- food budget for next 3 weeks..........

Crystalchaos72

I don't know what to do.......I do not "stock up" on things due to lack of $......and I want to eat as well as I can......help! This lifestyle is killing my buget...

wigglentwink

I have been a couponer for over three years now and I am here to tell you, you can eat well on a very tight budget. I feed a family of four very healthy food for $200/month. (That includes our paper products, diapers, laundry detergent, everything.)

Please look into it. You can stock up on stuff for free or nearly free, leaving money available for things that don't normally have coupons: meat, dairy, produce.

chevy88grl

I buy a large bag of frozen chicken tenders at Wal Mart. I'm sure they aren't as good for me as fresh chicken is - but I don't have a ton of money for food either. A bag is like $7 and I can get a lot of meals out of it. Do you have an Aldi near you? How about a day old bread store? We have 2 of those stores around here (One is Sara Lee and one is Aunt Millie's)... I go and buy 3 or 4 loaves of wheat bread for the price of one at the regular store. I then refrigerate the ones I'm not using right away. I also buy any buns or anything I need from there. I look for turkey or other meat that is on reduced sale - as long as you cook it or freeze it right away, it'll be fine. I shop sale ads - you'd be surprised how much you can save if you look through them and stores like Wal Mart price match other ads, so you don't have to drive all around town.

Also.. planning meals ahead of time helps - especially if you try and buy what you need from the sale ads.

WalkingGirl1985

Bananas are usually pretty cheap to get..I'm trying to budget $50 a week myself, not easy. Can get usually anything in moderation..banquet meals arn't exactly healthy, but they do have its benefits..also getting oatmeal is cheap, you can try that..michealinas gourmet meals usually run a dollar a entree..make sure you check out the nutritional info..also I learned brown rice can be cheap at Save A Lot..89 cents for a bag...give that a try

flutterbee3

What do you like to eat? You can get frozen veggies pretty cheap and canned tuna and beans too. Instead of buying boneless, skinless chicken get the bone in chicken with skin. Also, a big head of lettuce should be pretty cheap if you don't buy the packaged stuff and it lasts longer. Oatmeal and yogurt are good in the am just don't buy the individual packets or 6oz containers, go for the big package and save $.

RedHotRunner

Do you have a Sprouts market by you? Hands down best prices on fresh fruit/veggies and meats. Shop the circulars. Stock up on what's on sale. It can be done, but takes some effort. Good luck!

Crystalchaos72

Coupons are great.....I will try that for sure.....I don't have an Aldi's but I am sure there is a dicount bread store here somewhere.....I do have a habit when I buy bread to just freeze it..then take out what I am going to use. Thank you all for your suggestions!! Very much appreciated:flowerforyou:

ah18255

I'm a big fan of lentils, lentil soup is so healthy, and quite cheap.

amberaz

Start with your grocery store circulars. What's on sale? I don't mean what chips, snacks or treats...what meats, veggies and fruits are on sale? Grab some cheap basics like whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, a couple dozen eggs, some yogurt and frozen veggies. Fill in with the healthiest stuff you can afford from the sale ads. That should help.

Crystalchaos72

I like most food except liver + eggplant.....blech!! More great ideas no Sprouts

Crystalchaos72

I LOVE this site! MFP rocks! Thanks for your support and helpful advice.....GREATLY appreciated I will make it work!

chevy88grl

Coupons are great.....I will try that for sure.....I don't have an Aldi's but I am sure there is a dicount bread store here somewhere.....I do have a habit when I buy bread to just freeze it..then take out what I am going to use. Thank you all for your suggestions!! Very much appreciated:flowerforyou:

Save A Lot is similar to Aldi's - do you have one of them? You can go to their websites and see if you have one anywhere around you. It's a little bit of a drive to my nearest Aldi - so I don't do it ALL the time, but when I do -- I'm always glad I did. I can get a HEAPING cart of stuff for around $60!

MaryD4900

Do you have a Winn Dixie near you? They always have meat on sale... this week they had chicken breast and a bunch of other stuff buy one get one free.

Oatmeal with canned pineapple is cheap and easy breakfast. Buy the big tubs of oatmeal- it's a lot cheaper than buying the packets and lasts a long time.
I also like peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast- sooooo filling and yummy and cheap

Black beans are cheap and versatile.
Baked potato w/ black beans and salsa
Black bean burgers
Quesadillas w/ cheese, black beans, and salsa
Burrito w/ black beans, rice, salsa, veggies/chicken
(I obviously use a lot of salsa... I get the big El Paso tubs at Wal Mart... Good value and adds flavor to everything)

Tuna patties w/ bread crumbs or oatmeal (recipe on the message boards here)
There's also a cauli crust recipe on here for pizza crust you can make w/ frozen cauliflour, cheese, and an egg. I use spaghetti sauce + seasoning for pizza sauce and just top w/ cheese and veggies
Pasta salad w/ whole wheat noodles, salad dressing, and veggies (Publix has buy one get one free on noodles almost every week)

milaxx

It's a matter of know how to shop. If you are thrifty you can indeed stock up. I managed to save and stock up while collecting unemployment as my only income.

Few step:

1) Stay away from pre-packaged. They seem like a deal, but really aren't in the long run.

2) Clip coupons. I'm not talking extreme couponers but following the circulers for your area and clipping coupons will save you a ton of $$$. Nowadays most stores also list their sales on line so you don;t even need to buy a paper.

3) Plan your meals. It helps you see How to get 5 different meals out of a box of noodles & realize that buying a whole chicken and cutting it up is cheaper than prepacked parts.

4) Ziploc snack bags and freezer bags are your friend. You can buy snacks from the bulk department and separate them yourself. You can buy fruit and veg at the farmer's market, produce market or the quick sale items at the supermarket and freeze what you can't eat right away.

5) Get a crock pot. Beans you cook yourself have lower sodium in them. And a tough cut of meat stewed until tender can taste great.

I'm single with 2 cats. I think I spend between $100 - $150 a month for everything; toiletries, cat food , cleaning stuff & food.

mericksmom

Coupon and gardening, Since you cant get the garden up and running and giving you produce in a week, couponing is your next bet, Look online for FREE and local coupon blogs that break down the ads in your area and what coupons to use to stretch your dollar. Then go to the coupon sites, coupon.com, redplum, coupon network, Frys food, safeway, Target..... and print out the coupons you use (more than once if it will let you), if you are on facebook friend your favorite product pages they normally do freebies here in there or high value coupons. In major cities (like here in Phoenix) there are thing like bountiful baskets 10-20 bucks for produce, breads.....and other stuff depending on what is fresh and what not. and there are major helpers like https://www.the3000club.org/ 3000 club/ MOM, markets on the move (phx again) where you pay $10 bucks and they give you 60 lbs of produce.

At most I spend 40 dollars a week for family of 3, dog and cat and turtle

I wish you luck and if all fail, bean rice and pasta is cheap fillers.

trud72

very true you are right healthy thing are way dearer!
BUT the easiest way i have found and better...is make your own stuff!
you know what goes into your own items and no colouring ect...i have become a really good cook since my healthy eating started belive it or not and yes i am on a budget too...

Lovelystrumpet

I'm a student, and so have a very limited budget for food, but manage to eat enough and eat healthy -just takes a bit of practice and knowing what to look for and where to go!

I usually plan my meals for the week before I set off, and only buy what is on my list - no leftovers or 'cupboard stockers'. And no biscuits or cakes or anything- if you don't buy it, you can't eat it! I usually end up spending around £15 a week maximum, and take advantage of Buy One Get One Frees, multibuy deals, and things on the 'reduced to clear' shelf - often even something on it's sell buy date can be frozen, and tins that are bashed around have exactly the same tasting food inside.

A typical weeks shopping would include:
8 yoghurts
3 bell peppers
an iceberg lettuce
cucumber
bag of carrot sticks
pack of 4 kiwis
pack of 4 nectarines
2 packs of 5 cereal bars
a pack of ryvita
tub of hummus
packet of cous cous
4 veggie burgers
4 mackerel fillets
bag of mixed nuts/dried fruit

and then every few weeks a jar of peanut butter.