enough, so now I've just been buying by the bag, which is about 3 days of salad, or I think 5 helpings when I divide it into "serving size" containers;)0 -
abbynormal52 wrote: »Breakfast varies weekly (and I forgot some of these go in our salads) and you can make these in so many variances
2 18 count eggs: $5
Bacon for me: $2.50
Turkey sausage for him: $3.50
Breakfast Total: $5.50 per person.
You are so organized as well boehle! From your photo I'm thinking you are very young and when I was young, I didn't know how to shop at all;) Looks like you two do very well at getting your "fuel"! I love salads as well, and love the Spring Mix. I've bought the large containers, but didn't finish it up fast enough, so now I've just been buying by the bag, which is about 3 days of salad, or I think 5 helpings when I divide it into "serving size" containers;)
Thank you! (I am 36 so not so young LOL)
I used to do the bag mixes and got so tired of them.. and it actually came out cheaper to get the big container as I bag mixes are about $1.49 and we are getting triple for the big container.
The big containers from Walmart last usually about 2 weeks if we dont finish it, then we end up buying a smaller one to mix them to finish them both up.1 -
I struggle with this too because I don't eat super cheap things. If I eat yogurt, it's FAGE and I eat a whole medium tub at once. I can eat that every day. I love Halo Top. I probably do about 600 per month or more just for myself.
The first time I read this I thought you meant you do 600 Halo Tops per month 4 -
abbynormal52 wrote: »Breakfast varies weekly (and I forgot some of these go in our salads) and you can make these in so many variances
2 18 count eggs: $5
Bacon for me: $2.50
Turkey sausage for him: $3.50
Breakfast Total: $5.50 per person.
You are so organized as well boehle! From your photo I'm thinking you are very young and when I was young, I didn't know how to shop at all;) Looks like you two do very well at getting your "fuel"! I love salads as well, and love the Spring Mix. I've bought the large containers, but didn't finish it up fast enough, so now I've just been buying by the bag, which is about 3 days of salad, or I think 5 helpings when I divide it into "serving size" containers;)
Thank you! (I am 36 so not so young LOL)
I used to do the bag mixes and got so tired of them.. and it actually came out cheaper to get the big container as I bag mixes are about $1.49 and we are getting triple for the big container.
The big containers from Walmart last usually about 2 weeks if we dont finish it, then we end up buying a smaller one to mix them to finish them both up.
Sounds good, I will probably try buying the large as it is cheaper that way. Our large are 5 bucks, and if I eat more salads, I can probably get it all eatin before it gets limp;) or slimey. The bags I buy at Walmart are 2.48 but everything here in CA is more expensive I think;)
It's still good you know how to do these things early on:) I sure would have made a better wife, but then I would have also wanted a better husband, LOL! No regrets, just lessons he and I both learned;)
0 -
I'm doing my body-weight workout between posts!! This is making it go fast, LOL;)3
-
I've only skimmed the thread, but one thing I don't think I've seen mentioned: I shop primarily at Dillons (which is Kroger in other parts of the country). To get the best prices there you have to have their loyalty card (which is free and also gives you a discount at local gas stations). They also have an app which allows me to download specific coupons I want to use directly to the card so that I don't have to mess around with them in line. And they'll send me additional coupons a few times a month in the mail. Look into what your preferred stores offer.
And get to know your local store's discount preferences. Sometimes they put meat from the counter on discount after 8pm or markdown rotisserie chickens if they have too many late in the evening. Mine restocks their weird "dented cans, almost past its date, we found this thing in the back we want to get rid of" nook around 10 am on Saturdays. I like to shop around those times to get some random deals.3 -
great and appreciated info Dianne. Reminded me of Fred Meyer I can shop at up the coast 23 miles, plus get my gas there. I do have their card for savings. I'll look into that today for the coupon thing. It's in Oregon too, one reason I drive to save about 50 or more cents a gallon on gas! Probably better prices on groceries, well, I'm sure better prices;) Thanks again!!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions