Whole eating on a budget

My husband and I are on a super tight budget these days and it has forced us to cut corners from our whole foods diet.  The farmers market is out of the question, though it's not set up through the winter anyhow.

Trips to the natural market have been reduced from once a week to once a month.  So where do we get everything else? Grocery outlet.

It has really saved us a ton of money and while we never quite know what we're going to find there, they are predictable enough that we have been able to get staples there like bananas,  bread, cheese,  and bacon. We have to sacrifice quality on these items but the produce is often organic. Sometimes we can find organic eggs and dairy as well.

So our meals are simple:  smoothie and oatmeal for me in the morning, eggs and bacon for my husband, sandwiches or leftovers for lunch and a one pot meal for dinner.  Winter is the perfect time for stews anyway.  Though I miss having extras or being able to run to the natural market as soon as we run out of something, we are satisfied.

I've learned patience and thrift and still have delicious home cooked meals with whole foods. It is more cost effective to purchase whole rather than processed foods. I can get a lot of mileage out of a stewed game hen vs. a bunch of chicken tenders or lunch meat.

We try to purchase meat at the natural market when we can.  It's the only place for meat I trust and the best option for stew meat and bacon.  But as I said, on a super tight budget you can only do what you can do. And we happily make do.