Eating healthy on a tight budget

Even though you are making better choices, are SOME of the old unhealthy ones still part of your grocery trip? I found when my hubby and I were on an incredibly tight budget, I could still buy all healthy - just had to COMPLETELY cut anything processed or packaged. If you like hummus for example, don't buy it at the store, just buy a can of chickpeas for $0.60 and the other few ingredients and make it yourself.

Unfortunately the balance between tight budget and healthy eating is doing a lot of cooking!! I used to get teased by family for being such a "holly housewife" by making so much from scratch, what they didn't know is that I couldn't afford to pay other people to make and package what i could do on my own!!

If you're still looking for cost cutting - make sure you flyer shop for sale meats. Find a store in your area that will price match, so you don't have to go bouncing from store to store.

Hey everyone! I just looking for some advice on how I can eat as healthy as possible on a tight budget. I am moving into a new place pretty soon, so a good bit of my income is going into this new move and therefore I must be careful with my finances. I have noticed that my grocery bill is quite higher now that I have been shopping for the healthier foods, I'm looking for some ways to cut corners and still be able to maintain a healthy diet. For example, I've been thinking about substituting tofu in some of my meals as a cheaper alternative to meat or using brown rice as a staple food. Does anyone have suggestions for me? I would greatly appreciate it!

I don't think tofu would really be cheaper-I think it would probably be more expensive! Shop what's on sale and try to buy a little extra. Last week boneless skinless chicken was 1.49/lb here. We bought a lot and it can be used in so many ways. Don't buy convenience - little cups of yogurt, precooked meats, etc. We were doing a lot of lean lunchmeat sandwiches for lunch because hey, sandwiches are cheap, but then when I figured it out, I was able to have a huge caesar salad w/ 6 oz of chicken for less than the cost of one turkey sandwich with a slice of cheese on cheap whole wheat bread!

Beans are cheap and a good filler/stretcher. If I'm having a taco salad and want to stretch the meat, I add a serving of beans which is way cheaper than a serving of meat.

What do you typically buy/eat and I can give you more exact suggestions.

Deanna has great points! I too make hummus from scratch since I can put less olive oil in and make it a bit leaner. I shop ads, but haven't been price matching. Missed opportunity on that one.

I buy very affordable lean beef and then cook it in a slow cooker. I love Indian seasonings, so I have delicious inexpensive food or several days. Next, freeze the surplus. It's like money in the bank! Great healthy food that I just have to heat and eat! If there are good deals on things I like in the store, such as ahi tuna, I'll buy extra and freeze it.

I've found the eating healthy seems to cost less for me. So it can be done

Good luck.

If you want to get better prices on meat you could try going to a local butcher and finding out if they offer meat bundles. You'll spend more up front but most of the time the price per pound is much less than you'd pay at the market and the meat is fresher.

Also, try making enough for dinner a couple nights each week so that you have leftovers for another dinner/lunch the next day. It's a good way to stretch your meats and keep in your calorie goals (especially when you plate the leftovers into storage containers while serving the meal).

Now that I have two little ones in daycare (which is double my mortgage eek) I am in the same situation. I can no longer shop at market street and now go to walmart or dollar stores since that's all i can afford. :-( I've learned to watch prices, like when produce items are market down. E.G. when potatoes went from 80 cents to 50 cents. If I can manage, and don't mind making additional stops, I sometimes stop at farmers markets or vegetable stands to get a few fresh fruits & veggies and get everything else at a dollar store.

I don't know if this helps. It's a hassle but I just think I'd rather eat healthy. Good luck!

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I don't think tofu would really be cheaper-I think it would probably be more expensive! Shop what's on sale and try to buy a little extra. Last week boneless skinless chicken was 1.49/lb here. We bought a lot and it can be used in so many ways. Don't buy convenience - little cups of yogurt, precooked meats, etc. We were doing a lot of lean lunchmeat sandwiches for lunch because hey, sandwiches are cheap, but then when I figured it out, I was able to have a huge caesar salad w/ 6 oz of chicken for less than the cost of one turkey sandwich with a slice of cheese on cheap whole wheat bread!

Beans are cheap and a good filler/stretcher. If I'm having a taco salad and want to stretch the meat, I add a serving of beans which is way cheaper than a serving of meat.

What do you typically buy/eat and I can give you more exact suggestions.

I agree with all the suggestions here and just wanted to say my jaw dropped at your sale price.the cheapest we can get boneless skinless chickens 4.50/lb for thighs and 5.99/lb for breasts. That IS the sale price....

Beans, high in protein & fiber & a host of vitamins, minerals, potassium. They can be used in many ways. Stretch meals with them.
All the best & Happy New Year.
R

Comb through the weekly grocery ads. Bags of rice, beans, frozen veggies, potatoes can be had for very cheap. Also see if there is a local meat market in your area where you can buy meat in bulk.

If you have a Famers Market where you are chances are you can get vegetables a lot cheaper than Walmart. Now, the one near my home in Wyoming you can count on vegetables being almost twice as much as our expensive small town store.. it's a bit hard to shop there. Tofu here is about $4 a package (I believe in the 1# range), and chicken breast is $2.50 a pound normally, less on sale. So that just depends on your local prices. Meat goes a lot further, IMO... it has a lot of flavor whereas tofu just takes flavor in.. away from the overall dish.

Try not to let things go to waste, put extra meat in the freezer right away.

I buy bulk when things are really great sales.. but maybe your budget is more limited so you can't do that. I found the 10.7oz cans of cream of chicken for $0.53 a can, bought 2 cases of those (48 cans).. so I'm set for the year. Part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese was on sale so I bought a bunch and stuck all the extra in the freezer. Shredded cheese freezes great, block cheese freezes ok if you plan on cooking with it instead of slicing.. because it turns crumbly after freezing.

Cabbage is a cheap vegetable. Soups are pretty cheap to make. Can you grow a garden in your growing season? Where I live we have 54 days of frost-free growing, it's a challenge. I cover plants though, and start stuff in the house early, and can grow zucchini outside.. which we eat a lot of. Leaf lettuce grows fast. Most areas are better for growing, so maybe you can grow everything you need during the season.. which would help the budget.

I raise rabbits for meat too, they eat a lot of fresh vegetable scraps from the house and weeds from the garden and grass clippings. Or if you live in an area that allows it you could have a few chickens for eggs (a good # is 1 chicken per person in the house) they can live fine on tablescraps coming from the house.

Fresh veggies and fruits are usually pretty inexpensive.

Little things, like if you eat pasta, buy whole wheat instead. It's only a little bit more expensive, and way better for you if you're dieting. Also, eggs are inexpensive, super high in protein, and low in calories. I've been eating them for breakfast for a while now, and you can do a lot with them.