[Fox2508]

Hi. So I've decided I'm going to loose wieght AGAIN I've lost 30lbs a few times and keep gaining it back. I need to loose about 90ish. anyway my question is do you have any tips for keeping the grocery bill reasonable. I know eating healty is going to be more expensive and I am so willing to do that because of the benifits but I was wondering if there was anyway to keep it down a little bit.

Thanks.

[AquaWarlock]

Eating healthy doesn't necessarily meant eating expensive; it would be helpful to know what's your grocery budget for the week/month, though.

Some obvious ones include keeping an eye out for discounts and clipping coupons. Also, try to buy in-season fruits and veggies, and locally grown if possible (so they don't incur the extra cost of shipping halfway across the world.)

If there's a farmer's market in your area -- definitely go and shop there. Not only are you cutting out the middle man of supermarkets (which, again, saves $$), you're also getting fresher produce because they came straight from the farm.

Finally, do some meal planning so that you don't wound up wasting healthy-but-perishable foods.

[suitejudyblueeyes]

Buy in bulk, cook in bulk and freeze. If you have a big freezer that's your best friend, so you can buy lots on sale and freeze it. Instead of buying canned beans and canned soup, make your own.... dry beans are far cheaper than canned and can be frozen in small quantities to thaw for cooking. Soups are the same -- you can make a big pot of soup for far cheaper than you can ever buy it pre-made!

Focus on simple food, not convenience food. Rice, beans, vegetables. Not too exciting but cheap! If you're truly in a bind you'll find meat eats up a good portion of your grocery bill. The only way to get meat at a good price is to watch the sales and buy in bulk and freeze. We eat vegetarian often because it just saves so much!

[Azure]

I think that looking out for sales and buying in bulk for meat is one of my favorite tips. I'll wait until the chicken breast goes on sale (so I'm paying $6 instead of $13 for a "family pack"), and I'll buy like 3 packages, cook what I need for the week and then freeze the rest in "week-sized" portions. It gives me over a month's worth of meat for not too much money.

[lovinlifex2]

Welcome...welcome...

Nothing really to add - you have got some great suggestions here.

Good luck!

[MandiK]

I agree that eating healthy can be more expensive. I try to find dinner recipes that use frozen or canned veggies, as they are cheaper. Buy them when they are on sale and it's even cheaper yet! I also put frozen fruit in my yogurt in the mornings because you can't tell a lot of difference and it saves money. Another tip is to buy what's on sale in the produce section. For example, maybe I go to the grocery store planning to buy apples, but strawberries are on sale. I'll buy those instead. I think the key is to plan plan plan your grocery shopping. I usually get the sunday paper, clip coupons, check out the grocery store sale flyer and then plan my weeks menu around what's on sale! It takes more time, but I've saved A LOT of money!