Impossible to eat healthy when in debt
Replies
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I bet there are lots of you reading this thread going "that's me" and feeling guilty by my attitude towards this mentality. The truth is though, it is her (your) mentality that is causing the obesity in America to sky rocket (along with the bonus checks of Fast Food owners).
Nope, just reading the rants of a troll and smh that people are biting.
This^^^^^
There will be no solution for these people that we can help with. At first I just thought this was a troll post but now have my doubts. Troll or no the OP can talk to strangers on the web and blame his wife (who is a member of this site and in his "friends" list. I asume she knows about this thread) but that won't solve the issues either. My guess is her story about why she doesn't trust him with money would reveal an interesting counter argument.
The reality is.....this is a waste of time for all involved.
Please carry on.
If you have your household finances, diet, and meals planned and everyone will authoritarianly follow your order, then yes this is a waste of your time. But if you respect your spouse and you aren't getting respect in return, there is something in this thread for everyone in that situation. Not everyone lives a "no nonesense, no drama" life. When people are allowed to think for themselves (something I encourage) then there will always be conflict.
If you don't like what this thread is offering, skip it.
As long as they keep me out of it, I don't care if the thread lives or dies. Just keep your bias and opinions to yourself.0 -
Did you seriously say you jacked your wife's credit card to buy the healthy food that the two of you didn't agree on?? Wow - that is crazy. While I empathize with what you are saying as my husband is a junk food junkie he and I have come to compromises through communication and work - its not easy but it is better than going behind each other's backs - that is deceitful and could cause a lot of trust issues....0
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Have they read your profile?! ADHD, omg! There's no winning an argument! lol!0
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Just keep your bias and opinions to yourself.
Isn't this the point of a public forum? To hear bias and opinion? To debate?0 -
My ex used to tell me that there was o money for me to go to school to become a masage therapist. There were cuts that could be made- and it would have only been for 6 months while I toook courses- but he insisted the money wasn't there. I found the money in the end. In divorce court. I spent 10 years of this madness. And I didn't have any one to talk to. I was very isolated. I am glad you can reach out to vent or ask for sypmathy on MFP- there are allot of good ideas here that others can use. Not relevant to your post but still useful.
I sincerely hope the struggle can be worked out in your marriage.0 -
You spend money on what's important to you. If eating healthy were a priority for you then you would adjust your budget to reflect that.0
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Just keep your bias and opinions to yourself.
Isn't this the point of a public forum? To hear bias and opinion? To debate?
Sure, as long as it isn't dished out as a passive aggressive attack. That would be disrespectful and uncivil. As long as no one makes things personal to anyone I think it's fair game, right? I mean, why would anyone want to be singled out and prosecuted? As long as we talk in the general (and meaning it that way) then I think it's okay. But a lot of people are taking out there aggression on me and I find that uncalled for.0 -
i feed a family of two on 2 dollars a day. you do what you have to do to survive. a lot of brown rice, beans, chicken, and milk. and veggies from the farmers market. i can bring down the 150 dollars by about 40-70 dollars if i spend 2-3 hours on coupons.com maybe its just different for me, i grew up dirt poor and eating casserole every night. i would skip the sausage patties, and get ground beef. skip the yogurt containers, and buy bulk. skip liquid egg whites, and buy a bakers dozen eggs. skip crinkle cut carrots, and go to the farmers market. (you will get double or more for the same price) i would DEFFINITLY skip the frozen crap like artic zero and stuff. that is like 7 dollars for a pint. buy protein powder and have it with milk... yeah it dosnt tastes like ice cream, but if you are in debt you don't have the luxury to get that type of stuff.0
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Did you seriously say you jacked your wife's credit card to buy the healthy food that the two of you didn't agree on?? Wow - that is crazy. While I empathize with what you are saying as my husband is a junk food junkie he and I have come to compromises through communication and work - its not easy but it is better than going behind each other's backs - that is deceitful and could cause a lot of trust issues....
No, no, it's okay. We don't have split finances like a lot of marriages do these days. The only reason it's "her credit card" is because we didn't want that card on my credit report by getting me a card too. She and I talked and I would have been able to use it regardless, the whole point though is she spent the money on the bills instead of paying off my card and never offered me her card as a solution (I had to intuitively come up with that on my own); so the problem is solved with the exception that she may overspend on our debt in the future and not give me enough money for food. Really there's no reason to go back on the original post's issue or have this thread stay alive. But without a doubt this post will keep on going because of it's controversial and debatable nature.0 -
I feel that we either pay the increase in food cost now, or we pay the much larger increase in maintaining the symptoms of our diseases later.....and feel much worse for it. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Anyone with debt, trying to figure out the right insurance to buy, how to plan for adequate retirement, budget, etc, then you may want to consider the Financial Peace University class. It's by Dave Ramsey and it's pretty thorough. It really helped me with debt, future retirement, and college planning for my kid.....just to name a few things that I have vastly improved. :-)0 -
OP if you have gotten what you needed out of the tread then just move on to something else. You don't need to continue explaining or defending yourself. If people want to keep commenting or using the thread for their own puropses, it's ok for you not to participate.0
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I feel that we either pay the increase in food cost now, or we pay the much larger increase in maintaining the symptoms of our diseases later.....and feel much worse for it. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
I agree totally, Just wished I'd started before, because now it IS later!0 -
I find red beans and rice an inexpensive meal. Add a zucchini (sauteed) for veggies (can add onion or tomato for $0.25 more per person) the meal costs about $1.75 each. Ham and navy bean soup is also inexpensive per serving. Ham bone $7, beans $2/lb, onions (2) $1.50, celery $0.99, carrots $2.99. add water, salt, bouillon cube (box $2) Total $15, serves 10. $1.50/ per serving.0
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I read several pages of the thread. I didn't have the tenacity to go read every post but I read for a good 10 minutes.
OP It sounds to me like you would like to have as much say in the finances as she does. Is there a power struggle going on?
Do you feel as if she gets to make all the financial decisions, are her priorities are always getting paid for- while your priorities are not getting financed because she doesn't think they are important?
I sympathise with you. As a home maker myself, I often got the same schtick from my ex husband. Since he worked, he got to make all the money decisions. If I wanted something, and HE wanted it too- we could have it. But if I wantes something- and it wasn't important to him, 'we couldn't afford it". This made me feel be littled.
I understand the need to vent. I wish I had some advice for you. Were it me, I would be tempted to leave m duties as home maker- put the kids in day care, and get a job to make the extra money needed for the types of food you want to buy. But that would't solve anything and likely change the dinamics of the marriage too much.
I know you want to set a good example for your kids, and it must be frustrating to be dealing with this.
Venting is the only thing people who WANT to solve their own problems have as their weapon against frustrating situations. People vent many ways but let's be honest, venting is just redirected aggression. And last I checked, the conservative movements are trying to ban aggression in all it's forms. But don't they know that pent up emotion is poisonous? I have read study after study that people who "hold things in" are more likely to have hypertension and high blood pressure than someone who talks about their problems (even if not seeking advice). What's the secret? Peer empathy. To know other people care about your feelings and that you do in fact matter is all that it takes to cure aggression. But in today's world, besides HSP's like myself, who is prepared to deal with other people's emotions? Very few.....
Anyways, my situation will get better. I am going to have a nice Yin/Yang style debate with her about the priorities that we both have and just lay out the law. She will have to give me a budget (and stick to it) and I will have to be a bargain hunter and better utilize my freezers. But like I said, when everyone is allowed to think for themselves and no one is oppressed, conflict is going to happen.
I want to thank everyone for showing empathy towards me and helping me get over my aggression 24 hours ago when this thread started.0 -
OP if you have gotten what you needed out of the tread then just move on to something else. You don't need to continue explaining or defending yourself. If people want to keep commenting or using the thread for their own puropses, it's ok for you not to participate.
It's so hard to abandon projects I started, even if they have reached to the point of maximum completion. But you do have a point, I'll just let it die off by not commenting and trying to keep my hypersensitivity from getting hurt by their rude and accusing remarks. I've sad all I can and now I just have to hope that this thread will die off on it's own.
EDIT: And if anyone tries to bait me back here by snarling at my post count or at the fact I am openly admitting that I have ADHD or HSP then I want you to realize your passive aggressive and bullying behavior. I said I was done with this thread, and you are talking about me behind my back. Is that respectful? No. Would you want people talking about you behind your back? Even if you say you don't care, you wouldn't want them to. So please either stay on topic (eating healthy while in debt or eating healthy versus eating dirty) or just don't comment. I don't need anyone's two cents or drama and neither does anyone else on this thread.0 -
I bet there are lots of you reading this thread going "that's me" and feeling guilty by my attitude towards this mentality. The truth is though, it is her (your) mentality that is causing the obesity in America to sky rocket (along with the bonus checks of Fast Food owners).
Nope, just reading the rants of a troll and smh that people are biting.
This^^^^^
There will be no solution for these people that we can help with. At first I just thought this was a troll post but now have my doubts. Troll or no the OP can talk to strangers on the web and blame his wife (who is a member of this site and in his "friends" list. I asume she knows about this thread) but that won't solve the issues either. My guess is her story about why she doesn't trust him with money would reveal an interesting counter argument.
The reality is.....this is a waste of time for all involved.
Please carry on.
If you have your household finances, diet, and meals planned and everyone will authoritarianly follow your order, then yes this is a waste of your time. But if you respect your spouse and you aren't getting respect in return, there is something in this thread for everyone in that situation. Not everyone lives a "no nonesense, no drama" life. When people are allowed to think for themselves (something I encourage) then there will always be conflict.
If you don't like what this thread is offering, skip it.
As long as they keep me out of it, I don't care if the thread lives or dies. Just keep your bias and opinions to yourself.
You're laundering your dirty laundry in public. Do you really think someone her is going to suggest something that; 1.You will listen to and follow up on, 2. will change you and your wives relationship? Not bloody likely. From what you've written I get the impression this type of drama is nothing new to your life and like a pig in the mud, you just love to wallow. There will always be excuses and you will always feel misunderstood.
One last thing. Has your wife read this thread?0 -
Have they read your profile?! ADHD, omg! There's no winning an argument! lol!
LOL. Yes0 -
502 posts since July.0
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Have your wife watch these and then maybe she'll rethink the situation
1. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
2. Forks over Knives
3. Killer at "Large"
These are (3) documentaries I suggest all my MFP friends to watch at your leisure on Netflex or rent if possible.0 -
My secrets to making healthy meals on a grad-student budget:
1. Huge pots of soup, chili, or beans (black eyed peas or mexi-style black beans are AMAZING). Leftovers for days, and super satisfying.
2. Plant-based diet. 1 pound of chickpeas or lentils is cheaper than 1 pound of meat (not to mention the lower carbon footprint). Buy beans and legumes in bulk. Sure, you have to think ahead and soak them, but it's a much cheaper alternative to meat or canned beans.
Might I suggest trying to win your wife over with some long-term financial planning? Since processed foods are more likely to lead to metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes), ask her to factor the cost of insulin and blood pressure medication into your long-term budget. Maybe she'll think twice about letting you buy some kale and quinoa instead of hamburger helper.
This! 100%!0 -
I stock up when meats go on sale, we eat a lot of chicken!!! When it hits 79 cents a LB I stock the freezer full of chicken breasts.
Veggies I do the same thing, if say cabbage is on sale ( normally 39cents LB when it is) I will cooked it, freeze it and make a million meals out of it.
The boys and I love beans, dried beans are usually 1.29 for a bag, and it's enough to make several meals out of for the 4 of us >
Frugal is my life, and I am trying to pay down debt also.
Priorities, Priorities, Priorities!!!0 -
I am so tired of people saying they can't eat healthy on a budget. If you make a meal of healthy ingredients it costs much less than if you eat crap. It's been proven over and over again. It looks more expensive, but when you break it down...one half onion = $.15, two garlic clove =$.02, one half pound chicken thighs = $4, one can tomatoes =$1, couple sprinkles dried basil =$.02, can of chickpeas = $1.5. Whole meal = $6.69 I'm not sure how that is expensive. It might look expensive to buy a whole thing of dried basil or load up the spice rack, so do it a few at a time. It's not difficult. This is just someone who doesn't want to eat healthy and is using money to avoid it.
Sorry, don't mean to be an *kitten*, but I've been having this argument with people for years now.
It sounds like to me that the ideas for the healthy options - your wife has issues with, right? Maybe you need to find a middle ground and focus on YOUR heath and what you need. If it's $4 worth of burgers, maybe you can spend $2 on some rice and beans for yourself....
I went vegan almost a month ago and I found that our grocery bill went way down...keep in mind that my partner is still eating meat - but no dairy products in the house....
There's always a way to figure things out...remember - money is the BIGGEST thing that comes between couples....0 -
Don't go all wonder bread and salt and salami sandwhiches, but you may have to buy frozen corn instead of Certified Organic Corn Picked by Naked Native Americans who are also crying because of the Environment brand.
HAHA, I LOVE THAT!!!!!0 -
Forgive an older lady for butting in here. But reading your profile page and then reading some of the comments on here there are lots of very good suggestions that people have made to help you. However, at the risk of getting shot down hahaha I feel it starts at the beginning. Your wife and you do not agree. End off. No, that is just the beginning, I think you and her should sit down CALMLY and discuss a budget that fits in with the debts. Suggest she writes to each company that you are in debt with and ask for reduced payments. Monthly bills are one thing that has to be paid, IE Utility bills and the rent/mortgage. But defo a budget of your finances need to be sat down and recalculated to give it some stretch.
As for eating healthily, my family and are on disability benefits. I have had to do the same as I suggested above and find if I could reduce my payments.
I do not shop in one store anymore. Its cheaper to shop at a butchers for your meat, veg shop for your fruit and veg. A grain store for your rice etc
We have cheaper shops in the UK like Lidle and Aldi, and tin things are cheaper mostly in those stores. I don't use fuel to shop around as I have got myself in a sequence of shops now and go to one at one week, and another at another time. Thus saving costs of fuel.
I see also that you say you are autistic, could this be why you wife feels she has to control the purse strings?0 -
This thread stopped being about you when you posted a question that affects a lot of people. There are some great tips on this thread, and you can pick and choose those that apply to you.
But when I see your attitude, it's your wife that gets my sympathy.
With $80/week, you can set up a great stockpile of good foods that you have to cook from scratch. If you were to have great meals on the table when she comes home from work, she would not feel the need to put the family in the car to go shell out another few dollars at Macdonalds.
Instead she comes home to an empty table and a pouting husband whose sense of self-entitlement is over the top.
Change the script. Have a good tasty meal ready when she comes home. Max out the $80. Share the info on the food budget with her. If you do a good job as cook and communicator, who is to say that she won't give you another $20?
As far as your delicate stomach is concerned, there is a no-gluten group on MFP where you could get great advice.
As for the rest, folks these were some great tips, and I am sure that we have all learned how to better spend our food dollar from this exercise.
Great reply minus the assumption that I don't have dinner on the table when she comes home and more or less implying that I'm a lazy dead beat. Why is it SOME women can't speak to a man without personal bias or perpetuating stereotypes?
I cook every meal that the family eats and have for over a month now. It is ready at or before the time that everyone expects. The reason she wants fast food is because of her addiction/cravings and because she sincerely thinks $1 burgers for everyone is cheaper than a home cooked meal. Of course she isn't concerned about malnutrition, stunted growth, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, ADHD flares, arthritis, or high blood pressure like I am.
My wife is also very "idealistic" which is a fancy way of saying she has "unreasonable expectations". If she is going to have a home cooked meal, she doesn't want chicken, rice, beans, or pork; she wants ribs, steak, premium cut beef sirloin, and premium "game"! In her mind, a meal at home should be just as luxurious and should taste like a meal that came from a 5 star restaurant.
I'm sorry that I'm not choosing to "be a man" and take your passive aggressive remark on the chin but this is the sexist bias that needs to be corrected. Saying "Instead she comes home to an empty table and a pouting husband whose sense of self-entitlement is over the top" implies some personal issues with men because not once in this thread did I even closely insinuate that meals aren't cooked by the time she gets home, so where the hell did this come from if it wasn't from personal issues with your own husband or with the stereotypical male? Perhaps you should get to know the stranger you're talking about before you make false accusations. I treat my wife like a princess in every single aspect of our life EXCEPT money; so before you call someone a selfish and "self entitled jerk" I want you to carefully interrogate your subject to get the information you seek before you make ASSUMPTIONS.
And yes, I understand that this thread is probably being viewed by a lot of people who are not commenting and it is helping them with getting ideas on how to survive on a low budget. But the point here isn't survival. The point I was trying to make is living a higher quality of life than just "surviving". Surviving on a budget is absolutely do-able and I never said that people couldn't "survive" on $80/week. Hell, I could feed my entire family of 4 on $30/week!!! But you and I both know how miserable we all would be and how macronutrient deficient we all would be eating that poor. And it's not JUST about hitting your macros, it's about hitting your macros with quality foods! While I could easily stuff my non-gluten allergy child with $0.49 white bread for a week, the nutritional quality of that $0.49 bread is absolutely the pits! No trace of bran, no fortified vitamins, not even real sugar! The food is absolutely garbage and should have never been invented.
So the point again of this thread is the argument between my wife and I that not enough money is going towards our debt because food costs are so high. So because clearing the debt was more important than eating, she stole my money for food and paid our debt off... And while I bet I could find food that would accommodate the new budget, it's going to reduce the cognitive, physical, and emotional function of the entire family eating less quality foods and more empty calories to fill our calories up. I respect her conservative and republican-minded upbringing to pay off debts and follow the "safe path" to her goals in life (which is to be debt free); but she is not respecting my liberal and democratic-minded upbringing to taking care of the people we are responsible for and doing things whatever way that we need to in order to get the needs of each person met. You could say that my marriage is a very "Yin-Yang" arrangement where we argue most of the time since our priorities are often in opposite directions; but this is a good way to keep each other "in check" when we are being too "idealistic" about our own beliefs and goals.
Excuse me, but you are making assumptions of your own, like you are the only one who has ever lived in your situation. Not so! Without divulging the details of my personal life, I can say that I speak from long,long experience.
So, you have been cooking for just over a month, with the meals on the table when she comes home. Good for you. Keep it up. And there is no reason why you cannot cook better than you can eat out. When men get into cooking, they don't cook like a mom, but like a chef. Go to the public library and get your self some cook books. Try Indian cooking. Once you begin cooking rice with cinamon sticks and cardamon pods or mustard seeds, you wife will rediscover rice. And with proper technique, cheaper cuts of meat can be real flavorful. Your wife's idealistic expectations of eating better at home than in a restaurant can be met if you put your mind to it.0 -
This thread stopped being about you when you posted a question that affects a lot of people. There are some great tips on this thread, and you can pick and choose those that apply to you.
But when I see your attitude, it's your wife that gets my sympathy.
With $80/week, you can set up a great stockpile of good foods that you have to cook from scratch. If you were to have great meals on the table when she comes home from work, she would not feel the need to put the family in the car to go shell out another few dollars at Macdonalds.
Instead she comes home to an empty table and a pouting husband whose sense of self-entitlement is over the top.
Change the script. Have a good tasty meal ready when she comes home. Max out the $80. Share the info on the food budget with her. If you do a good job as cook and communicator, who is to say that she won't give you another $20?
As far as your delicate stomach is concerned, there is a no-gluten group on MFP where you could get great advice.
As for the rest, folks these were some great tips, and I am sure that we have all learned how to better spend our food dollar from this exercise.
Great reply minus the assumption that I don't have dinner on the table when she comes home and more or less implying that I'm a lazy dead beat. Why is it SOME women can't speak to a man without personal bias or perpetuating stereotypes?
I cook every meal that the family eats and have for over a month now. It is ready at or before the time that everyone expects. The reason she wants fast food is because of her addiction/cravings and because she sincerely thinks $1 burgers for everyone is cheaper than a home cooked meal. Of course she isn't concerned about malnutrition, stunted growth, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, ADHD flares, arthritis, or high blood pressure like I am.
My wife is also very "idealistic" which is a fancy way of saying she has "unreasonable expectations". If she is going to have a home cooked meal, she doesn't want chicken, rice, beans, or pork; she wants ribs, steak, premium cut beef sirloin, and premium "game"! In her mind, a meal at home should be just as luxurious and should taste like a meal that came from a 5 star restaurant.
I'm sorry that I'm not choosing to "be a man" and take your passive aggressive remark on the chin but this is the sexist bias that needs to be corrected. Saying "Instead she comes home to an empty table and a pouting husband whose sense of self-entitlement is over the top" implies some personal issues with men because not once in this thread did I even closely insinuate that meals aren't cooked by the time she gets home, so where the hell did this come from if it wasn't from personal issues with your own husband or with the stereotypical male? Perhaps you should get to know the stranger you're talking about before you make false accusations. I treat my wife like a princess in every single aspect of our life EXCEPT money; so before you call someone a selfish and "self entitled jerk" I want you to carefully interrogate your subject to get the information you seek before you make ASSUMPTIONS.
And yes, I understand that this thread is probably being viewed by a lot of people who are not commenting and it is helping them with getting ideas on how to survive on a low budget. But the point here isn't survival. The point I was trying to make is living a higher quality of life than just "surviving". Surviving on a budget is absolutely do-able and I never said that people couldn't "survive" on $80/week. Hell, I could feed my entire family of 4 on $30/week!!! But you and I both know how miserable we all would be and how macronutrient deficient we all would be eating that poor. And it's not JUST about hitting your macros, it's about hitting your macros with quality foods! While I could easily stuff my non-gluten allergy child with $0.49 white bread for a week, the nutritional quality of that $0.49 bread is absolutely the pits! No trace of bran, no fortified vitamins, not even real sugar! The food is absolutely garbage and should have never been invented.
So the point again of this thread is the argument between my wife and I that not enough money is going towards our debt because food costs are so high. So because clearing the debt was more important than eating, she stole my money for food and paid our debt off... And while I bet I could find food that would accommodate the new budget, it's going to reduce the cognitive, physical, and emotional function of the entire family eating less quality foods and more empty calories to fill our calories up. I respect her conservative and republican-minded upbringing to pay off debts and follow the "safe path" to her goals in life (which is to be debt free); but she is not respecting my liberal and democratic-minded upbringing to taking care of the people we are responsible for and doing things whatever way that we need to in order to get the needs of each person met. You could say that my marriage is a very "Yin-Yang" arrangement where we argue most of the time since our priorities are often in opposite directions; but this is a good way to keep each other "in check" when we are being too "idealistic" about our own beliefs and goals.
Excuse me, but you are making assumptions of your own, like you are the only one who has ever lived in your situation. Not so! Without divulging the details of my personal life, I can say that I speak from long,long experience.
So, you have been cooking for just over a month, with the meals on the table when she comes home. Good for you. Keep it up. And there is no reason why you cannot cook better than you can eat out. When men get into cooking, they don't cook like a mom, but like a chef. Go to the public library and get your self some cook books. Try Indian cooking. Once you begin cooking rice with cinamon sticks and cardamon pods or mustard seeds, you wife will rediscover rice. And with proper technique, cheaper cuts of meat can be real flavorful. Your wife's idealistic expectations of eating better at home than in a restaurant can be met if you put your mind to it.
I gotta ask this... what is more important? The war you have with conservative/republican vs liberal/democratic thinking? Or the simple solution of how to put good/healthy foods on the table on a tight budget?
Honestly speaking here - politics have nothing to do with any of your problems with your wife... Thats a hostile approach that has no bearing, nor any importance whatsoever.... This willingness to allow that type of 'stress' will significantly stall any efforts for weight loss, health, personal health, mental stability, etc.
So, set aside the political banter - its really useless and a waste of precious energy...
Yes, people can eat healthy on a budget restriction. You have to be street-smart and know who has the better prices, sales, when bulk purchases will be better vs purchasing smaller amounts as you need them.
Not all meals have to have an animal protein. Every now and then a hearty three bean-vegetable soup hits the spot for breakfast for me. There is a wonderful Indian soup called "Dahl" (also Daal), that uses lentils, fresh chopped tomato, onion, a variety of spices. I like to add celery, carrot, spinach to make it a more heartier soup. The lentils are CHEAP eats and when you eat them, WOW are they filling!!!! I love getting all of the colors - it makes the soup very eye-appealing!
We eat everything from scratch at home and everything is made fresh from scratch - even my own marinara. For less than $5.00, maybe $6.00 (depending on the time of year here in NH), I can make about 2.5 gallons of fresh marinara. It gets frozen into quart containers for future use.
Often you can find frozen vegetables (the variety with absolutely nothing added to it) - often the store brand, where it will be cheaper than the fresh variety. We have one store where a 1lb bag of frozen bell pepper strips is only $1.00 - THAT is a true bargain!
When you purchase your meats, save all of the bones, scraps and their natural juices and put them in a freezer bag. When you have enough, take them out and boil the hell out of them. Any vegetable scraps (the ends of celery, carrots, onions, zucchini, peppers, etc) add that to the pot. Throw in some spices, even garlic. Boil for a good 6-8hrs, replenishing the water. By the time its done, strain it, and you will have a very large batch of fresh stock. You can freeze it just like the marinara suggestion, use it for future soups, stews, gravies, or even something as simple as warming up a cup of broth when that is all you are in the mood for... that is stretching your monetary investment in food to every penny spent. No waste!
It is ALWAYS possible to eat healthy even in debt.0 -
A giant bag of rice and frozen veggies is pretty damn cheap!0
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Its amazing how many fresh veggies you can get for $10 at the farmer's market! That coupled with some rice and a lean protein makes one amazing stirfry! and instead of buying your sauces at the grocery store, head to the Asian or European food stores. Same or better quality stir fry sauces for much cheaper!0
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In my opinion, mobile phones are a luxury and eating healthy is a necessity. My wife seems to feel the other way around (she's an internet addict with her smart phone).
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Wow! never heard of this Mint.com...i checked it out and it seems great! thanks for putting it out there! 0 -
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but there is a blog that my husband found a while ago called budget bytes http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com. That has recipes with cost breakdown. I also agree that farmers markets are a good way to go. I am not sure how late the markets are open in your area. Where I used to live (the frozen tundra of Minnesota) they were only open until mid-to-late september. Here in MD they are open until october. My husband is a big fan of aldi (two pounds of grapes for $1.98- holla!). I would say that your biggest tool would be planning. Find healthy items on sale and plan the rest of your meals around those items. I hope that had been helpful.0
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