Tips for Saving Money when Eating Healthy
Do not grocery shop when hungry !!!
The first and most important rule of thumb. Do not go grocery shopping when hungry (and certainly not if you are hangry!!) . Make sure you have a snack or meal before hitting the store or you might come home with a basket full of treats you didn’t really need.
Buy in bulk.
If you don’t have a Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club Membership – invest in one. When something is on sale stock up, and freeze whatever won’t be eaten in time. If your store has a bulk foods section for nuts & seeds buy them this way rather than pre-packaged. Buy bulk bags of beans and soak them yourself.
Prep fresh foods immediately after returning from grocery store and store at eye level
You can have your environment work for you or against you. Immediately upon returning from store prep fresh produce by washing, chopping and putting in Tupperware(ideally clear) so they are easily accessible and ready to eat ! Place at eye level rather than the R.I.P. drawer (where your veggies go to die) at the bottom of your fridge. In sight. In mouth.
Buy frozen or canned produce when possible.
They are half the price and just as nutritious! Make sure to buy those packed in water rather than syrup or oil.
Shop In-season Produce
This is more important now than ever. This time of year the farms are flourishing with fresh produce such as corn, berries, squash, green beans, etc. Hit up your local farmers market or farm stand for fresh produce, which is more nutritious and sold at rock bottom prices. Stock up and save anything you won’t use right away. For example, buy in season berries for cheap and freeze them to put in your smoothies the rest of the year.
Buy less convenience products.
This includes frozen meals, bottled beverages, pre-cooked chicken, anything that is ready made or pre-packaged. Very often more convenience = less healthy.
Plan your meals out
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! You don’t need to ink out every detail, but having a general plan of your menu for the week prevents waste and helps you make better choices. One way to do this is to place a dry erase board on your refrigerator and write out your meals for the week. I have also added a weekly meal plan organizer to our website www.healthyfamous.com under the resources tab. You can print this out and use it to easily plan out your week.
Always take inventory of your fridge before going to store
Make a list and check it twice! Nothing worse than having to make another trip due to forgetting something.
Only buy what’s on your list
I use a free app called AnyList and I love it. You can have multiple lists for different stores and it automatically organizes the list by sections in the grocery store (produce, meat, dairy, etc). You can get in and out in minutes!!! If you allow yourself to linger in the store, you’ll likely end up with a lot of things you don’t need and don't want.
Shop sales and stock up.
Shop the grocery store ads. The items listed on those ads are called “loss leaders” and typically priced below a profitable point to get you in the door! But beware, other items are marked up to make up for it. Stock up on anything you know you can store and will use when it is on sale.
Stop eating out for meals – cook at home!
I know we don’t want to face it, but it is reality! Eating out is expensive. Yes even fast food and dollar menu items are more expensive when compared to items you could have bought in bulk or stocked up on. Say you spend only $10/day on lunch 5 days a week. 20*10 = $200. That’s a plane ticket somewhere! And you’re spending it on a subpar lunch.
Save your leftovers + repurpose.
Save time on meal prep by doubling or tripling the recipe when you do cook. Then you can eat the leftovers the following day for lunch or dinner or freeze them for another day.