Staying full on a limited budget?

Options
2»

Replies

  • KarlaH9801
    KarlaH9801 Posts: 362 Member
    Options
    I completely agree. No-name oatmeal, bread-store Saturday specials (mine does 5 loaves for $5(including whole wheat)), try hitting farmers market up just before closing, they may offer their produce for super cheap just to not take it home. Also, ask your local grocery store when they do meat or produce mark-downs, like my local
    Albertson's did their produce on Wednesdays, so if I got there early, I could get produce half off.
  • kerryokerry
    kerryokerry Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    From the AARP, Healthy Food on a Budget.

    http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2016/healthy-food-budget-photo.html?cmp=SNO-ICM-FB-AO&socialid=365093897#slide1
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    Options
    One thing you might want to check on is what nutrients you are getting right now. If you are are low in nutrients, you will feel as hungry as if you were low in calories, sometimes. Just look at the meals over the last couple weeks, and get on a site (nutritiondata.self.com is the one I'm on) where you can look up food and get all the nutrient information on it. See if you are consistently low on some nutrients, you know?

    If you are lucky, maybe you can just get a bottle of vitamins and that would take care of it. :-)
  • Kforest0714
    Kforest0714 Posts: 93 Member
    Options
    Dollar Tree has name brand Natures Own wheat and other name brand wheat bread for $1 a loaf. Not out of date either. I buy several and freeze them.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
    Options
    The least expensive produce, eggs, and fresh bread in my area is at the "farmers market" (it's not really, it's just what it's called) and ethnic markets. Large supermarket chains have a lot of overhead, and their prices reflect that. Buy what's in season (i.e., really cheap) and freeze some for later. If you're not familiar with what's in season where you live, I'm sure you can find info on the web. Adjust your menu as the seasons change.
  • arj5150
    arj5150 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I buy what's on sale, and plan around that. If I won't use it, but it is a steal (meat) I will grab it and freeze it. We cook just about everything from scratch and plan leftover usage...Right now I am going through my local markets' sale flyers...chicken legs .59/lb, beef roast 2.89/lb etc. You can cut those legs into thighs and drums (I have 3 kids), that beef can be ground, cut into steaks or roasted or braised (stew) giving you several meals, all that work with frozen/on sale/or going out of date veggies. I also just planted my veggie seeds for my tiny city garden, so they can get an inside start...
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    Options
    I suggest making as much from scratch as possible. Buying flour, yeast, etc. may be a bit of an up front investment, but should last you a number of weeks. Making your own bread should be cheaper than buying. Also, save those veggie scraps and make your own vegetable broth. You can save it in a bag in the freezer (I use a gallon size and just make it whenever my bag fills up) so it doesn't go bad.

    Dried beans are super budget friendly as well. Cook and freeze and then you have beans all the time! :) You can even control your sodium content more effectively if that bothers you.

    My budget is not as small as yours, but I definitely look for ways to cut some budget corners when I can.
  • LER67
    LER67 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    See if there's a www.bountifulbaskets.org in your area. You can get a large basket of produce for $15 that should easily last 1 - 2 weeks depending on what you pick-up e.g. an orange will last longer than spinach.

    Also, when I was a starving student I would watch the discount meat bin, swing by early in the morning, always found great deals on meat that was priced for quick sale. I bought a food vac-sealing machine and would buy all the discount meat I could, grill it up and then vac-seal it for future use. Check out Craigslist in your area for someone selling one, most end-up in the appliance graveyard. Bags can be expensive so look for sales, buy on Amazon or Costco; expensive but they pay for themselves in the long run, trust me.
  • jessakittyis
    jessakittyis Posts: 159 Member
    Options
    Also, if you are looking for recipes to make not just foods to buy check out www.Budgetbytes.com

    She breaks down the cost of every meal (in her area of course) and she also does a weekly roundup of what she spent on groceries and how she used what she bought.
  • kes840
    kes840 Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    I'm fond of a book, available online for free, called "Good and Cheap."
  • thedoc617
    thedoc617 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    There is a subreddit called "Eat Cheap and Healthy"
    https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    When I was broke, my staples tended to be:

    - dried beans in bulk
    - brown rice in bulk
    - potatoes
    - oats in bulk
    - whole grain sandwich bread (nothing fancy, but I preferred whole grain and have never liked cheap white bread)
    - peanut butter
    - cabbage...lots of cabbage
    - frozen vegetables when on sale
    - whatever the cheapest apples were
    - whatever meat/poultry was on sale...usually lots of chicken parts and whole chickens
    - eggs

    For you breakfast, I'd personally ditch the bread and opt for oats or something...more filling and more nutrition and dirt cheap.

Categories