How To Buy High Quality Food on a Budget

Want to eat high-quality food without breaking the bank? Here are five tips to make it happen! An important part of frugality is never allowing yourself to feel like you are being forced to give up everything you love. For some, that means indulging in some mouth-watering, high-quality foods – at least some of the time.

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We're Hope and Larry and we love practical frugality. We raised our four sons, debt-free, including paying cash for our home when our income was well under the national average. For tips on saving money, budgeting, paying off debt, and setting goals (while living with a spirit of joy and abundance), subscribe to us here on YouTube and visit us at our website and on social media.

Information on Under the Median represents our opinions only. We are not medical doctors, medical professionals, nutritionists, or investment professionals. All content found on Under the Median is intended for informational purposes only. Please be sure to exercise due diligence and always contact a professional with any questions you may have regarding any information you have seen or heard on our YouTube channel. Use caution when following instructions in this video. The creator and publisher of this video will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of any method on this channel.

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[SkintLivingUK]

I grow herbs such as basil as they are too expensive to buy in the shops. I also grow strawberries, tomatoes, beetroot and potatoes too. I have a paved tiny back yard and grow everything in pots. The flavour is so much better as its fresh!

[marilynrybak]

The farmers markets in our area tend to be significantly more expensive than the grocery store prices (for fresh produce). I like supporting the local farmers and prefer the local produce (it’s much better because it’s mostly ripened on the vine), but since prices on everything has increased over the past 3.5 years, I have been buying produce at the grocery store this summer.

[nmarie]

To make our curries creamy my husband uses half a tin of coconut cream and then also adds a tin of blitzed chick peas (easy as in the Nutribullet)....you cant taste the chickpeas at all and this also really increases the protein and fibre content. Thanks for another super video Hope and Larry😊

[suelloyd]

I almost never need to buy cooking oil because I use the oil that comes in a jar of sundried tomatoes. Its beautiful flavour of tomatoes and herbs is great for using in cooking or on salads etc. It seems to go further, too.

[victorwadsworth]

Hello all, Victor from Fort Worth, going in for heart bi-pass surgery Monday, prayers from those interested are welcomed. Two weeks stay, six-week recovery, might not be on here for a while.

[bennylawrence]

I buy herb plants at my local coop in the beginning of the summer put them in pots grow them all summer and use them fresh then grind the rest and freeze for the winter. I spent two dollars for each plant this year

[lindadorman]

Buy from restaurant supply stores or, if you are in an agricultural region, buy from local farmers. They usually have a wider selection of high quality foods than grocery stores and can sell for less because they have lower overhead.

[dabneydee]

Canned beans have gone up 50% here, so now I cook big pots of dried beans and freeze them in 1 and 2 cup portions. So much cheaper!

[als]

If you want to make meals from scratch I would like to suggest a farm channel that I fondly refer to as the Farm Girls. It's called Heartway Farms. Mom and the two oldest daughters show you how to make meals from scratch. If you want to know how to make different foods like breads, and deserts from scratch this is a great channel to follow. Two weeks ago it was making Tallow Lotion for hands and body. Of course they have to save money because they have something like 6-8 kids. And we all know how expensive it is to raise children today.

[karinhart]

Speaking of cheese, every once in a while Costco will have genuine Parmesan cheese from Italy on sale. Because it’s from the EU it doesn’t have mystery chemicals added that American companies put in their versions. Also, it is so much stronger in flavor that I get the flavor I want using so much less that it costs less even though it may cost more per once.

[sallyprzybil]

For ground beef or ground chicken/turkey, when making burgers add a vegetable to your ground beef when making the patties. For example, add some chopped spinach or chopped up green beans to your hamburger meat then cook. Or for ground chicken you can also add fruit such as chopped up mango or peach. Try serving it as a ‘Salisbury steak’ with a gravy or even a fruit compote as a sauce. I have a health condition that needs me to increase my fruit and vegetables in my diet and lower ( but not totally eliminate) my meat consumption and this is one of the ways I do that. Also don’t feel guilty if all you can afford are canned vegetables.Modern canned vegetables and fruits are more nutritious than in the past. They have improved the canning procedures.

[tammyroyal]

I hadnt thought of using lentils to stretch ground beef. Like that idea. Thanks!

[mostlymissy]

I grow my own herbs and have a small garden. We buy dry beans, lentils, and rice; it is much cheaper than buying canned or pre-made varieties. Oftentimes, our meals center around veggies and meat is the side dish. Potatoes and sautéed greens are a simple, affordable dinner and very filling.

[jeanneakins]

Hope and Larry, I thank you so much for all the advice you give us! I enjoy your content so much and wanted to let you know to keep it coming. I watch on TV, so I decided to sign on my computer so that I could let you know how much I enjoy each episode. Thanks!

[sandrabryan]

In Austria, they like to make a summer spritzer using white wine and sparkling/ carbonated water with a dash of syrup sometimes. For special occasions, instead of expensive champagne, you can get a bottle of Prosecco, frizzant, or sparkling wine that uses the champagne method. Also you can add strawberries / raspberries that not only look pretty but it fills a fluted glass resulting in using less wine, same with red wine you can add fruit and make a sangria. If you want an expensive ice wine but it’s not in your budget, you can often get a nice substitute for a fraction of the cost by getting a late harvest wine. Just remember not all grape varieties taste the same, and everyone has a unique pallet and pairing foods to wine is lots of fun. 😊

[gabrielafernandes]

My mom always use less than the recipe. Works very well and sounds good as the original. So i do the same thing since married. Good for us❤

[lesliekanengiser]

We have a garden. And what we've really been more mindful of is making sure we freeze or preserve in some other way every bit of food we grow/buy. (Veggies and fruits mostly). Seems obvious. But half an onion or half a zucchini doesn't seem like much
So I used to let it rot usually. (Not even on purpose necessarily). Now, I freeze it all. I have 40 lb of tomatoes in the freezer and 10 quart bags of zucchini, 2 pint jars of dehydrated basil and several quart bags of chopped bell peppers. It truly does add up. You just have to start adding it up. 😅

[MelP-of]

When using broth in place of wine add a splash of vinegar for the acidity that wine would bring to a dish.

[KS-zcjn]

Growing what you can helps too. Even if you don't have a lot of space or time, every little bit helps. You can even plant in containers or have some potted herbs on your kitchen counter if you don't have room to plant anything outside. You can even sprout some extra food from kitchen scraps by rooting tomain lettuce or celery. Grow carrot tops by putting the cut end that had the greens on it in water. You can use the tops in soups. Regrow onions placing the root cut end in water. Etc.

[Willfun]

When it's available, I buy Stollen and Black Forrest cake at Aldi. It's much less expensive there and I don't end up with left over ingredients.