I have been lurking here for a long time, and gotten lots of great information from you guys! But, now I have a questions that I have never seen before.
My financial situation has recently changed, and my grocery budget is very small. Does anyone have any good tips on sticking with the plan, and doing it cheaply? I have a husband who is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, and a 4 yr old daughter, who is, well, a 4 yr old. I am a lifetime member, right now I am about 8 lbs. over my goal weight and working on getting back.
I find the easiest way to feed a family and still not have to cook separate meals, which definitely eat up the budget, is to cook regular recipes (those that your family like) and convert them to low-fat versions. I found a great book that has helped me immensely, it's by Vicki Parks and is called 'Exceeding the Feed Limit'. If you want to review it before you buy I'm sure you can find it in your local library. Or take a look at Amazon.com.
Hi Sarah's Mommy,
Good for you for tackling this head on. Beans provide high quality protein at a loss cost. FF refried beans make a delicious bean burrito for four people for about $1 a can.
As we go into winter, dry split peas, navy beans, and lentils all are very inexpensive and the bag will make a good sized pot of soup. I bet you can find recipes for low point bread or biscuits or muffins to help round out a meal.
If you are in a warm climate, this might just be the time to start a little garden to help you get lettuce and tomatoes, etc.
Chuck steak is usually a meat eater's favorite and less costly than other meats. I bet your library has loads of ideas to help you out in this project.
Instead of eggbeaters, use egg whites.
Hope this helps a little. More than anything I'm also sending you good vibes so your financial situation lightens up.
234/thinner
I'm also passing along good vibes to you and your family.
My advice is to be as careful as possible in planning meals--definitely sit down with the grocery flyers and plan your OP and family's meals with them. One area that can usually be reduced is snack items. I don't know if you're a diet soda drinker but that would be the first thing I'd cut out. (I stopped drinking it 2 years ago because of stomach problems and was surprised at how much money I had been spending on Diet Coke at home and in restaurants.) Air-popped popcorn can be a lifesaver.
The organizedhome.com website has shopping tips, like keeping a price book, that are helpful.
I think it's hard to convert a meat and potatoes man to tofu but tofu is great in spaghetti sauce!
Thanks for all your help - those are great ideas! I've checked out the web sites and will try to get into more depth on those, and I'll see if I can get to the library soon.
I have also applied to be a WW receptionist - hopefully a little extra income will help too. I am hoping to hear soon, so send some vibes to Diana, our regional director.
Interesting topic! I find that by doing my shopping at a discount grocery chain ( Save a Lot, Aldi's, Costo ) I can save quite a bit of $$$$ also, we've all but done a way with fast food at our house! We decided that it was just over-priced junk and wasn't helping our waist-lines either! Hope some of these ideas help.
What's the scoop on working as a WW receptionist? I'm lifetime too and it sounds like a great little job that would suit me well!
I haven't heard anything yet about the receptionist job, but I sent our regional director an email. I think it sound like lots of fun, plus I know it would motivate me to lose the 8-10 lbs I need to get back to my goal weight.
I completely forgot they are buildng a new Aldi very close to where I work. I'll have to check it out. We don't have the other stores, but I do go to Sam's occasionally. I get a little frustrated at having to buy a whole lot of just one thing, I'd rather have more variety.
Those web sites that were mentioned have lots of great stuff, check those out!
Congratulations on the job! I hope this thread is irrelevant now and that you can buy that filet mignon you've had your eye on .
Kidding. What I find I spend the most money on at the store is (1) premium meats for grilling (2) out-of-season fruits & vegetables and (3) snack foods.
So in terms of saving money, I'd more often opt for the cheaper cuts of meat, and prepre them with a nice low-fat marinade (many sites will have recipes for these, I'm sure). I'd try to stock up on in-season fruits & vegetables, and do freezing and canning so you don't have to shell out for them in the off-season. Having said that, don't scrimp on buying interesting produce - it helps keep one's diet from getting in a rut. And I'd cut back on the prepared snack foods (something that would have benefits for both your health and your budget). I also second Itryharder's suggestion about the legumes. Meat eaters can be made to eat different foods, believe me! Tru some different things, you never know. Good luck!
Weight Watchers on a budget?
Hi Lorri!
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