Broke A** Beotch here

runslikeagirl

So what do yall eat when your low on funds and can't afford healthly food?? Bad food is soooo Much more affordable!!!

maryd4love

watch your portions

LadyKT

A lot of sandwiches :laugh:

AngieM76

There is always something healthy out there even if its not the best. Maybe cans of tuna, eggs, stuff like that. And if you absolutely cant buy anything healthy....watch your portions.

CapsFan17

Watch your portions and up your workouts if needed. It's all about staying in your calorie alotments. Good Luck!

ltlemermaid

I usually stock up on brown rice, black beans, frozen veggies (if I know I won't eat the fresh in time). I also buy ground turkey, chicken and stock up when its on sale. I also try to buy my fruits in season too (they are the cheapest then) and also get them on sale.

If you have an Aldi by you I would reccomend going there- its a lot cheaper than regular grocery stores on most items.

ChantalGG

eggs are cheap, tuna is cheap, bread is cheap, big bag of apples are cheap... lettuce is cheap.

dittiepe

Make your own healthy food You don't need to have a lot of cash to shop. I'm unemployed, for example! You can make healthy versions of everyday foods pretty inexpensively. Check the web for recipes. It's all there, and here, for you!

iAMaPhoenix

I shoplift...JK. Try to find farmers markets and discount meat stores in your area. FM have fresher fruits and veggie and if you go just before they close, you can make better deals with them.

frugalmomsrock

buy a bag of potatoes. You can bake them and eat with a touch of cheese, chop them and make steak fries with just a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings, steam them in the microwave with a smidgen of smart balance (or similar spread), rosemary, and garlic powder, etc. They are a good carb, have good iron with the skins on, and are not expensive. They can be versatile too. And whole chicken. Roasted and picked apart, a whole chicken can provide several meals: chicken quesadillas, chicken soup, chicken gravy and brown rice, etc.

htebaram

Watch for local grocery ads and clip coupons...don't buy prepared food. Good luck!:flowerforyou:

Jellyphant

I always see the bags of flash frozen broccoli florets and other veggies for less than a dollar per bag. Buy chicken thighs instead of breasts and just take off the skins to minimize cals and fat, and invest in a good BPA-free water bottle to refill instead of constantly buying the 24 packs of bottled water. I've done all of these and saved a ton of money.

ChantalGG

wow i just looked at your food diary. you eat packaged meals all the time. i make my own food it saves me tons. I buy in bulk feed the entire family what i eat, it taste good is not diet food so there are no complaints.

kimdoes

haha I am fairly broke too. Veggies are cheaper than fruit I think. But if when you shop you buy in bulk and break it up to portions, it lasts a lot longer. I used to break a huge package of chicken (like 9 boneless skinless breasts) up into like 3 sections. Now I break it into like 14. I am eating to proper portions, but still feeding my children the amount they typically eat. It truly makes a huge difference. Good luck!

Crystalchaos72

Coupons, look for sales, buy bread in bulk and freeze it.....whole wheat pasta, a garden(start one if you have the space) buy whole chicken and cut it yourself, eggs are relatively inexpensive. These are all answers I got when I posted a while back.....if you have a discount grocery store where you live go there, frozen veggies are cheap and healthier than canned......tuna.....good luck! I am broke too, but I eat well!

ZebraHead

Fish (not breaded, talapia, salmon, flounder, etc)
Ham steaks
Chicken/Turkey (grilled skinless, boneless breasts)
97/3 hamburger (lean)
Beans (canned (black, navy, black eyed peas, etc))
Steamed veggies (fresh or frozen)
Large green salads (with strips of left over ham, chicken, turkey
Veggie stir fry - mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, onions, tofu
Apples (fruits)
Canned Chicken, tuna (for salads toppings or their own salad/spreads)


Crock pot chilis, stews, soups

Don't buy prepackaged processed food. Cook your own you'll be richer both in money and health. ☺♥☺

PattyCake123

if you have a farmer's market near you those are always good places to get decently priced produce (and support your local farmers). The one by me is once a week and I can get enough to last me until the next week. They have all kinds of fresh produce, cheeses, fresh eggs, breads, honey etc. Good luck with everything!

chicpower1

I ad-match at Walmart. We're a one income family so healthy food really impacts our budget. I pick up the nearest city paper, and then go through each ad to see who has the best deals on meat, fresh produce, reduced fat chips, etc. I gather all the data together and then also check to see if I have any matching coupons. Often I will have at least a couple to help reduce the costs further. I make my shopping list isle by isle, and next to each item I list which ad I'm matching it from and then place them in the cart according to the ad. When I get the the register I don't load my items on the conveyor, I tell the cashier first that we are going to ad match and then show her the first ad. Then I hand her each item one by one so she can manually ring up the price and we slowly work our way through each ad. It really doesn't take that long, even when I'm matching 5-6 different ads, since I have everything organized. I even have the deals I'm matching highlighted in the ad to make it easy to find. Then at the end I hand her any coupons I have to further reduce the total. When necessary, I can get my grocery budget for our 4 person household down to $60 a week and that includes diapers, wipes, junk food and lunches for my husband, fresh produce, steamed veggies, Lean Cuisine meals, etc.

Hang onto your coupons from the city paper and check the ads carefully. If CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc have coupons in their ad that give a specific price (eg: Folgers 7oz coffee $3.99) then you can use that coupon at Walmart. They won't honor " 20% off Folgers" ads and coupons, it must list the specific price and the specific quantity/measurement. The policy really is fairly simple and straightforward though. The only "gray area" is the ads with the drugstores that offer reward bucks back. If the ad says, "Crest toothpaste $1 after $2.00 register rewards" then they won't honor it. They will not honor register cash rewards but they WILL honor ads that say "with card" for the stores that offer membership cards. (Food Lion, Kroger, etc).

Most walmarts will honor the ad matches for any store within a reasonable driving distance. I know they go at least 45 miles out if not further. You can do an online search for "Walmart Ad Match policy" and it will come right up. Be sure to carry a copy with you to the store in case the cashier needs to be educated or if you're unsure. Must easier to have that policy on you than to get up to the register and face a problem.

Hope this helps!

SmileeBarbFLA

eggs are cheap, tuna is cheap, bread is cheap, big bag of apples are cheap... lettuce is cheap.

That's just what I was going to suggest. And store brand saves you money too sometimes. Buy a block of low fat cheese and shred it yourself instead of already shredded in a package, little things like that... eggs, tuna, cans of soup, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta with sauce. Buy what's on sale ONLY! Try different brands that you are used to also and you may be pleasantly surprised that they are good also. Farmer's Markets are good too since fruits and veggies can get pricey. But I buy a lot of frozen veggies that I can use at any time. And like others suggested, be careful with portion control. That can help stretch out the food and make it last longer. And always drink water before a meal (that's free!!!) you get fuller faster and eat less.

birdieandkenadi05

Lettuce is cheap (think lettuce wrap or salad), eggs, tuna, and buy individual fruits. Eating healthy is very expensive, we just have to be creative...I grill chicken wings to make a chicken salad, wrap,and all other kinda goodies..Not as expensive as chicken breast and still ok for you..GOOD LUCK!!

ChantalGG

Lettuce is cheap (think lettuce wrap or salad), eggs, tuna, and buy individual fruits. Eating healthy is very expensive, we just have to be creative...I grill chicken wings to make a chicken salad, wrap,and all other kinda goodies..Not as expensive as chicken breast and still ok for you..GOOD LUCK!!

Chicken wings are all skin (fat) not god for you. Look in the freezer section for frozen chicken breast you can find bulk bags for 10 bucks and have 7 to 10 big pieces iof chicken breasts in there.

runslikeagirl

wow i just looked at your food diary. you eat packaged meals all the time. i make my own food it saves me tons. I buy in bulk feed the entire family what i eat, it taste good is not diet food so there are no complaints.

Those Lean Gourmet Meals are only like $1.50! They are cheap, give me portion control and I can keep track of cal very easy.

MissingMinnesota

Check out farmers markets for cheap fruits and veggies.

dodd319

I stock up on packaged meals when I can as well. They are $1 where I live. I usually make my own dinners and have those when there really is nothing in the house or when I'm in a hurry. Tomorrow I'll try send you some recipes I use.

dodd319

I've also seen on the healthy food shows to cook your chicken with the skin on and then take it off after cooking. It saves all the juices inside and won't shrink in size as much.

SueInAz

I'm surprised no one has mentioned dried beans yet. You can buy them bulk for very, very cheap and cook them in the crockpot. Look up online how to soak them beforehand, etc. You can get all different kinds and add them cold to salads, into casseroles, as a side dish, etc. They are a very cheap source of protein and fiber.

Buy frozen veggies, especially when they are on sale, stock up. They are usually more nutritious than fresh since they are frozen the same day or the next after they are picked. Fresh veggies can sit around your grocery store and then your fridge for quite a while. I especially like frozen stir fry veggies. You can make a very cheap and healthy stir fry from leftover cuts of meat and veggies. Use some rice or some pasta to round it out.

Celery and tuna are both cheap and you can make a tuna salad and eat it with the celery as a scoop. Keep the celery in water in your fridge and it'll last for weeks.