Low budget and trying lose weight, help!!!!!

I have lost more than thirty pounds in three months and I have the same issue when it comes to having a budget to do it on. I look to make sure sugar intake is low. I don't eat anything with more than 10 grams of sugar at a time. I drink more than a gallon of water a day and I run a mile and a half five days a week. I still eat pasta, just very little of it when it is part of a meal. This has worked for me. Good Luck1

We also have a low budget so I buy cheaper cuts of meat - chicken thighs/drumsticks and those packages of beef where their sell by date is coming up so they need to be eaten or frozen soon. As a rule we won't spend more than $2 per lb of meat, and $4 per lb of cheese. Eat 4oz of meat as a serving, not the whole 8-10oz steak, and it lasts longer and isn't a great deal more calories than the expensive lean version. And often it tastes better anyway. I haven't had a boneless skinless chicken breast in months!

Meal planning saved us so much money too - knowing that chicken is on sale and planning 3-4 chicken dishes that week. Knowing what veggies are on sale or always cheap and adding them to every dish, etc.

Depending on your area, coupons are a good idea too. A lot of coupons are basically advertisements for packaged products, so don't be tempted to buy that box/can of food just because it's 50c off. Check for things you already buy anyway - we have gotten cheaper yogurts, canned veggies, sandwich meats and turkey sausages by doing this. Coupons also help you get basics like toilet paper, toothpaste, and cleaning products for cheaper, and then you can add that to your food budget

hope this helps!

What are you eating now? Are you tracking / logging?

Here's some links that might have some valuable info for you.

This is kind of an all-in-one

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

This is probably the most shared link on MFP

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Another very informative thread

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

Invest a little time and money into a garden or even planters and grow some of your favorite veggies it cost me <$100 to intitially get started gardening four years ago and now I grow 90% of our produce. I haven't paid a cent since the second year, and routinely have more than we can eat, freeze, or can.

ETA-not sure where you live but people are ALWAYS trying to rehome unwanted roosters for free here. If I didn't raise my own, I could fill me freezer with a few phone calls and a little time for free.

Hey Maggie. Nice to meet you. I'm RW. I am on a similar quest... Eat healthy and not spend a lot of money. I buy chicken breasts and pork tenderloin at wal-mart for $2 per pound(when purchased in bulk) and also 2 pound bags of frozen veggies(usually under $2 a bag) and cook it all at once. Then I make mini lunch/dinner packs which I throw in the freezer for quick access. 1/2 cup of Grape Nuts for breakfast is fairly cheap also. I snack on apples, grapes, cheese sticks, hummus, etc MyfitnessPal is set at 1800 cal. per day and I have been running 3 miles every other day and doing a Power90 cardio or strength video on the days when I don't go running. I'm in my 6th week and I'm down 17 lbs. so it seems to be working. I set my goals to be realistic... 1 lb a week and I am way ahead of schedule. The MyfitnessPal App has been critical in keeping me focused and on track. I'm so happy I discovered it. You can do it. Just keep logging in and watch your progress. Don't beat yourself up if you have a bad calorie day... Good luck!

Try local and in season fruits/veggies as well. Check out local farmers markets, especially at the end of the day as they are more likely to be offering cheap prices to move the last of their goods.

You had these same funds when you gained weight- how would you not be able to lose weight for the same amount of money?

You are in NC and might still have the farmers markets around. Here in KY they are slowly getting smaller and not as many choices. But I usually get great deals at those. I also created a thing here at work where we share produce we grow ourselves. It works out awesome and we all get enough for our families (atleast during picking season)

Buy in bulk when you can. The first trip to a Costco or Sams might seem like you spent a fortune, but generally the price per unit is much lower than a weekly trip to the grocery store. I can stretch a $25 pack of chicken, which is generally 20 breasts packaged as pairs, into more than a month for 2 people. Same goes for pork and beef, even frozen seafood items. You can also get great deals on frozen snacks and fresh veggies and fruits.
If the membership fee isn't in your budget, buy sale items at your regualr grocery store and freeze whenever possible.

Saving money in other areas will also give your grocery budget a boost.
Cleaning supplies, laundry and dish soaps, even shampoo and bath soap. Buy generic or at a 99cent store. You can get comparable quality for cheaper prices. I've not missed some of the things I choose to cut to make sure I have room in my budget for quality and healthyful foods.

Some cooking tips:
supplement your protein with a grain. I can take two chicken breasts, dice them up and saute with a squash and a zucchini and 2 servings of brown rice and have enough for two nights of dinner for me and my husband. It would easily feed a family of four, especially if you had a salad first. Tha's 4 meals for under $10.
Lettuce is cheap, so buy a head, chop it up for salads, and eat a salad before lunch and before dinner. This will help fill you up before you get to the more expensive main meal, thus making your food go further.

It takes some planning, but eating healthful on a budget can be done. 15-20 minutes can save you $10-20 dollars a week.

I wrote this to a MFP friend who seems to be in an impossible budget situation such. Welp...me too! I figured we can't be the only two people who are in this situation...so here's what I said:


As I work out my budget, I have $80 left over at the end of the month for food. I try not to think about it. It's overwhelming feeling so strapped for cash...but it happens. [side note. I claim to try not to think about it, but I think about it. ALL THE TIME]

Here's a couple tips/ life savers I've come up with to eat on a crazy budget. [Another side note...I'm in the mist of freaking out about my 30th birthday in 2 weeks. So don't look at my food diary because, although I've been logging, I'm been emotionally eating up the wazoo. Which isn't good either since I'm a fat chick who wants to look good in my birthday party pictures...]

In the beginning, get used to being in a food rut.
I HATE freezing food. I don't know why I just have a mental aversion to it. If you were to freeze food, you wouldn't have to eat the same thing every day like I do/did, but as long as I make something delicious(ish) then I don't mind. At the beginning of the week I'll pull out the trusty crock pot and make something I could portion for the week. Chili is a good place to start. Chopped meat or chicken (depending on what I could find on sale) with cost you like $4 (I don't know where you are, so I don't know what money you're dealing with) can of black beans $1, can of low sodium corn (if you want) $1, box of chicken broth $2 (I even hobo-ed this with bouillon cubes and water, but it wasn't as good), large can diced tomatoes (put the tomatoes and the juice in) $2. $10 in the crock pot while you go to work. Then portion it out. I can get like 6-8 meals out of it. So I had dinner the Monday night I made it and leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week.

Plan ahead
Read the flyer from the grocery store. Look what's on sale. And then go online and find coupons to match it. I sound like one of those crazy people on TV, but I got a box of pasta for 19 cents the other day and it was like Christmas. Okay. Pasta is my weakness. I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a debilitating carb tooth. Soooo technically I shouldn't have bought pasta. But, like your "chips," it's cheap and delicious. Plan your menu for the week. I go as far as putting in snacks. Then I write down an approx price next to everything I want and adjust accordingly.

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+I love food. Good food. and hate cooking. A lot. I'm sure, like me, you're figured out you can't order take out. Like ever.
+Go to a farmers market for vegetables. I can also pull that snotty line that all TV chefs say "eat what's in season" but it's kind of true...to an extent. I'm not a farmer, I don't know what in season when I'm scouring pinterest for food ideas. We have a farmer's market that's basically a supermarket. Not one of those hipster all-organic fancy smancy farmers markets.
+ When people offer you food, take it. It takes a lot for me to suck up my pride and accept help. But do it. My boss has a garden and brings stuff in? Mine! Bagels leftover from some sales rep that's come in? Right in the freezer! I have also learned that when everyone wants to go out and have a good time and I say "I really can't afford" because I really can't...sometimes some nice people offer to pay for me. I'll get them back someday. I've covered them multiple times.
+Eat eggs. There's a hundred ways to prepare them. They're super nutritious and when you have them for breakfast you're fuller longer.
+Dairy is expensive. Do you really NEED cheese in your eggs? (this is a question I often ask myself).
+Convenience is expensive. If you are buying cheese, shred your own. (Have I mentioned how much I hate cooking? That includes preparing food...) Buy a watermelon. Cut it up. Snacks for days. Buy carrots/celery. Portion them out yourself.
+Write out your monthly budget. You may or may not be in as dire straights as you think you are.
+Oh! I almost forgot! The dollar store has food! The one by me is like a gift from the gods and has frozen food. Yes...full disclosure...I have eaten shrimp from the dollar store (disgusting, I know) but better than that they have frozen fruit for smoothies. and seasonings. You can get all your seasonings there. and flour tortillas. Probably don't buy the pasta since you can get that for 19 cents if you try hard enough :-)

I go to hot yoga twice a week. It's basically amazing and I feel great afterwards. $19/class...UGH BUTTTT my studio (and it seems to be common practice) has karma yogis. Basically you "work" there--check-ins, light cleaning, talking to clients--and you go for free!

I don't know your personal situation. If you ever want to bounce ideas off me or need a pep talk, message me. Some stuff I'm sure your probably already know so I don't want to sound condescending. I had/have a **** load of bad habits I had/have to break. I also have some more weekly (oversimplified) recipes if you'd like me to send you some.

Check and see if there is a food co-op in your area, such as Bountiful Baskets (that's the one I know because it's in my area). Also, I use frozen when needed. I buy the Walmart version, big bags, and use what I need for each meal. Some good seasonings and a little healthy oil (such as Extra Virgin Olive), and veggies can be a great meal option. Throw some lean protein in there and you're all set. It doesn't have to be expensive. I'm a single mom raising two teenagers (we all know how teenagers can eat!), and I don't make a lot of money, so I understand well the need to be frugal.

www.budgetbytes.com is a pretty good resource for healthy recipes on a budget. They actually are in the process of doing the SNAP Challenge, which shows it's possible to still eat healthy on $1.50 a meal.

Aside from that, shop the sales at your local stores, don't worry too much about coupons (most of those are for junky box food that you don't really want), and plan your meals around what's on sale. Look for cheaper cuts of meat for protein, and things like brown rice, black beans and potatoes for fillers. If prepared right, you can lose weight with all of those. Good luck!

Lots of great info here... You know the rule: shop the outside perimeter of the grocery store, where you find produce, meats & dairy. With fall coming, there is a lot of great recipes for soups! Add rice or potatoes by the bowl so that you can freeze any leftovers (they don't freeze well) or beans to add more filler to keep you fuller longer.
I usually grab 2-3 bananas as I can't eat a whole bunch alone, a couple of the in season fruits and grapes for snacking. I resort to the expensive gluten-free granola bars when I don't have anything fresh on hand.

If you have an Aldi's nearby, that is a great option for lower cost food as well. It might take more work to eat healthy on a diet (as in menu planning, searching sale ads, etc.), but once you get the hang of it I think you will find that it can easily be done.