leeannpal Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I know it can be done, but how? Because of some emergency car issues, I need to stick to a grocery budget of $125.00 a week for 3 people. That should include basic items like paper towels, laundry soap and trash bags but not toiletries. Although there are only three of us, I have a teenager that must be going through a growth spurt because she is hungry ALL THE TIME! At 5'1" and 112 pounds, she isn't really overweight, she just likes to eat :) My husband, bless him, is a big guy. He definitely has a big appetite too. They are both snackers as well. My husband has Type II Diabetes, and really needs to eat snacks during the day. Please give me your best pointers on feeding my family nutritious meals and snacks on a budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Soups and stews based around beans and pulses are cheap. They can be used for snacks as well: a bowl of soup would be a good slow-release protein and carbohydrate snack, if that fits your husband's needs. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I cut up a bunch of old t-shirts to use in place of paper towels most of the time. My other idea is to plan it all out. Plan out meals and snacks. At least then you can see where it is a struggle to stock to the plan. If your downfall is the late afternoon snack you can add more of those into your plan, or more filling one's, or soldier one's, or just allocate grocery money for 2 for 1 bags of chips, or whatever works for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 menu planning! soup and stew - make your own stock rice and beans frozen veggies eggs! cheap cuts of meat, cooked slowly. use that crock pot! cook from scratch make bread cut out processed foods shop at places like Aldi or international markets where prices are lower. Walmart if you don't have those. skip the paper products - use real towels and napkins Protein and fat are more expensive, but they also keep you full much longer. Try cheese, nuts, avocado, tea with coconut oil in it etc. for snacks. Carby snacks will not help your Dh's diabetes anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Lots of veggie based meals, with and without beans. Eggs are inexpensive and a good bang for the buck. We get portobello mushrooms at BJ's, which aren't as expensive as meat. If you usually buy deli meat, instead buy whole poultry and meat roasts and make your own. Oatmeal is an inexpensive breakfast. Boxed cereals are not nutritious and crazy expensive. Also, if your grocery store has a clearance section for less than perfect fruits and veggies (and sometimes breads) you can often find good stuff in there. Avocadoes are filling and nutritious. Again, if you belong to a club store they are reasonably priced. Pasta is cheap but not nutritious, but when times are tough we will do it weekly. I usually roast a bunch of veggies and use that to top the pasta. Canned tuna is also an inexpensive protein. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 What do you consider healthy eating? There are a lot of different healthy eating frameworks right now so I want to give advice that fits what you are looking for. Can you add extra inexpensive carbs just for your teen? Potatoes are cheap and filling this time of year. I have a bunch of hungry teens and they need a lot to fill them up. Adding fat and protein helps fill them but my kids really need carbs too. Potatoes work and I feel that they are healthy. Baked potatoes are a good snack for a teenager and you can cut out the extra toppings to fit your budget. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I try to keep shredded chicken, brown rice, cooked and peeled sweet potatoes, salsa, hard boiled eggs, and chunk cheese (the grocery store always has a brand or two on sale) in the fridge. Everyone puts together their own unique, sometimes scary, combinations for lunch or snacks. Hummus and vegetables, too. When I found out how cheap and easy it was to make hummus, we got hooked. I quit making my own whole grain bread for time and convenience reasons, but it was a lot cheaper than the packaged brand we prefer. Packaged or homemade, it goes a lot farther and is a lot more filling than white or "wheat" breads. A dollop of unsweetened peanut butter goes pretty far, too. The kids don't even always request jam to balance it anymore. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Do you have a bountiful baskets location in your area? If they're near, they're often worth it. Buy in bulk. My family eats a lot of pasta - I pay less than $1/lb for noodles at a big box store, cheaper than anywhere else around here. Same with the occasional premade made and cheese. A box of 5 packs is cheaper than 5 individual boxes. Meat is cheaper in big plates. We spend a day prepping and freezing each week. Stretch. Plan meals to have 3 sides rather than 2. It sounds counter productive, but when you offer 3 cheap sides (rice or pasta, a veggie, and a fruit or bread), you need less of the more expensive protein. Eat fat. Fat is sating. Lean is not. Make sure meals include some sort of good fat to keep the belly feeling fuller longer. Plan around loss leaders. The front page adverts and bountiful baskets are how I plan our meals. If it's in season, it's on sale. We have a discount bakery where I pick up same day (or week) needed breads that I'm not going to make at home (rye, rolls, etc) Cut the extras. Paper towels are extras. They are nice, they are handy, but spend the same amount at the dollar store for cloth wipes and napkins. Keep one roll around for just in case, but you can cut them out almost entirely. We last bought a roll a year and a half ago and just now are coming to the last of it. Freeze. Bananas getting ready to turn? Cut into slices and freeze. A little extra celery? Prep it and freeze it. You don't have to buy when you want smoothies or are making stew. It's already paid for and there. Limit high priced items. At one point milk cost us nearly $10 a gallon. Much as I like to give it to my kids, it was cheaper to find other sources of calcium and vitamin D and enforce a water/tea only rule for beverages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 What do you consider healthy eating? There are a lot of different healthy eating frameworks right now so I want to give advice that fits what you are looking for. Although we don't have somebody here who needs snacks, we have a family of four (including one 12 year old) and we function on about $130 - 150 a week, so it's definitely doable for three people. When I have to do emergency budgeting, I plan for more meals around beans and eggs, and a lot fewer meals involving meat. I strongly suggest you follow the advice upthread and ditch paper towels. That's just throwing your money away. Likewise, you should probably take a serious look at how much laundry detergent you're using. Most people use more than the recommended amount, and it doesn't help - in fact, if the last paragraph is correct, you could probably use much less than the recommended amount, or even none, for most loads. Don't skimp on trash bags, though. That just leads to you picking up garbage while your neighbors come home from a party. "Hi! How are you?" Picking up garbage with my hands, thanks for asking. What other non-food items do you buy at least once every month and a half or so? Maybe we can sort out most of those right here, right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Can you post a typical day of eating, including snacks? That would really help because we all have different ideas but starting with what you already like to eat and what kinds of snacks your family eats will make it easier. Are you sure your dd is really hungry or is she snacking out of habit? She really might be hungry, and if she is, the kind of snack she eats can make a big difference. Snacking can easily make a grocery budget spiral so if they like/need to snack, making the most of it can help. When we want to cut back on budget, we usually try to cut back on variety. So for instance we'll have the same thing for breakfast most days or perhaps have two choices for the week. Making a different breakfast every day can promote waste. That large container of yogurt might spoil if you're only eating it one or twice a week. The bagels that are only fresh for a week will get tossed in the trash if they aren't eaten quickly. So maybe have oatmeal but it can be customized by tossing in a few frozen blueberries, a handful of walnuts, or a couple slices of overripe banana that's been saved in the freezer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Likewise, you should probably take a serious look at how much laundry detergent you're using. Most people use more than the recommended amount, and it doesn't help - in fact, if the last paragraph is correct, you could probably use much less than the recommended amount, or even none, for most loads. I've used half the recommended amount of detergent for the last five years and the clothes are fine. I also don't use fabric conditioner or dryer sheets..... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 It's been said before but what works for me is to find the lowest cost source of staples. I then go through the local store ads ( all 2 of the :LOL: ) to see what meat and fresh produce we will have. This week pork loin is $1.98. That and chicken thighs will be purchased. Grapes are $.99/lb so they are the splurge along with apples and oranges. Snacks for my hungry crew are refrieds in a tortilla, pbj or a hummus w/ pita or carrot sticks. I also make muffins and quick breads. Popcorn and pretzels are far less expensive than chips. I don't buy prepackaged snacks, juices or sweets except for a special occasion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vera Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I make my own refried beans in a crockpot and grow my own micro greens. They are both extremely easy and very healthy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I forgot to add I dilute dish soap, shampoo, etc 1/2 and 1/2 with water. I only use a smudge of laundry detergent. No paper towels here or paper plates or baggies. We clean with vinegar. It isn't making us rich but it's the mindset that matters. I also hang dry most clothes. My kids help lest you think I'm a drudge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Good and Cheap PDF cookbook. It's free. More about the project and Leanne Brown, the author. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I find seasonal eating to be budget friendly but realize that food costs are so variable depending upon geography. For example, here in NC I can buy a bushel of sweet potatoes for $20 or less from a farmer. They are not washed and will happily live in my garage for the winter. I also have a basket filled with butternut squash in the garage, another farm market purchase, which I estimate comes to about fifty cents per pound. Not everyone is going to find prices like this in their area. But the idea should work to your advantage if you can buy or even stock up on seasonal veg now to avoid paying a premium when they are out of season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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