Grocery List Nightmare :)

[elpasoflash]

I planned my foods, got my menus, checked my shopping list and just about fainted! I am on a limited budget and live alone. How do I swap out things so that I don’t buy 5 kinds of bread, 7 kinds of nuts, etc? I am currently in a small space with a small frig and freezer. I have no place to keep all the different things the menu called for. I do not know how to swap out some I am getting the same nutrition and ratios….any ideas?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, elpasoflash. I suggest that you just repeat certain days for whole weeks and just stretch out the week’s list over a month or so – that way, you’re only buying a few different things each week. In addition, I suggest that you modify your profile (you can access it by clicking on your name at the top of any site page) to get limited variety of foods each week (you can make this choice in the bottom right area of the profile).

[artsyviolet]

Hi,
My name is Violet, and I have the same problem as elpasoflash.

I bought two slabs of salmon that cost me $13. I knew I would never be able to buy salmon more than once a month, so I cut each slab into 4 pieces, so I ended up with 8 portions.

I’m also planning to substitute canned tuna fish instead of salmon 2 times each week.
I also find that whole grain Mission wraps last pretty long (I cut them in half because they are so big)

I have no freezer space to store bread, so I buy 2 whole grain rolls or bagels per week, and only use a half per meal. (I can sometimes get them 2 for $1)

I only buy 1-2 packages of nuts in the shell per month $6- $10, my flax seeds $6

I also substitute beans for meat for 2 lunches and 2 dinners per week

Once a week I buy probiotic plain yogurt $3-$4, I also get 5 fruited yogurt 6oz (60 cents each when on sale) and mix it with 6oz of the plain yogurt.

Bananas are always pretty affordable, I buy a $2 bunch per week
I buy 1-2 pkg of berries per week when they are on sale $1 ea.
I sometimes find cantaloupe for $1

For my monthly meats I buy a package of 5 pieces pork loin, a package of 6 pieces thin beef steaks. A package of 5 pieces Organic chicken is My meat for the month is about $16 I put these in individual sandwich bags, then I freeze them and defrost them when I need one.
If the meat is big, I cut it in half or in thirds.

I still struggle, especially when I need to buy things like olive oil, salad dressing, spices, coffee,
and other extras that are not needed on a monthly basis, but I try to buy at least one of these extras per month.

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, ArtsyViolet. Thanks for the great real-world advice!!

[Roseann152]

Wow,Violet – Talk about being helpful. Thank you so much for responding to the previous person. I am copying your response and using it. Thank you SO much.
Roseann

[mutschki]

I have just joined and have just got my first week’s menus and grocery list. I had exactly the same reaction as elpasoflash. It is totally unrealistic to expect any normal person to buy so many different versions of the same food. Also, as I live in a rural area, many of the things on the list are unavailable anyway. And how am I expected to buy fresh cherries and strawberries in October!!
I am very disappointed after so much hype about how easy this all is to discover that it’s anything but.

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, mutschki. You definitely don’t need to buy different versions or fruits out of season. When you use the personal Menu Planner application, you can select whatever fruits you want, and you can adjust your profile to have limited variety. In addition, you absolutely can repeat meals and even whole days, which limits the number of individual foods you need to buy.

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