Cheap shopping

I must have seen this topic come up a dozen times. It puzzles me each time: it is more expensive to eat healthy food than unhealthy food.

One of my girlfriends has attempted to patiently explain to me in parts of the US, it is more expensive to eat good food, but each time, I come up completely stumped, so I wondered if people can help clarify this for me by doing a price comparison for me.

I went to an online version of our local grocery store (you can order your groceries and have them delivered) so the costs are a little different than if I went to the store and shopped on my own, but I am just looking for a general comparison.

My prices are in Canadian dollars, but I see no reason to convert the dollars because our USD vs. CAD tends to act the same in our own grocery store. (Meaning, I go into a dollar store in Canada and buy a candle holder for a buck. I go into a dollar store in the US and the same candle holder is still a buck, not .89663 cents.) Also, I went for THE cheapest product each time, so even though I may prefer gala apples to spartan apples, the spartan apples were cheaper and I listed them below.

So, my list:

100% whole wheat bread: .99
Whole oats: $1.13/lb
Can of chick peas: $1.19
Dozen eggs: $2.28
1 litre skim milk: $1.69
Extra lean ground beef: $4.30/lb
Bananas: .59/lb
Apples: $1.49/lb
10 lb. bag potatoes: $4.99

Obviously this is not my entire grocery list, but I figure the staples will be about the same in most areas, therefore available in most areas.

I appreciate anyone doing this! I am just so puzzled that anyone finds it more expensive to eat healthy, when in our house, the grocery budget literally cut in half!

As chips, pizza pops, krap dinner, oreos and frequent ice cream purchases left our grocery budget, suddenly the most expensive parts of our grocery list left, which left us with more food for less money.

I'm paying about $2 a loaf for whole wheat, low calorie, low sodium bread. Yea, I can get cheap  wheat bread for $1, but it's loaded with calories and sodium.

Don't normally buy oats..so I don't know.

No clue what a chick pea is...but regular peas I can get very cheap...a big bag of frozen peas for about $1 (I don't do most canned veggies...better to buy fresh or frozen)

Eggs...$1.19 a dozen. I have a large family, so I usually by the 18 pack for $1.89

Beef...price varies drastically..the better/lowerfat the meat...the higher the price, but it's always different. You have to watch for the sales.

Bananas...regular 39 cents a pound..I prefer organic because they are so tasty....about 79 cents a pound.

Apples...depending on the type...anywhere from $1 a lb to $3 a pound.

Potatoes...very cheap. 5 pounds for $2

I see no fresh veggies on your list except potatoes, which around here they give away for free just to get you into the store.  What exactly are you going to prepare with your list of foods?

I'm going to prepare a comparison list.

Seriously - this isn't my shopping list for every item in the store that I intend to buy, this was just a handful of random items because I'm curious what other people pay for the same items.

You get FREE potatoes in your neck of the woods? Now that's cool!

It's hard to compare Canadian prices to US.  I spend about the same on groceries now as I did before.   I look for the most frugal options possible.  I never shop in Walmart and I never go to the big box stores like Costco because I don't like it there.  I shop in a local supermarket, Whole Foods Market, several ethnic grocery stores, the farmer's market, and roadside stands.

I buy mostly dry beans at .59 to $1 a pound.  When I get canned beans, it's the Whole Foods store brand for .69 a can, and that's the no salt added kind.  I don't buy any bread except whole wheat pita, and that's $2.59 a package of 8.  Bananas here have been .69 a pound, but I can get them for .49 a pound at a local Asian market.  I shop around for the best bargains.  Whole Foods brand tuna, low sodium, is .99 a can.

I buy whole grains in bulk.  Rolled oats are .59 a pound and brown basmati rice is .99 a pound.  I figure I pay about 10% to 25% less for bulk nuts and dried fruits.

Breakfast cereal, I buy the Whole Foods store brand for about $2.49 a box instead of brand name for at least a dollar more.

I no longer buy butter for $4 a pound, but get Earth Balance margarine for $2.89.  I pay more for organic non fat milk and less for vegetables from the farmer's market - it all balances out.

I figure, that as far as expense goes, it's a toss up.  On my old, less healthy diet, I would spend $4.99 a bag on potato chips without even thinking about it, but would by the cheapest ground beef for $1.99 a pound or less. Now I skip the chips and buy organic 4% fat ground beef for 4.99 a pound. 

My spices come from a local Indian grocery where they are a quarter the price of the ones in the little bottles, and you get a much larger package. 

If you are on a fixed income and want to be healthy, then you have to shop smart.

If you are on a fixed income and want to be healthy, then you have to shop smart.

Aye. This is exactly what I've said a number of times, but despite the number of times I've said that, I continue to see people post that their grocery bill has gone up as a result of eating healthy foods.

It's why I started this thread. So many people say it - and then stand by it - that I really have to wonder if it is actually more expensive to buy unhealthy food than healthy food.

I frequently find myself in the US. (I live a stone's throw to the US.) Often, I go grocery shopping. What I've learned is that grapes don't change much in cost. I can pay the same price here as in Washington, the only difference is that one price is in USD and the other is in CAD. Nonethless, .99/lb adorns the grapes at the local Thrifty Foods and .99/lb adorns the grapes in the Port Angeles Safeway.

The same doesn't apply to cheese. Cheese is phenomenally cheaper in Washington - like half the cost of cheese here. So, when I come back from Washington, my backpack is usually filled with all the cheese I can carry. (::ROFL:: That is just a funny image no matter how I portray it!)

I remain interested in the concept that it's cheaper to eat unhealthy food because here, it really does not apply. As you point out, a bag of chips can run $4.99 and I paid it as many as three times in a week! Cut that and replace it with a bag of apples for the same number of snacks and the savings is HUGE!

although I'm paying more for some items..I'm not buying as much junk. I figure i don't need it, and neither do my kids (neither does my husband, but he brings home his own grocery bag of 'junk' for his own indulgences)....so my grocery bill has not changed, just the items in my cart. I used to shop fairly healthy anyway....I've always bought lots of fresh fruit and veggies..just cutting out the junk.

I think it reaaaaalllly depends on what you are buying.  For example, in school I practically lived on Ramen noodles.  8 for a dollar.  Cheap?  Yes.  Healthy?  No way.  If you go from eating almost no fruits and vegetables to a lot of them, your grocery bill will go up.  Also, for a lot of people, going healthy means going organic or all-natural, which often (though not always) is more expensive.

My food bill is killing me. Since I've begun maintenance, I've been spending about $100 a week for just myself!

I try and buy stuff that is on sale, but it doesn't always work out for me that way. When all I ate was junk and I lived at home with my family, they spent $200 a week for 4 people. I keep telling myself this is worth it, but it's hard when to get over my food expenditure when I'm a student who only makes $80-$100 a week.

Is it eating healthier that is expensive, or eating more balanced?  If it's just a question of finding a whole-grain cracker to replace a white flour cracker, then comparison shopping or going to discount food stores should help you find a product that costs about the same.  I think that where eating healthier gets expensive is moving out of the middle aisles to the perimeter, as clairelaine puts it.  It's definitely cheaper to get 2 meals out of a bag of doritos ($3 or so) than to prepare a balanced meal containing some vegetables, fats and a protein source.

I think that healthy pre-made items and convenience foods are more expensive than their unhealthy counterparts, but it is easy to eat cheap & healthy if you are willing to take the time to prepare things yourself. 

I think that claire has a very good point about shopping around. I find that organic produce is ridiculously priced at the grocery store, but if I got an organic specialty store or farmers market it is usually cheaper than all the produce at my local supermarket.

The same goes for spices and oils. I can pay 6 bucks for cruddy store brand olive oil at Giant Eagle, but will pay 4 bucks for a name brand, fancy olive oil at Sunflower market.

It just takes some time to figure out whats best in your area.

Exactly. I eat balanced, and basically only shop the perimeter. You cannot convince me that this costs the same as eating junk food.

But beyond that, whole grain products cost more! A box of whole wheat spaghetti costs at least 4 times what a box of regular white spaghetti would cost.

I'll still spend the extra money because I feel it's worth it, but it is hard and it does mean that I must divert what little money I have towards food.

I think it is more expensive and like DM84 I still buy it because it is worth it.  That said, like Clairlane, I try to shop around. 

I do go to Sam's club for staples in bulk though.  I buy my boneless skinless chicken from there and freeze in family meal portions, same with my ground beef.  It's not the best 90% lean, but it's not as bad as I used to buy 73% lean.  Alas it is almost a dollar more a pound.  I buy my whole wheat bread from Sam's too...two loaves for $3 bucks, my local grocer sells the same bread  for $3.99 for 1 loaf.  I put the 2nd loaf in the fridge for a longer shelf life.  My fruits and veggies I try to catch sales but I haven't found a farmer's market until after the fact but still keep looking.  As for the grapes; I can find them for $1/lb maybe a month a year, the rest of the time they're twice that or more.  :(  I love grapes!

My other thing is the gas to get to the store too!  I go for fruits and veggies a couple times a week...that part bites.

I have determined that down here on the Gulf Coast (AL) we are getting ripped. At the local wally world discount grocery store:

100% whole wheat bread $2.50

Doz. eggs $1.19 (only discount, woo hoo)

half gallon skim milk $2.75

extra lean ground beef $4.39 (reasonable, comparable)

bananas $.59-.79 lb. depending on soccer season (potassium for cramps)

Apples $3.35-$4.99 lb.

10 lb. potatoes $5.49

I dont buy the oats or chick peas, but maybe I should!

Malibu!! Where are you?? I'm in Mobile and a Wally-world shopper too!

That's really expensive for apples, malibucake!  Wow!  They're $.99/lb here, at least at peak season.  If they're more than $1.49 per pound, I won't buy them...

Here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth (no pun intended lol):

When I first started living on my own, I didn't shop healthy but I didn't buy junk either.  I bought semi-healthy cereal (like raisin bran, honey nut cheerios, etc), fruits, frozen veggies, Pb, macncheese, soups, pasta, crackers, etc.  I also bargain-shopped and worked at Target so I got a discount on the food there (the SMALL selection - with no produce).  But I rarely went shopping and my roommate usually consumed the bulk of it.  I basically lived off of cheap bread, PB and jelly, apples, macncheese, and soup.  A little ramen here and there as well.

But when I moved, I also got a car so I could go to a REAL grocery store without just taking the bus.  I could stock up on healthy foods and I no longer had a food-theif roommate (Sorry darling, the truth hurts sometimes lol).  I noticed I was spending a TON on food... every week!  But I was also buying things like Luna bars, balance bars, etc.  And I wasn't watching prices at all, just looking for organic, low-cal, healthy stuff.

Recently I have changed that.  I no longer buy the meal bars, because I'm not in school and can go home for food.  I watch for sales, and compare quality, good-for-youness, and price and try to get the most for my money.  The majority of my grocery dollars goes to fresh produce... otherwise, it's protein foods, like meat, eggs, yogurt, etc. 

I think no matter whether you are buying junk food or healthy, it will be expensive unless you shop smart.  I grew up in a home where there were 4 young, active, and HUNGRY growing kids.  My parents didn't have a lot of money at all, but we always had enough food to live.  We had mainly healthy foods, and those that weren't were for special treats only.  Like granola bars... they were ONLY for lunches.  We didn't eat them at home.  All of the pre-packaged foods or indiviually-wrapped things were for our lunches.  My mom made homemade cookies when we wanted dessert.

Use your head, look around.  It takes longer and more dedication but it's worth it to have the extra money for other things.

I've also found that when you change your lifestyle and cut back cals, you are eating less usually and therefore the food lasts longer.  It's another thing for me that helps me control binges ... I just cannot afford it! :)

My low cal whole wheat bread costs a little more...maybe 20 cents.  Leaner meats also cost more.  Other than that, I love healthy shopping.  Fruits and vegetables are cheap...even the packaged stuff is either as expensive or cheaper than the high cal stuff.  I don't know, but I'm guessing the pre-packaged 100 cal packs are more expensive, but some people find the portion control well worth it.

I was never much of a snacker but I did keep some in the house.  One box of little debbie cakes (12 in a package, oatmeal cream pies) were 1.09.  That was 12 snacks for just over a buck.  I bought 2 apples and 2 pears (4 snacks) Sunday and it cost me 4 dollars.  I used to buy hamburger meat, not the lean stuff, for about 1.49/lb.  Now I'm paying double that for the lean stuff.  I could buy a box of breaded, fried, chicken patties for about 2.00, now I'm buying packages of just chicken breast for about 7.00.  I could buy regular sandwich cheese for about 1.50 now the lower calorie fat free versions cost me 3.69. 

Grocery bill has went way up since I started eating healthier food and fresh vegetables/fruits and I don't buy the certified organic things. I do shop at larger chain stores because I can get much better prices than the local markets here, which often charge double or more for the same things Wal-Mart has. 

It's been a bit harder on the budget but it's been worth every penny in my opinion.  I've lost 80 lbs to date and I feel like a new person.  More energy, much more confidence even though I'm a long way from goal, and those few dollars extra I'm spending may have bought me more than groceries..it just may have bought my way out of a heart attack or diabetes or a ton of other things I was just heading for with my poor eating habits.   

I am terrible...I have not a clue what anything costs.  I buy what I will use.  If it costs alot, then so be it.  I never even looked a receipt...those cashiers have probably been ripping me off for years, lol.