Eating Healthy On A Budget!

Eating healthy does not have to be expensive! I get it, you look on Instagram and Facebook and people have shopping carts full of Organic, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, what have you. Honestly, unless you have specific dietary restrictions, that’s not necessary!

I’m going to be real here. I like to keep my grocery shopping on a budget. I only cook for myself and my husband so I guess in that front, I’m lucky. That being said, that wasn’t always the case. When I was younger, we were so broke that we had to get our food from the food bank. Truth, y’all! I won’t lie and tell you we ate healthy but we did what we could.

Fast forward to a few years when my husband and I were newlyweds and didn’t have much. I tried to make better options with what little we had. Even though it meant we had a 10 pound back of chicken nuggets and a handful of spinach on the side because it was cheaper. We made an effort whenever we could!

Now that I know how to balance our meals and manage our budget, I want to share how I try to save money where I can and still have delicious meals!

1. Meal Plan!

Of course, this is the biggest tip I can give you. Make it a point to sit down and list down all the meals you are having that week. You can plan meals out as well but make sure you make a FULL menu. This includes snacks and treats. Once you have this, you can build your grocery list off of this.

2. Plan Your Meals Using One Type/Cut of Meat

I find that this helps to keep our grocery bill low. If I find a special on chicken breast, I may incorporate it in many meals. Of course, this may mean you may have some vegetarian meals but that’s definitely fine if you have a balanced diet.

3. Stock Up and Freeze

Another thing you can do, is when you find meats on sale and you have money in your budget, stock up! Seriously, if cared for properly, you can store meats for months. Just be sure to label everything and use it before it goes bad.

4. Get The Weekly Ads

This may seem like a no brainer but trust me! Many items cycle and go on sale every few weeks. If you live in Texas, HEB has meal deals. Sometimes, these are worth it. I know many stores have special store deals and by checking out the weekly ads, you can plan meals around items that are on sale.

5. Coupons/Discount Stores

Some stores offer memberships or reward apps. Others have store specific coupons that you can double up. Stores like Aldi and the 99 Cents Only Stores sell produce, that may be limited, but is drastically reduced. When you are trying to get more for your buck, it’s definitely better to get store brand items.

If you take these tips and incorporate them into your grocery shopping, I promise they will make a world of difference. Yes, it takes some work but when it comes to your wallet, it’s worth it! What are some of your favorite grocery tips?

If you try any of these tips, please let me know how they work out for you!