I need to save $10K...

[rachelMcK]

I can't believe it, but DH has finally agreed that we should start a family!! I'm so excited, but he did have some conditions. First, I need to get in shape, go to the dentist and get whatever fixed up first ( appt, Feb. 4). I have to start eating healthier and I have to stop dyeing my hair (its pink right now). All easy things to do, but his main concern was money. He wants us to have $5000 in savings and $5000 to buy a new (to us) car before we start trying!

I love that he thinks of all these things, because honestly, I would just start trying now but he is right, we need to get a few things stable first.

So I need to get down to my frugal self. Any of you have experience with a situation like this. There are so many things that I need to do, I'm kinda overwhelmed, especially the saving...

My major question, How does one stay healthy but have a frugal grocery budget? Right now, in Canada, produce is skyhigh because its winter, I spent $80 last week on groceries simply because I bought more produce than normal.
Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[perSue]

try canned/frozen fruits/veggies while the good fruits are out of season.
otherwise, check for local specials on what is in season, and try to focus on making meals from that.
it can be hard at first, but once you learn what's in season when, it makes it a lot easier.

staying healthy is also a hard choice, when there are so many (non nutricious) options out there.
but focus on the stuff you already know... veggies, fruits, grains, lean meats, limit fat/sugars (but don't deny totally).

what might help is if you keep a food journal for a month to see what you ARE eating, and then you can "see" what you can change.
it might be as simple as adding a salad with some meals, or just decreasing portion sizes.
it's too easy to fall into the trap of "i have to revamp EVERYthing!"

just take it one day at a time and you'll get there.

good luck & many congrats on getting started on a family.

[monkeywrangler71]

There is not much you can do about the price of "green" food right now, but when summer comes, start buying what's in season and freezing it for next winter - so much cheaper than buying frozen or imported.

Some vegetables are always cheap - potatoes, carrots, beets, onions. Spinach goes on sale all the time, even in the winter. If you go to the A&P they mark their produce down when it's been sitting there a bit too long. I bought spinach one time for .49¢ a bag and only had to take out one wilted leaf. Peppers go on sale frequently, the red ones are extremely good for you.

Apples are cheap in the fall, reasonable until about June, then they're overpriced and no good. At that point, peaches are in season and very cheap. Right now, you can get a decent price on oranges, bananas are not worth the current price. You almost always get a better deal on a bag of produce, rather than buying individual pieces by the pound.

Compare the per kg price between the bagged, loose and frozen vegetables, sometimes there is a huge variance. Also, when buying by the bag, the weight written on it is the minimum that will be inside - they are never exact, if you weigh the bags in the store some are as much as a pound over.

Also, so you don't waste when you've bought too much produce, take anything that hasn't been eaten by the end of the week and freeze it (using the appropriate method for particular vegetable). I won't buy lettuce for this reason - we use spinach for salads, and when it starts to wilt we cook it.

[steelergal]

I know exactly what you mean by fresh items being costly- especially this time of year! Typically I try not to buy too many "fresh" and try to buy as many frozen as possible. One thing that helps is not having a lot of "convience" foods around your house and in your grocery cart. In the summer time- try to hit as many farmers markets when season is in it's prime and try to either can or freeze what you can't eat right then (this will usually last us a few months out of the season).

There is also a few free weightloss sites that help you track you daily food intake that helps- you don't have to do all the math yourself!

Good luck!

[tina150]

Sorry, but what's with all of the conditions?? The money I can understand, but all the others???

[mommy4ever]

I don't find produce to be much more expensive now than any other time of year. I'm in Canada as well. But we're pretty basic eaters overall. And I always buy what's in season or on sale. That may make a difference.

I think in order to help trim that budget, you need to post what you're getting, so we can see and make suggestions.

Look for leaks in the budget too. The coffee out, the lunch here and there, the take out, etc. Driving with no destination, or only one errand to do, double duty. Got an appointment, besure to do banking, groceries all at the same time. Limit your shopping days to 1 a week or 1 every other week. Nips impulse buys in the bud.

Bored at home? Go for a walk, 30 minutes a day does marvels for your health and spirits. too cold for a walk(in Northern AB here, it does happen..lol). Play DDR, or walking dvd or aerobics dvd, pilates, etc. Don't have one>? Borrow one from the library. www.realage.com has some great exercises online, for free(dr. Oz and Dr. Mehmet run the site). They have great tips on that site to getting your health ontrack too. It's free.

Look for your utility leaks. Drafty windows? Seal them up. Use the shrink wrap to help with that, or even any plastic will help. Look for the message here about window blankets. you could make a really sweet nursery with a window blanket being the focal point of the room. Line it with the thermal reflective stuff, and it would help keep heat OUT in the summer too!

There's lots of little things that can help.

Kudos for dh for focusing on you!! Getting you well prior to pregnancy is great, it can reduce many complications.

Congrats on the future baby! Way to plan!

[rachelMcK]

Tina: A lot of women in my family have had terrible pregnancy complications. 2 of my cousins lost their babies, one was stillborn the other died of a neurological disorder 3 months after birth. This has left DH terrified (part of the reason he wouldn't agree on starting a family right away). He doesn't want me to have these bad complications or have the baby die, which is a completely reasonable fear. I've also had 2 miscarriages so he doesn't want that to happen again either. Basically, he's looking out for me. As for the dyeing hair, it may seem ridiculous (kinda does to me as well) but his mom has him convinced that hair dye causes miscarriages etc so...

Mommy4ever, those are some great tips because I find I get really bored easily and end up spending money that I shouldn't have.

[Momto2Boyz]

Good luck to you! We, um, started our family by...well, surprise, shortly after we got married. But we had some serious thinking before we tried for #2 and #3...and DH had lots of conditions on our #2, like saving money, I had to quit smoking, stop dying my hair, etc. (mine was fire engine red...BTW! I'd love to see a pic of the pink hair).

We have always had "leaks" in our budget. Now, I track every penny. And if we can't account for where everything is going, then we have to buckle down the next month. It really does help us save our money! Plus, now, becuase I have become so good with handling our money...I was able to leave my job and stay home with our kids, comfortably on one income!

Good luck to you! I hope you have tons of success with starting your family! I know personally how hard it is to start trying again after miscarriage, so congrats to you for making that decision! I hope you meet your goals and get to start your family! If I were you, I would sit down and budget it out...set an actual date for yourself to have the money saved. If you have a deadline, it might help you meet the goal!

[mommy4ever]

I totally hear you about miscarriages. We had a stillborn preemie before our last baby came to be. I had to work hard on dh to get him to try again. I'd love one more, but dh had the big V done, and he won't let anyone go down there again..lol. He does regret it though, he thinks we shoulda gone for one more..lol But we're happy with 4 very healthy kiddos we have, a 5th may have tempted fate and dealt us a wild card with health issues in some form.

Trying after a loss is very hard. Have you ask the Dr about clotting issues? After a couple miscarrieages, it is reason enough to do a little investigation. I'm not sure how much genetic link there is to M/C though. Your best bet is getting your health in order. BTW, some hair dyes contain chemicals that can leach into the blood and increase risk of loss. The smell of ammonia isn't good for you either especially when preggers.

[rachelMcK]

I personally think the miscarriages were because I was underweight. I am at a healthier weight now, but at the time I weighed 85 lbs and I'm 5'2". Not by choice but because I had some issues with my metabolism, but now that I'm a little older, my weight is up to 110 lbs. Much better for conception anyway.

[mommy4ever]

Beign underwieght will play a big factor in how a pregnancy goes. Good for you1 Keep on top of it, and make sure all your metablic functions are as they shoudl be. Check thyroid, pregnancy can trigger it to be hyper or hypo, which in turn can affect a pregnancy. Get your gp to do a good blood work up to make sure there are no un-diagnosed issues. thyroid is a majorly ignored issue in north america so be insistant.

[inneedofhope]

perhaps you could go to your OB GYN and talk about changes to help prepare for trying, you might be able to get a consult with an RD or midwife to get you on the right track. Folic Acid and Calcium are very important, and cutting out the sugars and caffeine.
I think it is really great that you are planning ahead to get your health in line before pregnancy. The dental health is a big thing, too, many women don't even realise that the health of the mouth can affect the pregnancy!
Baby steps! you can do this!

[peanut]

Wow Rachel! Is there any way you can get your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist and exercise specialist? If you've had a couple of miscarriages before, and you consult your doctor, telling him about DH's reluctance, and asking for the help, he/she might be willing to refer you. Just a thought...

As for eating healthy and controlling money. I'm on the Prairies and we eat healthy for $400/mth. That includes mostly organic produce. But the standard meat. We eat a lot of brown and wild rice, along with Rice Dream (fortified with calcium, etc.) for me. But otherwise a pretty typical diet. I bake our bread, muffins, etc.

I'm in the opposite boat from you. I need to lose weight! My guess is you need some good quality fats and carbohydrates in you, as well as fruits and vegetables as close to their raw form as possible.

A lady the other day showed up at a church luncheon with No Name Fruit Cocktail in fruit concentrate. She added some cheap apples, oranges, bananas and kiwi to turn in an absolutely delicious and healthy fruit salad! No sugar added...

You might want to look at using applesauce to substitute for some of the sugar and fat in your recipes as well. Especially muffin recipes and the like.

Once again, with you being so light, I'd request a meeting with a nutritionist and fitness specialist.

{{{Hugs}}} and good luck!

Jean

[bumplett]

perhaps you could go to your OB GYN and talk about changes to help prepare for trying, you might be able to get a consult with an RD or midwife to get you on the right track. Folic Acid and Calcium are very important, and cutting out the sugars and caffeine.
I think it is really great that you are planning ahead to get your health in line before pregnancy. The dental health is a big thing, too, many women don't even realise that the health of the mouth can affect the pregnancy!
Baby steps! you can do this!

I was going to suggest the same thing

Have fun creating - and remember, Practice Makes Perfect

[Didi]

Congratulations on THE decision.

I think getting into shape is an excellent idea! Also the folic acid is a good idea. There special vitamins for pregnant women.
Earlier this week there was a study that implied that caffeine during the first months of a pregnancy leads to an increased risk of miscarriage. Even 2 cups a day might have this effect.

$ 10000 is a lot of money and I do not think you'll get it by solely focussing on your grocery budget.
When it comes to fruit; you can also combine fresh fruit (1 piece) with dried fruits such as abricots, plums, apples etc (so that this is your 'second piece' of fruit).