My clients consistently tell me they save money (and pay off credit card debt) by working with me.
Americans spend exorbitant amounts of money on electronics, clothes, cars, recreation but expect to get top quality food for dirt cheap. What we eat is absorbed into blood stream to form cells, tissues, organs, and even clear thinking. Eat crap and you will feel, look, and think like crap. People often say that it’s expensive to eat healthy. Since so much of the “wrong” foods are subsidized, I do agree that eating high quality food costs more but here are a few tips to keep costs under control. In the end, it’s worth it.
- Snack time. Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. When you’re starving, you are apt to buy unhealthy, expensive food. I always have nuts, fruits, or a bar in my purse, office, or car so it’ll tie me over until the next meal.
- Make a list. Write down what you need to buy so you don’t leave room for impulse buying.
- Buy bulk. Buy your beans, grains, cereals, nuts, etc in the bulk section. Rice and beans with the right vegetables and spices is delicious and cheap.
- Buy things on sale. Buying seasonal food is not only better for you and tastes better, but saves you money. Local produce on sale is a good indicator that it’s in season.
- Meal planning. Take a little time to plan your weekly meals and cook a pot that you can reheat through the week. The crock pot is the perfect tool for minimal work and great benefits.
- Time in the kitchen. If you are willing to spend some time cutting, preparing, and cooking at home, you will save lots of money. Pre-cut, pre-cooked food can get expensive. (i.e., you can save money and get 8 times the amount if you buy a bag of carrots versus pre-cut container of carrots.)
- Cook once, eat twice (or more). Double your recipe and you will get dinner and lunch for the next day, saving you money and avoiding lunch take-outs.
- Bring your own water. Plastic bottled water is not only unregulated and expensive, but causes cancer and harms our environment. Get a stainless steel, glass, or BPA-free bottle and bring water with you wherever you go.
- Limit drinks. You’ll save tons of money once you start limiting Starbuck’s $5 high-calorie drinks and just ordering water with your meals.
Don’t forget, your health is the most important thing. Good food is less expensive than medical bills, medication, and surgery. So eat up the deliciousness!
Get a free health consultation. You owe it to yourself to do something completely different to be healthy, happy, and have the weight come off for good without dieting! www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655.
~Samantha Hua, San Diego, CA, Nutrition & Health Coach
