Groceries

suzksell

It can be a little time-consuming, but create a menu each week around the foods that are on sale at your favorite grocery store. I try to use each ingredient twice each week since it's on sale--and then I have a bit of variety. Also, avoid buying prepackaged foods. Most of those aren't really good for you anyhow (calorie and/or sodium laden). Look at what you are spending your money on now. Find the items that you don't really "need' or that can be replaced with less expensive alternatives (for instance, as one other poster said, dried beans). Get rid of the extras. If you are buying sodas, STOP! You don't need them...and they can be outrageously expensive. When you see a good deal on something, BUY IT...and plenty of it (unless it's something that will go bad quickly).

brandi2258

BUMP

SoCalSwimmerDude

To me, eating healthy is WAY cheaper. I made comment to my wife yesterday that our fridge seemed empty... but then I opened the veggie drawer and it was overflowing. Now, if you're buying all of the fancy diet products, then it would be very expensive, but thats not necessary. I've also found that Trader Joes prices for fruits and veggies is pretty ridiculous if you shop at other stores to get the same fruits and veggies. However, they're cheaper for the packaged stuff that is healthier. The only common veg that I find to be expensive is an avacado. But you could buy carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, spinach, etc, etc and walk out of the store on 10 bucks w/ all veggies and fruit. Its that darn free range chicken that always gets me to fork out the cash!

blondie76

NOPE, it's darn cheap!!

I spend max $150 a month for 2 of us and at least $30 of that is diet-pepsi (his vice, not mine). I actually made a giant list of all the healthy items I buy regularly after someone on MFP asked how that was possible if you need it.

totally agree its cheaper if you know what to buy!! I would however love to see what you buy!!!:blushing:

KLo924

What most everyone else said..

I'm finding it to be about the same, and I DO buy organic most of the time. I'm fortunate to live around a few farmers markets, and an all-organic grocery store that's wicked cheap (http://www.momsorganicmarket.com/ for those of you in the DC/MD area). I'm also vegetarian, fyi.

Buy in bulk when you can - bulk beans, lentils, grains, etc. are really cheap and don't go bad quickly so you can keep them around. Buy frozen veggies and fruit when you can, and buy in season or on sale when you can't! And especially, as someone noted above, avoid pre-packaged foods. It's SO much cheaper to make a big batch of something at the beginning of the week and portion it out for lunches, or whatever you're using packaged stuff for, than to go for "diet dinners."

Those're my two cents anyway

kdiamond

Agree with the others, I spend less this way!

I don't buy anything "diet" and very few things packaged. I base my menu plan for the week on whatever is on sale, and/or I shop at BJ's for meats. You can buy chicken breast for cheap at BJ's, salmon and ground turkey breast too! I make a lot of things that carry over to the next day either for lunch or dinner, so each meal is 2 meals. I don't buy pricey chips, candy, and junk food. I buy a lot of frozen veggies, like at Publix this week they are 10 steam packs of veggies for $10!

If you really want it, you'll find a way to make it work!

loseitwisely

sometimes organic is the worst choice.

Ummm WHAT???? How can no chemicals be a bad thing? Except for children who need to build up an immunity perhaps.

Not that I buy organic, not worth it to me but this is a pretty shocking statement.

Wow, I thought the same thing when I read this! If you shop smartly, plan out what you are going to be eating, and buy in bulk, it really is not that much more expensive. I can't see where a "worst choice" comment could possibly be stated, but I guess we are all entitiled to our own opinions. I choose to value the nutirents that go into my body without all of the added chemicals and preservatives.