Eating Right on a Budget

Eating healthy is something that many of us try to do but sometimes we lack the resources we need to do so. Healthy food can be expensive compared to more convenient foods that are available. Saving money at the supermarket does not mean giving up all nutritious foods. Here are some tips to help you shop for healthy foods on a budget.

Make a list and stick to it.

When you go to the grocery store, make sure you make a list of all the foods you need. This will help you stay on track and stick to your budget. If we don’t have a list we often end up wandering and getting food that we don’t need.

Have a snack before you hit the food store.

Going to the food store on an empty stomach is always a bad idea! It makes everything in the store seem appetizing and will potentially lead to you buying more food that you do not need.

Look around the perimeter of the food store.

This is where you will find most of the fresh food that needs to be refrigerated such as fruits, vegetables, and meats.

Coupon.

You can find coupons almost anywhere now a days even on grocery store websites. Go online or check your local newspaper for coupons that you could use at the store. Also try to remember to only coupon for items that you usually buy or may need.

Check local grocery store ads.

This is a great place to find deals on food. Stop and Shop and Shaw’s supermarkets even have coupons listed right on the front of their ads. You will often find that there are some great deals on fruits and veggies throughout the week.

Visit your local farmers market.

Check out farmers markets nearby to get the best deals on fresh foods. Farmfresh.org provides a list of local farmers markets depending on your location. (Bonus: You will also be supporting local farmers and businesses!)

But generic store brands.

Store brands are just the same as other brands. Sometimes they can be better.

Check high and low.

The least expensive foods are most often on the bottom and top selves. Make sure you are looking at all selves to get the best price.

Try buying high nutritious and low cost foods.

Beans, eggs, peanut butter, oats, brown rice, frozen fruits/ vegetables, lentils, and sweet potatoes.

Follow your favorite brands on Twitter and Facebook.

Often these brands will post deals, coupons, or free samples for you to try out.

Just remember to go to the food store prepared and write out what you want to buy so you do not end up overspending on food that you do not need.

Blog post by Krista Post.