How to Eat Healthy While Still Saving Money On Groceries

In this article, I am going to give you some valuable tips. Tips on how to save money on groceries.

Eating is not optional, it’s a must. To eat you must buy groceries.

You don’t have to go broke trying to feed your family.

Many are also under the impression that eating healthy is too expensive.

I’d like to disagree.

I use to think the same way until I started doing research for myself.

I’m going to tell you exactly how you can eat healthy while still saving money on groceries.

Let’s get to it!

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Does Eating Healthy Cost More?

Eating healthy can cost more based on a person’s perception of healthy eating.

It doesn’t have to cost more.

Some people get healthy eating confused with buying things that are “organic” or “gluten-free”.

While organic foods and gluten-free are healthy, they are not always necessary.

For some, medical conditions contribute to certain eating habits. This is okay.

Even if you do have such a medical condition don’t think you have to spend an arm and a leg on groceries.

There’s hope for you, too. I promise!

Use Coupons

I love coupons!

But the truth is that I hardly ever use them.

You should definitely use coupons when shopping.

Especially when it comes to groceries.

I remember coupon shopping with my grandmother.

She saved money and got some things free. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Speaking of shopping and free stuff, if you want to become a mystery shopper check out my post on this.

When used correctly, coupons can be very helpful.

The thing about coupons is that it can take extra work to find the brands you love.

But I promise you, it’s worth it.

Where to Find Coupons?

You can find coupons in a lot of different places.

One of the most commonplaces is in the newspaper.

There are usually coupons in the Sunday paper. This could be different based on where you live.

You can also find coupons in the stores on different items.

The fun part is that you can take those coupons off in the store and use them right then and there.

Win-win!

Buy Some Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Want to know more about how to save money on groceries?

Here it goes.

Buy some frozen fruits and vegetables.

Yup, I said it!

There are some fruits and vegetables that may be better off fresh.

However, frozen fruits and vegetables tend to be cheaper than those that are fresh.

Sometimes.

The price of fresh fruits depend on several factors which we’ll discuss a little later.

Fresh fruit actually proves to be more expensive in the long run.

Just think about it.

Most people buy more fresh items than they can actually eat.

The fruits and vegetables turn before they are eaten and have to be thrown away.

That’s about $6 gone down the drain.

You go to the store and buy more fresh fruits and vegetables, only to do the same thing.

Maybe this isn’t your case.

Frozen fruits and vegetables normally have a longer lifespan than the fresh ones.

You may have to eat really fast to make sure those fresh fruits don’t go to waste.

This means that your constantly spending money in this way.

Buy Fruits and Vegetables In-Season

Remember when I said that certain fruits and vegetables may be better to buy fresh?

Well, you should buy those that are in-season.

This is because they are cheaper and taste much better overall.

In-Season fruits and vegetables are a great idea when it comes to being healthy and saving money at the same time.

Take Advantage of Sales

You ever opened the newspaper to find sales papers spilling out?

Before this post, maybe you ignored these papers and simply tossed them in the trash.

Stop! No more!

From now on, you should give the sales papers some attention.

You may be surprised at what you can find on sale.

Wake up early just to find out what’s on sale.

I’m serious.

Sale items go quick because other people are on the same page.

If you can catch a good sale on certain food items you’ll be able to save money on groceries.

Buy Marked Down Items

This one may be somewhat controversial.

Some people love marked down items and others love to hate them.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying marked down items.

I am not talking about buying items that are specifically on sale.

Rather, marked down items are usually close to expiration so they bring the price way down.

I’m not saying buy expired food. Ewwww, no!

If you are going to eat the product or cook it before the expiration date, it’s okay to buy it.

When food is nearing it’s expiration date, it’s a bad idea to put it in the refrigerator and leave it there for days.

For example, I love the big frozen pizzas from Walmart.

Our store marks these pizzas down when they are about 3 or 4 days from expiring.

We buy them and cook them the same day and that helps us save money.

In any other scenario we would have paid a little more for each pizza.

So thumbs up to marked down items!

Shop With a Calculator

This one may seem like a no-brainer or it may sound funny.

But the truth is that when you shop with a calculator you can better see the damage that you are doing.

I tend to do the math in my head and round up due to sales taxes.

This usually works for me when I’m too lazy to use a calculator.

Using a calculator can help you.

Set a budget and try your best to stick to it.

Before you go in the store…before you even leave your home…set a budget.

Tell yourself that you’re only going to spend however much.

In order for this to work, you shouldn’t take much more money than you’re planning to spend.

A few extra dollars in case you go a little over is okay.

But don’t take $20, $40, $100 extra dollars aside from your budget.

When you get in the store, calculate every item that you place in the basket.

Don’t be lazy, girl! This will save you so much money.

That brings me to my next tip on how to save money on groceries.

Create a Shopping List

A shopping list can be a life saver.

There was a time where I didn’t use shopping lists.

Now, I can’t shop without it.

If I enter a store without my list, best believe I’m going to buy a lot of unnecessary things.

Not on purpose but that’s just how it works.

Your shopping list should include any and everything that you need and want to get on this shopping trip.

Don’t put things down just for the sake of it.

The goal here is to save money, not spend it all.

Therefore, ask yourself if you really need each item and if not, don’t put it on the list in the first place.

Avoid Impulse Buying

I know this one is a hard one for most of us women.

We love picking up things and throwing it in the basket.

Even if it’s something we don’t need right away.

If for a second we decide we need it, it’s going in the basket.

We say we’re going in the store for 3 things and come out with 25 things.

How does that work?

Avoid buying things that aren’t on your shopping list that we just discussed.

Stick to the list and you’ll be great!

Meal Prep

I believe meal prepping is a good way to save money.

But this method is often overlooked.

Meal prep is on the rise but for other reasons.

I rarely hear someone say they meal prep to save money.

This is exactly what meal prepping does.

If you make a dish large enough to spread over 5 0r 7 days, you save money.

Eating the same thing for several days straight may seem boring.

It doesn’t have to be.

Put together something you really enjoy and wouldn’t mind eating repeatedly.

Then you’ll be good to go!

Eat Leftovers

This is another one that may be controversial.

Some people love leftovers and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Others frown at the idea of eating leftovers.

For me, it’s a no-brainer.

I’ve eaten leftovers all of my life and it’s never brought me any harm.

It has done one thing, though.

Saved my family and I tons of money.

How?

Some dishes will stretch for a few days.

You save money by not having to go out and buy food.

Also, you’re not throwing money away.

Throwing leftovers away is wasteful, in my opinion.

But to each it’s own.

Let’s dive in to more tips on how to save money on groceries.

Plan Meals With What You Have

Planning meals around what you already have in your kitchen is important.

If you have a pantry full of food that can be used to make a dish, there’s no reason to buy more.

You should try your best to make meals out of what you already have.

I’m not saying slop everything together and make an unknown dish.

But sometimes you will find that you have several ingredients for a familiar dish.

The more you use of what you already have, that’s money you save.

You’re also making room for new groceries later on.

This can also contribute to eating healthy.

Instead of running out to get junk food that you have a taste for, you can fight it by staying home and cooking what you have.

Buy in Bulk

You can really save money by buying in bulk.

My family and I love to shop at Sam’s Club for groceries.

They have a ton of grocery items in several categories available in bulk.

While it may seem at first you are paying more, in reality you are saving.

Let’s do a little math here.

For example, you may pay $13 for a bottle of multivitamins at Walmart.

You may find a 4 pack of vitamins for $38.

This may seem like a lot for vitamins.

If you do the math, 4 bottles of vitamins at the $13 price is $52.

So in reality, you are saving $14!

Cool, right?

Shopping Online

You can shop online and save tons of money.

There are so many deals online.

I love shopping online.

In fact, this is the way I prefer to shop.

One of the reasons being that it’s a great way to find real savings.

Amazon, Sam’s Club, and similar stores will allow you to buy groceries online.

Buy Generics

Ever heard of Great Value?

Great Value and I are really good friends.

I love this brand because most everything that I’ve tasted of it, tastes great.

In fact, I’ve had Great Value products that taste better than the brand name.

I lie to you not!

We were just having this discussion the other day.

Some generic items cost more than the name brands.

In this case, you’ll probably better off going with the name brand.

But the way it usually works is generics are normally cheaper than the brand name.

Price Match

Part of saving money is knowing where to spend your money.

Some stores have higher prices overall than others.

For example, Walmart is naturally higher priced than let’s say, Dollar Tree.

Everything in dollar tree is a dollar and in some cases you can find the exact same item that you’re looking for.

The only difference is that the quantity of the item may be less than if you bought it at Walmart.

If you don’t need a lot in the first place then shopping at Dollar Tree or Dollar General could really save you money.

On the other hand, some things in these so-called dollar stores are overpriced.

I remember buying cookies for over $3 from Dollar General.

Later on, I find out that they were only $2.98 at Walmart.

Look around for deal and savings in different stores.

Don’t just close your eyes and pick a store.

You can use an app like Flipp to find great deals.

If you don’t know, Flipp is a grocery shopping app that features flyers and weekly ads from different stores.

You can compare prices using this app.

Get Cash Back

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could get cash back for grocery shopping?

Well, you actually can using the Ibotta app.

You get a $20 Welcome Bonus just for using the app.

Whenever you shop at certain stores, you can scan your receipt to receive cash back on purchases.

There may be similar apps to this in the app store.

So it’s worth taking a look and doing some research.

Final Takeaway

It is possible to eat healthy and thrive while saving money on groceries.

The grocery bill can get pretty expensive, especially if you have a large family.

By following these tips that I outlined for you, I hope you are able to save on groceries over and over again.

What are some ways that you save money when shopping for groceries? Let me know in the comments!