First, I want to thank Tiffany for giving me the awesome opportunity to come and spreadthe word on shopping. We all love to shop, but we donʼt always love the part when wehave to take our debit card out at the end! So Thanks Tiffany for letting me chat today!
I used to think that the crazy couponing was a just that, a craze. But since itʼs been afew years now and I still see women chugging through the aisles with their 3 ringbinders and their calculators, I think couponing is here to stay.
Not that itʼs a bad thing, if you are one of those women that can walk out of the storewith $100 worth of things for just $15, then I salute you.
Hereʼs the issue that I do have with it though, how often do you see coupons for healthyproducts? Not often. As a vegan wife that tries to give her family the best, couponingsimply seems out of the question for me. With that said, I havenʼt given up on saving asmuch money as possible. I have learned a few tricks of my own over the years to keepmy grocery bill from giving me a heart attack at the checkout.
Tips To Eating Clean Without Cleaning Out Your Bank Account
Buy local.We have a few grocery stores that have sections in their producedepartment for local farmers to debut their harvests. Sometimes there are some greatdeals, but with the competitive prices of the other companies, a lot of times the selectionis jacked up in price, which is backwards in the whole “buy local” theme. So instead takefull advantage of your farmers market. It might be during the week, after a long day ofwork but who cares. You can save a bundle.
In fact, we take just $25 per week to the farmers market and come home having toreorganize our fridge to find enough space for all our goodies. Plus, it will introduce youto what is in season and have your kitchen creativity in full swing.
Make a list. I know youʼve heard this before, but seriously do it. I started making a listabout 6 months ago and now I kick myself each week for not starting sooner. Bycreating a list youʼre determining what you need, not want (those things can mergewhen youʼre in the store). Youʼre also putting together a meal plan for the week. Howgreat it is to come home and know what you are going to make so that it runs muchmore smoothly and you have no excuse to go grab take out.
Each week, I sit down with my favorite recipes around me and decide what we will haveeach night. Then I will write down what we need for the recipe that I donʼt already haveon hand. At the store, there is no impulse buying. You get in, get what you need and getout of there before doing more harm to your wallet.
Shop around. When I was a kid, I can remember my mom making fun of all the womenwho would go from store to store to save a few bucks. She would proudly announce “I
donʼt care how much money I would save, I refuse to go bouncing around.” Now lookingback, I make fun of her. Why not bounce between stores. If yourʼe in an area wherethere are several stores lined up then by all means, do not be embarrassed to grabveggies at one place, lunch meat at another and toiletries and another. In fact, that iswhat I do.
I start off at Trader Joes for some veggies (I know arenʼt at the farmerʼs market) andother odds and ins, then I head 1 block over to Whole Foods where I get our organicmilk and yogurts (both for the husband) and almond milk for me. Plus a few other thingsI know I canʼt find else where and their bulk section saves lots of moola. And finally, Idrive across the street to the local store for everything else on my list.
You might thing this takes awhile, but I am done with all my shopping in less than anhour.. again because of the list!
Go Cold. Itʼs great to be able to buy fruits and veggies at the farmerʼs market but whatabout when the farmerʼs market closes down for the winter? Donʼt be afraid to gofrozen.
Frozen foods often contain more vitamins and minerals that the fresh stuff on displaybecause they are frozen soon after harvesting. Most of the fresh stuff in the store waspicked before it was ripe, and ripened on the way over from some very far distance. Allthe while losing itʼs nutritional profile.
Forgo The Fancy Stuff. By fancy I mean things like nutrition bars or granola (whichseems to be outrageous). Both of these things can be quickly and easily made at home.I got tired of watching my husband eat $5 worth of granola in 2-3 days, so I startedmaking my own, for $5, I can make an entire liter of granola. I beat him at his owngame. Need a recipe: Coconut Granola.
Seriously, making your own stuff doesnʼt have to cut into your busy life, and it will helpyou save in the long run!
Following these tips have had a huge affect on the money we spend each week and Iam confident that it can help you too. You never know, with the money you save youmight be able to go on vacation in a few months, buy a new outfit, or get those newrunning shoes youʼve been looking at.
Taylor Ryan is a personal trainer and the blogger behind Lifting Revolution.Taylor lives in Charleston, SC with her husband where sheowns and runs a womenʼs only boot camp. She is passionate about food and thatpassion has only grown since becoming a vegan less than a year ago.
