Need suggestions on cutting food costs

[anonymuse]

I cannot imagine having rheumatoid arthritis and very young children! I was diagnosed a few years ago with fibromyalgia and it is no fun.

They are adopted from birth--she tried and tried for years and even tried in vitro, but it didn't happen. They say being a mother is a fulltime job--I think it's more like 3 fulltime jobs! And she's got the cleanest neatest house you'll ever see--right out of Martha Stewart Living. LOL Luckily she gets SSD for her and the kids.

[mixxalot]

Tips on cooking to save money

I too am a single person and found the ways to save money:

Low carb helps because one can cook tons of chicken breasts and make salads for lunches and dinner.

Nuts and peanut butter for snacks and fruit.

I usually make a large batch of chili and take to work for lunch.

Bags of salad are cheap and go well with the chicken.

It takes me about 2 hours to cook enough for a month. I spend less time cooking than waiting in line at the food court for lunch.

[mike9302]

The George Forman grill is awesome! I like buying those bags of chicken breast at the store and cooking those and putting them on a bun for a great chicken sandwhich. Also like someone said above they are easy to clean and are good for cooking many other things.

[jane taylor]

Great ideas about the chicken, chili, and salads! I'm planning to stock my freezer with healthy meals for when my husband has his surgery and will be out for at least a month. I need something my kids can pop in the oven while I'm on my way home from work. I like to get together with my friends and cook.

[EmmaT]

This spring, I had four or five organic potatoes in a paper bag that had sprouted and were all shriveled. I cut them into pieces with at least one sprout on each and stuck them in the ground behind the house. A couple of months ago I dug about 30 pounds of potatoes out of the ground. I also got 50 walla walla onion sets that cost me next to nothing and those suckers grow huge. Now I have fried onions and potatoes that taste fantastic. I also grew beets the size of softballs, peas, parsley, shallots, tomatoes, eggplant, chives, celery, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, currants, and rhubarb, along with some basil, peppermint, and 9 artichoke plants. Most of it was from seeds, heirloom, so I can save them for next year. I've NEVER done this before, and I'm really proud every time I harvest something. It seems like a miracle to stick a seed in the ground and end up with wonderful food.
The latest book I read was T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study". I no longer consume any animal protein! I had cancer 4 years ago, but this year have not even spent my $100 deductible on my medical plan. So, if you want to know how to save money not just on groceries, but also on medical bills, lose weight, and live a long healthy life, eat a vegan diet, grow your own vegetables and fruits, drink water, exercise, and stay away from doctors and hospitals.
Cheers!

[AMISLANDER]

This Is It!!!

George foreman grill for meats. Microwave for vegetables. Very very little effort.

[I][B]
I have the little grill now, perfect for bf & myself, and you can put just about anything on it...

As for food & just one person......well, although it's 2 of us...here's what I do:

1. Pain in the ass but easy w/out children in home, I go to the store which happens to be right next door...lucky...and I get what I need for dinner fresh...

Why? I used to buy for 1-2 weeks, ended up freezing things & never using them (especially when it was just me). Plus, my meat/fish is always the as fresh as can be...there is a taste difference when your meat has been frozen.

2. I really stick to the fresh veggies for dinner but I don't mind buying the frozen just to keep in fridge...again...I like to steam my veggies, better for you & easy.

3. I go easy on the breads, cookies, etc...as they can be empty calories & my bf eats in his sleep...there will be nothing in the morning left...so why have an abundence of treats? lol....

4. I keep a few apples, oranges, & bananas so that when he grabs, it's good for him...

5. We try to do a fish, pasta, meat, & chicken meal a week, along with a pizza one night and he'll do a mish mosh depending on what's in the fridge...

I've lost 15 lbs since April, when I really started eating lighter (due to being broke) and better.

I cut out the soda, except for the weekend, but only one a day, and the 8oz. not 12 oz....cut out eating the whole bag of popcorn & cut 1/2...even if I have to hide it...I basically cut everything I ate in 1/2....

As a one, you could try the 1/2 thing...I used to get a sandwhich, 1/2 it and make it last 2 days...our portions are so screwed up, all you really need is half anyways....

It's always the prep time that sucks, but if you cut up your own carrots, celery, onions, tomatos, you'll save about $2 an item....the cut up foods cost more (at least down in FL)...

brown bagging it with leftovers can be more exciting if your dinner was good!

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

One Meal A Day

I noticed its cheaper for me to eat out than buy a poop load of groceries. I'm single too. But I eat one meal a day. If I eat breakfast it knocks out my appetite for lunch and dinner. I admit I do snack too throughout the day, especially at work (since I'm always there). Weekends I'm starving, I usually either choose lunch or dinner.
I find too, when I do have the time to cook, like tacos (not much cooking involved), I can usually eat the same thing for at least 2 weeks before I get sick of it. Than I find something else that I can usually eat for at least 2 weeks. So I don't need to have too much variety in my meals.
For a single person, depending on how much you need to eat, eating out for me is cheaper!

Catchmeifyoucan

[CAB_44]

This spring, I had four or five organic potatoes in a paper bag that had sprouted and were all shriveled. I cut them into pieces with at least one sprout on each and stuck them in the ground behind the house. A couple of months ago I dug about 30 pounds of potatoes out of the ground. I also got 50 walla walla onion sets that cost me next to nothing and those suckers grow huge. Now I have fried onions and potatoes that taste fantastic. I also grew beets the size of softballs, peas, parsley, shallots, tomatoes, eggplant, chives, celery, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, currants, and rhubarb, along with some basil, peppermint, and 9 artichoke plants. Most of it was from seeds, heirloom, so I can save them for next year. I've NEVER done this before, and I'm really proud every time I harvest something. It seems like a miracle to stick a seed in the ground and end up with wonderful food.
The latest book I read was T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study". I no longer consume any animal protein! I had cancer 4 years ago, but this year have not even spent my $100 deductible on my medical plan. So, if you want to know how to save money not just on groceries, but also on medical bills, lose weight, and live a long healthy life, eat a vegan diet, grow your own vegetables and fruits, drink water, exercise, and stay away from doctors and hospitals.
Cheers!

WOW Emma~ that is so COOL!!!!!! I think that I will definately have a garden next year....can you grow potatoes in a warmer climate (okla) in the winter...shows I know NOT MUCH in the garden department......
I love potatoes but they say you should not have more than twice a week....it is showing in studies that Diabetes 2 can be caused by too many potatoes a week......my Mom has just been diagnosed with Diabetes.....old age onset, but it could affect me as well...she is skinny, and I never dreamed she'd have diabetes...usually weight is a diabetic issue~and what brings diabetes on....
Great to hear you are SO healthy now from surviving cancer.....GREAT TO HEAR THAT!!!!

[monlyba]

if you have an Aldi nearby, shop there! they're so cheap, and the quality is no different than name brand stuff at regular stores. i ♥ Aldi! we spend so much less on groceries since i started shopping there.

[novemberrain]

yes the grocery game is the best . you can save a lot of money on every household things not just food!!!!

[Minnymouth]

Many, many things you can do to cut cost around the home.......

Vingegar and water cleans windows, glass top furniture, and lots of other things.

Bleach and water cleans commodes, counter tops, showers, shower curtains, etc........

Old dish towels make good "paper towels" and are washable..... especially with Bounty being $1.49-$1.79 a roll.

Liquid furniture polish goes a whole lot further than spray.....only takes a little on the rag.

Old plastic wallmart/grocery bags are cheaper and work just as well as trash bags in bedrooms, bathroom, and sometimes even in the kitchen if you take you trash out daily. Most people don't realize they spend $.13 for each trash bag they fill and throw out.

Old newspapers rolled up make excellent "fire starters" for fireplaces. Put a drop of scented oil (or perfume) on them and the scent goes throughout your whole home. Saves buyin firestarters and air freshner both....

Spraying your yard twice a summer with a flea control spray on waterhose, is cheaper and easier than spraying/bathing your dog weekly and using expensive chemicals on the animals backs. I have been doing this for about 15 years and I haven't seen a flea or tick around my house, yard, or dogs in over 10 years. And they stay out all day except at night. Even have other dogs next door, etc.

Lots of ways to save money, just have to be smart, and think of good ways...... and the cash does add up.....

[mixxalot]

Here is what I do. I shop for sales at local farmer market. I use my outdoor BBQ and indoor foreman grill. Low carb is cheap if I buy chicken breast and tuna when on sale. I drink a ton of water and tea- no soda and no booze. Costs me maybe $60-100/week to eat well compared to $10 for lunch and more for dinner.

[One Half Full]

I used to buy big family packs thinking I was saving money. All I was doing was collecting food, and when you collect it, you need to eat it. According to everything I've read, you only need like 1/4 pound of meat per day MAX. A serving is like the size of a deck of cards. So I went and really looked at serving size and started to buy based on that. The amount of meat you buy if it is only one person and you NEED meat (which is to say, you can eat vegetarian perfectly fine too) is about a pound and a half per week! Although this seems like "not enough" really, it opens up the gateway to better cuts and more variety. Veggies are more necessary in the diet. I actually try to focus on them more than meat simply because you can get enough protein from vegetables. Even then, a serving is only something like 1/2 cup and they say that you should have about 5 servings per day. That's 2-1/2 cup per day, that's 17.5 cups per week (more than the meat). An apple, a banana are actually 2 servings. Anyway, you can calculate the other "needs." So, just sticking to the proper serving size you suddenly shrink the food budget down and start to see why and where any overweight is coming from and where the hemorrhage is in the food budget. The human body actually needs a lot less food than you might think. Often just things with a lot of fiber really help get rid of hunger and lower your budget. (adding fiber does too, like throwing bran into white rice). Oh and snack on carrots and bananas they are cheap.

Oh, as far as what it costs per week, about 25-35$ for food. Maybe about 5$ for extra condiments, or drinks. it varies, one week I might need to buy coffee, another I might need a 25 pound sack of rice. I eat meat about 3 times a week, eggs twice, and vegetarian twice.