Do I have suggestions for gluten-free on a budget?? I AM gluten-free on a budget! Some would even say EXTREME budget! This year, 2 months and some odd days ago, I left my full-time career (again) to dedicate more time to my son. Up until February of this year, I taught elementary school for the past several years. My son turned 11 in January, which is a huge "hormonal" age these days... hence, new behaviors. School reports and meetings were at an all-time high, and I left my job. Bam. Sooo... nowadays, I do whatever I can (including but not limited to: babysitting, cleaning, painting, photography, tutoring, writing, and random artsy craftsy projects) to pay the bills.

Conveniently, turning in my classroom keys resulted in something I've never really had before... time. Due to my newfound budgeting challenges, I use this time very wisely to plan meals, shop for bargains, and cook as much as I can rather than buying pre-packaged foods. I have always loved to cook, but I am shocked by how much people are paying for pre-packaged "meals". I promise you- I never spend more than 30 minutes most nights preparing healthy, economical meals!

I think my first words of advice would be "get to love your freezer". People seem to be so wasteful these days. I can't afford to. I make my son two weeks worth of chicken soup, and I make sure to freeze it on day 3 so I'm not throwing it away on day 5. Another suggestion- learn how to make cookies, baked goods, breads and muffins. I have taken on almost all of my son's baked goods needs (maybe everything but donuts). How many birthday parties do you attend a year? Considering the tantrums that go along with explaining to a child with autism they can't eat the cake because it has gluten... I ALWAYS make sure I have cake in the freezer. Gluten-free bakeries are far and few between, and they're pricey! I spent 50 bucks on a birthday cake one year when I could have made it myself for 20!

Some people hate these words, but you have to learn to love the kitchen. Pre-packaged foods cost so much more. Then, you have to scope every ingredient with a fine-toothed comb. Educate yourself on a handful of go-to recipes. If you only have one member of your family that's gluten-free, learn how to cook for everyone gluten-free. In my experience, cooking rice and shrimp accompanied by brocolli is always a win. Use rice or potatoes instead of pasta.
Cooking on a budget to me mostly means I have to prepare meals and snacks rather than buy them.

Keep it simple! Cheap and healthy snacks according to my son's and my sensitivities: popcorn, apples or bananas (with nut butters for protein), sweet potato, hard-boiled eggs, a bowl of cereal. When I first went gf/cf for my son, I bought anything and everything... some items aren't exactly note-worthy. What I have stuck with- certain, basic mixes I can adapt to our own tastes (I.E; Namaste muffin mix I can turn into blueberry carrot muffins one batch, or zucchini and raisin spice muffins another).

Finally, don't be afraid to ask others! If you're like me, you love to share your success stories and would jump at the opportunity to help someone in their gluten-free journey. When I was new to it, I sought a local gf group. We met monthly to exchange recipes, stories, encouragement... it was extremely helpful. I consider myself a bit of a dietary veteran these days, and I'm elated to guide a newbie. The first few weeks in the kitchen may feel like the ultimate culinary flop, but once you find your family's go-to recipes, you'll be prepared just as I am. Good luck!

Kimberly, you are right on. My partner and I eat gluten-free for around $300 a month for the two of us. The biggest expense goes to meat, dairy, and eggs and very little to "GF prepared meals" or goodies. When it comes to gluten-free on a budget, a little time, some freezer space, and real ingredients are your best friend.

First off, we grow most of our food. I'm not suggesting everyone become a farmer, but having a small garden is not only a great project for families, you'll find it becomes meditative. Grow things that cost money at the market like herbs, tomatoes, and fancy lettuces and you'll find you can cut some costs. I also suggest buying local and what is in season direct from farmers. These items will not only be fresher, they will be a more premium product for equal or less to what you pay at the grocery store, plus you are helping that farmer directly.

Another great option for gluten-free on a budget: rice and beans. I'm not talking about microwave rice and canned beans, but a giant bag of rice and dried beans, cooked from scratch. You can get a 20 lb. bag of rice from most international markets for around $16 here, and dried beans go for $1.29/lb. 1 pound of dried beans lasts my boyfriend and I for around 4 meals, or can feed 8 people. Remember, the key to dried beans are time, lots of flavor, and low heat. I'll cook about 3 or 4 different varieties of 3-4 lbs of beans at a time and freeze them into meal portioned bags once every 2 months and it takes me about 1 hour of preparation with lots of down time. We eat beans every day. They are a great source of protein and fiber for less than $0.50 per person.

The best advice is preparation. Don't find yourself hungry with no where to turn but prepared foods or fast food/take-out. First off, I have never had a successful meal out to eat. Not only do I usually get glutened, I often am so nervous that I might be glutened during the process that it completely ruins the experience. In my years of being gluten-free I can count on 1 hand the number of times I have been out to eat. As crazy as it is, we spend less now that we are gluten-free than when we weren't. We save so much by eating meals we prepare and not eating out that we have used that money to grow our own food and raise our own animals to further prevent any gluten contamination.

It takes time and practice, but learning how to cook gluten-free is amazing. I've adapted gluten-free as a lifestyle and have discovered I enjoy it more than eating the bland gluten-free replacements of normal gluten foods. While I know I can never make a loaf of bread as delicious gluten-free as I can gluten-containing, you'll find new and tasty treats that will make you forget the bread and make your belly satisfied at the same time. The gluten-free prepared products are a great crutch to use when you are getting started, but try to get away from them as quickly as possible and get into the kitchen!

Great ideas!

I have to admit that the budget was my biggest concern. Unfortunately, it is both a myth and a truth that gluten-free options cost more.

In our life-style, my girlfriend and I simply don't have time to sit down and plan out a scheduled meal plan. Honestly, it’s probably the best thing to do, so it should be noted. If you have the time, as noted by one GF dieter above, go for it!

Like I said, though, that’s not us. We’re not that good at planning things out. We both live full-time lives, and as important as it is, it doesn’t really work into our schedules to scour coupons-sheets and promotions. Is it wise? Sure! It probably saves a lot of money. So, if you can do it, go for it!

However, what is a god-send are farmers markets. We live in an area where it five communities have town-hosted farmer’s markets. They are typically weekends and mornings. While some things are more costly, the majority of the vegetables and fruits that are sold there are a greater deal than you’d find in the store. We’ve also found that these types of places tend to attract sellers that are more interested in organic and gluten-free options, and we’ve found these great places to network with others.

One recent stop, for example, was at a pickle stand. We talked with the seller about his process, his product and his passion. We discussed gluten free and how much fun we’ve been having trying all these new things, and his insights were incredibly valuable. He pointed out places in our community, vendors here at this one farmer’s market, and provided to us some great encouragement.

Too, we have a couple of warehouse, club-member based box stores around us. One in particular is good about sending out flyers each week. (e.g. buy one pound of coffee, get a half-gallon of milk for free). As we watch this flier, we often get ideas for food that would normally be outside our budget.

Perhaps what’s been best, though, is the interest of being creative with our meals. While we don’t have the tendancy to plan trips to the grocery store, we do plan how we use left-overs. We’re left-over royalty! Haha! My mother was always that woman who could empty a fridge and make a killer soup from all the ingredients. We’ve certainly experimented with recipes and getting the most out of everything we do.

In the end, we’re spending about $300 each month in food, which even has the room to add gluten-free snacks.

So, I guess, just being ready to be flexible is one thing. Sometimes we’d go with a desire to get something. If we want it, we watch the budget.

Oh, one more thing! We both have smartphones, and have found it very helpful to track grocery lists across a shared account. This way we’re not buying the same things over again, and we know where we’ve found better deals. The app also allows to post recipes in the app, which separates the ingredients out. This allows us to pick up the items if possible.

Be flexible, be thrifty, and have fun!