Hello Fancy Little Things Friends!
I’m Kimberly and I blog @ This Healthy Endeavor
Recently, I started going on a $20 a week grocery budget. Extreme needless to say, but conviction came to me and how wasteful I was being with the money I had been blessed. But that’s a completely different post.
So how do I still eat healthy while on such a strict budget??
1. Keep stock of low budget but healthy staples (see below)
I always make sure to have these and plenty of them. I seriously think I have about six sweet potatoes in my fridge right now and I will probably eat all of them before the week is over.
2. Check your inventory. I always look at what I have first then think about what I need. I’m known for buying something then forgetting I have it for weeks. Special surprise??
3. Check the ads. After I see what I have, I check to see what’s on sale and what looks good.
4. Coupons. Yes. Coupons and I’m not an extreme couponer but a couple a week do help. I typically use the electronic version for my super markets.
5. Menu plan, menu plan, menu plan. After seeing what you have, what’s on sale, and what you have a coupon for plan your menu around that. Be open to try new recipes and expand your recipes.
Other helpful tips:
I buy fresh fruit and chop it up to make my own smoothies. For the price of about two smoothies you can make about 6-8…that’s a huge savings! Plus you don’t risk it being a sugar overload.
Frozen vegetables are awesome! A lot of times Kroger (a super market where I live) has them on sale for $1 a bag and I stock up! Some of my favorites are broccoli, brussels sprouts, pepper/onion mix and cauliflower.
Try not to waste anything. If I’m getting tired of a dish I freeze it and save it for later. Better yet save it in individual bags/containers and you can have lunch ready for a jam packed morning one day.
Here’s to healthy, budget friendly eating! If I can do it, you can too!
© 2013, Kimberly. All rights reserved. Love it? Print, email, pin, tweet or share but please don’t use my work without permission. {Copyright Fancy Little Things. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this article or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.}
About Kimberly
Lol, all I could think when I saw that you eat with a $20 weekly budget is, “obviously, she doesn’t have kids!” Do you have any suggestions for eating cheaply and healthily with kids in tow? I’m always up for new ideas! I do think that your suggestions are really practical and great ideas or inexpensive healthy eating.
Brooke recently posted..What Can One Person Do to Change America?
Brooke thanks for the compliments and you are right I do not have any children nor a husband to feed. Just myself…that’s why $20 is achievable(ish)
Check out this link http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2012/03/31-days-to-yumminess-grocery-shopping.html?showComment=1342681248761
She follows a lot of the same principles but has children so that will help! I tried to make it as basic as possible because I can say even being a single lady $20 a week is tough, but the extra money sure is nice
I say keep it simple and try to make multiple meals/snacks from the same ingredients.
And don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions
Kimberly recently posted..What Does One Do On A "Snow" Day
You have inspired me to maximize our budget, for sure.
I spend sooo much on groceries. I say “it’s food” but often times I am missing out on a fresh and healthy dish in exchange for a gourmet recipe.
This is a great list to begin with, especially because I have a son. I would rather his staples be these items as opposed to what he eats most times.
Thank you so much! xo
Kristin recently posted..sister sunday//aly allen
Thank you!!
Great post! Thank you! Just wondering what app you use for coupons?