i cant...

fatima147

if u look at my diary, u will notice, i have few veggies. and thats not bcoz i dont like to eat them but its because i cant afford veggies everyday!! ..... any suggestions for how to cope with is????


any alternatives to veggies?

Grimmerick

frozen vegetables, on sale or with a coupon, even better when on sale with a coupon.

Maude_Lewbowski

I can

chivalryder

Most grocery stores have a 50% off bin you can look through. Just pick out what you will eat within the next two days and you get an awesome discount on it.

EvanKeel

Buy frozen and what's in season. What veggies are you having a problem buying?

OnionMomma

YES buy frozen!!! AT WalMart, their Great Value brand is only around $1.00 for a bag. That's pretty cheap and if it's only you and noone else, save the leftover and eat them later, you can get 2 meals out of one bag.

Lkoblara

not sure what it's like where you live, but you could try growing your own. Gardening is also great exercise so it would be a win/win

If that's not possible maybe you could try local farmers' markets? They usually have one or two crops that are over plentiful and get priced very low. You may also be able to talk to some of the local farmers and see if there is something you can barter. Offer to pull weeds for them in exchange for veggies?

oh_em_gee

Any farm stands or farmers markets nearby? I used to get fresh bell peppers 4/$1 at mine in the city. Also check for grocery specials. We get 2-3 serving packs of brand name veggies 10/$10 usually

MSepp

Buy frozen (avoid canned if possible-too much sodium and they taste awful) vegetables-they're actually fresher than raw because they're flash frozen on the field when they are harvested.

Buy in season. It's much cheaper.

Buy from farm stands. Usually only seasonal vegetables at a fair price.

Find a cheap grocery store (we go to "bottom Dollar") VERY Fresh produce and extremely affordable.

sofia0586

vegetables are my cheapest buy when i go grocery shopping, so I don't really understand.

If you can buy meat, you can buy veggies.

They're also less expensive than a bag of chips, processed frozen meals or pretty much anything else ready made.

oh_em_gee

Also look at your budget for eating out and fast food. I always said I couldn't afford to eat healthier, but I can afford it a lot better without dunkin donuts 3x a week

wildcata77

What are you buying that is cheaper than veggies? I find that the more proccessed foods I buy (chicken stock, cereal, granola bars, etc.) the more expensive my bill is.

I buy a lot of my veggies at a local farmer's market and it helps me budget b/c I can take cash and I know I only have a certain amount to spend.

Other than that, buy frozen...I often find coupons for Green Giant (don't buy anything sauced) and I can get them for anywhere from .30-1.00 a box.

Schmetterling14

You might try ethnic markets. The veggies don't look quite as "perfect" as the ones in major grocery stores; however, they are cheaper, in season, and usually taste better.

CyberEd312

Yeah gonna need a little more input as to why you think veggies aren't affordable... I will buy fresh first and right now is a Great Time!! to buy fresh, the farmers markets are in full bloom and you can get great deals!! after that I normally go frozen and then canned but can always find great deals 2 for 1's, 50% off coupons, etc... 3 for $5 on bags of Romaine lettuce for salads last us a week... etc etc.... Best of Luck!!!

Brenda_Pancakes

Similar response as 'oh_em_gee'... We've got a little local farmers fruit/vege place here that I literally bought:

- a 10 lb bag of potatos
- 1 HUGE Italian Squash (at least 2 or 3 servings)
- a bag of carrots
- 2 large mangos
- 3 or 4 Fuji apples
- a bag of yellow onions
- 2 large green bell peppers
- 1 extra large grapefruit
- 2 1/2 lbs of red grapes

all for a grand total of $7.30.

It's mostly local produce... the air conditioning is almost non-existant... they don't sell meat, or cheese, or anything like that... just fruits and vege's. But if you find one close enough, it's worth a drive once a week to stock up on fresh stuff. Ours is called "Sun Country Farms"; but it's not a chain - so the names of those places are going to vary... But from what I've seen many cities seem to have at least one of these types of places.

gramacanada

Yes definitely frozen is the way to go. Do you eat any processed foods? those are a budget killer. I have $40 a week for groceries and I spend $10 of it on fruits and vegetables. That is plenty for me. I don't live where there are discount stores. and in Canada we get very few coupons. and any we do get are only for about 50 cents. I eat almost no processed, pre-cut or pre-made foods. I always compare price per pound. Things like baby carrots, cost way more per pound than bunch carrots. Things like that save, $$$$ I never buy more fresh food than I can eat in 2 days. That way I never throw anything out. That costs $$$ too. Good luck hope this helps.

wildcata77

Also, Asian markets can be a great place for produce...stuff like bell peppers, onions, lettuces and herbs are much cheaper than a grocery store.

AmyLRed

OP is 18.

Are you living with your parents still? I know that can make it hard, if they are the ones primarily doing the shopping. Good luck, lots of great suggestions are posted. You can do this!

oh_em_gee

OP is 18.

Are you living with your parents still? I know that can make it hard, if they are the ones primarily doing the shopping. Good luck, lots of great suggestions are posted. You can do this!

I'm in that boat too. I'm a part time student, part time worker, so Ido t have too much for extras. I have started tracking my spending, and that has shown me that I have enough, I just waste too much.