Broke and over weight...
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Well, the good news is that theoretically if you're eating LESS food than you were before, what you buy should last you much longer! Not eating out also saves a ton.
To save money on food, I've found one of the best things to do is to not get too hung up on following recipes exactly. When I go to the produce section, I buy what is cheapest and on sale. Right now (winter where I am), this means a lot of cabbage, apples, oranges, squash, carrots, etc. If a recipe calls for something out of season/expensive like asparagus or blueberries, I'll replace it with whatever I have. Same with the meat section. Chicken breast? Replace with whatever chicken part is cheaper and on sale (thighs, etc.).
Agree that pasta, tuna/other canned fish (sardines are crazy good for you if you can learn to like them!), frozen vegetables, dry beans/lentils, and plain oatmeal (buy raisins in bulk to add) can go a really, really long way. Cheap veggies + lentils (I love red lentils!) + seasoning make a giant soup that is easy to freeze and is super filling.
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I have been and still in the same boat. I think to eat healthier and lose weight it is expensive. Everyone will laugh at this statement but it is true. My grocery bill went up and not down. Plus I am feeding 1 person and it is more difficult to buy food for 1.
Everyone says eating less will cost less. That is so not true.
For example, I use stevia sugar now. I don't buy regular sugar anymore. Stevia is 3 - 4 times more than the price of regular sugar.
Another example is lean meat. I buy 96% lean meat. It is 3 times more than regular ground or even a leaner meat than the most lean meat you can buy. Turkey (gound meat) is more expensive. Hand down!
I live pay check to pay check too. And I can only buy things that I can cook for a whole week and eat the same thing the entire week. For example, I may make a low fat chilli or low fat spaghetti sauce and eat that all week!
How do you buy food eat week?0 -
DagobaGirl wrote: »I have been in your boat girlfriend and it sucks, but it is not impossible! Frozen veggies are your friend, especially store brand. Canned veggies are also good options, but make sure you opt for the lower sodium options. Canned beans are inexpensive and pack a powerful protein punch. You can buy big bags of brown rice on the cheap for your carb intake as well! The trick to making these foods tasty is creatively spicing them. Also garlic and onions are your friend. Embrace them.
Supplement your meals with fresh fruit and veggies where you can. My local Kroger has deeply discounted fruit on Saturday mornings on a special rack. Dictate your meals for the week by sales and coupons. As meat is pretty expensive try to limit it to max one a day. Vegetarian meals with frozen/canned veggies are generally cheaper.
As for snacks, boiled eggs are perfect little protein capsules. Just don't go crazy with the yolks and eat a bunch of eggs each day. Carrots and hummus are good if you can get hummus at the right price. Sometimes it's too expensive to splurge on, but it usually goes on sale a couple times a month so catch it at the right time!
Hope this helps and good luck lady! You can do this, just gotta be a little more creative than most.
Just consider it a testament to your strength.
^^^ Spot-fricken-on girlfriend. I will say this though... I make the most BOMB garlic pepper veggies for sides during dinner. ;D
Garlic and onion are most definitely besties of mine.0 -
xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »Heh, unfortunately potatoes are part of the problem as to why I'm here. When we first moved into our first apartment we discovered that was a great idea to save on grocery bills. And an extra some odd set of pounds later... here I am.
Potatoes are not the problem. The butter, cheese, and sour cream that people tend to pile on top, or the oil people fry them in - that is the problem. Potatoes are low in calories and fill you up.
5'4 and 117lbs over here and I eat potatoes all the time. I dont eat my baked potatoes "fully loaded" very often though! Mostly just with ketchup, or bbq sauce, or a small amount of margarine and pepper.
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softblondechick wrote: »Been there. Go on "cabbage soup" diet, don't buy meat, processed foods, your grocery bill will actually go down. Onions, cabbage, celery, carrots, some cans of tomatoes...add a bag of oatmeal for breakfast.
Give up driving to save money. Take public transportation every where. .amazing how walking around takes off weight.
But where is the protein?
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Everyone says eating less will cost less. That is so not true.
For example, I use stevia sugar now. I don't buy regular sugar anymore. Stevia is 3 - 4 times more than the price of regular sugar.
You just contradicted yourself. If you had kept buying regular sugar but LESS of it, it would be cheaper. You could have kept buying the same meat, but LESS of it. That is where buying LESS food is CHEAPER. Buying different food might not be. You can buy 2000 calories of lean meat, or you could buy 2000 calories of ramen. Which is cheaper?
Buying food at the grocery store is almost always cheaper than take out, fast food, etc.
If you're on a budget, don't buy the "healthiest" food you can think of. Buy what you will eat, but slightly LESS of it.
I always ALWAYS lose weight at the end of a paycheck period. The first two or three days after payday we splurge on a takeout dinner and I buy lunch out. By the day before payday (ha, that's today) when I'm absolutely FORCED to use what's in the pantry and freezer, it's easy to have a 1500 calorie day.0 -
As far as exercising, I started running...you can do it any time you have free and for as long as you can. It will only cost you a pair of sneakers. I also bought a exercise bike in a garage sale for $8. The spedometer doesn't work but as long as the pedals turn, I don't care. People are ALWAYS selling exercise stuff at garage sales!
Also, either get DVDs to do at home...you can get them cheap on Ebay or Amazon or for free on YouTube.
Heh, well that's the thing... I have premature arthritis in my back and in my knees. In short, it hurts to run. Especially now since this is the heaviest I've ever been. But I did do it back in the day and it was a great workout. For now I'll utilize what I found on hulu and, thanks to you, on youtube as well. I didn't realize they had exercise videos up. Thanks for that!
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You've gotten a lot of food advice, so I'm just going to suggest looking online for workout videos. There's a lot out there.0
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Let me add, for exercise... I did break down and buy an ellipitcal trainer so I can work out at home and out of the cold.
Before I was running! I needed a good pair shoes and some work out clothes.. Other than that it is free! I also bought 2 medicine balls and 2 sets of dumb bells. This is all I use for working out.
I do not and cannot afford a gym membership and all the costs that go with that in order to work out somewhere else other than my home. I am thankful my elliptical was purchased on paypal and I have 6 months to pay on that with no interest.0 -
Isoftblondechick wrote: »Been there. Go on "cabbage soup" diet, don't buy meat, processed foods, your grocery bill will actually go down. Onions, cabbage, celery, carrots, some cans of tomatoes...add a bag of oatmeal for breakfast.
Give up driving to save money. Take public transportation every where. .amazing how walking around takes off weight.
But where is the protein?
I am not a protien fanatic, but he is right. Those veggies arent very protien dense. You might end up feeling really run down on that regimen. Some beans,eggs or cottage cheese with all those cabbage soup/oatmeal meals would be beneficial.0 -
I am doing better now but, for a while, was on food stamps so I had $161 per month for food. Most of the time, grocery store ads come out on Thursday so I would sit down at my computer every Thursday and plan out my week by going to the store websites and reading the ads and coupons. I would first check out the sales on meat and plan my main meals depending on what was on sale. Generally I would do 4 days with meat and three with something like beans for dinner. I am lucky in that I live in a medium sized town on the edge of a large metropolitan area so I have several different grocery stores that are an easy drive for me. Most staples I would get at Aldi because they are cheaper. Their meat and produce is hit or miss so I may or may not buy any of that there. If I don't, then I stop at whichever grocery has the best prices for what I am looking for.
Generally, you save money by eating at home. Things like bottled water are not necessities. If you buy it, get yourself a filter pitcher like Pur or Brita and drink filtered tap water if your tap water is bad tasting (mine is horrible but the Pur makes it just as good as bottled). Buy bulk items rather than single serving. Oatmeal takes just 2 minutes in the microwave and one large tub of old-fashioned oats costs me $2 for about 3 weeks of satisfying breakfasts.
It takes effort and planning, but you can definitely do this.
ETA: think outside the box when checking prices for things. My local gas station (a regional company that is mostly in Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota) always has eggs that are the cheapest around AND are generally close to a week fresher than the grocery eggs. I don't eat bananas but they also have bananas and onions at the best price too.0 -
Depending on where you live there may be some options for cheap food outside of the supermarket. Around here there are farms all over the place you can buy cheap vegetables from. Ridiculously cheap. I'm not talking about the organic craze type "farmers markets" or anything like that - look for local farms that might have little grocery stands you can buy from. In Cincinnati, there's Burwinkel's. Selling directly from the farm saves them on all sorts of costs and is only marked up slightly from what they sell in bulk. I got a zucchini the size of my arm for $1, for instance - last summer.0
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I eat mine with salt, pepper and spice mixes (like Mrs Dash but I like southwest flavors not lemon pepper). Another good way is with salsa. Or roasted peppers and onions on top. Potatoes are my lifesaver. Plus they are sooooo cheap!melimomTARDIS wrote: »xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »Heh, unfortunately potatoes are part of the problem as to why I'm here. When we first moved into our first apartment we discovered that was a great idea to save on grocery bills. And an extra some odd set of pounds later... here I am.
Potatoes are not the problem. The butter, cheese, and sour cream that people tend to pile on top, or the oil people fry them in - that is the problem. Potatoes are low in calories and fill you up.
5'4 and 117lbs over here and I eat potatoes all the time. I dont eat my baked potatoes "fully loaded" very often though! Mostly just with ketchup, or bbq sauce, or a small amount of margarine and pepper.
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Chicken thighs are mad cheap.
And, I know it seems ridiculous, but you can buy a frozen turkey sometimes for as little as $0.88/lb and have a delicious, high-protein lean meal with TONS of leftovers. You can have leftovers for 3 days and still have some to freeze. Then, you make a huge pot of bone broth from the carcass for turkey soup.
A lot of food for, like, $10-15!
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easy way to lose weight and save money: Eat the same foods, just less of them.
This ^^
I can't afford to buy fancy things like I used to and replace fresh veg every 2/3 days. So I stick to stuff like pasta, frozen/tinned veg, tinned fish, soup etc and eat less of it. It helps to drink water or tea frequently, as that fills you up.
Things like chicken and turkey breast are a luxury to me. I wish I could afford to make lovely, healthy oriental dishes and healthy recipes which require certain expensive ingredients, but until I get a better job, that isn't going to happen.
I'll just have to plod along slowly and buy what I can, when I can, whilst giving it 100%, the same applies to you
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I am doing better now but, for a while, was on food stamps so I had $161 per month for food. Most of the time, grocery store ads come out on Thursday so I would sit down at my computer every Thursday and plan out my week by going to the store websites and reading the ads and coupons. I would first check out the sales on meat and plan my main meals depending on what was on sale. Generally I would do 4 days with meat and three with something like beans for dinner. I am lucky in that I live in a medium sized town on the edge of a large metropolitan area so I have several different grocery stores that are an easy drive for me. Most staples I would get at Aldi because they are cheaper. Their meat and produce is hit or miss so I may or may not buy any of that there. If I don't, then I stop at whichever grocery has the best prices for what I am looking for.
Generally, you save money by eating at home. Things like bottled water are not necessities. If you buy it, get yourself a filter pitcher like Pur or Brita and drink filtered tap water if your tap water is bad tasting (mine is horrible but the Pur makes it just as good as bottled). Buy bulk items rather than single serving. Oatmeal takes just 2 minutes in the microwave and one large tub of old-fashioned oats costs me $2 for about 3 weeks of satisfying breakfasts.
It takes effort and planning, but you can definitely do this.
I agree with everything you've said. I also have a water pitcher, I even try to fill up another pitcher with water just because we go through it so quickly. We even add fresh lime juice (squeezed, not the fake nasty stuff) and stevia to it so we basically have a sugarless limeade always happening. lol
Unfortunately we don't own a microwave... I know, dark ages.0 -
The nice thing about this is that you can just eat less of what you usually eat, save money (since you're buying less), and lose weight. Start with that and make other changes gradually as your budget allows.0
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Not sure if anyone mentioned this (I don't feel like reading all the responses), but you can rent exercise dvds from your local library for free.0
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I know exactly how you feel, I am a student and I work full time placement without getting paid for it, having to somehow fun my fuel of 50 miles a day traveling there and back. I have started going running rather than to the gym, it saves money! And always buy frozen veg and chicken breasts saves a tiny bit!! I try and dry fry most things which saves buying cooking oil i suppose and reduces calories...0
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weight your good. I bought my scale on amazon for 12 bucks.0
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Not sure if anyone mentioned this (I don't feel like reading all the responses), but you can rent exercise dvds from your local library for free.
Thank you! Most people forget about that wonderful resource in your town that costs you nothing (above your normal taxes) to use and has tons of helpful things. You should be able to get some good budget recipe books too!
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Are there any day old bread stores in your area?
You can get bread for about $1.50 a loaf. Grab extra an throw them in the freezer.
Go to an ethnic grocery store. Veggies and fruit are cheaper.
Also, check out your local library, they have plenty of workout videos.
Free....and they add variety to your workout.0 -
softblondechick wrote: »Been there. Go on "cabbage soup" diet, don't buy meat, processed foods, your grocery bill will actually go down. Onions, cabbage, celery, carrots, some cans of tomatoes...add a bag of oatmeal for breakfast.
Give up driving to save money. Take public transportation every where. .amazing how walking around takes off weight.
OP please don't go on a cabbage soup diet.
Just eat a healthy and balanced diet. Look for sales. Buy frozen vegetables, frozen fish, hamburgers, whatever you enjoy. Eat at home. Fresh fruit isn't expensive. Eating real food doesn't have to be expensive.
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-on-budget.html0 -
xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »I'm not in that boat now, but I've been there. Potatoes are one of the healthiest things you can buy and they are also cheap. This time of year, frozen vegetables are better than fresh vegetables, and they last longer. You can buy dry rice and beans in bulk for fairly cheap. I don't think you save much money by baking your own bread, but it tastes better and kneading it is good exercise. For meat, some of the cheaper cuts taste great when fixed well.
Heh, unfortunately potatoes are part of the problem as to why I'm here. When we first moved into our first apartment we discovered that was a great idea to save on grocery bills. And an extra some odd set of pounds later... here I am. But I do agree, frozen veggies are amazing! I try to bulk up on them every chance I get. I *love* baking. Albeit my bread making skills need a lot of practice, for whatever reason I'm not that good at bread making. Oh well, practice makes perfect right?
Potatoes will only make you fat if your portion sizes are too big. But there's something to be said for being able to get two day's worth of calories for only $5.0 -
I eat mine with salt, pepper and spice mixes (like Mrs Dash but I like southwest flavors not lemon pepper). Another good way is with salsa. Or roasted peppers and onions on top. Potatoes are my lifesaver. Plus they are sooooo cheap!melimomTARDIS wrote: »xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »Heh, unfortunately potatoes are part of the problem as to why I'm here. When we first moved into our first apartment we discovered that was a great idea to save on grocery bills. And an extra some odd set of pounds later... here I am.
Potatoes are not the problem. The butter, cheese, and sour cream that people tend to pile on top, or the oil people fry them in - that is the problem. Potatoes are low in calories and fill you up.
5'4 and 117lbs over here and I eat potatoes all the time. I dont eat my baked potatoes "fully loaded" very often though! Mostly just with ketchup, or bbq sauce, or a small amount of margarine and pepper.
Have you had the italian tomato mrs.dash? heaven!
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Walk when ever possible. Park further, take the stairs these really are easy ways to get extra exercise with little effort. As the father of seven I can say you can lose weight on a budget. Cutting out extra helpings and tracking everything. I still eat real and regular food. Good Luck0
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In the same boat, but not stressing
I eat alot of soup... quick, cheap, portable ( put some in my thermos)
it has some Chicken Bouillon Cubes ~$2 for a jar of them (makes 3-4 pots of soup) and a few different, random veggies...today is carrots, green beans, and lentils. One pot will last me 2-3 days. I know its high in sodium, but low in calories and keeps me full most of the time. You can add different veggies....and costs very little. And I actually like it, not suffering in any way
I eat lentils often, Good source of protein, cheap, and don't take long to cook on the stove (My microwave is out too, but I'm not really missing it enough to get a new one)
And the only meat I buy is Chicken. I have 2 sons and a husband who are avid hunters, and more than enough venison to last. We process it ourselves into ground (hamburger) meat, tenderized, steaks, and roast we know there is no ADDED fat or chemicals, and to us it just tastes, better.
I cook everything for my family from scratch. I don't buy things like canned biscuits or frozen pizzas. I can make any meal that they want as long as I have the basics (flour, sugar, cornmeal, etc)
My (heavy eating) family of 6 live pretty easily off of less than $400 a month in groceries. The money I save is put back for "splurges" when we want to go out.
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »
I eat mine with salt, pepper and spice mixes (like Mrs Dash but I like southwest flavors not lemon pepper). Another good way is with salsa. Or roasted peppers and onions on top. Potatoes are my lifesaver. Plus they are sooooo cheap!melimomTARDIS wrote: »xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »Heh, unfortunately potatoes are part of the problem as to why I'm here. When we first moved into our first apartment we discovered that was a great idea to save on grocery bills. And an extra some odd set of pounds later... here I am.
Potatoes are not the problem. The butter, cheese, and sour cream that people tend to pile on top, or the oil people fry them in - that is the problem. Potatoes are low in calories and fill you up.
5'4 and 117lbs over here and I eat potatoes all the time. I dont eat my baked potatoes "fully loaded" very often though! Mostly just with ketchup, or bbq sauce, or a small amount of margarine and pepper.
Have you had the italian tomato mrs.dash? heaven!
Oh yeah I love that one.
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xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »As far as exercising, I started running...you can do it any time you have free and for as long as you can. It will only cost you a pair of sneakers. I also bought a exercise bike in a garage sale for $8. The spedometer doesn't work but as long as the pedals turn, I don't care. People are ALWAYS selling exercise stuff at garage sales!
Also, either get DVDs to do at home...you can get them cheap on Ebay or Amazon or for free on YouTube.
Heh, well that's the thing... I have premature arthritis in my back and in my knees. In short, it hurts to run. Especially now since this is the heaviest I've ever been. But I did do it back in the day and it was a great workout. For now I'll utilize what I found on hulu and, thanks to you, on youtube as well. I didn't realize they had exercise videos up. Thanks for that!
I dont do alot of heavy excersize. I dont like to. I do light yoga, walking, and I dance around my house more often then I should probably admit. I also walk to do most of my errands, if the snow isnt too bad. (usually I bundle up and head out, but if its snowing sideways...)
I also rent dance type workout videos from my library. recently a country western line dancing one that was super fun.
I dont "eat back" those excersize calories all that often, because its pretty light effort.
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