don't know what to do......

lin7604

well have been in a bum mood all day... financially things are super tight and i don't know if i will be able to keep this healthy eating up as it is way to expensive It really makes me sad as i have some a long way to get where i am and to get myself out of those bad eating habits but we can't can't afford the high grocery bills that we have been having eating healthy... ahhh what is one to do?

iwantahealthierme13

look for online coupons to help with groceries. If you're in Canada, I have a few sites that can help...

Amy_nz

That's a tricky one. I don't know where you are or what your circumstances are, but I know in NZ frozen veges are waaaay cheaper than fresh (and they're as good nutritionally). Brown rice is cheaper than white. Tinned fruit (not the stuff in syrup though) could be an option?

I live in a low socio-economic neighbourhood and going to the supermarket is eye-opening. People have trolleys loaded with cheap but high GI food - cheap white bread, crap sausages that are probably mostly 'filler' rather than meat, that sort of thing. I sometimes think that if they spent the same budget on brown bread and unprocessed meat and that sort of thing it'd go further. But it's easy for me to say that. I'm not living it.

Hope everything works out for you.

HelloSweetie4

I'm on a pretty tight budget myself. I don't eat as well as others on here but I have found a few ways to get better foods. If you have an Aldi near you, start shopping there, they have a lot of healthier foods and they're very cheap. I have also discovered the food section in the dollar tree! They have some really good snacks if you look hard enough. I've found reduced sugar frosted flakes, organic no sugar added apple sauce, and even the 100 calorie packs. I know I don't eat near enough fresh produce, but I do get it when its on sale.

LovingLisa2012

dry beans are good for you and super cheap $1 - $1.50 per pound ( an that makes alot)

also i buy frozen chicken breast - 20 breast $10 @ walmart ( i dont thaw them b4 cooking either, it still comes out juicy)
way cheaper than fresh chicken breast which some times its around $10- 15 for maybe 4 ..

frozen veggies are usually about $1 a bag ( not flavored, not steamer bags)

just some ideas

..
i am the queen of on a budget, there have been times, me and hubby only had $50 for the month to buy groceries..
we dont qualify for food stamps, but we were able to sign up with a local food bank at a church ..

ETA if your in the USA look up angel food ministries . they have churches that you can buy a box of food for around $20 (probally depending on location) and you can see what the month is b4 you buy it .. (you prepay/order then once a month you go pick it up)

lin7604

look for online coupons to help with groceries. If you're in Canada, I have a few sites that can help...

thx for the tips.... i am in canada
I always buy things ONLY when they are on sale as it is but this is making it more tricky..... not sure what i have to cut/ reduce etc, as we have a 5 year old that i want to eat healthy too. we have been spending a huge amount on groceries now that i look back b/c we were eating very well. lots of fresh fruit and veggies weekly, lots of chicken( frozen and fresh).... I want my son to grow up knowing how to eat healthy even though it's so easy to get a instant noodle pack for .25 cents! mac and cheese and hot dogs, etc he will be in heaven but my body sure will feel it fast!

graelwyn

I don't think it has to cost a fortune to eat healthy and well. Sure, it might be a little cheaper to live on fast food and junk, but I am fairly sure you can manage a good diet on a budget. Eggs are pretty cheap and very nutritious, rice, potatoes aren't that expensive, and wholemeal bread is good. As someone suggested, dried beans are great, and lentils and such things. Frozen veggies work out much cheaper, you can even get frozen fruit, although I prefer fresh personally. Canned fish is okay too, you can cobble together allsorts using that. I think there is always a way to eat well, even on a budget. Just might take a little more ingenuity and figuring out.

lin7604

i agree, i will have to boggle my brain a bit and figure things out. I know it won't be a huge change but i know it won't be as healthy as it is currently..

Livingbalanced

look for online coupons to help with groceries. If you're in Canada, I have a few sites that can help...

I'm in Canada! What are your sites?

iwantahealthierme13

OP: Wow! I didn't think you were since you have palm trees as your avatar picture!
I'm on a very small budget as well (being on ODSP), and couponing has saved me quite a lot

Here are the sites:

www.save.ca
www.gocoupons.ca
www.websaver.ca
www.pgbrandsaver.ca

all these sites, you choose your coupons and they mail them to you.
you can also look on company websites or facebook pages of things you want to buy, sometimes there are offers there.

if you have facebook, look for and like "extremecouponingmom", "womenfreebies", "freebabystuff" (not all baby stuff), "canadian coupons | free samples canada" & "canadian coupon connection" these will all tell you where to go to get coupons (a lot of them are high value) and these pages are updated everyday. There are also a lot of free samples! If I didn't have these on my newsfeed, I think I would have given up facebook long ago!

There are also tearpads at some stores like No Frills & Food Basics sometimes. The No Frills near me in Toronto has new tearpads every week or two.

lin7604

thank you for all those sites! yes i'm from winnipeg, but we like to travel and that pic was from our last vacation

Livingbalanced

OP: Wow! I didn't think you were since you have palm trees as your avatar picture!
I'm on a very small budget as well (being on ODSP), and couponing has saved me quite a lot

Here are the sites:

www.save.ca
www.gocoupons.ca
www.websaver.ca
www.pgbrandsaver.ca

all these sites, you choose your coupons and they mail them to you.
you can also look on company websites or facebook pages of things you want to buy, sometimes there are offers there.

if you have facebook, look for and like "extremecouponingmom", "womenfreebies", "freebabystuff" (not all baby stuff), "canadian coupons | free samples canada" & "canadian coupon connection" these will all tell you where to go to get coupons (a lot of them are high value) and these pages are updated everyday. There are also a lot of free samples! If I didn't have these on my newsfeed, I think I would have given up facebook long ago!

There are also tearpads at some stores like No Frills & Food Basics sometimes. The No Frills near me in Toronto has new tearpads every week or two.

Thanks for posting! I've been unemployed for a year (with my Masters degree in Social Work!! URGH!!!) so I'm pinching pennies like it's going out of style (BAHAHAHA I just remembered that they ARE going out of style, lol) - these will really help. Thank you!