6 Tips To Grocery Shop For Healthy Food On A Budget

It is a HUGE misconception that eating healthy is expensive!  It definitely can be, but GUESS WHAT - it doesn’t have to be! 

I am going to share 6 tips that will save you money at the grocery store and you’ll still be feeding your family healthy, wholesome meals! I am willing to bet that you’re not already doing all of these things.  So get on it and save your hard earned money for that family vacay you’ve been wanting to take!

Even if you just implement one of them, it will absolutely save you money!  OK, here we go…

Tip #1 to grocery shop on a budget: Let marked down produce guide your taste buds!

When you’re in the grocery store, buy the fruits and veggies that are on sale.  That’s actually how I tried eggplant for the very first time! I had never tried it before and it was on sale so I figured, what the hell, gave it a try and now I freakin’ love eggplant!

Buying your produce on sale will not only save you money but you’ll try things you’ve never had before.  

Don’t be scared, you may end up loving it!  Even if you’re not going to use it right away - chop it up, freeze it and pull it out when you’re ready to use it.  

Tip #2 to grocery shop on a budget:  Have a plan, check your pantry & make a list!

Make a plan!  I like to plan a week's worth of dinners at a time so I only have to go to the grocery store ONCE a week because I don’t know about you but, I definitely don’t have time to go everyday!  Write it out so you don't forget!  Here’s a free meal planning worksheet to help you get organized!

Now that you know what you’re making for the week, check your pantry to see what ingredients you already have.  You don’t want to buy something you already have! That’s not budget friendly!

Now, make your list!  If you want to get crazy, categorize your list (by produce, meat, dairy…) and save yourself even more time at the store.  (Maybe don’t do this if you are kid-free and want to enjoy the hour you have to yourself? *wink, wink*)

If you want someone else to make a plan AND a grocery list for you, you need Your Dinner Is Planned in your life!  Seriously, check it out! You get 5 healthy dinner recipes each week, a categorized grocery list and peace of mind! 

Tip #3 to grocery shop on a budget: Make your own meals!

I know picking up dinner in the freezer aisle is super easy, but you are wasting your money!  Of course, having a couple frozen meals on hand for ‘those days’ is totally acceptable.

We all have days where we just don’t have the time to cook and that’s fine!  But, you could make the same pizza or pasta dish for way cheaper (and healthier) if you buy the ingredients individually and do it yourself! 

Tip #4 to grocery shop on a budget: Buy pantry items that you use frequently, in bulk!

Sometimes buying too many things in bulk is a pain in the ass if you have nowhere to store them.  But, I love buying my essentials in bulk so I pretty much always have them on hand.

I buy things like salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon (or any seasonings I use all the time), rice, oats, granola, nuts, etc.  They will last forever and you’ll save a ton of money by not buying them in smaller units.

Tip #5 to grocery shop on a budget: Buy sale items and freeze the extras!

Depending on the week, my grocery store always has some kind of meat on sale. Meat gets expensive! Especially when you’re buying enough meat to feed your whole family!  

Stock up on meat when it’s on sale and freeze it!  When our grocery store has chicken on sale for $1.99 or BOGO free = jackpot!  I literally buy enough for 4+ weeks and throw it in the freezer!

What can I say?  I love a good deal!  Since we’re planning our dinners ahead of time (riiiiight?), you’ll know what you need to take out of the freezer a day or 2 ahead of time so it can thaw out.

Did you know you can throw frozen chicken in a crockpot, cook it on high for 3-4 hours and voila!  Dinner is served!

Tip #6 to grocery shop on a budget: Use similar ingredients!

I’m a huge advocate for having a variety of meals every week.  I get bored eating the same things. By using similar ingredients, I’m not saying eat the same thing everyday.

Get creative and use a few of the same ingredients for each meal throughout the week.  For example, since we just bought 8 pounds of chicken,

one day you could make shredded chicken tacos.  Then the next day could be chicken penne pasta.  Then, grilled BBQ chicken.  See, all the meals use chicken but they’re totally different. Get creative!

Those are my 6 grocery shopping tips for you today!  You can shop for healthy food while on a budget, you just have to get a little creative sometimes!  I know you have it in you!  

Start implementing one of these each week until you're implementing all 6 of these every week!  Pay attention to how much money you're saving, it might surprise you!  

Cheers!

-Jazzy