Healthy eating on a budget?

grits317
grits317 Posts: 35 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Is such a thing possible? With the economy so crappy and gas prices making it cost more to drive to work, how can one lose weight/eat healthy without losing your home?:grumble:

Replies

  • mericksmom
    mericksmom Posts: 222 Member
    Coupon and watch the sales.

    http://www.thecentsableshoppin.com/ based outta PHX she breaks down all the local ads and how to use the coupons

    http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ breaks down walmart and other big stores

    look for blogs (free) and in your area that help break it down and know the stores coupon policy
  • kimmi12
    kimmi12 Posts: 28 Member
    Check out www.brokeandhealthy.com she has great recipes and breaks down the cost of each dish.
  • psyknife
    psyknife Posts: 487 Member
    Coupons for sure... or, if you have a membership to Sam's Club or Costco you can buy some things in bulk to save money in the long run.
  • VixFit2011
    VixFit2011 Posts: 663 Member
    Is such a thing possible? With the economy so crappy and gas prices making it cost more to drive to work, how can one lose weight/eat healthy without losing your home?:grumble:

    I had the same though this morning. I do know veggies and fresh foods, not packaged, are the healthiest and your grocery bill will be smaller. I've been told before that if you do your shopping on the outside isles (inside the store of course) that is where "fresh" foods are.
  • sarglava
    sarglava Posts: 206 Member
    Dried beans-- cook yourself
    Grains-- oats, barley, etc.
    lentils-- so CHEAP!! and they last forever and can be tasty!
    Frozen veggies or seasonal veggies

    I read something the other day where even if eating healthier is more expensive it's not as expensive as having a heart attack or a stroke or dying.
  • joshandstacy
    joshandstacy Posts: 56 Member
    If you have the space, try to grow some of your own vegetables. Smaller portions: increasing vegetable portions and smaller meat portions... this will help lower the grocery bill.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    I spend MAXIMUM $150 a month for 2 of us and it's all healthy. About $40 of that is Diet Pepsi (for him mostly).
  • I spend MAXIMUM $150 a month for 2 of us and it's all healthy. About $40 of that is Diet Pepsi (for him mostly).

    Geez! That is awesome! I spend that in a week for the two of us. It sucks.
  • craftylatvian
    craftylatvian Posts: 599 Member
    I spend MAXIMUM $150 a month for 2 of us and it's all healthy. About $40 of that is Diet Pepsi (for him mostly).

    Geez! That is awesome! I spend that in a week for the two of us. It sucks.

    My grocery bill has easily doubled for my fiance and myself since we started eating better.
  • melzteach
    melzteach Posts: 550 Member
    bump
  • VixFit2011
    VixFit2011 Posts: 663 Member
    If you have the space, try to grow some of your own vegetables. Smaller portions: increasing vegetable portions and smaller meat portions... this will help lower the grocery bill.


    Excellent idea especially this time of year.
  • jsteras
    jsteras Posts: 344 Member
    I grab up every coupon I can, and printer ink is like 10 cheaper at amazon.com than at wallmart to print coupons off the internet. I buy large packages of meat which are usually cheaper per pound and break them down into baggies of 3-4 oz's.
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    I just spent $57 on a week's worth of food for a family of four. All healthy, all whole grains. I read the Tuesday mailer and decide what I'm going to make for dinner based on what's on sale. I clip coupons, too. I save a lot. I stick to the outside of the store mostly. I don't buy pre-packaged foods or processed foods (if I can recognize and identify in nature each item in the ingredient list, I feel comfortable buying it), for the most part.

    We go to Costco for fish, portion it, package it, and freeze it. We buy cheese in bulk, shred it, package it, and freeze it. It keeps the costs low.

    We NEVER go out to eat because we never have the cash, but it's fine, because we eat better and feel better with the food we eat at home. And, we both like cooking, which helps.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    This is what I do:

    Use coupons: I order coupons in multiples for things I can stock up on at www.thecouponclippers.com . Then I wait till the item goes on sale (I got the hang of when Kroger usually puts things on sale so I keep an eye out) and stock up when the coupon makes the item cheap/free

    I contact the companies of the items I use and compliment them. Flat out gush over how much we love their products etc etc and more times than not, they send me coupons in the mail, some for free items and some for cents off but if its in my cupboard, I use it regularly and any savings is awesome.

    I stock up when things go on sale. For example, Kroger had Tilapia on sale last week for $3.99/lb so I bought 2 lb. This will last me at least 2 months. I do the same with chicken, ground turkey etc.

    I purchase produce in bulk when its reasonable and freeze it. We also go strawberry picking at a local farm once a year and really stock up and it gets us thru a good 6 months or so

    I always look for managers specials. For example, my Kroger has a couple bins that they put stuff that they mark 1/2 off or more. I looked in there and saw my kids favorite cereal and picked up 4 boxes. For a cost of $8 instead of $12, we now have a months worth of cereal for them. Those little things add up.

    I also look for closeouts. More times than not, they changed the size of the product or the packaging so they have to rid of the old style first. I often find canned veggies, canned beans, frozen items on closeout and stock up. Even better if you have a coupon to match it.

    Another place I love love love is Aldi's. One just opened near me in FEB and Ive been in 7th heaven. They don't carry many name brands but most of what Ive bought of their brands are awesome and very reasonable!! Whole wheat bread is just over $1 a loaf, they have a TON of their brand "fit and active" 100 calorie pack cookies, crackers etc. They have their brand fat free cool whip, ice cream sandwiches etc all cheaper than the regular stores.

    I typically go 2 times a week and spend a good hour or more scoping the aisles for deals. My Kroger is just down the road so its handy for me to get to. Ive been stockpiling for 3 and a half years now and we've been able to afford for me to continue to stay home with my kids becuz of it. Its also nice to know you don't have to worry about running out of things if you have a good supply on hand. I don't go crazy like on that extreme couponing show but I do stockpile as much as I know we'd use in say a years time and slowly stock more as we eat it.
  • Great Tips!! I am definitely going to start couponing.
  • ebgbjo
    ebgbjo Posts: 821 Member
    wow.. we spend about 170 wk on 2.5 people :/
  • chrisyoung0422
    chrisyoung0422 Posts: 426 Member
    We have a 2 person household. My better half and myself.. well and 2 dogs.

    We still spend 110-140 a week on food and it has been this way since we decided to go healthy. We have also tried different stores etc but it still comes out the same.

    The only places we have been able to save a few bucks were the local farmers markets and also having our own garden keeps the fresh foods costs down a bit.
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
    great post! Thanks for the sites everyone!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Eating less is going to save money, of course. Cutting out the junk food (no more Twinkies, cookie or ice cream, on sale or not!) saves a little more.

    I agree with Costco for some items, but be wary of buying produce in bulk unless you know you are going to eat or freeze it all before it spoils. Frozen veggies are usually cheaper than fresh, unless they are in season. They are also often nutritionally superior to fresh!

    Another good coupon site is www.thegrocerygame.com. For a small monthly fee, they'll help you use the coupons in your local newspaper at your local stores at the time when it will save you the most money.
  • Bump to read later! Great question.
  • eating4balance
    eating4balance Posts: 743 Member
    Unsalted canned green beans
    Unsalted canned corn
    Bulk packs of whole almonds (separate out into 100 calorie packs)
    Apples are not too expensive
    Buy frozen fruit like blueberries and strawberries for your recipes (Just don't thaw them out)
    Generic bag of plain popcorn kernels (Pop them in paper lunch bags)
    Eggs are not very expensive
    Bulk bags of frozen tilapia (fish) and other meats
    Buy chicken with the skin on it and skin it yourself (skinless chicken is much more expensive)
    Check on coupons.com for ways to save on regular food
    Try the generic versions of your favorites:
    Aldis has generic fiber one cereal, egg beaters, skim milk, almonds, chips, pam spray, soup and a lot more!

    Good luck :smile:
  • - Cook and bake as much from scratch as possible, and do your best to avoid processed/packaged foods. The more steps a food product takes to get into your kitchen, the more expensive it's likely to be. The more you can learn to do yourself, the less you'll spend!
    - Baking your own bread is healthier and much tastier than any cheap bread you can buy at the store. Yeast can get expensive, but you can buy it in bulk, store it in the fridge/freezer for a few months, and just let what you need warm to room temperature when you're ready to use it.
    - You could get a 15oz can of beans+water for about a buck, or you can spend the same amount on a bag of dry beans to make a whole pot!
    - Buy rolled oats in bulk instead of packets of instant oatmeal, or toast the oats with a few more ingredients to make granola.
    - Stock up on produce when it's in season, then freeze or can what you can't use right away. You'll have fresh-tasting fruits and veggies all year long!
    - Buy whole or bone-in chicken instead of boneless skinless pieces, and remove the bones and skin yourself. Usually several bucks cheaper per pound!
    - Freeze baggies of bones from the meat that you buy, shells and heads from shrimp, and scraps from veggies. When you have enough saved, make your own delicious stock for soup!
    - Buy big tubs of yogurt instead of single serve cups.
    - For protein, go meatless often! Eggs, dry beans, and peanut butter are pretty cheap! Asian markets also often sell bulk tofu for about $1/1lb block.
    - Some stores (like Earthfare and Whole Foods, but there are plenty others!) sell herbs and spices in the bulk section. Rather than spending $5-10 for a little bottle of an exotic spice I might not use that often, I've spent 50 cents on just a little baggie to get me through a recipe or two.
    - Ditch drinks, except for water and milk, and coffee or tea if you need the caffeine. Avoid sodas and juice--you're basically just paying for water!

    Besides saving you money, foods that you prepare at home are also guaranteed to have only as much sugar, fat, and sodium as you yourself decide to put in them. :)
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    I spend MAXIMUM $150 a month for 2 of us and it's all healthy. About $40 of that is Diet Pepsi (for him mostly).

    How the heck!?! My husband I spend about $240 a month for both of us!!
  • lisa35120
    lisa35120 Posts: 230 Member
    I've found that some stores will package up the leftover meat from the meat counter and discount it the next day... at my local grocery store it's usually $1.49/lb for hamburger the next day, until it's gone.

    Stock up on things when they're on sale! Seriously, it helps a lot! My husband and I love pasta, so when I can find healthy pasta for $1 or less I buy bags of it. Otherwise it can be like $3 a box.
  • smilebhappy
    smilebhappy Posts: 811 Member
    this are some great tips ;)
  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
    Coupons and plan your meals around whats on sale! I have 4 people and a daycare with 10 kids to feed, I do it on no more then 150 a week last week it was 100!! I love to save money it feels so good. Eat foods that are in season!! And use those left overs! I know it can get old eating the same thing a few times in a row but it will save $$$$
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    We spend about $150 per week, family of 4.
  • breunor
    breunor Posts: 12
    Some ways to minimize the cost of eating healthy that I use include:

    Frozen veggies by the bag, or the local farmer's market. Fresh at the store costs too much.
    Buying grains and beans in bulk at the local store instead of packaged.
    Buying chicken (rarely do anymore) when it's on sale and freezing it after putting into properly meal-portioned bags.
    Eating more vegetarian meals, around here at least meat is very pricey.
    Switched from cereal to quaker oats with raisins and cinamon
    Simple meals like can of kidney beans and some salsa mixed together tastes great, cheap and simple to make too.

    Consider each "prepared" item you get and consider if you can make it yourself cheaper, healthier, or both. Try to cut out nutritionally void foods like sodas and snacks that provide no value and keep you hooked on the sweet tooth. I used to drink around 2L of soda a day and ate junk every day as well. After a couple days of getting the caffiene out of my system and staying full on fiber-rich foods, I never feel hungry and have very few cravings for junk. It also cut my food bill by 1/3-1/2 and I've lost about 35 pounds(according to calipers, all fat) over 6 months eating healthier.
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