Price of food and lack of money...Help needed!

AshleyE1122

Hello everyone, I have a couple questions for everyone. My family is very strapped on cash. I have brought our monthly food to 400.00 so far, but it isn't enough. this is the only place we can save money at. I am unable to go to work as my 3 yr old is home and childcare is way more than we can pay. My 5 yr has started kindergarten and gets out early every other Wednesday. My question is do any of you know how to cut back on food and still stay healthy? We are used to eating fresh veggies and fruits. I am going to buy the frozen kind as well now, but on things like healthy meat, there are little coupons. We currently do have 1 vegetarian meal a week. Any help would be great! My husband and I are on our last leg and know that we will not even be able to afford anything for the holidays! Thank you.

Xandi

Eating healthy doesn't have to cost a lot. I like checking out the farmers markets and seeing what is available locally. Frozen is a great way to go. you might want to see if there is a "outlet store" in your area. we have hostess a few blocks away and it is a great place to get the breads, however, they do need to be checked to make sure they haven't started going bad.

mjgregg12

Do you shop at discount food stores, like Aldi, Price Rite, etc (not sure where you live)?
I have saved a fortune on fresh veggies and fruit by going to a deep discount store.
Frozen veggies are usually ok, I use them alot, especially spinach.

BranMuffin21

Soup/stews are always a good option and the nice thing is if anything is left over you can freeze. I wish I had a better answer, I'd love to hear your responses you get.

bdurls

I find planning my meals very helpful when it comes to saving money. Then I make a grocery list and just buy what's on the list. You won't be as tempted to get other things you don't really needs. Also, check online for flyers of the grocery stores in your town. You might have to shop at two or three different stores for things, but you can find out where the good deals are. Good luck with everything! I know how hard it is to make healthy meals for a family on a budget!

natekorpusik

Sorry to hear of your situation. While I cannot claim to be in the same situation as you I can tell you that my wife and I shop the sales. I know it sounds silly, but we shop the sales and buy more during the sales and use it for a couple of weeks. For example, I was at shaws the other day and they had ALL chicken on sale for 99 cents per pound. I filled our freezer and we won't have to buy chicken again this month. We also look for the pasta that is 10 for $10. There is always something on sale, they just rotate through different companies. Also good to buy things that you can reconstruct at home, rather than pre-made meals. Frozen section for anything other than veggies is too expensive. And buy store bought when you can. Today we got 2 pounds of carrots for $1 just by shopping the sales. Best of luck to you and your family.

androidhelen27

Unfortunately food is pricey right now, but meat is definitely the most expensive. I love meat but don't eat it often as i just can't afford to. I eat lots of grains, lentils, rice, polenta as they are filling and not too expensive (the amount of things you can do with polenta are amazing!)

If you can't do without meat at all, try making stews but bulk them out with pearl barley or other veg. This is easy to do with curries as well (and many other dishes like lasagne, shepherd's pie) etc - this way it'll make your meat go further and you'll still be able to enjoy the meat.

Try buying from a butcher instead of a supermarket - they often have deals and the quality will be better. I also get my veg from market stalls as they can work out cheaper (and the veg is often bigger than what you can get in the supermarket!)

Hope you manage to get your costs down!

AshleyE1122

Hi! I live in summerville,sc and there is no deep discount like aldi's. The city I used to live in did have one and loved it. I will check out the sara lee store here for bread. Thank you so much for the advice!

Acg67

buy whole chickens and break it down, instead of buying already cut up breasts and thighs. then use the carcass for stock

jeff261159

Buy cheap cuts of meat and use a crockpot / slow cooker

rileysowner

Dried beans, whole grains (brown rice, wheat berries, oat groats, lentils and the like) can stretch meals a long way. Frozen veggies are just fine, but make sure they did not add anything else. You just want the veggies not added salt. Nutritionally they are not much different than the fresh versions, but much more affordable usually.

Julijulz

I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores and I find that the quality of my fruits and veggies are so much better. And they don't have the hormones and pesticides that can cause cancer. Also, if you don't mind frozen veggies, they save you a lot of money as well. Compared to canned veggies, the price can be so much cheaper.

nygiantschick

How about bulk items like dried beans, oatmeal, etc. I stock up on that stuff. Frozen veggies are definitely great. Stay away from the processed stuff and boxes of cereal, etc. Doyou have a friend who has a Sam's/BJ's/COSTCO card? You may be able to split te bill and then split up the items so you can save money that way? Or maybe you can have a community potluck where a group of friends/neighbors/family all cook huge protions of a main dish and everyone bring freezerware to split it up for meals. Everyone may be able to save money that way.

AshleyE1122

Oh my! Thank you for all the advice! You guys have really came through for me. I can go the local butcher, but make lots more soups. The really do last longer. I am an extreme couponer and have seen some really good sales. This all does help and will make a difference. I will keep everyone updated on how it goes. thank you again!!

jeffrodgers1

Have you considered looking into Barter clubs? We all have some kind of service we can offer in exchange for something else... My brother is a locksmith by trade. He does maintenance for people on barter which has to date provided him with a great deal of luxury items at very low costs. For example, he replaced the locks and safe for an electronics store and ended up with a 50" Plasma tv. He changed the locks on a property for a guy who does websites and had a website built for him.

My point is, that you likely have some kind of service you could trade for food (or at least deep discount). I see you are a CMA. Perhaps a small business could barter you groceries for doing their books?

Just a thought.

Hope it all works out for you!

bcattoes

Eating vegetarian more than once a week would save money, as vegetarian sources of protien (beans and nuts) are much cheaper. Also, eggs are a good cheap source of protein. Omelet's are a filling, nutritious dinner than most kids love.

Some other suggestions that have probably already been mentioned are plan your meal around what's on sale. Stock up on non-perishables when they are on sale. Grow your own when possible. Many vegetables will grow in containers (pots) if you don't have the room to till up a convential garden. During harvest season check farmer's markets or local farm stands for affordable fresh vegetables and fruit.

gogonunubean

Oh yes, I have been there!

Bulk up on healthy carbs (brown rice, etc) buy these in bulk, they cost more up front, but they are worth it. Also, check the sales lists and stock up when the are reduced. Milk I would buy on sale and freeze for the month - same with bread and cheese (I would cut up a big block and freeze it).

Then I would spend one weekend a month, batch cooking. With 1 lbs of ground beef, 2 big cans of tomato, a bag of frozen corn, a bag of frozen spinach, some water and some gravy powder, I could make enough to portion out and freeze for at least 4 family meals (me, hubby and my child). One of my go to meals right now, is rice, a can of kidney beans and a can of tomato. My whole family loves it!

I am also quite good at internet stuff and so I approached a local farmers market and did a trade - I helped them keep their website updated and got nice fresh produce in return! Now we are not struggling quite so much, I still trade for so much!

Best of luck - I know it is hard.

H2Ologist

http://www.foodonthetable.com/?trackid=mealplanning&gclid=CMnV25aBmKsCFYWo4AodbHmUeA

http://family.go.com/food/pkg-budget-recipes/cheap-dinner-recipes-pg/view-all/

http://www.cheapcooking.com/articles/cooking-on-a-budget.html

One other thing is that, although the food available is not always the healthiest, the local food pantry is one place that could help with finding a few of the essentials: rice, noodles, etc. The food pantry is there to help. Just remember them when you are back on your feet. If you can't pay it forward, at least pay it back!

Xandi

We also make a menu and post it on the refrigerator. We do this for a 2 week period, mainly because that is when we get paid.
we take the menu with us and go shopping. It definitely makes it easier for us to figure out what we need to get. I spend Monday afternoons going through the flyers of the various grocery stores. I try and make a list ( this affects how our menu is written). I figure out what I need to get based on what I can get for a reasonable price. I cook a lot in the crockpot.

crazedmomof5

I think a lot of us are in the same boat to lose weight you need to eat right HOWEVER to eat right is cost more money so I feel strapped as well and your right normally the groceries are the easiest to cut. Not sure in your area but we have a farmers market that I use instead if the grocery store for most of my fruits and veggies. The farmers market saves me a ton of money and my family still gets good fruits and veggies to eat! Hope this helps some and good luck

stroken96

My husband and I both lost our jobs in 2008, I went to work in 2009 and he just got a job we make half what we did so when I go shopping I buy a couple bags of frozen veggies, and dried beans, so when hard time hits we have something

natekorpusik

buy whole chickens and break it down, instead of buying already cut up breasts and thighs. then use the carcass for stock

This is a great idea. We are actually doing that today.

kiesh82

I think that if you stick to shopping the perimeter of the grocery store you will be ok. Farmer's market even better. Stick to whole foods - meat, veggies, fruit (frozen or fresh) and cut back on the boxed/canned/processed stuff which tends to be more expensive.

audram420

I haven't read all the replies so this may have been mentioned, but I find several coupons on the Thick and Chunky soups and things similar with veggies and meat. You can get lower sodium types and pour them over rice to make a pretty good meal...brown rice even better!! Sometimes we will find small whole chickens that are already seasoned on sale and we'll buy those and shred them and use them for sandwiches and different things!!

ering

Oh my! Thank you for all the advice! You guys have really came through for me. I can go the local butcher, but make lots more soups. The really do last longer. I am an extreme couponer and have seen some really good sales. This all does help and will make a difference. I will keep everyone updated on how it goes. thank you again!!

I use coupons too and have found them to be a life saver! Try checking out the clearance places at the store. There is usually one in the meat, dairy, and produce section. You can get meat for 1/2 off and then make sure to freeze it right away. I also will buy produce on clearance and then make sure to use it that day. Like if a bag of salad is marked 1/2 off I'll get it and then we eat it that night with dinner.
You can also freeze eggs when they go on sale cheap. We do this a lot. Just remember to pull them out the night before you plan to eat them.

jbeauchamp1

I struggled with the same question for a long time until I realized I just had to make it work. I am not sure the size of your family but for a household of three I was able to get my grocery budget down to 50-60 a week and that includes toiletries. I strictly shop sales and all meal planning goes around what is on sale. I will however go over budget by 20-30 bucks if a meat goes on a very low price and stock up and put it in the freezer. Meal planning is key for me to be able to stay in the budget and cooking from scratch. We rarely eat anything from a box or frozen. It does require more time on my part but knowing what is in my food is my way of being able to eat healthier. As for fresh fruits and veggies I do the same thing....we eat what is on sale that week. We rarely eat canned or frozen of these items either. I coupon alot as well and often travel to multiple grocery stores that are within a reasonable distance of my home to stay in budget. Eating healthy can be done rather easily on a tight budget just takes planning and dedication. You can do it girl!

SeasideOasis

If you have a freezer, get all the crap out of it and put the good stuff in it.

Look for soup recipes online that are homemade. This will keep you eating healthy and you can freeze them in personalized sized batches.

Do you have a crock pot? Take advantage of getting a pork or beef roast (whichever is on sale...many places do buy one get one free), red skin potatoes, carrots and celery and make a stew (dont forget to use some bouyon cubes).

Tuna fish...Yep, in the can. You can make tuna salads, tuna sandwiches, tuna snacks/treats.

I buy fresh berries (on sale), then take half of them and toss them straight into the freezer. You can make "yogurt" and smoothies out of them.

My boyfriend and I are buying a drop freezer, because we found if we go to our wholesale club, we will spend a bunch in one outing, but we don't need to hardly go to the grocery store for anything but very small things for a month. Plus, I create healthy "microwave" meals.

HUGE money saver!!

rbryntes

I agree...farmers markets tend to be a very cheap alternative to the grocery stores

Really? The farmer's markets here are at least as expensive, if not more so, than Whole Foods. I still go, but I can afford to do so. I don't believe they are necessarily cheaper. I find going to the farm stands on the sides of the road save me money.

MzBug

Something else to consider is a bulk buying group. If a group of 2-6 families get together and buy at the wholesale/warehouse stores (most will let you use coupons too) and then divide the stuff up you can save $$. Occasionally one or two of my friends and I will go to BJ's and get the staples (meat, rice, beans, cereal, etc) and divide it up equally and split the cost. BJ's also sends out coupons a couple times a month, and if you have a manufacturer coupon for the same item you can use BOTH coupons. Since none of us have much storage space this works out rather well.

floshideaway

Check at your local grocery store where the "gotta go"rack is. Most grocery stores and Wallmart have one for meat product. It is where you find the food which has today's date for expiration. This is the only way I buy my meats. We have had incredible meals for pennies. Just last week I bought Alaskan King crab legs for 4.99/lb instead of 19.99 which I cannot afford. Ask the meat manager what time and where to find these items. Usually it is out quite early in the morning but it is well worth it. My local grocery store also has a rack for vegies, Wallmart has a bakery rack also.

AshleyE1122

The farmers markets around here are pretty good and I used to shop from them until my food started to go bad because I would shop for 2 weeks. We have been making menus for 2 weeks and putting it up on the fridge and I do only shop by the sales. I mean I bring the total down by atleast 50%, but sometimes, it is not enough. So, starting this coming week, we are starting to shop weekly now and go to farmers market just for that week. The stews. crockpots, and meatless meals are very interesting to me and I am going to jump on that. We really need to make the change before something bad happens. Thank you guys so much for all the comments. It is unbelievable how much support I can get from here. I really didn't think I would get this much! Thank you again and if there is something not on here that you have another idea on, please let me know. I am open to ANYTHING!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!