Losing weight with little to no money.

Options
DOMTIA1012
DOMTIA1012 Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Anybody have any specials tips or tricks that they have for losing weight on the cheap?
«13

Replies

  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    I dont' have any specific tips, but do a search because this question is asked a lot and there a lot of really good ideas, in addition to new ideas you might get here.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
    Options
    Well, you can't afford much food then, so that should help. :ohwell:

    Beans and rice, milk, tuna, lettuce, eggs, whole chicken or whatever is on sale (check with your butcher at the grocery for sale meats). Buy frozen vegetables in bulk, on sale. You can live on less, just have to plan ahead.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Options
    Beans, lentils, frozen vegetables, dried fruit, canned oily fish, organ meats like liver, peanut butter, pumpkin and other seeds, whole oats. Free apps/ podcasts on your smartphone, second hand home exercise DVDs, spend out on on a proper sports bra and decent footwear, don't have to be expensive but fitted to you following a gait analysis (free in a proper sports/ running store).
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Options
    Buy the foods you normally do but eat within your calorie goal. Weight loss is calories in v. calories out, stay consistently in your calorie goal and you'll lose. OR If you're looking for a healthier route - chicken, lean beef, eggs, milk, yogurt, fresh fruit, veggies, quaker oatmeal.......all these are relatively inexpensive foods.
  • 3saLarson
    3saLarson Posts: 23
    Options
    For me it's cooking at home. No take out, or pre packaged foods. It takes a bit to enter the recipes, but it helps me to stay in budget.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Options
    Beans are a good source of protein and fiber.

    If you find healthy foods on sale that will keep, stock up. We buy chicken and ground turkey at Costco, frozen fish at the local supermarket. Our freezer is always full.

    Some farmer's markets offer good deals on veggies, however, others cater to yuppies who will spend more to make themselves feel good.

    After a bit of research, we have chosen a grocery store which tends to have the lowest prices, it is not the closest, but we stock up once a week and my partner can stop on his way home from work to refill veggies - salad greens just don't last long enough to buy two at a time.

    It is cheaper to walk than to drive.

    One of you local parks probably has a fitness trail.
  • Itsallbs15
    Itsallbs15 Posts: 262 Member
    Options
    Coupons and a lot of them. I cut $100+ off my grocery bill every month with coupons alone. Also, if you use coupons to get hygiene stuff, that gives you more money to spend on fruits and vegetables. As someone mentioned ask the butcher/meat department for meat that they really need to sell and will give at a discount. This should also work in the produce section. Don't forget to look for coupons on sale items. That is always a huge relief of cost.
  • FinFoxPT
    FinFoxPT Posts: 106 Member
    Options
    As with all the above for me it's about what i can get and where. Theres lots of supermarkets to get fruit and veg but at the market i can get a mixed bag of salad/veg/fruit for £1.00. As for meat i go for cheaper cuts which usually end up being tastier too. I always have meals i can make more of and freeze too, thats a big help. Slow cooker meals are best for this.

    Hope this helps

    Fin x
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Anybody have any specials tips or tricks that they have for losing weight on the cheap?

    Eat less calories and/or burn more calories.
  • BeingAwesome247
    BeingAwesome247 Posts: 1,171 Member
    Options
    Coupons and a lot of them. I cut $100+ off my grocery bill every month with coupons alone. Also, if you use coupons to get hygiene stuff, that gives you more money to spend on fruits and vegetables. As someone mentioned ask the butcher/meat department for meat that they really need to sell and will give at a discount. This should also work in the produce section. Don't forget to look for coupons on sale items. That is always a huge relief of cost.

    This....also I know for me personally, I hate buying frozen fish and chicken....but it's usually on sale so I deal with it hahaha better than ramen!
  • maureenfarren
    maureenfarren Posts: 10
    Options
    I agree with you. People need to stop being lazy and plan your meals. I always cook a few meals ahead and put them in containers. It is very easy if you plan.... :)
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Options
    Food: Rice, eggs, beans, frozen veggies, potatoes, bananas, apples, pasta, shop for cheap cuts of meat on sale and cook them in the crock pot

    Exercise: Run outside (free), body weight resistance training (also free) - google "Convict Conditioning", Youtube workout videos (free again)


    Money is not a deterrant or a necessity where weight loss is concerned.
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
    Options
    One budget saver for me has been the 99 Cent Store. I can get a lot of my veggies and fruits (salad greens - not iceberg lettuce, but actual raw spinach, red lettuce, etc, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, radishes, bell peppers, apples, oranges, bananas, mangos, squash, broccoli, cauliflower) as well as tuna canned in water, salsa and whole wheat pita bread from there. Often I can get eggs or skim milk as well. They have frozen veggies as well if you need something that will last longer. It's also a good place to get other household items (toothpaste, dish soap, paper towels, kitchen items, dishes, lightbulbs and more) to save money over all so you can afford to spend more on lean meats and more.

    Also, if there's a Trader Joe's near you, they tend to have a lot of great foods reasonably priced. I love their microwavable long grain brown rice. It's lower priced and better nutritionally than the Uncle Ben's stuff you get at the regular store and very convenient to take to work. Their pre-made salads are great as well - just watch out for the calories.
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
    Options
    don't fall into a gimmick trap, especially on your low days when you just want to find a "cheat". Even if they help short term most people gain back the weight if they do this.

    Look for what is on sale, visit the websites of your 3 favorite stores, make a list based solely on what is on sale, pick the best and then you can price match the rest at most stores :) I can usually find chicken on sale and a lean beef steak or roast.
    I make less meat for tacos (I use xtra lean made with bulk taco seasoning) use fat free refried beans (off brand saves like .50 cent ans sucks so I shell out for the good ones) and because we do this we have leftover meat for another meal.
    Some of my favorite things are soups and you can sub at least half the meat for various beans! Love it!

    I buy whatever veg is on sale that week, or the ones that are always cheap, this week cucumbers were 2/1$ and peppers were 3/1$ in my town, spinach bags were only .99 and have like 4 cups in them. add on some 3 or 4/1$ oranges and a small bag of apples and that is a pretty good supply! I myself try to avoid bananas, but my daycare kids go nuts for them, so I always have to buy them as well.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Options
    In the end, it's about calories, so rich or poor, it doesn't matter how you eat fewer calories.

    What matters is the kinds of foods you can afford to buy.

    Cheap food often means processed food that is high in carbohydrates. A diet high in carbs can cause spikes in blood sugar that can make you feel hungry faster than if you ate the same number of calories in protein instead.

    I find a diet heavy in fats and protein makes it easier to keep appetite in check. But this can be more expensive than packaged box meals that go on sale - fresh produce like eggs, meats and cheeses almost never do.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
    Options
    Log everything you eat.

    Do not buy anything pre-made... no boxed snacks, crackers, bakery things, pre-made sandwiches, deli food, nothing that's already been prepped..... which of course also includes fast food.

    I've recently started only buying ingredients for things instead of buying pre-made, processed foods. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen lately but, no kidding, I just took $70 off of our weekly grocery trip to feed a family of four. It's totally doable, you just have got to meal plan and you have to cook.
  • heypurdy
    heypurdy Posts: 196 Member
    Options
    running
  • angelacooper3
    angelacooper3 Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    Get smart with left overs. Make soups and stir fries with leftovers from joints and veggies, omlettes with bits of veg rather than letting them spoil. Im lucky that I have a great local butcher, his braising steak is far better quality than the rump from the supermarket so I buy that if I want a treat. Dont buy cheddar cheese, use fresh parmesan instead, its more expensive but you only need a little as the flavour is so strong. Bulk out casseroles, stews and soups with dried pulses and beans.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Options
    Park the car, walk, bike or public transit...
    Stack up some old phone books and wrap together with duct tape to make a stair to step up on and set it in front of the TV instead of the recliner. Two cinder blocks side by side does the same thing.
    Eat beans and lentils purchased dry are really cheap and brown rice (bought in bulk its not that bad... 25# thru Costco for example is about $17).
    Eggs are a great low cost protein source... 15 dozen is under $20 at Costco.
    Frozen veggies are cheap and nutritious.
    Grow a garden for exercise and the cheap produce. If you are in a really cold area then hold off on that until spring.
    Jicama sliced thinly makes great tortillas that are extremely low calorie and nutritious.
    A little Tapatio sauce goes a long way for flavor.
    Sweet potatoes are really good for you and fairly inexpensive.
    Be creative and look for ways to incorporate things into your quest for better health and you will find them. This is only a few of many... Feel free to add me if you want more support.
  • MsMargie1116
    MsMargie1116 Posts: 323 Member
    Options
    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...

Categories