Groceries

nickollette113 · July 2012

This seemed like the best place for this..I'm not sure :-/

We just went grocery shopping this morning after our workout, spent $73 with not a lot to show for it. Our budget for groceries is about $200-$250 for a two week period, that's to include food and snacks for the baby when I make something that's not age appropriate for him to eat (too chewy, hard etc), as well as foods and snacks for us. It's obvious that the unhealthy and processed foods are cheaper. So, my question is, what are some cheap and healthy foods that you can stretch to last? The whole produce section isn't that bad when you look at the per pound/piece price, but it can add up quick. I'm trying to get SO to get stuff he can bring to work so the grocery budget can go up instead of wasting money in the work cafeteria.

So, how do you guys stay healthy on a budget?

EmilySG2011 · July 2012

This is one of the hardest parts about dieting and one of the main reasons so many people are overweight. Healthy foods are very expensive. I get my protein shakes in bulk at Sams Club (the only way I can afford those). Check Aldi grocery store if you have one in the area they have a "Fit & Active" brand that is lower in fat, calores etc on a lot of products. Their produce and food prices in general are much lower than most larger grocery stores. I get some of my protein bars there too (however they don't always stock them). Also I haven't checked prices at local farmers markets--however, their quality of fresh fruits and vegetables may be better. Good Luck---this is a continual battle. Unhealthy food is expensive enough!

pink2lady · July 2012

Try shopping in bulk, if you can. Also check out the markdown / discounted produce at the store. I don't bother with bottle water, I just use water from the tap (saves money and it's better for the enviroment). Also you could always speak to the manager and ask if they will be marking down items. I feel your pain

jiggalude · July 2012

I thought it would be more expensive shopping healthier...turns out it's not if you put it in perspective. I don't buy "snack" food anymore...so in place of that $4 bag of chips I'll get $4 worth of zucchini and make some zucchini chips or lasagna with it which makes for great leftovers. I also buy bnls sknls chicken breast when it goes on sale(a lot of time BOGO) and make and freeze baked chicken nuggets. There are a lot of ways to save on cost, grab veggies and meats on sale and freeze them!

lmarshel · July 2012

My advice is to shop what is on sale for the week. We get grocery store sale bills in the mail every week, showing what's marked down that week. With vey few exceptions those are the things I buy. When cereal is on sale, I stock up! The last time our favorite cereal was on sale for $1.69 per box, I bought about 20 boxes. It will keep. You need to purchase fresh foods a little more judiciously, because you don't want to throw half of it away. I would plan a menu around the things that are on sale for that week, and then buy just what you're going to use for that meal.

You can also coupon in conjunction with the things that are on sale. I have found that the coupons offered online (Redplum, Shortcuts and CouponMom offer printable grocery coupons online.) will usually sync up with the items offered for sale in the grocery stores. It seems like double-dipping, almost. But I think the manufacturers plan it that way, because it occurs so often.

Best of luck to you.

thenry429 · July 2012

I find if you shop for produce at local farms or farmers market I get 4X the produce I would get at the grocery store for the same price and it's harvested at it's peak not early so it's nutritional value is much better than the produce in the supermarket.

There are several websites to help you find one near you. www.localharvest.org is a good place to start.

As far as protein, I buy in bulk at Costco and feeze.

bserwack · July 2012

I have started planning meals for the whole week at a time, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. This way, I have WAY less food that goes bad and don't buy things I don't need. Planning what I am going to eat for the whole week has helped me with grocery shopping as well as staying on track with my nutrition goals.

During the week, I try to make extra dinner so me and my boyfriend can pack it for lunch the following day.

We still spend quite a bit on groceries but I don't feel bad about it because food is your body's fuel and it deserves the best!!

mguevorkian · July 2012

I am not sure where you live but check for small local produce stores. It can be Indian or Asian market.
I can usually load up for whole week vegetables and some fruits for under $30. 3xmonth=$90
The rest mostly comes from Trader Joe's. 3xmonth= $300 Once every two month I will go to Costco to stack up on essentials like chicken, salmon, honey, olive oil etc. $200/a visit. Costco gets pricy if you go more often.
My total for a month is about $500 which should work with your budget.
If I shop for everything at Safeway that will blow my budget almost twice.
Try to avoid snacks. They are expensive and no good. Buy almonds (or any nuts at Trader Joe's) or berries instead.
For desert I have Fage 0% with a teaspoon of honey (TJ's or Costco).
Good luck!

nickollette113 · July 2012

Lots of good advice guys! Thanks!

We're living with family right now for the next couple months, so buying in bulk isn't really an option since there's such limited space to work with. Once we move into our new place, that will all change. Same with overcooking to have leftovers the next day. Unless it is something we know no one else in the house likes, there will be no leftovers--and there's not much they don't like. We've somehow adopted supplying groceries for the house, but that's an unrelated rant. And as for snacks, I don't mean chips and stuff, I mean small things I can prepare/clean/cut in advance, like fruit, tuna salad, salad, things like that-- to tide me over between meals.

I definitely need to get back into keeping up with coupons, it made some difference when I was on top of that. I like the idea about local stores, never thought of that and I know there's got to be some around since we're near a pretty popular city. I've always had this idea that the farmers market would be more expensive, so now we definitely gotta check that out.

For those who buy in bulk--is it worth it? We have a BJ's, Sam's club and Costco around the area. I know they have a monthly membership, but my friend has offered to take me in on hers. I know some things are worth it and others aren't much different than chain stores.

Groceries

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