Eating Healthy on a Budget

Hey guys,

 I'm back!!! Hurrah! I'm so happy to be back. My unplanned hiatus was not fun. The computer is good for now and I'm hopeful that it will stay that way. (The good news is that I have my important files backed up. Thanks for your help with that, Victoria!)

 Today, I want to share with you all some ways to save money and eat healthy. I'm currently, eating clean. I did not clean out my pantry and start from scratch so there are still "unclean" items in my home. My husband isn't eating totally clean either,so I have to take that into consideration as well.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/fm.htm

1. Farmer's Markets and Asian Markets are your friends.
You can easily Google and locate your local farmers market and Asian markets. These are great because you are guaranteed fresh from the farm produce and other items, such as nuts. And as Jenny from Southern Savers' says "You are back in a bartering system," so you can easily talk with the people there and agree on a fair price. Be fair though because these people have been up much earlier than you, and likely had to travel to get said food. My friend, Cami, from First Day of my Life suggested the Asian Market example. She could probably tell you more about those. I need to look into that one myself!

2. SouthernSavers.com. 
This is an excellent resource for couponing and ways to save money. There are not as many healthy coupons out there as there are unhealthy, but this is a good place to look. You can also like your favorite products on Facebook or signup for their newsletter and that is a way to possibly get coupons and alerts on what is happening with your favorite companies.

http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/sunday-paper-coupons-newspaper-ads/

3. Get a Sunday paper.
This is another place to find coupons.

4. Shop at the Dollar Tree.
Yep, judge me if you want, but I'm not paying extra money for cards, wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper,toothpaste (I got it free with a coupon last week), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, air freshener, and other odds and ends.

5. Shop at Drug Stores.
This is another suggestion from Jenny at Southern Savers. I'm learning about this one. She says that CVS is the best place to start, so I'll be working on getting good there before I start anywhere else. She gets all of her paper products, hygiene, medications, etc. there. She does a great Free coupon class that will explain further on this and how to get started. (Check out her site in the link above.)

http://www.trainermomma.com/2010/05/healthy-for-le-produce-co-ops/ Trainer momma also shares  her thoughts on co-ops in this link.

6. Co-ops are awesome.
Look for vegetable co-op or produce co-op in your Google search. Be sure to include your city and state. I pay $30 every other week to have fresh, organic produce delivered right to my door! (Prices and specifics may vary in your area.)

7.  Aldi's are also great.
If you have an Aldi nearby, definitely take advantage. This is a great place, especially for those who are not fond of couponing. You can save by being willing to sacrifice brand names.

8. Don't be hard on yourself.
Do what your budget allows you to do. If you are eating clean or on a diet that only allows a certain kind of bread, buy it once a pay day. If you can't afford to purchase organic or all-natural peanut butter use regular peanut butter in smaller quantities. Do what you can afford to do. Don't let your budget get you down or make you stop trying to live a healthier lifestyle.

You can make a positive change in your life. You can eat better and you can stick to a budget.

Have any questions or suggestions of ways to save money and eat healthy? Sound off below! I would love to hear from you.

<3 anna