Running out of money to eat healthy!!!I need advice for my g

kmacgera

Buy beans in 25 to 50 lb sacks. Use lentils a lot, use brown rice instead of ramen.

Costco has good produce at reasonable prices, they still have whole chicken for 99c per pound. Almonds are still affordable.

I like Sprouts and Sunflower too, but they may not be in your area; they have great weekly sales on produce and meats. Bulk items there can sometimes be cheap.

Make your own bread, so much cheaper (and better) than store bought.

ampa916

We always get the meats that are discounted because they are going in our freezer, that really helps cut down on our meat costs. We also buy the larger portions and cut/divide it so I can buy the 97/3 ground beef that is near it's freeze buy date and come home divide it and have 3 lbs of meat for spaghetti/hambugers etc. The crockpot is awesome. I get a roast and cut it in half then I have two roasts to cook.

I don't know your budget, but we spend around $220 every two weeks (or $440 every month) on groceries including diapers/wipes and dog food (which is about $40 a month we have a big dog lol) Also I get my spices from the dollar tree, its the same thing basically only cheaper. I use the coupon books when I find them if they work with what we want/need

skatters

Try Aldi's if you have one close. Mine has good fruits and veggies (but not necessarily a large variety) and you can find some packaged foods much cheaper. I like their brand of Fiber One bars. They have whole chicken for 90cents a pound. If you throw one in the crock pot, it can stretch to make multiple meals. They have tons of frozen and canned veggies, often 30cents a can for green beans. Good luck... it's hard, I know.

kbmnurse

First of all get rid of one of the husbands they can eat a lot. LOL Crockpot meals, beans brown rice

pen2u

Ramen is a waste of money, IMO. I know it's inexpensive, but it should be because there's little nutrition and too much salt. Better to find a good deal on whole chickens (Costco?) to simmer for broth and make some healthy, veg & bean-laden soups to freeze in whatever sizes are handy for you. You can also freeze the broth in ice cube trays, pop out into freezer bags, & use as needed. I used to make my own protein/energy bars, very simple and yummy. Buy in bulk if you can, share cases w/co-op members or friends. My local HFS has a catalog we can order from for 10% over wholesale. Farmer's markets are good, buy in season and freeze for later. Your freezer & crockpot should become your best buds in the kitchen. Also, if things are tight you probably don't have the money for fun days out, so turn cooking for the week ahead into a fun activity for you and the kids. And good luck, things are bound to improve!

Yes, and do get rid of one of those hubbies

SunnyAndrsn

The farmers market where I live is year round and has cut our grocery bills down significantly. We were spending close to 100 a week on fruit and veg (4 adults), we now go to the market every two weeks and spend 30 bucks. We come home dice everything up and rinse it and throw it in the freezer to be used at a later date. We also buy eggs and other products at the market.

Ditto this!

Right now, I spend about $30 a week on fruits and veggies for two adults. Soon it will Farmer's Market season, and I can't wait!
In the mean time, I use the sales flyer from the store to plan. For example, a head of green leaf lettuce is usually 99 cents, while the packaged stuff can be up to 2.99-3.99. Toss in a cucumber, tomato, and a little onion...add a couple of ounces of chicken breast and you've got a lunch.

We like to get the 3lb bags of chicken breasts, to use for salads, to make homemade chicken nuggets, or to grill with rice and veggies. During the winter months, we buy a lot of frozen veggies--just price compare is the best advice I can give.

Fruits are the hardest part, mainly because there is no replacing the taste of actual fresh fruits! I usually look for the best sales, lately it's been bananas and apples. Grapes were $2 for a pound this past week, which got us a total of 3 cups of grapes. Strawberries were also on sale, a package of sliced berries was another 2 cups.

It's hard, I know. I'm the sole breadwinner in our house right now too. After the bills were paid (mostly) from my last check, we had $130 for two weeks for food and gas. Luckily, I have virtually no commute.

We buy rice, potatoes, onions, and meat on sale and in bulk when possible--which means that one week the grocery bill might be heavy on meats, the next week it's heavy on fresher foods.

SunnyAndrsn

http://www.ringaroundtherosies.net/2012/02/freezer-cooking.html

A friend of mine just pinned this on Pinterest. Give it a look.

HotAshMess

Everyone is tight these days....hope something I say helps you out!

1. Invest in a crock pot and learn about cooking healthy cheap meals with it. You can make your on beans for very cheap...versus buying canned, ect.

2. Meat CAN be cheap! Look for the stuff that is "Manager's Special" or a "Surprise buy", many times this is stuff that needs to be sold right away, but if your going to use or freeze it right away then this is definitely an option for you to consider. Also...frozen chicken breasts can be cheap and easy. Stores in my area will have sales on them and I can usually get 2 lbs of meat (about 6 breasts) for $4-5. Don't buy meat at full price. If you're really struggling, you might have to learn to work with what is on sale, versus what you "feel" you want for dinner. Here's an article on how to make your meat for further: http://www.gourmetfrugality.com/2011/07/05/frugal-tip-how-to-make-your-meat-go-farther/

3. Your diary isn't public, but I hope you aren't eating out. Like...ever. Just don't do it. I realized one day when my ex and I went to Mc Donalds that what we bought could have been multiple meals at home!

4. Fresh produce.....eat in season. Everything is cheaper when it is in season in your area. Try a food coop if you have one in your area....many times the sales at the coop in my area are better than the sales at larger stores (for example...I've gotten raspberries for $1.79 when they were still $3 at the chains). Farmer's Markets are super cheap and a great way to boost local economy. Also....consider growing some of your own plants. Your daughter looks too young to help, but I bet you could teach her to water plants by next year. Some people think this isn't an option....but it always is! I live in an apartment with a small balcony....I've grown tomatoes on my balcony and plan to do so again this year. If you're in an apartment, the investment is bigger because you need containers....but they don't have to be new or anything special. Seeds are cheap, water is free. Consider a topsy turvy for tomatoes, plant some lettuce or something in some small window boxes...yes, there will be a small investment, but it will pay off. Growing your own might be something to put off until a better time.

6. You put a lot of emphasis on FRESH, but....eating frozen veggies isn't the worst thing in the world and eating frozen because you cant afford fresh beats not eating them at all. Learn to cook with frozen/canned veggies...add a handful of frozen veggies to your ramen. Learn to make ramen differently so that you can add stuff to it! I make an awesome veggie/brown rice pilaf that is cheap, easy, low cal and filling.....and I serve with a chicken breast. I'm guessing, but I'm probably making multiple meals in under $5.

7. Look up budget cooking.....Taste of home used to publish the cost of a meal in their cook books. The site doesn't, but it wouldn't hurt to look http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Budget-Recipes

8. Eat less conveniently For example.....Tuna helper is great. Everything is in one box and all you do is add tuna, butter, milk. Guess what? For the same price as the Tuna Helper, butter, milk and tuna.... you could make a tuna helper-like meal that is healthier, and you'd get more for the same price.

9. Coupons. Learn about them and the best way to use them. Not every coupon makes it a "deal" but sometimes they can really help.

10. I'm assuming your already doing this, but buy generic.


Hope something I said helps you!

cnick21

As another poster said, wholesale stores such as Costco's or BJ's are GREAT for families. My boyfriend and I go there even though its just the 2 of us because in the long run, we save so much money. We go there and buy healthy request soup, cans of tuna in water, saltine crackers, granola bars, huge packs of chicken breast or whole chickens and fresh veggies and fruits. In the beginning, it looks like you're spending more than you would at the regular supermarket but you get SO much more for your money. We also got the ginormous pack of organic arugula for salads for $5. They also have an amazing selection of prepackaged nuts such as peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc. I know how tough it can be financially, as I work full time and am also a college student. Its tough sometimes to eat healthy when money is tight, but it's still doable!

meechi53

Coupons and more Coupons. Also, at one of my grocery stores, they have fresh produce that is almost "expired" but not quite, I get Romaine lettuce sometimes for 25 cents a stalk/bush. If you are going to eat it right away, then whats the difference. I got pears for a quarter each, tomatoes 4x 1.00. You can also do this in the meat dept, find the reduced price meat and freeze it before the due date. Most stores put out the reduce prices in the morning so if you go around 10am on a weekday you get a good selection

SherryRH

I happen to live in an area where Aldi, Botton Dollar and Redners Market are in my circle of Saturday grocery shopping. I check the ads and go from there. If you have a produce junction near you, they are great. Today I am going to freeze fresh brussel sprouts I just bought and also some bananas. Last year I bought 15lbs of blueberries and eat some for a snack on some days.

Another thing we do is buy steam fresh veggies. I know they aren't as good as fresh but the ones with no sauce are good and at least you are getting some veggies. We buy them when they are $1.00 or less per bag.

Lastly, one thing I do is I make up a weekly menu. It is easy to stick to a list and you can plan you menu out around the weekly sales. Good luck.

tistal

Coupons. There ARE coupons for good food. I buy tons of mark down meat and it either goes straight in the freezer or gets cooked and then frozen. Aldi's has great produce prices and good prices on their frozen Tilapa and chicken.

There are 4 of us and one income. I go through all the sale ads we get each week and just look for the best deals.

I agree with the use of the crockpot! I use mine all the time. Wal Mart has 10lb bags of cut up chicken pieces for about $6 and I buy those. They either go in the smoker or the crockpot. Usually the crockpot because it can cook all day and make enough chicken for 4 meals with leftovers!

Anything that calls for 1lb of meat I always cut in half. Especially pasta dishes.

And dont be generic scared. If you have a Hyvee, their "generic" Hyvee brand is great and cheap! Especially their frozen veggies which usually run on sale about .65-1.20 a bag! Kroger Carbmaster is good yogurt, low in sugar and cheaper than the name brands. Barilla whole grain pasta is about $1 a box here.

Its tough but it can be done! We are planting a garden this year so I am hoping that will help with the produce part a bit!

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Thank you for posting this-I'm looking forward to reading this thread. Eating healthy/organic is MEGA expensive to/for us. The upside is though, getting in better shape and eating better is saving money in the long-run via medical bills, etc.

JamCubeChi

Reading everyone's post & they are all very good ideas. I too am the only one working-hubby is retired, 2 kids at home and one away at university that we have to provide for (housing/food/books, etc) so I know what you mean. Don't know which part of country you live but the Costcos, BJ's and places like that are great for buying in bulk. Check out Aldi if you have one n your area, we just had one open up near me and I just went in there today to check prices (usually shop at Super Walmart & Publix living in SoFla). They had a head of califlower for $.99; Walmart was $2.58-mind you the one at Walmart was a little bigger in size but I could have gotten 2 at Aldi for less than the one at Walmart. Also, check out some store brands of certain things, and frozen fruits & veges. when not in season. The frozen fruits can make great smoothies and you're still getting your fruits in. The coupon ideas are also very good. ( I still need to start using them more) and check the store advertisements weekly for specials. Wishing you the best of luck-I know it's hard out there! :flowerforyou:

BodyPositive

Why not buy bags of frozen veggies?

NicholeRobb

bump

ascott048

Here are some of the ideas we use at home.


1. MEAL PLAN: Tons of money goes to waste when you go to the store and buy a bunch of things that don't make an entire meal. Go to the store or check ads to see what is on sale then plan meals around them. When at the store ONLY buy what you need. If you can, budget a small amount of money for fun items that you may want. (Popcorn, nuts, crackers)

2. SHOP IN THE BULK FOODS SECTION: Buy as much as you can in bulk. Not the kind of bulk like you buy at Costco, I mean the bulk foods section where they have a large bucket of oatmeal and you scoop what you need into a bag. You pay by weight of food. Do you live near a WinCo? They have low prices and a great bulk foods section. Here are items I buy in bulk: Spices (only buy what you need for each day's meal plan) Oatmeal or Cereal (I pay about .50 a week for oatmeal), flour, sugar, Pasta, and Rice, Beans.

3. BUY DRY GOODS: When you purchase dry beans and soak them over night the cost is significantly lower than if you purchase a can of beans. You can get an entire pound of beans for the price you pay for one can.

4. GET A CROCK POT - Walmart sells these for a great price.

5. MANAGERS SPECIAL PRICES: Go to the meat section and buy the about to expire meat. Put it in your freezer and then when you are ready to use it thaw it out. Not sure what to make with those random boneless country pork ribs on managers special? They can go in a crock pot all day and then be shredded for pulled pork sandwiches.

6. DON"T BUY PRE-CUT FOODS - buy a bag of carrots and cut them yourself, buy a head of lettuce (get a salad spinner if you don't have one), purchase in season foods or go to a farmers market (watch the farmers market, they are not always less money)

7. DON'T EAT OUT OR BUY STARBUCKS- It can end up costing you more if you eat lunches out and one Starbucks drink can cost you the same to feed your family.

8. COSTCO - This can be hard because sometimes you can't afford to buy a months worth of TP at once because it takes up your whole budget, but if you can try to buy canned and frozen foods from here. I buy the 10 lb cans of crushed tomatoes and then portion them out in plastic containers and freeze it until I need it.

9. TRADER JOES - Do you have a Trader Joes near you? They often sell things for a lower price but you really need to keep an eye on this.

10. SOUP - I make a big pot of soup on Sunday and then portion it out for my lunch all week.

Best of luck to you!

Lala20112

I found that shopping at off brand stores and buying non name brands work for me its cheeper and the taste is no diif,also try and buy meats in bulk and separrate into meals and freeze. frozen vegs are better, but cost alittle more,can is cheeper but has alot of salt,so if u buy can just rinse the vegs off before you heat them that will lower the salt,as for fruits and vegs (fresh) market stalls are your best bet there........Good luck. P.S Coupons dont work for me as I dont buy name brands......

AsaraFuriosa

Sorry to hear about your troubles, We struggle financially also. I thought eating healthy would be so expensive, turned out to be where you do your shopping. I switched from Krogers to Trader Joes. Do you have a Trader Joe's close by? I'm telling you that alone cut my bill by almost half. So much healthy food in that place and less expensive then you would think. Ex: fruit filled cereal bars $1.99 for a box of 6!

Toddrific

For fresh produce, you can't beat cabbage and greens (collard, mustard, turnip).
You can take leftovers (meat and stuff) and mix them with cabbage and potatoes.