Eating gluten free on a budget can be difficult. But here are 4 useful tips to help you stay healthy and eating well on a gluten free diet.
How to Eat Gluten Free on a Budget
The following post is a guest post by Jeanine, from Faithfully Gluten Free! Make sure you check out her fabulous blog!
Whether you've been diagnosed with Celiac disease, are gluten-intolerant, or are eating a gluten-free diet for your own health benefits, you will know that it is not a cheap diet to be on. I'm going to try to list some points that helped me to eat gluten-free on a budget.
Eat real foods
Vegetables, unprocessed meats, most dairy, and rice do not contain gluten. By staying away from processed foods, which may contain gluten, try to cook a meal using ingredients in their natural state. For example, use potatoes instead of frozen hash browns.
Buy your flours in bulk
By purchasing your flours in large quantities, you will get a better price per pound than if you buy the small packages of flour.
If you are in Canada, you can save money by purchasing the large, unopened bags of gluten free flours and starches at Bulk Barn. Since the bags are still sealed, you don't have to worry about cross contamination.
To extend the shelf life, you can store the unused portion in sealed containers in the freezer or fridge. You could also team up with others that have to eat gluten free, and divide the large bags between the group, assuring that you always have fresh flours on hand.
Learn to cook & bake
When you are on a gluten-free diet, eating gluten-free is usually a life long commitment that you have to make to keep yourself feeling well. Since it is not just a phase, you might as well learn to make the best of it!
By learning how to cook and bake, you open your kitchen up to endless opportunities.
The gluten-free doughnuts, bread, granola bars and muffins that you can buy in the store may be good for convenience, but that is about it. Nothing beats home baking! With some practice, you will be able to replicate nearly all your favourite gluten-filled goodies using gluten-free flours.
You will just have to trust me on this. I have been eating and baking gluten-free for nearly 3 years now, and I am definitely not "living without".
Plan ahead
When you go out for the day, you should take a gluten-free snack along from home. Some gluten-free crackers, nuts, and dried or fresh fruit are all some ideas. Once you are out and about, you may not be able to find a suitable snack for your diet. Having something to munch on is better than going through a drive-through for French fries.
These tips, combined with all the great menu planning and grocery shopping articles provided on Simply Frugal, will help you to eat gluten free on a budget so well, that you won't feel like you're missing out.
Jeanine Friesen authors Faithfully Gluten Free, a blog dedicated to recipes for those on a gluten-free diet, because she believes no one should have to go without.
Does the word frugality make you think of the word deprivation?
To me, frugality brings to mind the the word freedom. Freedom from debt, freedom to spend my hard earned cash (I just try to chose wisely), and freedom from worry. It’s a lifestyle I’ve chosen to follow. I don’t feel deprived in the least! I may not buy brand new stuff all the time, but my needs are met! I’ve not always thought this way.
The following story is a part of my personal story about one of my life lessons that has shaped the frugal path I’m on today.
There was a time when I was leasing a car. It was brand new and a realistic dream car. I had plans to buy it out after the lease was over, which meant getting a loan. I loved the car so much that I was willing to take on debt. It was around the end of my lease contract that my mindset started to change. I knew I couldn’t go into debt over a car, something that decreases in value so quickly! I struggled with this decision for a while before I started looking at used cars. Looking back, that was the best decision I could have made. I paid cash that I had saved up, for a great older car! No payments, no debt. I didn’t need a brand new car!
Since that lesson, I have truly taken to frugality. I know where I need to spend more money and where I need to save my pennies. But…I’m not perfect and I’m still learning!
I have found that frugality makes me:
Focus on the little things. I find much joy in a simple cup of tea or coffee, enjoyed in the quiet of my home. Or enjoying using my hands baking something. Or even watching the birds search for food in my back yard.
Appreciate new purchases. Since I’m not buying something every time I go out, when I do buy something, it feels special! (and will feel special for a while!)
Use creativity to come up with a less expensive way to do something. (outdoor/indoor activities, re purposing…etc)
Do it myself. Why pay someone to do something that I can do myself? I want a new purse but since I can sew, I have no excuse to buy a new one. I love doing stuff myself, it makes it more fun! I also believe that there is a time and a place to hire someone though, I don’t want to hoard my money.
Sleep better at night. I don’t spend my nights tossing and turning worrying about where the money for the next bill is going to come from.
Look for a deal. If I need something in particular, why would I pay full price if I don’t have to?
Does frugality mean deprivation to you? Care to share part of your story that led you down the path of frugality?
I’ve seen the video below on quite a few blogs lately that features a family that has been sucessfully living a zero waste life for 5 years. I found it so inspiring, I thought I would share it with you!
Michelle has a question that she would love an answer to. Can you help her out?
Would you know where homeowners can obtain free tree seedlings in the Ottawa area? With Earth Day coming, I was hoping to find some free seedlings but could not find anything in this area. Thanks!
Perhaps readers not from the Ottawa area could also chime in with their ideas on where to obtain free tree seedlings anywhere in Canada?
Have you got a question you would like to ask Simply Frugal readers? Submit your question here, and I’ll consider posting it!
Last week I went over my favourite ways to save money eating out. This week I hope to show you how easy it is to make restaurant meals at home, for cheap! There’s something satisfying about creating a meal that tastes really similar to your favourite dish at a local restaurant. It costs way less, the quantity is much larger and well, it tastes great!
One of my favourite recipes that I make is a copy cat recipe for Panera Bread’s (an American chain) Broccoli & Cheddar soup.
5 cups broccoli florets
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk or half & half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 – 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
Steam broccoli until tender, about six minutes. Chop finely. Set aside. In a large saucepan combine broth and milk. Slowly whisk in flour. Cook over medium to medium high heat stirring frequently. Cook until it starts to thicken but not too thick. I usually do it until it just starts to boil. Add chopped broccoli. Reduce heat to med low. Continue to cook about 5 minutes. Add cheese stir until cheese melts. Serve. If using bacon sprinkle each bowl with a little.
Another way I like to create restaurant meals is by making my own pizza! By the time you finish ordering your take out pizza, the cost can be pretty pricey. What I like to do is make up the dough, divide it into two, make one entire pizza then freeze the other half of the dough to have on hand for the next pizza.
I thought I would share one of my ideas for frugal fun!
Quite often on weekends, my Dad and I go for a drive and we bring along our cameras. (Photography is my Dad’s favourite hobby and he’s now teaching me a few tricks!)
We fondly refer to these drives as Photo Safaris. They usually involve a trip to Starbucks as well. 🙂 (paid by Swagbucks!)
Basically, we drive around and hunt photo opportunites. During our Safari on Sunday, we saw an opportunity to take some really neat hoar frost pictures. So we tromped through snow that was well above our knees to “get those shots”!
We have a ton of fun while catching up and enjoying the fresh air! The nice thing about our photo safaris is that we can go any time of the year!
