One of the things that drives me so crazy about trying to eat a healthy, clean diet is the fact that “organic” food is so darn expensive. Seriously….a 250gm bag of Organic Almond Meal sets me back $6.00 while a 2kg pack of white flour is under $2.00…it drives me crazy.
So the question on mine, and I’m guessing a lot of your lips is this…How do you eat healthy organic food on a tight budget?
It’s not always easy I have to admit……and that’s why I’m going to share with you a couple of the things I do so that Monkey and I are eating better.
1. Mark-Downs – Most supermarkets mark down fresh fruit and veg to get rid of the older food and bring in the fresher stuff. I LOVE mark-down day, mostly because I love it when they mark-down all the organic groceries……just figure out which day is mark-down day in your supermarket and shop on those days.
2. Stock Up – I always make sure that I put some money aside in case I find a good bargain that I might want to stock up on. You don’t have to put aside heaps, for me its usually $20. When I see an organic item that’s on sale…..ie, last week organic coconut sugar was on sale for $4.55 instead of the normal $7.00….so I bought 4 packs, saving myself $9.80 that I would have paid if I had bought the sugar as I needed it at full price.
3. Don’t Waste – Once upon a time, I used to buy lots of fruit. Not because I actually ate said fruit, but because I know I SHOULD eat it. A week or so later, all that fruit ended up in the garbage and I just wasted $$$$ all because I couldn’t be honest with myself. Only buying perishable foods that you will actually eat before they are rotten will save you lots of money. I remember I watched Oprah once, and she was talking about wasting food….every time she has to throw something in the garbage, she reminds herself how much she paid for that item….after you do that a few times, it gets harder to throw the food away!
4. Drink Water – I know I know….but it’s a no brainer. For starters, stop buying soda, coffee, hot chocolate, cordial etc…..and stop buying bottled water! I NEVER EVER pay for a bottle of water if I can help it. Why would I when that stuff runs out of my tap for free? We all know that water is really what our bodies need to survive, so why are we buying all the other crap? Buy a tap filter and never pay for bottled water or anything else you’ve been drinking again.
5. Farmers Market – If you live somewhere that has a Farmers Market, why aren’t you shopping there? Not only is most of the food at these places organic….but it’s usually better value and a whole lot fresher than anything you could buy at the supermarket.
6. Grow It – Not everyone can do this one. I live in a country town which automatically makes this much easier. I get free organic free range eggs from one of my best friends who owns a cattle farm (all organic with the cattle also), there are lots of lemon trees around town that are loaded down with lemons no one wants, and Monkey and I have started to grow our own tomatoes on our verandah. If you have a verandah or balcony, then you can grow vegies…. If there is somewhere you can get good healthy organic food for free…..why on earth are you paying for it??
Anyway, I know that not all of these can be done by everyone, but you could at least do one of two of them…..and not only will your bank account be healthier, but so will you! Think about it! Saving money on your weekly groceries means you can free up money for a budget holiday or saving for a rainy day.
