Hi there! By putting containers filled with water in your fridge and freezer, you could save a little bit on the electricity bill, especially since your fridge and freezer are often almost empty. The water mass will help maintain the fridge cold so that it doesn’t need to repeat the cooling cycle as often. Not sure if it would amount to something non-negligeable, but it can’t hurt. Love your videos!
Thanks, I will definitely do that this month! My electric bill is higher but I figured it was because of the AC. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I see that you do your grocery hails on a budget, but what about your toiletries? Would love to see how you budget those items (toilet paper, paper towels, etc) Love your videos! New subscriber!
Girl me and you are in the same place as far as moving! I felt in my spirit that the Lord was calling me out of government housing. I had lived there for over nine years. Relying so heavily on the government. Now I live in a great spacious apartment in a nice area. Yes the rent is more than I’ve paid for, but it is much better than where I was. I am starting over from scratch as well! I have no furniture right now LOL! All I have is my bed and my dresser my books and a few kitchen appliances. But I feel a peace that God is my provider, and he has been so good to me in this new place in my life! God bless you and your journey towards financial freedom and healing!
Girl Talk with Shavonna Indeed. People who suggest government assistance just remind me of why I won’t go back on it. Basically it was too hard to get off of assistance. I’m happy to hear you feel peace with taking full responsibility for your life and finances. 💜
I'm currently on day 5 of being stuck in bed recovering from surgery, and I was so excited to see that you uploaded a video! Thanks for making my day and serving as such a huge inspiration to live frugally and chase the debt free dream. You're amazing - keep it up!
Thankfully I should be about 90% better by the end of this week. It's been tough feeling helpless and stuck in bed, but I know how fortunate I am to have even had the resources to get surgery. And I have a wonderful partner who is helping care for me :)
This is exactly how I used to eat in college and I’ve gained so much weight now that I’ve graduated and started buying new food items. Maybe I should just go back to the basics. Thank you for uploading your grocery hauls!
Nice to see you again Stacey! I read some awful comments on your last video. Hope you can shake those of and continue your journey. I believe in your journey!
Stacey! I am so happy you are back! I usually don't comnent, but somehow your personality touches me so much, that I want to tell you, how good you are. You are so very good and special. So that you know
Stacey, I absolutely love your videos, your message, and your grocery hauls! I've learned quite a bit from you. I have managed to cut my grocery budget in half and my household consists of myself full-time and my son part time. But I'm able to purchase and prepare foods he loves with no issue on half of the money I used to spend. I'm even able to stock up when things go on sale. Thank you so much for all of your guidance and advice! :-) also I made your black bean corn and quinoa tacos and it was out of control good! :-) keep up the inspiration!
I'm so excited that you enjoyed the black bean quinoa tacos! I so honored to inspire you to reduce your grocery budget. It makes a major difference.Thank you so so so much for watching and commenting!
Have you thought about getting a water filter for your faucet saves money and plastic waste plus you don't have to lug the waters home. I've been try to avoid grocery shopping until I eat everything in the fridge freezer cubbards thanks for the videos
Gotta say I am loving your vids for 2 reasons (beyond you are a bubbly gal who is entertaining to watch!) first for the information and take on how to go about ridding yourself of debt but also to remember to be grateful about where I am in the country. I tend to forget how much more expensive food (as well as many other things) is in big cities and sometimes I need a kick to recall just how fortunate I am. The grocery prices seem almost 50% lower here! Good luck on your journey!
So happy that you both enjoy my personality and feel inspired to take on a posture of gratitude for what you have. GRATITUDE changes everything! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I don’t usually go into TJmax or home goods because I have zero discipline when it comes to buying stuff for my home lol. I’ll go in for olive oil and come out with two shames, a shower curtain, wine rack and food processor. Lol. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I'm so proud of you for being mindful and taking care of your mental health. Self care is so important, and I love that it is a priority to you. I hope your transition goes well, and always remember to nurture your mind. Stay strong. I also will say I love your videos. We are a family of four with two pets, so our budget is a bit higher than yours because we buy diapers, wipes, and then food for both animals. I love your frugality and you've impacted how I do my shopping and what I look for.
If you ever wanted to work at another part time job again, besides for yourself, consider a restaurant or something similar since you could get a free meal at work.
Love watching your journey:) Whenever I start down the road of mindless snacking, I try to get outside of the house & do some exercise to recharge. Usually I'm not craving food--I'm craving sunshine, movement, and human contact.
another thing to save money is keep water in the fridge and freezer so it doesnt have to work as hard to keep the temperature. it does not have to be consumable water just like empty plastic containers. Plus if you ever have a power failure it keeps the foods frozen for longer.
You’re super inspiring! Thank you for the content you produce. I find it fascinating how you combine health and Dave Ramsay methods, it’s something I have struggled with the combination but you seem to execute it effortlessly! Thank you!
I love love love your videos! You inspired me to meal plan and only buy what i need for the week, before i would buy what ever looked good, spend way too much money and stress over eating everything before it went bad, then stress over an empty pantry and Continue the cycle, now i know i have what i need and nothing goes bad💓💓💓
It's nice to see you back. I was starting to worry about you. If you ever want to buy cabbage, but are unsure as to what to make with it, may I suggest cabbage rolls. You could use the quinoa as a substitute for the rice and fill it with other veggies. You could also make your own sauerkraut, if you like it. Or even some type of mayo free slaw. Even with the cauliflower there's a ton of budget friendly recipes. You could whole roast it with seasoning, make a cauliflower alfredo sauce with almond milk, cauliflower curry, and so on. If you can't tell, I love the challenge of cooking on a tight grocery budget. Less money doesn't always mean less options.
Happy to see another video. Lately I've been loving the combo of raw spinach with warm brown rice and a bit of sesame dressing. I think getting fresh greens each week is a great decision.
hi stacey--really appreciate your grocery hauls, as i'm planning to reduce my grocery spending pretty drastically. i eat a plant-based diet so you're a particularly relevant resource for me. one thing i'd love for you to do more of are videos that show how you put these hauls into action in a day or week. i've noticed so far in my own attempts that i wind up eating a lot more "fresh" products than you buy--wondering if i'm eating too much of that and too few pantry items, and how you stretch your purchases. i'm imagining that you do it in really creative ways that feel inspiring rather than like deprivation. :) thanks for great content!
Love your grocery hauls. You give me a lot of ideas for living on a very tight monthly food budget and eating very healthy. I live on $100 a month and I have been making small changes trying to eat healthier foods. I've been buying some organic foods and making sure I have enough veggies and fruits for the week. I'm mostly a vegetarian because of my finances mostly, but since I have been mostly vegetarian I am finding I prefer less meat. I also shop at the end of the week when there is only water and condiments in my refrigerator and usually nothing in my freezer except ice cubes.
My favorite veggies are broccoli, cauliflower (love them raw or cooked), fresh green beans and I love all the salad veggies like cucumber (my favorite), onions, buy avocados every week at least one, most of the time two. Tonight I had 100% whole wheat toast with avocado, onion and tomato. That was my dinner. I love all the lettuces although I don't always buy lettuce every week because it goes bad so quickly for me. Another favorite veggie is mushrooms. I go to Aldi and basically buy whatever fruit is on sale for the week and one vegetable that is on sale plus my usual tomatoes and cucumber. I make a salad for lunch every day, nuts and cheese with crackers. I bring ALL of my food to work every day. In the morning I have a hardboiled egg, oatmeal, iced decaf with lowfat milk, a piece of fruit and lowfat yogurt for a snack. I've been trying to cut down on carbs, eat better carbs, lowfat and low sugar. You are an inspiration Stacey and I look forward to your grocery/meal prep videos. I have a Whole Foods about 3 blocks from me. I rarely buy anything, but sometimes I buy an onion for the week because at Aldi I can only buy a whole bag of onions and I'm only one person so I cannot eat them all before they go bad. I used to buy a lot in Whole Foods, but since my budget is so tight I cannot buy there except on a rare occasion. I have a Potluck at work in a couple of weeks and Whole Foods has a cheese that is excellent and very reasonably priced. I plan to get a block and some crackers. I might get my crackers at Aldi because Whole Foods crackers are about triple the price at Aldi. Take care and thank you.
Hey I highly reccommend bouillon. It is way cheaper than buying cartons of veggie stock, saves space, and you dont have to stock up as often. I think a little jar goes for around $3 but is equivalent to tons of cartons. It has been a really good find for me, highly reccommend! :)
I try to drink 90oz water every day. I use the Pur Water filter. The refill is $8 and last for 2 months. You can typically find $2 coupons when you need refills too. I'm glad that you're back :-)
Water Filter pitcher is so economical than a plastic bottle of contaminated water. And have you thought of keeping the corn bread mix in the freezer, mine always seems to grow weevils in that brand so I keep it in the freezer and the pastas keep it on a lower shelf to use it more often.
Meanie Schmidt thank you for the suggestions. I reach for the pasta I just always skip it when I’m preparing food. It’s unconscious but I think it’s because generally I don’t like pre-packaged food. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Regarding the weevils, I read that if you keep the product in the freezer for a week, it'll kill any possible (I hate to say it) eggs. I freeze rice, pasta, beans, and cornmeal/flour just in case - no issues since.
That’s a really great idea to add more greens. I am moving from Wisconsin to Georgia next summer and I really have been emotional about the whole thing. I’m going to do the same thing by adding more greens to my diet.
Edwina Criear Greens seem to balance my emotions A LOT. Also I do my best not to consume high fructose corn syrup or sugar and that helps so much! Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Dried beans hack!!! Instead of soaking overnight then cooking, put them in a crockpot and fill it with water so that the water is about two inches above the beans. Turn it on high and let it cook for 5-6 hours and then you’re done. Been doing this a lot lately! You can even cook 2-3 times more than usual then separate out and freeze so you have easy access to your own supply of homemade “canned” beans when you forget to prep or need something quicker!
Stacey I enjoy your channel! I am on the other side of the money journey, saving for retirement (I'm 60), but the methods you use to save, and your steps and journaling, and your recipes, all motivate me to save more and make my other dreams more of a priority (and get to the gym!), so thanks for everything you do. When you state investing for retirement, some years from now, I'd urge you to read at least one of the boglehead-recommended books on beginner investing, like "The Coffeehouse Investor" or the "Bogleheads Guide" they helped me a lot. Their forum is a great source of advice and education, and it's always completely free. If you had an Amazon list for us I'd send them to you myself! Anyway thank you being so honest, and good luck at your upcoming speaking event.
Coconut milk yogurt is also very delicious! I love that you meal prep and get everything ready to go. I’ve been trying to get back into it so your videos have been an inspiration! It’s been so nice to have salad and veggies ready to go!
People keep telling me that but I don't really like coconut flavor. LOL I know that may seem strange because I love coconut soup base but it's more for texture than flavor! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I know pressure cookers can make homemade almond milk yogurt but I've never been adventurous enough to try lol but they're so expensive in the stores by me, like $2 each
Love your videos! You should consider investing in a Brita so that you can filter out tap water, could be more cost effective and provides you with clean water!
Thank you for sharing your amazing ideas, I’m inspired to do more with my budget by preparing my food and me stay on target. My goal is to eat less sugar have more nutritional foods. I like how you prep using your Mason jars. This will help save and less Waste I’ve been cooking green beans as my go to foods their my favorite. The weak end I eat salads or cabbage and cornbread. Thank you again
I would love to see cooking videos on how you make salads, buddha bowls, etc. I need to have more beans in my diet and I'd love to see how you incorporate them! Also, you're so inspiring. As someone with a fair amount of student debt and unfortunately some credit card debt you give me hope and motivation that I can work on paying it off and live independently someday (currently living with my mom since it's just cheaper).
I just want to express how much I love and how I’m inspired by your channel. Keep up the good work. I can’t wait to see the final result in your journey. If you don’t mind I just may join you in the this budgeting journey. Thank you for the inspiration. Maybe I’ll be brave enough to post 😃
Have you thought about starting a garden? Not only does it help keep the food cost down but it is very therapeutic. You would be surprised how easy a garden is to start you dont need a lot of room either.
I've priced matches a lot lately and it's saved me money when I can. Places like Walmart and target. Not sure if other markets do that as well. I know that in some states they offer you produce and other grains etc it's like a community center and all they ask for is donations. They take what will Soon expire or what's over stock etc from huge main stores and offer it to the community. I've heard of it from another TH-camr. Have a blessed day.
Love your shirt. Also, you are killing it with the groceries! I love how simple your process is. I have been making more beans because you have inspired me!
I was thinking the same thing! I know a Brita is pricey up front but it will surely save Stacey money in the long run. Plus not having to lug heavy water jugs home from the store is a bonus.
Great video! Have you considered investing in a Berkey water filter? I found one on Amazon for $200 with the Daulton filters (I prefer those) or one for $300 that included flouride filters. So, depending on how much you pay per month for those jugs of water, your Berkey would be paid for in less than a year most likely. Plus you don't have to lug big jugs of water, nor do you ingest that plastic. I know your space is very limited, but they make a wire stand you can put the Berkey on and not loose storage space. If you put it on that table you recently added, you could have still put those peaches where you did, under the Berkey. The only ongoing expense is that you have to replace those filters, but it would still work out to be considerably less than bottled water. Just something for you to think about. No judgement.
That’s a bit out of my price range for water. It’s about $3 per jug for this water. I normally get one but moving forward I’ll get 2-3. So the cost is fairly low. I’m looking into alternatives so I don’t have use plastic. But for now it works. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I use "ZeroWater" filters which also claim to remove toxic fluoride. The water tastes ALMOST as delicious as distilled. Reminds me of the well water I grew up on in New England. They are expensive in small packs, but when buying 12 or 16 at a time, they are less than $10 each including shipping. eBay and ZeroWater's own website have better prices than Amazon. Here in Los Angeles, the water is very hard. It measures over 300 ppm of particulates before it's filtered. Then it's zero, hence the brand name :) I had gotten used to one filter only lasting 3 weeks. But for the past year, they last about 5. And I use 3/4 of a gallon per day with cooking factored in.
Have you considered shopping at Costco? Their olive oil is 13.99 for a huge container. Also, natural peanut butter with just crushed peanuts and oil is about four bucks a jar.
Hey Stacey! Not sure if you've been trying exercise to combat the increase of emotions since you left your part-time job. I find that going for a jog can clear my mind, plus it's free! Hope all is well :)
All is well! Some of what I'm processing is about my PT job most of it is not. It just happened to come up around the same time. I walk every day and exercise a few times a week and it helps so much! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Love your grocery hauls . I think about you sometimes when I’m making my grocery list .. reminds me not to over shop . You keep up with the essentials. Keep it up! Can’t wait to see you reach your goals !
I cut buying meat out of my grocery shopping. Cut my grocery bill. Then , I stopped eating eggs and cheese. Cut my bill even more. And dairy , I can't drink cow's milk. So, i love almond milk.. I love storing my bulk items. In jsrs and my spices. So, I only get what I can put in the jars. The kale and spinach looks delish. .love your shirt.
I love your T-shirt!!!! Thank you for the haul. You always give me good ideas on lowering my groceries bill... also I saw your other grocery haul with you getting the water filter, I’m gonna be getting a filter this grocery shopping trip
Stacey, thanks for the videos. Did you think of buying an activated charcoal water filter for a glass pitcher to keep in your refrigerator ? I bought mine on Amazon for $19.99. My water tastes great! you wouldn’t have to carry that heavy container and you would use less plastic! I know money is tight but they are good for 5 months! Best wishes!
It's all relative but we have a family of 7. We extreme budget at 100.00 per week. Which is fantastic, but your cupboard looked so bare. Not that it is but with a family like mine it just looks that way. I am super impressed with your meals, I have tried a few, they are delish, although I changed a few things to suit us, mostly yours though, and so healthy. Great job!,
Stacey Flowers I do have to be honest, we have tons of "free food" that I use daily. I grow and extensive, and I mean extensive garden. For instance. ....I picked 82 peppers today. I will slice half/ dice the other half , flash freeze and I have them for use throughout the non growing season. I discovered that I can grow almost all our produce. Much of it year round. I freeze, can, dehydrate and of course eat fresh, but I start with seeds so for about a buck or 2 I probably grew 25 pepper plants and have harvested hundreds of peppers. I do the same with tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, Brussels, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, sweet potatoes, kale, lettuces, scallions, spinach, artichokes, sun choke, and much of our fruit for the year comes from our suburban garden as well. Apple trees, 4 kinds. Peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, sweet cherries, paw paw fruit, and figs. Of course I plant blueberries, blackberries, kiwi berries, raspberries and I absolutely cannot grow a strawberry to save my life! My point is.....I lived in a high rise apartment on the 18 floor in center city Philadelphia and grew my produce in pots and bins on my balcony. If people only knew the disgusting amount of money you can save with just a little hard work. You can have an abundance of food for pennies, and you cannot get better food than what you provide for yourself. In a budgeted life, you make choices. It is necessity for us to have this or we CANNOT FEED OUR FAMILY, and every year I add more, try something new, find success or failure along the way, but I keep going. The added benefit is I am involved in the " grow and extra row " movement where we devote space to grow food that is then donated to our local food pantry. Sorry for writing a book.
I'm also worried about Stacey a bit, too, but that's me. I like to build a bit of "food storage"...just in case. That would include back-up water just in case. Winter is coming, and Chicago gets blizzards, power goes out, people get stuck inside and grocery stores have a run on whatever commodities they have on hand. However...that's what I do. I don't mean to "preach"...
I'm so inspired! I do have a question or two, lol. Do you ever get bored with your meals? Do you ever have cravings to eat out, snack on something other than popcorn? How do you avoid the trap of socializing with drinks, appetizers, etc?
Great questions! No I don’t really get bored because all the food I. It I really like. So it’s almost like eating a combination of favorite foods every day. But mostly, I know in order to get out of debt this is a lifestyle habit I’m gling to need to keep up so it’s mind over matter. So long as I have energy and my tastebuds are satisfied I can do anything. Alllllllll my friend know I’m on this journey so mostly out of respect they let me know what’s going on but are totally okay whwn I pass. If I do go out the pay which is very nice. But also I was sick for a while before I got started on this journey so I wasn’t in the habit of socializing that much before. He main thing that keeps me satisfied is cooking from scratch it’s super fun to see what I can make and I’ve always loved cooking! Thank you so much for watchignand commenting!
I like the flavor of Kite Hill yogurts but I think the texture of their Greek style yogurt is more like actual yogurt. If I was going to make a smothie or something I'd use their Greek style. Their regular yogurt isn't creamy. It tastes good, though. Recently I have been getting Silk almond milk yogurt because I can get it in a 4 pack and it's cheaper.
I love how you're inadvertantly showing people that eating PlantBased, doesn't have to be expensive. ❤😁🤗
Indeed. A plant based diet is a bi-product if eating well on a budget! Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I love grocery haul and meal prep videos, thank you for sharing.
Ashiya Nelson #RawVeganAthlete mmm
YASSSS 🤫🙌🙌
YES!! I was thinking this as well!
My daughter heard you cough and said bless you
Awe tell her I said THANK YOU 💜🙌🏾
Love these hauls so much! I've reduced meat to one meal a day, if I have meat at all. Your Plant based meals have been a huge inspiration
So happy they've been so helpful to you!
Hi there! By putting containers filled with water in your fridge and freezer, you could save a little bit on the electricity bill, especially since your fridge and freezer are often almost empty. The water mass will help maintain the fridge cold so that it doesn’t need to repeat the cooling cycle as often. Not sure if it would amount to something non-negligeable, but it can’t hurt. Love your videos!
Thanks, I will definitely do that this month! My electric bill is higher but I figured it was because of the AC. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I see that you do your grocery hails on a budget, but what about your toiletries? Would love to see how you budget those items (toilet paper, paper towels, etc) Love your videos! New subscriber!
Girl me and you are in the same place as far as moving!
I felt in my spirit that the Lord was calling me out of government housing. I had lived there for over nine years. Relying so heavily on the government.
Now I live in a great spacious apartment in a nice area. Yes the rent is more than I’ve paid for, but it is much better than where
I was.
I am starting over from scratch as well! I have no furniture right now LOL! All I have is my bed and my dresser my books and a few kitchen appliances. But I feel a peace that God is my provider, and he has been so good to me in this new place in my life! God bless you and your journey towards financial freedom and healing!
Girl Talk with Shavonna Indeed. People who suggest government assistance just remind me of why I won’t go back on it. Basically it was too hard to get off of assistance. I’m happy to hear you feel peace with taking full responsibility for your life and finances. 💜
I'm currently on day 5 of being stuck in bed recovering from surgery, and I was so excited to see that you uploaded a video! Thanks for making my day and serving as such a huge inspiration to live frugally and chase the debt free dream. You're amazing - keep it up!
Thank you so much. Surgery and bed rest are not fun at all. Do you have a long recovery time?
Thankfully I should be about 90% better by the end of this week. It's been tough feeling helpless and stuck in bed, but I know how fortunate I am to have even had the resources to get surgery. And I have a wonderful partner who is helping care for me :)
Congrats on making it with only your self-employment income!!! Keep it up!
Thanks! It’s a big transition but I’m enjoying it so far. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I was wondering too if she qualified for unemployment funds from her part time job.
This is exactly how I used to eat in college and I’ve gained so much weight now that I’ve graduated and started buying new food items. Maybe I should just go back to the basics. Thank you for uploading your grocery hauls!
Danielle Madison The basics are more than enough. I love my food each and every bit. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Nice to see you again Stacey! I read some awful comments on your last video. Hope you can shake those of and continue your journey. I believe in your journey!
Nice to be seen! When I'm well I don't even feel the negativity. Thank you so much for believeing in my journey!
Oh Stacy I am so glad you're back! I was starting to worry lol. Love the grocery haul as always
Awe thank you for your concern! I’m here until my journey is complete and even after! I love creating video content.
Stacey! I am so happy you are back! I usually don't comnent, but somehow your personality touches me so much, that I want to tell you, how good you are. You are so very good and special. So that you know
Thank you so much for letting me know! I precise you so much and I’m so happy you enjoy my work!
Stacey, I absolutely love your videos, your message, and your grocery hauls! I've learned quite a bit from you. I have managed to cut my grocery budget in half and my household consists of myself full-time and my son part time. But I'm able to purchase and prepare foods he loves with no issue on half of the money I used to spend. I'm even able to stock up when things go on sale. Thank you so much for all of your guidance and advice! :-) also I made your black bean corn and quinoa tacos and it was out of control good! :-) keep up the inspiration!
I'm so excited that you enjoyed the black bean quinoa tacos! I so honored to inspire you to reduce your grocery budget. It makes a major difference.Thank you so so so much for watching and commenting!
Have you thought about getting a water filter for your faucet saves money and plastic waste plus you don't have to lug the waters home. I've been try to avoid grocery shopping until I eat everything in the fridge freezer cubbards thanks for the videos
You are so very welcome! I've thought about a water filter. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
We have one it was $25 I love it so easy!
Yes..the Brita/Purr filters are $15 from Target/WM.
I'm glad that you mentioned it, I was thinking along those same lines.
Also QVC and Hsn will allow you to make monthly payments on a filter or whatever you need .
Gotta say I am loving your vids for 2 reasons (beyond you are a bubbly gal who is entertaining to watch!) first for the information and take on how to go about ridding yourself of debt but also to remember to be grateful about where I am in the country. I tend to forget how much more expensive food (as well as many other things) is in big cities and sometimes I need a kick to recall just how fortunate I am. The grocery prices seem almost 50% lower here! Good luck on your journey!
So happy that you both enjoy my personality and feel inspired to take on a posture of gratitude for what you have. GRATITUDE changes everything! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Stores like tjmaxx and home goods have good brands of olive oil for much less. You’d get the same size container for about half.
I don’t usually go into TJmax or home goods because I have zero discipline when it comes to buying stuff for my home lol. I’ll go in for olive oil and come out with two shames, a shower curtain, wine rack and food processor. Lol. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
You are so inspiring!! I would love if you would do a video on how to approach gift buying for the holidays on a tight budget :)
Cambrie Hall Since the holidays are coming I’ll definitely talk more about it. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I'm so proud of you for being mindful and taking care of your mental health. Self care is so important, and I love that it is a priority to you. I hope your transition goes well, and always remember to nurture your mind. Stay strong.
I also will say I love your videos. We are a family of four with two pets, so our budget is a bit higher than yours because we buy diapers, wipes, and then food for both animals. I love your frugality and you've impacted how I do my shopping and what I look for.
If you ever wanted to work at another part time job again, besides for yourself, consider a restaurant or something similar since you could get a free meal at work.
Thank you so much for the suggestion.
Love watching your journey:) Whenever I start down the road of mindless snacking, I try to get outside of the house & do some exercise to recharge. Usually I'm not craving food--I'm craving sunshine, movement, and human contact.
Me too! I think we all are. We confuse life cravings with food.
Stacey I love your meal prep & grocery hauls. You’re inspiring. Much love & light
Jordan Banks Thank you 💜
I love that shirt!!
another thing to save money is keep water in the fridge and freezer so it doesnt have to work as hard to keep the temperature. it does not have to be consumable water just like empty plastic containers. Plus if you ever have a power failure it keeps the foods frozen for longer.
Mumsy711 Thanks for letting me know. 💜
You’re super inspiring! Thank you for the content you produce. I find it fascinating how you combine health and Dave Ramsay methods, it’s something I have struggled with the combination but you seem to execute it effortlessly! Thank you!
Hi Stacey, Soooooo glad your back, hope your feeling much better, and I can't wait until your next vlog❤️
Great ideas with the spices and thanks for all your tips. You are doing a great job and organized! 😊
Thank you so much!
Excellent Stacey! Keep going - you're doing well.
Thank you!
I love love love your videos! You inspired me to meal plan and only buy what i need for the week, before i would buy what ever looked good, spend way too much money and stress over eating everything before it went bad, then stress over an empty pantry and Continue the cycle, now i know i have what i need and nothing goes bad💓💓💓
Im so happy watching a fellow young female really get things on the right foot. Im working on the same goals, you got this sissy💜
Thank you oh so very much!
It's nice to see you back. I was starting to worry about you.
If you ever want to buy cabbage, but are unsure as to what to make with it, may I suggest cabbage rolls. You could use the quinoa as a substitute for the rice and fill it with other veggies. You could also make your own sauerkraut, if you like it. Or even some type of mayo free slaw.
Even with the cauliflower there's a ton of budget friendly recipes. You could whole roast it with seasoning, make a cauliflower alfredo sauce with almond milk, cauliflower curry, and so on.
If you can't tell, I love the challenge of cooking on a tight grocery budget. Less money doesn't always mean less options.
Hi Stacey, Looking Great ☺️ Great Grocery Haul. Like your Shirt.
mudcakes2 Thank you! So glad you like it! 💜
I 😍 your shirt!! Thank you for sharing a portion of your life with us.
Kay West You are so very welcome! 💜
Happy to see another video. Lately I've been loving the combo of raw spinach with warm brown rice and a bit of sesame dressing. I think getting fresh greens each week is a great decision.
Yes! I'm excited just thinking about it LOL! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
hi stacey--really appreciate your grocery hauls, as i'm planning to reduce my grocery spending pretty drastically. i eat a plant-based diet so you're a particularly relevant resource for me. one thing i'd love for you to do more of are videos that show how you put these hauls into action in a day or week. i've noticed so far in my own attempts that i wind up eating a lot more "fresh" products than you buy--wondering if i'm eating too much of that and too few pantry items, and how you stretch your purchases. i'm imagining that you do it in really creative ways that feel inspiring rather than like deprivation. :) thanks for great content!
Thanks for the toweling kale tip!
You are so welcome! It keeps my kale crisp and fresh! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
You are such a beautiful soul and thank you for sharing the positive creative content - less is more is a strong message
Jenny Lam 💜 So glad you are enjoying my content.
I have great respect for you and your efforts. Thank you for sharing.
You are so very welcome! Thank you for respecting my journey. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Love your grocery hauls. You give me a lot of ideas for living on a very tight monthly food budget and eating very healthy. I live on $100 a month and I have been making small changes trying to eat healthier foods. I've been buying some organic foods and making sure I have enough veggies and fruits for the week. I'm mostly a vegetarian because of my finances mostly, but since I have been mostly vegetarian I am finding I prefer less meat. I also shop at the end of the week when there is only water and condiments in my refrigerator and usually nothing in my freezer except ice cubes.
So happy to be an inspiration! What are your favorite types of veggies?
My favorite veggies are broccoli, cauliflower (love them raw or cooked), fresh green beans and I love all the salad veggies like cucumber (my favorite), onions, buy avocados every week at least one, most of the time two. Tonight I had 100% whole wheat toast with avocado, onion and tomato. That was my dinner. I love all the lettuces although I don't always buy lettuce every week because it goes bad so quickly for me. Another favorite veggie is mushrooms. I go to Aldi and basically buy whatever fruit is on sale for the week and one vegetable that is on sale plus my usual tomatoes and cucumber. I make a salad for lunch every day, nuts and cheese with crackers. I bring ALL of my food to work every day. In the morning I have a hardboiled egg, oatmeal, iced decaf with lowfat milk, a piece of fruit and lowfat yogurt for a snack. I've been trying to cut down on carbs, eat better carbs, lowfat and low sugar. You are an inspiration Stacey and I look forward to your grocery/meal prep videos. I have a Whole Foods about 3 blocks from me. I rarely buy anything, but sometimes I buy an onion for the week because at Aldi I can only buy a whole bag of onions and I'm only one person so I cannot eat them all before they go bad. I used to buy a lot in Whole Foods, but since my budget is so tight I cannot buy there except on a rare occasion. I have a Potluck at work in a couple of weeks and Whole Foods has a cheese that is excellent and very reasonably priced. I plan to get a block and some crackers. I might get my crackers at Aldi because Whole Foods crackers are about triple the price at Aldi. Take care and thank you.
I used to work for a grocery store, everybody had to work on Sunday because it's the busiest day of the week.
yaaaaay stacey is back!
Happy to be back!
Hey I highly reccommend bouillon. It is way cheaper than buying cartons of veggie stock, saves space, and you dont have to stock up as often. I think a little jar goes for around $3 but is equivalent to tons of cartons. It has been a really good find for me, highly reccommend! :)
alana P Thanks for the recommendation.
I try to drink 90oz water every day. I use the Pur Water filter. The refill is $8 and last for 2 months. You can typically find $2 coupons when you need refills too. I'm glad that you're back :-)
Water Filter pitcher is so economical than a plastic bottle of contaminated water. And have you thought of keeping the corn bread mix in the freezer, mine always seems to grow weevils in that brand so I keep it in the freezer and the pastas keep it on a lower shelf to use it more often.
Meanie Schmidt thank you for the suggestions. I reach for the pasta I just always skip it when I’m preparing food. It’s unconscious but I think it’s because generally I don’t like pre-packaged food. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Regarding the weevils, I read that if you keep the product in the freezer for a week, it'll kill any possible (I hate to say it) eggs. I freeze rice, pasta, beans, and cornmeal/flour just in case - no issues since.
You increased your grocery budget! Wonderful!
It might be temporary... I needed more expensive items this month ie olive oil and seasonings. 🤗
I enjoy listening to your videos. Your videos are easy to follow and very good. Thankyou and you’re a blessing.
That’s a really great idea to add more greens. I am moving from Wisconsin to Georgia next summer and I really have been emotional about the whole thing. I’m going to do the same thing by adding more greens to my diet.
Edwina Criear Greens seem to balance my emotions A LOT. Also I do my best not to consume high fructose corn syrup or sugar and that helps so much! Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
It is so amazing that you are using food (greens) to treat your anxiety!!! I am going to start using food/exercise/meditation/prayer to heal myself!!!
Dried beans hack!!! Instead of soaking overnight then cooking, put them in a crockpot and fill it with water so that the water is about two inches above the beans. Turn it on high and let it cook for 5-6 hours and then you’re done. Been doing this a lot lately! You can even cook 2-3 times more than usual then separate out and freeze so you have easy access to your own supply of homemade “canned” beans when you forget to prep or need something quicker!
Thanks!
Stacey I enjoy your channel! I am on the other side of the money journey, saving for retirement (I'm 60), but the methods you use to save, and your steps and journaling, and your recipes, all motivate me to save more and make my other dreams more of a priority (and get to the gym!), so thanks for everything you do. When you state investing for retirement, some years from now, I'd urge you to read at least one of the boglehead-recommended books on beginner investing, like "The Coffeehouse Investor" or the "Bogleheads Guide" they helped me a lot. Their forum is a great source of advice and education, and it's always completely free. If you had an Amazon list for us I'd send them to you myself! Anyway thank you being so honest, and good luck at your upcoming speaking event.
Coconut milk yogurt is also very delicious! I love that you meal prep and get everything ready to go. I’ve been trying to get back into it so your videos have been an inspiration! It’s been so nice to have salad and veggies ready to go!
People keep telling me that but I don't really like coconut flavor. LOL I know that may seem strange because I love coconut soup base but it's more for texture than flavor! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I know pressure cookers can make homemade almond milk yogurt but I've never been adventurous enough to try lol but they're so expensive in the stores by me, like $2 each
I love your grocery haul videos!
I love love love making them so I'm super happy you're enjoying my content!
For walking get you a small rolling cart to push your groceries home
I like to carry them for the exercise. But thank you for the suggestion.
Your plan is working! Love seeing you so happy.
Thank you so much or the encouragement!
Glad you're back! I'm happy to see you spend a bit more at the grocery :)
Indeed. I don’t know if it will be permenant or not. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Don't forget you can regrow some food from scraps on your balcony. It is super easy and there are a ton of videos on youtube about it.
Also, frozen food is usually cheaper but is just as fresh.
I love your shirt!! Thank you for linking it! 😍
Love your videos! You should consider investing in a Brita so that you can filter out tap water, could be more cost effective and provides you with clean water!
Karly Andrew Awe thank you so much! I have considered it. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Thank you for sharing your amazing ideas, I’m inspired to do more with my budget by preparing my food and me stay on target. My goal is to eat less sugar have more nutritional foods.
I like how you prep using your Mason jars. This will help save and less Waste I’ve been cooking green beans as my go to foods their my favorite. The weak end I eat salads or cabbage and cornbread. Thank you again
Yamar Blackburn You are so very welcome! Less sugar will be a game changer. If you can try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup too. 💜
I eat about 50 dollars similar but your style is unique. Thank You
I would love to see cooking videos on how you make salads, buddha bowls, etc. I need to have more beans in my diet and I'd love to see how you incorporate them! Also, you're so inspiring. As someone with a fair amount of student debt and unfortunately some credit card debt you give me hope and motivation that I can work on paying it off and live independently someday (currently living with my mom since it's just cheaper).
just saw you have a croc pot bean taco video, haha. going to check for more videos now :P
I just want to express how much I love and how I’m inspired by your channel. Keep up the good work. I can’t wait to see the final result in your journey.
If you don’t mind I just may join you in the this budgeting journey. Thank you for the inspiration. Maybe I’ll be brave enough to post 😃
You are W E L C O M E to join the journey! I am happy happy happy to have you here!
I'm glad you increased your food budget.
This may not be a permanent decision. I needed more staples this month and requires a little more money.
Have you thought about starting a garden? Not only does it help keep the food cost down but it is very therapeutic. You would be surprised how easy a garden is to start you dont need a lot of room either.
I’m eeseaeching how to make an indoor garden. ☺️
Stacey, stay strong, we love you!💖💖
Cabbage soup! It’s sooo good! Just cabbage veggies and broth/water
I agree. I was also thinking of fried cabbage. I don’t I want in a cabbage craving mood lol!
Stacey Flowers fried cabbage is also delicious!
I've priced matches a lot lately and it's saved me money when I can. Places like Walmart and target. Not sure if other markets do that as well. I know that in some states they offer you produce and other grains etc it's like a community center and all they ask for is donations. They take what will Soon expire or what's over stock etc from huge main stores and offer it to the community. I've heard of it from another TH-camr. Have a blessed day.
Thanks for the suggestions. I shop at Whole Foods for my grains, beans, and oats.
I'm always interested in your grocery shopping hauls. They inspire me to spend less and eat healthier.
Glad to see you back! Watching your videos have inspired me.
So happy to be an inspiration. 💜🤗
Im always amazed by your grocery budget! I'm working on doing less meat free meals for myself and I'm going to try the quinoa and black bean taco mix!
A Merry Life It’s sooooooo good 😋 Thank you for watching and commenting.
Love your shirt. Also, you are killing it with the groceries! I love how simple your process is. I have been making more beans because you have inspired me!
That’s amazing! There are so many types of beans out there! Black beans and Red beans are my favorites. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
How about a Brita filter instead of the repeat buys of packaged water? Just a suggestion
I might get a filter. Thank you for the suggestion!
I was thinking the same thing! I know a Brita is pricey up front but it will surely save Stacey money in the long run. Plus not having to lug heavy water jugs home from the store is a bonus.
Great video! Have you considered investing in a Berkey water filter? I found one on Amazon for $200 with the Daulton filters (I prefer those) or one for $300 that included flouride filters. So, depending on how much you pay per month for those jugs of water, your Berkey would be paid for in less than a year most likely. Plus you don't have to lug big jugs of water, nor do you ingest that plastic. I know your space is very limited, but they make a wire stand you can put the Berkey on and not loose storage space. If you put it on that table you recently added, you could have still put those peaches where you did, under the Berkey. The only ongoing expense is that you have to replace those filters, but it would still work out to be considerably less than bottled water. Just something for you to think about. No judgement.
That’s a bit out of my price range for water. It’s about $3 per jug for this water. I normally get one but moving forward I’ll get 2-3. So the cost is fairly low. I’m looking into alternatives so I don’t have use plastic. But for now it works. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
I use "ZeroWater" filters which also claim to remove toxic fluoride. The water tastes ALMOST as delicious as distilled. Reminds me of the well water I grew up on in New England. They are expensive in small packs, but when buying 12 or 16 at a time, they are less than $10 each including shipping. eBay and ZeroWater's own website have better prices than Amazon. Here in Los Angeles, the water is very hard. It measures over 300 ppm of particulates before it's filtered. Then it's zero, hence the brand name :) I had gotten used to one filter only lasting 3 weeks. But for the past year, they last about 5. And I use 3/4 of a gallon per day with cooking factored in.
that's a good idea. but if she's like me, she can take her empty jugs to work and refill them.
I absolutely love your content!! I love learning and incorporating your ideas into the changes that iam making in my daily life!!✨♥️😍
Have you considered shopping at Costco? Their olive oil is 13.99 for a huge container. Also, natural peanut butter with just crushed peanuts and oil is about four bucks a jar.
Thank you forthe suggestion but I prefer not to shop in bulk.
Love your videos!! Received the notification his morning and sat down to watch with my coffee after I dropped the kids off at school. :)
I love it! Thank you so much for watching! More videos are coming!
Hey Stacey! Not sure if you've been trying exercise to combat the increase of emotions since you left your part-time job. I find that going for a jog can clear my mind, plus it's free! Hope all is well :)
All is well! Some of what I'm processing is about my PT job most of it is not. It just happened to come up around the same time. I walk every day and exercise a few times a week and it helps so much! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Ohh, I understand! I'm a huge fan of taking walks and going on jogs. Those endorphins are amazing haha. Thanks for the reply!
Loving your videos so much 💕 planning a budget for myself & new “diet” and your routine makes me ready to PUT IN THE WORK! Thank you for your uploads!
awkwardKurlz you are so very welcome!!
Love your videos, nice shopping haul, hope your having a great and blessed week.
My week is wonderful. 💜
Have you tried the grind it yourself PB at grocery store? I buy the peanuts and make my own in my blender. yum!
thank you so much for this -- super inspiring and helpful!! been trying to cook on a budget but this is amazing
So glad you enjoyed my video! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Your videos make me so Happy 😁😁
Happy to make you happy! Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Love your videos and this one was so helpful for me
So happy to be helpful to you! Thank you for supporting my work!
Hi Stacey, missed ya! I love your food hauls. Hope to see you sooner but I understand you have to post in your timing. Prayers for you :)
LOVE your shirt Stacy 💕
Loved seeing Hyde Park! Glad to see ya back!
Love your grocery hauls . I think about you sometimes when I’m making my grocery list .. reminds me not to over shop . You keep up with the essentials. Keep it up! Can’t wait to see you reach your goals !
I cut buying meat out of my grocery shopping. Cut my grocery bill. Then , I stopped eating eggs and cheese. Cut my bill even more. And dairy , I can't drink cow's milk. So, i love almond milk.. I love storing my bulk items. In jsrs and my spices. So, I only get what I can put in the jars. The kale and spinach looks delish. .love your shirt.
This is my first time watching your channel i really enjoyed look forward to seeing more
I love your T-shirt!!!! Thank you for the haul. You always give me good ideas on lowering my groceries bill... also I saw your other grocery haul with you getting the water filter, I’m gonna be getting a filter this grocery shopping trip
Stacey, thanks for the videos. Did you think of buying an activated charcoal water filter for a glass pitcher to keep in your refrigerator ? I bought mine on Amazon for $19.99. My water tastes great! you wouldn’t have to carry that heavy container and you would use less plastic! I know money is tight but they are good for 5 months! Best wishes!
Patti Lee Thank you so much for the suggestion!
I Love your shirt, and how you talked about increasing certain micronutrients to combat emotional stress. Great stuff!
Thank you 😊
She's baaackk!! Yesss !!
Happy to be back! Thank you for watching and commenting.
It's all relative but we have a family of 7. We extreme budget at 100.00 per week. Which is fantastic, but your cupboard looked so bare. Not that it is but with a family like mine it just looks that way. I am super impressed with your meals, I have tried a few, they are delish, although I changed a few things to suit us, mostly yours though, and so healthy. Great job!,
Thank you so much. A family of 7 on a $400 grocery budget is amazing!!!! I’m so happy you’ve tried my recipes and they are working for you.
Stacey Flowers I do have to be honest, we have tons of "free food" that I use daily. I grow and extensive, and I mean extensive garden. For instance. ....I picked 82 peppers today. I will slice half/ dice the other half , flash freeze and I have them for use throughout the non growing season. I discovered that I can grow almost all our produce. Much of it year round. I freeze, can, dehydrate and of course eat fresh, but I start with seeds so for about a buck or 2 I probably grew 25 pepper plants and have harvested hundreds of peppers. I do the same with tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, Brussels, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, sweet potatoes, kale, lettuces, scallions, spinach, artichokes, sun choke, and much of our fruit for the year comes from our suburban garden as well. Apple trees, 4 kinds. Peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, sweet cherries, paw paw fruit, and figs. Of course I plant blueberries, blackberries, kiwi berries, raspberries and I absolutely cannot grow a strawberry to save my life! My point is.....I lived in a high rise apartment on the 18 floor in center city Philadelphia and grew my produce in pots and bins on my balcony. If people only knew the disgusting amount of money you can save with just a little hard work. You can have an abundance of food for pennies, and you cannot get better food than what you provide for yourself. In a budgeted life, you make choices. It is necessity for us to have this or we CANNOT FEED OUR FAMILY, and every year I add more, try something new, find success or failure along the way, but I keep going. The added benefit is I am involved in the " grow and extra row " movement where we devote space to grow food that is then donated to our local food pantry. Sorry for writing a book.
I'm also worried about Stacey a bit, too, but that's me. I like to build a bit of "food storage"...just in case. That would include back-up water just in case. Winter is coming, and Chicago gets blizzards, power goes out, people get stuck inside and grocery stores have a run on whatever commodities they have on hand. However...that's what I do. I don't mean to "preach"...
Enjoyed the vlog 💛...TFS the tip in reference to the Kale☆
So happy to see a new video! I missed your beautiful spirit. 💜
I'm so inspired! I do have a question or two, lol. Do you ever get bored with your meals? Do you ever have cravings to eat out, snack on something other than popcorn? How do you avoid the trap of socializing with drinks, appetizers, etc?
Great questions!
No I don’t really get bored because all the food I. It I really like. So it’s almost like eating a combination of favorite foods every day. But mostly, I know in order to get out of debt this is a lifestyle habit I’m gling to need to keep up so it’s mind over matter. So long as I have energy and my tastebuds are satisfied I can do anything.
Alllllllll my friend know I’m on this journey so mostly out of respect they let me know what’s going on but are totally okay whwn I pass. If I do go out the pay which is very nice. But also I was sick for a while before I got started on this journey so I wasn’t in the habit of socializing that much before.
He main thing that keeps me satisfied is cooking from scratch it’s super fun to see what I can make and I’ve always loved cooking! Thank you so much for watchignand commenting!
You inspire me to start meal prepping!! Btw love all your videos
The future is male and female, love the shirt!!
It's my favorite!
I like the flavor of Kite Hill yogurts but I think the texture of their Greek style yogurt is more like actual yogurt. If I was going to make a smothie or something I'd use their Greek style. Their regular yogurt isn't creamy. It tastes good, though. Recently I have been getting Silk almond milk yogurt because I can get it in a 4 pack and it's cheaper.
It was okay. I don't think I'll get again. Thank you so much for the suggestion and for watching and commenting!
Awww...I grew up in Hyde Park. You're making me miss home.