Healthy Living on a Tight Budget UPDATED POSTING

[Guest guest]

While I appreciate the responses I've received already since I posted

this just this morning, I feel I need to clarify what I'm looking for.

I need ways to lower my existing grocery bills, i.e. food products, not

suggestions on ADDITIONAL supplements. I need stuff I can put on a

plate to feed my family at mealtime. I'm sorry if this sounds rude,

but unfortunately the vast majority of replies I've received today are

from people wanting me to buy their products. I currently buy only

organic produce, grains, oils, and other products *when I can afford

to*, and only serve meat when it's hormone-free chicken or venison

(which I am blessed to have a husband and two sons who are more than

happy to fill my freezer with deer meat!) All other food products I

stick to all-natural ingredients, which is the best I can do without

breaking the bank. Basically I'm not sure what I'm asking, I just know

I need to lower the food bill ASAP and I can't imagine actually going

back to buying the cheap commercially-made " frankenfood " that's out

there! May God bless you all richly for trying to help me!!!

 

This was my original post:

Can anyone give me advice? I've moved my family to an all-natural

diet, implementing organics, natural remedies, etc. wherever I can, but

it's so expensive! We're not wealthy people and I'm afraid from some

of the comments my husband has made over the past several months, that

if I don't start finding better-priced alternatives, he's going to pull

the plug on all my holistic efforts! I certainly can't imagine after

learning all that I have studied over the past year or so, going back

to what I used to feed my family. Any suggestions, tricks, advice, or

DEALS??? Thanks & God bless you!

[Guest guest]

There are some things at Trader Joe's that are cheaper. Cereal is much

cheaper there. If you have one in your area check it out. They have very healthy

food. I used to make my own bread to make sure it did not contain all that

stuff you can't pronounce, when I had my kids at home. I still have two but

they

are not bread eaters, so I don't bother. they only eat Pita Bread. Homemade

bread is much cheaper than store bought.

Cherry Tomatoes are easy to grow and have lots of tomatoes. I grow them in

containers on the porch. I have many fruit trees in the yard and that saves a

bundle too. I also make jam out of the fruit. I have a couple of nut trees

too. I grow herbs and dry them and then put into canning jars for seasoning or

tea. Tastes a lot better than the kind at the store. If you have a few tubs,

you can grow potatoes and sweet potatoes very easily. Just cut the potatoes

into pieces making sure each piece has at least one eye and bury in compost

(or just dry leaves) about a foot deep. when the tops die back, just dig them

out. It is okay to leave some for later. Growing your own is really most

economical. I plant garlic cloves and herbs with everything to keep the bugs

away.Of course this is all assuming you have a yard. Even if you just have a

porch

you can plant a lot in tubs which are usually cheap at places like big Lots

or just use the 5 gallon buckets that are used for paint if washed very well.

I grate up Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap Bars for laundry and use white vinegar

instead of fabric softener. also and that saves on laundry. I hang the clothes

out in the summer to save on electricity. I hope this has been of some help

Peace, Thyme

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I forgot to say that I make my own tinctures too. I buy dried herbs from

mountain rose herbs because they have organic herbs and they have discounts for

buying certain amounts which can be combined of different herbs, and make my

own from 80 - 100 proof alcohol, usually vodka which is the cheapest alcohol.

I stuff a canning jar with the herb and fill to cover the herbs. Leave to

steep about 6 weeks and then strain and bottle. Shake well each day and

replenish the alcohol if any of the herbs become uncovered. Keep in a dark

place.

Medicinal doses are usually about a teaspoon 3 to 4 times a day. You can

evaporate the alcohol if you prefer by placing the dose into a tiny bit of

boiling

water. You can add vegetable glycerin to a spoonful or honey to sweeten. My

kids just took it straight up with no sweetener and that is the best way for

healing anything.

Mountain rose herbs also have a wealth of information on their Internet

site. They are in Oregon.

I am not affiliated with them in any way but have found them to be the best

out of many that I have ordered from. Some of the herbs I grow myself of

course but many do not grow well here.

I also make our salves and lotions. Lots of directions to make these can be

found on the Internet. I grow my own aloe vera, which is excellent for any

skin problems and wonderful for burns. Easy to grow and the plant makes lots of

babies to grow more or give away.

Peace, Thyme

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

How about buy direct from the farmer, farmer's markets, and food co-ops? Or grow

your own. And buy in bulk. Use whole foods, not processed. Do your own cooking

and baking.

 

Linda

 

 

Linda Bumpas

Light Beam Expressions

Web Design Services to Help Your Light Shine

Linda

 

 

 

 

Julie <keans6

 

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 10:10:47 AM

Healthy Living on a Tight Budget UPDATED POSTING

 

While I appreciate the responses I've received already since I posted

this just this morning, I feel I need to clarify what I'm looking for.

I need ways to lower my existing grocery bills, i.e. food products, not

suggestions on ADDITIONAL supplements. I need stuff I can put on a

plate to feed my family at mealtime. I'm sorry if this sounds rude,

but unfortunately the vast majority of replies I've received today are

from people wanting me to buy their products. I currently buy only

organic produce, grains, oils, and other products *when I can afford

to*, and only serve meat when it's hormone-free chicken or venison

(which I am blessed to have a husband and two sons who are more than

happy to fill my freezer with deer meat!) All other food products I

stick to all-natural ingredients, which is the best I can do without

breaking the bank. Basically I'm not sure what I'm asking, I just know

I need to lower the food bill ASAP and I can't imagine actually going

back to buying the cheap commercially- made " frankenfood " that's out

there! May God bless you all richly for trying to help me!!!

 

This was my original post:

Can anyone give me advice? I've moved my family to an all-natural

diet, implementing organics, natural remedies, etc. wherever I can, but

it's so expensive! We're not wealthy people and I'm afraid from some

of the comments my husband has made over the past several months, that

if I don't start finding better-priced alternatives, he's going to pull

the plug on all my holistic efforts! I certainly can't imagine after

learning all that I have studied over the past year or so, going back

to what I used to feed my family. Any suggestions, tricks, advice, or

DEALS??? Thanks & God bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a PS3 game guru.

Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Games.

http://videogames./platform?platform=120121

 

 

[Guest guest]

Julie,

I feel your pain. We are on a tight budget as well and it is all I

can do some months to keep my husband from freaking out over the

grocery bill and still put fairly healthy food on the table! Some

of the things that I have done to help with bills are:

 

* Buy bulk. Things are definitely much cheaper in bulk so I buy

bulk when I can. Getting rice or nuts or whatever from a bulk bin

is much cheaper then getting them pre-packaged.

 

* Shop around. I shop at 6 different stores! I certainly don't do

it all in one day and it can be a pain, but I know who sells what

the cheapest and/or has the best quality on certain items. This

keeps me going all over the place, but it's worth it on my bill!

 

* Buy dried instead of canned. Beans are a good example. It's much

cheaper to buy dried beans and cook them yourself then to buy a

bunch of cans. Buy a large box of steel cut oats (or buy them in

the bulk bin) and make those with your own added flavors rather then

buying oatmeal packets...things like that.

 

* Trader Joe's! You didn't mention where you live, but look and see

if there is a Trader Joe's near you. They have some really great

finds and I sometimes have to pinch myself at how cheap some of

their items are in comparison to my regular grocery store. I went

there today and found all sorts of wild caught fish for very low

prices.

 

* Frozen veggies. I LOVE fresh veggies but realized that buying

everything fresh just wasn't in my budget (and I don't have a garden

and probably won't for a long time...we are military). I was buying

fresh veggies and steaming them with dinner and using them to cook

with. Then I realized that I couldn't afford to do that so now I

buy frozen organic veggies and it is way cheaper. I buy the fresh

stuff for what I am going to eat raw and the frozen stuff for what I

am going to cook with. I bought a bag of frozen organic peas today

that will last us 3-4 meals for $1.69! (Trader Joe's) You just

can't beat that price.

 

* Join a CSA (community supported agriculture) program or shop

farmers markets when you can. With a CSA program you can get FRESH,

organic produce weekly at a much cheaper rate then the grocery

stores. Every farm is different so some are more expensive than

others but I have been lucky enough to pay an average of $15 per

week in the summer months and I get a large bin of produce. Well

worth the money. Check out www.localharvest.org to find co-ops,

farmers markets, CSA programs, etc. in your area. You might be

surprised by what you can find.

 

* Eat more soups! Soup is easy, healthy, filling and cheap to make

so in the winter months make soup and eat it with every meal to fill

up and keep costs down.

 

* PLAN! I find that I spend WAY less money if I plan my menus in

advance. That way I know exactly what I need and I don't

overshop/overspend on my groceries. I was always throwing things

out because they went " bad " before I could get around to using

them. I don't do that near as much now.

 

* Bake from scratch...make your own breads, muffins, etc.

 

* Make more skillets, soups, stews, casseroles, etc. I find that if

I have a meal that is, say, chicken, and two side items that we eat

more chicken (my husband will have two pieces, I'll have one, my

daughter will have one...for a total of 4 chicken breasts). If I

make a soup or fajitas or a casserole or something like that then I

can " stretch " my meat by using maybe only two breasts. If the meat

is the focus of my meal we eat more of it. If it's just

encorporated in my meal then we eat much less, therefore, saving

money.

 

* Substitute beans for meat or mix beans in with meat. My

taco " meat " is half the beef it used to be mixed with black beans

now. Sloppy Joe's can be made with beans instead of meat. Things

like that. We were always a red meat family and are now trying to

cut back on that as much as possible so this has helped. We can

even make homemade bean veggie burgers!

 

* Pick your battles. You don't have to do everything all at once.

This doesn't mean you have to go back to buying processed crap

either. I have to compromise with what my budget allows me to do.

I can't always get organic everything so I pick and choose what's

most important to me. Maybe you can do the same until you figure

out how to better work within your budget?

 

* Smoothies. Smoothies make great meals and are so cheap if you use

frozen fruit, some whey, and some sort of liquid and/or yogurt if

you do dairy. They are SO filling and a couple bags of frozen

organic fruit will last me SEVERAL smoothies. It won't work for

dinners around your house, I'm sure, but it might be good for

breakfast or lunch.

 

Well, not sure if that helps or not, but those are the things that I

do. This is such a diverse group of people that I'm sure someone

out there is cringing over the fact we eat red meat or beans or

whatever but these are examples based on our family and I thought

they might give you some ideas. Good luck with everything. I know

how hard it is to try to live healthy on a tight budget!

 

Tara

[Guest guest]

Hello Julie,

 

Some cities have food co-ops where you can purchase bulk food at a very

reasonable price, less if you volunteer to work there. If you have the

space and the inclination, you might also try gardening. You can start

small, perhaps a few plants the first year to see how it goes and see if

your familiy is willing to help out. You local farm bureau could give you

advice and information in preparing your soil for organcally grown produce.

When possible, buy in bulk and can or freeze what you cannot use right

away. Can or freeze your crops when you have more than a few meals worth of

produce. Some organic farms sell shares, meaning you pay a certain amount

each season and you go pick up your share each week. You take a risk that

the crops will be successful, but in good years you can get a lot of fresh,

organic food.

 

If you simply cannot get by with pure organic food, and your family isn't

exceptionally sensitive to food additives, why not buy the organic food you

can afford and mix it with regular food? It's not ideal, but without an

alternative cheap source it may be the best you can do for now.

 

Simple, healthy living was not meant to be expensive. The more you can grow

for yourself, the more independent you will become.

 

You also might see if you can cut down on some of your other expenses. Keep

your electric bill down by keeping lights off where you're not using them.

Minimize your use of heating and air conditioning. Can you generate

electricity or heat your water with alternative energy sources such as solar

panels or wind power? Can you be more efficient with your errands to cut

down on auto fuel? Is second hand clothing a possibility, especially for

fast-growing children? There used to be a newsletter called the Tightwad

Gazette. It's no longer in print but I have seen their books occasionally.

They have some excellent money-saving ideas, even if your family refuses to

be as extreme as theirs was.

 

Sorry I don't have any supplements to sell you.

 

Toni

 

On 2/7/07, Julie <keans6 wrote:

>

> While I appreciate the responses I've received already since I posted

> this just this morning, I feel I need to clarify what I'm looking for.

> I need ways to lower my existing grocery bills, i.e. food products, not

> suggestions on ADDITIONAL supplements. I need stuff I can put on a

> plate to feed my family at mealtime. I'm sorry if this sounds rude,

> but unfortunately the vast majority of replies I've received today are

> from people wanting me to buy their products. I currently buy only

> organic produce, grains, oils, and other products *when I can afford

> to*, and only serve meat when it's hormone-free chicken or venison

> (which I am blessed to have a husband and two sons who are more than

> happy to fill my freezer with deer meat!) All other food products I

> stick to all-natural ingredients, which is the best I can do without

> breaking the bank. Basically I'm not sure what I'm asking, I just know

> I need to lower the food bill ASAP and I can't imagine actually going

> back to buying the cheap commercially-made " frankenfood " that's out

> there! May God bless you all richly for trying to help me!!!

>

> This was my original post:

> Can anyone give me advice? I've moved my family to an all-natural

> diet, implementing organics, natural remedies, etc. wherever I can, but

> it's so expensive! We're not wealthy people and I'm afraid from some

> of the comments my husband has made over the past several months, that

> if I don't start finding better-priced alternatives, he's going to pull

> the plug on all my holistic efforts! I certainly can't imagine after

> learning all that I have studied over the past year or so, going back

> to what I used to feed my family. Any suggestions, tricks, advice, or

> DEALS??? Thanks & God bless you!

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

In wellness,

Toni D. Roberts, BA, LMT

Cumberland Muscle Therapy

2470 Windy Hill Road SE, Suite 227

Marietta, Georgia 30067-8617

 

(770) 984-8040

forums

www.cumberlandmuscletherapy.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hello Julie,

I saw your reply and wanted to share with you. Why

don't you go to the stores that you like to shop get a

basic price list of the things that you buy on a

regular basis. Then plan your menu for the week buy

the ingredients for the recipes for that week and keep

your recipes choices and meals within the budget that

you plan for that week. There is a store that I

love call Trader Joes they carry a lot of organic,

natural and perservative free food and they have very

good prices. See if you have one of in your area that

would help you out tremendously. I hope that I have

helped you. If I think of anything else I will write

back. Enjoy your day.

 

With best regards,

Jackulene Horn

--- Julie <keans6 wrote:

 

> While I appreciate the responses I've received

> already since I posted

> this just this morning, I feel I need to clarify

> what I'm looking for.

> I need ways to lower my existing grocery bills, i.e.

> food products, not

> suggestions on ADDITIONAL supplements. I need stuff

> I can put on a

> plate to feed my family at mealtime. I'm sorry if

> this sounds rude,

> but unfortunately the vast majority of replies I've

> received today are

> from people wanting me to buy their products. I

> currently buy only

> organic produce, grains, oils, and other products

> *when I can afford

> to*, and only serve meat when it's hormone-free

> chicken or venison

> (which I am blessed to have a husband and two sons

> who are more than

> happy to fill my freezer with deer meat!) All other

> food products I

> stick to all-natural ingredients, which is the best

> I can do without

> breaking the bank. Basically I'm not sure what I'm

> asking, I just know

> I need to lower the food bill ASAP and I can't

> imagine actually going

> back to buying the cheap commercially-made

> " frankenfood " that's out

> there! May God bless you all richly for trying to

> help me!!!

>

> This was my original post:

> Can anyone give me advice? I've moved my family to

> an all-natural

> diet, implementing organics, natural remedies, etc.

> wherever I can, but

> it's so expensive! We're not wealthy people and I'm

> afraid from some

> of the comments my husband has made over the past

> several months, that

> if I don't start finding better-priced alternatives,

> he's going to pull

> the plug on all my holistic efforts! I certainly

> can't imagine after

> learning all that I have studied over the past year

> or so, going back

> to what I used to feed my family. Any suggestions,

> tricks, advice, or

> DEALS??? Thanks & God bless you!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much to everyone for all your wonderful suggestions!!!

While some of them are things I already do, like meal-planning and

doing my own baking and such, I'm coming away with a long list of ideas

that I can't wait to look into! It breaks my heart to hear so many ask

if I have a Trader Joe's nearby, because I don't and I've wished we did

for some time now! LOL I even wrote to them a while back asking them

to please consider opening a store around these parts... say a little

prayer that they do! I've never actually been to one, but I've

heard so much about it on different forums, I might have to make the

two and a half hour drive to visit the nearest one, just to see it for

myself! But that will have to wait until the sub-zero temps go away...

what, another six weeks or so? Thanks again everyone!