Grocery Store Madness

greeneyedgirl829

Funny thing to whine about, but did anyone notice their grocery bill drastically change (and not for the better) when they started to eat healthier? Mine sure did! Let the cupboards get bare, went grocery shopping this week, and filled the cupboards with completely healthy items, fresh fruit and vegetables. There is a real difference now in what my boyfriend and I are eating, and a large change in the bill. Anyone notice this too, and what did you do?

greeneyedgirl829

Funny thing to whine about, but did anyone notice their grocery bill drastically change (and not for the better) when they started to eat healthier? Mine sure did! Let the cupboards get bare, went grocery shopping this week, and filled the cupboards with completely healthy items, fresh fruit and vegetables. There is a real difference now in what my boyfriend and I are eating, and a large change in the bill. Anyone notice this too, and what did you do?

MontanaGirl

Yup - bill went through the roof. I guess that's why they say it's hard for lower income people to eat healthy - it can be expensive!! Haven't figured out a solution yet though. Still working on it!

may_marie

it sure does !!

soda cheaper then water,,, a hugeeeee bag of chips a fraction the price of a small bag of apples...
the good for you bread is twice the price of that big loaf of white bread.
and i could go on and on... its sad.

i've made things balance by stopping eating out. cooking at home is much cheaper and healthier

may

rayneenie

That is one thing I have really noticed. I watch the sales big time especially when it comes to meats and I have started buying whole cuts of meat and breaking them down myself. It is cheaper to be your own butcher sometimes. I also go to places like Big Lots and the Dollar stores to get my canned goods. Add the money saved there to your fresh food budget.

auntkaren

Yup - bill went through the roof. I guess that's why they say it's hard for lower income people to eat healthy - it can be expensive!! Haven't figured out a solution yet though. Still working on it!

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

emtink

yep, my weekly bill went up by about $30. if i can get my butt up on the weekend, i'm going to try shopping the farmers markets we have here. i like the idea of supporting local farmers, and it can be cheaper than the grocery store. other than that, i have no idea. still trying to figure it out too...

MontanaGirl

it sure does !!

soda cheaper then water,,, a hugeeeee bag of chips a fraction the price of a small bag of apples...
the good for you bread is twice the price of that big loaf of white bread.
and i could go on and on... its sad.

i've made things balance by stopping eating out. cooking at home is much cheaper and healthier

may

Yeah - we've cut way down on eating out to help compensate - healthier too! Not that my kids agree . . .LOL

Mireille

I agree. I'm finding I'm going to the grocery store more often for produce. This summer I'm gonna try to grow some of my own veggies in back yard. Wish me luck!!

peej76

:mad: yes, it makes me so mad. Everyone is so down on obese people yet it's so much easier and cheaper to buy prepackaged stuff. my groceries have increased to 20-30 dollars more-a week. Another thing is my grocery store I usually shop at gets some really good sales on their fruits and veggies, so you go to pick some up while there on sale and guess what? They are the most unattractive looking fruits and veggies I've ever seen.

catlover

I went shopping for myself and my two daughters and I thought I would see a little bill since it contained NO snacks, and it came to $179.00. Holy Cow!! I shop for one week now, calclulating only what I know we will eat (so there is no waste at the end of the week) and getting only what we need (which is sometimes something on sale and may not be something we want). My absolute biggest savings probably comes from preparing only a serving for each person at meal time and having NO leftovers as they usually go into the fridge for a week and into the trash on trash day. Also, I make several nonmeat meals a week, even though we are not vegetarian, and I make stew or soup or chili as often as my kids will eat it. I avoid bottled water and high calorie "dressings" like A-1.

Too bad the industry isn't caught on to this yet. They do not make it easy. You can get a coupon for all the high calorie, quick things, but you seldom see one for fresh food.

MontanaGirl

I agree. I'm finding I'm going to the grocery store more often for produce. This summer I'm gonna try to grow some of my own veggies in back yard. Wish me luck!!

Yes - good luck! Gardening is fun and good exercise - stretches a lot of muscles too. I can't wait until we move up to my in-laws ranch - after they build and move - and I will get to have a big garden!!

kmccleery04

Exactly!!!! gardening is so much fun and being able to eat the things your grow yourself is rewarding. I can't wait, here in Washington the Farmers Markets are about to start up again. It maybe a little more money, but the wonderful food you get is completely worth it. I'm an everyday or every other day grocery shopper. I think it saves me money. I opened a seperate account primarily for grocery food!!!! It helps me budget my spending!!!! :flowerforyou: Yipppeee for spring!!! I still love prepackaged food though, but I have started going to Dinners Ready and having my meals prepared for me! All I have to do is throw it in the oven most times!!! :drinker:

mommyskis

We've noticed this too. I really notice the lower-calorie treats are pricey. Like 50 cal fudge bars cost way more than regular ones. I can't wait until summer so I can get my garden going and visit the farmer's market. It is amazing how cheap bad food is.

scostello24

Thats a really good idea. I should put all the money I spent eating out everyday, sometimes twice a day. Then maybe at the end of the month I can really feel like I have accomplished something...SAVING!!!

elliott062907

Oh Yeah. i noticed too, but I also noticed that every week the gas prices go up 0.10 and so do dairy and meat...

Chicken and cows on strike??

SoulfulLori

Good health is cheaper than poor health. If that is the case there is a definite conspiracy to keep us fat! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

MontanaGirl

Those last two made me laugh :laugh: Yeah - I think the chickens and cows are on strike!! I even told dh when we move - whenever that is - we're buying a milk cow and some chickens of our own!! Enough with this already.

Yeah - obesity makes pharma, drs, and food manufacturers rich - getting healthy makes us poor! What a world we live in!!

hmmmm

The biggest thing that I do to try to reduce my grocery bill is stock up whenever it is really cheap and seperate and freeze whatever we don't use that week. Ground turkey, big pork loins and boneless chicken thighs are the meats I always look out for. Frozen veggies, canned veggies, pasta sauce, micro popcorn, fudgepops and yogurt are also things I look for. If I find low cal bread, tortillas or cheese on sale I will buy extra and freeze some. I try to only buy veggies that are on sale this way I get a lot of variety and don't always have the same thing every week. I don't think my bill has gone up too much because we rarely ever eat out anymore.