Grocery budget.

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
Imagine if you will the following scenario in trying to plan a grocery budget:

- Family of 6 - 2 adults, 4 children (10, 8, 7 and 1.5yrs old)

1 child with food allergies to: Pork, Peanuts, Dairy and Wheat
1 child with high sensitivity to HFC & food dyes, lactose intollerance
1 adult that with thyroid issues (hence having to limit/avoid a good number of foods)

AND...

A preference for organics and/or natural/hormone/antibiotic/pesticide-free goods.

So here I am trying to figure out how to minimize my grocery bill, and all the things that makes kids' lives worth living (PB&J for example) are essentially off the list. I'm limited to more fresh fruits and vegetables, which isn't a bad thing - unless you look at the wallet. Even chicken is getting expensive, and you can only have so much of it. Rice has started to become a staple, though my wife isn't terribly fond of it. And bread without wheat is freaking expensive as all hell!

Life was so much better back when we were oblivious and enjoyed those Banquet frozen Salisbury steak meals and shit. :(

The freaking grocery bill just gets worse every trip to the store these days.
 

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
I don't think there are any ways around it...you're going to have to spend a lot of money to get what you need.
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
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Yea, food is expensive, but IMO high quality food (not necessarily organic, but it could be) is worth it for your health and well-being. When you eat crap, you feel like crap. I just accept that I'm going to spend an assload at the grocery store every week.

Buy frozen fruits and veg too, and always look for sales and bulk items.

If it's at all possible to cut back your budget in other areas, do that first.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
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81
We're desperately trying to eat more healthy, but it is outrageously expensive! :( But yeah, I think it will be worth it in the long run.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
126
Sell the 2 kids with the food allergies to drug companies to be used as scientific experiments. Problem solved.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
60,167
15,087
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Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Yea, food is expensive, but IMO high quality food (not necessarily organic, but it could be) is worth it for your health and well-being. When you eat crap, you feel like crap.

I keep hearing people selling this line, but I'm not feeling it.
 

Barfo

Lifer
Jan 4, 2005
27,539
212
106
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Yea, food is expensive, but IMO high quality food (not necessarily organic, but it could be) is worth it for your health and well-being. When you eat crap, you feel like crap.

I keep hearing people selling this line, but I'm not feeling it.

Yeah, I feel great when I eat crap :D
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
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116
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Yea, food is expensive, but IMO high quality food (not necessarily organic, but it could be) is worth it for your health and well-being. When you eat crap, you feel like crap.

I keep hearing people selling this line, but I'm not feeling it.

You may not feel like crap eating crap, but you will feel better if you eat better.

KT
 

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
Originally posted by: nkgreen
Which grocery store do you go to?

Stores. Fixed.

Erm, let's see, Costco, Publix, whatever the local smaller version of Whole Foods is called, Kroger and Target. Mostly because we can't find everything we need at one store.
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
1
0
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Yea, food is expensive, but IMO high quality food (not necessarily organic, but it could be) is worth it for your health and well-being. When you eat crap, you feel like crap.

I keep hearing people selling this line, but I'm not feeling it.

You may not feel like crap eating crap, but you will feel better if you eat better.

KT

QFT. I've switched to some organic and less processed foods (e.g. Kashi) and increased my fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as cut down on meat, and I can tell you it has worked wonders.

Despite all the flus and illnesses flying around, I have tons of energy, I am more alert, and I have had barely a sniffle in the last year. This is in spite of lots of my co-workers getting sick at some point this fall/spring.
 

DestinyKnight

Senior member
Jul 1, 2003
269
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0
Diversify and build on your use of grains and legumes. brown rice, barley, quinoa, millet, spelt, rye, lentils, black beans, pintos, kidney, white beans, etc. Also, potatoes. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables according to what is on sale and cheap. Always have lots of onions, carrots and celery on hand. Get the conventionally grown produce, you're just throwing money away on the organics. Make lots of soups, stews to stretch the dollar further (water is filling and cheap). Bread can be made from grains other than wheat, but the alternative grain flours can be expensive. If you must have bread and need it to be cheap, buy your grain whole, in bulk and get an electric mill to grind it into flour for you and then bake your own bread. Stir fry is also a good way to stretch a small amount of meat a long way. With all the allergies in the family, you're better off basing your meals on vegetarian and vegan recipes and then adding in meat as desired.
 

oiprocs

Diamond Member
Jun 20, 2001
3,780
2
0
Crock pot that shit. Just get 1 item for each person that they can eat, throw it in there, and let those fuckers at it after 8 hours.

Trust me, when they've waited that long, they'll eat anything.

It puts the lotion on its back.
 

InflatableBuddha

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2007
7,416
1
0
Originally posted by: DestinyKnight
Diversify and build on your use of grains and legumes. brown rice, barley, quinoa, millet, smelt, rye, lentils, black beans, pintos, kidney, white beans, etc. Also, potatoes. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables according to what is on sale and cheap. Always have lots of onions, carrots and celery on hand. Get the conventionally grown produce, you're just throwing money away on the organics. Make lots of soups, stews to stretch the dollar further (water is filling and cheap). Bread can be made from grains other than wheat, but the alternative grain flours can be expensive. If you must have bread and need it to be cheap, buy your grain whole, in bulk and get an electric mill to grind it into flour for you and then bake your own bread. Stir fry is also a good way to stretch a small amount of meat a long way. With all the allergies in the family, you're better off basing your meals on vegetarian and vegan recipes and then adding in meat as desired.

:thumbsup: Great advice.
 
Nov 5, 2001
18,366
3
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I'm not sure how thyroid problem affects your diet....I have relatives with thyroid issues and it does not affect them.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,142
1,302
126
Chicken (stock up when it's on sale like I do)
Rice
Beans
Peas
Bell Peppers
Onions
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Beef
Fish
Tofu (it's actually delicious)
Colllard/Turnip/Mustard greens
Okra
Squash
Herbs from the herb garden

The preference for organic/pesticide-free is where you're taking the hit. Other than that, you can eat very well.