I am not planning to write the "its so easy" version of how to eat good for less. Its not easy. I want to acknowledge that good quality food costs more in many cases so its about having lifestyle habits that give you the best for your budget. Here they are :
Eating Out – This is a cash and calorie killer. It is very difficult on the go to find the foods you plan to eat. So even with a plan you might not make the grade. You will end up having a uphill battle with your food and fiscal fitness searching around for a healthy meal that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (if you can find healthy at all). It costs you on all fronts. If social engagements are necessary try encouraging your circle to dine in. Alternatively plan to eat light so you don’t need to be sucked into a menu that is not a part of your direction. Arrive satiated and perhaps splurge on a salad.
Cut coupons- Very few people can avoid cutting cost these days. Looking at coupons can really give you a glance at your grocery list and where you need to save. It can also help you pile savings in different food categories like protein, dairy, grains etc. There may be better stores to buy certain things so do your research. Getting back to basics is a sign of the times and a great way to help families work together.
Cut out meat- Wheres the beef in your food budget? For the sake of eating better and saving money you can cut out being a carnivore . I am not a vegetarian so I’m not preaching. I’m just saying meat costs a lot of money and can be replaced with more affordable healthier choices so this can be part of a solution.
Don’t Waste Food – I really don’t know who goes out of their way to do this but little mistakes can cause us to unintentionally be wasteful. Make sure you don’t buy too much. Fresh food doesn’t last forever so it is better to do more frequent shorter trips. This can be a real pain for moms but if you use the grocery store as an educational experience it can be worthwhile. Smaller kids can look at colors, shapes and letters while shopping. Older kids can and should be there price comparing, reading labels, and involved in planning.
In these times we really need to focus on our health on all fronts financial and food not excluded.Happy healthy eating( and saving)
Cheers,
Andrea , FITMOM
Another great deal site is Redflagdeals.ca. Check it out!
I have found that one way to avoid wasting food is to plan your meals for the week. Sometimes you can even use the leftovers in the next meal. For example, if you make a pot of spaghetti sauce on the weekend, you can have that once and then add kidney beans and such to make chili or use the leftover sauce to make pizza. Anyone else have any ideas like that?
My family has started buying meat more locally and in larger quantities to try and save a little and we find in the end we are getting better quality meats!
As for the previous post about coupons the only site i know is save.ca but any other suggestions would be appreciated
Great Ideas! I am a coupon clipper and can save at least 30.00 per grocery trip…on things I really need like formula and diapers. I do have a question, is there a good site I can go too to download or request Canadian coupons, as I live close to the border I am able to us my American coupons, but I would like to shop and support our canadian stores.