Losing Weight on a Budget!

blondegirl1987
blondegirl1987 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I just started this thing today and I have played with it in the past before so I am already kind of liking the setup. But now that I am starting this, I am wondering how I will be able to follow it well when I have limited resources. I used to live on my own and was able to afford more healthier choices but since I moved back home for financial reasons, I am unable to afford healthy food. My family is not really able to afford this kind of food and as a result so many unhealthy things are brought into the house and basically kills my motivation. I reach for these foods out of convenience and I try hard to explain to my family that we should buy more healthier things but nothing happens so I really need some help on this matter. What's some advice on being able to eat healthier on a small budget?

Replies

  • georod12
    georod12 Posts: 1
    hey! im a student so i know exactly how it is!! what i do is, i buy all my food from wal mart. They sell 5lbs of chicken for like 9 bucks and i suggest you buy all your produce frozen, its actually fresher!! =) ...unless youre going to use it right away, also i buy tons of tuna and egg whites, the great value brand (walmart brand) is super cheap and tastes just as good trust me. brown rice is like 79 cents a bag. lmk if this helps =)
  • irenewells
    irenewells Posts: 1
    hi everyone ..im single mother with three teenagers on a small budget.. yes its hard .. i struggle with recipes and trying to keep it interesting plus i do shift work so its hard too.. any suggestions on good recipes fast and friendly? fruit and veges are great but would like some inspiration on recipes.,any help appreciated..
  • HVersluys
    HVersluys Posts: 8
    Something that is important and you want to remember are your portion sizes. Try to eat the right portion sizes, you want to eat healthier, but there is no reason that you can't eat all the foods you love to eat as long as your portions are the right size.
  • PapaDunx
    PapaDunx Posts: 243
    Im a mature student living on a very tight budget, and I can concur with these peeps.

    I eat breakfast - something that has low GI, so Im not hungry until around 12/1pm
    Lunch is my big meal of the day. Something very salad and low-fat chicken based.
    Then around 5/6pm I get hungry, so I go to the gym, or I cycle for an hour.
    This takes away my hunger pangs, so when I get in, I have a plate of veggies or fruit.

    I eat lots of tuna, vegetables (from frozen - no wastage), apples and tinned fruit in juice.
    No bread or pasta, just rice.

    I dont know if you have Aldi & Lidls where you are, but these are my normal stores. They are obscenely cheap.

    The major overriding factor for me, is I live alone and Im a good cook. Having lived in Asia and the Middle East for 20 years, Im not tied down to conventional Western breakfasts either.

    Mail me if you want to chat
    D.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Homebrand oatmeal is like $2 a bag for a months worth, organic pb is about $5, eggs are $2, frozen veg are from $2-$7, brown rice is like $1 and bulk chicken is about $10-15 for 2 weeks worth. buy in bulk and buy frozen. Also, go to the shops just before they close and sometimes they will have specials on say hot chickens they need to get rid of for about half price.
  • Nekoashi
    Nekoashi Posts: 220 Member
    I know what ya mean. Its hard to buy healthier food when you see the convenience and prices of the bad stuff. I help with the temptation and keeping my costs low, I use my crockpot to make meals in bulk. My favorite thing to make in the crockpot is some shredded chicken: frozen chicken breasts or thighs, add salsa, some seasonings, some diced tomatoes w/out salt and let it cook all day; shred chicken and put back in juices to soak all of it up :) Then you can add it to vegetable soup, have it in a tortilla, drain and put on a sandwich, so many options!

    Be sure to check for coupons and if you can get fresh produce look for whats in season (it'll taste better and be cheaper)

    Feel free to add me if you'd like :flowerforyou:
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    I am a student and a part time nanny. I live on very little but I stock up on things when they go on sale I use coupons and I buy the least expensive option always. That means generic everything, a bag of unpealed carrots that I prep into carrot sticks instead of the fancy baby carrots, dry beans and rice, if I want a 'treat' I am making it (which also helps me reevaluate if I really want that cookie or whatever). Nothing is organic, it's just not in the budget. I eat many of the things I always have eaten, I'm just more aware of calorie content. Measure every morsel, and weigh everything. I discovered yesterday that one pear weighs 7 ounces but the database has a serving of raw Bartlett pear at 3.5 ounces, really? Someone cuts a pear in half and waits till tomorrow to dive into the other half?? :noway: No... Right now whole chickens are on sale for $0.89 a pound in my area and I got 18 pounds of chicken I could freeze for $16 this past weekend. I made chicken soup and I'll make chicken pot pie later this week. Look up couponing sites they do all the work for you! I save a ton on toiletries and cleaning supplies with coupons! Which helps out the budget immensely! It takes a lot of planning and hard work but it is possible! Good luck!
  • Dita2810
    Dita2810 Posts: 9
    I am a single mother too. What I do is shopping in a bulk on Sunday in traditional market.Some supermarket offer lower price on Sunday but I prefer outdoor market because their stuff are fresher. Then, I will cook in a bulk, 3 kinds of meal. At meal time, I heat only the portion we able to finish at one meal time. This way I save time and money for gas, transportation and meal. I always bring lunch box to the office to control my portion and save money of course! besides bacterial infection is rampant here because the food vendors are not sanitary. About the menu, I can not help much because I live in Asia so I prefer stir fry veggies, vegetable soup, chicken marinade in soy sauce or varieties of noodles. Sometimes I bring salad consist of lettuce and tomatoes, with tofu and tempeh. Wish you good luck!
  • nicebumwhereyoufrom
    nicebumwhereyoufrom Posts: 35
    I just moved out and into a new city. I've been on a really tight budget lately, being able to spend about $30 a week. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm eating fresh salads and baked chicken every day, but I'm eating all of my food groups, and enjoying my food (for the most part.) If you have to eat KD, put some frozen broccoli in it. If you have to eat ramen noodles, put in an egg and some frozen peas.

    Most importantly, for me, eating on a budget has caused me to eat less. lol.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    canned vegies are actually good for you as well & cheap...and they last ages longer. http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/vitamins-and-nutrients-proscons-of-canned-vegetables.html
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    I'm bulking on a budget, so if I can do you, you should be able to maintain or lose weight on a budget. I buy meat that's marked down because its approaching sell by date. Buy beans, rice, pasta and potatoes because they are dirt cheap.

    What is your monthly food budget?
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    So I just started this thing today and I have played with it in the past before so I am already kind of liking the setup. But now that I am starting this, I am wondering how I will be able to follow it well when I have limited resources. I used to live on my own and was able to afford more healthier choices but since I moved back home for financial reasons, I am unable to afford healthy food. My family is not really able to afford this kind of food and as a result so many unhealthy things are brought into the house and basically kills my motivation. I reach for these foods out of convenience and I try hard to explain to my family that we should buy more healthier things but nothing happens so I really need some help on this matter. What's some advice on being able to eat healthier on a small budget?

    Just eat as healthy as you can. I can't afford all the organic stuff anymore and I've learned it really does not matter for weight loss. All that matters is your "calorie budget" and eating at a calorie deficit. The fat cells don't care if your food is clean or not. But of course you want to eat as healthy as possible.

    Just do the best you can and eat your "calorie budget" within your financial budget.
  • bruceinthepit88
    bruceinthepit88 Posts: 136
    At work now so can't read all the posts. But I am really interested to know about this since I am also living on a very low budget. Bumped for later :)
  • mgardiner288
    mgardiner288 Posts: 10 Member
    I live alone too, and have a very limited budget. One of the tricks that I use, is that my friends and I do, is we buy things in bulk and share the cost, or we cook up huge pots of things and then split the results and freeze them in individual portions. This way we both get the savings of buying bulk, without having to eat the same thing day after day.
  • frostylady34
    frostylady34 Posts: 1
    I would like to get some ideas on what to eat in general .I am on a very low budget .not a big eater .I have no problem eating the same thing everyday ..Is there something that is easy and healthy that I could eat daily ,instead of messing around with recipes <which I will end up not eating ..I am more of a snacker ,but I am not getting "full" nor am I getting nutrients I need ..any suggestions?
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    Beans, rice, meats on sale, potatoes, apples, canned tuna, eggs, peanut butter.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
    For years I have spent $40.00 a week an groceries. I get all the nutrients I need. And do not eat all generic brands.
    I also eat almost NO -- prepackaged, pre-prepared, processed, pre-cut, pre-cooked or convenience size anything. I only buy what produce I will use in a day or two. Nothing to throw out. No baby carrots No cheese strings. pound for pound these Are Horrendously Expensive. Buy full sized and cut them yourselves. Don't buy juice, soda, whatever. It's a waste of money compared to the nutrition in food. I don't live where there are any Big Box stores and in Canada coupons are not any kind of big deal. They are few and far between and almost always for packaged food anyhow. So that's not a factor. The $40 is for food only. Nothing else the grocery store sells. It takes a bit of learning but it's not hard.
  • MeccaLoves2Sleep
    MeccaLoves2Sleep Posts: 43 Member
    Someone once told me to think of it as spending a little more now that saves you from expensive hospital bills in the future. (probably said a bit more elegantly). Anyway that always stuck with me when I felt guilty or was treking from market to market for the best deal. Might help you part wth those dollars if you think about it on those basic terms.

    BUT-I feel your pain. I live in Hawaii where a gallon of milk is $5. We pay huge prices because everything is shipped. Anyway, hang in there and learn about couponing. We don't have double days and stuff. I get so jealous watching those coupon shows.

    Good luck!
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
    All of these articles from Sparkpeople.com are about buying foods on a budget, in some way or another. Check them out, I'm sure you'll get some ideas.

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1210

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=524

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1183

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1326

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=740

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=511

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=307

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1001


    (Had I been thinking, I would've put what each article was. Sorry. They are worth checking out, though, I promise.)
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    you don't have to be able to afford crazy expensive organic products. don't let it become your excuse. eat less, don't waste money on junk food or sodas or sweets. if you can't afford to join the gym, walk in the park every day.
  • jazee11
    jazee11 Posts: 321
    Rice, beans, oats, popcorn and other foods in the bulk section are cheap at your local grocery. In my area beans run about 1.69 per pound in bulk and rice is about 1.39 a pound. If you shop toward the last hour or so of the local farmers market they are getting ready to pack up they will often discount the produce. I have also been known to buy store brand loaves of bread with a buy one get one offer and buy the store brand peanut butter and jelly and make both loafs into premade pb and j sammies. I would store them in the fridge and in the freezer for easy grab and go on the way out the door. I would eat the sandwiches for lunch and have ramen or rice and beans for dinner. I would buy a bag of apples or oranges to go with my sandwiches at lunch. Breakfast in those days was coffee with half and half. I was so poor that my tight budget was my way of keeping slim. I still practice buying from the bulk section to save on funds now. It's not easy but it is doable.
  • tiffanybs88
    tiffanybs88 Posts: 7
    hi everyone ..im single mother with three teenagers on a small budget.. yes its hard .. i struggle with recipes and trying to keep it interesting plus i do shift work so its hard too.. any suggestions on good recipes fast and friendly? fruit and veges are great but would like some inspiration on recipes.,any help appreciated..



    hungry-girl.com

    i use this website for my dieting and for recipe...super easy and amazing imo.
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    beans are cheap and great protein, eat fresh veggies, no processed food, brown rice, whole grain pasta. You can do it. Where there is a will, there is a way. Excuses make you fat. This is as much of a psychological battle as a physical one. Changing the way you view food is first. Frozen veggies are even cheaper if you have a place to store them. Soup is yummy and really filling, lentils, kidney beans, eggs, oatmeal, you get the point. It is more expensive in the long run to eat crappy too in sooo many ways, not just your pocket book. You would be surprised at how easy it actually is, if you put your mind to it, but free will is a tricky beast. You are responsible for your health, you cannot play victim here.
  • blondegirl1987
    blondegirl1987 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for everyone's input...Currently my budget is probably about 100 dollars a month right now as I been trying to save up my money and I have been backwards for a while. That's why I have been eating what's available in my house. Where would be the best place to buy seafood for a reasonable price (tilapia or shrimp)?
  • purebells
    purebells Posts: 83 Member
    Its easy to do. Back to basics is the way. Very easy to eat heathly on a budget

    Exampe -

    Breakfast - Overnight Oats with Greek Yoghurt and add some chopped fruit and nuts in the morning
    Lunch - Cook a whole chicken one night and use the meat for lunches - salads, wraps , sandwiches. I reguarly just have chicken meat and mixed salad leaves.
    Dinner - Grilled chicken breast, brocilli, beans, carrot.

    Buy what is in season and you will save!

    Also this blog is fantastic for healthy ideas using 5 ingredients or less http://thestonesoup.com/blog/

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