How to eat right on an itty bitty income?
itsthatfatgirl
Posts: 30
Hello everyone!
Recently, my source of income has dropped to almost nothing. Now, I'm struggling to purchase the foods that I know will be good for me. All the healthy foods that I liked to eat before seem so out of my price range now.
Any tips or affordable meal ideas?
HELPPPP!!!!
-Thank you.
Recently, my source of income has dropped to almost nothing. Now, I'm struggling to purchase the foods that I know will be good for me. All the healthy foods that I liked to eat before seem so out of my price range now.
Any tips or affordable meal ideas?
HELPPPP!!!!
-Thank you.
0
Replies
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I have found eggs are cheap and full of protein...you can cook them any sort of way...adding things like salsa would also be good!0
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Tinned pulses make a good source of protein fairly cheap if meat is too pricey. Keep an eye out for things on sale - if you have the time to get to the store regularly it's worth figuring out what time they reduce the price on the stuff that's nearing the end of its shelf life and swiping some bargains!0
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seasonal veggies and fruit should be less expensive, dried beans can make lots of soup!0
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Buy dried beans, grains, and rice in bulk. It might be cheaper for you to grow your own sprouts to be sure you have some live food everyday. Then just look for sales for everything else. If you are at the point where you need to go to a food pantry/soup kitchen, I would not worry about it right now. First things first: try to focus on getting your finances together not your diet (you can still exercise). Good luck!0
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I have had the same problem since my husband lost his job, however I find if you buy in bulk and you buy vegetables whole and just cut them down to an edible size you save more money. And when you need to get the more expensive things like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and such just budget for it then freeze them. I am a huge ORGANIC person and when I had to cut back it was hard but eventually you work around it,
Good Luck:drinker: 0 -
Beans, frozen veggies, brown rice. When raw chicken breasts go on sale, grab a bag and stick them in the freezer. You can cook a couple every day and dice them up to add to the beans/rice/veggies. It's a very filling meal and easy to reheat if you bring lunch to work. Frozen fruit can be pretty cheap too. You can add it to cereal (buy generic cereal) or store-brand oatmeal for a good, healthy breakfast. Eggs are wonderful too. Some egg and cheese on an English muffin will keep you full for a while. Again, you can buy the store brand of cheese and muffins, and eggs are usually $1.29/dozen.0
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Hey! I was able to live off almost nothing last year
Foods I bought regularly:
dried rice
dried beans
canister of oats
frozen veggies
bananas
apples
seasonal fruits and veggies - squash is super cheap right now!
olive oil (a little pricey, but last foooorever)
peanut butter
eggs
chicken breast
anything else that was on a great sale
Do you have an aldi? they have awesome prices!
And I did sneak in some cheap junk occasionally
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I'm in the same boat Hun!! I eat a lot of beans, they are cheap and are a high plant based protein. TVP (texturized vegetable protein) is also very inexpensive but high in protein! For breakfast buy protein and some greens. You'll be eating healthy and I expensively.0
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Some ideas:
chili --really stretches beef/turkey/chicken, freezes well, and is overall just a great meal
stews--same as above
soup-same as above
rotisserie chicken --easy and relatively cheap
frozen veggies --buy em on sale for $1 a pound
carrots--relatively cheap fresh veg
apple/bananas--pretty cheap in terms of fruit
buy WHOLE chickens--not boneless, skinless. bake the entire thing.
bulk beans/lentils/grains --not packaged/partially cooked as you pay more for this
pork roasts and chops are rather lean and cheap if you don't have a pork aversion0 -
and eggs are usually $1.29/dozen.
Wow, they're $4 here. I think I might just buy some chickens instead 0 -
Try canned lentil soup, add 1/2 to 1 can of water and elbow or other small pasta. Cook until the pasta is done. It will likely need a little salt but it is very filling and satisfying.0
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Beans! Frozen veggies are also affordable, and since they are frozen you can keep them for months. Eggs and oatmeal are affordable breakfast options. I've been a full time student until recently, so I've been in the same kind of situation. If you go on SNAP, budget out how much money you have to work with then plan what is going to get you the best nutrition for your money. Things like frozen chicken breasts are probably the cheapest quality protein you can find. Canned tuna is pretty affordable, too.
Mostly, just focus on preparing meals at home from scratch. Anything that has been prepped will cost extra.0 -
The whole chicken is a very good idea! If you don't mind putting in a tiny bit of work
You can just buy one, stick it in the crock pot with some seasonings and voila! you have shredded meat for over a week.
Only 79 cents per pound here0 -
I'm on a really tight budget too, so I know how hard it can be in trying to eat healthy. These are just a few ideas that has helped me.
Buy in bulk items like, beans, rice, potatoes, meat, or frozen vegetables. All can be found at resonable prices, lasts for awhile, gets you full, and are healthy.
You can also make homemade bread/dough for pizzas, pies,or sandwhiches
Buy fruits and vegetables thats in season; there're cheaper
If you can, buy grocercies from your Local grocery store, it's cheaper and fresher
Find out about/use your grocery store's discount
Hopes this helps
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well, bags of dry rice and dry beans feed a lot of mouths and they cost little to nothing. when my funds are low, i cut corners. i change my pure spinach leaves salad to iceburg lettuce. i don't buy fruits when i'm broke because theyy cost so much. i don't partake in protein shakes or any diet bars, so i'm safe there. if i have to do without some things i prefer, oh well. i was very poor growing up and we lived from our garden and from the woods.
the thing is: i buy a lot of food on a small budget but some of the foods have a prep time that you have to work around. the easiest for me is to soak the beans overnight, rinse in the morning, and let the crockpot do it's thing.
as a matter of fact, (if you own a crockpot) hit up the recipe section. there are some amazing low-cal, low-cost meals in there that will feed plenty.
when my budget is tiny and i know i have 3 kids and my husband to feed, i might not buy the most healthy bread or meal options. when those things occur, i just stay aware of my portions.
there's nothing wrong with struggling, but if it gets too bad, there are resources that your local DHS can provide. i've known people that have received the benefits and it's helped them greatly.0 -
1. get a garden or if you live in an apartment get some pots and grow some of your own veggies
2. frozen veggies and frozen fruit are almost always on sale somewhere
3. eggs, dry beans like black eye peas, pinto beans and black beans are always cheap and filling
4. farmers market
5. steel cut oats
6. check your grocery store circulars for stuff on sale and stock up. i recently bought a ton of chicken thighs that were on sale where a pack of 12 were like $4. i got several packs, divided them up an put them in the freezer and defrost as needed.
7. water is great but when i get sick of it i make iced tea with cheapo lipton bagged tea
really the things that are mot expensive for me in grocery shopping are the condiments and stuff like olive oil and cooking spray. when i buy these, i will sometimes buy the lowest quality (like mayo) but will fancy it up with herbs and spices to get rid of the original crappy taste0 -
Twice a month I get baskets of fruits and vegetables from Bountiful Baskets for $15. Here is the website if you're interested...www.bountifulbaskets.org/
very inexpensive way to get fruit and veggies...and you never know what you're going to get! You can also purchase extra things through them...
Good luck looks like people have given you some great ideas! We can ALL use ways to save money on food! 0 -
at some point in my work life I was downsized and out of a job. At that someone told me to go to Aldi. Not sure if you have them, but things are very inexpensive and you just need to pick and choose. They have a fit & active line and some are really healthy but like anything you have to read the labels and figure out what makes sense for you!!! Good Luck0
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bump for later0
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Hello everyone!
Recently, my source of income has dropped to almost nothing. Now, I'm struggling to purchase the foods that I know will be good for me. All the healthy foods that I liked to eat before seem so out of my price range now.
Any tips or affordable meal ideas?
HELPPPP!!!!
-Thank you.
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruit
Lentils (buy from bulk bins)
Poultry ( I buy whole chickens and make my own broth)
Brown rice (bulk bins)
Almonds (bulk bins)
Avoid ready made foods - you mostly pay for the convenience and the nutrition value is not that awesome.0 -
I bought a spaghetti squash last week at Safeway for $.99. It made the biggest mixing bowl of stuff I've ever seen. I've been eating off it it all week, adding spaghetti sauce and turkey meatballs one day, fresh tomato and basil another day, eating it plain one day. It's been a week and there is still some left.0
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Buy chicken breast in bulk while on sale.0
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I have been there. I understand it. UI held my income for about 3.5 weeks, and I had to get by. This is when you need to be in survival mode, and forget about eating wonderfully. Do what you need to do to survive in your home, even if that means ramen and hotdogs to keep a roof over your head. Eating healthy, comes at a certain cost. Also, working out makes you eat more, so conserve more by not exerting excess energy throughout the day.
Do not feel guilty if eating frozen tater tots will keep the lights on. I can, however, reccomend pan fried potatoes. a sack of potatoes costs about 2-3 bucks, and is a filling vegetable. So much can be done with them for cheap.0 -
Also, see if there is a food mission in your town. They can give you a box of food for like 15-20, or sometimes free. Holidays are coming up, so they should be sprouting up everywhere. I really hope you can come out of this glitch okay! be a scrapper!0
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If you have a walmart close by they price-match which can save A LOT of money without going to different stores for their sales.
I look up the online sales ad of different grocery stores in my city, then make a list what is on sale, how much and which store.
When I go to walmart I take my list with me and at the register tell them where the things are cheaper and they give you that price.
Saves me great money especially on fruits, veggies, meats and dairy.0 -
Buy whole chickens (.67/# here on sale last week!). YouTube how to cut one up with poultry shears & a butcher knife and freeze the parts. Or roast it whole. Pull the meat off the bones for salads, soups, ect. Boil the carcass with vegetable trimmings (I save mine in a freezer bag - squash tops, carrot tops, onion skins, garlic skins, celery roots, ect) for "free" chicken broth. I do the same the with beef scraps for beef broth.
Buy cheese blocks & shred yourself.
Clip coupons but compare the price per ounce with the store brand - sometimes the store brand is cheaper.
Potatoes/sweet potatoes by the bag are usually cheap - bake several at once (so you only have to turn the stove on once), pop in the fridge for quick lunches/dinners.
Onions by the bag are cheaper, too. Chop & saute the day you get home from the store, & freeze it usuable amounts in sandwich bags. (Don't forget to save the skins, tops, & bottoms for broth!)
Invest in good Tupperware that can go from the freezer to the microwave, so when you make a batch of soup, a casserole, ect, you can freeze the leftovers & not have to eat the same thing everyday.
Don't be afraid to try unusual veggies when they're on sale. Jicama is about .80/# here, and it's great for snacking with homemade hummus. AllRecipes.com is a great resource for recipes - start with dried beans instead of canned to make it even cheaper.
Eggs are incredibly versatile. The 101 folds in a chef's hat supposedly represent how many ways a chef can prepare eggs.
Invest in a Misto instead of paying for cooking spray. About $10 around here (Bed, Bath & Beyond/World Market) - it pays for itself quickly.
Use white vinegar for cleaning instead of expensive (& often toxic) cleaners - windows, counters, floors, bathtub. Add a cup to the rinse cycle of your laundry instead of fabric softener. Not food related, but it'll free up more money for food.0 -
bump0
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I have a whole bunch of links that will hopefully help you. Alot of it is just smart planning. Don't ever go to the grocery store without a list, and go ahead and plan your dinners so you aren't scrambling last minute to find something to eat. This has helped me cut my grocery bill in half, easily.
25 Cheap Foods that are Good for You!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1210
50 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1183
Eating Healthy on a Budget
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=511
Meal Planning Made Simple
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1485
Over 100 Hundred Super Foods for a Super You!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=307
Shopping Cart Essentials
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1001
Grocery List and Menu Planning Templates
http://www.freeprintablegrocerylist.com/0
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