Eating out vs. buying groceries
NoFilter1977
Posts: 10 Member
Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
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A lot of the larger grocery store chains have salad bars. You could just grab one on the way home.12
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Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.
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How about just buying less fresh stuff/only buy what you know you will eat for sure.8
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
You can eat out anywhere that you can fit in your calories. Most chain restaurants have their nutrition information listed online. You might look at some of your favorites to see what might work for you.
On a personal note, I don't buy a ton of fresh veggies for the same reason. But I do cook with tons of frozen veggies. It might be worth considering what your cook-from-home options are other than just salads.8 -
Don't buy food that you know realistically you're not going to eat. Also, frozen veggies/fruit is a great alternative to fresh and it lasts quite a while. I've also started freezing my 'fancy' sprouted grains bread, because I just can't eat a whole loaf before it goes bad. So now I double bag it, throw the loaf in the freezer and then I just take out two slices a time (it defrosts in a few minutes on the counter).7
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Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.
To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.
edit: the $150/week is for all groceries.
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I like frozen fruit and veg. My husband will prep by putting frozen strawberries in a bowl and adding greek yogurt. He can use a bag of strawberries and a large container of greek yogurt and prep 4 bowls of yogurt at a time and by the time he eats them the strawberries have thawed and flavored the yogurt.
I have several bags of frozen veg in my freezer and I portion out onions/green peppers/spinach/cauliflower/broccoli...you get the idea. I love egg scrambles and stir frys for quick lunch/dinners. I use what I need and place the bags back in the freezer. No waste and quick meals that are cheaper than eating out. Plus, I know the calories going into my meals vs eating out and it being an estimate at best.2 -
Heather4448 wrote: »A lot of the larger grocery store chains have salad bars. You could just grab one on the way home.
I have gotten those package salads from Walmart before. I think they are $4 or so. I wish they were bigger, but it probably is a cheaper option than buying stuff to make salads. Plus they are portioned out. Thanks for the idea.. well, you said "salad bar" but you made me think of this. Only salad bar near me is crazy expensive. Making a salad there would be in the $15 range.1 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.
To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.
edit: the $150/week is for all groceries.
I didn't used to eat a lot of veggies (and no fruit whatsoever), and I had no problem losing the extra weight and also improving all my health markers in the process. Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). But, if I had tried eating all those veggies and fruit when I was first starting out I would have been overwhelmed, would have gotten frustrated with all the things I was not eating/throwing out, and most likely I would have quit. Start with where you're at and don't force yourself to eat anything you don't actually want to eat. You may find that over time you feel inclined to make changes, but there's no rush
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Enter all your meals and snacks for the entire week in MFP and and only buy what you need. I do a big shopping trip on Sunday and a small produce re-stock and weekend food trip on Friday. I prep breakfasts on Sunday, cook lunch/dinner once on Monday and again on Wednesday...so twice for the week. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I cook fresh dinners each night. Planning and shopping take me about 2 hours total (to complete both) for the week, food prep about 1 hour each time. This also greatly helped me food prep for the week, stick to my calorie goals, and not waste food.
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How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.5
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
Sounds like there's a few different issues here. First, maybe don't buy things you are unlikely to eat. Become acquainted with what keeps well & what doesn't. Apples & cabbage keep forever; avocados & bananas max out in a couple of days. Buy what's on sale, not things that are out of season or otherwise expensive. Sounds like you may not have a freezer, but for others, frozen is a great option. Try to plan ahead, not just buy what you think you *might* eat (that always ends up costing me money).7 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.
To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.
edit: the $150/week is for all groceries.
I didn't use to eat a lot of veggies (and no fruit whatsoever), and I had no problem losing the extra weight and also improving all my health markers in the process. Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). But, if I had tried eating all those veggies and fruit when I was first starting out I would have been overwhelmed, would have gotten frustrated with all the things I was not eating/throwing out, and most likely I would have quit. Start with where you're at and don't force yourself to eat anything you don't actually want to eat. You may find that over time you feel inclined to make changes, but there's no rush
You need to teach me this $100 grocery budget for a family of 5! I really love vegetables, but I'm hoping the thread takes a turn away from the vegetable discussion. I'm trying to research this, but need some ideas outside my train of thought. I need to save money and don't wanna live of the value menu at McDonalds.
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Not judging, just suggesting: Consider frozen veggies for eating at home. They are genuinely frozen immediately after harvesting, rather than spending days, weeks, even months in transit and storage before reaching your grocery story and home like "fresh" veggies. Also, if you're not a salad guy, don't buy fresh salad veggies. Consider root veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips, beets) and winter squash, which keep longer if stored properly than high-water-content "salad" veggies and other leafy greens. Same thing for fruit -- if you want highly perishable fruit, like berries, consider buying them frozen, and stick to long-storage-life fruits like apples and citrus for fresh (obviously not in large quantities given the small fridge).
Also, there are plenty of shelf-stable, inexpensive foods you can prepare at home that aren't veggies, at least in the sense you're defining veggies. Dried pasta; canned or jarred pasta sauce or canned tomatoes (technically fruit); nuts and nut butters; canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel); canned or dried beans and lentils (technically veggies); oatmeal, rice, and other grains; dried fruit; even canned soup if sodium is not an issue for you. If you don't overcook and let the leftovers go to waste, this should all be cheaper than most places you would eat out, even fast food, especially if you stick mostly to store brands and look for sales, and it should in most cases be easier to put together something that fits your calorie and macro goals at the end of the day.
As for places to eat out that are cheaper than cooking at home, it's hard to say, since I don't know prices where you are and how much of your food budget you're currently spending on food that rots before you eat it.
My first thought is any place that serves large amounts (for the price paid) of food that you don't mind eating cold or reheated. That is, plan to get two or more meals out of the food you get when you eat out.
Carry-out, hole-in-the-wall ethnic places usually have pretty cheap food. Stock up on pizza from places that give you really good deals when you buy in bulk (e.g., three medium pizzas for $15, which might provide anywhere from 6 to 12 meals, depending on your calorie goals). (Separate the leftovers into one, two, or three slices, depending on how large they're cut, and wrap in aluminum foil; stack in fridge or freezer inside freezer bag to take up less space than tossing whole pizza boxes in the fridge.)
Taco Bell is pretty cheap, and there are quite a few things on their menu that fit easily into my calorie and macro goals.
If you go for the daily $5 foot-long at Subway and save half for another meal, that's not too bad, but honestly, you would do better to buy bread (bread freezes well and if it's pre-sliced you can just pull out what you need and toast, or wait 15 minutes for it to thaw -- don't store it in the refrigerator) and deli meat and cheese (which also freeze well, but you'd do better to separate individual sandwich servings of meat or deli with wax paper before freezing, so you don't have to bring the whole amount out to thaw -- it will take longer to thaw than the bread, so pulling your serving from the freezer to the fridge the day before might be a good idea).6 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol).
Alright, @crazyycatlady1. I need that thread. Gimmie.4 -
Eggs. Love 'em, they're cheap, good with veggies, and if you're feeling gung ho you can use just the whites. My favorite breakfast is 4-5 oz frozen spinach, 6 egg whites, and 1/2 oz shredded cheese, doused with seasoned salt as it cooks and chipotle sauce just before digging in. YUM.
Find veggies you enjoy snacking on. For me it's celery. My husband prefers broccoli and carrots.0 -
How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
Sounds like there's a few different issues here. First, maybe don't buy things you are unlikely to eat. Become acquainted with what keeps well & what doesn't. Apples & cabbage keep forever; avocados & bananas max out in a couple of days. Buy what's on sale, not things that are out of season or otherwise expensive. Sounds like you may not have a freezer, but for others, frozen is a great option. Try to plan ahead, not just buy what you think you *might* eat (that always ends up costing me money).
Oh, I forgot cabbage! It does keep forever. You can extend avocado life by tossing them in the fridge when they get ripe, if you overbuy. Bananas can go in the freezer once they get more ripe than you like and used in smoothies or baked goods. I suspect they would work in pancakes from the freezer as well, but I've never tried them.
Hmmm, I didn't take "small fridge" to mean no freezer, but if that's the case, disregard all my freezer recommendations, OP 1 -
I go to the store probably 2-3 times a week because I only buy food for the next 2 or 3 days. And it's so much less expensive than eating out!!
I also am best friends with my butcher. I only buy (I'm single btw no kids) 1 or 2 pieces of meat at a time and never buy the frozen stuff since I just can't eat chicken 4 times a week and those packages have too many pieces for me. And I'll also buy veggies that don't go bad quickly like brussel sprouts and asaparagus/spinach, carrots. Works for me!0 -
Heather4448 wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol).
Alright, @crazyycatlady1. I need that thread. Gimmie. Prices really do vary based on location, but I've learned how to do things fairly cheap. There's been other threads about grocery shopping so I don't know if it would be repetitive to start a new one? 3 -
NoFilter1977 wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »Can't help with the eating out issue, but when you buy fresh fruits and veggies why not just buy less? My 2 yr old is the only one that really eats bananas in our house. He eats half a banana a day pretty much, so when I went to the grocery store I bought 2 bananas that will last a few days. Nothing goes to waste.
To be honest, sometimes I buy a lot and have all this stuff I'm preparing to eat for the week. I get bored pretty quick and don't end up eating it all. Sometimes a head of lettuce is too much. When I stick to my plan it works, but using all the veggies gets expensive even if there is no waste. I will end up spending sometimes upward of $150 a week for 2 people. Stuff just adds up. It doesn't help that we have different tastes and end up eating different items.
edit: the $150/week is for all groceries.
I didn't use to eat a lot of veggies (and no fruit whatsoever), and I had no problem losing the extra weight and also improving all my health markers in the process. Now that I've been doing this for a few years my eating habits have gradually changed and I now eat over 800g of veggies and fruit a day (and I fit that all in on a $100 a week grocery budget for a family of 5, but that's for another thread lol). But, if I had tried eating all those veggies and fruit when I was first starting out I would have been overwhelmed, would have gotten frustrated with all the things I was not eating/throwing out, and most likely I would have quit. Start with where you're at and don't force yourself to eat anything you don't actually want to eat. You may find that over time you feel inclined to make changes, but there's no rush
You need to teach me this $100 grocery budget for a family of 5! I really love vegetables, but I'm hoping the thread takes a turn away from the vegetable discussion. I'm trying to research this, but need some ideas outside my train of thought. I need to save money and don't wanna live of the value menu at McDonalds.
I'm sorry... it sounded like if the waste could be addressed, you wouldn't mind incorporating more vegetables. Wasn't implying you *have* to eat vegetables. Our family doesn't always have vegetables with a meal.2 -
Hmmm, I didn't take "small fridge" to mean no freezer, but if that's the case, disregard all my freezer recommendations, OP
I have a 9 cu.ft. It is in an RV. It has a small freezer. My girlfriend takes it almost completely up with her must haves.
I do have a little room in there for my ice and popsicles. lol. There is 1 bag of frozen onions and peppers dancing around in there tho.
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »Does anyone know of places you can eat out at that are cheaper than trying to afford all of this healthy food that goes to waste? I try to buy fresh veggies and such, but they end up going bad before I can finish them a lot of the time. I'm just not a salad everyday kinda guy. I have a small fridge, so eating out is a choice I perhaps have to consider. Don't judge me :P
Sounds like there's a few different issues here. First, maybe don't buy things you are unlikely to eat. Become acquainted with what keeps well & what doesn't. Apples & cabbage keep forever; avocados & bananas max out in a couple of days. Buy what's on sale, not things that are out of season or otherwise expensive. Sounds like you may not have a freezer, but for others, frozen is a great option. Try to plan ahead, not just buy what you think you *might* eat (that always ends up costing me money).
Oh, I forgot cabbage! It does keep forever. You can extend avocado life by tossing them in the fridge when they get ripe, if you overbuy. Bananas can go in the freezer once they get more ripe than you like and used in smoothies or baked goods. I suspect they would work in pancakes from the freezer as well, but I've never tried them.
Hmmm, I didn't take "small fridge" to mean no freezer, but if that's the case, disregard all my freezer recommendations, OP
Thanks! I don't know why it never occurred to me to stick an avocado in the fridge! Do freeze bananas for smoothies
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NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
$50 is almost my entire grocery budget for a week. I have to know what you're having for breakfast that costs so much. I hope it's delicious, at least :drinker:2 -
diannethegeek wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
$50 is almost my entire grocery budget for a week. I have to know what you're having for breakfast that costs so much. I hope it's delicious, at least :drinker:
Yep... a dozen eggs, a big tub of quick oats, and a little fruit to throw in it and we're good 5 -
gamerbabe14 wrote: »I go to the store probably 2-3 times a week because I only buy food for the next 2 or 3 days. And it's so much less expensive than eating out!!
I also am best friends with my butcher. I only buy (I'm single btw no kids) 1 or 2 pieces of meat at a time and never buy the frozen stuff since I just can't eat chicken 4 times a week and those packages have too many pieces for me. And I'll also buy veggies that don't go bad quickly like brussel sprouts and asaparagus/spinach, carrots. Works for me!
I hear ya! I went shopping for chicken. If I want to buy 2 breasts it cost $7. It cost $11 for about 6 breasts. I'm trying to wrestle with the idea of paying a lot for a little or a little for a lot..and have waste. We don't want chicken breasts 3 times in however few days chicken lasts in the fridge. I can't stand frozen chicken, so saving it is crossing the line I draw in my own sand. lol0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
$50 is almost my entire grocery budget for a week. I have to know what you're having for breakfast that costs so much. I hope it's delicious, at least :drinker:
I'm also trying to envision that as well! I think I spend around $10 a week on morning food for my family-my sprouted grain bread ($3), couple boxes of cereal and bananas for the kids ($5ish), and then canned cinnamon rolls and baking ingredients for the weekends. Plus things like milk and then a bit of butter or light cheese spread for my toast (which is $1.29 for six servings). My husband usually just grabs whatever he can find on the way out the door
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red robin , tasty , healthy , great kids menu , not horribly expensive . steam fresh has really good frozen stuff , for adults and kids . and large food chains have them on sale all the time. i know where your coming from i have a fam. of 6 .0
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diannethegeek wrote: »NoFilter1977 wrote: »How close do you live to a grocery store? I like to buy daily or plan my meals for 3 days and only buy what I needs for that. I've figured out how to eat at home for only about $50 a week from doing this. Just takes a little planning.
I live ~5 miles (8 km) from the store. I guess I could start asking for better ideas for eating at home? I spent $50 just for our breakfast items for the week.
$50 is almost my entire grocery budget for a week. I have to know what you're having for breakfast that costs so much. I hope it's delicious, at least :drinker:
We have different tastes.. My girlfriend and I. I can't eat the high carb stuff she eats, cause diabetic, so I'm eating eggs and sausage. She did make me get a large bag o' cheese which she can't live without.. that's about $10 by itself.
edit: I think it may be skewed some because my girlfriend seems to mostly eat breakfast items when she eats. I'm totaling my breakfast up at under $2 a day.0 -
If you want to eat out then look up nutritional information for restaurants. Choose things that fit your goals.
If you are concerned about cost you will spend less eating at home as long as you use what you buy.
Eating at home:
Plan meals. Use what you buy.
Buy things with a longer shelf life. Carrots, potatoes, cabbage, apples, celery, oranges, zucchini last longer than berries, bananas and iceburg lettuce. Use the most perishable foods first.
Buy frozen or canned vegetables and fruits- or freeze excess fresh vegetables and fruit before they go bad. http://lancaster.unl.edu/factsheets/108.htm
http://www.stilltasty.com
Make smoothies or fresh fruit sorbets to use up fruit. http://allrecipes.com/search/results/?wt=Sorbet&sort=re
Make a large pot of soup to use up vegetables. You can freeze most soups pretty well.
Minestrone, cabbage, vegetable, tomato, vegetable beef soup, potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, etc.
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/16369/soups-stews-and-chili/soup/?internalSource=hub nav&referringId=184&referringContentType=recipe hub&referringPosition=4&linkName=hub nav exposed&clickId=hub nav 4
Some good sites for recipes:
http://www.budgetbytes.com
http://www.skinnytaste.com
http://allrecipes.com
Some threads on budget eating:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10518784/healthy-food-choice-on-a-budget/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10500423/costing-a-lot-more-money-to-eat-healthier#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10490067/most-healthy-food-options-are-very-expensive-and-im-on-a-very-poor-budget-what-to-do#latest4
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