eating healthy is expensive

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  • lil_kitty151
    lil_kitty151 Posts: 2
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    If there are 9 of you living on one paycheck at times you probably qualify for some type of government assistance. Not that it's the most exciting thing to think about, but that's one avenue to explore. There is assistance for utilities and housing too, not just food. So if you don't qualify for food the others stiff may be options. There is also medication assistance you might qualify for.

    As everyone else has said, farmer's markets, in season produce, and canned/frozen in natural juices or water with no sugar/salt added are the way to go.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Is it possible for you to really stock up when you have 2 paychecks so when you're down to one you have some stuff available to you?

    Do you have an Aldi near you? They are a lower cost food store that could really help you out with the basics (like fruits, veggies, and bread).

    You could also try a place like Sam's Club or Costco - you have to pay for the membership but you could really stock up on meat and stuff.

    I buy frozen fruits and veggies a lot because I don't want to spend money on stuff that MAY go bad in my fridge. So, I buy a big bag of them and then I'm set for awhile.

    Shop the sale ads. Look through the ads and see what is on sale. Places like Wal Mart will let you price match, so you don't have to run to a bunch of stores. Also, when shopping for meat - look for ones with an orange sticker. They are reduced for quick sale because their sell by date is either that day or the next. As long as you either a) take it home and cook it that day OR b) take it home and freeze it, it'll be fine!
  • laurad1406
    laurad1406 Posts: 341
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    Do you cut coupons? You should..even if you don't cut coupons for food (because it's usually processed crap) the money you save on other things like t.p, paper towel, shampoo, tooth brushes, tooth pastes can be saved and put towards food.. I always get those things for free when I cut coupons!!!

    this! I have been able to "up" my food budget by saving on toiletries and such...see if your grocery store has double or triple coupon events, wait for an item to go on sale and you can always get it for VERY cheap or even free. I haven't had to buy body wash, razors or lotion in months, and I think I maybe spent $5 total on my stash of it all.
  • sunanmoon75
    sunanmoon75 Posts: 29
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    Thank you for your tips and responses! I always forget about tofu although I love it, I'll definately pick some of that up next time I'm at the market. And as a matter of fact I do have a farmers market close by 2x a week usually I'm running off the el to get to daycare so I don't stop, but I think I'll look at it next time its there.

    As far as 7 kids, I have 4 step children who live with us 50/50, not that I feel I have to justify. I had my oldest at 15 and have worked very hard to raise him right and when I got married 4 years ago my oldest was 16 and I figured I had done ok by him and the step kids so why not have one more? I will admit #7 was a surprise! But the best surprise I ever had. So yes, we have 7 kids ages 1-20 and i will apologize to no one for that personally I'm having the time of my life.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Since our family has gone to eating healthier foods, we have almost doubled our grocery bill. Sad to think that it's cheaper to buy a bag of chips or pkg of cookies than it is to buy apples for the week....

    Really?? I could get 2 bags of apples where I live for the price of a bag of Cheetoes. Apples grow here though so may be cheaper.
  • Spongebaberoundpants
    Spongebaberoundpants Posts: 23
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    If you don't have room for a garden, you can always plant veggies in a flower pot and either hang them or set them outside. I did that when I moved from TX to ND (brrrr) and I couldn't grow much up there but snow lol
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Thank you for your tips and responses! I always forget about tofu although I love it, I'll definately pick some of that up next time I'm at the market. And as a matter of fact I do have a farmers market close by 2x a week usually I'm running off the el to get to daycare so I don't stop, but I think I'll look at it next time its there.

    As far as 7 kids, I have 4 step children who live with us 50/50, not that I feel I have to justify. I had my oldest at 15 and have worked very hard to raise him right and when I got married 4 years ago my oldest was 16 and I figured I had done ok by him and the step kids so why not have one more? I will admit #7 was a surprise! But the best surprise I ever had. So yes, we have 7 kids ages 1-20 and i will apologize to no one for that personally I'm having the time of my life.

    And you shouldn't have to apologize, defend nor explain yourself!


    :)
  • Leola2011
    Leola2011 Posts: 192
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    OP, (dry) beans and rice. Casseroles that make veggies stretch. Buying seasonally and locally. And the biggest change of all for my family was changing our notion of what the "main course" is. Many Eastern countries use meat for flavor rather than as the main dish. This makes nutritional and economic sense. Also, there are many things that you can make at home from scratch that are marked up in the grocery store just for convenience's sake. The biggest example? Bisquik! Make your own and store it for casseroles, pancakes, etc.
  • stahleyaz1
    stahleyaz1 Posts: 11
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    Of course fresh is always better, but the frozen veggies now come in the steam packs, which actually keep the nutrients in the veggie so they are a good alternative. I watch for big sales and then stock up on them so that I have them when we need to spend less. Also, we buy a lot of our lean meats in bulk, the break it down to meal sizes and use a Food Saver to preserve them in the freezer. I have to admit that I only have a family of 4, but I have found eating healthy to be less expensive because the junk is pretty pricy...
  • flausa
    flausa Posts: 534 Member
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    Check to see if your local supermarket has a "seconds" section. This is produce that is either not pretty enough to go on the regular shelf and gets sold off dirt cheap! I just picked up a kilo of cherry tomatoes for 25p and 1 kilo of purple sprouting broccoli (which is usually extortionate) for 29p. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality/taste of the items, and I don't mind eating an "ugly" peach if it costs me a quarter of the price! If you don't spot a seconds section, find someone who works in the produce department and ask what they do with the castoffs (they might be happy for you to help take them off your hands). Most shops here also mark down items on their sell by date. This is an excellent time to buy meats on the cheap and freeze them.
  • cherryObebe
    cherryObebe Posts: 189
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    Eating healthy is more expensive than not is a MYTH! Here is a fabulous article published this week that is backing this:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all?src=tp&smid=fb-share
  • Corruptkitten
    Corruptkitten Posts: 157 Member
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    Depending where you live sometimes co-op farms have deals on baskets of what's in season and as someone else mentioned the Farmers Market. I always go toward the end when they are pushing the veggies and fruit that they don't want to take back with them and see what deals I can work. Another FM that I go to has one lady that sells day old's that look a little sad, but once you soak (the leafy veggies) in water it perks them right back up. We have started growing lots of our own stuff to save money as well and have guava trees, tangerines, cherimoya, grapefruit, and lemons. You can always buy them from small seedlings to even bigger trees and grow your own as well (if you have the space).
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Since our family has gone to eating healthier foods, we have almost doubled our grocery bill. Sad to think that it's cheaper to buy a bag of chips or pkg of cookies than it is to buy apples for the week....

    It doesn't have to be more expensive to eat healthier.................

    Shop farmers markets and find local farmers for meat, eggs and raw dairy. If you eat legumes, lentils or nuts - buy in bulk from the dry bulk bins.

    Make your own bread, chicken or beef stock, etc..............

    I have cut our grocery bill down to a fraction of what it was before when my hubby and I were eating the typical S.A.D.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    I agree. Many people will argue this but my grocery bill has doubled since I started eating healthy. The price of fresh veggies is more than a can of them. The price of fesh meat is more than processed. The price of whole grains is more than processed and so on...

    And the quality and taste is much better. Not to mention the preservatives that are placed in cans that aren't healthy for you.
    I stopped going out as much and wasting as much money in a bar and buy better foods. I'd rather do that and be healthier and live better than not.
  • indycello
    indycello Posts: 147 Member
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    If you don't have room for a garden, you can always plant veggies in a flower pot and either hang them or set them outside. I did that when I moved from TX to ND (brrrr) and I couldn't grow much up there but snow lol

    Growing your own and learning how to can is very helpful!! Also pantry trading can be usefull. I did that while I was in college. I would have some plain yogurt I didn't want to use and my friend would have some canned green beans from her step mom and we would food trade. Or as I have seen before the "seconds" section. Aaaand buying in bulk can really save you money. If you haven't one already... I would suggest purchasing a deep freezer so that way you can "stock up" on items when they are on sale and then freeze them!

    also... this may be a little extreme but in my community it is very common for the older children to get part time jobs to help pay for extras.

    I know that in my husband's household when he was growing up mom and dad would supply the basics bread, fruit, veggies, lean protein and meat, flour, sugar, etc. but if he wanted something special like cookies or some ice cream it was up to him to come up with the extra 5 or 6 dollars to purchase that for himself or to share if he so desired. That is how his family was able to survive on one pay check.
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    buy fresh fruit and veggies that are in season, they are dirt cheap. It is out of town and out of season produce that costs a lot. On top of that you may want to look into getting dried beans and lentils (way cheaper then canned and way less sodium)

    I agree with this. I'm so guilty of saying that fruit and veggies are expensive when I'm buying watermelon in the dead of winter (well, not really such a thing as "dead of winter" in Houston but you get the point). Doesn't make much sense if you're on a budget.

    Also, be careful of how you buy them. If the veggies you buy are pre-packaged fresh veggies, they are much more expensive than something you'd find at a farmers market.
  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
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    Since our family has gone to eating healthier foods, we have almost doubled our grocery bill. Sad to think that it's cheaper to buy a bag of chips or pkg of cookies than it is to buy apples for the week....

    This is what I don't get. A bag of apples may cost more than a bag of chips, but when you consider volume, serving size and the many things that can be done with them, then they are more affordable. I mean a bag of chips is what 12 oz (12 1 oz servings) and a bag of apples 5 lbs (10-12 6oz servings). I think part of it is that the apples take more effort and anyone with 9 people in the house has to be very busy. But if you really sit down and compare, the healthy food is not always or necessarily more expensive. It is more time consuming though. It also takes a bit more planning because of spoilage potential. There were some great suggestions about sticking with frozen and in season vegies. I have not found frozen fruit to be less expensive than fresh though. The farmers market in our area is hit and miss, but can sometimes find great stuff. We also purchase a lot of stuff from the local asian market. Huge bags of rice for a great price. One of the best places in our area is Aldi. They only stock the staples, but the quality is good and the produce is cheaper than just about anywhere else. We also are able to plant a small garden in the summer. I'm not sure the vegies are any cheaper in the end than store bought, but they sure taste better.
  • WillbeWilma
    WillbeWilma Posts: 9 Member
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    I too find that eating healthier is more expensive, in my house we cater to a vegetarian diet, a nut allergy, a gluten free diet, a soy intolerance and a couple of teenage carnivores though so that could add to the costs somewhat!! Extra lean meats/ organic foods are so much more costly than their fatty/ genetically modified counterparts!
  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
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    Eating healthy is more expensive than not is a MYTH! Here is a fabulous article published this week that is backing this:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all?src=tp&smid=fb-share

    The article certainly made the point I was trying to make. Although a little more political than it needed to be.
  • Gwen7121
    Gwen7121 Posts: 126 Member
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    Frozen vegetables and fruit are often more nutritious than the fresh, as long as they aren't in syrup or sauce. They are usually flash frozen after being picked at the best point of ripeness whereas the vegetable in the produce bin was probably picked last week or so, before the peak of ripeness to ensure longer shelf life, and has been slowly aging, while losing nutrients ever since. The exception being tomatoes & pumpkin, which is actually better for you after being canned. And frozen is way cheaper than fresh, not to mention less chance of waste.

    There's tons of research on the fresh vs frozen/canned idea though. And I'm sure someone will say I'm completely wrong. :)

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