Lo Carb on a Budget
 

What are some things you do to cut costs? Especially while feeding a family?

As a lot of people here do I go to the grocery store at 7:30am (they open at 7) to see what meats they have marked down and base my menus on whatever I happen to pick up. Latest great deals were Jimmy Dean Mild Sausage 1# roll for .99 (bought all they had left, 6 rolls right in the freezer) and 1# packages of Healthy Choice Cooked Ham (yes I know there's a few carbs and filler stuff in there but price is right and we do "moderate carb" approach) for .99 per package so bought all those, 8 total.

I guess I am lucky in the fact my ex-husband works for Peppridge Farm and he brings me unlimited supplies of thier Carb Control Bread (White, Wheat and 7 Grain, 5 net carbs per slice) which I have occasionally as toast for breakfast and use for kids lunches).

I also use a lot of coupons for cheese, some dairy stuff ( sour cream, cream cheese).

I shop at at least 5 different stores weekly. It's not a problem for me. The farm market and bulk store on on my way and home from work so I hit those a couple times a week. Farm market tends to have REALLY good deals on fresh veggies. Last week large heads of cauliflower were .79 each so I bought 10, came home chopped em all up, blanched and froze them.

I also tend to use a lot of eggs. I buy 3 dozen a week usually as 2-18ct. packages unless dozens are on sale.

I always check the reduced veggie trays in the produce section and see what I can use in the next couple days.

I can get cream cheese (8oz) at Save-A-Lot for .89 all the time ( My 2 boys love mock danishes for breakfast.) and cheap bacon (about 1.69 for 1#) which dosent cook well as slices per se but works well crumbled in quiche or cassoroles.

Also scan the drugstore sale ads. I have recently gotten Designer Whey Protein canisters Buy1 get 1 Free so I got 6 (3 vanilla, 3 chocolate) for about $6.99 a can and they are usually $15 a can. I put 1 scoop of this in sons' mock danishes in the morning and make occasional shakes or muffins from it).

I average I spend about $40 a week feeding myself and my 2 boys (ages 13 and 11) but we only eat out maybe once every 2 weeks and it is always in a sit down place (NOT McDonald's or fast food) so LC choices are better and my boyfriend picks up the tab (bless his heart).

Hope some of this helps.

P.S. I belong to a coupon swapping board and can usually get coupons I can use for very little trade, such as 7 coupons traded for a postage stamp..that kind of thing. Works well :)

Some of the things cheap here in Britain are:

Turkey drumsticks - nuke 'em and scrape off the meat for stirfries or just as it is.
Ground beef - I buy the cheapest and make my own burgers or use it in a curry or stirfry.
Liver - I like lamb or pork, very cheap and very good for you.
Chicken - buy whole chickens, cheaper than portions.
Bacon off cuts/misshapes. May be cut wrong but tastes the same.
In my local supermarket there is a shelf in the chiller section for stuff which is short dated. I get cheese, cream, ham and other stuff there half price.
I buy fresh veggies from a market, much cheaper than a supermarket and very much cheaper than frozen or canned.

I know things may be differently priced where you live but I hope this helps.

If I have a budget month, I tend to live of Eggs, Turkey Thigh-Meat and Minced Beef (ground beef). It is cheap. I mix these with either frozen Veggies or whatever is in season. Due to the extreme dry summer in germany last year, a lot of veggies are quite expensive this year (don't ask me why), so frozen is often cheaper. We don't have a farmers market here (at leats not one which is open when I am not at work), but I work next to a Bangladeshi Supermarket and one day I will go an buy some of these very weird veggies they have. They are reasonable, just not sure what to do with them :rolleyes:

I live in the middle of nowhere..<sigh> A head of cauliflower runs about $2.49. I buy the frozen for a buck a bag.

Aside from buying on sale, we use a lot of tuna and eggs, chicken drumsticks and thighs, cheaper cuts of beef.

The crock pot is very handy to use those cheap, tough cuts of beef. Throw it in with a little water, celery, salt and pepper and it comes out tender and flavorful. I divide it up and freeze, then I can take out what I need and since I haven't given it a distinctive flavor, I can add mexican seasoning for fajitas... add to veggies, sesame oil and soy sauce garlic and ginger for stir-fry...etc..

Chicken also stews well in the crock pot. Throw a few drumsticks or thighs in with water, celery, salt and whatever other seasonings you like and leave it a few hours. Add some leftover veggies after you pull the meat off the bones and return it to the crock pot. Pretty good chicken soup, and a little meat goes a long way!

Stick to basic, whole foods. The more refined they are, the more they cost, the less you actually get out of them and the faster they leave your belly (and the sooner you get hungry!).

Bear in mind that nutrition doesn't have to be balanced in every meal or even every day. Many of the things we need we only need "boosters" on once a week, every couple of weeks, maybe only every few months. When you find stuff on sale get more of it--by the time you get sick of it, there'll be something else out there that's cheap and different. And the more creative you are with recipes, etc., the better. There's a fair amount of anecdotal evidence to suggest we actually do best using seasonal foods--which works out well if you've got access to local farm stands/farmer's market, things like that--stuff in season is generally more plentiful, hence cheaper, and because it's fresh, it's also more nutritious.

Use more expensive things as condiments. Make sure everyone gets sufficient protein and then fill up on the least expensive, lower carb veggies you can find--a little fat makes everything taste better :)

Also, and this sounds strange... but make sure everyone in your household gets enough water and sleep, since our bodies naturally demand more food to compensate for lack of sleep and fluid.

I think the best bet is to check the ads and stock when stuff is cheap if you have the room. Thats what my family does.

Once a month cooking!
 

I went to Sam's Club, spent ~$200 and I made enough dinners and lunches for an entire month. I spent another $50 between Sam's and Trader Joe's and I've got staples for breakfasts, snacks, etc. 5 dozen eggs is less than $4 at my Sam's Club. I get 6 packs of cream cheese for about $7. I have beef stew, two roasts, two whole chickens, cheeseburger pie, chicken tenderloins, spaghetti sauce,fish fillets, hot dogs, bacon, quiche, lasagna, london broil, meatloaf, chili, a boneless turkey breast, I've got hard boiled eggs, egg salad, and deviled eggs in the fridge, and a LOT of sugar free cheesecake. I am sure I am forgetting stuff, but I think you get the jist. I am lucky since my DH and DD are now doing Somersizing with me - so I only shop one way. I buy ANYTHING I will use a lot of there. Cocoa powder, seasonings, milk, sour cream, CHEESE. I don't often buy meat or veggies at Sam's Club since often they don't look very good - but this last time I went it was BEAUTY. I think the biggest thing is REAL food. I make my own noodles, treats, etc. I also get Splenda in bulk. Gotta have that in the house. :)

I do own a deep freezer that we bought several years ago. That really helps. :) If you don't have a deep freezer, maybe you could just do one or two weeks at a time. Double up a few recipes and freeze the extra portions.

Bottom line - buying and cooking in bulk saves money and time. Plus we can still eat a full, on-plan meal even when Mom doesn't want to cook.

Melissa

Eggs, eggs, eggs. There are so many things you can do with them! Try eggs in a stir fry made with frozen veggies. Also, buy things in larger containers. I buy olive oil in giant quantities, knowing that I'll use it quickly. And buy the store brand, which is always cheaper than name brands (even with a coupon). Also, because you don't have to worry about fat, you can buy cheaper cuts of chicken... I bought a big bag of frozen thigh meat at Trader Joe's (MUCH cheaper than breast meat, and tastier, too!).

I have found a meat market that sells beef/poultry/fish/veggies/deli a lot cheaper than the grocers. I stock up there 2x a week, and i have a farmers market that is so much cheaper than the grocers...

I go the extra mile to these two places fairly regularly. Bulk and produce markets and meat markets seem to by my salvation.

I also love the crock pot, and micro wave!!

I live in a little condo that heats up terribly, if i use the oven. So... I've learned to do a lot of cooking in simpler ways to avoid causing my a/c to over work.

The bulk store is one of my favorite places to save money over a grocery store for certain specialty items that can really add up if you're buying them every week:

- A few days ago, I bought enough cinammon to refill my originally-$4 shaker bottle for 26 cents!
- For the price of one packet of taco seasoning, I can buy enough cumin and chili powder to last a year. (And that's about all that's in taco seasoning - that and corn starch. :eek: )
- I also bought a *large* bag of TVP (soy protein granules) for under a buck. I'm not a big TVP fan, but it's okay for a change of pace and it's an easy way to "stretch" ground meat.
- it's the cheapest way to buy soy flour, gluten flour, ground almonds, nuts, flax seeds, and other LC 'dry goods'.

I take advantage of the stores out here that sell surplus and closeout goods...such as Big Lots...and Rainbow Grocery Outlets....and places like Dollar Tree......and the local cooperative grocery. Fresh produce abounds this time of year...and farms/farmers markets will often make deals. I also head for bargain bins and markdown meats in supermarkets, as well as clip a few coupons now and then.

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs, and Eggs....Did I mention Eggs?

Seriously eggs are so cheap and versatile.

Otherwise I buy chicken which has been really cheap up here and ground beef. Like others above I have found a butcher which is cheaper than the grocery store.

I watch for mark downs and buy lots when the price is right.

I find stuffed peppers are cheap, filling and everyone in the family likes them.
Use 4 green bell peppers, cut in half long way and take out the seeds. Mix 1 pound of ground beef with 2/3 cup crushed pork rinds (measure after crushing), 2 large eggs and black pepper. Mix really well and divide among the pepper halves. Place them meat side down in a large deep skillet and brown really well, then flip over. Pour an 8oz can of tomato sauce over the top, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
You can sprinkle a little cheese on top right before serving if you like.
For 6 servings this is approx 5 carbs per serving.

Cost breakdown will vary depending on where you are.
Bell peppers $1. for 4
1lb ground beef $1.75
Bag store brand pork rinds $1.
2 eggs $.25
8oz can tomato sauce $.25
Total cost for main dish feeding 4-6 $4.25