Share Your Tips For Staying Healthy on a Budget

nsk1951

I love the idea mentioned in a previous post to use the water from cooking vegetables to water your house plants ... but I'd like to add a CAUTION to that ... Don't salt the cooking water if you are going to water house plants with it. Far better to use that as a broth for your soups and sauces.

There were many good tips I read on here! Thanks.

My own contribution is to have a budget. And then once it is set, exercise inventive thinking for how to stick with it. Many ideas will eventually crop up and some of them will stick.

allaboutthecake

This is a great thread. I find plain frozen veggies/fruit a lot cheaper than fresh plus they don't go bad as fast. Probably the biggest money saver for a food budget is to eat at home vs out. I never could understand how people could spend their money eating fast food/lunch out every day. I always brought my lunch. lol

I also love my Vitamix. I can take any leftovers and whip them up with a touch of water or broth in the Vitamix and Voilà -- instant hot soup!

jyoti_0

Thanks to my food allergies, I am unable to eat any kind of packaged or proceeded food. No dairy, no gluten. Follow the FODMAP diet. And thanks to my being a total vegetarian (only plant-based food), my grocery budget is low, but fulfilling.
I hardly spend $8 a week for my 3 meals a day and snacks for the whole week. I had watched a video on YouTube about "$10 grocery budget for a week" and it inspired me to buy only as much as I can eat in a week.
1. Breakfast- freshly boiled hot potatoes with olive oil, salt and dried/ fresh herbs. This gives me carb, protein, and potassium which helps with my food allergy.
2. Lunch - a stew of some rice, lentils, cooked with watery vegetables like bottle gourd, pumpkin, or yam (again, for their medicinal benefits). A tablespoon of olive oil and half a teaspoon of mango pickle makes it the tastiest food. Sometimes, I used grated coconut powder with this stew, which adds to the healthy fat content and taste.
3. Evening snacks- one Orange and one tomato diced together, with some salt. Half a cucumber with half a carrot, again sprinkled with salt. This gives me a burst of vitamin C, to keep me healthy.
4. Dinner- fresh mung bean sprouts (home made), with soaked walnut, olive oil, salt, and herbs.
It has the lowest cook time, mostly raw and boiled, and I swear, the tastiest food I get to eat. The natural flavors and juices are just awesome, not to say very, very inexpensive.

RosyBest

I utilize the sales, especially on protein. Buy 1 pack of drumsticks get a 2nd pack half off type deals. I just put them in my freezer until I'm ready to cook. Definitely saves money.

Rockmama1111

I live alone and cook 95% of my meals at home. I cook for my manpanion 1-2 times/week. (And he returns the favor at his house.) I don't have a ton of space, so I don't buy in bulk. My grocery total last month was about $200. I acknowledge that might be a bit higher than some are comfortable with for one person, but I do prioritize nutrition (and I'm a bit food snobby) so I think I'm getting a good bang for my buck. Feel free to peek at my diary! My eating style is plant-forward. I love meat, but I just eat it less than I used to. I won't repeat all the great advice already given here except to say that I study my weekly grocery ad and choose my meals/recipes off the produce deals.

Here are some additions:
-Organization is key for me. Following is a pic of my dry goods shelf of things I use regularly. Everything is labeled and easy to see, so when something starts to get low, I watch for sales on that product. Things I keep on hand: Several kinds of nuts, chickpea pasta, farro, quinoa, dried beans, canned tomatoes, etc. Aldi is my go-to store for a lot of it.
-I make my own freezer meals out of extra portions of things I cook. (See pic below.) This cuts way down on impulse takeouts and delivery!
-I usually don't buy snacks, cookies, candy, or ice cream unless it REALLY counts, and then I'll go out to a local bakery or ice cream parlor and make an event out of it. I don't typically snack and just wait for my three square meals, though I sometimes have a little cereal before bed if I need more fiber and I have calories to spare.
-I rarely drink anything other than water, tea, or coffee. I don't often drink alcohol at home, though I do like wine--it's just more calories than I want to have to log!
-I walk to the store whenever possible. It's 4000 steps there and back, so I knock off some exercise. After hauling some VERY heavy bags back home after overbuying (or worse, getting Uber to drive me 6 blocks) I'm pretty good at knowing what I can and can't buy! Impulse buys are a big no for the on-foot shopping trips.
-My store puts meat and other perishables on clearance when its sell-by date is near. The other day I got 5+ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.25/lb. I packaged it in individual ziplocks and froze it. Sometimes when I need extra steps, I'll walk up to the store with my grocery bags with the goal of only looking at clearance stuff.
-Finally, there are some things I do pay more for. Cheese, high-fiber products (I love the Xtreme Wellness wraps), fresh herbs (sometimes), free-range eggs, and high-fiber cereal are some of my "splurges."
-

denasqu

OMAD, Costco, and farmer's markets. Probably spending 1/3 of what I used to at Whole Foods. Still shop Whole Foods for certain items and sales. I buy meat on sale, make big pots of stuff, and vacuum seal everything. My freezer is stuffed. OMAD has made the biggest difference. I'm still "re-learning" how to buy groceries.

putotherpeoplefirst

Buy frozen vegetables and frozen berries. Make a shopping list before heading to the supermarket. Check out farmers markets for cheaper and fresher fruit and vegetables.

mtaratoot

• Never allow food to go to waste. This is not just about saving money, but reducing environmental impact of agriculture. Eat plenty of vegetables, and if some are looking like they need to get used today, change up your meal plan and eat them
• Yogurt is edible well past the "best by" date.
• If there's a little green mold on your cheese, you can cut it off and a little below it and salvage the rest of the cheese.
• Rotate non-perishable items in the pantry; eat the oldest first. Canned goods are still fine WELL past the best-by date, but no reason to let them get older.
• Stock up on canned goods when they are on deep discount. Keep your two-week emergency food supply up to date, but rotate through it so it's still good.
• Learn new recipes for vegetables you're not familiar with but are on sale especially in-season.
• Make your own coffee. Put it in a thermal container to take with you. Learn to enjoy black coffee.
• If perishable items are on deep discount for large quantities and you have a small household (mine is a household of one), share a purchase with neighbors.
• If you don't plan to eat all the bread quickly, put some in the freezer, not the refrigerator. It won't be as good as fresh, but if you leave it out until it gets moldy, it still won't be as good as fresh.
• If you eat meat, learn how to cook less expensive tough cuts low-and-slow until they are tender and delicious.
• The state I live in has deposits on bottles and central bottle-return stations. Instead of taking cash, they offer a 20% bonus for some grocery stores. Use your bottle return money when you shop at one of those stores; use another payment method at other stores.
• Be alert for "shrink-flation" where the price of an item stays the same but the package has less in it. I don't buy ice cream, but I recently saw it being sold in 1.5 quart packages instead of half-gallons.
• Buy tougher more stable produce like onions in a larger bag instead of by the each or individually per pound.
• Get to know what products are more and less expensive at different stores. I have three groceries on my normal route, and I get different things at each. I visit a discount grocery every few months for canned items that are always less expensive than other shops.
• Don't be afraid to pay a little more for some quality products. My local fishmonger sometimes has higher prices, but it's worth it for high-quality fresh fish often off of one of their own boats.
• If you cook for just one or two people, share a meal with your neighbor. They will enjoy it and might return the favor. If not, you're still an awesome neighbor.
• Use a credit card that gives you a cash-back reward, and always pay the balance in full every month.
• If a grocery offers a discount on gift cards, buy some. It's free money.
• Eat out only very infrequently. If you do eat out, skip the fancy wine and opt for tap water. Tip your server well; they deserve it.
• Figure out what things will grow easily in your climate and that you can grow economically. Some things aren't cost effective to grow even though it's enjoyable. I have figs, raspberries, and blueberries, so in season I can save a fair bit over buying. I don't buy them out of season, and maybe you shouldn't either.
• Support your local farmer, but beware many farmers markets charge more for the very same produce they sell to your local cooperative grocery.
• Leave the candy, potato chips, and soda in the store. Just don't even bring it home.
• If you have a recipe that uses walnuts or pecans and you don't need them to be whole or are going to bust 'em up anyway, just buy the broken ones in bulk. Buy nuts in the shell. It will slow you down, and you might eat fewer of them.

I'll stop there, except I will repeat the first thing. NEVER let food go to waste.

DebbsSeattle

I began buying tinned sardines. Walmart has $0.99 Great Value sardines in water…ton of protein, super good for you, low cost, 100 calories per tin, a fish serving and so yummy on Wasa crackers with homemade lowfat hummus. Match that with easy to transport, three year shelf life, can live in a desk drawer at work, needs no refrigeration and it is a winner! Perfect for your disaster preparedness kit too!

I do two major shops a month with an interim veggie shop bi-weekly. I buy meat in bulk, pre-portion it and vacuum seal for the freezer. Makes meal prep easy and can always ID the portions to log. I do not over buy fresh because I do not want to waste food.

I comparison shopped a Winco receipt at Walmart.com and Safeway.com. $100 at Safeway cost $80 at Walmart and only $66 at Winco. Comparison shop your local stores for your standard cart contents. You may be shocked!

We custom butcher beef and pork through a local family farm. We don’t save money after all is said and done, but we do get higher quality organic meat over standard butcher block offerings at the grocery store. With that said, plant based proteins are far less money per pound. We eat tofu at least once per week but usually twice and it runs about $1.50/# compared to $10+/# for fish, $7/# for beef or even $3/# for chicken. We also eat legumes too. Those run us $0.50/# buying bulk.

We grow a garden. Easy to do on 6 acres, but even a city dweller with a balcony could grow herbs through the summer and dry them. You can easy grow $50 worth of herbs in a large flower pot through one summer.

We raise chickens for eggs. 5 hens provide us all the eggs we need and eggs to give to friends and neighbors. Again, easy in the country but not possible in an apartment.

Buy bulk dried beans and rice…self explanatory but I can cut the cost per pound by 50%. I go to the trouble of vacuum sealing portions but a large sealed canister will work too.

When some veggies are on ultra great sale price, I will buy a lot, prep it and freeze it. Great for green, red, hot peppers…onions, carrot and celery. Makes grabbing veggies for soups or omelettes simple. Pay attention to sale cycles for your favorite products. Like I know boxes of teabags will go on sale every other week or so…they cycle through one brand or another. I simply will not buy until it’s on sale, then buy 2 or 3 rather than one.

Be flexible in the brands you will buy…French’s Yellow Mustard or store brand…which is cheaper, is how I choose. Organic is also sometimes better priced than conventional…cruise past the organic shelf before the conventional to be able to compare prices. Learn to do without or make do…become a better cook who can deal with substitutions on the fly.

Shop your local farmers market in the summer. There are fussy crops we don’t grow, but buy flats of at the market and prep and preserve as though we did grow it. Even our kids who live in an apartment in the city have a small freezer to make the best out of sales and summer produce.

Weigh and measure everything…smaller portions, fewer calories, smaller waistline and preservation of the food budget.

Stop wasteful snacking on prepared foods. When you were a kid, your mother probably nixed the after school snack for fear of you ‘ruining your supper’ and then nixed your late night snacking…’next time eat more dinner’. I promise you will not die from only eating three meals a day…no need for 6. Institute intermittent fasting. Choose your 8-12 hour window for eating and that is that. Teach your body how to eat normal again. Keep a food container of chopped celery and carrots at the ready. If you think you might die without a snack, grab the ready to roll veg bin.

Have a standard menu list for your week or even eat the same menu every day. Structure can really help you stick to plan and make meal prep (and shop) easy. Don’t shop hungry! Absolute NO on foods not on the list and not diet approved.

kizanne2

I save a bunch of money with my garden. The last year I've worked to expand it including some hydroponics for indoors. Even with the electricity cost I'm saving quite a bit of money. I never buy lettuce anymore and can eat 4-6 big salads a week. I haven't been to the grocery store in 2 weeks. I will be going soon though for some dairy and a few veggies.

I'm being more careful to eat what we grow or buy. Being more careful about buying only what we will eat. Eating the left overs. So cutting down on food waste. Cutting down on snacks as well.

MuffinTopMan74

Chicken & Rice Recipe for budget
I am a weightlifter, so affordable High Protein meals to build and maintain muscle, carbs for fuel, and Dietary Fiber are my main concerns, and as low fat as possible. You can divide it into proportions or serve it as a main dinner meal for a family.
10 lbs of leg quarter on sale when 39-49 cents a pound (3.90 -4.90). When on sale
5lbs rice white rice 2.94 at Walmart
1 stalk of celery .99 cents at Walmart
1 medium yellow onion for 50 cents?
1 tsp of poultry seasoning
1 can of green beans 50 cents.
(salt and pepper to taste after cooking)
1. I pressure-cook the chicken with 5 cups of water. (you can boil)
once done, I remove everything except the meat but keep the broth.
I strain the broth into a bowl or pot and put it in the refrigerator. Once chilled, I skim the fat off the top as it rises to the top and condenses into a solid.
2. I measure 2 cups of uncooked rice and 4 -1/4 cups of skimmed broth. In the boiling broth, add the chopped onion, celery, green beans, and seasoning, then add the rice. Stir and let low boil for about 5min. Then turn down and simmer for 10 min with valid on your pot. Remove from heat and add 3-4 lbs of chicken and stir/ fluff; put the lid back on and let it finish cooking in its "own" heat for about ten more minutes.
This dish is simple to make. It is high in protein, low in complex carb calories, and it makes a lot of food. I break it up in 9oz storage containers you buy from Walmart, Dollar Tree, etc. 1 lb of chicken has about 123g protein, and 1 cup cook white rice has 200 calories, 4g protein, and is a complex card; which is good, and dietary fiber in the veggies.
I salt and pepper after I cook, and I know there is natural sodium in the food, but I do not know how to measure that. I could Marco out the calories, protein, and carbs for anyone, but it is 1 am. lol. I get a lot of dishes/meals out of this recipe, and my mom fed a family of six with no problem. It is a tasty and healthy dish. You can substitute store-brand broths and vegetables as you like, sodium or fat-free type of stuff. Also, you can readjust the recipe to larger or smaller quantities as you see fit for storage problems.

AshleyBAyala

If you have a WinCo, they have a lot of bulk options. Most of the time I just get enough to last a few days, which means I never end up paying full price. Eggs. Canned and frozen foods. Canned tuna is a great source of protein for 100 cals or less. Chicken is fairly cheap, it lasts a couple meals. Ground beef is also cheap. Greek Yogurt is also great and cheap. Diet doesn't have to be expensive. I give myself a 45 dollar budget a week for groceries and I get plenty of food.