Hey there reader
Next to finding the time (I talked about that last week), money is often the second biggest challenge people have when eating healthier foods and following a clean eating lifestyle. I get it, and I was in that same camp too.
I'm not saying that some foods aren't more expensive - the organic chicken will always be more costly than conventional or white pasta will be cheaper than whole grain, and it's just the way it is.
That doesn't mean you can't fit clean, healthy foods into your diet. You absolutely can!
My first tip is to start cooking meals at home! Not only will you eat healthier but you'll save money - that was my experience when I started to cook clean eating recipes at home.
In fact, if you eat take-out or frequent restaurants, I feel confident saying you'll instantly save money by cooking more at home.
Here are my other money-saving tips to help make clean eating affordable.
Set a budget and stick to it. It's not uncommon for most people to grocery shop without a budget. By the way, I was "people." I would head to the store without a list or idea of what I should spend and then end up with $200 worth of random groceries.
Budgeting is a lot like tracking food - you don't know what you don't know. So, my advice is to create a grocery budget and then plan meals around that.
Meal plan! Taking the time to create a weekly meal plan and grocery list around your budget and eating habits is critical. This keeps you intentional with money and food because you're only purchasing the ingredients needed.
Meal planning alone will help get your budget and eating habits under control.
For help with meal planning, check out eMeals - they offer a clean eating meal plan (and many others) that include shopping lists you can send directly to online grocery shopping services like Shipt, Instacart, Walmart, or Amazon. They have a 14-day free trial if you want to give it a try.
Only shop once a week. This is one of my essential money-saving tips. If I stay out of the stores, I don't purchase extras. This once-a-week trip includes the ingredients I need for my weekly meal plan.
However, I shop once a month or so to stock up on meat (I use Butcher Box), pantry staples, and household items.
I find it helpful to keep a stock pantry and freezer, so I don't need to spend a lot of time in the store, and I can also quickly throw together healthy dinners during the week.
Compare prices. I never used to like price comparison but learned that it does make a difference, especially with organic, gluten-free, or other specialty foods.
For example, Thrive Market has the best prices on certain gluten-free brands, and their store brand offers an extensive selection of organic food items at very affordable prices. It's cheaper than Whole Foods and very comparable to Wegmans. Check out my Thrive Market Review for more information. If you're ready to give it a try, then here's 40% off your first order.
Don't overlook discount stores and wholesale clubs. Aldi's has an excellent selection of organic food and produce at amazing prices. Whenever I head to Aldi's, I'll grab chicken broth, unsweetened coconut milk, and salad ingredients. Their items aren't consistent, so sometimes you need to be flexible if you want to save money shopping there.
I also do a lot of shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club, similar to Costco or Sam's club. BJ's Wholesale offers organic meats, seafood, produce, and other items and great prices.
I always purchase my smoothie ingredients, I get all kinds of organic frozen fruits in 3lb bags for less than $12, large containers of greens, and a 2lb bag of organic chia seeds for about $9.
I also save money by purchasing our household and cleaning items at Bj's Wholesale. If you live near a wholesale store, I recommend checking it out because you can get many healthy food items at affordable prices.
Okay, those are my tips.
Overall, just like everything else, I think the biggest takeaway is planning. It's easier to stick to a budget and save money when you put together a plan.
I'd love to hear the different ways you save money on healthy foods. Share your tips in the Facebook group.
Talk to you soon.
Tammy Overhoff
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