I am already talking about sacrifices, and it is only the third day! I was always confident we could do the first 100 Days of Real Food pledge, but to be honest I am doubting this budget pledge often.
- Exhibit A: The amount of raspberries you can have in your cereal when you are on a $125/week budget.
- Exhibit B: The beverage you have to (at times) force your children to drink when you run out of milk and can’t afford to buy more yet.
- Exhibit C: The one super cheap fruit that I will always be able to afford on this budget, but that I am already getting tired of eating.
I guess I really shouldn’t be complaining about my one raspberry. I wanted to buy a whole $4.99 container of organic raspberries at the store, but it was one of the many things I had to put back when I saw how much my bill was adding up to be. Then I was outside checking on my garden when I realized there were 5 ripe raspberries on our raspberry bush! It was very exciting until I remembered it would only be fair for me to share them with my family. That darn family. So anyway, only one lonely raspberry for me even though I love all things berry when it comes to my granola cereal in the morning!
So in addition to raspberries, some of the other things I had to put back when I was checking out at Earth Fare the other day were mushrooms, an avocado, some almonds, cream cheese, and about half a bag of grapes. Yes, I only bought half of the grapes. I also had a few things on my list I didn’t even attempt to buy once I started adding things up in my head. This included espresso, jelly (I figured we must have some left in the fridge somewhere), celery, parmesan cheese, and fontina cheese. I needed the fontina cheese for our lasagna the other night, but just had to do without!
One more negative comment then I promise I will be nice! Since everyone obviously knows the pros of “budgeting” I thought I would share some of the cons I have observed so far…
- You can’t stock up or buy things on an impulse (just in case you might need them) without going over budget, which means you have to go to the store more often.
- You may end up with a lot less variety in your diet since you have to stick to the cheap stuff (like the lovely banana pictured above).
- You might be forced to become a vegetarian.
Okay, now that I got that off my chest I do have something nice to say. Even though I couldn’t buy an avocado (which all of us love) or fresh mushrooms like
I wanted for our fajitas tonight they did end up being delicious. I got lucky again like I did with the raspberries and “found” some dried mushrooms in my pantry that have been in there a long, long time. After a little warm water and TLC they were reconstituted and made a great addition to our fajita mix (pictured). I have a feeling that the more I use up these little “finds” in my pantry the harder this budget thing is going to get.
So as promised, this is what my $67 got me at Earthfare the other day…almost all of it was organic by the way…
- Raw Cashews $7.90
- Pumpkin Seeds $3.35
- Coffee Beans $8.99
- Unsalted Butter $4.29
- Cheddar Cheese $4.89
- Monterey Jack Cheese $3.39
- Ricotta Cheese $5.99
- Cheese Sticks $4.39
- Applesauce Squeeze $3.29
- Unsweetened Coconut $2.79
- Whole-Wheat Pretzels $4.39
- Bananas! $1.74
- Baby Carrots $2.00
- Ginger Root $0.21
- Green Grapes $1.45
- Leeks $3.83
- Yellow Onions $3.46
The total (with tax) was $67.68. And on a positive note, the milk man comes tomorrow…yay!
LauraElle
October 7, 2010 at 3:54 amSome thoughts. Hope you don’t mind:
– Do items such as coffee, nuts/seeds, bananas, ginger root for example, need to be organic? I can see, with budgeting, sticking to organic for most produce and animal products [dairy and meat and eggs]. But things like the above list, is it really that important? Also, are you familiar with the Dirty Dozen/ Clean Fifteen list? It’s useful information for when you need to stretch your food dollar. Here’s a link:
http://focusorganic.com/produce-dirty-dozen-and-clean-fifteen-updated/
– The applesauce squeezer. Is that the applesauce in the little squeeze pack? You can save money by purchasing jar of organic applesauce [~$2.75 at my local grocery store] and then portioning it out. More work, less money.
– Costco regularly has the following organic items. It may be worth checking out if you’re not a member. Applesauce, canned tomato sauce, chicken broth, and some produce. Sometimes they have organic chicken, but it’s probably not local. We’re not Costco people [but we do stock up when someone lets us tag along on their membership].
I think you’re doing great for the first few days. Before long, you will have budgeting down. It does take getting used to but it is do-able and also fun.
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:06 pmI love all the suggestions! I just printed out a dirty dozen wallet card. And in regards to the applesauce my girls just think those squeeze things are super fun. They will certainly be at the top of the list to be booted if we need to get rid of them though. Unfortunately we are not Costco members, but a lot of people do seem to like shopping there!
Thanks for the comment :)
HealthyMamma
October 7, 2010 at 11:04 amThis is also just a suggestion, but I notice you spend a lot of money on dairy between this list and the milk you have delivered. That’s a weakness in our family as well. I’ve been slowly weaning us off, using less and less in recipes and only buying the kids yogurt and cheese sticks when they are on sale. Dairy is expensive and the typical American family eats more than it should. Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way. I’ve weened my toddler down to one large sippy cup of milk a day (half a cup in the morning and then again in the evening). There were times (when we fed her 2 sippy cups full) when she wouldn’t drink it in time and we’d have to throw it down the drain. I limit how much the kids put in their cereal, since two of them don’t like to drink the leftover milk. I also try to discourage cereal, since it’s not really a healthy meal. Americans typically eat too much wheat and oats as well. A little bit of freshly grated parmesan goes a long way, so we use that more often. I also use more goat cheese (from the Bosky Acres) and feta because they also have strong flavor and are healthier than cheddar or jack. Cottage cheese is fairly inexpensive compared to other cheeses, so I use that when I need a mild cheese.
Good for you for sticking to your budget and good luck at the farmers market!!
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:07 pmWe love the Bosky Acres Goat Cheese and Feta too. Thanks so much for all of the tips! I certainly need all the help I can get at this point…
Amy
October 7, 2010 at 12:39 pmOrganic berries are a HIGH luxury item!!! At least where I’m from – they’re always $5 for a little pack. maybe $4… so I hardly ever buy them. But you can definitly cut down on the milk. But dairy is a huge part of our grocery bills. Bc the organic cheese I get is $5 a block, plus the butter is $5 a pound… next thing yah know – $10 here and $10 there… so you have to start pricing out your meals a little bit ahead of time. If you want berries – maybe you pick cheese free meals that week. It’s a trade off. And I don’t care for bannanas either. Good luck! The beginning is always the hardest!
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:08 pmI think cutting back on dairy one week for organic berries instead is a great idea! Unfortunately somethings gotta give :)
Sile
September 13, 2012 at 7:43 amWe buy two gallons every other week (we’re only two, but my husband is the one who uses most of it, which I am expecting to change once we have our new fridge with the water dispenser built in. he switched from drinking soda to milk and water and seems to go to milk more now since our tap water sometimes isn’t very groovy). Getting the kids to drink more water might be hard at first, but not undoable! And it will save money for the budget! (I realize you’re probably done with the budget thing by now, since this was done two years ago…)
I wish raspberries and berries in general weren’ t such a high money ticket. Organic or not, they’re ALL expensive! I always wait until they’re on sale and then buy double. Then I get twice as much for “regular price”. you’ve probably learned to keep an eye out ofor sales by now. ;)
Kelli
October 7, 2010 at 1:06 pmGood job staying strong and sticking to the budget! It will get easier. I find it the most cost effective to go through the sale add for my grocery store and plan my meals from that (rather then plan my meals and then go to the grocery store and hope things are on sale). Good luck with the rest of the challenge!
Mari
October 7, 2010 at 1:18 pmI definitely recommend checking out the dirty dozen list and deciding from there what you can/can’t choose to eat non-organic. Have you ever checked out Trader Joe’s? They have fairly good prices on items, some much lower than Earth Fare. Also, for non-organic (or more common organic items) I would check out a conventional grocery like BiLo – they have great prices and even run sales on organic items. Have you thought about buying whole carrots and cutting them yourself? Not much of a savings, but it all adds up! Costco can also be a good source of healthy items – though if you have to take the $50 membership out of your budget it may be hard to swing. I suggest looking on Amazon for non-perishables like applesauce (though buying a big jar like suggested is a great idea), coffee, nuts, seeds, and coconut. All those could have been bought on Amazon for possibly cheaper and you can get a reduced price if you sign up for a subscription for that item (you subscribe to have it shipped to you every so often but can cancel anytime if you need to).
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:10 pmI just printed a dirty dozen wallet card! So hopefully that will help. Also, someone else mentioned BiLo too and there happens to be one very close to us. I will have to go there (and Trader Joes) to compare some prices!
Taylor
October 7, 2010 at 1:40 pmI’m SO impressed with you , Lisa! You are making big sacrifices to educate all of us. Thank you! :)
L
October 7, 2010 at 1:55 pmHere’s a suggest for dealing with the banana monotony at breakfast. It is really easy to make homemade applesauce in a slow cooker. I just cut up the apples into chunks, with their peels on, and cook them with some cinnamon in the slow cooker for about 6 hours, stirring a couple times along the way. Then, I use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash them, depending on how smooth I want the tecture to be. A blender or food processer would make it even smoother. You really can’t tell the peels are in there, and if you’re using organic apples, they add so much nutrition. I eat this with yogurt and granola on a regular basis, and I really think you could add it to cereal. With apples in season right now, you could probably by some local apples in bulk and easily make a month’s worth of applesauce.
As for other variety, have you considered using other dried legumes, like lentils, white beans, split peas, etc.? They’re a lot less expensive than cashews or almonds and they pack a lot of protein.
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:12 pmI recently made some applesauce, but not in the slow cooker. I will have to try that before apple season is over! And, yes you are right…I am not the biggest fan of beans, but I really need to warm up to the idea because they are pretty darn cheap.
AMB
October 7, 2010 at 2:06 pmI was going to make the same point re: Costco and organics. We use the $125/week rule, and we eat 95% real food. If you plan your menu ahead of time, you have additional flexibility. For example, if we know that we need to stock up on items one week, we make sure that our menu utilizes primarily items we already have to stay within budget – “cheap weeks,” as we call them. Additionally, we’ve learned that eating 100% organic can be incredibly expensive…and often a waste of time. For example, we drink yogurt/flax/fruit smoothies every morning, and I purchase frozen fruit – organic, close to earth (as often more nutritious than out-of-season produce at the store), and much cheaper. You could thaw out a handful of berries overnight, and still have them on your cereal – $8.99 would buy you at least 3 weeks’ worth. So, for us, it’s about balancing – what’s cost effective and the healthiest we can do for our budget, not what the healthiest/most organic is period.
Melissa
October 7, 2010 at 2:32 pmAMB- Would you mind sharing some meal ideas? We always end up going way over budget, and we only have a 14 month old that eats lots of food at her in-home daycare. I don’t know what i’m doing wrong. I’m not creative in the kitchen or that great of a cook, and I don’t have a lot of time to cook either. What types of things do you eat for lunch/dinners if you don’t mind sharing? Thanks!
AMB
October 7, 2010 at 4:30 pmSure! We love to cook, though are still learning – but we’ve figured out a lot over the past 2-3 years of doing this. Time is our enemy, too, so nothing takes over 1/2 hour. Some sample staple dinner meals: frittata with seasonal veggies (can finish it in the oven in a cast-iron skillet), tuna and white bean salad in a wrap or pita, nearly anything in a crockpot, such as soups or something to serve over brown rice (though using the base ingredients, from scratch), quinoa with veggies (the protein and fiber content makes it enough to eat on its own, plus it works well as leftovers for a couple of days). You can buy all the grains in bulk – we store them in jars – and we depend a lot on fresh, canned, or frozen veggies. For lunch, we’ll do yogurt, hummus + pitas, triscuits + cheese, and I do apples + peanut butter and homemade energy mix (dried fruits, seeds, nuts). We use lots of tupperware and glass containers – if you can commit to buying in bulk and eating what you buy, it saves lots of money and makes your pantry look awesome.
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:19 pmSend us a pic of your pantry!
Jamey
January 22, 2013 at 9:41 pmWhere do you buy those things in bulk?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill)
February 8, 2013 at 1:23 pmHi Jamey. Lisa buys her bulk items from the bins at Earthfare. Jill
AMB
October 7, 2010 at 4:32 pmSome sites, like Eat Better America, have great recipes. Once you learn to make some of the basics (frittata, quinoa – which really involves just boiling – and others), it becomes easier to improvise and appear creative :)
Melissa
October 7, 2010 at 5:09 pmThanks so much! Those are great ideas. I usually go to myrecipes.com so I’m excited to check out Eat Better America.
Katherine
October 9, 2010 at 1:29 amI use Eat Better America. I also get the emails which are often seasonal. :)
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:14 pmI love the cheap week idea…I am totally adopting that one! And the frozen berry thing is a good idea too. Thanks!
Melissa
October 7, 2010 at 2:29 pmI just want to add that Earth Fare is probably going to be the biggest issue. I am still trying to get our family on a budget and we always overspend, but Earth Fare is one thing that made our expenditures skyrocket, and I quickly realized it was not going to work. I only go there for things that they have printable coupons for (like that amazing Earth Fare bacon), and the online coupons they email me once a week for free things. Harris Teeter is also super expensive we’ve started to realize. It’s hard for us to stay in a budget since we both work 40-43 hours a week, and I’m in class two nights a week, and he works retail and has weird hours.. Super Bi-Lo by the Siskey does have some surprising organic offerings but they don’t usually put those in their ads. Also, they offer coupons in the city-pass book and entertainment book.
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:15 pmYou guys have convinced me to try BiLo! We are close to the Siskey one as well so I will check it out this weekend…
Kristi Billingsley Toms
October 7, 2010 at 2:32 pmI am terribly impressed! I think that you are doing a bang up job, girl! It is hard to be on a budget & eat as healthy as possible, but w/ some sacrifices (go bananas!!) I think it is a reachable goal. Prior to turning the page to a mostly whole food lifestyle, I was a BIG believer in coupons. It is very difficult, however, to find a coupon for an organic item or fresh fruit/vegetables, etc. I truly believe that it is a food industry conspiracy! ;) Everything that is bad for you is super cheap or has a coupon available… Hmmmmm….
On a side note, I am not receiving posts anymore from this website…?? I have signed up again and again, but I still don’t get your posts until I see them on FB. Have you had anyone else run into that prob? Oh, well. I will just continue to stalk the 100daysofrealfood page on FB!
Kristi
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:17 pmThank you Kristi! And I agree the coupon thing is tricky if you don’t want the processed stuff. Also, one other person mentioned to me that they aren’t getting the emails anymore either so I think it is time for me to look into some other options. Don’t you love technical difficulties! Sorry about that…
Gretchen
October 7, 2010 at 4:20 pmWe renewed our own budget plan starting October 3rd. Ours is $500 a month for a family of 4 (but that is for toilet paper, soap, and alcohol – yikes!) We also are trying to buy as much real food as possible, but it is certainly a challenge. I’m looking forward to getting some more tips from you! We love grassfed beef, but I think we will be eating more grass than beef now. haha
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:18 pmThat cracks me up about the grass. Thanks for the comment!
Amy
October 7, 2010 at 5:57 pmI think that shopping at Earth Fare may trip you up. Getting things like nuts and applesauce will most likely be more cost effective at Trader Joe’s. Also, consider buying frozen organic fruits – waaaay cheaper!
Keep up the good work!
Amy
October 8, 2010 at 12:57 amI do think that cutting back on some of the dairy will reduce your costs and you can get more items with the money you’d be spending on dairy. Of course, my family (except my husband) eat gluten-free, dairy-free, so it is easy for me to say no dairy! I also shop at Earthfare here in Charlotte a lot. Make sure you use their weekly “Free” coupon. Perhaps you could work there very part-time on the weekend- they offer a nice employee discount I’ve heard! It is my primary store due to our allergies. We are not fully on whole foods but pretty close. Costco does have organic carrots, apple slices, spinach, blueberries, frozen vegetables, and strawberry jam for much less than elsewhere. Also, this is a bit of a different suggestion, only because you live in NC. Are you familiar with the beer rebates that are out there? Silly, but many of the beer manufacturers have rebates where you buy X amount of their beer and X amount of produce for example, and they will send you X amount back in the mail (typically between 5 and 20 dollars). In NC, the beer companies cannot require you to buy the beer. So you for the example above you buy X amount in produce and mail in your receipt with this form, and they send you a check. It can take 6-8 weeks but when it comes in the mail it is like found money! I trade for them on couponing websites so I don’t even have to go looking for them at the grocery store. I can tel you more if you are interested…and I will be at Earthfare in the morning buying a 1/2 bag of grapes too! :)
100 Days of Real Food
October 8, 2010 at 10:21 pmI’ve never heard of any of that rebate stuff? Sounds a little complicated…
Lindsay
October 8, 2010 at 3:08 pmI hope you can do it, but we really struggle with a budget. I feel like I’d rather give my family the nutritious items (berries!) than not have them eat them simply because they are costly.
I love bananas, but I especially love them with Peanut butter…maybe that will help?
Need advice: what’s the deal with sulfur dioxide in dried fruit (apricots, mango)? Is this safe? Was hoping for a nice snack for the kids, but that chemical creeps me out.
100 Days of Real Food
October 12, 2010 at 11:33 amUnfortunately it is hard to avoid the sulfur dioxide in a lot of mixed dried fruit, but most raisins and freeze dried fruit products do not contain any…so stick with those if you want to avoid it! According to wikipedia “Sulfur dioxide is sometimes used as a preservative for dried apricots and other dried fruits owing to its antimicrobial properties, and it is sometimes called E220 when used in this way. As a preservative, it maintains the appearance of the fruit and prevents rotting.”
Milehimama
October 9, 2010 at 5:50 pmWe do real food on a budget, and it is a challenge! I absolutely think coffee needs to be organic, because it is a heavily sprayed crop and when you brew it you are basically making an extract, which concentrates it.
About berries – ah, those are a luxury item here too. But, FROZEN organic berries are much less expensive than fresh. I’ve started making a fruit compote every couple of weeks and using that in place of jelly (organic jelly is EXPENSIVE!), and you can add a dollop of flavor to oatmeal, yogurt, etc. without the fresh organic berry price. I simply stew the fruit on the stove with a little water until soft, then mash it or blend it with my immersion blender. I keep it in a jar in the fridge.
Lori
June 27, 2012 at 10:32 pmI only buy organic coffee. the secret to save money? Don’t be loyal to any brand or type. I just pick up a bag when I see that they are discontinuing the item. Just picked up 2 bags from Kroger. Really fancy organic/fair trade stuff for nothin!
Kate
October 11, 2010 at 7:35 pmI usually get my avocados from the Yorkmont Farmer’s Market (with pretty much all of my fruits and veggies each week), much better price than grocery store (though I love Earth Fare and buy most everything else there). They had a coupon e-mail that is good through tomorrow, buy 1 lb local boneless chicken, get 1 lb free – great deal!
As for pumpkin seeds – may I suggest hitting up a pumpkin patch for a carving pumpkin for the family…we have a huge bowl of cleaned, ready to roast/toast seeds from our carving session last night.
100 Days of Real Food
October 19, 2010 at 1:57 amWe love roasting our pumpkin seeds too, but the ones I usually use in the granola are shelled.
Sara
October 12, 2010 at 10:57 pmWith apple season upon us, I highly suggest making your own apple sauce. You can flavor it with some berries if the kids like it like that, and you can use honey or maple syrup to sweeten it. I make a big ol batch in the fall, it’s a great way to use up cheap apples that don’t taste amazing on their own, and also a nice way to control the sugar, of course!
100 Days of Real Food
October 22, 2010 at 1:11 amI actually did just that a couple days ago…we didn’t end up adding anything to sweeten the apples and it turned out sooooo good! I froze the leftovers in ice cube trays so I can just pull out a little at a time for school lunches and such. Thanks for the comment!
Dana
October 16, 2010 at 11:45 pmToo bad you are not near a Whole Foods as I think it could be 20-30% cheaper on average than Earthfare. I also recommend Costco and Trader Joes. Organic dairy is crazy expensive that is one thing I often sacrifice although I try to get hormone free at a minimum.
Maggie
May 7, 2011 at 6:58 amyou might touch on this later, but have you considered not buying all organic, like maybe sticking to the dirty dozen so that there is more money to buy more of what you want? I have read in some articles that organic isn’t always any better than regular…
Paula
May 19, 2011 at 1:01 pmI know you’re done with this challenge now, but a few ideas:
– You can often get slightly blemished apples for super cheap or free (try small markets/natural food stores where they’re organic). Maybe not good for eating, but make great applesauce in the crockpot or dried apples
– I got a food dehydrator at the thrift store for $5, and I make all kinds of dried fruit slices, fruit leather and energy bars!
– Sulpher is in ALL KINDS of things as a color/moisture preservative! Instant mashed potatoes, canned seafood, wine, dried fruit. Many people are sensitive to it, including me so I’m a super label reader!
MML
August 26, 2011 at 1:27 amIf you’re into gardening and you shop at Earth Fare, you can be sure that the produce is not GMO and can plant the seeds in your garden. Winter squash, tomato, watermelon, cantaloupe, sprouted potatoes, and peppers are the easiest to grow. I compost and actually get some of these things sprouting in my worm farm! We live in the suburbs of Charlotte on a typical lot, but I’ve been trying to grow as much as we can. In addition to a vegetable and herb garden, I’ve planted a cherry tree and a grape vine, a lemon tree (in a pot- have to bring it in during the winter), and this fall I hope to plant an apple tree. As for the raspberries, this is totally redneck, but when I was younger, if our family saw a patch of wild blackberries, we’d pull over on the side of the road and pick them! We loved it!
Laura
April 17, 2012 at 1:28 pmI love your site and all the ideas…and for the main idea of 100 days of “real” food! This is my first post here and if I get time I’ll probably chime in a few more places because I love the ideas and exchanges here. I do want to say though, because it just hits close for me, that there are many many people who have to live on a strict budget with food and not just for an experiment. You talk about not getting to have berries, etc…and I know I sound- what the word? Not sure..but you know there are people starving out there! Of course everyone knows that. We are struggling to stay on a budget of $100 a week for a family of five, including non-food items like diapers for the baby. My sister (also with a family of five) struggles to feed her kids on around $70 a week. I can’t imagine how we could POSSIBLY buy all the organic whole-grain stuff, etc. However your site does have some ideas I will implement. I wish I could feed my kids ONLY healthy food- I wish the standards were higher and the food industry cared more about the people not just the bottom line. Thanks for your site.
Christa
July 15, 2013 at 11:46 pmHave you considered not using disposables? For the tail-end of my last child I discovered Fuzzi-Bunz. They are to ‘old style cloth diapers’ like a corvette is to Fred Flintstone’s car. Saves a lot in the long run!!
Kay
June 3, 2012 at 11:18 pmNot sure if you have a Sprouts store where u live but they have double ad Wednesday and they’re produce includding organic is very inexpensive. I can spend about 20 for two weeks worth of produce from them. I love that store!
E
June 6, 2012 at 2:11 amearth fare can be ridiculously expensive… as a person who is thinking about starting this pledge for a healthier lifestyle, I would definitely look into your local grocery stores, as well as local markets before you go to places like earth fare because personally I’m in college and I buy organic butter anyway… and I don’t pay nearly that much money for unsalted butter I just purchase it at ingles and it’s almost a dollar less… also look into coupons and store that have a costumer reward card thing I mean I plan on going to my farmer’s market, health foods store, and local market, but it’s going to be ridiculously hard to do this during the school year because everything is processed… i mean everything… but I’ll work it.
Couponing Websites
October 7, 2012 at 9:43 pmThis web site truly has all the info I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
michelle
October 10, 2012 at 9:18 amHi I don’t know if you have ever looked at it -there is a series on eating cleaning non-processed foods. It’s called the Eat Clean Diet. by Tosca Reno. She has cookbooks, magazines and the website is http://www.eatcleandiet.com/
Good Luck!!! we have just bought a couple of acres which we are going to make into orchards to help with our food supply.
I do like your list- but don’t understand your budget – it doesn’t list meals or how long you expect these items that you buy to last. I also make my own breads, and am looking into getting a pasta maker to start doing my own pasta. As for cheap drinks water with a splash of juice in it is good,The kids like it breaks up the every day ordinary. Another good website is http://www.frugallysustainable.com/ They have good recipes for the home and eating clean.
Noelle Friese
October 10, 2012 at 9:55 amI love your site but as a mother of 7 (5 of them being boys) and coming from a background of meat and potatoes (my husband) I get discouraged trying to change our diet. My husband still feels fruits/veggies are a splurge and expensive, something from his youth. I am still relying on canned fruits/frozen veggies we live 40 minutes from a grocery store that carries anything of value! We too have purchased land in hopes of raising chickens, a garden, some fruit trees and maybe even a cow for meat but that is down the road a bit, I hope in the interim to find sources of good real food and change some of our bad habits. Thank you for your post and great job on your budget, I need to work on my self control at the store and not “splurging”!
Angie Wilson
October 10, 2012 at 3:54 pmTh
Angie Wilson
October 10, 2012 at 3:56 pmThanks for sharing. Budgeting is so hard. And eating healthy on a budget is extremely hard!
Audrey Isak
October 10, 2012 at 4:44 pmFound this refreshing…It is soo hard to stay to a weekly budget and still buy organic, healthy foods. Sometimes I skimp for a few weeks, but eventually you run out of those hidden, forgotten about foods in your pantry and you really FEEL the sacrifice. Good to be reminded that even with less food my needs are still taken care of–just not my wants!
sandy
October 10, 2012 at 6:59 pmHave you shopped at Aldi’s yet? I looked up Matthews NC and there does seem to be a store there. You have to shop carefully and you’re not going to have the luxury of organic (and right now there are lots of people in the country who are just wishing for the luxury of food) but you will see outstanding prices on produce, excellent quality and very fresh.
They also have very good butter, cottage cheese, the standard hard cheeses, good prices on chicken (if you watch) etc. Aldi’s is owned by the group that owns Trader Joe’s and I am absolutely surprised at the quality of the goods. Some things I would be wary of such as the beef, but I won’t buy beef at Walmart either.And I just don’t buy fish anymore anywhere, especially no tilapia or shrimp…but if you haven’t been to Aldi’s prepare to be shocked at how much you can save.
julia p
October 16, 2012 at 8:44 pmThank you so much for blogging and posting. We are all trying to make the best decisions and they come at a pretty penny! Love your ideas and honest feedback. Keep it real!
Paula
October 25, 2012 at 9:37 amWhat a totally awesome website this is. I have been eating like this for about a year now and I can attest that eating natural/organic is totally affordable. The way I did it was to stop buying things I could make at home. I eliminiated all the chemical cleaners in my house. I didn’t realize how much money I was spending in the cleaning isle…now I just skip it. I make everything from all purpose cleaner to laundry detergent to soap to my own beauty products (lotion, shampoo, etc). I buy nothing out of a box or that is prepared in anyway….I buy only single ingredients. The meat from the farmer down the street is expensive but we just eat less. We grew a garden and preserved our food. At first it was time consuming. I used to come home and pull some food out of the freezer to cook for dinner and now I have to plan ahead a little better, but over time, its just become a way of life for us. My last trip to the grocery store cost me $235 but it was my big monthly shopping trip….Ill go back during the month for a few necessities (milk, butter or other ingredient) but I will definately spend less than $300!!
Sarah
December 23, 2012 at 9:12 pmPaula,
I am really interested in making our own household products as well. We do make our own laundry detergent and bath soap gel, but was there any specific website or blog that you followed to get started or is this just something that took a lot of time and research when you began?
Laura J
January 8, 2013 at 11:46 pmI haven’t actually tried the recipes but there are some on this site:
http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/
Laura Bee
April 3, 2013 at 8:50 pmI’m curious about where you live? Not because I want to stalk you but because of the prices you pay for food. I live in California and don’t pay nearly that much for our groceries. Also, if you still drink coffee, Costco carries a wonderful organic bean that costs $12 for 2.5 lbs.
I also shop Trader Joe’s for everything because they only carry one of every type of item, the price is cheaper and their dairy is rbgh free so I don’t buy organic but even then their organic is cheaper then a “natural” food store. I also love their produce and find many organics there.
You probably know all of this but it might help others to find out some alternative places to shop rather than spend your whole paycheck at places like Whole Foods.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)
April 5, 2013 at 8:03 amHi Laura. We live near Charlotte, NC. Thanks so much for your input. Lisa typically use a combination of grocery stores including Trader Joe’s, Earth Fare, and Whole Foods. We also have a local farmer’s market that makes farm fresh seasonal produce and eggs available year round. In addition to those, we can find some good deals on organics as well as flax, quinoa, hemp seeds, etc. at Costco. :) ~Amy
Danielle
October 22, 2013 at 2:38 amThis is a great start! I had family over tonight and entertained 5 adults for under $15. It’s so important to stock up on spices and staple items, like flour, butter, olive oil and sugar when you have spare flexilibiy in the budget.
My local grocery store had pork chops, bone in on sale for 1.28/lb, kale and collards for $.88 a bunch, egg noodles for $.69 a bag. I even had room in my budget to make an apple crisp for dessert and bought a bottle of Chardonnay for my mother in law and I to share before Dancing With the Stars. Love the challenge of gourmet on a budget…all of this as possible, however, because I have a well stocked pantry of spices. Eggs, sugar, yeast for dough, etc etc…..
PS: Food For Less, 99 Cent Store and Walmart usually have a wall of plastic wrapped spices for under $1 to stock up, in a pinch! Also, my guests raved and raved about the menu tonight, and I had PLENTY for everyone to take “doggie bags” home, which they DID!! A success
XoXo
Emerald
January 2, 2014 at 1:12 amFirst of all, I’m so excited to find everything on a budget! 2nd, there’s no way I will make lasagna with all of those expensive cheeses (I have been on a budget for far too long). I will make other foods that are healthy and I’ll get more bang for my buck (an idea for people who have a more limited budget than the $125). I am also blessed to have a few other resources (dairy goats are pretty affordable if you have some pasture for them and I’ll be able to get my own natural, raw milk and make some of my own cheeses). Can’t wait for sumner because I didn’t even think to freeze milk before the ladies dried up. Thank you for doing this!
Some good drinks: slice and soak cucumbers in water. So good! Or berries or lemon, etc.
Tricia
January 2, 2014 at 12:31 pmThank you for your honesty! I see way too many websites that say ‘Sure, you can eat completely organic, wholesome foods on a tight budget!’. Usually it comes across as really phony and unrealistic. Personally, I buy some things organic and some non-organic. I’m not on an extremely tight budget, but it’s still difficult to justify $5 for a tiny little package of blueberries in the winter (which my kids love…). I guess it’s all about making choices. I’d rather have them eat 8 expensive blueberries than 30 cheap potato chips as an after-school snack.
Hildy
January 9, 2014 at 10:30 amLove this! I am getting so inspired…this year I plan on keeping a budget and limit eating out..your website is awesome….so glad I found you!!!!
Shae
March 11, 2014 at 1:16 pmMy husband and I started eating healthier a few years ago and really ramped up the whole foods a few months ago. I have found that while some of the foods I’m buying are more expensive, my food bill hasn’t gone up because we are eating less; especially, me. My portion sizes have gone down dramatically and I assume that is from getting proper nutrients that are much more filling.
Roda
August 3, 2014 at 12:11 pmI love your website and just starting to go through it and I realized how different we eat ! The reason is that we are from Europe so we eat very different foods and that means I can’t have a budget of a $ 125 / week ! We like more gourmet foods unfortunately . I am sure though i can still find useful info on here so thanks for doing this and helping other families to eat real food !!! Your family is super cute ! :)
Diana
September 20, 2014 at 8:02 pmWhat about making your own ricotta cheese? It’s just milk, salt, and lemon juice. You can also make your own butter, peanut butter, yogurt, bread, and even some cheeses. So maybe paying for an extra milk shipment and putting some time in will cut out expenses later.
Marilyn L. Flaherty
November 17, 2014 at 11:45 amDear Lisa: Am enjoying your website, finding it when searching for a perfect sauce for crockpot pork. I do a lot of research myself, as mother of 6 grown children with families- who have such busy working lives and little time to spend doing medical research. I am mainly concerned about meat quality and pesticides, especially a list of produce that lists those that absorb all of pesticide and can not be washed off! I believe that Grapes fall into that category so I avoid them like the plague unless I know for a fact that they are not in the least tainted. Neurological conditions are rising because of these toxic chemicals- and not just food items but personal as well as other everyday products. On a more positive note, you and your family are off to a great start. If we all speak up and support those that are making efforts to provide healthy products. As you grow older, you can see the changes in elderly health as well. Good luck to you on your journey! God Bless you and take care, Marilyn L. Flaherty
Shonda Hector
March 7, 2015 at 11:51 amThis Friday I was out of lunch meat for my husband’s sandwich. I had a bit after making the kids’ lunches, so I took what I had and added extra veggie, lettuces, avocado and tomatoes to give the sand which some weight and thickness. Gave him boiled eggs and fruits including bananas, nuts and oh his sardine snack. …. Gotta go.
Camilla
March 13, 2015 at 3:56 pmI really enjoy reading about your adventures trying to eat healthy, and recognise the struggle it is having to put away things you want but can’t really afford. You have a lot of good advice.
One thing, though, why can’t you stock up on things just because you are on a weekly budget? I mean, it is only a matter of budgeting properly. I have a budget of around 120 dollars/week much like you had in your experiment. The difference is that my actual weekly budget turns out to be around 60 dollars/week since shortly after payday (which rolls around once a month) I stock up on essentials that I know we will use throughout the month to get a good price on them and to cut down on the shopping trips. Things like organic, grass fed beef would be out of my price range if I stuck to a weekly budget like you are doing since it is horribly expensive to buy what you need, when you need it. But by buying in bulk once a month directly from the farmer raising the animals I get a much better price. Same thing with things like dried beans, whole wheat flour, eggs, onions etc. By buying things that I know we will use up in bulk I can afford more and better food.
Setting a weekly budget is really, really, really important (as you pointed out) when you are trying to make ends meet, or save money for something. it is really a must knowing exactly how much you can spend without going over budget each week. However, if you get paid monthly I think it is best to draw up a monthly food budget first. Do your bulk purchases for the month, then divide what is left between the weeks. That way, you save both money and time. :)
patti smith
June 4, 2015 at 8:17 pmI would suggest adding a little to your budget so you can stock up when things go on sale. Frozen fruits, cheese and beans do go on sale. I shop at Winco (they have regular and organic foods) and buy many of my staples from the bulk bins. I love to cook and am very happy when my freezer is full of leftovers. I hope to start making freezer meals in the near future.
Robin
March 28, 2016 at 7:32 amWhy all the cheese? Cheesesticks are processed and probably have a lot of non-cheese components. Seems like you could do better.
Sarah
September 19, 2016 at 9:04 amMy problem is knowing how to use the real foods. I have zero recipes and ones I do find online seem to be very complicated and time consuming. I know I could do better with eating clean if I knew how to cook the foods. I know you have a cookbook, but that’s not in my budget, as of right now. Any suggestions on where to find clean, cheap, and easy recipes?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
September 26, 2016 at 12:54 pmHi there. Just use our recipe index: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-search/.
Kauri Bendickson
August 30, 2017 at 10:48 amI love coming back to re-read these posts and get ideas for when our family’s budget is slim! I only just now realized you bought your grapes for $1.45 (so I’m presuming if you bought the whole pack they would be about $3?) Wow! Up here a dinky bag of grapes is about $12…Canadian (so what is that, maybe $10 US?). Food in general is crazy expensive here. I wonder if there are any frugal bloggers in BC…