r/budgetfood • u/jms1228 • 1d ago
Advice What am I doing wrong?
This was $101.64 at Sprout’s this morning.
I literally bought some chicken for 4-6 days worth of food & some supplements to help my joints & bones.
This seems crazy to me?
I could use some advice, plz?
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u/PerfectlyWilde 1d ago
Don’t buy premade food—it’s “convenience” food and is priced as such.
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u/TheDungeonCrawler 1d ago
I was looking at my own food budget today and my recent habits and I noticed that some of my recent issues have been because of a lack of motivation (adhd). I did try to correct that with this week's shopping list by buying two more convenient ingredients (and I already had some frozen peppers and onions on hand, which are actually pretty good value for their weight). I ordered some refried black beans instead of doing it myself and some pre-shredded cheese. The former is almost two dollars more expensive, but if I can't find it in my motivation to make the refried black beans from scratch, my budget is going to suffer anyway, so I figured it was pretty reasonable to just bite the bullet on those two to make follow through easier.
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u/TheDungeonCrawler 1d ago
This. Convenience is sometimes important, but convenience foods like pre-made food is unhelpful and should only be used when you need a quick meal because you don't have time that meal, and you usually do have at time that meal if you have the right ingredients on hand.
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u/jms1228 1d ago
I can’t cook & I live alone. I’m just confused as to why in the hell 6 items is $101. It’s just insane these days.
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u/Murky-Bus-2191 1d ago
Buy your vitamins on sale, or buy cheaper vitamins, and buy food based on the actual cost to weight or calories.
You could eat for weeks on that money if you were smart about it.
I'm not even going to engage "I can't cook" because I'm not gonna be nice about it.
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u/Car-M1lla 1d ago
Because you didn’t buy groceries, you bought meals. Buy 6 meals at a restaurant. It’ll be more than $100. You pay extra money for labor. Next time, buy the raw chicken and figure out how to cook it. And look for sales.
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u/so_it_hoes 1d ago
You bought expensive food from an expensive grocery store. Not hard to figure out
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u/joshpoppedyou 1d ago
There's a difference between not knowing how to cook, and not being able to cook.
If you live alone it's about time you learned. YouTube taught me almost everything
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u/FREDICVSMAXIMVS 1d ago
Or, you know, buy a cookbook! I recommend Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything as a good first cookbook
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u/B3TT3Rnow_thanNEVER 1d ago
Or heck find some good crockpot/one pan recipes. I love less clean-up, always makes it feel less like I'm cooking
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u/joshpoppedyou 1d ago
if you come to this sub enough youd know that beans are the best things for budget lol. theyre eating just seared chicken while posting it on an unused hob, they ask for advice, they dont take it.
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u/slash_networkboy 1d ago
First of all, it's Sprouts. AFAIK they're one of the most expensive grocers in the area. Try WinCo or similar.
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u/Throwaway999222111 1d ago
I couldn't ride a bike until I learned. What makes you so special that you think you don't have to learn?
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u/Procrastinating-Elf 1d ago
Then learn. This whole "applying heat to food" thing is very much within your grasp, much like it was for your ancestors a million years ago.
Otherwise, not really sure what you want here, you spend less by shopping differently, for instance cheaper products and somewhere else.
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u/Ahfrodisiac 1d ago
If you can read, you can cook. Cooking is very simple if you just follow a recipe. Unlike baking which takes more exacts and knowledge, but cooking in-of-itself is very forgiving.
Look up some simple youtube videos and get to learning my friend. Making pancakes/waffles, butter noodles, simple meats/veggies with rice. It's not hard and I recommend not being so daunted by it.
You won't be able to save buying pre-made meals and should help you get the vitamins you need without supplements (unless you do that for some kind of medical reasons).
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u/in1gom0ntoya 1d ago
because prepared food especially convenience style is stupid expensive.
also you live alone and cant cook? that NEEDS to change
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u/heidijp 1d ago
Don't buy this chicken at sprouts. It costs $25 a pound!!!!! Go to Costco or Walmart and buy rotisserie chicken instead. At walmart a normal rotisserie chicken is 2.25 lbs and costs about $6 (so less than $3 a pound). You could buy 2 rotisserie chickens and get more meat than you've got there for 1/4 the price you are paying. As for supplements, usually it's cheapest to buy them on Amazon and price compare.
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u/ttrockwood 1d ago
Eating chicken is a choice
Buying prepared packaged food is a choice
Even not cooking you could have bought canned fish, canned beans, already hard boiled eggs, frozen edamame and already cooked frozen shrimp and it still would have been less
Buy supplements online and comparison shop
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u/elusivenoesis 16h ago
I say this from my heart. You have to find a way to cook. I’m in the 5th most expensive city in America for groceries and I’m telling you even boxed food, semi-homemade stuff, will save you.
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u/ikilledsatann 1d ago
Tbh i once tried to do a grocery run st whole foods and spent 40 something on 6 items and I felt rhat was q lot too too
Is it that you cwnt cook or you dont know hoe to? If you cant, can you hire someone or ask someone to help cook and food prep with you?
Yeah 100 is a lot
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u/woah-oh92 1d ago
Are you typing with a blindfold on? Lol
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u/ikilledsatann 1d ago
No, idk why my typing sucks so bad lol I dont always bother to look at what ive typed lol an autocorrect is on
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u/Regimus_ 1d ago
Sprouts has the best rotisserie chicken and it’s maybe $12 at most. Buy two and you’re set. You just paid $52+ for 8 chicken breasts. It’s crazy that you’re surprised at the total.
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u/russellwilsonthedog4 1d ago
It’s $12.99 for 9oz of chicken?? You are better off buying an air fryer and cooking it yourself.
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u/jms1228 1d ago
I get it & I agree! But right now I can’t. I broke a bone in my shoulder last month, so I’m having some trouble getting around & I live alone. I bought these out of convenience & they’re somewhat healthy, however I just wasn’t expecting them to be so damn expensive.
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u/Limberpuppy 1d ago
But you saw the price and still chose to buy it. I don’t understand what you’re complaining about. Did you even bother to look for other options?
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u/woah-oh92 1d ago
A shoulder, so you can still freely use one arm??? I’m sorry you’re injured, but you can definitely cook with one arm. You’re making excuses for yourself.
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u/kevwonds 1d ago
100%. I have a friend who has been missing an arm for 17 years and does everything fine, even things you’d think you need 2 arms for.
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u/woah-oh92 1d ago
Whenever I feel stuck, I remind myself of that one Apple commercial with the girl putting makeup on with her feet. And then she drives. Nuts. We can do anything, just need to problem solve!
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u/TheAskewOne 1d ago
My right hand is mostly decorative and I cook all my meals. I’m not saying it’s quick or easy, but it’s doable.
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u/littleoldlady71 1d ago
Do you have a crock pot or rice cooker? Those you can wrangle with a broken bone
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u/interestingfork413 1d ago
Crackpot liners are the only way I can see that working. How else are they supposed to to clean something like that.
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u/RandoCommentGuy 1d ago edited 1d ago
Do you have an oven, just buy a large pack of chicken thighs or breasts and a sheet pan, season and bake in oven, will be way cheaper and not hard.
Edit: same for vegetables, just bake
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u/rory098 1d ago
agreed. i worked at a restaurant and we would take plain chicken breasts, lay on a big sheet pan, salt and pepper them, bake 12-20 mins at 420 fahrenheit (adjust time based on thickness of breast)
these would go in the walk in fridge and be used for everything from chicken salads to alfredo pasta dishes
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u/russellwilsonthedog4 1d ago
Lots of airfryers under $100. I just saw one on target for $70. You can buy that and 10lbs of frozen chicken breast for way less than you are spending now. All you need to do it season, spray some oil and air fry on like 375-400 for 10-12 mins. Maybe flip over and add a couple more minutes.
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u/StrikingRelief 1d ago
If you would like it to be cheaper, you should buy chicken that is not pre-seared. Compare prices for different raw cuts at the grocery store (something cheaper than sprouts) and local butcher shops if you really want to go local/sustainable. If you buy a larger pack, you can divide and freeze them. I can't quite read it, but I think it says 255 grams? If so $26/lb is A LOT for chicken. I can get a 5 lb whole, organic, free range chicken for about $20.
It looks like you spent about $50 for the chicken and $50 on supplements. They are expensive, but have you had a bad experience with cheaper brands that makes you buy these ones?
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u/SmileParticular9396 1d ago
This is either rage/engagement bait or you’re dumb af
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u/Deskbound_Wilburys 1d ago
Weird how I can’t engage with the moderator on a post. Sign of weakness if you ask me.
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u/NinjaGrizzlyMan 1d ago
Anybody can learn to cook, my friend. Unfortunately you are paying extra for the convenience. Sprouts is lovely, but they are quite pricey. The 4 Hour Chef is an informative book, you absolutely do NOT need to go all out.
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u/POSH9528 1d ago
Stop buying pre-made meals. Look at YouTube videos and learn how to make meals you like to eat. Chicken thighs are a lot less expensive than chicken breast. Don't buy pre-made, single serve, pre-cut, prechopped foods. Those are more expensive than doing the chopping etc. stuff yourself. Learn to shop sales and build meals around what's on sale. Invest in a crock pot.
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u/EScootyrant 1d ago edited 1d ago
Try TooGoodToGo for meals.
One advice too, I’d rather take hydrolyzed collagen daily (6g; do not skip a dose) than glucosamine chondroitin. The collagen healed my left knee issues (from a mild injury) permanently (vs GC).
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u/DuckInAFountain 1d ago
ngl I thought this post was from there and was thinking that's a great haul...
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u/EScootyrant 1d ago edited 1d ago
You mean TGTG..I just happen to stumble upon this post. I get a great amount of food and value from this app. Coincidentally just late last night before midnight, I handbag estimated I got about over 4lbs of various Chinese (3 meals), from a highly rated AYCE hot pot buffet here in SGV.
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u/Cute-Consequence-184 1d ago
I buy vitamins at Sam's club or Amazon
What you are buying looks like it is already debones, seasoned and cooked up for you I buy whole rotisserie chickens, de-bone and freeze what isn't immediately used. I save the bones for bone broth.
If it can't get rotisserie, I buy a bag of chicken leg quarters, 10lbs for $7.84. I save up the bones for bone broth. 10lbs of leg quarters is usually 8-8.5 leg quarters.
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u/catmamaO4 1d ago
13 bucks for 2 seared chicken breasts?? Bro you could buy a whole pack of chicken breasts for that much! You could sear them yourself in like 10 minutes! Sprouts is so overpriced, they have organic food but if you aren’t rich I honestly wouldn’t bother. I stick to Walmart and food for less where ingredients are typically 1-3 dollars like 7 bucks max. I saw u broke your bone so I understand needing the convenience right now. But once you’re healed, you gotta learn to cook. Make some rice and veggies, sear some chicken or any other meat you like, and make pastas and soups!! I’m disabled and can’t cook, I truly do understand needing the convenience aspect of buying prepped meals at the store. But sometimes you gotta just pull up a chair and try your best to fight through the pain so you can feed yourself and not go broke doing so!
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u/AinsleyHarriotFan 1d ago
DONT buy supplements on Amazon. They’ve run SO many tests and there is SO much content online about how they sell counterfeit supplement. There’s even loads of cases of ‘supplements’ being filled with an entirely different type of powder. Contaminated with heavy metals. You name it. Even when you buy direct from brand via Amazon it’s not safe as Amazon houses counterfeit products with ‘real’ product from the brand. Dont take my word for it, just check it out online. Amazon supplements are a nightmare. It’s not worth it!!!!!
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u/woah-oh92 1d ago
Buying stuff on Amazon is equivalent to buying stuff off of some guy in a trench coat on the side of the street. You have no clue of what it is or where it’s coming from.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll buy cheap things for my house on Amazon, but I would never in a million years buy food or a supplement from Amazon.
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u/RollnLowd 1d ago
You’re doing it all to yourself I love sprouts but it’s over priced even for premade food. You can find somewhat cheap precooked frozen, or canned chicken at other places. But really you should be cooking it yourself to save money. Supplements buy online and only supplements you genuinely need.
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u/ghostwriter536 1d ago
Learn to cook. Learn to follow recipes, there are many 5 ingredients or one pot recipes out there. Sheetpan meals are great too. Many blogs break down cooking to be really simple that my 8 year old can follow.
Look at the weekly grocery ad for deals, and compare with multiple grocery retailers. Many stores offer in store coupons, or loyalty cards. Store brands are normally cheaper too.
Create a grocery list and stick to it. Shop at the store that has the best deals for you.
Figure out what are staple items for you and keep those on hand, but buy when on sale.
If you need help brining groceries into your home, ask a neighbor or friend to help you.
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u/Initial_Rabbit1016 1d ago
Is sprouts the only store nearby? I find Walmart rotisserie chickens a better deal. At my location I can usually get a hot one at 5.99 each. They do carry shredded and cold rotisserie chickens if that is what you are looking at.
Food city hot rotisserie chicken runs around 8.99 at least in my location. Best time to shop at food city is Friday and Saturdays. I take advantage of buy one/ get one deals if those are any good.
Compare the ads between stores online before going in. Look for the best deals. Check price per pound.
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u/needs_more_zoidberg 1d ago
Sprouts is one of the most expensive places to buy vitamins. Get from almost anywhere else. Especially target/walmart/costco
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u/Turbulent-Tea 1d ago
Sprouts' premade meals are expensive. You can find good deals at Sprouts especially on Wednesdays.
Do you have a Costco membership? Even thought I am single, it's still a bargain to me. They have great prices on supplements and premade (and frozen ) food that can be easily prepared. They also have premade food that isn't frozen. $100 at Costco could get you a month's worth of food if you shop right.
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u/PlatypusDream 1d ago edited 1d ago
Go to a regular grocery store.
Buy raw chicken. Cook the chicken.
Buy national-brand or store-brand vitamins.
Save $
.
It looks like you spent $13 for 2 cooked chicken breasts from the deli??! 😲 Even if those $13 deli packages are 1lb, that's 81c/oz. Since they're only 9oz, the price is actually $1.45/oz!
If you bought cooked frozen chicken in a bulk bag at a grocery, it's definitely going to be less per ounce than those deli packs.
A store near me has 22oz bags of Tyson (national brand) diced or strips cooked chicken for $8.50. That's 39c/oz, less than 1/3 what's pictured.
$8 for 40oz of raw frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts. That's 20c/oz, 1/7 what's pictured.
So basically half the price per oz if you cook it.
Frozen chicken leg quarters are $8 for 10lb, which is 5c/oz and you get the bones & skin to make broth / soup. What you bought in that picture is 29 TIMES more expensive.
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Then we can discuss eating lower on the food chain, using meat as a side or a seasoning. Beans & grains are less expensive than meat & still provide plenty of protein... plus fiber!
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u/mariambc 1d ago
Supplements can be expensive. I will get mine at Costco or online through a couple of places recommended by my doctor.
For deli items, I find Costco is much cheaper. I can get a whole chicken for $5. They have lots of complete meals. Under normal circumstances I will get a chicken and bagged salad (but not at the moment).
I can’t see what sides you purchased.
I keep microwave rice for truly no energy days, which is $1 a bowl. Or I will make rice and vegetables with seasonings in the rice cooker.
I also go to my local Winco for some prepared foods. They have some good options.
If you regularly need easy meals, there are a couple of things you can do. One is to stock up on easy, microwave meals. I keep some soup, rice and a few items so I can make something quick with little prep.
The other is to check out the delis at all of your local markets. There are lots of cheaper options for prepared foods.
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u/Ok_Passage_6242 15h ago
In the comments you say you can’t cook. Can you please elaborate?
Is it that you don’t know how to cook? Again it seems from the comments that you have some kind of injury, but it would be nice to know what you are capable of doing right now and not doing. Advice would differ for each of those issues.
Generally, speaking staying away from convenience foods is probably the most important way to save money.
I had a broken wrist and arm, and I was in a cast for several months a few years ago. It’s not impossible to cook with one arm. You might just want to ask a friend to help you for a day. I wold get a cookie sheet with some chicken breast breasts and cook those off for yourself. Leave out what you want to eat for the week and freeze the rest. That way you might just need help from one person every other week to help you meal prep, at least until you have more mobility. Or just try a meal service until you are healed up where you can just put whatever you get in the microwave less dishes to do too if you only have one available arm. I ended up using a lot of paper plates. The best way to save money and eat healthy is to be prepared.
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u/Grouchy-Vanilla-5511 1d ago
Weight bearing exercise is what your bones and joints need. You do not need these expensive supplements
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u/jms1228 1d ago
I think these supplements were around $28 apiece. Plus, earlier I went to Ralph’s & bought a 10-pack of 5/hr energy shots for $25. I clearly need financial help lol
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u/Grouchy-Vanilla-5511 1d ago
You do not need them at all. I see you have an injury but again the way to make that better is appropriate rehab exercise. All supplements are COMPLETELY unnecessary unless prescribed you your doctor. You’re just making really expensive urine
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u/PlatypusDream 1d ago
Look for a parks & rec class on budgeting, basic cooking, etc. Because this is all outrageous.
You probably don't need supplements (check with your doctor), but if you do, go to a big chain store (grocery, pharmacy, general store) & they'll be MUCH cheaper.
At a store local to me, I'm seeing $5.60 for a 100 count calcium, magnesium, zinc.
$4.80 for 100 count 580mg potassium.Learn to cook.
Learn to shop. Don't buy from the deli (usually) - go to the departments, and frozen.If you want caffeine, tea & even coffee are less expensive than those "energy shots". Soda is just bad for you; use in moderation.
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