Atkins on a budget

[cleochatra]

*hip bump*

[CalifGal]

atkins on a budget

Questions:

What is dulse and where is it found?
Where do you find canned pumpkin for .94?...not where I live

Recipe otherwise sounds good

[CalifGal]

I read all of these posts and I am very glad that all of you have found a way to stay within a low cost budget for yourselves....But I have to say that I felt like I was being judged for saying that the Atkins plan is hard on my budget...I was not complaining...just stating a fact for myself...

my income is at or below the poverty level... my grocery budget allowance is $139.00 per MONTH...I don't eat out...I don't buy extras like chips or cokes, or other things mentioned. If I do go out I go for something legal on the lowest price menu. when I go shopping, I use most of all my food stamps on the first visit for the month...because I am usually out of everything...I seldom get a chance to stock up on things. Meats are expensive...so is the butter and cream and olive oil...and fresh produce....

For those of you who have creative suggestions to save money while on Atkins, I thank you for your understanding...For those who thought I was just complaining...You don't understand my situation..and some of the words expressed added to my own feelings of discouragement.

One Size Does Not Fit All...It is hard to put yourself in someone's shoes unless you are walking in the same footsteps.

Thanks for letting me Vent...

[Desertthorn]

CalifGal, oh no, you are ssoooooo right, Atkins is very expensive on the pocket book and I don't think that any one of us would disagree. Rice, noodles, potatoes are cheap. Good quality protein, beef, pork, cheese is expensive. I think that is why this whole thread was started...
But there are some ways that you can cut corners.. and we need to come up with cheap ideas and keep this post alive.

[full-wit]

CalifGal, do you have an Aldi near you? They can really help cut corners!
You probably wouldn't be able to do most of your grocery shopping there, but it would help.

http://usa.aldi.com/

[brats4]

CaliGirl don't feel judged. I completely agree with you on the expense of Atkins. As a mom of 3 I know that it hits the pocketbook hard to stay away from the fillers such as mac, potatoes etc. Unlike many of those who don't have kids or kids at home many of us can't eliminate certain items from our food lists. Therefore, we are adding extra expensive stuff on top of the normal list. It definitely strains the wallet, especially when I still have to pack school lunches.

[2big4mysize]

one way you can lower your food costs is if you window shop a bit sat the store you plan to use and find out when they discount theire close to expiring day meats. one of my stores does it at night one does it in the morning and if you get there when they haver marked down the stuff you can save a lot. Chicken wings were marked down to .29 a pound and round steak was down to $.99 a pound i grab it all and bag it for my freezer. If they have say whole chicken on sale this week for $.69 /pound the last day of the sale at one store the next morning in the other those marked down chickens will be $.29/pound also they bag produce and reduce it. I get peppers and onions like that for making cooked dishes ansd chop and cook them at homew and freeze in 1/2 cup sizes for later use. I'ce done broccoli and caulifowewr too check the dates on the dairy stuff as NL said and that too can be frozenif you are going to cook qwith it . frozen cheeze crumbles so you wouldn't want to eat it as a cheese cube but it melts very nice for cooked dishes. I buy my spices in bulk to and make my own mixes like the blackening spices cajan, bbq rubs and freeze them in plastic bags for staying fresh. pull out a table sppon of the mix stick it in the grinder and poof fresh spices for that fish,poultry soup beef or pork. You just need to know your store so you can be there when the marked down stuff goes out.

[Heidi3]

no one should feel judged by a thread on this board..they are started usually with the good intent of trying to help...if one thing on this thread helps you trim your budget then great if nothing in this thread helps than move on!....I am not sure why you feel judged by this? ...I happen to live in one of the highest cost of living areas in the US...it is insane how much food costs here..if I find pumpkin in a can for .97 I buy a case and put it away. I also have always shopped for everything to cook from scratch and I find that saves me TONS of money over prepackaged foods...my lifestyle is not for everyone ....but it works for me and I have seriously saved about $200/month on food since starting this style of eating....my reasoning is
1. I buy what I need a few days at a time
2. I cook what I need for dinner and the next days lunch only no big meals with lots of leftovers to end up tossing
3. I eat fresh foods in season and do not snack
4. I do not buy anything extra unless it is a a remarkable sale item that I use on a regular basis
5. I drink water no soda, no ice tea, no drinks other than water and coffee (that is essential)
6. I do not offer choices when making meals ..I make dinner and whomever is here eats what I make...no special meals...

as I said this is not for everyone but I love to cook and can make a meal out of just about anything so this works for me and I am saving money....if it is not for you ...do not feel judged by it!!!..that is never the intent!!!

[easttexasdaisy]

CaGirl,
I saw your post on the amountyou have to budget every month. We cut our costs a lot by ad matching at Walmart. Check to see if yours does it as well. Collect all the grocery ads and find those things that are really on sale cheap. Sunday papers often have a bunch of these type of ads. Go to Walmart and stock up for the month. Canned veggies come in really handy as well. I really enjoy the canned green beans and spinach. Of corse there are other greans and things available you can enjoy on Atkins. As far as fresh cabbage is always cheap here and we eat it often. Onions tend to be really economical too. Often times i can find tuna $.25 a can, salmon $1 a can and these make really quick meals and free up freezer space for other things. Eggs tend to be very economical as well. Also local farmers markets tend to have great deals on produce. if you have one nearby. And if you think about the size of a can of veggies, by the time you cook most fresh veggies they are cheaper to cook from fresh. we just tend to buy more than one can worth in the fresh produce section. I bought a whole head of cabbage for $.97 last night and I would say it would be at least 6 cans of veggies worth of cabbage.
A turkey will go a long way for one person as well. Cook it and then put it into single serving containers. Also, we buy 10 pound bags of chicken quarters (usually $.59 a pound) and they can make tons of different dishes.
Watch your sales. And take care. Everyone has some sort of budget. My husband always says do it as cheaply as possible so we have funds for other things. I have a family of 3 and I tend to spend between $180 and $220 a month on groceries. My son is great though. He eats what we do and may be a little picky but in a good way. My husband tends to like anything I fix. And we eat what is on sale always.
And I also have a garden. That helps a lot with veggies. Dollar Stores have their seeds for $.10 a packet. If that is an option for you and you're interested let me know, it really does help a lot on my budget.

[CalifGal]

Reply to your message

Thanks for the information...More than anything I have been in a depressed state of mind for a long time now, and when I read comments about those who complain about Atkins Plan being costly for the budget--I felt as if I had been judged for making such a complaint....

I do thank all of you for your suggestions...Now if I can just find a way to get a good attitude adjustment...maybe I can use some of the suggestions you all have shared with me. :hug

[Heidi3]

Re: Reply to your message

Thanks for the information...More than anything I have been in a depressed state of mind for a long time now, and when I read comments about those who complain about Atkins Plan being costly for the budget--I felt as if I had been judged for making such a complaint....

I do thank all of you for your suggestions...Now if I can just find a way to get a good attitude adjustment...maybe I can use some of the suggestions you all have shared with me. :hug

oh honey be happy!!! no one should be judging anyone else ....that is for sure!!!....we all have issues or we would not be here! :hug

[CalifGal]

Just to let you know I am working on a new and better ATTITUDE! :icondance Perhaps with the "Birth of Spring", I will be able to rid myself of the moody blues...Sunshine always does that for me.

Starting tomorrow March 1...I now have the choice of filing for early retirement :icondance...or not....

It is a big decision, but it is a choice that I now can consider.... please let me vent alittle....

My income right now is less than $500 per month...my social security benefit would be about $520 per month...plus I could work part time if I wanted. I haven't worked any one place long enough to get a pension too. But I do have some of my 401K that I could draw about $50 a month for about 3 years. Plus I can still get my food stamps and health plan...and my rent is under section 8...so I am thinking it could be a good thing to do. :nod

Right now, my job hours are very inconsistant...sometimes only 2 or 3 hours a day instead of the 4 hours that we sign on for...So that makes my paychecks showing only 11 or 12 hours a week instead of 16 - 20 hours per week...I can't keep a budget with this... :sadblinky

Social Security would be the same amount...every month...

Guess I will go talk to an advisor at the SSA Office. I don't have anyone else to discuss this with, except those who already have the insight to advise me. For those who have "been there, done that", Please let me know what questions to ask before I decide this matter...I am making a list. ensive

Sorry for going off on a personal matter...