Hi everyone,
I am new here, just signed up with JC today, so I can use any advice and support out there, the cost of food weekly scares me.

Hi 4mylife,
congratulations for making the decision to join JC. IT's a very easy program to follow and you'll get lots of information, advise and support from these boards. Keep reading and asking questions.
Yes, the cost can seem overwhelming at first. But have you ever really totalled your weekly food bills, including all the junk foods and dining out, fast food bills? Frequently people will find they are actually spending less on JC foods comnpared to their previous eating habits.
Once you've done JC for a few weeks and have gotten used to the program, portion sizes etc, there are ways that you can start to incorporate some of your own foods to help defray the costs somewhat. The easiest substitutions are snacks and breakfasts.
If you check through some of the previous posts you'll find a lot of them on cost cutting factors.
Hope that helps somewhat. (Sorry no one got back to you sooner, but sometimes with so many different threads some posts can get overlooked)
Glad you're with us, looking forward to reading your successes!

Welcome to JC!! And all the best to you in your JC journey.
Jenny Craig is a good program, the food is good and it's worth it!
I think the best advice going in any sort of weight-loss program is to keep a positive outlook. Keep focused and committed to making it work. You can do it!

Hey Rochelle!
The program really IS easy to follow. For the first week or two you may be hungry, but your tummy will soon filll up with less. Remember to fill up on all your salads.
My problem was not really with going out for food or junk food. My portions were way out of control. The cost of JC food is huge for me. It is something that hubby and I talked about though and we are putting me first for a while. Now during week 4, I have cut my cost almost in half by buying my own cereal (Alpen)and eating that with yougurt for breaky. I buy JC bars, lunch and dinner. I have found that Crispy Minis (that I pack in individual servings to keep me from cheating) and SKinny Cow Icecream Sandwiches are great snacks for me. Next week I'm going to do a couple of lunches and dinners on my own...like maybe tuna salad and a chicken or beef dinner.....mmmmmm.
Hope that helps you a bit.
Ask your consultatnt for a price list. You'll find that the frozn dinners are more expensive. You're consultant should workwith you on a budget....if not, remember that this is YOUR money, Your program and you have to have control.
Good luck!

the portion sizes have changed my life.
i am shocked at how much i used to eat before i started jc.... i could never fit that much in my belly now!! it's definitely smaller.
it is a really valuable lesson to learn, definitely worth it to stay on all the jc food (at least at first) because it literally made my eating habits do a 180!

I used to worry about the money, too. One way to think about it is that I don't take my family out to dinner much at all when I'm on the program because the temptation is too great at first. So I save money there. I also cut out my morning capucchinos ($3.60 a day). Any I don't buy lunch out or drinks. I also don't hit the snack machine at work. It all adds up to about the same as JC.
A side note: When I did the program successfully a few years ago (lost 35 lbs), I started by ordering a lot of the cheaper canned and boxed food. I found that I did not eat them and they gathered dust. So now I get the frozen dinners and lunches and use cereal for breakfast. It's not cheaper if you aren't going to eat the canned food and then you end up cheating! Also, if you were to develop a weight-related health problem, the treatment would be way more expensive than even a year on JC. You'll never regret the expense when you reach your goal weight. I remember saying it was the best money I ever spent!
Hoping this helps,
Kathy

Welcome to JC!
I too, am new. I am just starting my 3rd day. I totally understand about having to pay so much for the food, but I did just as others have mentioned. I went through my checking account and added up all of the money that was spent on food and eating out, I am way less with JC. I don't know if i will decide to go with less of the JC food later or not, but I think it is definately worth the cost if the program works for you!
I wish you the best of luck with your new program...keep in touch and let me know how you are doing!
Erin