Eating (mostly) clean on a budget

Buy everything possible in bulk and never single-servings, cycle when you buy shelf-stable staples, buy on sale and work those ingredients into meals, Buy frozen veggies, read the sales flyer for your stores, plan meals in advance. Visit your local ethnic markets and see what you can get there cheaper (spices, rice, some produce, et cetera). Figure out what’s the cheapest at your grocery store and plan your meals around those foods (If cauliflower is expensive but sweet potatoes are cheap, I’ll plan more meals with sweet potatoes and skip the cauliflower). Visit farmers’ markets (when available) to scope out cheaper prices. Sometimes, farmers will get you a good deal on produce if you buy large quantities direct from them. Focus on foods that are inexpensive but have a lot of “bulk” to them - squash is dirt cheap by me and fills you up.

Don’t buy “trendy” foods just because they’re there - these are often the most expensive, especially if not grown in your area. Things grown in your region will be cheaper. Avocados, quinoa, anything with a fancy “organic” label - this stuff isn’t supposed to be available in my area and I can tell when I see the prices.

I find the produce at regular grocers: ralphs, vons, gelsons, etc. is very expensive. Heck, I'd shop at whole foods if I could afford it, but I can't. I buy my lettuce and some stuff (asparagus, juicing carrots, cooked peeled beets) at costco. Other than that, I shop at my local 99 cent store and they have a surprisingly good produce area. I can get mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, avocados, apples, and bananas on a regular basis. They also have large bags of potatoes. Then I go to the 99 ranch, my local asian market. They have a varied selection of produce daily for much less than the big stores. If I can't get what I want I can drive aways to the farmer's market, which still costs less than ralphs. And, if I still needed something else I will get a few items at the chain grocery stores. One of my friends lives near a mexican market and they also sell produce and meats for much cheaper!

I'd say cook bigger batches, freeze if you can. You will get to a lazy week and be able to eat from your freezer at zero cost/effort

Th3Ph03n1x wrote: »

Sadly we don't have an Aldi or a Costco. We do have a Sam's Club although we don't have a membership at present. Our house doesn't have a lot of storage space so we don't buy in bulk too much.

A lot of good ideas. I appreciate the help we really like this new plan but it's pointless if we go broke doing it.

Do you have a garden or space to have some pots? You can grow leafy vegs and strawberries in pots or window boxes. I have some fruit trees, soft fruit bushes and rhubarb plants among other veggies in my back garden. They are very easy to keep.

I try to cook with whatever looks like it will go bad first. Your spinach example is a perfect one. I find we can only have it as salad the first day or two after purchasing it, then I have to cook the rest to use it up. Stole this from vegetariantimes.com...

EAT FIRST: Sunday to Tuesday

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Basil
• Broccoli
• Cherries
• Corn
• Dill
• Green beans
• Mushrooms
• Mustard greens
• Strawberries
• Watercress

EAT NEXT: Wednesday to Friday

• Arugula
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Lime
• Mesclun
• Pineapple
• Zucchini

EAT LAST: Weekend

• Apricots
• Bell peppers
• Blueberries
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Grapefruit
• Leeks
• Lemons
• Mint
• Oranges
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

AND BEYOND:

• Apples
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Winter squash

astridtheviking wrote: »

Don’t buy “trendy” foods just because they’re there - these are often the most expensive, especially if not grown in your area. Things grown in your region will be cheaper. Avocados, quinoa, anything with a fancy “organic” label - this stuff isn’t supposed to be available in my area and I can tell when I see the prices.

Along these lines - eat seasonally. As an example, strawberries in winter will often be twice the price of buying them in summer. And usually not taste as nice since they're imported rather than locally grown. So I tend to eat berries in the summer, move on to apples in the fall and then citrus fruits in winter. I buy frozen berries for smoothies though.

I find it better to shop for produce every few days, although you have to be VERY strict with your list to keep this under budget. Far too easy to go in for one thing and leave with a bag full of stuff you didn't need!

Rice. Lentils. Seasonal vegetables.

Doesn't get any cleaner than that, it's super nutritious, and it's as cheap as dirt.

I don't believe in clean but I do believe in simple and fresh.
I grow what I can and frozen bags is the next best for me.
You can grow a few things quite easily and in very little time depending on your location.
I used to do large pots in the driveway when I rented. A day spent planting and a few minutes each day watering and weeding really isn't too much for fresh produce. Of course, it was -20C here yesterday so all I have right now is herbs, bok choy and a few others inside right now.

One thing I would like is any tips on making produce last longer although this week we're doing pretty good I did have to toss some of the spinach that's it so far.

Shop more often, like every 2-3 days, and finish what you already have. Get the produce that's on sale when you can. Meat is often discounted when it's about to go off, too.

Check out this site - http://www.stilltasty.com/ - to see how long things last, if you're not sure. You can get an extra day or two out of some foods with a little extra TLC (depends on what the food is) - that site also gives advice on best practices for storage.

Spinach freezes really well. I live alone and freeze everything. Cheese, tomatoes, cooked meals like chile, stew, fried rice, and cooked meat. The only thing I don't recommend freezing is cooked potatoes.