eating right on a budget

kayemme

kayemme

for the next few weeks, just do what you can, you know? i totally know how it is. it's scary, and it's new territory. so see if you have someone that you can have dinner with (family) a couple times and if you have to go to the pantry, go and stock up on as much as you can, then use whatever dollars come to you over the next couple weeks super wisely on fresh produce to healthy it up.

best of luck, honest! and if you need any help figuring out what to do with something you have on hand, let me know. i'm fairly inventive.

angrodriguez92

Learn to make your own bread. It is easy and it can save you a lot of money. Anything you make is cheaper and healthier than something packaged. Grow some veggies. Everybody has room for some! My lettuce patch is very small, but it keeps me in (almost) organic lettuce most of summer and fall. Tomatoes and peppers are easy. Learn about self sufficient living, chickens and rabbits are easy to raise. Also food assistance programs are a great option.

I'm from a little hick town... I know these things aren't an option for everybody, and growing doesn't immediately help you.. maybe tap your friend circle to see who has a green thumb/hunting skills and would be willing to trade you some produce/meat each week in exchange for something, or just do it because they probably have too much. Maybe offer a small amount of money. Most growers are filled with pride about their produce and would gladly help you out.

MEMA5

HI SORRY YOUR HAVING A TOUGH TIME WITH MONEY I KNOW THE FEELING VERY WELL. I LIVE ON A FIX INCOME ITR IS TOUGH. BUT I AM ON EBT ( FOOD STAMPS) AND LOOK FOR THEIR DOUBLE BUCK PROGRAM AT FARMERS MARKETS WHICH PARTICIPATE...THEY DOUBLE A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO DOUBLE YOU BUYING POWER...AND IT COVER ALL FRU VEGITABLES IN SEASON..I ALSO EAT MOSTLY CHICKEN, WHOLE GRAIN BREAD, YOGURT, STRING CHEESE, PEANUT BUTTER PASTA, TUNA..GOOD LUCK..PEACE..ISSY

meshashesha2012

in addition to black beans, check for black eye peas and pinto bean, those are also very cheap in the bag and healthy. i like making them in my crockpot with a lot of kales, canned tomatoes and herbs and spices. served with quinoa or brown rice and i's a complete meal

eggs are very cheap. oatmeal is cheap as well, especially the steel cut kind.

stephmo86

Check your church's food pantry and soup kitchens.

Take inventory of what you have in your cabinets, and use supercook.com to come up with meals.

And then there's couponing- while not everyone is this extreme, this site http://thekrazycouponlady.com/category/extreme-couponing/ tells you the deals, what store, and what coupons to use. Often if has links to the printable coupons. I understand it's not practical for everyone to coupon, but it's worthwhile if it's something you need and will use.

Farmer's markets, you can sometimes haggle.

Check walmart and grocery stores for soon to expire food. Sometimes you'll get some peppers that need to be eaten that day for cheap.

Here's a link to the 50 best money-saving blogs:http://24savvy.com/home-a-money/item/620-50-best-money-saving-blogs-and-websites.html Sometimes they have really good ideas, sometimes they're just weird.

Frozen veggies are good, they do go on sale 10/$10 sometimes. Check the circulars. If you can't buy a newspaper on Sunday, ask coworkers or friends to give you their unused coupons and weekly flyers. I get tons of coupons that way. Some stores also have in-store coupons at the customer service desk, you just need to ask.(Walgreens, Stop and Shop)

Good luck!

treadingpurple

I am currently living off of $875.00 a month and only get $35.00 a month in food stamps (in WA state). I have found that local food banks can be a great source to getting healthy foods. The food bank i go to offers fresh produce every week (onions, potatoes, bananas, and sometimes tomatoes). They also offer frozen chicken and canned fruit.

If you are worried about excess salt and sugar in the canned veggies and fruit, rinse them off before you cook them. Also, always ask for staples , like oatmeal, beans, or rice. These can be used to make TONS of different dishes that are tasty.

roguestates

Additionally, do you live near an Asian/Latino grocery? Produce is often cheaper there. Most things were almost 50% cheaper. Also, wherever you do shop, ask the managers about upcoming sales and promotions.

When you have so little money, you have to look out for nutritionally dense stuff. Sure iceberg lettuce is cheaper than spinach, but you get more bang for your buck with deeper greens. Try to avoid packaged foods (salad dressing, sauces, canned foods, etc) because they tend to me more expensive than their fresh or frozen counterparts.

Have you done a spreadsheet of what you typically eat/buy and identify anything you can cut out? I survived on $150/month per person and I was living in the DC area, which has very high cost of living.

Elizaj85

This is what I have found works well for me I have a family of four (one of which is in nappies) and I can shop for us all for three meals a day with two snacks by actually planning and buying for two weeks and I do it on-line. First of all I write out a menu for the two weeks and every day what I'm having for every meal (you can swap it about on the actually day as how you feel you don 't have to follow it day to day as you've written it down.
I shop online just to avoid temptation and because here in the UK they have online offers they some times don't have in the store but my friend does this and she buys in store and we've both found we've saved nearly £80 a shop by doing it like this.

missfelicia6

While this might not help for the next three weeks....but what I do to save on produce is price match at Walmart. I look at all the ads online of all the surrounding grocery stores and write down the best produce deals. Then that's what we get for the week. If it's a really great deal I'll stock up. (Ex: apple can last three months in the right conditions). It's not free but it's cheap! Beans are also a good staple. Buy the dry beans and soak them yourself. Can be used in a lot of dishes at a meat substitute. I soak and cook a huge pot then freeze in can size quantities for later use.

This is good advice. I bring all of the weekly ads to Walmart. I save a TON of money!!

seraphina80

These are all great tips you guys! Made my thinking go into gear. Im going to give it my best! Thanks, you guys rock! xx

HorseWithNoName27

Miscellanous pieces of advice from my brain:

1) Food stamps. Go down to your local Department of Human Services (or equivalent government office) in your area and apply for food stamps. Even an extra $20 a month will help with the grocery bills. It's OK to ask for help.

2) If your situation gets dire, contact a local food bank/emergency assistance program in your area. Head down to a shelter, church, or soup kitchen. Explain your situation. Someone will be able to help you, or at least point you towards someone who can help you.

3) Make a strict budget in your life--all bills, all expenses. Cut cable (switch to Netflix if you really want to watch TV shows/movies). Drive less or choose alternative ways to work. Replace lightbulbs with LEDs, keep electronics unplugged or use a power strip to turn them off when not in use, etc. This is not really specific to food, but is something I had to do to get my financial house in order--spend way less and cut bills. I was in a pretty bad financial place a few months ago, but I'm out of debt and saving again.

4) Cheap food sources:
--BUY in bulk. This will save you TONS of money, especially if your grocery store has a bulk section (not paying for packaging = savings).
-Rice, lentils, beans, chicken, tuna, sardines, eggs and some dairy (bulk blocks of cheese, yogurt, etc.) are good cheap protein sources.
-Frozen veggies (broccoli, spinach, green beans, carrot, etc.) will keep for a very long time and are a cheaper alternative to possibly spoiling fresh veggies. If you do buy fresh, buy superfoods like bagged kale or spinach, green peppers, etc.
-Fresh fruit is more filling and can be cheaper than canned.
-If you are eating grains, you may not be able to find quality whole wheat tortillas, bagels, etc. for cheap. Try to find the healthiest brand (read the labels and look at ingredients as well as calories) available, or forgo these grains for right now in favor of rice.

Good luck and I hope things get better for you.

sarabluebell

Not sure of you situation or where you live but do you have a talent or skill that you can barter with..mow lawns for some veggies out of someones garden..or something like that. just an idea