Food Shopping - How to eat HEALTHY for cheap

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CrystalX82
CrystalX82 Posts: 68 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Can anyone please give tips on how to decrease the cost of grocery bills? Everyone always says buying healthy food is not more expensive... yet it's RARELY on sale.. Chips, crackers, soda, ice cream... are on sale every week. I'm a full time student and only work part time so trying to eat healthy gets very tough. I'm trying to cut back on processed foods, but buying all fresh produce hardly lasts me a week. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

P.S. I don't have time to be a crazy coupon lady lol :wink:

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  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
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    Hit up your local farmers markets and see what they are charging- I also tend to go to the store more times a week when buying healthy since fresh stuff goes quicker (eaten and spoiling) Are you able to grow any in a garden or know someone with a garden I have pp all the time at work that are offereing things out of their gardens for cheap or free cause they have way too much
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    And that's my argument for what's wrong with shops in this obesity epidemic.

    My number one tip would be frozen, but compare the price of every option for price to weight before choosing. Sometimes fresh chicken can work put cheaper, usually the already diced kind.
  • CrystalX82
    CrystalX82 Posts: 68 Member
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    I WISH i had the space for a garden! I live in an upstairs apartment :frown: I cannot wait to get a house one day so i can have a beautiful garden! but by then I'll be a pharmacist and able to afford healthy foods lol

    Moving to Indiana I figured there would be local farmer's markets everywhere. Unfortunately there are very few around me. I need to do some more research though because that's a great option... and whenever I happened to drive by one i NEVER have cash on me! lol
  • _Mimi_
    _Mimi_ Posts: 233
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    Also keep in mind portion control. I figure I can afford to buy organic meat now, because I get 4 servings from a pound instead of 1! Same goes for lots of items.

    How long will those chips and ice cream that are on sale really last? How long will a bag of apples last? Bananas are reasonably priced.

    Try buying locally, in season. Or buy frozen vegetables.

    Buy dried beans. Grains.

    Check out the reduced produce section.

    And don't forget to calculate the cost of not taking care of yourself in increased medical issues.

    I've saved a lot of money because I almost never go to a restaurant any more. I figure I can get a minimum of 2 days of meals for what I used to spend on one dinner.
  • CajunNino
    CajunNino Posts: 269
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    I'm interested in a feasible answer myself. I'm sorry, but some of us cannot go to the grocery store 3 times a week.

    I've gotten great deals at the farmers market close by me, but they don't sell fish, chicken, etc. Greek yogurt, flax seed? Like the OP said,... rarely on sale.
  • mrmv
    mrmv Posts: 95
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    Frozen veggies at SAMs, Walmart, Costco also great option!!
  • babycook
    babycook Posts: 172 Member
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    I buy mostly fresh vegetables. They last me a week in the fridge. I buy them at the cheapest store in town. I buy meat when it's on sale and freeze it. I buy a lot of stuff at the bulk store. I also buy produce when its in season and cheap and freeze it myself. Some you have to flash cook but some you can just freeze. I buy some stuff at other stores besides my usual store because I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I plan my menus which cuts down on waste and repeated shopping trips.
  • thedove34
    thedove34 Posts: 28 Member
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    cheapest way to eat is making soups--lentil soup, chicken soup, vegetable soup. These soups can be put in the freezer for a later date... or eatten all week.. also. Then when your ready to eat the soup... you can boil a bit of pasta/couscous on the side to add to the soup. Also, I am a big fan of eggs and egg whites. They are also cheap and go a long way and are filling. There are a ton of ways to cook with egg/whites. My parents have a garden so I am lucky that I can get lots of fresh organic vegetables (tomatoes, zuchini, lettuce, beans) from their backyard for free. Usually they have too much growing and are always willing to give away food before it spoils. Maybe there is a neighbour/friends parents that grow food in a garden and are willing to share. You never know until you ask. Also, I never shop for food at the larger box grocery stores. I normally shop the smaller and less "prettier" grocery stores because the prices are always cheaper (20%-50%) cheaper. Another thing I do, is I will cook veggie lasagna's a lot. No noodles, simply veggies.. its a lot of work but worth it and really cheap (zucchini and eggplant). Cheap dish and delecious.
  • rsbrace
    rsbrace Posts: 30
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    Eggs, peanut butter, broccoli, and romaine seem to be my main staple. My husband and I dont make a lot of money so i've had to be very thrifty on food. Kale is usually cheap. And we dont buy alot of meat and cheese because it gets expensive. You learn to be very creative. My husband eats 2 pb&j every day for lunch, and I usually have eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch and figure out what to make for dinner. I also hit up the local food bank too to try to help with the grocery bill.
  • MorbidNTT
    MorbidNTT Posts: 43 Member
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    Grow your own veggies in 5 gallon Buckets in the back yard or whatever... It's easier than you might think.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    you should see if there is an Aldi near you. They have really good deals...Just be careful of the produce, make absolutely certain it is good.
  • Katie320
    Katie320 Posts: 61 Member
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    My husband and I have had the same problem (especially since he eats a lot!). I don't know where you currently shop, but going to Aldi's has seriously reduced our grocery bill. We buy greek yogurt, fresh chicken breasts, frozen ground turkey, sandwich thins, fiber bars, tuna, brown rice, frozen vegetables, and almost all of our fruits and veggies on a weekly basis there. The worst part is their selection of fresh fruits and veggies; very basic and limited and also can vary from week to week. Aside from that we've been happy with the quality of the food. Just keep in mind that they have almost no brand names and a lot of knock-offs.

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