Jump to content

Extreme budget crunch & how to get boyfriend on board


Recommended Posts

I had much success with the whole 30 in the past and want to start again but have two things that pose some new challenges.

The first and biggest is budget. It makes me feel strange to be skipping out on organic, grass-fed meats and produce and I'm not sure how to cope in the short term while funds are tighter. I would love some tips and awesome bulk recipes that are filling and thrifty.

The second is that I have a boyfriend new to the whole 30. He is open to eating healthy and more adventurous with food than I am, but he is budget conscious too and used to eating rice and beans to keep things fiscally wise. I think if I can come up with some bulk recipes he would be open, but I need some thrifty creativity!!!

Would love all the help I can get!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're struggling financially too (family of 4 living on my husband's entry level government job). I just sat down with this week's grocery flyers and planned out what to buy from each store to get the most variety for the cheapest amount. I also do a 'pantry challenge' a couple times a year where I try to use up everything we have and only shop for fresh items we need to add in. It's harder with a whole 30 obviously (can't use up all that rice) but I'm still finding plenty of things to use ( frozen meat and frozen produce, condiments, herbs and spices, ect). It's pretty fun and you can get creative trying to use what you have. 

 

We eat a lot of whole chickens as it's the cheapest way and you can get a lot of meat off them if you really try. One of our favorite meals is roasted whole chicken with various spices (using stuff up) made in the same pan as a bunch of root vegetables (carrots, ect), I add in a bit of water and the veggies cook in the chicken fat. Leftover chicken is made into soup, lettuce or seaweed wraps, ect. 

 

Things like nuts are very expensive so after the first week when I was hangry I stopped buying them, they aren't that great anyway. Root vegetables are very cheap, so I buy a lot of those. I almost NEVER throw out food, I plan to use everything up. We get a CSA box 6 months of the year and I use everything, including the green tops on all the radishes/ect. 

 

We had some huge grocery bills at the start of my whole 30 which made me nervous, but I'm on day 23 now (I think? lol) and it's actually saving us now. I'm not buying any processed foods/condiments/take out and eating less often now that my blood sugar has stabilized so even though we're not filling up on rice anymore we're saving money. 

 

Let me know if you need any recipe ideas!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...