Is it possible to eat healthy and tighten your budget at the same time? Yes, look at these 7 tips below to make your body and your bank account happy!
1. Plan your meals at home
The easiest way to eat healthy is to eat at home. At home, you can decide what to eat, have your own diet and choose the right carbohydrates. Plus, when you are on a budget, preparing your own meal also helps you to save a lot of money. You can cook in bulk and plan your bulk-cooking sessions around the groceries sales.
Do you know that a slow cooker in your kitchen can be your money saver? A slow cooker enables you to cook larger meals, you can have a second meal from one cooking time. Furthermore, your meat will not dry out and it will also shrink less when being cooked in a slow cooker.
Plan your meals can make your grocery list go down by almost half. No matter it is veggies for the week, tomorrow's breakfast, lunches or dinners, planning food ahead is a step in the right direction towards eating healthy. You can make sure you're eating what's in the fridge to minimize waste.
2. Make a grocery list and stick to your budget
You can sign up a savings card at your local grocery store. Check what on sales weekly to plan your meals accordingly. Planning your meals around what on sales can also let you be creative and try some new dishes.
You should create a budget for your food with Money Lover and never go beyond your budget. The app will send you notification when you are about to reach your limitation.
3. Buy seasonal produce and freeze it
In season produce is fresher and taste better, sweeter and of course, it is good for your health. Fruits and vegetables which have been naturally ripened and picked at the right time carry more flavor and nutrition.
Not only the seasonal produce is the most delicious but it also is cheaper. When farmers harvest a large amount of produce, the cost of the produce will go down.
4. Avoid the central aisles at the grocery store
The central aisles at the store are where they keep the processed and frozen food. If you want to live a healthy life and save more money, buy your food at the edges. In most grocery stores, the produce, deli, meat, dairy, organic and fresh bread sections are on the outskirts of the store. The less you find yourself in the central aisles of the grocery store, the healthier your shopping trip will be.
Plus, sticking to the outskirts of the store will help you avoid impulse snack buys. Another tip to avoid purchasing salty or sugary snacks is to never go shopping on an empty stomach.
5. Grow your own herbs and vegetables
The food tastes so much better and also looks more fancy with a little green. However, buying fresh herbs and veggie from the grocery store is expensive. Not only herbs and veggie can cost you a lot but also they are not always available. Here is the solution: grow your own little garden.
You will save money by eating what you grow and spending less time and money at the grocery store. Plus, you can control the pesticides on your home garden if you use any. You can use containers to start gardening. Growing herbs and veggie is not very difficult as long as you have water and sunshine. You can try these most common home garden vegetable: tomatoes, zucchini and lettuce.
6. Buy whole foods
You should reduce the amount of processed and manufactured food, not only they are more expensive but they are also not good for your health. Whole foods are much cheaper. Eating whole foods lets you get intact with all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
7. Drink water and have your own bottle
Avoid sweetened drinks. They make you gain weight and they also link to many health diseases. Instead, you should drink as much water as you can. Many places have free water so make sure to have your own bottle with you. Water is your skin’s best friend and have many other unexpected benefits. Water is good for both your health and your wallet
Now you get your 7 tips to start your healthy life on a budget. Wait no more, change your way of living now!