Week 10: The Sweet 16 of Saving

Living a gluten-free life style I cannot go to the grocery store and spend less than $8 on crackers and bread... I cannot make those easy less than two dollar means, I have never even tried Ramen. I have to spend more on groceries than the average person. And yeah at times I have to ask people to not eat my snacks because they are literally double or triple the price of regular snacks. And yes my parents constantly worry about how I eat.. I did not choose to be this picky or have to spend more on groceries, but i don't mind it makes eating an adventure. But some have a very negative view on people who are "gluten-free" they do not think it is a real thing, especially with how much of a trend it is in society... or others take a stance like this,  many of you guys have read the comedian Kelly MacLean's story in the Huff Post  "Surviving Whole Foods", here is an excerpt : 

"Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this aisle because I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions. Ever notice that you don't meet poor people with special diet needs? A gluten intolerant house cleaner?"

Yes this is a comedic article but that is a true stance that I run into with some people and it is a mind blowing, like no I did not choose to have ALL of these dietary restrictions. But I have come accustom to this life and I would not change it. And it does not have to be this uber expensive lifestyle... my shopping can never be done like those Extreme Couponers on TLC (but who really wants half of the food they eat, they are the most processed things)  but here are 
The Sweet 16 of Saving to help you not go broke over food: 

1. Plan out what you want to eat for that week, make a menu and stick to it. This is will help you buy only what you need and nothing extra.

2. Look for naturally gluten-free foods, and stalk up on items such as beans, rice, canned tomatoes, gluten-free pasta, and Quinoa when they go on sale; and/or if you have the opportunity buy in bulk do it! These are staples that you will always need. 

4. Eat more vegetarian meals, cutting down on meat will do wonders, and shakes up what you fix for meals. 

5. Make your own snacks, A lot of the time now a days you are paying more for the packaging then what the actual food inside is worth! Hummus is something that is not too challenging to make and you can have fun inventing different flavors. Also you can make your own dressings and salsas! Then try making your own chips out of stale corn or brown rice tortillas. 

6. Make potatoes a bigger part of your diet, there is an endless possibles of what you can do with them in the kitchen! Use Idaho and Sweet potatoes as stars of a meal rather than just a side dish! Also you can buy them in bulk or go support your local farmers and purchase them. 

7. One of my personal favorites, that I didn't realize how often I was doing it is making breakfast for dinner... I get this incredible GF pie crust from Earth Fare and make quiches regularly, if I can't get those you can never go wrong with a Frittata . Also just making the basic eggs can be a fantastic dinner with some sweet potato hash its perfection. If you are tired though of eggs being prepared the same way over and over again, no fear here is a guide to 100 different ways to prepare eggs. And if eggs are not your style break out the waffle maker and indulge yourself with some pumpkin waffles, french toast, or pancakes... Breakfast has infinite possibilities!

8. Keep your pantry full of Pasta! Even though it is still not as cheap as regular pasta, Ask your grocery store about buying it in bulk and you can receive a case discount that way. 

9. Make your own soups and chilies. This cannot be anymore simple!  Plus you can normally get a couple of meals out of it depending on how big of a pot you make. And they are easy meals to heat up and enjoy in a rush. My all time favorite chili recipe is Vegetarian Quinoa Chili. And if you have left over meat from the night before, put in a chili or chowder, next waste anything there is no need! Also in the Spring and Summer don't forget there are plenty of cold soups to be enjoy, Strawberry Soup is fantastic.  Here are some fantastic soup recipes to browse.

10. Coupons do exist for gluten-free brands but are not circulated as heavy as other coupons. So go to the websites of gluten-free products that you enjoy and sign up to receive their newsletters and coupons. You can even write some companies and ask if coupons are available. Also request free samples of their product. Think about making a separate email account to receive these newsletters and coupons, because some companies email a few a day and you don't want to flood your business email! Here is a blog that is extremely helpful in with Gluten-Free living on a budget with coupons. 

11. Think about your poison... because gluten-free beers and ciders tend to be one the pricer side, switch it up with wine and liquor. You will get the most bang for your buck.

12. Check stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Aldi, and Big Lots! They often carry very nice GF brands and are half the price than grocery stores.

13. The internet is your best friend when it comes to GF living: 

• Amazon has a gluten-free store that offers subscribe and save, sales and manager’s specials.
• Nuts offers gluten-free baking mixes and flours that you can buy in one pound packages or in bulk to save money.
• Vitacost also offers a wide variety of gluten-free goods, specials, and Set and Save pricing on certain items.  (receive $10 off your first $30 purchase with this link)
• Soap has a lot of gluten-free items and offers sales and free shipping over $35.  Use referral code cbuscheap to get 20 percent off your first order.

14. Walmart... Yes I said Walmart, it defiantly depends on where your Walmart is and how new it is, but they have started carrying an impressive amount of GF products throughout the years.  Here is an interesting interview I discovered on Walmart and  their affordable GF food. 

15. Make your own All-Purpose GF flour mix, buy the flour in bulk and keep mixing them together, if not you are wasting like eight bucks for only a few cups of flour.. Try this easy DIY All-Purpose flour recipe. 

16. Organic this Organic that... Throughout the years that word organic has been used by society and food companies in many different ways. The hardest thing to know is if it is truly an organic product, or it is just written there for show! There are certain standards that these organic companies have to follow, but we have all heard the stories... People have been brainwashed in society to think Organic= healthy yes it should, but sadly that is not always the case, so do your homework on brands. Another way that you can make sure that you are getting the freshest produce and bread is to go check out your local farmer's market. If you live in the area of  Winston-Salem NC here is where you can catch your Local Farmer's Market! Sadly the season for farmer's markets is dying down, and you will need to go back to shopping in the grocery stores. Here is a chart that my Mom gave me, it highlights what produce you should buy organically and which are not necessary to spend the extra bucks on...