Cost of food rant

You could try coupons just this week there was a deal where you buy 4 special k cereal at publix and get free milk. Lots of companies will send coupons if you ask.

My kids like their sugary cereal, and it isn't worth fighting over when we're trying to get to school, so I let them have it.

I only eat cereals for snacks anyway. Breakfast is usually eggs (already boiled and kept in the fridge) coffee, fruit, yogurt, or a smoothie. All super cheap. Sure, I'd love to have kashi every day too, but it's too much for me. Sometimes I make my own granola instead. It's yummy too, and I can actually afford it.

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I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?

Watch the specials . but whole fruits and whole grains breads are amazing for breakfast. I also love cliff bars that are affordable too delicious and very nutritive. I often start by the organic section at the grocery store. It's surprising the deals we can find . but that's just me. :-) good luck

I find the opposite to be true for me... I refrain from most processed foods and buy/eat things like beans, lentils, rice, seasonal veggies and fruits, root veggies, eggs, oatmeal a lot... Everything is high in fiber and if you add some type of fat like butter or olive oil, it'll keep you full longer too. Much better than any breakfast cereal imo but it does require a bit more time in the kitchen.

MKEgal, I am almost crying over here *laughs*. Thank you ssoo much for posting the link and giving the advice that you have. I help a lot of people and families who are working with lower/low incomes and resources like this are invaluable for many of them in eating better. However, many of these resources are just as valuable for those not dealing with any form of income-based difficulties concerning food also. A lot of people tend to shy away from resources like what you posted because they do not want to be considered "those people", but smarter way to get healthier food is just good business sense. Also, the creativity that can exist in turning a pile o what looks to be an incompatible mess of food is an art that can benefit everyone, period.

Thank you again!

Regards,
Rachel

I too thought this was helpful advise and wish Id had something like this when I 1st got out on my own!

I hope you do check out the PDF link about eating cheap. We ate quite similarly as poor kids growing up, and now I'm discovering that it was pretty healthy for us. I eat a lot like this now and spend less.
There are so many ways to eat fresh, whole real food without spending a lot of money.
The Vegetarian Times website has some great tips for proper storage of fresh fruits and vegetables so they last longer.
Good for you for wanting to learn how to feed your children better.

I don't eat breakfast anymore, but I use to make overnight oatmeal. Mix oats with flavoured yoghurt and a little milk, refrigerate overnight. Next morning just add a fruit if you'd like. If you vary the yoghurt flavours it tastes different everytime.

Special K is not that expensive, and not that good for you, either. You can find coupons for Kellogg's cereals regularly (either through Coupons.com or registering with Kellogg's website) and they go on sale fairly often as well. Kashi is a bit better for you (more fiber, more protein) and more expensive, but I've seen coupons and sales for that as well.

There are plenty of relatively cheap, healthy foods: apples, carrots, lettuce, celery, beans, potatoes, oatmeal, bananas, eggs, cabbage, onions, chicken thighs... at least these are always pretty cheap where I live. Other foods you can shop in season, look for sales and use coupons.

We only eat out about once a month, which is helpful. I like to cook, so that also makes it easier to eat good food. My morning challenge is mostly that I'm not a morning person, and it takes a long time for me to wake up. So while I'd rather eat cooked food for breakfast, the thought of having to cook something immediately after waking up kills me. So we have cereal. So I guess that's not really a price problem, it's a motivation problem. And thanks for the eat-for-less pdf--I'm definitely going to look at that.

You can always hard boil some eggs and keep them in your fridge for breakfast. I do this and grab two on my way out the door to work.

Husband and I spend $100-150 a month on groceries that last almost 2 months. There have been $75 months here and there as well. *This budget also includes any and all cleaning supplies.*
Things we have learned:
1) trader joe's (if you have one nearby) is about HALF the price of the cheaper "supermarket" when purchasing organic food.
2) eating off an 8" plate is miraculous, not only for waistline but for money not spent on food. No one NEEDS (unless for medical reasons) to ingest thousands of thousands of calories a day. It's ok to be a bit hungry.
3) we NEVER eat at restaurants. EVER. we cook 100% of the time at home! and even have multiple days a month of just popcorn (made at home) or chips and homemade dips, on days we want to "pig out."
4) no one has ever died for eating once a day (as we do) especially those of us who are/have been obese/overweight. You die of malnutrition and for not eating for weeks!months at a time. We in the west have the luxury of surplus food. Other parts of the world, don't, and yet they keep surviving. We have the luxury (it's not a real physical need) to eat multiple times a day if we choose to.
5) I found out I have Celiac disease so even with gluten free stuff, AND organic, we are spending hundreds less than before.
6) we pay in cash so that if we take say 160 dollars with us to buy food, that's ALL that gets spent. The rest will have to wait for the next time.
7) there's always that "next time" and waiting for it is actually a great exercise in patience and self-control.
8) we exclusively drink coffee at home. It's about 4 dollars for an espresso 16oz "brick" that lasts 7-10 days vs. ONE coffee from Starbucks or elsewhere that costs the same, PER CUP.
9) before, we used to consume 1 pound of pasta between us in 1 sitting. These days, the gluten free bag lasts for 2-4 times (4-8 servings, instead of 2) longer.
10) living with less: weight, expenses, stress...it's a life-changing, positive thing.

I've lost almost 91 pounds and husband around 50. I see how much healthier we are, and the amount of things we are able to accomplish on a daily basis since we changed our lifestyle. For us, it's been a fantastic change, one we could never go back from.

I've decided one of the hardest things about eating well isn't the time it takes or missing out on cake and cookies. It's having to choose between healthful food and cheap food. There are so many times at the grocery store where I'm comparing foods and have to take the less-good-for-me option because I can't afford the good stuff. Especially breakfast cereals. I wish I could buy Special K or Kashi cereals because they taste so good, but they're too blinking expensive. My little ones love them too, and I feel terrible giving them sugary crap, but I'd spend half of my grocery budget just on breakfast if I bought the good stuff. I really should get up earlier in the morning and make oatmeal more often, but that gets really boring really fast. Anybody else sick of the compromise?

Quick cooking oatmeal is much cheaper and healthier. I would make a big pot and let the kids add maple syrup or raisins or cinnamon or nuts. I have also found ways to cut meat and add veg which actually reduced my food bill. Buying grains and such in bulk also helps.

Shop on sale, and look for coupons.

Couponing + stocking up during sales has been a god send for me.
Also, it helps me free up my budget so I can afford to splurge on produce that I want. Spending $.15 on a jar of pasta sauce that is usually $2? Look at that, I have an extra $1.85 towards produce!

Also, I buy in bulk when I can; makes meat and produce cheaper that way, plus I can freeze the extra for later.

when i go grocery shopping for my boyfriend and myself, i find that the bill is considerably higher when he comes along and throws in foods that i choose not to eat or prefer not to eat on a regular basis (chips, ice cream, cookies, frozen pizza, etc.). my bill is actually cheaper when i stick to my list of veggies, fruits, meat, water, milk, etc. for the week. not sure where you shop, but i usually spend between $100-$150 a week on the two of us between trader joe's and stop & shop.