Budget Shopping Tips
On a Budget?
You truly don’t have to buy the “fancy” specialty foods to be successful as a healthy eater. Simply sticking with the basics like canned coconut milk, coconut flour, coconut aminos, unsalted seeds and nuts, spices and hot teas, can set you up for success…
Shopping Tips:
1. Plan meals in advance using the weekly circular
Taking 15 to 20 minutes to set a menu for the next week can result in big savings. The trick here is to use the weekly sales circular to plan meals your family will enjoy. Aim for at least five meals a week, leaving two for leftovers.
Pro tip: Ensure you buy things on sale only when they fit into your menu. It doesn’t matter if you get five pounds of apples at a great deal if you have zero plans for those apples.
2. Make a shopping list
Once you decide what’s on tap for the week, make a detailed shopping list. Dividing it by supermarket section (produce, dry goods, etc.) is often easiest. Not only does it cut down on shopping time and make eating healthy on a budget easier, but it helps eliminate impulse buys. Not on the list? It stays out of the shopping cart.
3. Don’t shop on an empty stomach
Seriously. That’s when the junk in the snack aisles starts looking good or you wind up with overpriced ingredients you’ll never use in your cupboard. Eat a big meal before shopping or bring along a snack.
4. Buy in season
When food is in season, it’s much cheaper and tastes better. It also encourages you to try fruits and vegetables you might not go for normally adding variety (and different types of nutrients!) to your diet. Stock up on your favorites and freeze them for months when they’re no longer readily available.
5. Eat locally
Joining a CSA or buying at your local farmers’ market both help you eat locally grown foods. Joining a CSA, or community supported agriculture, means you get a rotating bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to a convenient local location. The catch? You usually can’t pick and choose what’s in the box. While that might be a deterrent for some, it’s also an excellent way to try out new recipes.
If farmers’ markets are more your thing, you can snag some great deals on in-season produce, especially if you stop by toward the end. Farmers are often willing to reduce prices to avoid having to cart extra food back with them. Meeting food producers from your area is also a great opportunity to learn more about how your food was grown and ask any questions you might have.
6. Buy frozen organic fruits and veggies
At certain times of the year, let’s face it: The produce aisle looks pretty grim. This is when the frozen aisle can be your friend and help keep your family eating healthy on a budget. Choosing frozen, organic fruits and vegetables — which have the same or (even more!) amount of nutrients as their fresh counterparts — to supplement fresh produce can get you over the slump.
Pro tip: This is a great time to scour those sales! Frozen fruits are excellent in smoothies, while frozen veggies make stir fries and side dishes a snap.
7. Look online for frequently purchased items
If there are staple items you use frequently — think coconut oil, almond meal, coconut flour — check prices online before buying at the store. Oftentimes, retailers like Amazon carry the same item for cheaper or allow you to purchase it in larger sizes for less than your local shop.
8. Don’t commit to a particular store
Brand and store loyalty go out the window when you’re on a budget. Your goal is to find the best food for the lowest price. Be sure to look at circulars and prices at all nearby stores; there are often deals in unexpected places.
And as big-box stores expand their food sections, more and more healthy, organic foods are becoming available at reasonable prices.
Ethnic markets also often have great deals. Mexican and Indian markets, for example, often have staples and hard-to-find ingredients at much lower prices than local supermarkets.
9. Get creative with your meats
There’s no doubt that organic poultry and grass-fed beef is more expensive than the alternatives, but there are ways to reduce sticker shock and still eat healthy on a budget.
When buying chicken, for example, often purchasing the entire chicken is much cheaper than buying particular parts, like the breast. You can get several meals out of an entire chicken, plus make homemade Chicken Bone Broth from it. Don’t stick only to cuts like boneless, skinless breasts, either; those are pricey! Instead, opt for chicken thighs or bone-in breasts. You can always remove the skin yourself and having the bone in during cooking actually adds extra flavor.
When buying beef, tougher cuts can be made into melt-in-your-mouth pieces by slow-cooking for hours in the crockpot. This is also when it pays to make friends with your local food producers; they can alert you to when they’ve got something good coming up or save specific types of meat for you.
10. Buy in bulk with friends
Warehouse stores can offer great deals after the initial membership fee on staples like canned and dried foods, frozen items and even fresh foods on occasion. Unfortunately, there are only so many jars of almond butter most of us have room for when buying solo. Instead, split the cost of membership with a fellow healthy-minded friend. You’ll get manageable amounts of great deals at half the price.