Eating Healthy on a Budget
CdnPgnMom
Posts: 172 Member
I was browsing MFP and came across this forum post - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/547180-healthy-food-on-a-budget - regarding eating healthy on a budget. This is a HUGE problem for me, too. I want to eat so much healthier, but we simply can't afford it. We are a family of 4 and have a $400/month budget. How do you do it?
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Where do you shop? Do you have access to a vehicle? Believe it or not, I find that eating healty is actually cheaper (I didn't believe it until I made the switch)!0
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We do drive, yes. We used to go to Superstore, but lately we've been going to Wal-Mart since they opened their grocery section. One-stop shopping.0
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I'll try and post more on this later (don't have a lot of time now). But I mostly shop at:
- Sobey's Cash & Cary (Dufferin & Arlington, just before the Arlington Bridge... open 7am - 6pm M-F and 7am-4pm Sat, closed Sun)
- SuperStore
- Extra Foods
- Safeway
I don't usually shop at WalMart because I'm at the very south part of the North End and I find it just a tad far, but I probably should consider it... BECAUSE... I know they will price match! If you aren't taking advantage of that, you should (not that I ever do, but I want to start). This includes ON GROCERIES!!!!! If you bring in a competitor flyer that has a cheaper price, they will match it. That's pretty darn cool and a great way to save money... especially on things like produce! Your coupon friend might be able to tell you more about how to easily do this (I'd be interested in learning more too if she was open to sharing). That could be a great way to one-stop-shop but get the benefit of other store sales too!!!!
I go to Cash & Cary and buy probably 80% of my produce (fruits & vegs) there because they can be a lot cheaper. They have specials (you never know when or what they will be - they change daily) that can be *amazing*. I've gotten the following in the past:
- Salad "kits" for $0.99 (the really yummy packaged salads with dressing and fixings)
- 1kg of cottage cheese for $0.75
- 750g of Astro yogurt for $0.99
- 2lbs of strawberries for $0.99
And I could go on and on. The deals there are sometimes *amazing*. At worst you won't find anything you really want, and then the produce prices are pretty average. I don't buy a lot of packaged goods, but I find some prices are good, and some are just ok (at or slightly above prices I can find elsewhere). But they do have a lot of specials I see, and some that are always on at an ok price. For examlpe, the Kellogg's Bran Bars (mmmmm!) they sell every day for $2.19 a box. Each individual one of these has something like 100 or 120 calories I think, and a source of fiber. I don't think I've seen these sell for less elsewhere.
Cash & Cary does accept credit card and debit, not just cash. However, they accept NO COUPONS.
I head to SuperStore for whatever I find on sale in their flyer that we need. It is usually packaged goods, and often stuff for my husband that I TRY to stay away from (chocolate dipped granola bars, etc.). I also love their PC Greek Yogurt and it will be on sale sometimes and so I'll try and stock up ($2.69 I think is the lowest sale price; $3.99 regularly - which is also pretty good for greek yogurt).
I go to Extra Foods on the first Mon or Tue of the month because they give up to 15% off your purchase when you have a flyer coupon.
I go to Safeway and look at their CLEARANCE sections. Sometimes they've got great items at 50%... like yogurt. The location on Mountain always has some yogurt at 50% off. I love yogurt
Just watch out because different brands have different calories per serving... there's quite a difference. I typically go for a low calorie kind, OR again I love the PC Greek varieties (they are a bit higher in calories, but an AWESOME source of calcium and protine, so it is still worth it to me).
Ok.... that's a brief overview on where I shop and why. I'd really suggest looking into the price matching at WalMart. Oh! And also go to: www.MrsJanuary.com. Every week she highlights great deals in flyers... including WalMart (she does most of her shopping there too). She also uses and gets coupons - which you may or may not want to do... but either way, you might be able to save a bundle just by looking at what she puts together (I've signed up for her daily email which sends out a compiled version of her blog posts).0 -
Produce that is often a good buy in April (I've already started to see some good deals on a few of these items!):
Bananas, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemons, Oranges, Peppers, Pineapple, Rhubarb, Tangerines, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumber, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes.0 -
I've never been to the cash and carry. Maybe we'll check that out this week. Thanks, Krista! 0
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I've never been to the cash and carry. Maybe we'll check that out this week. Thanks, Krista!
I love it, but it can be hit and miss with the *great* deals... so you might want to try visiting a couple of times to get a feel for it. I live a block away, so it is super easy for me to take a quick walk around the store 2-3 times a week. If I know the foods you like, I can always try and take a quick peek sometimes when I go to see if any of it is on sale and then let you know.
Just watch out for the $0.50 chocolate bars that they sometimes have on sale... last week it was Twix and I managed to stay clear... a few weeks ago it was Mars Bars and I think I bought and ate about 13 of them (and then I joined North End Losers... LOL!).0 -
Cash & Carry has a big 2.5 kg bag of oats for something like $2.69. I use 1/3 cup most days for breakfast. I add in a few "extras" like cinnamon and flax seed to get some other benefits. The bag will last a looooong time. That's a pretty darn cheap breakfast - and easy/quick... add 1 cup of water to my 1/3 cup of oats, pop it in the microwave for 2 mins, and it is ready to go! Super cheap if you like oatmeal I never buy the pre-packaged oatmeal any more... they sell maybe 10 servings per package for the same price or more! 0
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I didn't like oatmeal as a child - texture issues. But I wonder what it would be like baked? Have you tried it that way?0
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I didn't like oatmeal as a child - texture issues. But I wonder what it would be like baked? Have you tried it that way?
Love it! I just don't do a lot of baking myself so I don't have it that way often... but I like oatmeal pretty much any way you can use it. Healthy and cheap. My kind of food
I don't know what your kids eat for breakfast, but maybe they would like it (healthy & cut down on your grocery bill a bit)? Adding fruit will add sweatness if that's something they expect. (raisins, dried cranberries, mango, bananna, canned pineapple, fresh or frozen berries... options are endless!)0 -
Some of the better deals this week (Cash & Carry not included; I don't get their flyer):
Walmart Canada:
Sirloin Steaks 3pk $8.00
Chicken Breasts 4pk $8.00
Cucumbers $0.77/ea
Tomatoes $0.77/lb
Iceberg Lettuce $0.77/ea
Pineappple $1.77/ea
Kiwi 1kg $1.97/ea
Cantaloupe $1.27/ea
Broccoli $0.97/ea
Green Beans $0.77/lb
Apples $0.97/lb
Mini Cut Carrots 2/$4.00
Real Canadian Superstore:
Saturday Only:
Prime Rib Roast $3.98/lb
All Week:
Pork Tenderloin $2.98/lb
Pork Back Ribs $2.98/lb
Cauliflower $1.98/ea
Mangos $0.78/ea
Chinese or Indian Eggplant $0.98/lb
Giant Tiger Canada: (Until April 11, 2012)
Black Forest Ham $3.97/ea
Canned Mushrooms $0.69/ea
Pineapple $1.88/ea
Sobeys Canada:
Thursday & Saturday Only:
Prime Rib Roast $3.99/lb
Pineapple $1.88/ea
All Week:
Strawberries 2lb $2.99/ea
Campari Tomatoes 2/$5.00
6pk Mini Cucumbers 2/$5.00
Pork Loin Rib $2.99/lb
Top Sirloin Steak $4.99/lb
Lean Ground Beef $2.49/lb
Pork Loin Centre Chops $2.49/lb
Extra Foods Canada:
Strip Loin Steak $6.48/lb
Cucumbers 3pk $2.28/ea
Pork Loin Chops $2.28/lb
Chicken Drumsticks $2.78/lb
Fresh Spinach Bunches $0.86/ea
Mangoes 4kg $6.96/ea
Cantaloupe $1.96/ea
Grape Tomatoes 2/$3.00
Blackberries $1.46/ea0 -
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Some of the better deals this week (Walmart has some good prices this week!):
Walmart Canada:
9pk Pork Chops $7.00/ea
2lb Strawberries $2.77/ea
Red Grapes $0.97/lb
Pears $0.77/lb
Melon $1.97/ea
Coconut $0.77/ea
3pk Peppers $2.97/ea
2pk Rib eye Steak $5.00/ea
Chicken Drumsticks Thighs or Breast Slices $5.00/ea
Mushrooms $1.00/ea
2lb Onions $1.00/ea
3lb Carrots $1.27/ea
Baking Potatoes $1.27
6pk Mini Cucumbers $1.47/ea
Grape Tomatoes $1.47/ea
Sobeys Canada:
Red Yellow or Orange Peppers $1.99/lb
Pork Side Ribs $2.99/lb
Vine Tomatoes $1.49/lb
Watermelon $5.99/ea
Cucumbers $0.99/ea
Whole Chicken $2.79/lb
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $4.99/lb
Extra Foods / SuperStore:
4kg Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $2.98/lb
Mangoes 9lb $6.96/ea
20lb Red or Russet Potatoes $5.88/ea
Mini Watermelon $2.96
2lb Organic Mini Carrots $2.98/ea
Strawberries 2lb $2.86
Inside Round Oven Roast $3.28/lb
Mini Cucumbers 8pk 2/$5
Iceberg Lettuce $0.86ea0 -
McDonalds is selling their snack size fruit smoothies for only $1 soon.
Valid April 16-22, 2012 only.0 -
Canadian video on price matching and using coupons at WalMart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpynAJuaaxw&feature=youtu.be
Other videos by MrsJanuary:
http://www.youtube.com/user/immrsjanuary?feature=watch0 -
HOW TO PRICE MATCH MEAT (from MrsJanuary.com):
Price matching is a fantastic way to save money on your groceries, and one of the best places to price match is at Walmart.
Walmart will allow you to price match pretty much anything, including meat. Here’s how you do it:
Bring Your Flyer
Like you would with any other price match, be sure to bring in the flyer you want to price match. Most times, you can not price match without one.
Printed flyers are usually okay at most locations, just check with your store manager to be certain.
Store Brand for Store Brand
If you want to price match a brand such as Maple Leaf Prime, you can easily do that. But what if you want to price match meat from, say, Loblaws? There is no brand name on the package, which means it’s just the store brand that Loblaws is selling. You can still price match this item at Walmart.
You must purchase the Walmart store brand (Great Value) in place of the Loblaws store brand in order to match the price.
Kilograms, Not Pounds
Most price matches for meat (and produce as well), is done by the kilogram and not by the pound, so you need to make sure the advertisement you are bringing with you shows the kilogram price.
This price is usually smaller than the per pound price on most flyers. If your ad does not have a kilogram price listed, you will not be able to price match (unless a specific size is mentioned – for example, 3 pack chicken breasts for $7).
Size Matters
You also need to make note of what size is on sale. When it comes to ground meats and chicken breasts, it is often the “family pack” that is on sale.
If this is the case, you will need to purchase the family pack size at Walmart as well, in order to price match.
If your flyer does not state that it is a family pack on sale, you can purchase any size (unless there is a specific size other than “family pack” mentioned).
That’s all there is to it. Price matching meat is very easy and is a great way to make your grocery dollars stretch further.
Make sure you tell your cashier that you will be price matching before they start ringing in your items so you can make sure to get your discount.0 -
From MrsJanuary.com:
3 Small Expenses to Cut From Your Budget: New Video
Today I wanted to share with you 3 small expenses that you can easily cut from your monthly budget to save some serious cash.
There are some things included in your monthly budget that you have no control over. These are things like your mortgage, heat & hydro, car payment, insurance – you can’t do much about those.
However, there are some small things that you can cut from your budget that save you quite a bit of money over the long term.
1. Bank Fees
You should not be paying bank fees if you don’t have to, and right now, you don’t have to. There are some banks out there that actually offer free chequing and savings accounts for nothing. You pay $0.
The 2 banks that come to mind right away are PC Financial and ING Direct.
Switch over from your regular bank and you’re going to save anywhere from $5-$30 a month on monthly bank fees alone.
2. Convenience Items
What I mean by convenience items is things like shredded cheese, pre-cut garlic, pre-cut fruit. You will find these in almost any grocery store and they are almost always double what you would pay for the regular item yourself.
Do a little bit of extra work yourself and cut up your fruit and vegetables, grate your own cheese, cut up your garlic – and you’re going to save yourself good money by avoiding those convenience items at the store.
By “convenience items”, I also mean frozen meals and (most) frozen meats. You can get these items fresh (or the ingredients fresh), and they are always going to be cheaper. Unless, of course, you can find a great clearance or sale.
3. Books, Movies, CDs
These are 3 items that you can find at your local library, and you can get them for free. You don’t need to pay for them.
All you have to do is go to the library, browse around, find what you want, check out, and bring those items back on time (keep track of these items to avoid late fees).
If you really don’t have the time to go to the library to browse around, and you already know what you want to read/watch/listen to, go to your library’s website to reserve those items. When they are available, you will be contacted and you can then go and pick them up.
Those are 3 things that you can easily cut from your budget to save some money every month.
I encourage you to try cutting at least 1 of them and see if it works for you.
What small expenses have you cut from your budget?0 -
Fast food vs. Healthy Food costs. $20 showdown. Love this post (it is American, but the same idea applies here in Canada... and especially in the North End where we've got Sobey's Cash & Carry where some *awesome* deals can be had on healthy food & produce)!
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket0 -
A while ago some of us were discussing how we end up tossing more than we'd like. Here's an article that gives some decent suggestions to help cut down on waste, and also some of the reader comments at the bottom list good suggestions!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/01/f-food-waste-reduction-tips.html0 -
A while ago some of us were discussing how we end up tossing more than we'd like. Here's an article that gives some decent suggestions to help cut down on waste, and also some of the reader comments at the bottom list good suggestions!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/01/f-food-waste-reduction-tips.html
Thanks for sharing, Krista. I'll be sure to sit down and read this thoroughly later.0 -
This is copied & pasted from MrsJanuary.com
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Save Money on Produce at the Grocery Store: New Video
I just wanted to give you a few quick tips for saving money on produce at the grocery store.
** Only Purchase Sale Items
My number one money saving tip when it comes to produce, is to only buy sale items.
Take a look at your store’s sale flyer every single week and only purchase the items that are on sale. This is going to save you an incredible amount of money, as opposed to just going out and buying whatever you feel like at full price.
Always look at the sale prices and only purchase what is on sale that week.
** Check the Clearance Rack
You also want to check out the clearance racks at your local grocery store. These are racks full of produce that may not look very nice, but is still perfectly edible.
The reason that stores mark this produce down is because some people seem to think they need to have the most beautiful piece of produce, and a little ding here or ding there makes the item garbage – and this is simply not true.
So check out your clearance racks and you’ll often find bananas, peppers, oranges, apples – that kind of thing.
You can take these items that may not look very pretty, and cook (apples = apple sauce) or freeze (chopped peppers, bananas) them. Or you could eat them right away, of course.
I find that the discount is often 30%-50% off regular price for these clearanced items, so this is another great way to save money on produce.
** Buy in Bulk & Freeze
My final tip for saving money on produce at the grocery store is to buy in bulk and freeze.
What I mean by this is to take your sale items (buy as many as you can afford if the deal is really good), bring them home, cook or chop them, and then throw them in the freezer.
This will ensure you have lots of produce for a long time, as long as you are consistently adding to your stockpile when more great sales come along.
Saving money on prouce is as easy as saving money on the rest of your groceries. It just takes discipline.
The main thing is to get used to only making meals that consist of sale items.
I also suggest downloading our FREE in season produce guide, so you know when to expect certain items on sale.
How do you save money on produce?
Provided by Krista0
