Don't sell yourself short

Being on a very small budget doesn't mean you have to buy the cheapest of cheap.    You can pick inexpensive sources ofmorotein and still buy the best quality there is.    We have 7 percent hamburger that I de- fat.   If it is too dry, I add olive oil.    Olive oil boosts your good cholesterol, trans fats don't.

If I buy tuna, I buy solid albacore from Costco.    I do hear that bumble bee light is the healthiest.  

I only buy Foster farms (local ) chicken.   I know it isn't dirty and it's fresh .    Solitmchicken breast is up to 2.28 a pound and it is easy to cut the ribs off and make stock and gleam some chicken pieces for other recipes.    Boneless, skinlessmchicken breast are as much as 8.00 a pound here.  Even frozen ones at Costco are pricy.  They are also flat and small.    I can cook a chicken breast from frozen on 8 minutes in the pressure cooker.    It doesn't have a crispy crust, but normally o am adding it to a cassarole or chicken pot pie or salad.  

A pork loin is easy to d- fat  and makes many meals cheap.  

The dollar store has many name brand items that are cheaper than the regular grocery stores.   You have to know your prices and your package sizing,    Pizza 🍕 sauce, hormel pepperoni with coupons or without. Tortillas. Pound cake, some frozen potatoes.   Watch the frozen department, some come from china.

Always watch your garlic.  Many garlic products ( already chopped) come from china.   I looked at four before I found American garlic.   The garlic at Costco is American.    It's more expensive,   Sometimes you need to bite the bullet and buy something that is more expensive to win at the health thing.   I bought regular dry garlic.   It wasn't cheap either.    I can use garlic powder.  

You have to pick your battles.   Some things are easily economize on  - regular carrots instead of baby carrots,   They wash the baby carrots in bleach.  Cutting carrots is nitmthat hard of a job.   Some recipes can be done in a food processor.  

Buy quality food, don't lay full price.   Buy in quantity.    Pick your battles.    I buy regular rice.    It's a stretch to get hubby to eat rice, period.    Brown rice would be a real stretch.    I buy pasta when I can that is double fiber or vegetable.    There are ways to get more bang for your buck without sacrificing the budget.    It just takes a mindset.