6 Ways to Save Money & Boost Your Health
Experts say buying groceries instead of eating out can save you money, so why does it feel like you're spending every last penny at the supermarket?
Whether you're feeding yourself or feeding your family, the price of food adds up - fast.
Not to worry - there's a simple system you can use to save money at the store that also happens to clean up your diet.
Here are 6 strategies that will result in big savings, and healthy living, plus a free shopping and meal list to help you get started.
1. BUY SINGLE-INGREDIENT FOODS
In other words: real, whole foods that naturally grow from or on the earth. Think: steak, chicken, turkey, fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit.
When buying these foods, be aware that sometimes it may FEEL like you're spending more, but eating real food full of protein and fiber keeps you feeling full so you'll feel satisfied without needing to eat as much as if you're eating processed foods (which lack the natural elements that make you feel full, meaning you'll need to eat more).
If you want to buy some non-single-ingredient foods, our general rule is to look a the ingredient list, and try to pick items that have as few ingredients as possible (less than 10) and, ideally, ingredients we can pronounce.
Eating like this (a.k.a. eating healthy) will not only keep you more full, which will help you save, but if you struggle with brain fog like I did for so many years, or if you have a few extra pounds you want to shed, you'll likely see those issues resolve themselves, as well. Win-win-win.
2. BUY WHAT YOU LIKE
Don't misinterpret 'eating healthy' to mean you have to survive on kale, and kale alone (unless you love kale, in which case, by all means - knock yourself out). But that's not what I'm saying. Because there's no point in buying food you're going to take home, not eat, then throw away.
Find the healthy items that you and your family LIKE (if you're not sure what you like, try buying one new healthy item on each grocery trip to 'test out'), and buy those.
And, just as important, skip the healthy items you DON'T like.
3. BUY SMALL QUANTITIES*
*UNLESS something you can freeze is on sale, in which case buy a bunch and freeze it.
But, in general, just buy enough food for about 4 days or so. I typically recommend NOT buying food in bulk because, usually, the food you're buying in bulk isn't single-ingredient. However, if you see a single-ingredient item on sale and it's something you can freeze, buy a few (or a bunch!).
For example, when we see steak on sale, we buy a bunch of it, vacuum seal it, and freeze it. Then each morning, we'll pull out however many we need for dinner, stick them in the fridge to naturally dethaw, then we'll have fresh steak that night.
Sometimes we will also buy fruit on sale and freeze it for smoothies or baking. We cut them up, and throw them in a baggie in the freezer and pull them out when we need them.
4. BUY SOME STAPLES
Think of this as an investment: these are things that you'll buy once, but will last for months. So, yes, your first bill will be higher, but having these handy will save you in the long run.
I like cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, chili flakes, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Tony Chachere's, and all-purpose steak and chicken seasoning. Also: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and grassfed butter.
5. SKIP THE COMPLICATED RECIPES
This ties back to buying single-ingredient foods, but it's worth mentioning.
Skipping the complicated, fancy recipes will not only save you time, but the complex recipes usually call for random items like spices that you'll only ever use once, or perishable items that you'll have to buy more of than you need - ultimately leaving you with excess items you'll have to toss.
Make your life easier and keep money in your pocket by sticking to what's simple: a whole protein (steak, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.), fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit.
And remember to use your staples - my husband and I often say that it's the SEASONINGS that make the meal. You can have the same meat and vegetables every single day, but if you season them differently, it tastes like an entirely different meal. That's why having those staples is so important.
6. SHOP ONLINE
There are different opinions about this, but I find that I usually spend less money if I shop online, even after any small 'shopper fee', because:
I can filter by price
Coupons are easier to find or, in some cases, auto-applied
I don't get distracted by other items I don't need the same way I might when shopping inside the store (after the first time you do it, the system saves your preferences so you can easily buy your normal items again or do a quick search for new items)
The one downside to this is you don't get to pick out your own produce or meat, however, I've generally never had a big problem with this. Try it out, and do what works best for you.
HERE'S YOUR NEW SHOPPING LIST
It’s time to apply what you've already begun to master.
I've got one more thing that can help - here's my personal grocery & meal list that I've used for years + some final thoughts on:
Meat - the grill is your new best friend. Don't have one? No problem. Meat is also great in a pan, or in the air fryer. For steak (which is our normal go-to), we season it a few hours prior to cooking with salt, pepper, and fresh garlic, then throw it on the grill (or if we do it in the pan, we use a little grassfed butter).
Veggies - eat them raw (I love the baby carrots and bell peppers dipped in the hummus), sauté them (bell peppers, squash) or throw them in the air fryer with a little avocado oil and salt (baby carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts).
Fruit - 90% of the time we eat the fresh fruit as it is, and this is what I reach for when I want a snack. You can also use it for smoothies, or you can get creative and make healthy desserts (try sautéing a cut-up apple with a teaspoon of butter and some cinnamon).
Now's your time - commit today to making your next grocery trip more intentional. And if you want something to refer back to, grab my shopping & meal list - it's completely free!
You've got this!
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