Shopping Healthy on a very low budget

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Tourn85
Tourn85 Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi to start im not giving advice im asking it.
ok i am looking for ideas and ways to come up with a monthly grocery list and recipe list
When only able to go to the grocery store one time a month on a um id say 250.00 budget to feed 3 people.
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  • KerrieCC
    KerrieCC Posts: 118 Member
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    hi i have a similar food budget also for 3 people. its not always easy to make good meals especially if you also dont have a lot of time. some things i do are cheap cuts of meat in the slowcooker, chunky vege soup, i make heaps of it and freeze it in containers so its a quick meal if i dont have lots of time. i always have frozen veges in my freezer. stirfrys bulked out with lots of veges and some rice. it does take a bit of planning but it is possible :)
  • jess_blonde
    jess_blonde Posts: 229 Member
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    Pinterest is fantastic for finding recipes! You can also peruse the food & recipes board here and do a google search for healthy meals on a budget.

    As for shopping on a budget, shop around to find the best prices (try an app like Flipp) and try to stick to buying what's in season for fresh produce. Frozen veggies (straight up veggies, not the stuff with sauce or whatever) can be super cheap and are still super nutritious. Buying in bulk can also save you money on non-perishables, but do the math to find the unit price to make sure you're actually saving. A lot of discount grocery stores will sell dented cans or prodcts like cereal sealed in bags Keith damaged boxes at a discount. No need to be afraid of dented cans as long as the ends aren't bulging! If you can find bulk fresh produce at a discount, make up some freezable meals with them to get the most out of them (eg I bought a 10lb bag of carrots and the same size of onions for $2 each so I made a huge batch of carrot soup and some beef stew, then I diced and froze the rest of the onions and chopped up the carrots to snack on).
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Do a search on youtube for Debt is dum (No "b" at the end of dumb), How Jen does it. Both of these channels and others are always trying to cut costs and they show a lot of their grocery hauls and meals. Each has a family of four to feed.

    I shop the bulk section of my grocery store to save. I can get grains, legumes, pasta, cookies, cereal, flour and salt, etc. for much cheaper.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    If you are o.k. with eating meat less frequently, focus on recipes for lentils, chick peas, black eyed peas, pinto beans, and so on. Canned and frozen fruits and veggies are o.k. except that the texture is different from fresh.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Buy meats in bulk and break them down into smaller packages. Lots of frozen veggies and fruit. Try to get keep your eye on sales and stock up.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Tourn85 wrote: »
    hi to start im not giving advice im asking it.
    ok i am looking for ideas and ways to come up with a monthly grocery list and recipe list
    When only able to go to the grocery store one time a month on a um id say 250.00 budget to feed 3 people.

    A great place to buy food that you like is Grocery Outlet, or some type of a grocery outlet market. They have everything a grocery store has, except it's way cheaper and often, in my opinion, has better fresh foods (if that's what you prefer).

    Also, look for some independent farm markets that sell fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, etc. Not the seasonal kind but those that are established and open every day, grow most of their produce, etc. and sell it in their store. The one where I live also sells other foods as well but at a lower price.

    .
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
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    Something that might be helpful to you is an app I use called Paprika. You can program your recipes in it and use it to make your grocery list. Then, I go through my fridge, freezer, and cabinets to see if I need everything on my list. It saves me some time and also eliminates a lot of wasteful spending on my part.

    If you have access to a warehouse club, like Sam's or BJ's, you can buy larger packages of meat there and split it up into smaller packages. As far as saving money on canned or frozen goods, if there's an Aldi in the area where you shop, check it out. They don't sell brand named stuff (like Heinz or Del Monte or whatever), but they also don't have the name brand prices.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Three people on $8 a day? I don't know that I could do it.

    Can you get food stamps?
  • Tourn85
    Tourn85 Posts: 20 Member
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    that is foodstamps and we only can go to harps or sometimes town & country and that one is in the next town over the only grosry store we have in town is harps
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Lots of beans, lots of souls... Whole chickens are usually less expensive and you can make stock with the bones for soups (much less expensive than store bought stocks/broths). I cook a lot from scratch to save money- bread, tortillas, cookies, pizzas. Way better for you and cheaper :)
  • Tourn85
    Tourn85 Posts: 20 Member
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    im also a very picky eater but i have been making breads but i ran out of yeest i think ill find me a tortilla recipe
  • badabanna
    badabanna Posts: 2 Member
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    I've been in the same boat as you before - roughly $300 in food stamps as our only money to feed 3. Tiny town, had to drive 30 miles to grocery shop at a proper store. Have you searched around to see if there are any dented box/can sort of stores in your area that take EBT? They rarely have any fresh veggies, but you can buy lots of staples like brown rice, yeast, broth, tortillas, shortening, etc. on the cheap.

    Hunting is big where we live, there were places where hunters could make donations of fresh deer meat during hunting season to those that needed it. Make sure to check in to that.

    Many churches have things where you don't have to be a member, but if you get EBT you can pay $16 or so from EBT for a big box of mixed goods each month. Dry healthy cereals, cans of veggies, dry noodles. I believe it was called the Angel Food program where we lived.

    Plant veggies if you can! It takes a while to see results, but even if you live in an apartment you can plant in tubs and five gallon buckets. Seeds are cheap, and there are some things you can make more and more starts off of after they start growing. You can plant herbs for seasonings, too!

    Don't be afraid to make use of other services to free up more money for food. If you have a small child WIC will cover things like milk, eggs, and cheese. Apply for energy assistance - if you you can get help heating/cooling your home, it would free up more money for food. Never be ashamed to use food pantries either. If you qualify for EBT I guarantee you qualify for food pantries.

    Hold you head up high, don't let anyone make you feel bad. It's hard, but you'll make it, and you'll learn to be inventive along the way. Being down for money was how I learned to sew, work on cars, cook from scatch, and use rice as a filler in EVERYTHING! ;)
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    There are other threads that have a lot of advice, if you can do a search. Dried beans, oatmeal, frozen veggies, in season fruits, potatoes, eggs, a whole chicken, those are all things that give you the most bang for your buck. Watch also for turkeys & hams this time of year to be on sale. Shop sales. If you can contact azurestandard.com & see if there is a drop in your area, you can get beans, oats & spiced in bulk for pretty cheap/lb. also cooking from scratch if you have time. Homemade muffins, cookies etc. & homemade yogurt is really easy. If you need any recipes, just let me know.
  • fluffyasacat
    fluffyasacat Posts: 242 Member
    edited November 2014
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    People keep mentioning frozen veggies... where I live these are never cheaper than fresh vegetables. Are they cheaper in the US?

    ETA peas are the exception - fresh peas in the pod cost a fortune.
  • katieobrienps300
    katieobrienps300 Posts: 140
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    I stock up on fresh fruits and veggies at a local farmers market. There food is usually 1/2 the price compared to a grocery store. It may not look as pretty, but it is delicious! I usually roast big batches if root veggies, or make a soup fir the week. Pinterest is also a fantastic resource for budget recipes.
  • Xiomara0703
    Xiomara0703 Posts: 4 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    Three people on $8 a day? I don't know that I could do it.

    Can you get food stamps?

    Yes, you can!!! You can make a pot of chilli for $13 and eat off of it for 3 days!!! Making things that will last...and try to serve in medium portions..(not large). Potatoes are cheap....buy a bag and mash them..that can be a side dish for a few days. Beans and peas are always cheap.
  • dieter1200
    dieter1200 Posts: 56 Member
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    Wal-Mart is usually cheaper than the grocery store around here. use your local food shelf. My shelf puts on their website a flyer that shows a local church's food giveaway day every month.
  • Tourn85
    Tourn85 Posts: 20 Member
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    well im not big on meat at all but i can cook alot from scrach but it takes alot of flour n stuff and its full of starches n stuff
  • Tourn85
    Tourn85 Posts: 20 Member
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    we dont have one of those here
  • merisaOct3
    merisaOct3 Posts: 197 Member
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    I would suggest looking for produce on clearance/manager's special (essentially, it's going out of date). Then get it home, blanch it or parboil it and freeze it.
    I also echo the suggestions about lentil/bean dishes. Dried lentils and beans are cheaper than canned, they just take more time to rehydrate.
    Best wishes, that is a tight budget. No shame, do what you have to.

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