Today’s question is from Julie:
For many years, MoneySavingMom.com has helped me save hundreds of dollars. However, one of my children was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease, and our food budget has been obliterated as we make the necessary changes to a starch-free diet.
How can I get the best deals on nuts, seeds, coconut products, and the high volume of produce that we now consume? I am already preparing everything from scratch and am attempting to learn how to garden but would welcome any advice! -Julie
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I started looking at my receipts and made a booklet to figure out what the best price I had paid so far for our staple items was. Next, I looked at our biggest food expenditures and tried to brainstorm ways to get those costs down even more. For me that meant talking to lots of local people til I got on a waiting list for 50lbs of organic cow meat;) Then I emailed around and talked with people about fish. (I’m still buying azure standard chicken until I can find a cheaper/better local source for those). I live in a rural area so this ended up cheapest for me compared to trying to price/deal shop major grocery stores that just aren’t available here.
I do get to Fred meyer (Kroger chain) every once in a while and print out gf prducts Q’s. They move their bread product clearance to a back corner of the store and I can usually score and almost affordable treats for us from there with Q’s … but I really don’t think they are good for us at all so I try to limit that quite a bit.
Every couple of weeks I pick a new project to work on to keep chiseling down the food budget further. I’ve picked fruit from farms (not too cost effective by the time I added in gas and keeping track of my three littles), but will attempt again when they are older;) I’ve tried fishing. I have a smallish garden specially set aside for winter as a new experiment this year. I spend half a day placing my online order with azure standard/amazon to get the best prices to fit our family’s food needs as best as I can, each month. We’ve had a lot of health success with home made broth, you know, from the leftover turkey or chicken or beef bones, so I meal plan with lots of soups or broths in mind and make a lot of broth during the week.
I just kind of consider it as part of my “job” to keep working on it, little by little and like others said, simply have to compensate for the STILL high food budget by pulling from other areas. Entertainment was an easy choice to pull from for us. Homeschool not so much.
My friends have made different meals for each family member based on their different food needs, but that simply didn’t work for me, as I would find myself distractedly popping that last bit of crust into my mouth as I carried my toddler’s plate to the sink and ended up compromising my health because of it. The most expensive months for us have been when we have events with other people and I try to make equivalents to what the others are having that are safe for us. Last time, I decided it just isn’t worth it, so either we will not be going to those events, or we will sit away from other people and eat our own weird food and look weird or sit by them and have them ask us tons of questions about it while we eat our weird food or ??? IDK.
totally embarrassed my post is so long.
I just really feel for you and hope you are getting helpful ideas and encouragement from all the posts 🙂
Thank you all for the advice, encouragement, and prayers! You are right in that Type 1 Diabetics do not necessarily have to change dietary habits, but with my little one, reducing starch is about the only way we can even come close to steady blood sugar results. Looking forward to trying our local Farmer’s Market, Azure Standard, utilizing Costco more, and the checking out the many web sites and tips offered! Thank you SO much!
I’ve worked with LOTS of Type 1’s, but none that were also gluten free. My heart goes out to you. The pediatric endocrinologist where I worked did not want his Type 1’s having any sweets (no diet soda, artificial sweeteners, etc), so that they did not develop the taste for sweets. It’s said it takes about 30 days to form a habit. I gave up sugar AND caffeine. After the first month, I’ve seldom had any desire for either.
Berries have the lowest glycemic indexes of the fruits, therefore they don’t tend to cause the blood sugar spikes. You might be able to start a strawberry bed. High fiber (raw veggies, brown rice rather than white) & low fat generally aid in blood sugar control. Zucchini are very easy to grow & produce a lot. They can be eaten baked or raw. Corn/corn meal is very high carb. High fat keeps the blood sugars from breaking down. Be aware that most peanut butters, catsup, store bought salad dressings, & sauces have sugar in them. Not all natural peanut butter is sugar free. Kroger’s/Dillon’s store brand natural peanut butter is sugar free. The key is maintaining steady blood sugars (whether the peanut butter has sugar in it or not). The blood sugars will determine how strict you’ll need to be with diet & they may change as your child grows.
I don’t have any money saving advice, but I DO want to offer some support. My son was diagnosed as a T1 last year and so I know it is a difficult road. I highly recommend connecting with others as there is a great support system out there. The best thing that happened for me as a T1 mom was becoming part of this group on facebook (if you do a search there are also other groups) https://www.facebook.com/groups/154696511238134/. There are other T1’s on there that live gluten free as well. Please know you’re not alone and you will make it! 1 day at a time 🙂
Also try to stay away from artificial sweeteners! It is really tempting but so bad for you. Better to just eat the sugar and cover it with insulin!!
I just wanted to encourage you to grow a large garden. A lot of people say, “Start small and then expand” but fruit trees, vines, and bushes take several years before you start to harvest, so plant those now (fall is ideal for planting fruit trees; it gives the roots a good time to get established before spring. Many local nurseries have sales on fruit trees as well in the fall).
I have a .24 acre lot and I grow 39 fruit trees. Half of them as espaliered along one wall. Most are dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties, which means fruit sooner than a full-sized tree (by several years) and it means that I can plant more trees of many types than I could if I planted full-sized trees. I planned my fruits so that I will have something ripe at different times; I have apples that ripen in July as well as apples that ripen in August and September. I have lemons and pomegranates ripe now. In April I will have apricots; in May I will have more apricots (a different type) and peaches. June is plums and figs. July is peaches. I also have grapes in July and blackberries in May.
Don’t forget to plant a fall garden! Lettuce, spinach, leeks, parsnips, turnips, beets, Swiss chard and more can grow in fall. If you live in the north, you can cover them with straw to get them through the winter for an early crop in spring.
Here is a little different response than the rest regarding having the same diet. We had 4 children, one was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at age 2. This was over 20 years ago, when gluten-free foods were scarce and very expensive. (Gluten-free Pantry hadn’t started yet. Beth Hilson, the lady who started it, was a member of our support group) We simply couldn’t afford to feed the same things to everyone, and it didn’t seem fair to make 5 other people follow a diet they didn’t need to. Dinner we did do the same meal, but if we had pasta, I cooked gluten-free pasta and regular pasta. It did require diligence to avoid contamination, but it’s not that hard. When she would attend events, I made sure she had something really special so other kids would want what she had. 🙂 Gluten-free foods and recipes have come a long way since then, but I don’t think I would have changed what we did, simply because of the other children involved.
I think you’ll find that once you have some bulk items in the house, your food budget may be higher but will fall back in line over time.
We did an elimination diet to see what foods we were sensitive too, and our food budget skyrocketed at first, but you don’t have to replace a bag of almond flour, a thing of coconut oil, etc…every week. It was just the initial cost of having to buy Everything at once that was crazy!
Eventually, we found we were actually saving because we Had to make a meal plan and stick to it-no more last minute grocery runs or take out!
There are lots of great ideas in this thread. I just wanted to encourage you not to panic! Take care!
Good health is priceless!
I just want to encourage you that what you are doing is good for your whole family… hard but good. Give yourself time to adjust and figure things out. It is never easy to shift the family diet like you need to. Like others have said- Costco is our favorite. And I am using more liquid stevia for sweetening things (I get Kal liquid stevia at vitacost.com). We make lemonade with it, use it in cooking, put it in smoothies or shakes, and even do partial sub in some baking.
Hi! I just want to encourage you that YOU CAN DO THIS! My son has been Type-1 Diabetic since shortly after turning one-year-old (he is now 16), and now I am changing us to a gluten-free house. None of us have Celiac Disease, but I have a great intolerance to gluten. Also, I think with all the hybrid forms of wheat, it’s just not a smart idea for us GMO or non-GMO, there are so many other options out there. It will take time to get used to your new lifestyle. We are a family of six and spend approximately $500 on groceries, including toiletries and diapers, and we eat comfortably.
1. We order most of our rice, beans, dried fruits, nuts/seeds, oats, and coconut and almond flour (all organic) from AzureStandard. They have non-organic options for many things, but we always opt for organic as there is not too much of a price difference.
2. We also go to Costco once a month for organic snacks, organic frozen fruits and veggies, TP, and diapers. Could we get toiletries somewhere else for less??? Most likely, but time has monetary value as well and I don’t like stressing over sales and the like.
3. For fresh produce, we order Bountiful Baskets weekly. In our area, an organic box of approximately 10-12 items is $25.
I also cook many things from scratch, which helps us not to break the bank. I think you are doing a wonderful job so keep up the good work. You can also call on me for support with Diabetes any time. Over the past 15 years, I think I’ve “been there, done that”.
Take care.
I don’t have celiac disease, but I do have a sensitivity to wheat gluten, as well as acid reflux and a baby with a milk allergy. For myself, my hubby and my baby, we allot $40/week for (mostly organic) groceries. I also have a sams card and even with the membership fee, it saves to buy things such as meat in bulk. We also have several small produce markets and produce stands that sell organic, local produce, milk and eggs. I try to buy all of my perishables there. We also have farms that deliver as a few other people mentioned. For non perishables, we shop at aldi (they have a large selection of organic and gluten free items for a fraction of the cost of other places) or we hit up the local discount grocery store. In SC, you can sell salvage items. These are damaged/ out of date items (that are all perfectly safe and the quality is great) that grocery stores have sent back to their distributor who sells them to these small local stores. Everything is inspected for quality and safety and also costs less than half what it normally would. I recently quit my full time management position to be able to stay home with my baby and these small changes have made it possible!!
What is the name of the store in SC?
I have a son with Type 1 Diabetes and yes, it is terribly expensive.
Last year I wrote a blog series about how to build up a stockpile of medical supplies. It will really help you save money. Here’s the link.
http://adventurezonetracy1918.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-stockpile-medical-supplies-part-1.html
Also…on facebook there’s a group called T1 Hangout. I encourage you to join. The people there are great for help and support! : )
Many blessings to you on this new journey. There’s a big learning curve, but you’ll do great!
I recently discovered a “discount” produce store. 90% of what they carry is very fresh and high quality while at the same time very inexpensive. For example, I’ve been getting leeks, 4/$1 and strawberries for $1/lb. if you can find something similar it would give you wiggle room. Other than that, Costco, and sales on Amazon as mentioned above.
I’m not sure where you are located, but hands down, the best way for us to save money on GF foods was by removing all processed foods. We do a version of the paleo diet w/ soaked legumes added back into our diet to save money. We pair protein w/ the legumes to lower the glycemic load a bit. Every week, I get a large box of organic produce and fresh eggs which feeds the whole family from and organic buying club called Abundant Harvest. They offer add-ons like bulk beans, nuts, and seeds (if it’s season). I also by almond flour from honeyville and things like rice and quinoa in bulk off of Amazon (I have a prime account). I have heard really great things about buying in bulk from Azure Standard as well… Any CSA membership could probably provide similar benefits. There is a blogger who is devoted to simply writing about paleo on a budget. I think it’s called Paleo On A Budget.
We shop at Costco for nuts, seeds, and coconut oil, plus a bunch of other stuff. A co-op would probably have the best price on bulk grains or grain free flours, like coconut flour or almond flour. We buy through UNFI (a co-op where we get bulk raisins, coconut flour, gluten free oats, sunflower seed butter, etc), plus there is Azure Standard (another co-op). If you can’t do co-ops, ask your local grocer if you can buy an item in bulk and if they can give you a discount. We’ve just started getting into gardening too, and it’s been nice to not have to buy tomatoes or lettuce. We usually find cheap produce at Aldi’s, or a local health food store. It does take some detective work to find the best prices, and a huge learning curve on cooking gluten free or grain free, but you can do it!! There are some gluten free coupons out there too. We buy Larabars occasionally, when they’re on sale, and use coupons. You can do it! 🙂 (Before you know it, you’ll be a pro!)
Have you checked discount stores like Grocery Outlet and Big Lots? They often have great prices on organic, natural, and specialty foods that did’t sell well at regular grocery stores. Their selection always varies, but I think it’s definitely worth looking into. When I find great prices, I stock up since their inventory changes. Grocery Outlet has the best price I’ve seen in my area for coconut oil.
I am also celiac and eat a gluten free/paleo/low carb diet. I save lots of money by buying meats and produce at our local farmers markets (yes, even in the cold and rain) and really enjoy the sense of community.
Everything else I have on an autoship schedule from VitaCost! They often send discounts in emails and there is an automatic discound with the autoship.
They even have rewards. If you go to VitaCostRewards.com and type in my email address (AshleyDenise@me.com) you will get a $10 coupon (and so will I!)
Their prices are amazing and the convenience can’t be beat!
Hi Julie, I feel your budget pain… with food allergies, we buy gluten-, dairy-, egg-, nut-, soy-, bean-, tomato-free as well as some other random fruits/veggies that are off limits. I don’t know if you have a Sprouts or equivalent natural food chain in your area, but Sprouts has amazing prices on produce each week and I shop what’s on sale. I also always buy bananas and carrots because these are usually pretty cheap per pound and are great snacks. We buy popcorn kernels in bulk (just stick them in a regular brown paper lunch sack and microwave on popcorn setting for a cheap snack, add melted butter/salt) and raisins in bulk. We eat a lot of rice since that is a safe staple. And corn tortillas or rice wraps for lunch tacos/sandwiches. We eat oatmeal for breakfast. Dinners, I use a lot of rice and I stretch out meats (so a lot of stir fry, soups, casseroles). I buy almond or coconut milk, whichever is on sale. Also, rice milk is easy to make by blending cooked rice in a blender with water, 1 cup rice to 6 cups water. I hope that all helps you. Blessings in your new budget journey! It is much trickier but there are some ways to still keep the budget down.
I’ve had to go carb free, dairy-free since my last child as well.
Nuts- Costco. Found this to be the cheapest source. We live about 2 hours away from the nearest one. However we ARE in a town where someone is constantly going out of town to shop so they usually pick me up some.
AzureStandard co-op is where I get my coconut, seeds and whatever else I need.
Produce I just get at the grocery store. Gulp. But, I have friends taht really like Abundant Harvest program. Once a week local produce and you can select 2 box sizes. For my Vegetarian friends they have found teh large box at $45 to suit their needs perfectly. 🙂
Our local farmer’s market has been an answer to prayer! I tow all 4 kids along, and it seems to help the farmers feel a lot more generous! (Especially if you go at the end of the day and they are ready to unload their leftover produce) They love seeing families eat healthy. I get great deals there. I’ve asked before how much they would charge for the whole box. I got banana peppers for 10 cents a piece one day. Now I have a lot of chopped banana peppers in my freezer! Buy whatever is in season and try to freeze or can as much as possible . Ask at church if someone could come over and let you borrow a canner and show you how if you don’t have one.
When you cook from scratch, it gets overwhelming pretty quickly. Try to cook two (or three!) meals, and freeze one; it helps to have on hand an easy meal when life gets busy. Hang in there-it takes a while for everyone to get used to the changes! It’s worth it!
We also try to save money elsewhere -like not buying paper products – to help offset. We recycle old t-shirts for cleaning rags and made cloth napkins. I’m also looking for at home work on the computer to help supplement, so I feel your pain!
I recently had to go gluten free because of my auto immune but rather than cook my dinner separately, I have my husband and kids on board with the gluten free meals as well because honestly the risk of cross contamination cooking with gluten and gluten free is tough, so suggestions grow your own veggies when you can,buy local and in season – learn to can your veggies and fruit – trust me it is not rocket science, I do it all the time now, buy in bulk and watch your sales, a great website is gluten freely – they post sales, coupons and recipes. I shop Costco, Amazon and our local store Sprouts- it took a while to build up my pantry and learn to cook all over again, so at first it was brown rice and veggies – fast forward six months and I’m converting almost any recipe to GF – my saving grace was a cook book my friend bought me called “The Healthy Gluten Free Life” I now make my families bread, bagels and english muffins because $6.99 for 4 bagels just is not in our family’s budget – There are several recipes for all purpose gluten free flour – try to find someone willing to split the initial cost to buy the different flours needed and make 20 pounds and share it. I am more than happy to share any of my recipes if you are looking for something specific and finally I will say a lot of the GF products on the market are actually not that healthy – kinda like being vegetarian and eating all processed foods…..
Please share your recipes!
or do a guest post for Money Saving Mom. 🙂
nutiva.com sells coconut oil and if u get on their email list you get the tuesday special. every so often its the gallon of coconut oil with free shipping for 49.99. Othertimes, they offer a different special of the day. Tropical traditions also sells coconut flour – but again, get on their e-mail list and wait for free shipping (it’s usually on a monday or tuesday). Sam’s club is also a great place for almonds to make your own almond flour. (using a flour mill or the vitamin)
If you don’t already use them, check out Azure Standard for many different items (including bulk erythritol) and Bountiful Baskets for produce. Great deals on coconut are often found online and coconut flour, though expensive, is usually only used in small quantities in the recipes I’ve made (muffins, etc…). I signed up for Honeyville Grain’s newsletter or whatever they call it and they send codes for savings here and there which we use to stock up on almond flour.
my husband and I keep a paleo diet (gluten, dairy and sugar free) and we’ve been able to get by on a budget of $20 a week for groceries. Granted, it’s just the two of us, but this includes all of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. We buy in bulk when protein goes on sale – I recently purchased 6 whole chickens when they went on sale for 0.89 a pound.
For fruits and vegetables we shop at the ethnic food stores because it is so much cheaper (Armenian, Hispanic). The produce is still fresh and again, we stock up when things go on sale – last week onions were 6lbs for $1! I also plan my menus around what’s in season/on sale. Sometimes that might mean eating a whole lot of sweet potato or zucchini in one week, but the savings have been worth it.
I understand that it might be difficult for your whole family to take on this new dietary plan, but trust me it will be better for all of them in the long run. We eat too many processed foods and the more we can cut out, the better for our health!
I’m gluten free and my 11 yr old daughter has Type 1. I order most of my gluten free flours from Amazon, if you order 5 Subscribe and Save in one order you get the extra 15% off (20% if you have prime). I also have alerts on my favorite products set up with camelcamelcamel.com so if they go on sale I can stock up.
If you are making a lot from scratch it can make carb counting difficult; I use http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php for nutrition info. We also learned to use carb factors and a digital scale to calculate carbs in homemade foods.
You might check with your pharmacy to see if there is a discount program your child could be on for the test strips (These are where the greatest cost in supplies is). Several manufacturers have such programs. Even if you need to switch to a different meter with such a program, it could save you money in the long run. Many pharmacies can get your child a free meter, if needed.
I don’t know if you’re close to an Aldi’s. They have great buys on produce. Do you know any local farmers that might give you a good deal if you ask? I think Vitacost has the best price on coconut oil. If you purchase $25 in Vitacost products, shipping is free. If you’re referred by someone, you’ll receive a $10 off $30 or more purchase. Others have mentioned Amazon. Earning Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks could also help with your grocery budget.
I’ve also seen Craigslist listings for people giving walnuts away. They’ve had several trees drop nuts & want people to come pick them up for free. If you find some, just take some friends/family members with you to help gather them. Friends/family might help you shell them if asked too. Our whole family used to crack/shell nuts, snap beans, or whatever when watching television growing up. Once they’re out of the shells, nuts freeze well. You might consider posting a wanted ad on Craigslist.
Accept the fact that in your situation cutting the food budget is just not feasible. Cut other areas of the budget. When you manage your health with food, that line item in the budget takes precidence over other things. The consequences of doing anything else aren’t an option. Cut yourself a break, implement some of the buying in bulk suggestions and understand that that is just the way it is. I am right there with you, and my husband reminds me all the time that we will cut other things if we need to, but don’t let the higher grocery bill because of celiac cause stress. :). We just can’t compare our food budget with others who can eat “anything”. 🙂
YES!!! Its just the way it goes…its easy to forget though, when I stumble across a $5/meal blog post or something and start to feel that pressure again.
Heavenlyhomemakers.com has some great recipes that are either gluten free or can be adapted (she cooks everything from scratch). Also second what an earlier poster said about buying seasonally – we eat a LOT of fresh fruits and vegetables in this house. Bananas are always cheap as are raisins and dates (you can get those on Amazon Mom/Subscribe and Save) and then berries during the summer and apples/pears/oranges during the fall & winter when they are like $1 or $1.50 a pound.
That’s a great tip. Our family loves the recipes we find in the allergy section of Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures: http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/category/allergy-section
~MSM Team
I found a gluten free cookbook that helped out a ton. I ran the numbers and decided that a flour mill for the flour and buying the grains in bulk was out best choice. My son loves the items from the cookbook, and the non GF kids will often eat his GF foods because they are so yummy. I also watch amazon for the ready to eat items that my son loves….I always buy enough for free shipping, and love that I don’t have to go shopping at the stores and pay that huge GF premium price. good luck, and hang in there I remember when we started watching the money pour out every time I went shopping.
I like this website: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com. She only has crock pot recipes and went for 1 whole year only cooking each day in her crock pot. She even made Creme Brulee in the crock pot! Stephanie O’Dea is the blogger and her child eats gluten free due to celiac disease although she rarely mentions it. She found it easier to eat at home and use her crockpot so that she could be sure to avoid cross contamination as mentioned earlier. So, all the recipes happen to be gluten free and she will mention which spices, products are gluten free but her audience is crock pot users. She now just has her 3rd cookbook out- again all crock pot recipes. Anyway, I hope this helps!
Awesome, thanks
I have priced nuts in my area and the cheapest is Sams Club. Nuts are one of the items that I buy in bulk since the price is better per pound. I have looked at grocery stores and also used coupons but still not cheaper then buying in bulk.
We eat a lot of produce at our house and invest in a CSA ($400 for the summer) which gives us vegetable produce for almost the entire year for a family of 4. The CSA only runs June – September (I live in MN) and I blanch and freeze what we don’t use for eating during the regular year. We also grow a few things in our back yard – squash, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs and horseradish and occasionally a few other things. I buy fruit in season and the vegetables I do buy I buy in season and on sale. I just buy whatever is on sale – not necessarily what we want but what is on sale. For example, today our favorite type of apples were $2.98/lb. A type of apples we also like was the cheapest per pound at $1.49/lb. So I bought the cheaper one. Right now in the fall I buy mostly apples and pears and a few melons that are in season. Over the winter it is citrus. In the spring and summer it’s berries, then peaches, plums and necturines. See what is local where you are too – you might be able to get better prices at a U-pick place. (Here we often don’t.) What is in-season when can depend on where you live. Either way, it saves us a lot of grocery money!
Best wishes,
Lea
We are also gluten free! I second costco, azure standard, and walmart price matching as ways to save money. We also use vitacost for gluten free flours, pastas, etc. Their prices are usually pretty competitive, shipping is free over $49, and they ship it to your door fast.
Best wishes to you in this adventure – it’s hard to get started, but I promise, you will eventually hit your “groove” and this will just become the new normal!
We live in a rural area with few grocery store options. I follow the deals on Amazon and buy my flours and pasta in bulk when it is in sale. We also a produce auctions our area where the farmers sell to the grocery/chain stores. They always have a “small” lot auction that goes on at the same time where we get seasonal produce at much reduced costs. This week we bought a large box of peppers, a large box of mixed greens, and a bushel of apples for less than $15, it would have easily been $50 or more for all of that at our local grocery! I always end up getting more than we can eat or freeze, but since our budget allows it, we share the extras with our neighbors and those in need. If you are in a farming type community ask around and see if you have something similar.
I feel your pain! My 11 year old was diagnosed with Celiac 6 months ago and the initial hit to our grocery budget was significant. Like you, we took the whole family gluten free at home. I think the poster earlier questioning why you did that doesn’t understand the cross-contamination issues involved with Celiac. On the rare occasions that we have something “gluten-y” in the house, it’s a pain. Worrying about whether that knife touched that butter, etc., is more stress than necessary for everyone.
When my daughter was first diagnosed, we bought practically every processed GF product out there. Probably 60% of it tastes awful, some so bad that we even threw it away! But now we know the few products that we like and sometimes coupons are available. I also check glutenfreelyfrugal.com daily because she posts deals (and does a once a week summary on this blog). I already had Amazon Prime, and that has been a huge savings. And I have found a flour blend that I really like (and is a little easier than making the blend myself) at Jules Gluten Free. They recently had a Frequent Baker’s Sale and I went in with another Celiac friend and we got free shipping and both got a great deal on the flour – I think cheaper than making it ourselves and certainly more convenient. Hang in there, it does get easier! A few months from now you’ll realize that mostly what you are spending your money on is fresh fruits and vegetables and baking ingredients.
We have gotten great prices on produce by buying “checks” or seconds directly from the orchard. Some orchards may also have a stand at your local farmers’ markets. The fruit might be slightly bruised, so it’s not pretty enough to sell with the regular products. We buy peaches/nectarines and apples that way. I can the peaches, but they can also be frozen. The apples become either dried apples or applesauce for us.
Call companies of products you like, ask about “clubs” to join or any groups or coupons. Check for “bargain” or dented product stores, we have one locally that sells a lot of gluten-free products very cheap!
For diabetes, check for prescription discount cards or clubs (call the manufacturer). Look for a JDRF group, you can learn a lot from other parents. My daughter was diagnosed type 1 five years ago, she doesn’t have celiac but a lot of diabetics do. Every child is different so you’ll need to find how your child reacts to each food (we’re still working on this and haven’t made much progress except she can’t tolerate chocolate milk). When she was first diagnosed, I told my friend, trying to understand her up and down blood sugars is like trying to stick jell-o to the wall, it just doesn’t work! But it gets better. Unfortunately, it’s kind of like adding a new baby to the house. Routine and budget fly out the window while you’re adjusting and until things get calmed down.
Definitely check with the manufacturer of your child’s insulin. I’m a recently diagnosed type 1, and I’m using Lantus and Novolog pens. I checked the sites of both companies before I filled my first prescriptions, and they both had coupons that are good for a certain number of refills. If I remember correctly, I saved a total of $150 on my first prescriptions ($100 on one and $50 on the other). Even with this and insurance, it was still quite expensive. But the coupons certainly helped!
My approach has been to save money in other budget categories so that we can add more money to the grocery budget. For us, the biggest saver has been staying home more (gas is expensive!). The second biggest change was keeping our house quite cool in the winter (64/62 F or lower), which saves us a ton on heating costs.
I look for deals on produce (many from local farmers) and purchase in bulk from Amazon and a co-op. I generally don’t try to recreate gluten-containing foods (pasta, sweets, bread) with gluten free products. It’s expensive and many don’t taste good, so it’s a big waste of money. Instead, I eat “pasta” sauce on zucchini or spaghetti squash and have apple crisp or apples with sunbutter as a dessert. (I cannot have eggs, tree nuts, gluten or dairy.)
With three growing children consuming vast quantities of produce these days (thank heavens!), I’ve recently altered my shopping strategy. I gather up all of the grocery fliers and/or check each store’s website each week and make a note of all of the lowest-priced produce. Then I head to Walmart and price match every bit of it. Although it sounds like a lot of work, Walmart’s super easy price match policy makes this a pretty no-fuss exercise. We are eating way more produce than we ever did previously, and I’m still able to come in significantly under budget. This works especially well if you live in an area with a lot of grocery competition.
Our family eats gluten free and I also eat dairy free (the rest don’t). Buying in bulk and cooking from scratch is very helpful. I also recommend Azure Standard or other similar co-ops. Bountiful Baskets could be a good option for produce if you have a drop in your area. Shopping sales and stocking up on items you use when they do go on sale is a must. I also purchase almond flour from Honeyville when they have a 20% off sale. I will buy 25 lbs and freeze or refridgerate it after dividing up into approx. 5 lb bags. I do a lot of freezing and canning in the summer/fall. It definitely takes time to figure it all out so have patience with yourself and if possible try to cut back on another budget area and increase (at least temporarily) your grocery budget.
I’m really glad you recommended to take it gently…trying to squeeze every drop out of the food budget while making these major dietary changes is stressful enough without me beating myself up that the food numbers are so high. It DOES take time … I am working on learning to can. I built up by buying cheap fruit and freezing it, but I want to can it to leave room in the freezer for meat and fish.
I shop at Meijer and they have coupons that you can get every time you fill a prescription. Some are for $20 and some are for $10. That helps offset some of our grocery costs. I don’t know how their prices are on most starch free foods, however if you have to get medications for the Diabetes or any other medications this may help you save more money on the groceries you need to buy.
1. Grow your own when you can. This might mean broccoli, tomatoes, and lettuce or an even wider variety.
2. Buy seasonal. Right now that would be apples, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes. My Meijer store has apples for $.54 per pound. They freeze well.
3. Buy in bulk. Ask your grocer if you can order in large quantities. Join a warehouse club. Join a co-op or a CSA.
4. Who says you all have to change your diets? I realize it’s not fun to cook separate meals, but there’s nothing to say that the rest of you can’t continue to eat the lower cost foods. When you’re making spaghetti for everyone else, cook up a spaghetti squash and make “spaghetti” for your child too.
I just want to say that I understand wanting to cook the same for everyone. It’s not just the inconvenience of cooking an extra meal, but if the child is young its very hard to explain why they can’t have what you’re eating. We are currently in a reverse situation. The new baby has food allergies so I am eating a limited diet to help her through breastfeeding. My toddler gets upset when I won’t share a snack with her because it has an off limits ingredient.
Also, depending on how bad the celiac is, they might not be able to even have gluten in the same house. My father-in-law doesn’t have a terrible if he eats a little gluten, but a former colleague would (both had celiac).
I agree. I have Celiac and my boys have several food allergies. Kids who have food restrictions feel really left out and it can damage self esteem. It is hard to understand how diet restrictions affect all aspects of your life until you go through it. It is really not safe to have gluten in your house if you have kids – cross contamination is serious, and can happen from a dirty spoon, a crumb too small to see or gluten proteins stuck in cutting boards or scratches on pans.
I on the other hand encourage the whole family to switch. There is a very strong correlation between type one diabetes and celiac (1 out of 10 type 1’s are undiagnosed celiac). Since celiac is genetically linked as well your entire family could be at risk of “awakening” the gene, so IMO you are better off not irritating your immune system with excess gluten, and it may be worthwhile to get everyone tested.
In my experience, buying in bulk has been the best option. For us, watching sales on Amazon and Tropical Traditions for things we use often has been the best money savers. Typically, shipping is free. Also, for us, a Costco membership has saved us greatly (even with the membership fee) because of the good prices on nuts, cheeses, seeds, produce. I know not everyone has one in their area, though. Another good option can be a bulk buying group that delivers. We use Azure Standard, but I know there are others depending on where you are located and they have *great* bulk prices. Azure has a phone number on their webpage you can call to see if they have a drop site near where you live. Good luck – that is a lot of changes for your family, I can’t imagine!
i second everything alaina has said. if you have a costco near see if they carry coconut flour and oil; ours has oil and i’ve heard of others carrying the flour. our costco has gluten free pasta too (make with quinoa and amaranth). some costcos also carry almond flour if you can do that. honeyville will also run specials on they 5 lbs bags. amazon, azure or tropical traditions is cheapest if you buy bulk otherwise. also check craigslist for produce. we are pretty rural (no sprouts, whole foods,trader joes etc) but last year i found a guy that planted too many spaghetti squash and was giving them away. we got 180 good sized spaghetti squash ad stored them in the garage and basement and have just finished the last of them. i’ve also seen zucchini and apples on our craigslist. if you have a CSA or produce coop around join that too! ask friends or at church too. generally people have an over abundance of tomatoes and squash, even cucumbers if they garden since they all seem to come in at one. good luck.
we have scored major free apples this year 🙂