budget? $

ALWAYS shop with a list & your menu for the week, next few days, etc. I decide the weekly menu once I know what's on sale. I usually buy generic too. I have 3 boys - they don't care so why pay extra.

I go online and find free printable coupons for the "healthy" things that are a little more expensive. For grains I shop in the bulk isle because its almost always cheaper. and I've actually found some great deals on good food at Aldi's.

www.Smartsource.com, www.coupons.com, www.couponbug.com and there's so many more out there. Plus if you really like something you can always go to their website and sign up for coupons and emails. I get a lot of things like samples and goodies that way as well.

Unfortunately, healthy foods, fresh fruits and veggies are more expensive than crap foods. I try to buy what's on sale sometimes substituting frozen fruits and veggies for fresh if they're cheaper. I think it also helps cutting crap foods right out of the budget; it helps my bottom line monetarily and physically : )

Kim

I shop at Trader Joes for some stuff, but have found that if you scour the shelves at Walmart they sell organic stuff...it's just hidden in the shelves with the other crap. It really isn't any more expensive you just have to find it.

Healthy eating is not cheap! That being said, I find the healthier I eat the less food I need. So it seems to balance out cost wise.

Maybe it's where I live (I'm in Toronto, Canada), but I find that fresh fruits and vegetables, at least in the summer, are not more expensive than junk food. If I take the money that I would spend on a bag of chips or candy and put it towards fruits and vegetables, then I'm really not spending any more. (Winter is different and often I buy frozen fruits and veggies in that case.) Meat is a different case - buy in bulk if you can. If something is on sale then buy a lot and freeze it. Try to shop in bulk food stores where it is often cheaper and you also don't have to deal with all the excess packaging. Clip coupons. If you can, don't do all your grocery shopping in one place. It can get annoying, but I buy my coffee and dairy products at one store since it's cheaper than the place where I buy my grains, and my fruits and veggies at another place which is way cheaper than a large grocery store.

Like some people have already said, I use coupons and focus on items that are on sale. We have a store where I live called Publix and they have sales every week called "Buy one get one free". Most of the time they will have salad mixes on sale or fruits, etc.

When I shop I look at the three cheapest brands and compare labels.

M.

Making out a list/menu is important, especially if you're like me (if I didn't have a list I'd go in, say 'Oh that looks good!' to half the things I see, and buy way more than I really need or buy things that are just plain unhealthy).

My boyfriend and I stop at several places, so I check sales ads before we go so we know what to look for at each place we stop.

We also sometimes modify based on what we see. For example, this week I wanted strawberries, cantaloupe, bananas, and raspberries. Instead we got just a few bananas at the supermarket and then we got 6 lbs of strawberries for $2.37 at Aldi. More than enough for the week - we didn't feel the need to buy other fruits for variety, and we got a great deal because we found a sale. Will I be sick of strawberries by next week? Maybe. But at least I didn't spend $10 on fruit.

We go in knowing we want fish - I pick which kind of fish depending on price. Same with cuts of meat - I know I want pork, but don't know if I want a pork loin roast, pork chops, etc.....I make that decision based on price. Comparison shopping is my friend

I find that going with a 'generic' brand is often MUCH cheaper than name brand and you get essentially the exact same product.

Have you tried Angel Food Ministries... they have them all over the nation and they have healthy boxes of vegetables and healthy lean meats and whole grains.

Also, buy fruits when they are on sale; you can always freeze them for smoothies and such... Many vegetables can also be frozen. If you know anyone that has a garden in the spring/summer/fall, that's a real easy way to get fresh veggies at little to no cost...

Farmer's markets or if there are farms nearby will usually have fresh produce for great prices.

You could also have your own mini garden or herb garden.

The raedy to cook pre-packaged meals in bags are EXPENSIVE for what you get. For easy and quick meals try frozen, mixed veggies... lean cuts of meats (bulk packages save you tons and you can separate and freeze them once you get home from the market).

I like to get dried fat free milk for smoothies and to mix in with slim fast or protein powder for a meal replacement. It's cheaper and lasts longer than regular milk. I love Almond milk but it's expensive... i get it on sale whenever I can and there's almost always a coupon for it somewhere ( always check the sites of the brands or items that you just really need but aren't cheap).

There are many cheap items that can be used as household cleaners (safer and much cheaper than what you get).... try baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, grape seed extract... all of those work well for different types of stains and cleaning needs... and are better for the environment and you.

Hope this helps.