I NEED support! Weight loss on super tight budget!

sbenson1978

not a scam. you should check i out before you judge it.

Allihexen

It's only cheap or "free" (though paying shipping still is not free) when you have a group of three or more people doing it. What's she to do if no one wants to join her?

Oh, I've checked it out alright. Don't have the time nor the patience for a shake that as soon as you stop drinking, all the weight comes back. I've been to the site and everything. Heck, I even got e-mails when I was curious, but when a company keeps e-mailing me like they NEED to have an extra customer, it screams "desperate" or "scam" to me.

manda1002

We're in a similar situation, and we live in Hawai'i so everything is stupid expensive. We shop Costco and try to get as much as we can there, but our Costco trip alone can be 100-200, depending on what we get. Bulk ground beef is $25 or more, 10lb of chicken breasts is $20 or more. The fresh fruits and veggies aren't as cheap as on the mainland. So more often than not, we eat REALLY good for like a week, then really crappy for a week because we're waiting for payday to roll around again.

Acg67

i didnt post to cause an argument. have you ever check out Body by Vi? It truly is an amazing product that is so NOT over priced. Free is affordable in my book. I am a single mom of 2 boys 11 & 10 so i do know a little about being on a budget. i lost 40lbs on my own with diet and excersice and hit a wall, for me being on a budget the shake were the answer, i went on to lose 18 more lbs and save money doing it.I have helped 8 co-workers lose over 180lbs in 90 days and no i wasnt making money doing it. it is all a matter of opinion.

And free comes with caveats like she has to sign up people under her to get it for free. For a glorified protein shake, yes $100 is ridiculously overpriced. And I have looked into BBV and it's nutritional profile and i'm familiar with how MLMs work

manda1002

As for the Body by Vi, I want to EAT all my meals for the rest of my life, not have to shell out money for a shake. If it works for you, awesome. I don't want that for me.

sbenson1978

since you obviously dont know how this works, a challenge party is at NO cost to her! Her friend would take care of everything (since she is making money on it) Again it was a suggestion i wasnt selling anything, i would have to post my personal website and if you read the rules on MFP that is a no-no. im not here to make $ im here to help people with their struggles and be helped as well.

cloud2011

Look up frugal moms on google. Eating healthfully can be done cheaply, from buying powdered milk, dried beans, etc.

Oatmeal, even the best kind, steel cut oats, is a bargain and will help you lose weight.

Think about making pots of soup for yourself that you can eat for more than a few meals. You can also make up a lot of food at once and then freeze some meals for later.

Also, if you haven't already, learn how to make multiple meals out of one thing, such as a roasted chicken.

Do you shop only the outside of the supermarket aisles? Almost everything on the inside aisles is processed food.

One more thing, years ago, my mom's church used to get together for something called SHARE. You buy a share of groceries that arrive in bulk to an organization, and for $15 (then) you receive a bag or two of groceries. It was really a bargain and I'm not sure if it's still around, but every little bit helps. It's a buying co-op really, and even though people who are needy use it, so do other people, who are just trying to save some money. It might be called US Share.

Good luck!

LindaLouLu

I feel your budget pain. I have a family of 5 (6 if you count the dog) and the first 2 weeks of the month I have $80 to spend on food to feed 5 people. The second half is better at just around $200 (most of the time). We also do a lot of Pastas. Potatoes are big as well. I honestly just try to keep MY serving to one cup of what ever I make. So far it's working pretty well. I'm not starving. I've managed "spike" days. And since I cut off everyone from soda, my food budget has increased slightly. My real life fiends call me the "Queen of Cupboard Surprise" cause they call when their budget gets tight and rattle off what they have in the cupboards/fridge/freezer and MOST of the time I am able to come up with balanced meals that they didn't even know they had on hand. Anyway, if you want to add a "budget friendly" friend, feel free. I wish you the very best of luck in your journey!

nikkirojo

I'm in the same boat as you. I usually go through all the super market flyers and try to find the best deal. Coupon clipping is really good as well. I've found really good deals this way. I usually make a list and then I find the supermarkets near me that has the best deals on my food list. Try getting your coupons from the paper, weekly flyers, if you get those and also online. Good luck and don't get discouraged. As mom always says, where there's a will, there's a way.

Allihexen

As for the Body by Vi, I want to EAT all my meals for the rest of my life, not have to shell out money for a shake. If it works for you, awesome. I don't want that for me.

Food is always better and more tasty.

enewsome2

i dont know who her friend is so no its not a scam its an amazing product thats helping change lives. it has been helpful for me. i am a single mom of 2 boys so i too budget. it was a suggestion, $14 for 60 meals thats an amazing deal for a budget

Overpriced Slim-Fast unless you have friends in on it. Yes, it's a scam.

Yeah, I'm not going to say it's a "scam" per say (unless avon and pampered chef are scams too, I guess. Lol.)

But, smoothies as a meal are budget friendly. In the mornings I usually drink a smoothie with kale, OJ, spinach, a pear, and a banana. It's yummy and healthy and cheap.

Also, I make a lot of stir frys and try to eat vegetarian when possible because meat tends to be expensive.

Last night I made a pasta with "avocado cream sauce" instead of alfredo and it was good, affordable and healthy. Just cook fettucine, then combine an avocado, juice of one lemon, cajun seasoning, salt/pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil in a food processor and use as sauce.

enewsome2

Look up frugal moms on google. Eating healthfully can be done cheaply, from buying powdered milk, dried beans, etc.

Oatmeal, even the best kind, steel cut oats, is a bargain and will help you lose weight.

Think about making pots of soup for yourself that you can eat for more than a few meals. You can also make up a lot of food at once and then freeze some meals for later.

Also, if you haven't already, learn how to make multiple meals out of one thing, such as a roasted chicken.

Do you shop only the outside of the supermarket aisles? Almost everything on the inside aisles is processed food.

One more thing, years ago, my mom's church used to get together for something called SHARE. You buy a share of groceries that arrive in bulk to an organization, and for $15 (then) you receive a bag or two of groceries. It was really a bargain and I'm not sure if it's still around, but every little bit helps. It's a buying co-op really, and even though people who are needy use it, so do other people, who are just trying to save some money. It might be called US Share.

Good luck!

Sorry for the double post, but also google the blogs: Cheap, Healthy, Good and Budget Bytes. They are really good.

mygrl4meee

I mostly shop at Aldi"s. I spend about 100 each week for myself, my husband and my two sons age 12 and 17. I find it pretty easy to get everything we need for our meals and snacks.

Allihexen

Yeah, I'm not going to say it's a "scam" per say (unless avon and pampered chef are scams too, I guess. Lol.)

But, smoothies as a meal are budget friendly. In the mornings I usually drink a smoothie with kale, OJ, spinach, a pear, and a banana. It's yummy and healthy and cheap.

Also, I make a lot of stir frys and try to eat vegetarian when possible because meat tends to be expensive.

Last night I made a pasta with "avocado cream sauce" instead of alfredo and it was good, affordable and healthy. Just cook fettucine, then combine an avocado, juice of one lemon, cajun seasoning, salt/pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil in a food processor and use as sauce.

Avon IS a scam, dontcha know? Lol. I kid. I think paying what one pays for that Vi stuff or whatever is highway robbery. If you have friends on there, it's all cheap, etc. Someone still has to pay full price.

As for smoothies, those are amazing, especially first thing in the morning with fresh ingredients. Best. Things. Ever!

Your pasta sounds delicious! I've tried something similar with rice. It turned out similar to sushi, but it was really good and may have been $2 per person and there were three of us eating it.

lmelangley

I do everything I can to eat well, but I don't eat clean. And, I enjoy those treats that sneak into almost any house with children. The problem I found with lots of carbs is that they don't fill me up, and I end up overeating because I'm hungry. My advice is protein. Eggs are wonderful. If you can combine eggs with a complex grain like whole wheat english muffins, that'll help. Try finding a yogurt that has more protein than sugar. My local supermarket brand has a plain greek yogurt like this. Even after my adding a teaspoon of maple syrup, it still has more protein than sugar and really tides me over. Popcorn can be a good snack. Air pop it and invest in an olive oil sprayer - it seems expensive, but it'll really help you cut down on olive oil use. Spray the popcorn lightly and then sprinkle garlic powder on it. You should be able to get garlic powder for a buck if you have any dollar stores around. Another thing is talk to your local grocery store about if they ever discount fruit and vegetables that are about to go bad. My husband got 4 lbs of fresh green beans for $2. We sprayed them with olive oil, dusted with garlic, and roasted them.

cressievargo

Menu planning is a MUST if you are looking to save $ on groceries.
You also want to try to incorporate things into multiple meals so that you can stretch things further.
Buy things on sale & stock up. If you like say, ground beef in your spaghetti - you can even brown it ahead of time and refreeze it. Saves you time later, too.

Dried beans (NOT canned!) are cheap and go far. Use them in place of ground beef - saves a ton of money.

In regard to the whole chickens - everyone gets dinner, then you can use the carcass & some veggies to make your own chicken stock (which you can freeze!). Or, if there is still meat on it, pick what you can off it - now you have some shredded chicken for a sandwich, or tacos. If you don't like dark meat - slow cook it in a marinade of some sort - trust me - I KNOW how you feel on this one and this is what I've been doing.

You say you don't eat a lot of processed foods - but you talk about granola bars? Those are processed and they certainly aren't cheap. If you make it a POINT to stop buying that crap - even IF you have a coupon and put a bag of apples or whatever into the cart instead - you aren't necessarily going to spend more money but your food choices will be better.

Oh - and pretty much every store is probably going to have eggs on sale for the next 2 weeks. Stock up.

I also check the "reduced" meats - they are fine, esp. if you either use them that day or freeze them. I save a ton of $ that way.

Msg me if you need more tips. I have 3 kids - one drinks formula so he doesn't count haha but 2 boys and hubby & I and I spend no where near $500 a month at the grocery store ~ including buying diapers for 2 kids.

enewsome2

Yeah, I'm not going to say it's a "scam" per say (unless avon and pampered chef are scams too, I guess. Lol.)

But, smoothies as a meal are budget friendly. In the mornings I usually drink a smoothie with kale, OJ, spinach, a pear, and a banana. It's yummy and healthy and cheap.

Also, I make a lot of stir frys and try to eat vegetarian when possible because meat tends to be expensive.

Last night I made a pasta with "avocado cream sauce" instead of alfredo and it was good, affordable and healthy. Just cook fettucine, then combine an avocado, juice of one lemon, cajun seasoning, salt/pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil in a food processor and use as sauce.

Avon IS a scam, dontcha know? Lol. I kid. I think paying what one pays for that Vi stuff or whatever is highway robbery. If you have friends on there, it's all cheap, etc. Someone still has to pay full price.

As for smoothies, those are amazing, especially first thing in the morning with fresh ingredients. Best. Things. Ever!

Your pasta sounds delicious! I've tried something similar with rice. It turned out similar to sushi, but it was really good and may have been $2 per person and there were three of us eating it.

Lol. That is probably a bad example because I *hate* avon. But you know, some people are into it...

I got the recipe off of "oh she glows" (the blog). That is also a good blog to check out. She is vegan, but, like I said, it's usually cheaper if you don't eat as much meat.

SweetSammie

I was on a really tight budget and trying to be healthy when I went back to grad school. One great way to stretch food was to make whole roasted chickens. On the first day we would have roasted chicken for dinner, with say, sweet potatoes and broccoli on the side. THEN I would pull the leftover meat off of the chicken (sometimes I would make two to have a lot so I could freeze meals and save time). I would divide up the meat, leaving a small amount, usually dark meat, for soup and the rest of the white meat for another meal. If I had a lot left, that other meal might be chicken enchilada casserole (http://familyfeedingdynamics.blogspot.com/2010/03/chicken-leftover-enchilada-casserole.html) Which was usually enough dinner for two nights.Sometimes I would make pulled chicken barbeque sandwiches instead. If there was not so much left, I would make chicken quesadillas. Buy the frozen chopped green peppers, frozen chopped onions, and mix the chicken in. Add some chile powder/cumin for spice. Spread in whole wheat tortillas with cheese. I usually serve corn and black beans as a side. A salad if I have it. and salsa. My husband liked the quesadillas so much he never noticed that they were what I cooked to stretch meat. One chicken bread easily makes enough quesadilla for each of us to have a well-stuffed one for dinner and lunch the next day.
I would boil the chicken carcass to make stock, then refrigerate it and skim the fat off of the top the next day. I would make chicken and wild rice or noodle soup or a great QUICK chicken tortilla soup (chicken, chicken stock, canned beans (black, white, whatever I have), corn, celery, carrots, rotel tomatoes and chilis. Add a little chili powder and cumin. Top with crunched tortilla chips, a little cheese and avocado if you have it. In the summer I put fresh cilantro (from the garden) on top.
For two people, I could make one chicken last about 6 meals (Baked chicken, quesadillas (lunch, then dinner), soup (2-3 dinners).
Tuna is your friend. Tuna salad, egg salad (replace half of mayo with greek yogurt, buy greek yogurt in large containers).

This quiche recipe is great. I usually use leftovers in it.... any bits of half-used cheese in the refrigerator, leftover vegetables from dinner, a stray slice of ham or leftover sausage, cheap blocks of frozen spinach (not necessarily all at once.. :-) (http://familyfeedingdynamics.blogspot.com/2009/09/easy-quiche-or-cheesey-bacon-pie.html) Makes a great dinner. The ww crust helps the healthiness factor, as does fat free evaporated milk instead of cream. We would usually have quiche and salad for dinner, then eat the leftovers for breakfast.

There is also a bargain grocery store here (United Grocery Outlet) that really helped my budget. BIg Lots gets some healthy, even organic items relatively cheap. ALDI can be GREAT for inexpensive fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables.

Salmon patties are great, too. I healthy-ified my mom's recipe. Just mix 2 cans salmon, eggs, a couple of crackers crumbled, bell pepper and onion together. CAREFULLY shape... I press into Italian bread crumbs to give the illusion that they are fried.. then I brown in a pan sprayed with PAM. I haven't counted up the calories yet, but with no oil to fry them in, it shouldn't be too bad.

I also like Mueller's whole GRAIN pasta ... my husband couldn't tell it wasn't "the regular kind." if I overcooked is slightly and put it in the red sauce before he saw it. There are Muller's coupons and buy one get one at the grocery store pretty often. Baked sweet potatoes are also really cheap and healthy.

Our food budget used to be really tight and it IS super hard to eat healthily on a tight budget. I didn't have kid's tastes to consider, and neither my husband or I are picky.

Now that our budget is larger, we DO try to eat clean, but vegetable and good proteins were the main focus when the budget was small.

kris4chloe

buy meat on sale. when chicken breast goes on sale (this week it is 1.99lb)

buy it in packs and freeze it and then cook a bunch at the beginning of the week to eat all week.

find a good place that offers produce at a good price and go a couple times a week for fresh produce

see if you can buy bulk rice, pasta, etc to save money there.

we are a family of 7 and have a very tight budget.

i am in southern california and i shop at trader joe's, henry's, and winco and try to buy mostly hormone free, natural foods. These are the places that have it cheaper and lucky for me they are all very close to each other so I can hit them on the same day.

I coupon for our toiletries, cleaning products, and other household needs.

I shop the manager mark down bin for meat alot, and just today bought some lunch meat for my kids this week that was manager mark down because it was expiring in about five days (but my kids will eat it before then)

i started cooking more from scratch (potatoes, rice, beans, pasta) and don't rely on anything packaged, it is actually cheaper.

for snacks my kids eat chips and salsa, pretzels, hummus and pita chips, fruit and sometimes i will get a deal on some trail mix and/or make our own granola bars.

it can be done

AZackery

Hi Angelicazaldi, by any chance do your city have a Sam's and if so, do you have a Sam's card? If not, see if you can get one. I think that Sam's would be a better choice for you than Walmart, Kroger, etc., because you can buy things in bulks and come out cheaper than if you were to buy a lot of things in the store. Coupons are good to use as well. Kroger have coupons on their site that you can download to your card. If you don't have a card, get one. You will just have to remember the coupons you have downloaded from your card. You might even see coupons in a basket at Kroger. They tend to do that to help customers. Check your local library. We have one that tends to have coupons in a basket to help people as well.

Buy frozen vegetables, peppers. Even look into steamable vegetables and rice. Skinless meats are higher than regular meat. Buy regular chicken and takes the skin off the meat yourself, before cooking it. If you like beef meat, buy the ones that have the fat and cut the fat off yourself.

If you own an indoor grill, such as a George Foreman grill, use it as much as you can. Foil paper oven cooking is good as well.

You don't have to have a big budget to eat healthy. Oh, and by all means, don't deprive yourself of anything that you like. If you like chocolate, make sure you buy some chocolate as well.

You can do this. Believe in yourself.