Papa Joe Aviance Lost 250 Pounds on the '99-Cent Diet'

Yahoo Health ^ | 6/4/13 | Jenna Bergen

[Kartographer]

Only $50 Per Week for Food While he was determined to eat better, Aviance had to find a way to do it on a shoestring budget. “A friend told me I should check out the 99-Cent Store. Since I couldn’t afford Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I decided to see what they had.” Aviance was pleasantly surprised to find that the 99-Cent Store in his neighborhood had plenty of healthy foods to choose from. “Oatmeal, raisins, nuts, bananas, apples, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, salad dressing, tuna fish, eggs… I was shocked. I was blown away,” recalls Aviance. “It was a huge savings. I literally spent no more than $50 a week on food.” (Feeding a family? You can still do it on the (healthy) cheap—here are 20 ways to feed your family for $100 a week.)

[Kartographer]

True some stuff you can get on the cheap at the .99 Store, but some you are better off getting at Walmart. I did find some canned roast beef in gravy once (Made and Canned in America) that was great, but it didn't last long and they never restocked it.

[Kartographer]

PING!!

[Kartographer]

Preppers’ PING!!

Doesn’t hurt to look!

[bgill]

Must be a different 99 cent store. The ones I’ve seen here only sell bobble head dolls, kitchen gadgets, candles and anything else made in China.

[apillar]

the '99-Cent Diet'

At least it's better than the 50 Cent diet, which is cocaine and cognac.

(those that are up on their pop culture references will get it...)

[Jane Long]

Tell this to the Dept of H&HS. Replace EBT cards with (half the current amount in) Dollar Store gift cards.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You misspelled fitty cents.

[bgill]

For lunch, I had a cup of cornmeal mush which rings in at 15 cents.

[Vendome]

Even I have been converted from buying my produce at Nob Hill or Whole Foods.

They sell in quantities that I usually cannot finish and for a couple of bucks less I can get the same lettuce, red & orange peppers, cheap azz cilantro, broccoli, etc.

Heck, even yogurt is way cheaper, as are eggs.

I can even get red potatoes in the size I prefer, medium/large, with more regularity than the other stores.

[Vendome]

So did U.

It’s:

“Fitty Cent”...

LOL

[E. Pluribus Unum]

:)

[NEMDF]

My mom would buy it or make into a loaf and slice off pieces about 3/8 inch thick, slightly brown in a skillet, serve with maple syrup.

[Hugin]

The ones to look for are called 99 Cents Only stores. Lots more fresh foods than Dollar Tree.

[listenhillary]

I just eat dirt, which is free. Plants eat it, so must be good stuff.

I get a lot of strange looks though.

[listenhillary]

CA/NV/TX: 8am-10pm
AZ: 8am-10pm

Seems to be a bit limited in locations. Too bad.

[Ditter]

Same here. I can’t imagine eating anything that came from a 99 cent store. It means it didn’t sell somewhere else so it was sent to a 99 cent store. How old are those canned foods? Maybe the guy lost 250 pounds because he spent most of his time in the bath room (and I don’t mean taking a bath).

[Slip18]

I eat worms from my gardens. Very high in protein.

[bgill]

Ever had polenta? That’s the new fancy gourmet name for cornmeal mush. Don’t know it until you’ve tried it. Nice warm comfort food.

[listenhillary]

I’m familiar with corn mush. Sliced and fried with bacon on the side.

[grania]

Dollar General has some really good products. I can get a can of chicken (US produced) for $1. There are a lot of reasonably priced healthy foods. Also, their household products are priced reasonably. They even have underwear. They carry a lot more "made in the USA" than most stores. Also, they seem always willing to give a person who is serious about working the opportunity to have a job.

I buy whatever I can there, for all of those reasons.