Losing weight with little to no money.

changejen2013

YES! I live about 1 mile from a dollar store that has canned goods, frozen foods, and fresh produce...can't beat that!
I spend about $150 on food each month for my husband, daughter, and myself and we eat healthy with some small snacks.

Try looking for a place like that in your local area. I know most people may not have one in their area but google will tell you. ;-)

coffee_rocks

Heard today on the news that we (North Americans) throw away 40% of the food we buy at the grocery store. First thing I'd suggest, and this applies to me too, is to plan meals better to reduce wasted food.

I always buy the day old bread for 50% off and keep it in the freezer. I just go right from freezer to toaster, and it is exactly the same as fresh to toaster. We buy meat in bulk when on sale, and we eat what's on sale. Veggies in season, or else frozen in bulk. Starches are items on sale or filling at a low cost, like whole wheat pasta or potatoes.

Buy store brands instead of national brands.

The most expensive items are always the pre-packed foods, or brand names. Grocery store flyers are your friend, and Walmart (at least here in Canada) price matches every other store flyer out there.

Good luck!

laserturkey

YES! I live about 1 mile from a dollar store that has canned goods, frozen foods, and fresh produce...can't beat that!
I spend about $150 on food each month for my husband, daughter, and myself and we eat healthy with some small snacks.

Try looking for a place like that in your local area. I know most people may not have one in their area but google will tell you. ;-)

ALSO: walk to the store and home when weather permits, if you aren't buying anything too heavy.

corie888

I totally understand where you are coming from. It is cheaper to eat macaroni and cheese from a package than to spend money on fruits and veggies at the store. It is very expensive to be on a diet. I found out that your neighborhood Sprouts carries locally grown produce so it's cheaper but everything else in there is expensive. I buy food at a neighborhood Winco. They are the cheapest around since they are non-union and therefore they don't have the higher prices. You do have to bag your own food but it's worth it. Their produce is picked over but I have found bagged fruit to be good. Just don't give in to junk food. Buy healthy and plan your meals. Use coupons. If you don't get a local paper with coupons, go online and go to the product website. Sometimes you can find them there. If you love macaroni and cheese, like I do, make your own with fiber-rich pasta or whole grain and make your own sauce. It can be time-consuming but think of it this way. You are worth the time. It is about you. Get up early and make ahead meals, freeze them or do what you can to stick to your plan. We all get the same 24 hours in a day; it's what you choose to do with that time that makes a difference. Good luck.

missliss4763

I buy regular groceries....just stay within my calories...eggs are great for breakfast which is what I have just about everyday...love my egg sandwiches I also have an apple either with my breakfast or snack afterwards. Sandwiches are great for lunch with a piece of fruit or celery or carrots. I do not buy pre cut, the whole ones are way cheaper. And for dinner I eat whatever I would normally or what my bf would cook...fried chicken, baked chicken, steak, burgers, sloppy joes, hot dogs, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, frozen mixed veggies, baked potato, pizza, you name it, I eat it Just watch my portions and stay within my calorie goal. I weigh my burgers usually about 5oz, eat just one piece of fried chicken, or 2 small pieces and I'll skip on the starch, and make sure my veggies are at least have my dinner plate. Don't forget...exercise earns and burns!!! (calories of course ....hope this helps a little...you can do it!

Crochetluvr

Workout videos on YouTube. I like the Leslie Sansone walking workouts, but there are a plenty of others.

Shabbyrose

if you have an Aldi in your area, they have really good, inexpensive healty foods. They don't have many name brands, but their generics are all made by company's that make the name brands but just slap a different label on it. And they are INEXPENSIVE!!! You can get a steamer bag broccoli FLORETTES (sp?) for like $1.09 here in the D/FW area in Texas, and they usually go for like $1.79 for name brands...

I was going to say this! I'm in the uk, nice to know the us has Aldi too!

SRH7

Exercise:

1. Running - all you need is some shoes and you're good to go
2. You Tube - loads of fitness videos including Jillian Michaels. Have a look for 30 Day Shred - great for getting in shape

Food:

1. In the UK shops like Aldi and Lidl are substantially cheaper for fresh food (e.g. Rooster potatoes are £1 a bag compared to £1.80 elsewhere). I'm sure you have similar cut-price supermarkets where you live (not sure where - are you in the US?)

2. Supermarkets often stock 'basic' ranges, which are cheaper. For example, fresh chicken breasts in these ranges are usually from the same farms as the normal chicken but are different shapes and sizes, which doesn't matter. Even better, buy and cook whole chickens - far cheaper and tastier than fillets, legs etc (and you have a convenient supply of ready-cooked lean protein for meals for the next few days).

3. Shop at the end of the day to bag some bargains. Meat that has a use-by date that day is usually cut massively in price and is safe to put in the freezer for future use. Markets are also great for this. My freezer currently has all sorts, from rump steak and smoked salmon to turkey mince and fresh beef burgers. Just be cheeky and ask the staff if they have certain times when they sell goods off. One woman I work with goes in at midnight once a week then brings in items the next day that she has bought for 5p each etc and sells them at a profit!

4. Asian/ethnic supermarkets: From little local Gujuarti stores on your local high street to big out-of-town Chinese supermarkets, there are bargains galore. As a student I only ever shopped in the local shops, getting big bags of onions and carrots, bunches of herbs, spices etc for a fraction of the price in the supermarkets. I also buy loads of noodles from the Chinese supermarkets in a once-a-month shop. They last forever, are really cheap and I particularly love the rice noodles as you simply pour boiling water on from the kettle then leave to stand for 10 mins. Drain off, add in a stack of raw or lightly cooked veg and beansprouts and several splashes of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and you have an instant dinner.

5. In the UK you can shop online so I assume you may be able to do this where you live. It means you can check the prices of products from the comfort of your home so you make wise decisions, both in terms of checking prices and not buying rubbish. (for those in the UK http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/ offers you price swaps on products to save money).

6. Try dried beans and pulses - cheap, filling and nutritious. Red split lentils are a great substitute for minced meat in chili and curries. Simply simmer in your sauce for around half an hour and they are done.

7. Bulk buy with friends or family from a cash and carry. My mum buys trays of meat which she bags up and puts in the freezer. Family then buy them from her at cost price when they visit. Much cheaper than buying two chicken breasts at a time.

8. And my final suggestion is to always try to shop in season. Cabbages grown in season locally will always be cheaper than those shipped in out of season! Google for where you live and what is in season each month.

I find I naturally lose weight when I have less money as luxury goods are the first thing to stop.

Candi_land

I survive on an 150-200 a month food budget. I buy a lot of frozen fruit/veggies,canned beans, soups (usually 10 for a dollar), eggs, huge pack of frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts, rice, whole wheat bread, lower sodium bacon, 93/7 ground beef instead of ground turkey (same *kitten* cheaper price) and everything else is normal cheap grocery items.

Best investment I ever made was in a food scale and measuring cups/spoons that I bought at my local dollar store for a total of 10 bucks and change. With those I'm able to pretty much eat anything I want in proper portions. What works for me is portion control and incorporating healthier choices whenever possible. Also lots of water. If you can't afford to buy your water they usually have those filtered water machines outside of grocery stores where you can fill up an empty gallon for 25 cents. Tap water of course is free (God I miss New York and the awesome tap water) but if your tap water is gross like it is here in Florida, I would suggest boiling it first before refrigerating it really won't make it taste any better but at least all bacteria would be gone.

Good luck!

WinterDryden

If you have a yard get some chickens. You will have free eggs & meat if needed. Chickens will eat anything. Also, like so many others have said beans are cheap & nutritious. Brown beans are very cheap. They can be stocked up for a long time too. Chili is a cheap meal, buy hamburger on sale. We shop at Save-A-Lot most of the time, and if you're not picky about brand name food you will save compared to other stores. You may want to call your local meat processing centers to see how much their fresh meat is by the box. It's healthier too.

BCSMama

I think it's cheaper to eat healthy, it just takes some planning. I prepare my family's dinners for the week on Sundays. We buy what's on sale on Sunday and I have time to prepare the food rather than grabbing more costly convenience food during the week. We eat a lot of beans, vegetables that are in season, brown rice, oats, eggs, etc. I make my own granola and protein bars also, which is way cheaper and healthier than the ones you buy at the store. We also have a farmers market type store that has dollar baskets of produce that needs to be used right away in the back. We usually plan our meals around what we can get from there. Since I do all the meal prep in one day, it works out for me to use the produce that day and once it's cooked, it lasts until we eat it that week.

I think the perception is that eating healthy is expensive because of all of the organic meat and fancy organic packaged foods available. The reality is that if you can plan ahead and put in the effort, eating healthy is actually cheaper.

elisa123gal

if you have an Aldi store..it is amazing how much you save there. I buy my oats..eggs..tons of fruits, vegetables for a fraction of it costs at Kroger. I used to go because of the bad economy..now i go because it is crazy not to.

ImTheMadHatter

Keep your calories in check.
Make them count by eating healthy/filling foods and eating every couple of hours on the small scale to keep yourself just off the cliff of being hungry but giving your body a chance to make the fuel and burn the cals.
Exercise of any sort to manage calories in/out helps a ton.
WEIGH your food to make sure you have correct portions for accurate calorie counts.
Pre-package your foods the night before so you have your portion control on your meals and snacks for the day...it makes it ALOT easier to manage then...(all tips from my gal pal that started this and lost 40lbs!!)

jennifer_417

Fresh/frozen fruits and veggies are pretty cheap. Exercise by walking/running or by finding free videos on YouTube.

sassycupcakecutie

Everything everyone has said!. I find it cheaper to eat healthy even though it takes more time to prepare mine and my families food! I spend way more when buying easy junk food or fast food but less time preparing it verses cheaper healthier food that takes more time to prepare. I have decided on the cheaper healthier food and longer prepare time. You can take one day a week and make stuff for breakfast, lunches, dinner and freeze them and that way it is easy as pie!

Also I walk my son to school everyday and walk back home and then all over again when it is time to pick him up from school. That is a good 40 min round trip and so 80 mins of free exercise in one day that actually saved me gas money!

I also use dvds that I have bought on sale or gotten as gifts along with free fitness videos on my roku, netflix,and youtube. My yoga mat was a gift as were my little weights. But before that I had gotten some for free on craigslist.

It is possible but all it takes it some planning and committing yourself and then you will actually see yourself losing weight and saving money in the long run!

PS: frozen veggies and fruit are usually pretty cheap.