10 Tips for Eating Healthfully on a Budget

Doesn't the title of this post read straight off the cover of a magazine?

The topic of food budgets has come up often as of late in conversations.  Hence, at the risk of repeating information you already know (and that I may have already written), I decided to do a top ten list of tips for eating well on a budget.  And...I have a post in the works on the cost of actual recipes, and what we spend on food for a week.

1. Shop sales-I keep an eye out for items that we buy on a regular basis and pick up a few extra to keep on hand for when we need them.

2. Buy in bulk- This only saves you money if it is cheaper to buy it in bulk, or it keeps you out of the grocery store and away from impulse purchases, which leads us to number three...

3. Track prices- Yes, I'm serious.  It's not as hard as you think.  It can be as easy as mentally noting that asparagus was $4.99 last week and now it's $1.99, or if you're a little AR like me, it can be a spreadsheet with columns for price, quantity, price per ounce, purchase date, estimated life, actual life, cost per month, and source.  Or you could fall sanely somewhere in between.

4. Buy produce in season- Don't have a clue what's in season?  Look for what produce is at a good price at your supermarket (It actually is most likely in season elsewhere, and not in your actual state.).  Buy from your farmer's market that only allows local farmers. (You can sometimes find farmers that use more natural methods, but aren't necessarily certified organic.)  Grow it yourself.  I just calculated the cost of our homegrown lettuce at between 2 and 4 cents a serving!  And it tastes better.

5. Steer clear of prepackaged food- You are paying an arm and a leg for someone else to cut up those veggies or make cookie dough for you.  I know sometimes you're shorter on time that cash, but this post is about saving the moolah.

6. Avoid junk food- Junk food comes by its name honestly.  There is little to no nutritional value in chips and the like, which means you're still hungry afterwards.  You might as well just eat the cash you'd spend on the Ruffles and call it a day.

7. Choose water- It's virtually free (from your tap) and oh-so-good-for-you.  Sodas belong in the junk food category.  Even juices are not as good for your body as eating the actual fruit, and they cost a pretty penny.

8. Substitute, substitute, substitute- So the recipe calls for cauliflower, but you've got broccoli.  Chance are, unless it's the essential ingredient of the recipe, you can safely make the substitution.  The next time you're short on an ingredient, hit up Google to see if you have a substitute on hand instead of jumping in the car and save yourself both the grocery and the gas money.

9. Choose recipes wisely In line with number four and number eight, choose recipes without crazy of-the-wall ingredients and keep in mind the season.  January and February are not the ideal time to make a fresh heirloom tomato basil pasta when tomatoes are so-so and basil is in a tiny little container for $4 a pop.  Not only will your pocket book thank you, your taste buds will, too.

10. Make cuts in other areas Maybe you don't want to hear this, but a lot of us could use a good refresher on needs versus wants.  Healthy food for your body is a need. Designer clothes, the coolest car, and even cable TV *gasp* are wants.  Am I saying you have to live like a pauper to eat healthy food?  No.  Do I realize that some of you, dear readers, have cut everywhere you know to cut and still are scrimping pennies?  Yes, that is part of my motivation in writing this post.  However, it seems that many of us, by looking at our spending habits, place a higher importance on things that look good on the outside, than what goes inside our body.  I believe that eventually we pay the price for these choices.

One final note, our family buys produce through a coop from a local farmer, and our meat and dairy through local farmers who use humane and healthy practices in raising their animals.  However, you don't have to be all on board with organics or the like to make healthier choices in your eating habits.  The above tips are easily applied to conventional items at the grocery store.

Update: Target, Wal-mart, and the Pantry Challenge

We ran out of coffee.  This lead to me stopping in Target on my way back home from dropping off the kids at school and deciding to do a quick check of prices on the items from my last post.  Which also lead to stopping in at Wal-mart (oh the horror) to check prices their too as they are reputed to have the "lowest prices" and supposedly have started carrying more organics.

I added my findings to my spreadsheet.  Instead of copying and pasting from Excel which leaves the table looking a little wonky, I have uploaded it to Google Docs.



Wal-mart did beat Whole Foods on non-organic items, however their selection of organic items was awful.  I also have other reasons for not shopping there such as horrible customer service, way too many crazy customers, and the fact that they are rated extremely poorly by better world shopper. Target didn't do so hot on prices, although they have a fairly decent selection of economical fair trade organic coffee which I was in desperate need of Tuesday morning.  The least expensive price for each item is highlighted in yellow.  As you can see, no one store offers the best price across the board.

My advice to you if you are on a super strict budget is to keep a notebook or a spreadsheet of prices for items that you buy on a regular basis, much like the spreadsheet above.  If you can hit two or three stores without going too much out of your way and wasting gas, then go to more than one store to get the better overall price.  Keep in mind that grocery store prices fluctuate a lot.  If you combine a sale with a coupon at a grocery store that doubles coupons, you can actually beat Wal-mart's prices.  Websites like thegrocerygame.com charge a small fee to track sales and coupons for you if that's your thing.  I personally don't coupon because I've found that there are very little coupons out there for the products we buy.

Pantry Challenge Update

My little OCD self created yet another spreadsheet to inventory the items I had bought through Azure Standard the last two months, complete with cost per unit for future price comparison, estimated length of time the product will last us, and the cost per month.  When it was all said and done, I discovered according to my spreadsheet (which erred on the side of caution) calculated the monthly cost to be 92.24, which means I have an extra $2 per week.  Woohoo!  

The bad news is I already dipped in to tomorrow's grocery budget  for bacon, snacks, and fried chicken from Target. (The dentist appointment ran late, the chicken wasn't defrosted in time, etc, etc.)  I only have 16.09 to spend at the store tomorrow.  I have no idea how I'm going to make this work.  Maybe I'll dip into next week's budget...

Day 8
Breakfast: Milk, Leftover Apple Butter Cupcakes Muffins (They didn't even have frosting on them. Don't judge.) 
Lunch: Kids-leftover Sweet Summer Corn chowder, Quesadillas; Adults-BBQ Chicken Sliders (leftovers in freezer), Cucumbers
Dinner: Spaghetti, Salad
Dessert: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Day 9
Breakfast: Make your own cereal (My kids LOVE this.)
Lunch: Leftover Spaghetti
Snack: Pretzels and goldfish from CVS after looong dental appointment
Dinner: Fried Chicken from Target, Potatoes, Cucumber & Bell Pepper Salad

Day 10
Breakfast: Peach Pecan Waffles (Thank you, dear.)
Lunch: Chicken Wrap
Snack: Yogurt and half a peach
Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup, Garlic Toast
Snack: Homemade popcorn

Day 11
Breakfast: Toast with Almond Butter, half a peach
Lunch: Chipotle (out)
Dinner: Chicken Teriyaki Thighs, Rice, Cucumer (Finally used those chicken thighs I've tried to defrost three times...)

Wish me luck shopping tomorrow.  I'm going to check the sales online.

Comparison Shopping: Whole Foods vs. Kroger

Much to the horror of my budget savvy friends, Whole Foods is my go-to grocery store.  I realize that it is not the most economical across the board, but I have my reasons for shopping there besides the fact that it smells oh so good I inhale a contented sigh whenever I walk in the door.  Keep in mind that I don't buy all of my groceries there.  As mentioned previously, I buy a lot of my pantry staples through Azure Standard. I get produce, milk, eggs, and meat through local farmers.  For me the grocery store just fills in any gaps I may have.

1. Tortillas Yes, this sounds like a silly reason to pick a grocery store, but it's important.  It is the only place that I have found yummy tortillas that do not contain hydrogenated oils, preservatives, or other scary ingredients.  I do realize that one can make homemade tortillas for less expensive, however that person would not be me.  For some reason, homemade tortillas are my unicorn.  I have tried multiple recipes, different pressing techniques; I was even given instruction in Mexico by a Mexican.  It never works.  My tortillas come out thicker than they should, they don't roll easily, and they rarely inflate during the cooking process. (The true test of whether or not you are ready to marry according to Mexican standards.  Lucky for me my husband is not Mexican.)

2. Convenience I like that Whole Foods has not just one option for healthy foods, but several.  Shopping at Whole Foods does not negate the need to read labels, none the less, chances are I'm going to find an option that is satisfactory.  At the regular grocery stores I have to hunt and search for a product that I'm okay with consuming, and sometimes I can't even find what I'm looking for.

3. Location I have friends who swear by Trader Joe's and who say Central Market is better than Whole Foods.  That may be, but I would have to drive to Fort Worth or Dallas to shop there.  Whole Foods is not the closest natural grocer.  There is a Sprouts that is a little closer in driving time.  However, it is out of the way of anywhere else I would go, whereas Whole Foods is close to my church and is often within my route of errands I run.  The other options just aren't worth the extra gas to me.

All that being said, I do occasionally run in to a conventional grocery store for odds and ends.  Sometimes Whole Foods either doesn't have what I want or more likely it costs more than I'm willing to shell out.  Hence, today I went to both Whole Foods and Kroger and decided to do a little comparison shopping.  My findings are below.

Food	Whole Foods	Kroger
Organic Frozen corn	2.39	3.79
Conventional Garlic	0.89	0.50
Organic Onion (3lbs)	3.99	Not available
Organic Tortillas	1.99	Not available
Sundried Organic Tomato Paste	0.89	0.79	sale price
Conventional Avocado	1.29	0.78
Conventional Lime	0.33	0.20
Negro Modelo (didn't buy)	8.99	8.69
Organic unsalted butter	3.99	6.29
Pumpkin	1.29	1.00	sale price
Organic Sugar (2 lbs)	3.69	3.33
5 oz. can evaporated milk	Not available	0.65
Organic Apple Butter	4.49	4.89
Total of Items Available
Both Places	28.24	30.26

Interestingly enough, Whole Foods was less expensive in total on items that were available both places.  The only thing not available at Whole Foods was the 5 oz size of evaporated milk which I don't buy on a regular basis.  I just needed it for a new recipe.  I didn't actually buy the Negro Modelo which I needed for a particular recipe.  Instead I bought a $3.69 large bottle of Corona Extra to avoid going over budget.  This item I only found at Kroger.  (Once again, not a normal purchase.)  Side note: Sundried tomato paste was $5.49 for a tube.  See the strike-through above?  So. not. worth. it.

Whole Foods buys: Not a lot, but enough to fill in the gaps

My grand total at both stores was $32.98, 52 cents under budget for the week.  Some items I considered not including in the budget as they were bought to make a dessert for a meeting.  However, I decided to include them because it's part of my real life.  I must confess that I sent my husband to the store the next day for bacon as I overlooked that ingredient in a recipe I planned.  And he didn't even buy the "healthy" bacon. As a result, I am actually over budget this week by whatever the cost of the bacon is minus 52 cents.  I will take it out of next week's budget.  Promise.

Week One in Review

Day 3
Breakfast: Apple Pie Breakfast (This recipe was a hit!  Even my non-oatmeal-eating child ate two helpings!  Hint: Add cinnamon to the recipe and keep the cooking time short. Don't tell them it's oatmeal.  Call it apple pie breakfast. It's not lying, that's the recipe's name.  If they ask you what's in it, say grain instead of oatmeal.)
Lunch: Leftover Chinese Chicken from Monday's dinner, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for sick child :(
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Zuni Stew (Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)  I forgot to mention last post that I cooked a pot of pinto beans in the crock pot overnight for this recipe.

Day 4
Breakfast: Leftovers (zucchini muffins and apple pie breakfast)
Lunch: Out (surprise catch-up lunch with a good friend)
Snack: Quinoa Pizza Bites (from the freezer)
Dinner: Tomato Salad, Leftover Chicken

Day 5
Breakfast: Zucchini and cheese Omelet
Lunch: Out (Pizza during shopping trip at Whole Foods)
Snack: Apples
Dinner: Out

Day 6
Breakfast: Leftover Rice Hot Breakfast Cereal
Lunch: Sweet Summer Corn Chowder (the bacon culprit)
(Put leftover Zuni Stew, pinto beans, and chicken noodle soup in the freezer.  Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies and Apple Butter Cupcakes.)
Dinner: Out (We got a bonus date night since the kids stayed the night at the grandparents!)

Day 7
Breakfast: Eggs, Toast, Bacon
Lunch: Shredded Beef Tacos with Avocado and Lime
Dinner: Chicken Caprese Sandwiches 
After dinner treat: Homemade popcorn

We ate out a more this past week than is typical for us.  Our normal habit is I eat something out on Friday when I'm running errands, and we eat out after church on Sunday.  My husband eats out almost every day for lunch and I try to let it go because I'm not in his shoes and I value my marriage. ;)  This week we traded Sunday lunch for Friday dinner because we just felt like going out.  I got to go out to lunch with a friend I haven't talked to in months if not years on Thursday, and my husbands parents offered to let the kids spend the night on Saturday.  When these opportunities come up in life you smile and take them.  And you put the extra leftovers in the freezer for another day.

Where's the beef?

Previously I covered various ways to shop for fruits and veggies, this week we’re moving on to meat.   Meat is an item that I plan for differently from my fruits and vegetables.  I have a basic meal plan of which meat I’m going to serve which days and I shop based on that, whereas with vegetables I start with what I have/what’s in season and plug that into my meal plan.

As with vegetables, there are a few different methods for purchasing meat depending on your priorities.

Method One-Grocery Store

Sketch out a basic meal plan for which meat you will eat over a two to three month time period.  (I have a basic two week rotating meal plan that I change out with the seasons, example below.) Start watching the prices of meat at the grocery store when you shop or look at the ads.  When a particular kind (that you actually eat) goes on sale, buy enough for two-three months (most items go on sale about every 12 weeks) and freeze what you won’t use in the next couple of days.  It will take you a little bit of time to build up a stockpile of meat in the freezer, so at first you might spend more as you are buying what you need for a week or two plus what you will need for three months of what is on sale. Eventually you won’t need to pay full price for meat, unless you’re in a pinch.

Advantages to this method overall is the cost.  However, I don’t use this method because of the quality of meat that you find at the grocery store.  Do your research.  Whether or not you have opinions regarding animal cruelty, I have qualms with eating meat that came from sickly animals because of my own health.

Method Two-Coop

Just as there are coops for produce, there are also coops that you can join for purchasing natural or organic meat.  Normally the coop host places an order every month or two months, and you pick up your order on a set day.  With this method, you also need to plan for your family’s needs over a period of time.  By purchasing with a group of people directly from the farmer, you have the opportunity to purchase higher quality, healthier meat at a lower price than you can purchase it at the grocery store. 

Method Three-Meat Market/ Rancher

A meat market or the rancher himself can also provide the opportunity to purchase higher quality meat than you find at the store.  Some ranchers sell their meat directly to customers via phone or internet or have a store set up for purchases.  You may have to make a drive to purchase as most ranches are not within large cities, or you can ask about their delivery options.  Many farmers have websites where you can read about their products and their story before making the trek.  It is also pretty common for large purchases to receive a discount. You may even be able to get a friend to split a large purchase with you.

Saving $$$$$

Tip #1-Cut back on meat

Higher quality meat does cost more than sale prices at the grocery store.  We help curb those costs by not eating meat every day.  Yes, our kids are healthy and eat very well.  Meat is not the only source of protein and studies have shown that it is healthier to eat less meat than is typical in the American diet.  If eating less meat is scary to you, try eating one meal a week without meat and see how you like it. 

Tip #2-Menu planning

Below is my menu plan which I refer to as my Dog Days menu. It is really really hot here, and I do not want to heat up my house any more than I have to.  Saturday’s and Sunday’s meal can be cooked on the grill. The others can be made in the crock pot or do not require much cooking. Make your own salad night is one of my kid’s favorites. Not included below is that we eat salad and/or other vegetables with every meal. (Monday is the only one I’ve ever made up a name for prior to this post, but I didn’t want the other days to feel left out. And I know the table is off centered, I just don't know how to fix it!)

Sizzling Saturday	Super Sunday	Meatless Monday	Tasty Tuesday	Wacky Wednesday	Veggie Thursday	Fun Friday
Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers or plain burgers on whole wheat buns	Beef Kabobs	Make your own salad night	BBQ Chicken (crock pot)	Southwest Bean Salad (Cold dish made from leftover or canned black beans.)	Hummus & Veggies (Hummus can be made in advance.)	Fruit & Waffles (Waffles can be premade and frozen.  Reheat in toaster.)
Brats & Dogs on whole wheat buns (This is kind of a cheat meal. Pick hot dogs without MSG, etc.)	Chicken Fajitas	Black Beans (crock pot) & Rice (can be premade)	Chicken Burritos (Use leftovers from fajitas and black beans.)	Fish and/or Curried Brown Rice (can use leftover brown rice)	Stuffed Peppers (You can use leftovers or get creative with the stuffing.)	Leftovers/ Out (This is use it up or toss it night before coop pick up.)

Because I get my vegetables from a coop, I tweak it as needed.  For example, if I didn’t get peppers in the coop pick up, I’ll do grilled chicken instead of fajitas, and will cook the vegetable I have in some way instead of making stuffed peppers.  And sometimes we go out or to friends or family one night.  This just gives me a starting point so I’m not recreating the wheel every single week, and I know that I have enough food on hand for the week. 

Tip #3:

Always look ahead to the next day’s dinner before you go to bed in case you need to pull something from the freezer or prep food for the crock pot.  When school is in session, we look ahead at our meal plan and pre-make some items to save us time during the week. It may seem like more work, but once you get in a groove, planning ahead saves you so much time and money in the long run! (Less last minute stops at the store or drive-thru!)

The First Step Part II (aka Shopping for Produce)

At long last I will tell you everything (well, almost everything) I have learned about buying fresh produce.  I know. Super exciting.  There are a few ways to go about it, depending on where you're at in life and what your priorities are.  I'm going to be upfront with you and let you know that all three methods require a paradigm shift in menu planning (foreshadowing of future post) because you plan your cooking from what's in season or what's available.  And here's a little secret: the food tastes better in season.

Method One: Grocery Store Bargains

It's not a huge secret that grocery store prices vary from week to week on produce.  (If this is a new concept to you, grab the ad for your local grocery store and check the front and back page for their weekly specials.)  This method is kind of like the stock market, you buy what's on sale now to get the most bang for your buck.

I don't really like this option because it's not easy to find what I want in organic produce at the neighborhood grocery store, and our healthier grocery store is expensive.  If I do go buy fruits and veggies to the grocery store, I consider which foods it is more "important" to buy organic.  For information on why organic and which foods to avoid click here.

Method Two: Farmer's Markets

If you are looking for fresh, local, in season produce this is the place for you.  I like this option because I like knowing where my food came from and I like supporting small farmers.  Grocery store varieties of fruits and vegetables are chosen because of their ability to pack and transport well--not for taste.  Most of what you buy at the grocery store comes from a distant state or country and was picked before it was ripe.  It may cost a little more than the grocery store, but if you'll eat more of it because it tastes better, isn't it worth it?

The downsides to this method are that farmer's markets aren't open all year round and all hours of the day, and I don't know whether the food is organic or not.  I've been told that a lot of the time it is, however, I don't know whether that holds true in Texas because it is not the easiest state to grow in.  The good news is, you can easily find out how the farmer grows the food if you aren't a wuss like me and afraid to ask!

Method Three: Join a Coop

This is the method that we employ for the majority of our produce needs.  It's super easy.  Once every two weeks I go pick up an 18 gallon tote of organic produce from the host's home for less than what it costs to buy the same at the grocery store.  We added an extra fruit share because Ben and I weren't eating much fruit because we were giving it all to the kids.  It is enough produce to feed the six of us for two weeks. Sometimes we have leftovers for the freezer, too.

I like this method because it saves me time and money by keeping me out of the grocery store.  We can order certain dry goods as well through the coop.  Plus it ensures that we are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.  It is amazing how what is (and isn't) in the house affects what you eat! 

If you don't like the idea of needing to pick up your produce on a certain day, that could be a downside for you.  My only wish is that it were more local. As it is there is some local organic produce as it is available.  That being the case, I still pick up a handful local produce here and there if I see it available at farmer's markets, etc.  I mean, who can resist fresh from the garden tomatoes?

Bonus Method: Garden

I didn't mention this method above because admittedly, it takes someone who really wants to do it.  It's really more of a hobby (or obsession) that you hope actually gives you something in return.  I, for one, cannot help but dream of fresh from the garden produce when it's time to plant, and curse the squirrels, bugs, and weather that threaten to impede that dream.  When we are able to harvest the fruits of our labor, it is thrilling on so many levels: fresh organic food from our yard that we planted ourselves!

If you are as crazy as I am, and want to give it a whirl, try planting some herbs or plants in pots to start out with.  Fresh basil! Oregano! Cherry tomatoes!  Beyond that, there are so many books on gardening, try browsing the library for options. 

Maybe one of these days I'll be able to grow enough food to feed my family. In the meantime, I am so thankful for other people who can do it for me!