nutrition on a budget:
plain jane centrum is a good multi-vitamin if you're not going to go to gnc and splurge there. you can even take one in the am and one in the early afternoon. don't take them too late-- you could have trouble sleeping. vitamins won't necessarily decrease cramps, joint pain, or muscle soreness, but they'll help you get the nutrients that you're probably not getting from your diet. rare is the person who actually gets everything they need, in the proper amounts, from their diet alone.
fresh fruits and veggies.... and i know this can be expensive, so you have to look at where you shop. whole foods is not the place for you, and organic produce will definitely run up your bill. if you have 'lower budget/dollar' grocery stores in your area, that might be a good place to shop. i did that in college, and i swear to you (!) that place had better, cheaper produce than my local chain grocery stores. no, it wasn't a wal-mart. it was a grocery store, just cheaper. of course, it didn't offer everything, so some things i got from other places. sam's and cosco are also good places-- i always got things like chicken breast there. buy it in bulk if you know you'll be eating it.
cWood30, i'm not sure what your nutritional/workout goals are, but generally speaking, a diet high in fruits, veggies, whole grains, with adequate protein and carbs should do the trick. white bread, white rice, and potatoes, aren't the 'fat makers' that atkins has made them out to be. think about it-- the french eat white bread with almost every meal. the italians eat pasta, but in different portions than we do. and then you have all of the countries where rice is a staple-- asia AND latin america. twinkies and hohos, demons that they are, are even okay in moderation. balance is key.
glad to hear that your workout is improving. definitely keep posting your results and questions.