Hi! I don't know if you guys remember me but, I have been on and off SBD for about 4 months now. Finally, I just gave up...the reason being that I CANNOT AFFORD IT!! My DH is the only source of income and I have a small child. I really want to do this--I HAVE TO DO THIS!! For my health and my child!!

We were spending about $150 every few days at the store.

Does anybody have any tips for doing this diet on a tight budget?

Thanks!

We're stationed overseas right now and our produce section leaves much to be desired. DH and I buy our veggies frozen. We buy our chicken in the big ziploc-style bags (usually measured in pounds) and divy it up into portions. Also (due to the produce section), we buy our beans canned. I buy the bigger cans and use tupperware to keep what I don't use fresh until I need it again.

Basically, anything you can buy in bulk, do it. It's cheaper, lasts longer, and you can portion it perfectly for yourself and your family.

Hi nellagirl! Of course I remember you. $150 every few days is about $300/wk, and that does seem like a lot for three of you. I spend about $100 - $150/wk for a family of 4 to 5 (when DD is home). I am a famous penny pincher. Whatever is on sale that week is what we are eating. I am spending some more on some stuff (meats and cheeses mostly), but less on other junk I used to buy, so I think it evens out. There are some great websites on frugal shopping and cooking, I think we're not supposed to post links, but google it and you'll find a bunch.
My strategies include having a menu planned for the week, having some backup quick meals on hand all the time for nights when things get wonky. Planning my menus around whatever is on sale that week (I check out three different sale papers each week and choose whichever store looks best for the week), and buying in bulk and freezing. Boneless chicken breast goes on sale around here for $1.99/lb about once a month and I buy about 10 lbs. and freeze. Ditto for boneless pork loin roasts - you can slice these into your own pork chops, and also ground turkey for the same price. Lean ground beef is more expensive, but it still goes on sale periodically for $2 and some change. Frozen veggies are fine, but even fresh produce has some good deals every week. I also shop at a couple of farms around here and can buy stuff by the bushel to freeze myself. Trader Joe's has some good deals, surprisingly. It takes a little work, but if you start watching for sales and check out alternative sources like discount stores and Costco-type places, you can do much better. Hope this helps!

I shop based on sales quite a bit too. I probably spend about $140 a week for a family of three but I'm not eating out often so I save a lot there. Beans are inexpensive. I buy larger quantities of meats when on sale and freeze it. I shop around for the more expensive fresh produce items. I might skip the asparagus at my normal store and buy it somewhere else where it is cheaper (or better quality). I also buy staples like Spenda and peanut butter when it is on sale. They keep so I buy extra.