My 2 cents on eating healthy on a budget

BrownEyedBetty

I am on my own for real for the first time and one thing I had to learn quickly was how to budget my money. It might be a little harder if you have kids or a family but I have managed to do it for me. So I budget about $100 ever 2-3 weeks. So here are my quick strategies for buying healthy on a budget and also healthy eating in general....

1.) Stock up on the basics… especially when they are on SALE (i.e. brown rice, flour, beans, frozen veggies, whole wheat pasta, etc) YES, frozen veggies because they last longer and you are not throwing them away after a week, but if you can afford fresh veggies please do buy them. Half of my veggies are frozen and half are fresh.
2.) Buy veggies and fruits in season (they cost less than those out of season) Here is a website that might help. http://thisfoodthing.com/index.php/2007/11/06/fruits-and-vegetables-in-season/
3.) Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!!! (There are some good ones out there, but it’s harder sometimes because most of the coupons are for processed foods, which I am trying to stay away from.)
4.) DON'T, DON'T go to the grocery store hungry... you will buy more than you mean too.
5.) ALWAYS, ALWAYS plan ahead... I pick 2-3 recipes I will use for the week and buy those items. I typically cook on Sundays for the week and then put them individual portions.
6.) BIG HINT: if a foods product is making claims on the box (i.e. high fiber, low calories, etc) ... STAY AWAY. Usually they are not healthy for you. (i.e. I thought special K was good for you... hahaha NO)
7.) When grocery shopping stay away from the aisles and stay on the perimeter of the store... that is where the healthy stuff is.
8.) Learn how to read labels... you would not believe how much high fructose corn syrup is in everything.... If you can’t pronounce the first 5 ingredients on the label don’t buy it. I have an app on my iphone called Fooducate... get it will help with reading labels.
9.) Try to make things homemade..... I find if you have the basics at home... it’s a lot healthier and cheaper. ( i.e. you want French fries ... don’t buy them frozen in a bag ....yuck.... buy potatoes... sweet potatoes even …. cut them and add a little sea salt and herbs... bake and YUMMMY!!!!)
10.) Buy in bulk (I LOVE Costco…. Honestly it saves u money)

These are just a few tips… if you have more please leave a comment….

melkneec

Great tips!!! I think everyone is on a budget these days. Thanks!

deprjones

LOVE your post. Thankyou!!!! I will get the hang of trying to cook on sundays for the week, it would help me out so much! :flowerforyou:

missmmaynes

Awesome tips! It's great when you see others working on a budget, trying to eat healthy and keeping it all working together! Thanks for sharing! Have a great day!

sunsetwest

This is really helpful - thank you for posting!

Shannon7713

LOVE your post. Thankyou!!!! I will get the hang of trying to cook on sundays for the week, it would help me out so much! :flowerforyou:

oops i wrote this from my hubs profile, LOL

odaatsue

If you're on Facebook a dietitian and educator - Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D. - has made it really simple to eat, well, simply and cheaply!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=260255&id=177550385124

ShannonWinger

You are very smart! That's how I shop too. When you have to make ends meet you figure out how to do it the right way.

live2smyle

Awesome post! I hope when my 14yr old is 23 she is just as budget savy FYI I think the BEST tip you give is to NOT go to the grocery store hungry :bigsmile: If I could add one more, I would say to invest in a small freezer for meats when they go on sale. Stock up at a good price and rotate :flowerforyou:

humpalc

Good tips I love when I hear someone complain about how expensive it is to eat healthy with a couple of cases of pop in the cart and a few bags of chips. You could buy a lot of fresh fruit/veg for the cost of those!

DRTREY

Kewl post!!!