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Budget Shopping to Lower Your Grocery Bill, and Eat Healthy
If you are someone whom is budget shopping, you’re not alone. You, like myself, and many others, are apart of what I call an exclusive club of budget shoppers. The high price of gas, and still rising, high food cost, and a shaky economy, has forced many hard working people to shop on a budget. It’s a shame how we’re forced to choose between gas and food. There is help, after research, trail and error I have some ideas that may help you save money on your grocery bill. Not only save money on food, but also save and eat healthy at the same time. You probably think eating healthy is expensive. I’ll be honest — it is. But there are tricks to keep it low cost and the benefits are far rewarding. There are budget shopping ways to eat healthier while keeping it cheap. Before we start, let’s define healthy food. It consists of: *Protein. The building blocks of muscles, needed for strength. *Fat. A balanced intake of omega 3, 6 & 9. *Veggies. All kinds, especially green fibrous veggies. *Fruit. Full of vitamins. *Water. 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend. *Whole grain food. Oats, rice, pasta, breads Now that we have defined healthy foods, on with the tips. 1. Switch to Water. One thing to know about budget shopping is to know soda is more expensive than water. There are all kinds of flavored water on the market and of course regular bottled water. If you’re physically active, play sports, or workout, then switching to water instead of those expensive energy drinks is less on your pocket and healthier for you. *It’s healthier *It’s cheaper Quit the soda and drink water. Take a bottle wherever you go. Now this leads us to - 2. Drink Tap Water. Check the price of water on your tap water bill. Now check the price of bottled water that you consume weekly. Quit a difference, isn’t it? So why are you buying bottled water? *Cleaner? Not necessarily. *Better taste? No, simply a matter of adaptation, and adjusting to the taste. Bottled water companies get their supply from the same source you and I do: municipal water systems. In this case, it’s like selling ice to Eskimos. If you don’t trust the quality of tap water, filter it yourself. A budget shopping little trick to save over the long haul is to buy a water filter that hooks up to your faucet. You can price one from $20 - $30. You can also go with a water filter pitcher; Wal-Mart or target has the cheapest. You can use a Brita Pitcher. One $10 filter cleans 40 gallons water. 3. Eat oatmeal for breakfast – A smart budget shopping idea is to know a box of oatmeal can last for a week or so. Depending on your family size. To save even more money, you’ll want to purchase the store brand. Works, taste, and has the same ingredients as your name brand. 4. Eat Fatty Meats. Fatty meats are cheaper & tastier than lean meats. When times are tough fat meats are just as important as lean meats. Remember that when you're budget shopping, your diet should not only be based on meats solely. You think it’s not healthy? *Fat doesn’t make you fat, excess calories do *You need a balanced intake of fats: omega 3, 6 & 9 5. Tuna - Canned. Canned tuna is cheap & contains as much protein as meat. Alternate tuna with eggs and meat. You’ll easily get to your daily amount of protein. 6. When Budget shopping buy Frozen Veggies. I mostly buy frozen veggies: *Take less time to prepare *You don’t waste money if not eaten in time *Can be bought in bulk for discounts & stored in your freezer *If you can afford fresh veggies, then do it. But if not, frozen is the way. 7. Use a Multivitamin. Pesticides lower the vitamin levels of your fruits & veggies. Two solutions: *Use a multivitamin. $10 a month. Choose what fits your wallet best. I take the multivitamin. **Note - Continue to the end of these budget shopping tips to get more FREE tips and strategies on HOW TO SAVE AND SLASH YOUR GROCERY BILL!** 8. Fish Oil. Omega-3 is found in fish oil. Benefits of omega-3 consumption include: *Lowered cholesterol levels *Decreased body fat *Reduced inflammation You need to eat fatty fish 3 times a week to get these benefits. Time consuming & expensive, I know. Try liquid fish oil or gel caps, you’ll be ok. If you can’t eat fish 3 times a week, try to squeeze in once a week, but only if your wallet allows you to. 9. How about this for budget shopping, buy Generic Food. The box might be less attractive; it’s certainly more attractive to your wallet. Brand-name food will always be more expensive. You’re paying for the name. Get real. Food is food. Go generic. 10. Another smart budget shopping idea is to buy in Bulk at a Natural Food Store. With reports of rice shortages and flour shortages in some parts of the country, these staples are sure to continue to skyrocket in price. Invest in a sturdy set of plastic or glass canisters and buy your flour, oats, rice, and other staples at your local natural food store. You'll save money and conserve resources otherwise wasted on packaging and extra transportation and production costs. You can buy a big bag of rolled oats less than $2, significantly less than what you would pay for one of those cylindrical tubs of Quaker Oats. Think long-term. Buying in bulk can be more expensive at the cashier, but cheaper in the long run: *Gets you discounts *Saves time *Saves on car fuel Invest in a big freezer. Buy meats & veggies in bulk and freeze them. This will give you a steady supply of food on hand over the long haul and when times get tough. 11. Go to One Grocery Store. This grocery store is cheaper for meat, that grocery store is cheaper for veggies; the other grocery store is cheaper for fish? This is not smart budget shopping. How many grocery stores are you going to, trying to find the cheapest food? Think! *Time is money. Stop losing a day trying to bargain shop at 3 or 4 different places. *Cars don’t run on water. Lower your fuel expenses by shopping at one store. I get all my food in one grocery store near my place. It hasn’t the cheapest price for all foods, but some foods I get for cheap and it saves me time & fuel. Especially with the high cost of fuel, who has time running around anyway? 12. The first thing about budget shopping is to make a Plan. A classic, but worth repeating, everything starts with a plan, first and foremost. *Make a list of what you need *Eat a solid meal; don’t go hungry; poor way to stay healthy *Go to the grocery store, get what’s on your list & and nothing else. Then get out *No need to take your spouse or kids with you. This is not a recreational activity. Just get your food & get back home. 13. Take Food To Work. Ever counted how much money you throw away buying food at work daily? Start preparing your food for the day on waking up or the night before. *Get up earlier and to prepare your lunch for work *Eat a solid breakfast at home or at your place of work if allowed Total time 30 minutes. No stress during the day about what you’ll be eating & you get healthy food while sparing money. 14. Eat Less. This one is obvious. The less you eat, the lower your grocery bill. If you’re overweight, improve your health and take up a diet program. Your health & bank account will thank you by reducing doctor visits and saving on healthcare cost. 15. Don’t Buy Junk Food. The last one is an important one. Stop buying anything that comes out of a box, down the junk food isles, or loaded with sugar, it’s: *Unhealthy *Expensive If you actually find junk food that is cheaper than whole food, think long-term. Health implications and your bank account. Learning to eat (and prepare) more meals at home is an excellent way to reduce your food budget and eat healthfully. Find a source of recipes that you trust and learn to prepare them. If you’re budget shopping and looking for healthy food on a small budget, then fruits and vegetables and other whole foods are the way to go. They’re the basic building blocks of a nutritious diet, and they’re much cheaper than processed foods. Is your grocery bill sometimes enough to raise your blood pressure? Some people think that filling the grocery cart with healthy food will blow the budget at the cash register. But you don't have to sacrifice good nutrition for a reasonable grocery bill. One key to keeping the receipt within reason is to truly commit to a basket of healthy foods. If you're filling your basket with healthy foods AND adding in boxes of trans-fat filled cookies, salt-laden chips and other packaged "extras," you will end up with a large bill. Get rid of the junk, unnecessary stuff, and you'll have plenty of grocery money to invest in high quality, healthy food and still stay within your budget. With a little practice, healthy grocery shopping on a budget will become second nature! Apply these additional shopping tips for even more savings:
• Additional ways to save on grocery when budget shopping
**This site is designed for education and information purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, professional services, or treatment of illness or disease. If you feel that you have a health problem, you should seek the advice of your Physician or health care Practitioner before pursuing an alternative health method.**
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