Eating healthy costs too much money

[himom]

We just figured out that we needed to really tighten our budget, so I've been looking for ways to save on food. Now I'm really grouchy!

If I didn't care about nutrition we could eat with very little expenditure at all. Macaroni & cheese, ramen, etc are usually really cheap. But start adding in anything like vegetables, salads, fresh fruit, etc, and the price suddenly skyrockets. Mac & cheese is $.99 a box, but if want the kids to eat apples with it I have to spend another $4.00 for 4 apples - the price increases 400%! Wheat bread here is $4.79, but white bread or "enriched" wheat bread is $1.74. Kool Aid is $.39 a packet (and just add water) vs. calcium fortified orange juice with vitamin D at $7.39. Soda is about $3.99 a case on sale, but skim milk is still $4.79 for a gallon (on sale!). Low fat cheese costs almost 2/3 more than regular cheese.

No wonder the country is considered "fat" -- it's because so many people can't afford to buy healthy foods! I went to make a nice fajita chicken salad for dinner the other night, so I needed chicken, lettuce, tomatos, salsa, cheese, corn, olives, and chips. By the time I added up all the ingredients I figured out it was way cheaper to go to McDonalds. Sad, huh?

Of course, I'd rather make the chicken salad, even with all the work and it being cheaper. I'll still continue to buy fruits and vegetables for my family as long as we have the money for it. But it's just so frustrating to see how much the bad stuff costs vs the good stuff. :32:

[Sillygirl]

I went to a Slow Food meeting today and was thinking along the same lines. It's global, too, right? Because it's the tariffs on sugar imports that make HFCS a cheaper alternative, and it's not having to pay directly for the polllution that shipping raspberries from Chile creates that makes them cheaper than the ones grown down the road from me. . .

I know you're in a unique situation where you live. How much can you eat locally produced foods? Farmer's markets? And wheat bread shipped from a factory in PA is going to be expensive - can you get a deal on flour, get some local eggs, keep a sourdough culture alive and make your own? Pineapple juice instead of OJ? You're trying to eat a mainland diet and bumping into the the costs of transporting that added on to the costs of food. Think local and from scratch and you may do better.

[vludmilla]

I understand your dilemma even though I don't have to deal with it daily. I visited Maui for two weeks a couple of summers ago and the prices were indeed high. Just a couple of thoughts though...Is there a Costco you could go to? I found their prices just about the same as the ones I see in NY. Also, you could dilute all of your juice with water, it is healthier that way and would save a tiny bit of money. Also, when I was in college and cash-strapped, I tended to eat whatever was on sale. I know that sale prices are still high but maybe it would help a little to eat only what was on sale when you shopped. I also tended to try to combine coupons and sales when money was tighter. Another thing to consider would be to buy fewer cleaning supplies. I think most people's budgets for cleaning supples is much higher than necessary. You could switch to eco/green cleaning and save a bundle that could be funneled to your food budget. Vinegar, baking soda and water cleans most things. (Maybe you do this already, I don't know.)
Anyway, I don't mean to say that a couple of my little suggestions will make things materially better, I know they might not. I do wish eating healthfully was easier, financially and otherwise.
Good luck...
-Victoria

[Jacksmommy2b]

Our budget is pretty tight but it can be done!

Is there a produce 'stand' anywhere near you?

We're in a suburban part of PA and I can count at least 3 in a few town radius.

I buy all my (and my dad's) produce at a great place close by. You would not believe the prices you can find there. 4lbs for $4 on apples, $1 eggplant, 8 for $1 oranges, $1.25 for 5 lbs of bananas. I buy enough for a week plus and my house and my dad's for about $20 total.

There are a few drawbacks to a produce store.
The line is usually out the door at my favorite place and I have waited over an hour for service.
The selection really varies everyday. The prices are so low because they buy right from the suppliers on the docks daily so they take what's available.
Some places sell in bulk bags and there is usually some waste. I've found the better places will bag as you order eliminating that problem.

BJ's is a great warehouse store too. for $50 you can get a membership that gives 2% back for store use. They also take coupons! (most warehouses like costco will only take thier coupons) I love annie's organic mac and cheese and it is really cheap at BJ's especially after coupons!

As far as everything else is concerned Coupons, coupons, coupons!
Cut all coupons every week!
One of my favorite buys is Green Giant Frozen veggies (the new steam ones) They always have $1.00 and .50 coupons in the paper. I just hoard them and wait for the 10 for $10 sale at the local grocery store and buy like crazy. They end up free after the $1 or doubling the .50 ones.
There are meat coupons also $1 off boneless skinless chix breasts and stuff like that.
Also watch out for free milk when you buy X coupons. The milk when you buy cereal ones are fantastic. The stores around here do 'super specials' like 4 boxes for cereal for $6. If you have coupons for $1 off two boxes and a free milk when you buy 4 boxes coupon, you can make out with 4 boxes of a decent cereal like cheerios and a gallon of milk for $4!

Join a coupon group (I love, love, love hotcouponworld.com) and they can help you find fantastic deals!

G/L with your pare down. It can be hard to eat well cheap but it can be done!

[kijip]

I know that all my money saving tricks and tips are off in Hawaii so I will just say that I feel your pain. We eat a lot of produce and fresh stuff and whole foods and spend a decent amount on groceries. But it would be way cheaper to buy lower quality of food, for sure. HFCS and genetically modified corn abound, ick.

[mezzona]

Loves Bakery has thrift store outlets around the islands. I think they sell day-old bread for a lot cheaper.

As for veggies, find out when your local "open market" or farmer's market is. I remember my mom getting veggies for $0.50 or $1/bag. Maybe a little more now.

Not sure where exactly you are, but if you're on Oahu, there are meat co./butchers that sell to the public. For example, Higa Meat Market (which sells meat to Zippys) sells to the public and they have sales that can be pretty cheap. Just give them a call for prices.

You can also get very good prices on trays of eggs from egg farm stores or outlets (for example Ka Lei Eggs).

HTH

[TahliasMom]

I feel your pain. I go to Farmer's Market every weekend, I mostly shop at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and stuff adds up like crazy. For me it makes no sense to buy in bulk for 2 people. But even when I was married we never bought bulk.

Sad to say the crappy food is cheap, the better/healthier alternative is expensive. Speaks volumes about the health of our society.

[JoyNChrist]

I hear you!

We've made the commitment to be more environmentally concious this year, as well as eating healthier. I was astounded at my first week's grocery bill for the 2 of us (DS doesn't really count, since what he eats is pretty minimal). We do have a local farmer's market, so produce is a bit cheaper, but selection is limited in the wintertime. We don't have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods near us, so the healthier stuff is usually more expensive (not to mention hard to find) at local stores. We do have a Sam's Club membership (no Costco or BJ's around here), but we really only use it for household goods (toilet paper, kleenex, etc). For just the two of us, with our small kitchen and pantry, there's really no reason to buy in bulk.

And they wonder why our society's overweight...

[tnrnchick74]

I'm a BIG bread eater - I LOVE any kind of bread...and the good stuff gets expensive!

So I had a dear friend teach me to make bread. I have now invested in a kitchenaide mixer to make things easier, but it can be done "by hand".

the ingrediants are pretty cheap...just buy good flour, grains, and yeast and they will last a long time. I make most of all my own bread goods now - sandwich bread, rolls, breakfast breads, etc for pennies!

Sure it takes a little bit of time, but there are REALLY easy recipies for "rustic loafs" and "no knead" bread that basically means throwing things in a pot, mixing it up, letting it rise, and cooking it. And since YOU control the ingrediants, you determine how healthy (or not so healthy) you want to make it. My fave...white/wheat with amaranth seed and flax seed!

[DrSally]

ITA. When I was younger I wondered why obesity was assoc with poverty, well exactly for the reasons you stated, boxed, processed food is so much cheaper! It's so sad. You're really supposed to avoid those inner aisles of boxed, chemicalized foods if you want to eat the best, but they're the cheapest and easiest to store. Do you have an Aldi? I hear they have cheaper produce.

[SAHMIL]

Sad that when you go to France, Italy, Germany and other places in Europe, small outdoor markets are more readily available year round where people can buy good produce cheap. It would be great if that were the case here.

[ThreeofUs]

I agree! If I wanted my family to eat junk, we'd spend a LOT less money and probably shop a lot less often, too.

One thing that is starting to save us money is doing most of our own baking. My allergies/intolerances prevent me from being around wheat a lot, but I'm guessing that saves at least $100/month.

Good luck.

[himom]

Loves Bakery has thrift store outlets around the islands. I think they sell day-old bread for a lot cheaper.

As for veggies, find out when your local "open market" or farmer's market is. I remember my mom getting veggies for $0.50 or $1/bag. Maybe a little more now.

Not sure where exactly you are, but if you're on Oahu, there are meat co./butchers that sell to the public. For example, Higa Meat Market (which sells meat to Zippys) sells to the public and they have sales that can be pretty cheap. Just give them a call for prices.

You can also get very good prices on trays of eggs from egg farm stores or outlets (for example Ka Lei Eggs).

HTH

Thanks! I'm going to look into these, but I have a sneaking suspicion I may end up spending more in gas getting to some of these places than I would just getting the marked up stuff at the market. Except the Love's thrift shop -- I think there may be one somewhere around here.

Thanks to all who posted! There are some good suggestions in thes thread. I think I might start out by checking out our local farmer's market and attempting to bake bread. Yum! And the other thread in the lounge had some great coupon advice.

Thanks again, all! :wavey:

Jodi