At the grocery store...

tap water is GROSS!!! but a 24 pack of bottled water is still cheaper than a 12 pack of coke xD

tap water is GROSS!!! but a 24 pack of bottled water is still cheaper than a 12 pack of coke xD

Depends on which tap it comes from. I grew up on well water and never had a problem with it and it wasn't gross. However, my well water now has a strong iron flavor to it and the only time I drink it is when I make coffee. I'm pretty okay with most city water, too.

I really think it depends on what you are buying.

I spent 30 bucks the other day for my weeks worth of fruits, veggies, meat, bread, etc. The meat stuff has lasted me two weeks but I had to go buy more fruits and vegetables. I am definitely not over eating.

My normal weekly bill was probably 15 dollars. I used to not even come close to spending 100 bucks a month on groceries now it's fairly normal.

Pasta, mac and cheese, frozen dinners, cheap bread, chips... are all fairly cheap and can last awhile. Anything packaged and processed you can get for cheap. Shopping on a budget is MUCH MUCH easier when you are getting junk.

I believe the costing more is the fresh veggies and fruit. We try to shop at the Farmers Market as much as we can.

I don't understand the whole "eating healthy is more expensive than regular food" deal. Can somebody explain it to me? Because I just spent $6.03 on a 12-pack of Coke when I can get water from my tap for free. And ordering a pizza costs 10 dollars and could barely feed a family of four, when I can make us dinner for 6 dollars.
So yeah, can somebody explain this to me? Because maybe I'm just stupid...

I hope you're not suggesting that Coke and Pizza are 'eating healthy'.

it is more expensive to buy fresh..
we have a very tight, paycheck to paycheck budget. i made the choice to pay for weekly local organic produce delivery, its ~$34/week..
im lucky if it lasts that long, and im only feeding 4. two of them are kids..(4 and 5). i try not to spend more then $300 a month on groceries, simply because any more than that and i have to pick which utility bill doesnt get paid in full. sometimes its cheaper to get two little caesars pizzas for $10 and call it dinner than going to the store and trying to piece together a healthy filling meal for the same price.
we're all healthy (other than hubby and i being over weight) and have no issues with needing meds and all our bloodwork is good. we are healthy despite our eating habits. so its not like eating healthier will save us money because we wont have to take as many meds, or go to the dr as often.

I don't get the connection of how you associate being healthy to taking less meds. A diet high in nitrates and the crap that makes up the majority of store bought pizzas will kick your azz later in life. Not to mention, teach your children some very poor eating habits. Heart disease, diabetes etc can be developed and directly linked to diet and lifestyle...including eating pizza and drinking a lot of soda on a regular basis.

A diet that is THAT high in fat (and nitrates, sodium and all the other 'additives in store bought pizza) .. is not healthy. Neither is a lack of fresh vegetables and fruit. If you need to feed your family on a budget, why not try to make a hearty homemade soup (for instance) as an alternative to pizza? Vegetables and broth, with some chicken or beef for stock. Hearty, healthy and very inexpensive. A full pot could feed four for days! You can even freeze it and offer it on a weekly rotation. Same with homemade spaghetti sauce with homemade tomato salsa .. again, hearty, inexpensive and packed with nutrients, not to mention low in fat and sodium.

I remember the days when we were in the same boat. Can't say we didn't buy the occasional pizza ... but that would never be considered as regular 'meal' .. THAT was only a treat, on rare occasions. I learned to feed my family on a budget. It's amazing what you can come up with very little effort.

ANY food becomes expensive, if it's wasted. just because it may seem cheaper to buy the 10lb bag of apples, rather than the 5lb bag, your wasting money if you and your family are not going to realistically eat all of them. save the extra two dollars for something else on your list. also, buy vegetables and fruit staples that you can make multiple dishes with. a tomato that's past it's prime for a sandwich, can still make a great salsa if mixed with some canned black beans and canned corn. i also agree with stocking up on things like veg/chicken broths so you can revive vegetables that are about to get kicked to the curb.

also! it's been said that frozen vegetables and fruits can yield more nutrients due to their being picked later, since they're frozen during processing. so stock up! frozen fruits are amazing for smoothies, and can help kiddies kick the pre-packaged sugar addiction.

in my opinion, there's just something about most american families thinking that actually cooking or preparing food as being this laborous, thankless task that's going to take hours out of our day, and isnt going to go far enough in the long run. it's complete nonesense. i admit, the idea that i hafto go into the kitchen, get out the cutting board, cut up an apple, dirty up a knife and a plate and the cutting board, is just not as appealing as opening the cabinet and taking out a box of cookies. however, if you reserve about 30 minutes out of the week, on the day you shop...to come home and cut up your fruits for snacks and put them in little bags in the fridge, it's far easier to bend to your "grab n go" mentality for the rest of the week. (and if you dont buy those cookies and quick snacks in the first place, you wont have a choice but to eat the fruit!

I don't get the connection of how you associate being healthy to taking less meds. A diet high in nitrates and the crap that makes up the majority of store bought pizzas will kick your azz later in life. Not to mention, teach your children some very poor eating habits. Heart disease, diabetes etc can be developed and directly linked to diet and lifestyle...including eating pizza and drinking a lot of soda on a regular basis.

A diet that is THAT high in fat (and nitrates, sodium and all the other 'additives in store bought pizza) .. is not healthy. Neither is a lack of fresh vegetables and fruit. If you need to feed your family on a budget, why not try to make a hearty homemade soup (for instance) as an alternative to pizza? Vegetables and broth, with some chicken or beef for stock. Hearty, healthy and very inexpensive. A full pot could feed four for days! You can even freeze it and offer it on a weekly rotation. Same with homemade spaghetti sauce with homemade tomato salsa .. again, hearty, inexpensive and packed with nutrients, not to mention low in fat and sodium.

I remember the days when we were in the same boat. Can't say we didn't buy the occasional pizza ... but that would never be considered as regular 'meal' .. THAT was only a treat, on rare occasions. I learned to feed my family on a budget. It's amazing what you can come up with very little effort.

i know a lot of over weight people who have lost weight and no longer need to take certain meds (high blood pressure, insulin, etc) - i brought it up because of the comment about healthy eating vs medical costs. we dont have medical costs due to our lifestyle, so theres no savings there. i cant take the $20 id be spending on meds, and buy fresh vegetables.
my kids dont drink soda on a regular basis. its a treat once a week mayyybe. and i drink it even less.
soups are tricky in my house because my kids arent big fans of lentils or beans of any sort, so to make a soup with enough veggies to be filling without using beans or lentils would take just about all of my produce box for the week.
we normally do make home made salsa when we have the urge for tacos or chips and dip.. and i do prefer making home made spaghetti sauce using my grandmothers recipe. i do what i can with what i have. i love cooking fresh from scratch at home, but some times its fast food or pizza and im sick of people telling my im killing my children with such things. theyre both healthy and active and their dr tells me all the time to keep doing what im doing, because theyre the two of the healthiest kids he sees.
my point is, food is not the same price every where, and not all cities have farmers markets year round. i enjoy cooking healthy and get frustrated with how expensive it can be here in western washington. and i dont even buy all organic/free range/grass fed whatever.

I don't understand the whole "eating healthy is more expensive than regular food" deal. Can somebody explain it to me? Because I just spent $6.03 on a 12-pack of Coke when I can get water from my tap for free. And ordering a pizza costs 10 dollars and could barely feed a family of four, when I can make us dinner for 6 dollars.
So yeah, can somebody explain this to me? Because maybe I'm just stupid...

I hope you're not suggesting that Coke and Pizza are 'eating healthy'.

You should probably go back and read it again.

Kristinathenina made some great points.

Also compare something like fast food. You can order a burger for a dollar, or a salad for $7. A homemade healthy breakfast is significantly more expensive than a bowl of sugar cereal

I don't get the connection of how you associate being healthy to taking less meds. A diet high in nitrates and the crap that makes up the majority of store bought pizzas will kick your azz later in life. Not to mention, teach your children some very poor eating habits. Heart disease, diabetes etc can be developed and directly linked to diet and lifestyle...including eating pizza and drinking a lot of soda on a regular basis.

A diet that is THAT high in fat (and nitrates, sodium and all the other 'additives in store bought pizza) .. is not healthy. Neither is a lack of fresh vegetables and fruit. If you need to feed your family on a budget, why not try to make a hearty homemade soup (for instance) as an alternative to pizza? Vegetables and broth, with some chicken or beef for stock. Hearty, healthy and very inexpensive. A full pot could feed four for days! You can even freeze it and offer it on a weekly rotation. Same with homemade spaghetti sauce with homemade tomato salsa .. again, hearty, inexpensive and packed with nutrients, not to mention low in fat and sodium.

I remember the days when we were in the same boat. Can't say we didn't buy the occasional pizza ... but that would never be considered as regular 'meal' .. THAT was only a treat, on rare occasions. I learned to feed my family on a budget. It's amazing what you can come up with very little effort.

i know a lot of over weight people who have lost weight and no longer need to take certain meds (high blood pressure, insulin, etc) - i brought it up because of the comment about healthy eating vs medical costs. we dont have medical costs due to our lifestyle, so theres no savings there. i cant take the $20 id be spending on meds, and buy fresh vegetables.
my kids dont drink soda on a regular basis. its a treat once a week mayyybe. and i drink it even less.
soups are tricky in my house because my kids arent big fans of lentils or beans of any sort, so to make a soup with enough veggies to be filling without using beans or lentils would take just about all of my produce box for the week.
we normally do make home made salsa when we have the urge for tacos or chips and dip.. and i do prefer making home made spaghetti sauce using my grandmothers recipe. i do what i can with what i have. i love cooking fresh from scratch at home, but some times its fast food or pizza and im sick of people telling my im killing my children with such things. theyre both healthy and active and their dr tells me all the time to keep doing what im doing, because theyre the two of the healthiest kids he sees.
my point is, food is not the same price every where, and not all cities have farmers markets year round. i enjoy cooking healthy and get frustrated with how expensive it can be here in western washington. and i dont even buy all organic/free range/grass fed whatever.

I know, I feel your pain. It's a struggle, of course.

I see so many people claim that they have healthy eating habits, but find their diet primarily comprises of high fat or high salt intake because they order out so much. Granted, there are "healthier" choices even when choosing pizza. A vegitarian selection for instance is better than a high processed meat selection. "Healthier" choices is not the same as 'healthy'.

The cost of living is, very much, relative to where you live. Healthier choices can also involve the localtiy in which you live (IE: City vs rural). Many choices to ponder. All you can do .. is your best with what you've got to work with.