How to eat better foods that you really cant afford? (here is a before during and current picture)
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We replaced a lot of our junk foods with vegetables and our grocery budget never got bigger. We just buy what's on sale and get creative. Frozen veggies are still good for you too and we get them at the dollar store for a huge bag! Also there is a litle discount store by us that sells reject shipments and some goods past the "best by" date (most things are still good for months after the supermarket pulls them). Just so long as we can freeze it or use it right away we get top knotch whole foods and sprouts health and food products for up to 80 percent off its awesome! Maybe there is one by your city you can google. As far as other eaters in the house (and I'm the one that cooks all the meals in mine) I just explained I'm going to eat healthier and if I'm cooking your gonna eat healthy with me or you're going to learn to cook your own meals. So now we all eat healthy and are much better off for it! My fiance likes eating the way we do now better than we were before!0
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I skipped all the other comments, but I have a feeling that if you can afford a gym membership, you can probably afford to replace some of your current grocery items (what you may feel as junk or unhealthy) with frozen veggies and learn to cook using recipes online. Also, if you are interested, making a weekly menu and a weekly grocery list for that menu can save money too, as you're only buying the things that you need. If there is a farmers market nearby, they have really awesome deals on veggies in season.
Blanching and freezing seasonal veggies and freezing in season fruit is a great way to save money. 0 -
I'm not saying they may not be exaggerating, but as another person who used to live in a big city, it is damn expensive. It was $11 for ONE PACK of Marlboro cigarettes (I no longer smoke), $5 for a gallon of milk isn't unheard of. Where I live now a gallon of milk is $2.99. It obviously depends where you shop, if you live on a campus they bend you over at the campus store or if you get groceries at a convenience mart its more. But $4.99 for a "regular" size box of name brand cereal is in the realm of possibility,and it doesn't even have to be blessed by the pope (though that might help justify the price). Glad I moved to Colorado its so much cheaper for food out here!I absolutely CANNOT stand when people say that buying healthier "clean" foods is cheaper (or cost the same) than buying reg grocery foods, because this isn't true for everybody. When you're 21, living near a pretty expensive NYC area, and don't have a car, you're reduced to buying things like $5 gallon of milk, $7 carton of eggs, a really small box of cereal for $5.75, olive oil for $10 etc, etc. By the time I get the basic necessities, my bill is already $250-$300 for ONE week's worth of food.
What I started doing is picking 2-3 staple veggies and fruits that I like and seeing if they're on sale in bulk or I buy them frozen. Then I pick the cheapest chicken breasts (the cheapest I can find near me is about $3 and are usually super thin but I deal), a packet of turkey burgers, and/or a fish. Then I add, wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta, and/or cereal (which last me like 2-3 wks so I don't buy them every week). I find recipes online that contain whatever I bought and I improvise. I also buy milk, cheese, and a big tube of Greek yogurt (these usually last me about 2 wks as well) The bill comes up to about $100-$150 depending per week. Stock up on canned foods as well just in case. If I run out of food AND money, then I just get creative with whatever is left in my fridge.
Most of my dinner meals are vegetables with some kind of lean meat and sometimes with a little bit of starch (brown rice or pasta). Lunch I usually have a turkey burger or a sandwich or salad. Breakfast is usually cereal, eggs, or oatmeal. Snacks are usually greek yogurt with fruit and/or nuts.
Also, lentils for 89 cents?? Where the hell do you people live? Cause I'm moving!
I'm sorry but I'm not even sure where you are getting those numbers from 250-300 dollars a week in food for just yourself? $7 for 1 carton of eggs, you drink 1 gallon of milk a week? A "small" box of cereal for almost 6 bucks? Really? Are you buying some special pope blessed olive oil? And every week? I know you wanted to get your point across that it's expensive to live In NYC but to say that you are exaggerating is an under statement. Then you went ahead and said what you eat and nothing on that list would add up to what you said. You questioned the lentil price but how much are you paying? $22?0 -
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Yes I know the price of the milk is common. But to go and list all those other things at those price then to say you buy all of those things every week is exaggerated. That whole small box of cereal is not true. I live in NYC and know very well that stuff is expensive, but not to the numbers she states.
I'm not saying they may not be exaggerating, but as another person who used to live in a big city, it is damn expensive. It was $11 for ONE PACK of Marlboro cigarettes (I no longer smoke), $5 for a gallon of milk isn't unheard of. Where I live now a gallon of milk is $2.99. It obviously depends where you shop, if you live on a campus they bend you over at the campus store or if you get groceries at a convenience mart its more. But $4.99 for a "regular" size box of name brand cereal is in the realm of possibility,and it doesn't even have to be blessed by the pope (though that might help justify the price). Glad I moved to Colorado its so much cheaper for food out here!I absolutely CANNOT stand when people say that buying healthier "clean" foods is cheaper (or cost the same) than buying reg grocery foods, because this isn't true for everybody. When you're 21, living near a pretty expensive NYC area, and don't have a car, you're reduced to buying things like $5 gallon of milk, $7 carton of eggs, a really small box of cereal for $5.75, olive oil for $10 etc, etc. By the time I get the basic necessities, my bill is already $250-$300 for ONE week's worth of food.
What I started doing is picking 2-3 staple veggies and fruits that I like and seeing if they're on sale in bulk or I buy them frozen. Then I pick the cheapest chicken breasts (the cheapest I can find near me is about $3 and are usually super thin but I deal), a packet of turkey burgers, and/or a fish. Then I add, wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta, and/or cereal (which last me like 2-3 wks so I don't buy them every week). I find recipes online that contain whatever I bought and I improvise. I also buy milk, cheese, and a big tube of Greek yogurt (these usually last me about 2 wks as well) The bill comes up to about $100-$150 depending per week. Stock up on canned foods as well just in case. If I run out of food AND money, then I just get creative with whatever is left in my fridge.
Most of my dinner meals are vegetables with some kind of lean meat and sometimes with a little bit of starch (brown rice or pasta). Lunch I usually have a turkey burger or a sandwich or salad. Breakfast is usually cereal, eggs, or oatmeal. Snacks are usually greek yogurt with fruit and/or nuts.
Also, lentils for 89 cents?? Where the hell do you people live? Cause I'm moving!
I'm sorry but I'm not even sure where you are getting those numbers from 250-300 dollars a week in food for just yourself? $7 for 1 carton of eggs, you drink 1 gallon of milk a week? A "small" box of cereal for almost 6 bucks? Really? Are you buying some special pope blessed olive oil? And every week? I know you wanted to get your point across that it's expensive to live In NYC but to say that you are exaggerating is an under statement. Then you went ahead and said what you eat and nothing on that list would add up to what you said. You questioned the lentil price but how much are you paying? $22?
Even at $5.00/gallon for milk, a serving size is 1 cup. How much can 1 person be eating in one week. I will never be convinced that it costs more for healthy food. I have been doing this (MFP) for 3 years. I have been married for almost 40 years and grocery shopping and cooking for a very long time. I know for a fact that I am spending less on groceries and food now than I was 3 years ago. Eating correct portion sizes. Buying oatmeal, dry beans, lentils, rice, etc, fresh produce and meat. We are eating less food. Seldom going out for a meal. It can be done, and cheaper if you take the time and make it a priority. Shop, prep, cook on weekends, or days off, and package food for the coming week. Freeze or refrigerate. I have no problem with spoilage. It takes time, but aren't we worth it?
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It's not more expensive to eat healthier. It usually just takes more planning. Look to non meat sources of protein. Dried beans, lentils, split peas etc.... to help bulk up your diet. The upside of eatning this way is you can usually eat more 'volume' to help with satiety. And, if you have an Aldi nearby, check it out! It's where I do my primary shopping.
Congrats on the weight loss, you look great!0 -
Also, lentils for 89 cents?? Where the hell do you people live? Cause I'm moving!
Mail order a 50 pound bag of rice and some beans. HELLA cheaper than $300 a week, simple, convenient - you don't even leave the house (it's delivered) and lasts *months*, not a week, right?
Be smart, mmm-kay?
(BTW - I just saved you thousands of $$$ a year. You're welcome. )
I'm not big on rice, but I have at least 8 or 10 meals a week based on the Black Beans.
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SergeantSausage wrote: »0
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I very much like black beans done up hot like in a soup or chili.0
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I think Canadian food prices are higher because of greater transportation costs and the distance to (some) fresh produce. $5 for 4L of milk is not uncommon. I've seen boxed cereals for $6. I buy oatmeal. Not in the little packets, either.
I agree our grocery bill came down chiefly because we are eating reasonable portions. There's fewer snack foods in the house, and home cooking is way cheaper than eating out.
Since a meal for four may be extended to dinner for two and a couple lunches, some meals come out to $1 a plate. I bought one onion for a dollar, but it made four dinners.
Another trick I learned is not to skimp on the cheese. I bought a hard, aged cheese in the parmesan family from the deli counter, and grate it using my finest grater. I use a fraction of the cheese with just as much taste.0 -
Yes I know the price of the milk is common. But to go and list all those other things at those price then to say you buy all of those things every week is exaggerated. That whole small box of cereal is not true. I live in NYC and know very well that stuff is expensive, but not to the numbers she states.
I'm not saying they may not be exaggerating, but as another person who used to live in a big city, it is damn expensive. It was $11 for ONE PACK of Marlboro cigarettes (I no longer smoke), $5 for a gallon of milk isn't unheard of. Where I live now a gallon of milk is $2.99. It obviously depends where you shop, if you live on a campus they bend you over at the campus store or if you get groceries at a convenience mart its more. But $4.99 for a "regular" size box of name brand cereal is in the realm of possibility,and it doesn't even have to be blessed by the pope (though that might help justify the price). Glad I moved to Colorado its so much cheaper for food out here!I absolutely CANNOT stand when people say that buying healthier "clean" foods is cheaper (or cost the same) than buying reg grocery foods, because this isn't true for everybody. When you're 21, living near a pretty expensive NYC area, and don't have a car, you're reduced to buying things like $5 gallon of milk, $7 carton of eggs, a really small box of cereal for $5.75, olive oil for $10 etc, etc. By the time I get the basic necessities, my bill is already $250-$300 for ONE week's worth of food.
What I started doing is picking 2-3 staple veggies and fruits that I like and seeing if they're on sale in bulk or I buy them frozen. Then I pick the cheapest chicken breasts (the cheapest I can find near me is about $3 and are usually super thin but I deal), a packet of turkey burgers, and/or a fish. Then I add, wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta, and/or cereal (which last me like 2-3 wks so I don't buy them every week). I find recipes online that contain whatever I bought and I improvise. I also buy milk, cheese, and a big tube of Greek yogurt (these usually last me about 2 wks as well) The bill comes up to about $100-$150 depending per week. Stock up on canned foods as well just in case. If I run out of food AND money, then I just get creative with whatever is left in my fridge.
Most of my dinner meals are vegetables with some kind of lean meat and sometimes with a little bit of starch (brown rice or pasta). Lunch I usually have a turkey burger or a sandwich or salad. Breakfast is usually cereal, eggs, or oatmeal. Snacks are usually greek yogurt with fruit and/or nuts.
Also, lentils for 89 cents?? Where the hell do you people live? Cause I'm moving!
I'm sorry but I'm not even sure where you are getting those numbers from 250-300 dollars a week in food for just yourself? $7 for 1 carton of eggs, you drink 1 gallon of milk a week? A "small" box of cereal for almost 6 bucks? Really? Are you buying some special pope blessed olive oil? And every week? I know you wanted to get your point across that it's expensive to live In NYC but to say that you are exaggerating is an under statement. Then you went ahead and said what you eat and nothing on that list would add up to what you said. You questioned the lentil price but how much are you paying? $22?
I live in a town much smaller than NYC, but we have a University here and several places that cater to the student population downtown. There is a convenient store that sells things that most people would just get at the grocery store and they put a huge markup on them. That little pack of Ramen noodles that you can get for less than a quarter at the grocery is now a dollar or more. My guess is that she is going somewhere like that and then complaining about food prices. It always kills me when I see these kids paying $3-4 for half a gallon of milk knowing full well that the owner bought it from the store I work at for a dollar. They are paying through the nose for convenience.0 -
SergeantSausage wrote: »Also, lentils for 89 cents?? Where the hell do you people live? Cause I'm moving!
Mail order a 50 pound bag of rice and some beans. HELLA cheaper than $300 a week, simple, convenient - you don't even leave the house (it's delivered) and lasts *months*, not a week, right?
Be smart, mmm-kay?
(BTW - I just saved you thousands of $$$ a year. You're welcome. )
I'm not big on rice, but I have at least 8 or 10 meals a week based on the Black Beans.
Lol, that rice is $25 +$50 SHIPPING!0 -
One way to get some nice local produce at a good price is to join a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture I think?). This is where you pay a monthly or quarterly fee to a farm or farm group and then receive a weekly box of produce. The great thing is that you'll always be getting the tastiest fruits and veggies because you know they were just harvested, plus even though paying a lump sum up front can be tough, overall it's the best deal you can get.
http://www.localharvest.org/cape-canaveral-fl/csa0 -
My 'healthy on a budget' plan is mainly:
Use coupons and sales to stock up on frozen veggies
Buy whole grain brown rice in bulk
I use skinless chicken breast as my main lean protein source (I'll buy extra and freeze if it's under $2 a pound)
Beans and lentils and eggs are also cheap ways to get protein
I buy whatever fruit/veg is on sale and eat around that.
It's often a bit cheaper and sometimes WAY cheaper to do a little more prep work yourself (.99 for one pound of carrots vs 1.99 for 1 pound of 'baby' carrots, which are just regular ones cut to shape anyway.)
Make soup or stirfry with leftover or starting-to-wilt veggies to avoid waste. Likewise smoothies can use up almost-too-ripe fruits.
For that matter, using coupons on everything else you must buy like toothpaste and laundry soap, etc is a pretty good way to free up a little more $$ for food, if you aren't doing that already.
It does sound like you're doing really well though, and it can be hard to get the 'buy in bulk' train started when you have only a little money for what you need RIGHT NOW, but once you have your pantry well stocked the overall cost is more manageable.
Also I wanted to say congrats on your weight loss so far! I'm pretty impressed. 0 -
What I want to know is, if in NYC, prices are so exorbitant (and a few I can acknowledge are at least close, having lived in the 'burbs of NYC for years until 10 years ago...at least if you refuse to buy the bargain or sale brands), then what are they for what people would generally consider "non"-healthy foods? Are eggs, milk and olive oil out-of-the-ballpark expensive as compared to the rest of the nation, yet, say, Doritos and the like still very cheap (as compared to the rest of the nation)?
Anyone who lives in NYC, I'd be interested to hear more about this. What are the general prices for Doritos...Pop Tarts (yum)...soda...etc?0 -
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And for the record, in my 34 years living here in NYC I have never seem a dozen eggs priced at $7 other than going to whole foods and getting the most expensive choice of cage free eggs. If someone is doing that then they really should not be comparing their situation to someone that doesn't have the means to spend that much.
*slow clap*
Thank you. THANK YOU. This ^. All of this.0 -
I'm still dying to know how expensive a bag of lentils are where she shops.0
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Farmer's market is always a great idea, they are completely organic and pretty cheap!! You get a nice walking exercise outside too while shopping. Trader Joe's have great items for good prices and Costco's produces are better than Sam's if you're buying in bulk.
Portion control and switching to more vegetables and whole grain is key
Not every item at a Farmer's Market is organic actually.
Not all small farmers are organic farms.
Also, not every Farmer's Market is cheap.
I went to a farmer's market here in Maine and it was more expensive. All year long, the Hannafords (grocery store) bring in produce from local farms (local meaning somewhere in the state Maine, typically within an hour of the store) that was cheaper than the local farmer's market.
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There are no bad foods, except rotten food. Keep doing what you're doing.0
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You are doing great! I don't think you have to change what you are doing.
Here's how you slowly build a food budget.
Pick one grocery store that consistently has the lowest price.
Watch the sales and coupon deals.
Stock up on a staple item when it is on sale. Put the savings aside for the next big deal.
Pick cheaper forms of the same food. For instance I buy dried beans and chickpeas and prepare them myself. They last just as long.
Or buy canned tomatoes and prepare your own spaghetti sauce.
Buy vegetables in season and on sale, just what you can eat that week.
Or buy frozen vegetables to have on hand in a pinch.
With your savings fund stock up at big sales.
You may also check out food coops or community kitchens in your area.
This. Shop sales, eat seasonal fruits and vegetables on sale, stock up on staples and meats when they are on sale. And if you can possibly hobble together $55, a Costco membership will save you a lot of money in the long run. Gas, for one! Costco's organic frozen vegetables are constantly rated as higher quality for lower price than other places (often *much* lower price). Also because warehouse clubs often have nonperishable items in bulk, it will save you money on other household items - money you can then use for healthier food choices.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I'm still dying to know how expensive a bag of lentils are where she shops.
I highly doubt she will be coming back to defend her inflated prices. I'm pretty sure she knows it won't end well for her. [/
If this was was for me, I could care less on how much lentils are. I've never spoke about price on anything. Never gave out a price for anything where I live. but if YOU need to know how much they cost... 1 pound bag for $1.46, 36 eggs is $4.30, gallon milk is $4.00 head lettuce is 1.98, one green pepper is 1.09, cucumbers .80 a piece.... bag of onions is $4.00, strawberry's $2.98qt, a watermelon is $8.00 when we have corn on the cob it runs .50cents a ear. I eat frozen veggies all time .98 cents a bag.. as far as farmers markets THEY SUCK HERE always rotten or pithy. and tight budget I mean shopping for 4 with $100 bucks a week! who 2 are grown who work and need reg lunch food everyday. No one is going to stop eating what they want,they r not changing, I AM, I just have to do a little more planning for myself.
I realize the change I need to make. PROCESSED meat and foods and to eliminate bad fats. change from whole mile to 2%. small changes make big differences.
THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS0 -
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One thing that I found was helpful was shopping the outside rim of the store first, then get my frozen veggies. I found that if I know I have frozen food, I do not spend as much time in the middle isles. I live in a small town. So it is a choice of getting a bag of chips or a bag of fresh carrots, the price is about the same. Carrots win every time. Besides, if they really want their chips, they can buy it themselves. But I am mean like that. Lol.0
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Linnea1972 wrote: »
If this was was for me, I could care less on how much lentils are. I've never spoke about price on anything. Never gave out a price for anything where I live. but if YOU need to know how much they cost... 1 pound bag for $1.46, 36 eggs is $4.30, gallon milk is $4.00 head lettuce is 1.98, one green pepper is 1.09, cucumbers .80 a piece.... bag of onions is $4.00, strawberry's $2.98qt, a watermelon is $8.00 when we have corn on the cob it runs .50cents a ear. I eat frozen veggies all time .98 cents a bag.. as far as farmers markets THEY SUCK HERE always rotten or pithy. and tight budget I mean shopping for 4 with $100 bucks a week! who 2 are grown who work and need reg lunch food everyday. No one is going to stop eating what they want,they r not changing, I AM, I just have to do a little more planning for myself.
I realize the change I need to make. PROCESSED meat and foods and to eliminate bad fats. change from whole mile to 2%. small changes make big differences.
THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS
I understand that you are making the change for yourself and your partner as an adult can choose for themselves, but I assume the other 2 people in your house are children. I really recommend gradually bringing them in to your more healthy eating patterns. Helping them to develop a taste for food that is good for them and in proper proportions is a lifelong gift. It's great that you aren't waiting for them to change in order to change for yourself, but, as so many on MFP know, it's HARD to hit adulthood and have a lifelong expectation for calorie-dense, nutrient-poor food.
OK, real advice: prices in your area seem just a hair under mine. $100 per week for 4 people is a tough budget, but it can be done. And, if you are the food shopper/preparer? You get to set the stage. Making separate meals for you is going to be more costly, not less. Here are some $$ tips, many of which were mentioned before, some not:
Non-meat proteins. Seriously, make meat-based dishes for dinner only a couple of times a week. Make most of your evening meals based around eggs, tofu, and beans/lentils. One of my family's favorite dinners is something I make in a big roasting pan/9x13 dish. Mix some cooked rice, quinoa, wheat, or other grain with one package of frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed out) and some minced garlic or even garlic powder) spread in pan and form little "cups" in the mixture. Break an egg into each "cup," bake until whites are opaque and set, yolks still runny. DINNER. CHEAP.
Big batch cooking. Make a MASSIVE pot of chili, portion out and freeze. You'll save money buying the big portions.
Don't be afraid to buy the day old produce and baked goods at the grocery. You can often get really good deals.
Store brand is almost always as good as brand name.
Don't buy beverages except for milk. Soda, juice, bottled water? Luxury goods. at $100 per week for 4 people? you can't afford them. Even with health goals aside, if money is tight, those things GO.
In my area, the cheapest fruits are the pre-bagged apples, oranges, and grapefruit. Watermelon and strawberries are almost always expensive. When I was pinching pennies I almost never bought fresh berries. If they are something you like with other cheap foods like plain yogurt or oatmeal? Try the frozen ones. They can be quite good. (I actually prefer the frozen ones in yogurt!)
For veggies, keep looking and experiment a bit with cheaper varieties that some people might pass over. Don't feel like you have to prepare them the way you "should," either. My kids think frozen peas taste best right out of the bag, still icy! Why bother cooking them and putting butter on if that's what they like!? Maybe your family will find some things like that, too.
Check in to CSA and farmers market options. Yes, they are expensive if you are paying. But, lots of local farms will welcome a few hours of help in exchange for a nice basket of fresh food. Bonus if it's field work? EXERCISE.
If you have a crock pot? It will be so much easier to prepare inexpensive foods like tough cuts of meat (pot roast, yum) or dried beans. People in the US have a false sense of fear over dried beans....just soak them overnight, drain, put in the crockpot all day with fresh water. They should be ready to the done-ness of canned beans when you get home from work. Filling and nutritious protein, and, despite the silly quibbles above aside, they really do almost never cost you more than $1.50 per pound...and cooked, a pound of dried beans is A LOT of food.
If you live in an urban area, you may have fewer options for helping out on farms, but you do likely have a BIG benefit -- "Ethnic" markets! What are your most populous immigrant communities? Find out where their markets are and GO! East Asian, South Asian, and Central American/Mexican markets have FANTASTIC foods at great prices....beans and rice are almost always at rock bottom prices, and the quality, variety, and price of the produce is SO MUCH BETTER than your average chain market. Depending on the cuisine, some meat and fish may also be higher quality and better priced, as well.
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Also, most dollar stores are not too bad. Pastas, sauces are good. Some dollar stores even have a frozen section.0
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....OOOOH, the look on my hubby's face when I picked up some Ramen noodles and tuna from the dollar store....0
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The closest organic farmer's market to me sells green peppers for $16/lb. LOL, that place cracks me up, but I still like to go browse and buy a few items that aren't too crazy.
I shop at Aldi, PriceRite, and Asian markets. I don't have a tight budget now, but 10 years ago I recall having $15/ 2 weeks to feed two adults and a child. Eggs, frozen vegetables, potatoes, oats, rice, beans, pasta - pretty much what everyone else said. We ate a lot of soup and I still eat soup for 1-2 meals per day. Meal plan everything, and DEFINITELY use your freezer.
Also, I'll cosign that www.budgetbytes.com has some really phenomenal recipes.0
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