We buy crackers for my soy-allergic son that have no soybean oil, are kosher-certified, have no HFCS or hydrogenated vegetable shortening. They are not the cheapest crackers available, but the only other crackers we have found that meet these criteria sell at the health food store for $4/box, so we definitely save there.

Pasta and canned goods are usually just as cheap at grocery stores.

I would not want to make meals entirely from the dollar store, but I do always scan the food aisle when I go (usually for shampoo or kids’ craft supplies) to see if there are any good deals.

And this is my website about trying to survive only buying food and other essentials from the pound shop.

http://passmethemalkplease.wordpress.com/

I wouldn’t recommend it!!

I personally shop there and adore the store. I get produce, from lettuce to carrots; pastas, even sandwich meats, like turkey! Like the article mentions, I can’t expect to find the same types of groceries since it varies, though it’s not an hassle at all, since I don’t mind going to another store.

Since their inventory changes, once in awhile it’s nice to find some organic produce to pints of ice cream! Though those are definitely rare. Thanks for the article, especially since I’m not sure if many people know about their awesome deals.

The old “the cans come from the same factory but they put on different labels” is a myth. They may come from the same factory, but the ingredients can differ substantially.

If you really can’t afford more than the cheapest food, buy store brands on sale, buy unprocessed ingredients and cook them yourself.

You’d get the same nutritional value if you ate styrofoam.

Healthy eating is expensive
Unhealty eating is cheap.

Is your body/health worth it?

You decide…

It sounds like a lot of people are willing to opt for healthy choices, even if it costs more.

These types of foods are really bad for you in the long term, even if they fill you up in the short term.

Buyer Beware!

I admit, I am not too interested in getting too creative with food. this is probably the one area I consider it more important to buy quality ( and I believe people spend money on things they value, like health). However, shopping the supermarkets saves $$$ as it is.

They also carry fruits, I’ve bought oranges, apples, pears, kiwi, plums, etc. Their fruits tends to be on the small side, and sometimes you get cheaper prices on sale at the grocery store. But with the price of gas nowadays, I’m ok with paying 50c more for one of my produce rather than making another trip just to get a single loss leader somewhere else. If the fruit is smaller, I’ll just make up for it by eating two instead of one. It still comes out cheaper even if I eat it two at a time. Where else could you get 6 kiwis for $1? Not the farmer’s market, TJ’s or the regular supermarket (not where I live anyway).

So it’ll comes down to your locale. I’ve certainly been to the Dollar Tree before and they don’t carry any fresh produce. Just don’t automatically rule the 99cent store out, you might have one nearby that allows you to eat a healthy varied diet without breaking the bank.

For the four kids and me including lunches I spend $100.00 a week. My husband an OTR truck driver cooks his own meals in his truck in a crock pot. He spends between $30-$35 dollars a week. He also eats a balanced diet.

This is $36.00 more than I spent last year per week. I am always on the look out for ways to cut the grocery bill. With prices going up like they are, I don’t thik I’ll get much releif when my son goes to colege in the fall.

I would say that the Dollar Tree and other deep discount stores are better for personal and cleaning products (items like shampoo, body wash, sponges, etc) than food.

But if you’re careful and have an idea of what items cost in local grocery stores, you can stretch the pennies. For example, I got a 4-pack of popcorn for $1, versus a 6-pack of popcorn for over $3 at my local grocery store. Also, I picked up two boxes of baking soda for $1.

Since I try to avoid processed foods, I don’t buy in dollar stores because they don’t carry real food. However, there’s a downscale chain called Food City, which mostly caters to Mexicans. And that place DOES have bargains on produce and other goods. The selection is limited, but when other stores sell lemons for 50 cents apiece, this place has them ten for a dollar, and Key limes twenty for a dollar.

I buy meat at Costco, which carries far better quality beef, lamb, chicken, and fish than the local Safeways, Albertsons, etc. for about the same price; then I buy produce at Food City for a fraction of the price that I would get it elsewhere. The only problem is, it has to be used quickly, because it’s often already ripe. Which is the way I like my produce anyway.

I also shop at Big Lots when I’m in that area, as they have good deals on cereal, day old bread, and a few gourmet items.

Sav-A-Lot is a local discount grocery where I do a large proportion of my shopping, particularly for staples.

Most fresh vegetables that I eat come from the weekly farmer’s market, or local produce stands. I can find a better variety and better quality there for less than they cost in the chain grocery stores.

1. Focus on eating dried legumes, SEASONAL produce and tubers. Get whole grains too if they are affordable.

2. Make your food yourself as much as possible.

3. Be aware of the things you buy at all of the places you can shop.

Eating healthy can be cheap with these tips, perhaps as cheap as a ramen & hotdog diet if you factor in medical bills over time as well as lost productivity from a lack of energy.

Tell me how to eat healthy fresh produce for less. That would be much more interesting. It seems that eating healthy in America is the most expensive way to eat. You’d think since healthy foods are less processed and use fewer resources they’d be cheaper. It’s sad that an organic red bell pepper is more expensive than a big mac.

For the most part, if you combine sales and coupons, the big chain grocery stores are better deals. And are almost always better quality.

Some dollar stores like Dollar Tree carry a lot of foods, but at a flat $1 per item, regardless of the item, it is not always a better deal than you can find at a grocery store or Walmart where you can buy the same canned or packaged foods for under a dollar.

I have also shopped at some dollar stores in the past that imported snacks from foreign countries that were hard to find at regular grocery stores. So if the store has foreign foods and snacks for $1, then you’re probably getting a good price.

So it depends on what you are buying and the area you’re shopping in. If you’re buying regular types of food that are also readily available elsewhere, you might want to do a little price comparison first.

Speaking of which, I’ve never heard of a 99 cent store having fresh produce. Must be a regional thing.

I’m trying to dig it up for you all. It was a well written article with pictures and all.

I’ll let you know when I find it.