Did you know that around 10 percent of most incomes go directly into groceries?
Obviously, it’s important to feed yourself and make sure you’re getting a properly balanced diet.
But more often than not, those grocery expenses go straight to processed, sugar-laden, greasy junk food that does nothing for anyone’s health.
If you’re on a budget, fresh and healthy foods may seem like a luxury. But having a healthy diet on a budget is much easier than most people think.
Here are 5 ways to save money the next time you’re at the grocery store while still getting the healthy food your body needs and craves.
Bulk up
Buying food in bulk is a great way to save money. For staple foods like rice, oats, beans, pasta, and frozen fruits and veggies, buying in bulk can be a much more cost effective option and make planning meals easier.
If you’re into meal prep and planning out your meals beforehand, having those pantry staples always there will make the process more streamlined and give you lots of recipe options.
Investing in a vacuum sealer will help you store perishable items like chicken breasts easier and dramatically extend their freshness. This way, no more throwing out food that you forget to eat before it gets moldy and inedible.
Shop on the edge of the store
Grocery stores set a lot of traps in an attempt to make you spend more money. They put the sugary treats down at eye level so you can see it and make you want to buy it and they put staple foods at the back so you have to walk through aisles of tempting junk food to get to the good stuff.
If you give into food temptation easily or are on a tight shopping schedule, make sure you stay on the perimeter of the grocery store while you’re shopping. This will keep those processed junk foods out of sight and keep you from making unhealthy impulse purchases.
Buy whole
Even though buying pre-cut chicken strips and individually cut and wrapped foods are much more convenient for shoppers, it’s more expensive and much more harmful to the environment.
Instead of stocking up on the pre-cut fruits and individually packaged foods, buy them whole. Not only will they stay fresh for longer, you’ll save more money in the long run. And since you’re helping to cut down on harmful packaging, you’re doing your part to help save the environment.
Coupon apps are your friend
Cutting out coupons from the newspaper and mail was a tedious and annoying task back when everything was on paper ads. Now, there are tons of coupon apps you can download to your phone that will make coupon lovers everywhere rejoice.
These apps have a ton of features that help you save money: they show current deals, allow you to digitally clip coupons, give you cash rebates, let you compare prices for an item at different stores, and let you scan receipts directly into the app.
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Always buy generic
More often than not, the cheaper generic version of an item is just as good as the more expensive, branded items. And guess what? They’re almost always made with the exact same ingredients—the only thing that’s different is the packaging.
It doesn’t make sense from a consumer standpoint since it shouldn’t cost more if the product is the same, right? But a lot of people forget that when you’re buying an item from a popular brand—you’re buying the brand as well as the actual product.
For people who like to flaunt those name brand items, the extra cost is worth it. But for smart shoppers, generic is always the way to go.
Image Credit: how to save money at the grocery store by envato.com
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