On a budget?

tillybabes

Is anybody else on a budget?
I find i cant buy some things i would normally want at the minute (my husband lost his job christmas eve) for example fish we like a lot of fish in our house hold but find some expensive or you dont get a lot for your money do you know of any budget fish?
we do eat chicken and pork which these arent to costly and we do shop around for our vegetables whether it be fresh/frozen/tinned although preferring fresh
any other tips on eating healthy on a budget ?
xx

bsoxluvr

I'm sorry to hear about your husbands job, and hopefully fellow MFPers can help out in this area. I don't have a lot of tips, but have you tried the frozen fish? Or a fresh fish from a bulk store that can be frozen? We have gotten fresh salmon from Costco for around $28 and were able to make about 10 portions out of it.

MelissaL582

Sorry to hear about your husband's job.

I've notice that when dieting, you tend to spend more money. Fresh products cost more- it stinks! The only thing I can recommend is keep an eye on the sales ads.

Dreamerlove

Try costo, or sams club for bulk foods. I wouldn't recommend buying a membership since he lost his job, ( I am terribly sorry) but try going with a friend. I buy salmon there in bulk with my mom/

betsyweltha

Where do you live? Could you go fishing? Or do you know someone who does?

cmriverside

You can use canned tuna or salmon. Granted, it's best on a sandwich or salad, but at least you're getting those great Omegas. Inexpensive, and you know it was canned at sea, so fresh out of the water.

Mindful_Trent

The regular grocery stores often have a budget brand of frozen fish fillets - my grocery store has store brand bags of tilapia, salmon and a few others - probably 6-8 fillets in a bag for a very reasonable price. They also have had skinless, boneless chicken breast for $1.99/lb - very good price. Also, keep an eye out for sales/deals and stock up if you can. Also, many grocery stores will significantly discount meat that is about to hit its sell-by date - watch for these (they usually have "managers special" stickers) - the meat is perfectly good, but needs to be cooked or frozen within a day or two. It'll take a little longer to go through the meat section looking for sales, but it's worth it!

Other budget shopping tricks - try to buy things in bulk when you can - for example, buy the 50oz glass jars of applesauce instead of the cups, or the large containers of yogurt rather than the individual servings. It's a little less convenient but much cheaper when you calculate the price per volume. I buy almonds in bulk from a heath/organic food store (which tend to be pricier in general) but the bulk almonds is WAY cheaper than the price per pound you end up paying for the convienient snack packs or even the bakery-aisle nuts. Don't be afraid to check out stores that you usually don't shop at - although health/organic/whole food stores can be pricey on some things, our health food store also tends to have very good vegetable prices (for their non-organics) and they'll usually have a few awesome deals every week. I got eggplant at 69 cents each the other day!!

Kminor67

I try to stick with frozen veggies... they are usually frozen at their peak, so they're nutritious, but less expensive than fresh. Tilapia, Pollock, and Haddock are usually pretty inexpensive as far as fish goes. I also eat a lot of turkey and chicken. I'm very sorry to hear about your husband's job. Hopefully he can find something soon!

HealthyChanges2010

Excellent proteins: legumes! Purchase them in bulk, rinse them, soak them over night (rinsing them several times and replacing with fresh water during that period) and rinse one last time and cook. Delish! Nothing like fresh legumes, beats a can of bean everytime because you control what goes into them. Canned foods are so full of unneeded sodium but when you buy in bulk, brown rice, legumes, well the sky is the limit actually of what's available you don't have to worry about additives in your foods.

Pick a place that has a high turnover in the bulk bins, think outside the box, Small neighborhood Hispanic grocery stores, Vietnamese food markets, other Asian market etc. Low cost and very fresh!

Often times you can also get veggies far cheaper at those markets as well. Crockpot cooking is a wonderful thing for cost saving and also time saving. So many recipes on the net and also if you a 'search' on MFP you'll come up with hundreds of awesome recipes for budget cooking.

Buy in season foods and save money and the planet!

cmriverside

Other food:

Make a big stew or soup (if you use beans, you can forego meat.) It will feed you bothe for days at a very small cost. I love spicy beans with chicken and rice. Or just beans and rice with some cheese.

Crockpot foods are less expensive, you can buy less expensive meats for them and they make the meat yummy by slow cooking.

Of course spaghetti is always good and inexpensive and filling. You can stretch meat a long ways with pasta.

Rice and veggies - experiment with curry or hot spices for the veggies.

FabulousFifty

:flowerforyou: Yes, on a budget here too. Husband's small business is folding:ohwell: ....soups and stews stretch the budget. Add a salad for bulk. We put left over stew on rice or add a baked potato. Mmmmmm! Count your blessings along with your pennies dear one. Tough times build character....I am some kind of character!:laugh: I am so thankful we have our health, our families and each other. It's all good.

Here is to a prosperous and healthy 2011!:drinker:

HealthyChanges2010

Sorry to hear about your husband's job.

I've notice that when dieting, you tend to spend more money. Fresh products cost more- it stinks! The only thing I can recommend is keep an eye on the sales ads.

I know many have also shared this belief but if we all added up how much doritos, oreos, pop, beer, fast food etc. etc. cost us all before we jumped on board for healthy eating... I definitely vote that fresh healthy choices are by FAR less costly than daily fast food that doesn't even fill you up for long. It may seem like more but if all the junk food was added up or purchased at once it would be WAY over what a grocery trip of healthy foods would be, least that's how it works for me. I do buy in bulk (dried goods) and in season and plan my meals as well as check ads and I feel I spend less.:flowerforyou:

I think sometimes we forget just how much we all used to spend on the crap we used to eat...I know I try too!:blushing: :laugh:

TheMaidOfAstolat

Go vegetarian once a week...cutting back on meat will reduce the grocery bill.
Fresh veggies don't have to be expensive. Don't go to a conventional grocery store. Check asian markets, farmers markets, and check to see if there is a co-op in your area.
I was able to support a family of three on my income alone for over three years. It can be done...just hang in there.

UpToAnyCool

bump

SJSchwartz

I swear by my local scratch & dent store! Granted, they don't have fresh fruits and veggies, but they do sell tons of other healthy food for CHEAP. Lot's of organic foods & low calorie foods. Do you have that kind of store near where you live?

nsueflorence

I buy the prepackaged frozen packs of fish and chicken at Aldi.

tn2010

I agree with most everything here. I rely on at least one crock pot soup to make lunches for a better part of the work week. Lentils are great as they don't need to be soaked and they cook in a reasonable amount of time for weeknight cooking. I also get small pork roasts that stretch really far for things like pulled pork sandwiches and as a spicy taco filling. In the spring you may consider looking into getting a farm share through the Community Supported Agriculture program (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/). We get a ton of fresh, local produce from May through December for a fraction of what it would cost us in the stores.

mirahonthawall

i agree with asian supermarkets! it's where i go for the majority of my veggies, and they usually have amazing deals on frozen fish and shrimp!

smithy74

go to your local big supermarkets near closing time and buy your fresh fish,chicken,meats etc then.they always sell that days food cheaper then all you have to do is either freeze it or cook meals then freeze them.

sonjavon

Do you have an Aldi's near you? They have good food at good prices. I try to shop there for as much of my grocery list as I can.

Breakfast for dinner is a good way to save money and I try to do it once a week or so. Egg casseroles are easy and cheap.

Crockpot meals are great too... chili, soups, etc.

I tend to build on my leftovers. I will make a roast on Sunday with potatos and carrots. The leftovers become soup for Wednesday - by adding some broth, some more veggies and some tomatos. Pork roast becomes pulled pork sandwiches.

Chicken Caesar salads may be one of the cheapest meals ever and is certainly a favorite in my house. Make a good, hearty salad and top it with grilled chicken.

Unless you're using your veggies raw - buy frozen. They're cheaper, just as nutritious and you don't have to worry about spoilage.
If you are making something with ground beef (my family likes taco casseroles) add some beans to the beef... it stretches your meat, cuts fat and adds vitamins... win/win! We love black beans.

Cabbage is a great "filler" and is always cheap - I use it in soups and casseroles.

chandnikhondji

Since neither me nor my boyfriend have a job and he's a student we are on very low budget all the time. We buy most of the stuff at Aldi, which is around the corner - in Germany not that hard i don't know about where you are. Prices are good and the frozen things are tasty and not as expensive, if you don't use the ones with breading they are just as good as the unfrozen. Also we have a shop that often as fresh unfrozen meat and fish for half of the price when it has to be eaten this or the next day. Maybe one of the shops where you are has that too, i am not familiar with the customs elsewhere. I also had the experience that farmers outside of the city offer their fresh vegetables, meat and such for lower prices than in shops.

melodyg

We love Aldi here too -- today I found avocados for 25 cents/each and celery for 29/bunch!

Besides that, I stock up on meat when it is on sale -- chicken breast for under $2 a pound... the others I buy less often so I am not sure of the lowest price I can find on those. I buy seasonal fruit/veggies or I will buy frozen when it it is on sale for $1/bag. I buy dried beans and cook in the crockpot... and do lots of soups in the winter.

We very rarely buy fish here (because it is expensive!) but if I do get fish I get tilapia, salmon or shrimp when it is on sale. Those are the ones I've found to be the cheapest and easiest to stretch in a recipe.

Cbandelier

Basa is a mild, good tasting fish that is usually pretty inexpensive. Pollock is also a good one.

smash0719

I Aldi! They have a great selection of fresh produce and TONS of frozen fish & meats. My new favorites are the lemon pepper fish fillets and teriyaki marinated chicken breasts (both in the frozen section). They also have a line of "Fit & Active" products that are on the healthier side, from cereal to salad dressing. Definitely give it a try!