Real Food Tips on a Budget
I thought I would share some common things I have heard people say to help others eat healthy while also being on a budget. They are listed below. I think that you have to find what works for you and that not everyone can use the same method. I am here to tell you that IT IS OKAY. Just find what works for you and do it.
BUYING IN BULK: maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn’t
I wanted to point out that my husband and I don’t buy in bulk. I know that a lot of people recommend buying in bulk to save money. Well, I only live with my husband, so that doesn’t really work out for us (especially because we don’t buy things that come in a package much). We tried doing this because so many people were recommending it, but so much ended up going to waste because we just couldn’t eat all of it. So yea, I think if you have a large family, buying in bulk will save you money. If you have just a couple of people in your household, buying in bulk may not be the best thing for you. However, it could be! Everyone is different and you have to find out what works for you and your family. Buying in bulk just isn’t what works for us. In another post I talk about meal planning and how to do it while grocery shopping once/week for everything.
MEAL PLANNING: this hands down works for everyone
Meal planning is seriously the number one way to save money and eat healthy. I know that probably isn’t an answer you wanted to hear either. It requires some thought and preparation, but it is worth it. Before we meal planned we would waste food or not buy enough or not have a certain ingredient for a certain meal. It was really frustrating. We also had to resort to eating out more (aka more expensive) or just eating food that was easy to prepare (aka not healthy and came from a box). Meal planning has been so worth it. Click here to see the post on how to meal plan!
BUY IN SEASON: maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn’t
To be honest with you, I have no clue what is in season when (I know I’m the worst Dietitian). I know you can look it up but it is super overwhelming to me to think about what to eat this week based on what is in season. Fresh produce is cheaper in season, but my mind doesn’t work like that. Since we are blessed to live in a country that supplies pretty much all produce year round, I usually just stick to my go-to meals based on what we want to eat for the week. (Disclaimer: It is healthier to eat in season. You will get more nutrients out of your produce if you buy in season.) If you are one who knows what is in season or doesn’t mind looking it up and planning for that, then it will save you money and it will be better for you. However, if you’re like me, this overwhelms you to think about that in addition to planning out your meals and you just give up because it gets too complicated. In that case, just don’t do it. Buy only what you need for the week and you won’t be spending that much more money. You can work towards eating in season, but if it is something that stresses you out then don’t do it.
MEAL PREP: maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn’t
Some people buy a ton of food and meal prep for the whole week and/or make freezer meals for the month. I think that is AWESOME, but it just doesn’t work for me. It takes a whole day to do that, and I just don’t want to spend one of my days off on the weekend doing that. Some really love doing it and I think think that’s great. I also have a weird thing that I don’t like to eat leftovers that are over one day old (I know I am weird and it is probably a problem 🙂 ). I just think it tastes different and I don’t enjoy eating it. I eat leftovers for lunch from dinner the night before, but other than that it weirds me out. I will agree that prepping probably simplifies your life in busy times and will also probably save even more money (especially on those nights you come home from work and the last thing you want to do is chop a potato so you just order food out). If you can and enjoy meal prepping, then I would definitely recommend it.
Let me know your thoughts and questions!
