I dream of frijoles
Hey guys! How are ya? Hope your day is going well <3
Thank you so much for the awesome feedback on the Summer Shape Up so far! Please keep cheering each other on and posting your workout triumphs and how you’re doin’ in the comments section 😀
Today has been a weird day. I think I told ya’ll about the car accident I was in a month and a half ago. Well after fighting with the insurance people (her adjuster was trying to say it was my fault even though the lady backed into me), I finally got everything settled (and WON) and dropped my little car off to be fixed. I couldn’t get the key out of my rental car!! I had to drive back to the rental place and have them help me… embarrassing.
Also, as I’m thinking you may have seen this already, the blog crashed. Thankfully, everything is back to normal with my blog baby.
Weird day!
I did have an awesome bfast though 😉
Cherry bomb + an apple and two apricots + water on the way to the car-fixer-uppers
Fun smoothie celebration news: SUN WARRIOR IS NOW IN MY OPENSKY STORE! About time, eh? 🙂 Great price, too! Edited to say: The Sun Warrior has been added, but isn’t showing up yet. It should be visible tomorrow- sorry for confusing ya’ll! See? Weird day.
I started cleaning the casa, did Insanity and had a lil snack:
Millet with strawberry Meyer lemon jam, the other half of my smoothie bananner and an almond butter drizzle 🙂
I have plenty of almond butter, thanks to this lovely friend <3
Lunch was smaller since I’d been eating pretty queenly all morning- I wasn’t that hungry.
The star of the show:
Goat gouda
It’s so so gouda 😉
I made a 3 egg white stada with goat gouda, spinach, Gahhhhlic gold, roasted tomatoes and onion
It was pretty face-rocking, but not nearly as good as these…
My auntie’s homemade frijoles. She cooks them with cloves of garlic and I had a small bowl before leaving Orlando yesterday. I dreamt about them last night…. Might have to *attempt* to replicate them soon 😉 Maybe this Thursday.. the pilot requested homemade horchata 🙂
I’m off to teach spin and Zumba!
xoxo,
Gina
Today’s tip: You tell me 😀 I was supposed to do a post on food budgeting, and when I stopped to think about what to write, I realized I’m pretty horrible at it. We have a set amount of dinero that we stick to (more or less) each week, but I also spend $13 on goat gouda at Publix and a ridiculous amount when we go to Whole Paycheck.
Here are some of the best tips I can think of:
– Shop around (I know for a fact that an organic cucumber at Publix is 3.99 –for a single cucumber!- and is 1.97 at Wizzle aka WalMart, frozen organic cherries are less expensive at Publix than Winn Dixie, etc)- I usually have to go to multiple grocery stores anyway, so I might as well buy what’s least expensive at each store
-If you see a coupon you like, hold onto it! The last 3 gallons of almond milk that I’ve picked up have been FREE thanks to the Silk Almond Milk coupons they had at Winn Dixie.
–Buy from local farmers or farmers markets. Not only are they usually organic (just talk to them about their practices, but most don’t use harsh pesticides but can’t afford the price and hassle to become USDA Certified Organic), but you’re directly supporting the people who work hard to the grow the products and are protecting the environment by buying local.
–Buy frozen. Frozen organic produce can be even MORE nutritious than fresh, and is usually far less pricey.
That’s really all I’ve got… how do you save money on food??
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Hehe, I just got back from grocery shopping!
I use coupons sometimes if it’s for something I buy anyway.
I only buy the amount I need. Something might be a great deal, but if it’s just going to go bad and get thrown out then it’s a waste of money. I make sure I don’t overbuy.
And I usually shop at discount stores. Whole Foods is nice and all but majorly expensive for most things. I’ll take the cheaper grocery store.
I definitely shop around. I hit up the BJ’s for bulk stuff like almond milk and baby spinach, and try to shop as much as possible at Trader joe’s, and then get my specialties at WF. But honestly, I do spend way too much $$ on food anyway 🙂
I am really bad at this, but at the same time, I can’t remember the last time I had to throw away spoiled food. So we eat it all, we just spend a lot. $130-150 a week is average for us, but I also shop solely at Whole Foods (It is the only place I can get to without a car- and I rarely have the car!)
So our budget is big, but we do not waste.
My tip for that is to meal plan. I always pick one fruit, one lunch snack (carrots with hummus one week, yogurt with granola another, etc) and one to two types of lunches. I buy staples + those items + whatever I need for dinners that week – one dinner. We eat pantry items or leftovers for one meal usually. By planning, we never waste anything.
I know you semi meal plan too so I guess this tip is for your readers haha
I’m really bad at budgeting food $$$. I usually plan my meals out in advance and then go grocery shopping, but there’s always one night a week where I don’t feel like cooking. And at least another where I forgot one small item and have to stop to get it and then that one thing turns into like 20 things. We’ve actually been spending a lot less since trying on vegetarianism. Our grocery bill is cut in half! And we feel a whole lot better too!
oh i forgot that tip!
eating plant-based foods is a great way to save money!
I definitely agree with you on the frozen fruits and veggies. Produce is picked and then flash frozen at it’s freshest – which is much more fresh than something that traveled across the states on the back of a Walmart truck! I love farmer’s markets too but since I often cook for just one – the frozen is usually a better choice (plus then I have less expensive waste in the trash can.)
Sorry about the car ordeal! I will buy the following frozen: spinach, peas+carrots (the mixed bag, for indian food!), and those pre-diced peppers (usually pre-sliced convenience jazz is substantially pricier, but for whatever reason, this is cheaper….nutr. yeast+frozen peppers+garlic+egg whites+microwave=fajita puff in 2 minutes flat!). But I spend WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much money on spinach and lettuce! Somebody please, please help me out! I know I shouldn’t buy the pre-washed bags, but washing and storing lettuce seriously takes forever. The problem is that I literally eat the entire bag per salad (def. for spinach, and I get about 1.75 bags out of every supposedly 3.5 serving size bag of romaine).
If you have access to a Costco it is so worth it JUST to buy lettuce. Each and every week I buy a 1lb container of spinach and 1lb container of mixed baby greens and get this BOTH are organic and they are about $4.50 each. A 5oz bag of non organic mixed greens at my grocery store is like $3 so it is a huge savings each week.
that’s a great tip- i love picking up salad greens at sam’s club… a giant tub of organic for the same price as the little one at publix
A salad spinner might be a good investment (not much of an investment — like maybe $15?) for you if you hate washing greens. It makes it easy and fun to wash produce.
Check out all the prices- store brand isn’t always the least expensive!
I save money on food by meal planning. That way, I don’t buy a bunch of unnecessary crap!
I dont see the Sun Warrior in your shop? It shows 32 products but i dont see it. I must be blind! lol.
You’re not blind. It’s not there.
sorry girls, it’s not in there for a reason unbeknown to me :/ emailing them to see what the deal-io is
i’m looking for it…
see, it’s been a weird day! haha
Definitely read through all the weekly circulars and plan what to buy before you shop! That is my fav trick 🙂
I am TERRIBLE at budgeting for food. We watch everything else we spend on, so when it comes to food, we buy whatever we want! We do meal plan tho, which helps a bit.
we’re pretty much the same way 🙂
i do the same thing, shoppin around at multiple stores and always checking flyers to see who has the best deals.
I usually buy what’s on sale (which is often what’s in season). I also get a lot of produce frozen i.e. peas, spinach, berries so that I can take my time eating them and not have to rush through them in fear of spoilage.
I am also sure to indulge on a few expensive items such as millet bread 🙂
hahah definitely necessary 🙂
I just bought Sun Warrior YESTERDAY from Amazon, and you better believe I checked your Open Sky shop for it first!! I was looking for a deal and I was actually surprised that you didn’t have it in there. I can’t believe I missed it by a day.
I bought Sun Warrior because I started Insanity today and I need the protein. Both the powder and the workout I picked up from YOU, Fitnessista, and your motivational and inspirational blog. Thank you for being such an awesome role model! 🙂
that is so awesome!! what do you think of the protein and insanity?? they’re both my faves 😉
thanks for checking my store first- that was sweet of you! sun warrior was slow to jump on the bandwagon but i’m so glad they finally did!
xoxo
I am very price INsensitive when it comes to grocery shopping and buying food. I take coupons, and sometimes forget to use them 🙁 I buy what I want, where I want. I try to buy canned foods and frozen veggies at Meijer cause it’s cheaper, but fresh produce and meat at a local market or Whole Foods (Paycheck).
Gina, the Sun Warrior powder is not showing up in your shop. 🙁
I don’t really budget for food. I buy what we need and try to cook at home as much as possible (almost always less expensive than going out). I try not to waste and find uses for leftovers. I’m lucky to have an extra freezer in my garage so I freeze a lot of stuff and use it for future meals. It makes it easy on the nights when you’re tired and don’t want to cook but don’t want to waste money on take out!
Completed day 1! looking forward to the nest 4 weeks!:) As for budgeting, I have 3 kids so I have to be careful because we are on a tight budget. I am the person you do not want to get behind in the store…I am the one with 20 coupons, and only buy on sale and have a list with the dollar amount of each item. I plan every cent.
whoo hoo!
that’s the smart way to do it- you can save SO much more that way. i need to really jump on the bandwagon, esp when we have kids
cloves of garlic = heavenly frijoles 🙂
seriously, they were ridiculous
Ah I’m the worst at food budgeting 😕 But I figure…it’s ok. I mean, fueling myself the way I like takes priority over shopping for clothes and other stuff.
And I agree with previous commenters- the lower you eat on the food chain, the cheaper!
your millet bread looks way better than mine!
what kind do you get?
do you keep it frozen? if so, you probably slice it before you put it in the freezer right?
i use food for life, keep it in the freezer and chisel off a piece when i want some 🙂
I’m honestly pretty bad about saving too – eek! I just try to get what I need for my meal plan and nothing more, especially if it’s perishable!
It’s definitely good to compare prices–that’s something I need to check out when I move–and also to collect coupons and remember to use them. It can be frustrating because it seems like 95% of coupons are for unhealthy, packaged foods. So many coupons for chips and frozen meals, none for fruits and veggies.
So glad you worked out all the insurance! Bet thats a lot of weight off your shoulders. And by the way, I am SUPER pumped your finally selling Sun warrior! YEA!
i’m just finishing the last of that same goat gouda! i love it! i’m going to read the summer shape-up post later and can’t wait to implement it:) thank you!!!
oh my goodness, that goat gouda… it was so good and TANGY! loved it
I’ve been cutting back on grocery store spending lately by eliminating a lot of processed foods! Chips/crackers, ice cream, frozen meals… lately I’ve been buying mostly fresh produce, frozen produce, and canned beans… it’s working out beautifully 🙂 My body and my wallet feel great!
I have been dreaming of the frijoles fed to us by my host mother ever since I left Nicaragua last January…siiigghhh.
Budget food shopping! Step one – bring CASH. Only as much cash as you want to spend. If you only HAVE $30 you can’t spend more!! This is my big one. Second, fresh produce in bulk. I shop in the fresh aisles, and look for things like “2 for $1” lbs of carrots. And honestly if you’re looking to save money you dont NEED to buy expensive out of seasons like brussels or berries or whatever (depending on what part of the year it is). My grocery store also sells “older” produce for dirt cheap, and since I’m all about eating fresh right away it’s not a big deal. Skip canned beans and go for dried in bags – it takes a little more advance preparation but saves dollas! Local supermarkets are often a lot cheaper in the produce zone than national chains. And I avoid Whole Foods like the devil (ok fine … the only one near me is entirely inconvenient to go to). Since I don’t drive, I walk to the grocery store and carry home my purchases, so it limits my spending because I know I can’t carry seven bags of food home on my own!
homemade horchata?!?! oh please, i would LOVE the recipe! I used to live in LA and there was this hole-in-the-wall place with the BEST horchata. I haven’t been able to find anything equivalent since!Thanks!
Hi Ladies!
Since we’re on the budget topic – has anyone ordered from VitaCost.com? What are you opinions on the costs?
Thank you all 🙂
nope but I have been on a total iherb.com rampage. I have placed 2 orders in the last two weeks. Everything there is like half the cost of WF and I have only found one thing that was cheaper on Amazon. Everything else is the same or cheaper but if you spend $40 shipping is free and over $60 you get an additional 5% off so I seriously come out so far ahead. Plus shipping under $40 is a flat rate of $4. I get my brown rice protein (Jarrow brand) ridiculously cheap there.
If you want my referral code (you get $5 off your first order) email me at k (dot) calisto15 (at) hotmail (dot) com. (Gina- Hope it is okay to post that, if not please feel free to delete! I didn’t want to post it here- not trying to “advertise” on your bloggie or anything but since we are talking about saving money if they want to email me it really does give ppl money off so I want to help if I can). I really do adore the site and have had great results and savings.
lol sounds like averie and I had the same advice at the same time! When I clicked to publish my comment I saw hers with the same idea!
awesome tip, thank you! i’m sure bloggies will appreciate your kind offer 🙂
I get all my supplements from Vita Cost! They are usually half the price than getting them at any Health Food stores. Especially coconut oil! I haven’t tried buying food form them yet.
Great eats today! Your egg white stada looks…three words for you…fab-u-lous!
Hi Sweetie, thank you for the LOVELY comments you left me today on my photos. That was so awesome to read your high praise and sweet words! Made my leg sesh in the gym go by that much faster today b/c I kept thinking about your works of art comment 🙂
Food budgeting. Ok when it was just Scott and I, we used to drop mad money on food, and shopped at WFs all the time. Now, the ONLY thing I buy from them is Veganaise. I buy all other dry goods, organic spices, nooch, etc online. And I shop mainstream groc store for all produce. Or TJs. No, it’s not organic. But, we arent going into debt either.
To the commenter above me ERMI, yes on Vitacost.com and yes on iherb.com They are both great and I have a coupon code on my site to save $5 off your iherb.com order. And free shipping. Right hand margin. Dont wanna link drop on Gina 🙂
Gina, sorry about your hellish day. Dear god. I hate days like that!
xo
hahah you’re always welcome to link drop on me, my friend
and um, i was just stating the truth- your legs ARE a work of art. amazing, for real 🙂
xoxo
Hey! Random question: have you heard about the new acai pure capsules? i am interested to hear what you think about them!
i haven’t heard of them, but my initial thoughts would be that it’s a better idea to get nutrients from actual food rather than a capsule, ya know? kinda like multivitamins- great as “insurance” but better to get the nutrients from food
Awww my esposo makes those beans and they look exactly like that, cooked with garlic + onion + salt and taste like heaven! Your little bowl of ’em made me want to grab some from my fridge. Like now. 930pm beans? hmm
anytime is a good time for beans, haha 🙂
I stop myself from buying a bunch of “extras” that I don’t really need and I definitely hang on to coupons!!
Hey babe, sorry it’s been such a weird day. I’ve been thinking about you. Love you like crazy, me
love you like crazy <3
Well dang you two are adorable! Lurve.
goat gouda is UNBELIEVABLE!! (how cute is the post above me?!?! ;))
I always try to find whats on sale and go for that, esp at whole foods there are always TONS of items on sale and I always stock up…froze fruits and veggies are always a good way to save some money and also buying locally!! i am all about local apples, fruit and veggies!! when I have some ‘extra’ money I buy some extra things that I like every now and then, but its not everday that I can afford 5 kombuchas!! (although I wish I could!!)
sorry you had a wierd day, but yey for winning on the car issue!!!
i want some homemamde frijoles!
Buy frozen and in bulk! Nutritional yeast, sesame seeds, chia seeds, etc. are so worth the price tag because they all last for months on end! Find a local health food store, head on over, and stock up on the essentials. Hit up a nearby grocery store for produce. [:
Also, Gina, I love you to death and I notice that you mention Wal Mart quite frequently when it comes to your shopping endeavors. Have you ever heard of The High Cost of Low Price? It is a documentary on Wal Mart. I think that you would really get a lot out of watching it. Here is more info: http://www.walmartmovie.com/about.php
hey heather,
i have to shop at walmart because it’s the closest grocery store :/ i’m really not a fan of the place at all… my sanity fears for it
I am like the queen of knowing the prices of things I eat at every store. And although this takes more stops, I think it’s def worth it. You also have to be REALLY aware of how much you are going to eat during the week, don’t go overboard on fruits and veggies that will go bad before you get to them. For these items I think it’s better to have to go back to the store mid-week instead of getting too much.
That’s so awesome you teach spin and zumba! I am always in awe of the instructors. =P
And homemade frijoles sound yummy, I would love to see the recipe! I save money on food by clipping coupons like it’s my job and looking for sales. Every little bit adds up!
I did your summer shape up yesterday and my abbies are definitely feeling it today!
I’m terrible at saving money on food shopping. I can stop myself from buying a dress at the mall, but I am helpless before a shelf of granolas at the grocery store! 😛
whoo hoo! love some burning abbies 🙂
Bring a list!! If I don’t bring a list I end up mozying around the store buying up anything that looks good and then the real kicker is I get home and can’t even put all of the randomness together for a sane meal!
Also, once a month for one whole week, I force myself to use only things I already have in the house (unless I need some fresh produce) that I forgot about from one of my mindless $100 trips to the grocery store 🙂
Haha, just realized we had very similiar names for our posts last last night! I dream of peanut butter 😀
I hit up bulk bins at Whole Foods for all of my grains and beans. Unlike most of their products, getting my grains from their bulk bins is cheaper than buying them anywhere else.
MMMMmmmmm Frijoles…
How do I save money? I buy a LOT of frozen stuff and limit the stuff that is already ‘pre-made’. We also eat a lot of beans, tempeh, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and seasonal produce (and all organic whenever possible). All CHEAP!! Trader Joe’s is my life-line.
I save money by shopping around for the best prices, usually, and I avoid impulse buying- I always shop with a list, and leave say $10 for impulse buys and DON’T go over it!!
xo
K
Are you going to post your recipe for homemade agua horchata? I’ve tried making it myself from online recipes and they were a fail! I’d love to give your a try 🙂
of course! i’m going to *try* to make it with brown rice instead of white, too 🙂
How do I save money on groceries? Very poorly. I always clip coupons but never use them. The best thing I’ve found is to make a meal plan and list at the start of the week then just stick to it. That way I don’t make multiple trips. Those extra trips for a few things are what racks up my monthly grocery total.
I’m like a lot of other commenters here: I don’t really save much on groceries. It’s by design, though. My love and I discussed it and decided that we were willing to spend more money than average to get healthy, delicious, ethical food. Neither of us make a ton of money, but we live in an apartment, eat totally vegetarian (and I’m mostly vegan), have no children, don’t have cable, don’t drive expensive or gas-guzzling cars, etc. I’m willing to shell out extra dough for my health and morals. I shop at the farmers market every week, which saves some. We also make a list before we go and avoid processed crap, but I don’t think spending money more money on produce is ever a bad thing, as long as you budget for it.
I am also very horrible at saving money on groceries! The one way I’ve cut back on food spending is significantly decreasing the number of times I eat lunch or dinner out a week. I used to eat lunch out everyday – and spend at least $50 a week on that. Now I bring lunch to work and save that monies. My husband and I usually spend about $100 a week on groceries. A bit high but we at most of our meals at home throughout the week.
I confess, I am TERRIBLE at saving money on groceries… it’s probably one of my biggest weaknesses! I do however, try to be at least a little mindful when I grocery shop, and if there’s some fresh fruit that’s on sale (like strawberries, pineapple, peaches or mango), I buy a lot of it, chop it all up, then freeze it for smoothies. I find it’s cheaper in the winter (if it lasts that long!) than buying bags of frozen fruit.