went to the grocery store

[iamcrazy]

I have made myself up a menu for the week & I went to the grocery store today & i bought everything that i need, i was a little shocked at the price, it came to around $97 for one week!!!!

Well, i did buy some things that are going to last me a while like some types of spices and things that i wont use too often. Hopefully next week the bill wont be as high.

Also, yesterday I did a lot of research and i bought myself a whack of different suppliments/vitamins. Not only do i want to lose weight but i want to be healthier as well.

wish me luck guys!

[Kate113]

Re: went to the grocery store

Much luck to you! Keep us updated on your progress.

[dreamof145]

Re: went to the grocery store

Congratulations on making the commitment to get healthy. My food bill goes up/down too. It did before I started this WOE. The prices of foods - fluctuate regardless of whether you are doing Atkins or not. The key is to PLAN your meals and save what you can (leftovers) to make frozen dinners or use at the next meal. I don't think that my WOE is anymore expensive than it was when I was eating flour, sugar, chips, pasta, bread, and other high carb foods.

I am more cautious of what I eat now and I don't waste as much.

[Laurenfra]

Re: went to the grocery store

I find I do better when I dont make my list spacific. Instead of saying I need chicken breasts, or steak. On my list will be 4 nights of meat. 10 servings of vegis etc. This way I buy whats on sale.

[teejay]

Re: went to the grocery store

Hi there :

Welcome back to this wonderful way of life and welcome to the board. I also do not make a specific list but take my dandr, or list of allowed foods and my carb count book and I hit the aisles. You will do great. You are upbeat and prepared. I think you might want to look into the boot camp. It is a great help with getting going on this Way of life.

Again Welcome and nice to meat you
TJ

[GaryODS]

Re: went to the grocery store

Welcome back. What follows is a post that was it recently shown to me addresses your topic perfectly.


Atkins on a Budget, or Cheap Atkins

Unfortunately it is true, there are many more cheap carbohydrate foods then there are cheap Atkins- friendly foods. Rice, potatoes, beans.. all cheap and filling...but we also now know what they did to our waistlines. So while the Atkins nutritional approach is going to have some impact on your food budget, there are strategies to make it a little less painful.

Most of you boot camp recruits are not brand new, but I do want to mention at the outset, that when making your first Atkins grocery trip, do not load up on a large selection of fresh vegetables. Fresh veggies are perishable, and if you overbuy, you are not going to eat them fast enough to use them all. Buy a few frozen, canned if you use them, (I am partial to canned greens) and some staples like romaine, mushrooms, broccoli, or whatever you have chosen from the acceptable foods list. Those prebagged salads, especially if you can get them on sale, are actually very cost conscious, no waste, and they stay fresh several days. I find prebagged baby spinach to be very economical, several servings in a bag, very clean and tasty, and easy to use. (Spinach is on the one cup list in DANDR, but on the two cup list in Atkins Essentials, and at around .2 carbs a serving, it makes sense to include it with the other leafy greens.)

But of course most of Atkin's impact on your budget is going to come in your meat buying. There are two main ways to make this less painful, shop sales and buying in bulk. This is going to chew up some time, but will be worth it in the long run.


Shopping sales

If you do not receive the weekly sales flyers from your local stores, it is very much worth it to get on their mailing list. Just call or visit their customer service office, they will be glad to include you and then you are assured a sale paper every week. How else will you know that Costco has chicken breasts for 99 cents a pound, or Super One has rolls of sausage for 50 cents each? For the first couple of weeks, plan on spending more than usual to stock up on these 'super buys.' Canned tuna and salmon are versatile and often go on sale very cheaply. Once you have a few items stocked away in the freezer and cabinets, then the only time you need to buy meat is when you see a good buy to add to the stock. You want to avoid having no meat in the house, because then you will end up at the store paying full price.

I never get good meat prices at WalMart. But Walmart does price match! so if you have sale papers from the different stores, go armed with the flyers and get WalMart to give you the other stores' sale prices. This will save you having to make multiple trips to several stores!

Buying in bulk

Larger packages are almost always more economical. While stocking up the freezer, buy those big packages of chops or steaks, and take them home to rewrap and freeze. The chub packs of ground beef can be cut into thirds and frozen. Buy chicken in the 5 lb packages of leg quarters, especially if you can get these on sale! When our local store has these on sale, I pay about 25 cents a pound. Once a week, roast or boil these pieces, and you will always have chicken to make chicken salad, broth, add to a salad, or just eat for a snack. Roast beef is another good choice to buy and cook in bulk, such an easy snack!

Budget breakers!

Those new lo-carb products in the stores will chew up your budget! A regular full fat dressing is not that much higher in carbs than a 'low carb' version. Check the labels and compare, but often the lo-carbs are repackaged versions of the originals! Understand that there are marketing people targeting YOU right now, and don't fall for it. Read labels, and remember, often you can make a product very easily, so before you buy low carb alfredo sauce, buy a carton of cream and some parmesan and butter and make your own!

Budget friendly stars!

For a huge Atkins bang for the buck, Flax can't be beat. It can save you having to buy a supplement for constipation for one! It is a nutrient powerhouse, and incredibly cheap! I buy the whole seeds at around a dollar a pound at the health food store, and it takes weeks to use a pound. My breakfasts are super cheap, since I buy the 50 cent sausage rolls, so.. let's see about 12 slices to a package, two per morning, about 8 cents worth, and a few cents worth of flax. Butter and cream are expensive these days, so you do have to count that in, but still less than 50 cents a breakfast.

Eggs are versatile and inexpensive. This is a great protein source.

And don't forget your water. Even if you need to buy water in your area, water is cheaper than soft drinks or juices. If you have been breaking a soda habit, try to calculate the amount you have been wasting on those sugar laden drinks. Of course the effect on your well-being was incalculable...

As you become an Atkins pro, these mindful eating and mindful shopping strategies will become second nature. And whenever you do feel a pinch at the cash register, remember how it will pay off in lower doctor bills and less need for medication! I think all the current recruits are ladies... and you are likely to not need to buy any more Midol! I was able to quit buying Ibuprofen, since my back never hurts! Buy smart as much as you can, and put some money away for new clothes, or a cruise to show off the new bod!

hugs

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