Have you ever walked into a grocery store planning to buy those organic tomatoes or bananas, only to realize they are three times more expensive than regular ones? How much can a little pesticide affect you anyway, you reason, as you reach for the regular veggies. As long as you can save a bit of money in the short term, what’s the harm?
If that sounds like you, hopefully I can help you save money based on my experience trying (and failing) many times to eat healthy on a budget. No need to be a frugal penny pincher – use these simple tips and find yourself saving some decent money on healthy (and tasty) food.
I don’t know why so many people are scared to explore their own home town. Don’t get caught up in your day to day routine; instead, explore a variety of grocery stores. One of the most overlooked cash-saving tips is to find a local grocer, farmers market, or even talk with growers to lock down the best deals for healthy produce. The overall best way to save money, help your economy, improve the environment, and support locals is to buy local!
Local foods don’t need as many chemicals to preserve them. Produce that comes from the other side of the globe takes days, sometimes over a week to get to your grocer, polluting the air with jet fuel fumes and making you pay extra for packing, refrigeration and shipping. Local foods travel only a few miles, so the cost is marked down. The food also tastes better because it is fresher and hasn’t been frozen or chilled for a week since it left the farm.
For those of us without an extremely hectic schedule or no yard/ garden, planting produce can be a great way to save a ton of money. Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, melons, squash, zucchini, herbs, and much more are super easy to grow. All you need is seeds, water, soil, sun and voila – free food.
Like our money Tip 1, many people are scared to grow plants. Don’t be! I have been growing an edible garden for a couple years now and most of my produce I pick from my own yard. I even have so much left over (especially tomatoes and zucchini’s) that my friends and family receive plenty.
Once you cook with freshly grown fruits and vegetables, you’ll taste the organic difference. The best part is you will save a lot of money: I used to spend at least $20 a week on produce, now I’m down to $5 at most.
Buying in bulk is a common and popular piece of money saving advice. However, many people don’t realize how many healthy items you can buy in bulk and how to store them. The majority of us save money by purchasing long-lasting items like flour, sugar, oil, and such from Costco or Sam’s Club or another major discount store. What a lot of people don’t know is that you can buy meats like beef, pork, or chicken in bulk too!
The best way to save money when buying bulk meat is to contact your local rancher or cattle-farmer. Just search Google or ask your butcher where the closest one is. When you get them on the phone, they’ll be more than happy to tell you the best way to go to get the most meat for the least cash. I find a good approach is to find 2 or 3 other friends who want to go in with you. Pool your money and split the side of beef, or pork, or whatever you are purchasing. You can pick up the meat yourself, which will be pre-cut and packaged for the freezer. That’s it! It’s not as hard as you may think.
Besides saving money, you will get the best tasting meat you’ve had, plus you will be helping a local rancher. The only drawback is that you need a lot of storage space, but the fun and taste is well worth the effort.
For the frugal, save money by looking for Manager’s Specials on cuts of meat at the butcher or supermarket. These specials are put on meat that is close to its ‘Sell-By’ date. The meat will taste just as fresh but costs up to 75% less. If you know you are going to eat the food that night, there’s no reason not to take the discount. I find this especially good for steaks and fish. Albertsons, Ralphs, Vons, and all the major stores will put meats and fish out for sale a few days before they expire in order to sell their inventory. As long as you cook them that night, they are perfectly fine. This way, you can save a ton of money.
Some of us go to great lengths to save money. One of the oldest and cheapest methods is the best: coupon clipping. But unlike your grandmother who spent hours searching for and clipping coupons only to buy things just because they were on sale, we have the wonders of technology to perfect our search. Coupons are easily accessible and searchable online: couponmom.com is one of my favorites. Before you go out grocery shopping, search the item you are about to buy, and more likely than not, you’ll find a coupon you can print online and save money right away.
Cook your own food, and stop eating out. It’s that simple. If you eat out, even at McDonald’s Dollar Menu, you’ll be spending a lot more money than if you prepared the same food at home.
Here is an example: you’re hungry after work, so you buy some french fries. A small portion of french fries costs a dollar at McDonald’s. McDonald’s owns their own potato farms, so they pay about 75 cents for 10 pounds of potatoes. That small portion of fries you just paid $1 for costs them about 1 cent to make. They are making a 1000% profit! If you made your own fries at home, you could go to the grocery store and pick up a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.50 plus another $2.50 for oil. So, for $5, you could make 25 servings of french fries, if not more. That is 20 cents per serving!
That is just one example of how much cooking your own food can save you some serious dough long-term. Think about hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, soups, and more that you could be preparing yourself, and how much money you could put back in your pocket!
If money is tight, try implementing these money saving tips for a healthier and cost effective way to eat. Start today, and enjoy extra money in your pocket by tonight!
Article by:
K.W.
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