Losing Weight on a Budget?

musicaljessica
musicaljessica Posts: 105
edited November 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I have found that my average weekly shop comes to around £60 when I buy plenty of fruit and veg. When I don't and we just buy junk it comes to around £45. As a student I'm pretty skint.

So how can I have a healthy diet on a budget?
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Replies

  • fetchfury
    fetchfury Posts: 84 Member
    are you buying your fruit and veg from the supermarket? Because honestly, if you go to a real fruit and veg vendor/market it will cost you WAY less than the supermarket.
    I only shop from fresh fruit and veg and butchers, and my weekly shop has halved.
  • monkeypain1984
    monkeypain1984 Posts: 28 Member
    Pass, im still trying to work that one out. Me and my hubby oftern have to manage of just £10 a week for the both of us and the cats and dog.
  • lucyrose_
    lucyrose_ Posts: 55 Member
    Aldi! Aldi for fruit and veg is awesome and very cheap :)
  • Jessica_Sarah
    Jessica_Sarah Posts: 16
    I'm having the same problem. It's a nightmare.
  • loopybec2002
    loopybec2002 Posts: 313 Member
    I am not sure if you are from the UK or USA as you say pounds i assume UK .... Try Aldi I don't usually shop there but have found that the fruit and Veg is so low cost and so high quality that I now do my shopping for all other bits at Tesco and then go to Aldi for anything fruit and Veg.

    We managed to get enough for salads for the week for lunches - Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, Peppers Onions French Vinegarette(This was 25p)Then enough Vegatables for 2 stir frys and 2 Vegatable dishes (Curry and Soup) - Parsnip, carrots Califlour, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onions, Baby Sweetcorn all for 12 pounds at Aldi That also Included a pact of apples and pears
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Really? That seems a lot for just fruit and veg when meat is so much more expensive. Are these the bulk buy frozen food type Iceland deals?

    I get organic veg delivered to my home and I get a weeks worth for just £10!
  • alexbowser
    alexbowser Posts: 322
    I only buy fruits, vegetables, and fresh fish that are on sale and I buy a lot of fruit packed in juice in cans.
  • jeckyb
    jeckyb Posts: 60
    Aldi! Aldi for fruit and veg is awesome and very cheap :)

    have to agree! aldi all the way!!! look out for special offers too and buy them in bulk and freeze them until you need them, i make veg soup at the start of the week and thats what we eat for lunch, a big box of weetabix or special k would do you for breakfast for the week and get chicken fillets at the market and do chicken stirfry, curries, salads. if you plan your meals before you shop you can do it on a budget, good luck hun :) x
  • loopybec2002
    loopybec2002 Posts: 313 Member
    Aldi! Aldi for fruit and veg is awesome and very cheap :)

    Here here!
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Yes you just have to shop around more , if you have a freezer , make meals in advance.

    get seasonal fruit and veg from your local market.

    I know it can be done as my daughter lost 100lbs as a student on a budget..

    Good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
  • saracoulson
    saracoulson Posts: 11 Member
    Proper greengrocer and butcher and take trip to Aldi, they have the super six each month and they're only ever a few pence, sixty pounds is a lot for just yourself, I can feed all eight of us for sixty pound a week if I have to, I think you're probably just shopping in the wrong places, buy large packs and split them down, and only buy fresh stuff, processed food always ends up costing you more in money and calories, and check the reduced section in the supermarket x
  • bears_mamma
    bears_mamma Posts: 10
    Try popping down to local community centre, ours does a weekly bag of veg for 2.50. Only buy a couple of types of fruit if its just u so nothing goes off and change each week so you don't get bored.
    Fill up on porridge for breakfast, easy to make in microwave and cheap as chips, buy dried fruit from baking isle to jass it up.
    And always make your lunch at home, so much cheaper than shop brought.
    You could also grow some salad stuff on window sills.
  • kag1526
    kag1526 Posts: 210 Member
    I have this issue too but have just been ok with spending more on food.

    those that say Aldi's and local markets... I live in an area that doesn't have those. The nearest Aldis is an hour away in a direction I maybe go once a month. We only have a farmers market in the summer twice a week besides that the supermarket is your only option.
  • musicaljessica
    musicaljessica Posts: 105
    We don't have a market near us. And its not just for me. Its me, my partner, his daughter and a cat.
  • musicaljessica
    musicaljessica Posts: 105
    I have this issue too but have just been ok with spending more on food.

    those that say Aldi's and local markets... I live in an area that doesn't have those. The nearest Aldis is an hour away in a direction I maybe go once a month. We only have a farmers market in the summer twice a week besides that the supermarket is your only option.

    This is my problem. I shop at Asda so, despite some of their good deals, I still get a heart attack when we go to pay...
  • almondgirl00
    almondgirl00 Posts: 29
    Legumes. Curry the heck out of them. One pot of dhal gives me four filling servings, is quite low in calories and in AU$ costs me approximately $3. I noticed when I went veg for a while that my grocery bill fell by quite a lot. Grocery prices are loads higher here in Australia (darn supermarket monopoly), but I definitely could not do a junky shop for cheaper than I could do a fruit, veg, eggs, cheese, lentils shop.

    I like doing a simple minestrone soup with dried kidney beans. I make the stock myself from chicken legs (saving the meat to be used in a chicken salad later in the week with 1/4 mayo and 3/4 low fat yoghurt as dressing) and after skimming, add a tin of tomatoes, whatever veg takes my fancy, beans that I've soaked overnight and basil, oregano, pepper, that sort of thing. I don't much like pasta so I leave it out, but I'll cook up a pot of brown rice separately and have a small spoon in each bowl of soup. That way the rice/pasta doesn't go mushy. The rice and the soup give me about six meals depending on how hungry I am, and it's very economical depending on what sort of vegies you use. You can do a bacon and red lentil soup this way (watch the sodium) or make a beef and barley soup, substituting brown lentils for half the beef and/or barley. Really tasty.

    For your partner, if he's a fan of lovely basic mince meals (such wonderful comfort food), bulk out his bolognese, chilli con carne and savoury mince with red lentils. The trick is to get the ratio right and they basically just melt into the sauce. It also makes those meals more diet friendly. Lentils have a ton of fibre and iron and other really good vitamins and minerals in them.

    Ok, I just really love lentils (: but if you eat more beans and lentils, you can spend more money on fresh food. Just don't buy the cans. High in sodium, taste gross and a total waste of money.
  • lovemydrmartens
    lovemydrmartens Posts: 144 Member
    I buy fruit and veg to feed three for less than that... what else are you buying? be honest... ;-)
  • lovemydrmartens
    lovemydrmartens Posts: 144 Member
    ah... just saw you are buying for three...ok my best advice (what I do) go late in the day if you can and buy reduced for quick sale stuff, also buy big discount bags make several lots of a meal and freeze, things like carrots and onions can usually be got cheap in substantial amounts... buy seasonally... check what is cheap at the moment, we had a veg box for years so had to cook seasonally and I got used to it after a while xx make your meals from scratch, it really is cheaper... I've been living on a tight budget my whole life and you soon learn how to cook...
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
    Hi! Best of luck! I honestly believe it can be done (and I have also ate healthy and lost weight on a very very tight student budget). Ive managed with the following tips: Buy mostly frozen veggies and fruits. Although this means most of your veggies will be cooked for consumption, frozen produce is frozen at the source so (apparently) there are more nutrients than we find in fresh veggies that have been sitting on a shelf for days, frozen produce is on sale (as there are many different brands in that frozen foods isle)and can be purchased in bulk (and there is nothing as good as frozen berries, milk and 1 crushed generic cookies to make you feel like your treating yourself). Baking your own bread is REALLY cheap, and fun. Generic rice cakes and nut butters are your friend in a pinch. Buy dried lentils and beans from a non big-box store (the only difference is you have to soak them, but you leave out all that nasty sodium). Lastly (and I'm still working on this myself) finding a love for homemade soup is very helpful. Good luck!
  • morenita71
    morenita71 Posts: 137 Member
    definitely do able - plan your meals so you don't buy more than you need - sainsburys online work out a shopping list for you I think. I do online shop so I know how much I'm spending and can go through and check whether I need everything I've included. I do a shop for about £120 per month (meats to freeze a whole organic chicken to joint and make stock from dry pulses, tins etc som eveg for one week) and then I get an organic box delivered every fortnight from abel and cole (£16) as it's seasonal the veg is much cheaper. The key is planning - the stats say that on average we throw 25% of our food away which is shocking.

    Good luck - feel free to add me if you want to see the kinds of things I cook and eat.

    i'm a (mature) student too!
  • smileyface45
    smileyface45 Posts: 146 Member
    bump
  • musicaljessica
    musicaljessica Posts: 105
    Hi! Best of luck! I honestly believe it can be done (and I have also ate healthy and lost weight on a very very tight student budget). Ive managed with the following tips: Buy mostly frozen veggies and fruits. Although this means most of your veggies will be cooked for consumption, frozen produce is frozen at the source so (apparently) there are more nutrients than we find in fresh veggies that have been sitting on a shelf for days, frozen produce is on sale (as there are many different brands in that frozen foods isle)and can be purchased in bulk (and there is nothing as good as frozen berries, milk and 1 crushed generic cookies to make you feel like your treating yourself). Baking your own bread is REALLY cheap, and fun. Generic rice cakes and nut butters are your friend in a pinch. Buy dried lentils and beans from a non big-box store (the only difference is you have to soak them, but you leave out all that nasty sodium). Lastly (and I'm still working on this myself) finding a love for homemade soup is very helpful. Good luck!

    I had thought abuot buying frozen because tbh I throw alot out when it goes off - and with frozen it'll not go off.
    And I've never made my own bread! I love baking (although I'm not sure cakes are such a good plan right now).
    I love making my own soup. I use my Nana's recipe and make it in bulk and freeze in portions. But I only ever do that when veg is going off. And then I normally forget its in the freezer and make something else.

    Never tried using lentils. And I wouldn't know what to do with them or what to put them in!! Same with beans. Other than chilli what can I do with them? Cos I know that lentils and beans are a good source of protein - which I'm trying to up right now
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    I can spend £70 a week thats feeds 4 of us and the dog. i find the best way to shop on a budget is to make a meal plan for the week, writin down what you will be making for each meal. Most of us overspend anyway. If you do this you will then only be buying what you need thus not wasting money
  • musicaljessica
    musicaljessica Posts: 105
    I can spend £70 a week thats feeds 4 of us and the dog. i find the best way to shop on a budget is to make a meal plan for the week, writin down what you will be making for each meal. Most of us overspend anyway. If you do this you will then only be buying what you need thus not wasting money

    Thats a great idea. I never make meal plans, but I should really. It'd make things a million times easier. And I'm fed up of binning potatoes or carrots because I just bought far too many.
  • almondgirl00
    almondgirl00 Posts: 29
    I can spend £70 a week thats feeds 4 of us and the dog. i find the best way to shop on a budget is to make a meal plan for the week, writin down what you will be making for each meal. Most of us overspend anyway. If you do this you will then only be buying what you need thus not wasting money

    Thats a great idea. I never make meal plans, but I should really. It'd make things a million times easier. And I'm fed up of binning potatoes or carrots because I just bought far too many.

    Blanch and freeze them. When I chop up my vegetables I put the peelings (the good stuff; it's not a compost heap) into a little container in the freezer for stock making. If I have vegetables left over at the end of the week I either make a soup or I freeze. I hate waste.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Tinned beans are a great cheap source of protein - Sainsburys were doing a "5 tins for £2" deal recently so I stocked up on a variety of kidney beans, borlotti, cannelini etc. They are great in a stew - you can add in some strongly flavorued meat like chorizo and that makes it stretch further. Red kidney beans are familar in chilli con carne, and chickpeas added to a lamb tagine are lovely. And any beans make a tasty addition to vegetable soups.

    If you're throwing out veg - you're over-buying. There's nothing worse when you're on a budget. Plan ahead, only buy what you need, and factor in that there will be leftovers.

    Use seasonal veg - asparagus and baby sweetcorn that have had to be flown in from Kenya are going to be more expensive than a locally grown cauliflower.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Coupons, coupons, coupons!!!! Paired with sales equals great savings. I use www.thegrocerygame.com I couldn't afford to shop any other way!
  • magikmax
    magikmax Posts: 2
    Have to agree with the OP. Went to our local Lidls yesterday (similar to Aldi) in search of some cheap veg. While some prices were good, half the price of Tescos for example, I got a few sweet potatoes for a Tesco Diets recipe I'm following, and the nearly hit the floor when I realised that they were £5, which was more than I had paid for the chicken breasts!

    It's seems to be a fact, as far as supermarkets are concerned, that fresh fruit & veg, and other things that are good for us are dearer than the processed sludge that they freeze and put into ready meals. Also, if you're not used to putting a lot of natural ingredients together, you might not have jars of spices etc. that all mount up, whereas now you have bought them, they'll last a good while. It's definitely not cheap being on a diet...
  • Salukisazuki
    Salukisazuki Posts: 14
    I shop for my fruit and veg in Aldi & the veg shop near me. My weekly budget is 15 pounds and i dont always use all that(its just me and the dog) but as suggested by bothers i buy packs and split them and freeze them. things like bread because i wont eat a whole loaf in a week.

    I freeze loads. for fruit, i cook up some apples and berries and freeze those for then im really broke and need a fruit fix Obviously not as good a the fresh whole fruit but i figure its still a step in the right directon:)

    my tips are
    shop around
    write a list and stick too it
    set yourself a limit and only take that much cash, then you will only buy what you can afford.
    split and freeze what you can
    make meals from scratch- usually tastier and cheper :)

    good luck x
  • musicaljessica
    musicaljessica Posts: 105
    I shop for my fruit and veg in Aldi & the veg shop near me. My weekly budget is 15 pounds and i dont always use all that(its just me and the dog) but as suggested by bothers i buy packs and split them and freeze them. things like bread because i wont eat a whole loaf in a week.

    I freeze loads. for fruit, i cook up some apples and berries and freeze those for then im really broke and need a fruit fix Obviously not as good a the fresh whole fruit but i figure its still a step in the right directon:)

    my tips are
    shop around
    write a list and stick too it
    set yourself a limit and only take that much cash, then you will only buy what you can afford.
    split and freeze what you can
    make meals from scratch- usually tastier and cheper :)

    good luck x

    Those are great tips. I am going to definitely use the cash one! If I don't want to spend over £45 (thats the ideal amount) I can only spend up to £45 if thats all I have on me.
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