Eating Healthy on a Budget

In talking with friends and family, many have mentioned how it is more difficult to eat healthy on a budget.  I thought I would share some tips to keep in mind if you are trying to eat healthier and still stick to your food budget.  It is sad that processed foods are often times less expensive and available in greater variety.  I know fresh produce and meat can be more expensive.  With a little planning and preparation though it can be easy on any budget.  

Tip one is buy what is in season.  When you purchase fruits and veggies that are in season they will be less expensive.  Keep your eye out while at the grocery store for what is on sale.  Also keep an eye out for what they have in abundance, often times I will see a store will have a ton of strawberries and when you first see them they may be $2.99 each container.  Not always, but often if they don't sell, you will see them on sale for $0.99 in a week because they have to move them before they go bad.

Shop the "Special Day" Sales.  Our local Save Mart often does 3-day Weekend Sales.  Our local Safeway does Friday deals.  Our local Raley's does Monday deals.  watch the weekly grocery store ad's and you can find some great deals on certain items.  I like to watch these sales for Meat, Cheese and Snacks for my kids.  

Use coupons!  Coupons can help save and every little bit adds up.  In our weekly mail we get a Smart Source Coupon insert.  You can often spot coupons that you peel directly off products.  Of course you can purchase the newspaper for coupons as well.  I've scaled way back on bulk couponing, I used to be an extreme couponer, and purchase six copies of the newspaper every Sunday from the Dollar Tree.  Now I use the coupons that come in the mail, ones I find in the grocery store and my favorite is DIGITAL coupons and money saving Apps like IBOTTA.  If you have not tried Ibotta this is one of my favorite ways to save money.  Download the App, load the digital coupons and scan your receipt when you've finished shopping.  You will receive money back for purchasing specific items.  These savings add up over time.  This is a great way to save for Christmas, or to pay towards Debt.  An easy way to earn money back on items you are already purchasing.  I've earned money back on purchasing Keto items, Meat ($3 back on a roast), Almond Milk and so much more.  There are healthy item deals!  Thanks to Ibotta I've been able to stock up on my favorite Keto Ice Cream, Keto friendly frozen pizza's and so much more.  

Download your local grocery store App's too!  Most stores have an app and some kind of reward program, digital coupons you can stack on top of paper coupons and Ibotta rebates, which all add up to more savings.  Our local Save Mart does a Friday freebie, Safeway has the Just for U, savings and specials.  

Skip Diet foods and shakes unless on sale.  You will find companies marketing to Keto eaters, Paleo eaters and more.  I love purchasing Keto snacks, bars and shakes as much as the next person, but I try to limit these not only for my budget but I believe eating whole, natural foods are ultimately the healthiest choice.  I try and remind myself eat what God made, as much as possible.  If you do have a favorite Keto snack or treat, then keep your eye out for deals on those and stock up when on sale.  On of my new favorite Keto snacks is the Quest Chips, they are usually $2.98 for a small bag, once in a while I can find them at Winco for $1.98 and just recently they were on sale on Amazon so I bought a pack of 12.  

Menu plan.  I know we all know this it's just a matter of implementing it.  Take some time on a day that works for you to write out what you plan on eating each day.  My husband and I usually talk through and menu plan what we will eat for the week ahead on Friday or Saturday.  If you plan what you are going to eat this will eliminate frequent and last minute trips to the grocery store and will help you stick to a weekly food budget much easier.  Although we write out the meals we want to eat, then we are a little flexible when we go to the store, based on what is on sale.  If chicken is on sale then we switch up sometimes the meat we had in mind.  

Cook enough for leftovers.  I try and cook extra on certain items, so we can have leftovers for lunches and busier days.  Tuesday's are a busy day for us, so if I can make a larger amount on Saturday, or Monday we will often have those leftovers on Tuesday our busier day.  This also helps us save money when my husband has leftovers to take for lunch and he is not eating out.  

Bulk Bins.  If your local grocery store sells items in the bulk bins, you can often save money here.  Our local Winco has a great selection of items in the bulk bins.  I love to purchase almonds, and almond flour from the bulk bin I often can save money doing it that way.  I also will many times find spices less expensive this way.  

Plan out Organic purchases.  I'm all for buying organic as well, but I try and see if the benefit is really there.  For example fruits and veggies that are protected under a thick skin do not necessarily need to be organic.  So I'll save money on certain items and just buy regular.  If you grocery budget allows, splurge on organic Berries, Spinach, Kale, Meat and Dairy.  Foods to definitely skip buying organic Avocados, Pineapples, Bananas, Onions, Eggplant, Watermelon, anything with a thick skin or skin that is peeled off. 

Meatless Monday.  Really any day of the week, just pick a day in your week to have a meatless meal. This can help stretch your grocery budget.  One of our favorite meatless meal is cooking breakfast for dinner.  Our kiddos love pancakes, waffles or french toast for dinner every so often.  Since my husband and I eat Keto, we will do eggs, omelette style or egg burrito in a low carb tortilla.  We've also done large salads, which can be filling if you fill it with veggies, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms and such.  My kiddos love quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches,  

My favorite budget friendly grocery stores are: Winco, Save Mart, Grocery Outlet, Walmart, and Costco or Sam's Club. I watch for great items on the $5 Friday at Safeway and the $5 Monday deals at Raleys/Bel-Air.  

I hope these tips will help you save money and stretch your grocery budget while still being able to make healthier eating choices.  With a little planning and flexibility eating healthy on a budget is definitely possible.  Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

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