i cant...

fatima147
fatima147 Posts: 85
in Food and Nutrition
if u look at my diary, u will notice, i have few veggies. and thats not bcoz i dont like to eat them but its because i cant afford veggies everyday!! :(..... any suggestions for how to cope with is????


any alternatives to veggies?

Replies

  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    frozen vegetables, on sale or with a coupon, even better when on sale with a coupon.
  • Maude_Lewbowski
    Maude_Lewbowski Posts: 395 Member
    I can
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Most grocery stores have a 50% off bin you can look through. Just pick out what you will eat within the next two days and you get an awesome discount on it.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    Buy frozen and what's in season. What veggies are you having a problem buying?
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
    YES buy frozen!!! AT WalMart, their Great Value brand is only around $1.00 for a bag. That's pretty cheap and if it's only you and noone else, save the leftover and eat them later, you can get 2 meals out of one bag.
  • Lkoblara
    Lkoblara Posts: 137 Member
    not sure what it's like where you live, but you could try growing your own. Gardening is also great exercise so it would be a win/win :)

    If that's not possible maybe you could try local farmers' markets? They usually have one or two crops that are over plentiful and get priced very low. You may also be able to talk to some of the local farmers and see if there is something you can barter. Offer to pull weeds for them in exchange for veggies?
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    Any farm stands or farmers markets nearby? I used to get fresh bell peppers 4/$1 at mine in the city. Also check for grocery specials. We get 2-3 serving packs of brand name veggies 10/$10 usually
  • MSepp
    MSepp Posts: 228
    Buy frozen (avoid canned if possible-too much sodium and they taste awful) vegetables-they're actually fresher than raw because they're flash frozen on the field when they are harvested.

    Buy in season. It's much cheaper.

    Buy from farm stands. Usually only seasonal vegetables at a fair price.

    Find a cheap grocery store (we go to "bottom Dollar") VERY Fresh produce and extremely affordable.
  • sofia0586
    sofia0586 Posts: 71 Member
    vegetables are my cheapest buy when i go grocery shopping, so I don't really understand.

    If you can buy meat, you can buy veggies.

    They're also less expensive than a bag of chips, processed frozen meals or pretty much anything else ready made.
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    Also look at your budget for eating out and fast food. I always said I couldn't afford to eat healthier, but I can afford it a lot better without dunkin donuts 3x a week
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
    What are you buying that is cheaper than veggies? I find that the more proccessed foods I buy (chicken stock, cereal, granola bars, etc.) the more expensive my bill is.

    I buy a lot of my veggies at a local farmer's market and it helps me budget b/c I can take cash and I know I only have a certain amount to spend.

    Other than that, buy frozen...I often find coupons for Green Giant (don't buy anything sauced) and I can get them for anywhere from .30-1.00 a box.
  • Schmetterling14
    Schmetterling14 Posts: 35 Member
    You might try ethnic markets. The veggies don't look quite as "perfect" as the ones in major grocery stores; however, they are cheaper, in season, and usually taste better.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Yeah gonna need a little more input as to why you think veggies aren't affordable... I will buy fresh first and right now is a Great Time!! to buy fresh, the farmers markets are in full bloom and you can get great deals!! after that I normally go frozen and then canned but can always find great deals 2 for 1's, 50% off coupons, etc... 3 for $5 on bags of Romaine lettuce for salads last us a week... etc etc.... Best of Luck!!!
  • Brenda_Pancakes
    Brenda_Pancakes Posts: 288 Member
    Similar response as 'oh_em_gee'... We've got a little local farmers fruit/vege place here that I literally bought:

    - a 10 lb bag of potatos
    - 1 HUGE Italian Squash (at least 2 or 3 servings)
    - a bag of carrots
    - 2 large mangos
    - 3 or 4 Fuji apples
    - a bag of yellow onions
    - 2 large green bell peppers
    - 1 extra large grapefruit
    - 2 1/2 lbs of red grapes

    all for a grand total of $7.30.

    It's mostly local produce... the air conditioning is almost non-existant... they don't sell meat, or cheese, or anything like that... just fruits and vege's. But if you find one close enough, it's worth a drive once a week to stock up on fresh stuff. Ours is called "Sun Country Farms"; but it's not a chain - so the names of those places are going to vary... But from what I've seen many cities seem to have at least one of these types of places.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
    Yes definitely frozen is the way to go. Do you eat any processed foods? those are a budget killer. I have $40 a week for groceries and I spend $10 of it on fruits and vegetables. That is plenty for me. I don't live where there are discount stores. and in Canada we get very few coupons. and any we do get are only for about 50 cents. I eat almost no processed, pre-cut or pre-made foods. I always compare price per pound. Things like baby carrots, cost way more per pound than bunch carrots. Things like that save, $$$$ I never buy more fresh food than I can eat in 2 days. That way I never throw anything out. That costs $$$ too. Good luck hope this helps.
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
    Also, Asian markets can be a great place for produce...stuff like bell peppers, onions, lettuces and herbs are much cheaper than a grocery store.
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 856 Member
    OP is 18.

    Are you living with your parents still? I know that can make it hard, if they are the ones primarily doing the shopping. Good luck, lots of great suggestions are posted. You can do this!
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    OP is 18.

    Are you living with your parents still? I know that can make it hard, if they are the ones primarily doing the shopping. Good luck, lots of great suggestions are posted. You can do this!

    I'm in that boat too. I'm a part time student, part time worker, so Ido t have too much for extras. I have started tracking my spending, and that has shown me that I have enough, I just waste too much.

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