Yummy Life

I’m sure I’m going to offend some people by saying this – but if you stop overeating, you can afford to eat healthy.  I am a bona fide binge eater, so I have personal experience with this.

Overeating is expensive.  A half gallon of ice cream costs between $5-$7, depending on whether or not it’s on sale.  If you eat that all in one or two sittings, that is a pretty expensive serving.  The same goes with other foods that are easy to inhale like chips, dips, cakes, etc.

Most people do not binge on fruits, vegetables, or lean meats.  It’s pretty easy to keep servings of these things in check.  There are a lot of healthy packaged foods, and they do tend to cost more than their less expensive counterparts.  They become a lot more expensive if you eat more than one serving at a time.  Cereal is one product that comes to mind when I think of distorted serving size.  A serving size is usually 3/4 of a cup, and there are supposed to be around 13 servings in a box.  Wow, a normal $5 box of cereal could last almost two weeks!  The same goes with crackers and other snack-type foods.  Inhaling foods not only is bad for your waistline, it’s hard on your wallet as well!

You probably have your favorite places to shop for food.  You may not have even entertained the idea of checking out the prices at other stores to compare.  You should, because you may be missing out on some deals!

A pepper is a pepper, right?  Shouldn’t it cost the same at every store?  Since different stores get their produce from different places, the prices can vary quite a bit.  It’s important to take a look at quality and the difference between conventional and organic, local or shipped from afar.  If you live in a colder climate, in the wintertime you may not have as many choices when it comes to buying fresh, high quality produce, but you can still be a savvy shopper.

Look for Sales and Specials

Most stores do have specials on certain produce, you just need to be a mindful shopper.  The apples displayed next to one another may be priced very differently.  If you are not too picky, buy the ones that are on sale.  The cost between organic and conventional may not be worth the price difference, depending on the quality of what is available.  If what you are looking to buy is not one of the Dirty Dozen, you may want to buy the less expensive version and clean it thoroughly when you get home.  Some stores definitely offer better deals on their fruits and veggies, so shop around to get familiar with who has the best quality produce at a good price.

Sharpen Your Knives

Life today is all about convenience and fast living.  If you are trying to stick to a budget and still want to include plenty of healthy fresh produce in your diet, forego convenience and get ready to peel and chop in your own kitchen.  Grocery stores offer many pre-packaged, already chopped up fruits and vegetables so that you can prepare them in a hurry and get on with your life.  Some of these items come in plastic packaging from the manufacturer, and some come wrapped by the grocery store.  Either way, you are still paying for packaging and creating more waste and you are spending more money for the convenience.  It really doesn’t take that long to chop up an onion, melon or sweet potato.  Reduce your exposure to plastics, save the earth, and get chopping.  Your wallet will thank you!

Try Out a New Store

We all have our comfort zones, but sometimes it is very cost effective to step out of yours and explore new territory.  Chances are you have some wonderful stores near you that you do not even know about.  I have a small, locally owned market by my house that has wonderful produce, many of it local.  And it costs less than at the local warehouse store of superstore where I do the bulk of my shopping.  Of of my favorite things to do is to venture into the local Asian and Hispanic supermarkets.  They have things that many people have never heard of, and because they do not spend millions of dollars on advertising each year, they are able to pass the cost savings on to their customers.

Consider Shopping Locally

In addition to trying out some locally owned markets, consider taking advantage of what the local farms in your area have to offer.  The produce is fresh since it doesn’t travel from afar, you are keeping the money in your local economy, and you can actually talk to the people who grow your food!  Sometimes the produce is less expensive that a grocery store, sometimes not, but once again it’s important to ask “what am I actually paying for?”  Are you paying for fuel to get the produce to your local market, creating pollution and wasting natural resources?  Much of the time the local wares are much less expensive and you get more for your money.  Each summer I love to visit my local farmer’s markets and love coming back with several huge bags of tasty goods for about about $25.  Since the food tastes good, it actually gets eaten, saving me money!  I love stopping at little roadside stands too.

Many areas also offer farm shares and co-ops that allow you to get fresh, local goods each week.  The up front price may seem a little steep, but when you divide the price you pay on average each week and consider that most of the time this produce is organic, it really is worth it most of the time.

Grow Your Own

Got a green thumb?  Why not try growing some of your own fruits and vegetables?  I tried this last year, despite knowing that I have the blackest thumb in the midwest, and it did not turn out so well.  However, to be fair, we just kind of threw stuff in the ground without researching what grows best in our local soil and reading up on how to prepare a garden bed.  We are going to do our research and try again this year.  You can get your very own organic produce for a fraction of the cost of what you would pay for in a store.  You may even grow so much that you have to give it away to your friends.  It takes a little bit of work on your part (OK, a lot, but some people find it to be fun) but if you really want to know where your food comes from, this is the way to go.

I love buying fresh produce.  It almost feels like a runner’s high to me.  I really find that if I feel good about what I am buying, it makes a difference in how I eat and cook.  Tap into what makes you feel good and make every dollar count!

Manufacturers rely on pretty packages to sell their products.  Think about what you end up doing with that pretty package once you eat what is inside:  throw it away or recycle it.  Chances are that you have paid for many, many packages over the course of your life and you could have saved thousands of dollars if you had bought the “uglier” product.  Perhaps you aren’t aware of the uglies.  They exist!  You may have to search for them a bit, but you can find them and you can save a ton of money.  Some products that come “ugly”:

Oatmeal

Quinoa

Rice

Nuts

Beans

Lentils

Coconut

Flour

I buy a lot of products in bulk from a local health food store.  Many things at this store are more expensive than at other stores, but this store sells many items in bulk, that are packaged in a clear plastic bag with a label slapped on it, that are much cheaper than their counterparts in pretty packages.  They are organic products, such as organically grown oats and garbanzo beans for hummus.  I can buy a lot more product for a lot less money.  A large back of quinoa costs about $3.0o when purchased in the ugly package and is $2-$3 more expensive for a smaller, more “decorated” package.  It is the same product.  I can get several meals out of the larger bag of quinoa, where the smaller one may last about 2 meals.  This is a no brainer!

Also, take note that most junk food comes in attractive packaging.  So many people think that foods that are bad for you are less expensive.  Sometimes, maybe, but think of what you are ACTUALLY paying for.  Take for instance sugared cereals.  They come in bright colored packages, in a box that looks like it’s a decent size.  This box of cereal is around $4.20.  You open up the box, and there is a bag inside.  There is a lot of room in this box.  You are paying mostly for air and the pretty box. When you buy oatmeal in bulk, you are buying oats.  When you buy fresh fruit, you are buying fruit.

What would you rather pay for?

I hear a lot of excuses for not eating healthier.  Having a crazy, hectic schedule comes in a close second, but the number one excuse that I hear for not eating a healthier diet is “Healthy food is too expensive”.

Over the next few posts, I am going to explore how to live healthy on a budget.  I am even going to host a complimentary teleseminar on how to eat healthy on a budget.  I have been living on a shoestring budget for a long time and I have picked up many tips and tricks along the way.  I have also made some realizations about the food that is available in grocery stores.  Of course, there are always trade offs, so in order to eat a bit healthier you may have to spend more time making lists, going to different stores, and reading labels.  It can be done – plus, the money you will spend on healthier food is nothing compared to the money you will shell out if you become sick and decrepit.  And have you ever stopped to ponder the question “what am I really paying for?” when you consider buying packaged, processed foods?

I know you are anxious to hear some ways that you can save some money on healthy foods, so I have a tip to share with you today. STOP WASTING FOOD! If you’ve ever bought a bunch of fruit and vegetables and watched them rot in your refrigerator, you know what I’m talking about.  This is literally money thrown in the garbage.  Try shopping like a European – buy just enough for a day or two and do not buy more until you eat what you have.  Don’t buy something just because it’s good for you.  If you do not like something, you won’t eat it, and your money will be wasted.  If you want to enjoy your healthy life, the way to do that is not choking down foods that you think are nasty.  You may also consider buying frozen fruit and vegetables if you find yourself wasting a little too much.

If your food is starting to turn a bit and is no long aesthetically pleasing but still edible, throw it in a soup or smoothie.  The food gets used, and your money does not go to waste!

Tomorrow’s Tip:  Don’t pay for packaging!

Eat up!