Frugal Friday – What Not to BUY

Most of the time, the comment I hear when I suggest dietary improvements is, “How am I going to pay for that?” or a similar variation. My tongue-in-cheek answer is, “It’s cheaper than bypass surgery”. While I mean what I say, the financials are reality for most of us, and it is easy to say that we have to deal with the now, not a problem that may or may not happen in the future.

So let’s deal with the now. One of the places to find money in the budget is to look at what you aren’t going to be buying anymore (or at least way less frequently).

Soda – regular or diet. It has zero nutrition, damaging acid, and either high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for empty calories, or some sort of artificial sweetener that is just as bad or worse than sugar. (Read more about soda here.) Sport drinks and energy drinks aren’t healthy either. Unless you are doing 10k or more, or moving in a desert, plain water will rehydrate you just fine. (You can add store-bought iced tea to this category too.)
Fruit “drink”, “cocktail”, or “beverage”. Most contain little to no actual fruit juice, water – that you can get at home for free, and sweetener. Some give you the illusion of being good for you by telling they contain “100% of the RDA of Vitamin C”, but don’t you fall for that. (You can add store-bought lemonade, limeade, and fruit punch to this category.)
Anything with Hydrogenated Oils* or High Fructose Corn Syrup. This will require vigilant label reading because they both show up in the oddest of places. Like bread, peanut butter, or condiments. If we make them at home we would use sugar or honey and regular oil or butter, but the store-bought versions generally do not. Real bodies need real food for fuel. *Even foods that say “0 transfats” may still have hydrogenated oils in the as the FDA allows 0.5gm per serving to count as zero. Some companies have just lowered the serving size to meet this regulation instead of changing the recipe.
Prepared, processed food and the “white stuff” – white flour, white sugar, white rice, and white milk from feedlot cows. The white foods are devoid of nutrition and processed foods are full of chemicals and preservatives. There are a few exceptions in the processed food category, but they are not the main portion of your diet.

Eliminating some of these things will free up money for the better quality food that you and your family deserve.

Take care,

DavetteB

Tag: energy drinks, Frugal Friday, fruit drinks, fruit punch, healthy eating, high fructose corn syrup, homemade, hydrogenated oils, iced tea, lemonade, nutrition, processed food, saving money, sports drinks

http://mauishopgirl.com Tania

I’m always amazed how people will tell me they can’t afford to eat healthy and then I proceed to watch them nibble on doritos, chips ahoy and candy. All while guzzing soda. That stuff ain’t cheap, especially when you think about it as being “extra”, not necessary. I do realize good healthy food isn’t cheap. But…if we try eliminating all the crap which doesn’t really fill us up or do anything for our bodies, we may be able to apply that money to healthier food? I’m speaking from experience by the way so I’m not meaning to be judgmental. Also, locally grown produce may cost more but in my experience it keeps longer…but I’m in Hawaii so the non local food I see in my grocery stores may be older than what you see in the mainland due to shipping.

http://www.DavetteBrown.com Davette Brown

Thanks for commenting Tania!

I hear that alot – Premium juice is 4.99 and soda is $1. You know what? WATER is FREE, and what you save on skipping soda and juice will get a water filter. Your dollar can be spent more wisely.

Up here in AK we have the same trouble with a lot of food being shipped. My other problem is having a teenager that would eat all of the fruit in 2 days if I let him ;o)

Dori Oakes

Water is NOT free! It cost our family over 100 dollars a Month and has toxins like chlorine, and fluoride in it to boot as well as “killed” pond scum and molds from storage facilities.

http://www.DavetteBrown.com Davette Brown

I use a very good filter for the tap water that removes those things plus adds minerals that some processing removes. It comes out to ~20 cent per gallon – You can’t get bottled water for that little (it gets cheaper in subsequent years since the main unit is paid for and you only have to buy replacement filters). Our borough adds fluoride and the water here also has high Iron content – they are always battling to get the fluoride out – so a filter is critical. I have never had to pay a separate water bill, but it is something you are already paying for, as opposed to buying something separate at a store; most homes have a water source of some sort already.

http://femmefrugality.blogspot.com/ femmefrugality

I know so many people who have gone off high fructose corn syrup and swear by that method. I think it’s a great idea but I really have to pay attention to what I’m buying because it’s in everything! Maybe that will be part of my new years resolution…
http://www.DavetteBrown.com Davette Brown

Label reading is crucial, especially since HFCS is in the strangest places. Even more simple – buy less things with labels ;o) Most grocery stores have a natural foods section; not organic, but better as far as additives are concerned. If you live near a Whole Foods or Wild Oats (or similar), even better.