How to Shop on a Budget
The intent of this blog is to show that eating Whole & Healthy does not have to be expensive.
6 Tips for Shopping on a Budget:
- Make a Grocery List! As soon as I am done with an item in my cupboards or fridge, it goes on the list. My aim is to keep my kitchen stocked with food so I can always make something from what is in my house. When you think of what recipes you want to make the following week, those go on the list too. Make sure that your partner knows that what you want to eat goes on the list, to ensure you always get what you want/ need. Bring this list to the store and stick to it.
- Find out when your local grocery store has SALES on. If you don’t know, ask. Generally the manager (if not the cashiers) have an idea as to when the sales go on. I have learned the sales are most frequently on Monday and Tuesday at our Metro or Thursday at our Sobeys. Base your shopping list on these sale days. Check online for flyers, too.
- Buy what is in season. This way they are fresh, in abundance and on sale because there is so much available! When you find fruit or veg on sale and it is not on your list, swap it for something else. You will learn that most vegetables and fruit can be swapped for one another.
- Eat before you shop. If you go shopping hungry, you often buy more. Eat before you shop and its easier to jut get what you need, instead of what you think you crave.
Natural/Organic health food is on sale quite often. There are no preservatives to keep healthy food on shelves for long… so don’t let the big ticket signs scare you. Wait a week, and check in on your item. I cannot tell you how often we walk into our store and come out with everything we wanted on sale. Its like the universe works with our needs to supply it to us.
Check the ingredients on everything you buy. Choose simple and as real (pronounceable) ingredients as possible. I would choose the simple ingredient list if its a bit more expensive, then a cheaper item with lots of additives. If you choose health now, you will save money in sickness and medicine later anyway. Your health is worth the investment.
Our Weekly Grocery Shop
We, as a family, try to go shopping 2 times a week.
We have learned that by planning our grocery shopping experience ahead of time, allows us to go to the store when things are on sale, thus saving us alot of money in the future.
The pictures below are the 2 shopping trips we took this week,
(plus I listed what I already had in my cupboards in the notes below)
We made breakfasts, lunches and dinners for 3 people (plus occasional guests) for 7 days.
Shopping Day 1: $62.63
Shopping Day 2: $23.10
One Weeks Groceries Total Cost: $85.73
Not including what was in my cupboards & fridge already:
Eggs, greens powder, chia seed, hemp hearts, rice, quinoa, coconut oil, spices, onions, garlic, broccoli, small tomatoes, green pepper, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, sprouted grain bread, rice cakes, peanut butter, tahini, maple syrup, coconut milk, oats, dried fruit, sliced almonds, frozen blueberries, frozen peas, frozen edamame, homemade kombucha, homemade sauerkraut, chickpeas, green & red lentils, blackbeans, coffee, cream, sweetneners/coconut sugar, homemade sauces.
(all of these listed are staples that I buy bulk and make in large batches, to have on hand almost always)
The top 3 food items I recommend:
1) Kefir: this is a flavored probiotic yogurt drink (think healthy yop). It is fantastic to increase good bacteria in gut, it tastes delicious so you and your kiddums will love it. Its a great snack alongside some fruit or veg and a wonderful substitute to yogurt. Its on sale quite often and you can find non organic as well as organic varieties. As well as effervescent choices. Our personal favorite is Vanilla Bean effervescent Kefir from Sobeys.
2) Avocado– We eat avocados every damn day. They can be expensive, but the nutrients they contain are totally worth it. We use them in our breakfast on toast or in eggs, we also make lots of guacamole and use vegetables and crackers to dip. You can also eat on its own with lemon or chop up in salad. Aiming to get this healthy fat into your diet is truly a wonderful addition to whole and healthy living.
3) Beets – Roast them and they turn into candy, shred them and they become a salad, boil them and add onions, garlic and broth you get Beet soup(borscht)! I have recipes for all of these ideas on this website as beets are by far a favorite in our home.
We do not compromise on ingredients,
because we do not compromise on our health.
Master Your Kitchen, Master Your Life
You are here for a purpose.
To optimally nourish yourself, your family & future generations.
One Meal at a Time.
Britney has been blessed with incredible insight not only in the kitchen but in life and has the ability to empower others to find joy in whatever they do.
-Rana Unity, Entrepreneur
