We all know that we need to eat healthy, but many of us avoid healthy eating because we are under the impression that it costs more. After all, organic foods and free range chicken always costs more at the grocery store. You can still eat very healthy, though, by following these tips. Get in on a co-op. In farmer co-ops, you pay a set fee and a farmer delivers a batch of fresh organic produce to your door every week. Costs vary widely, but are always cheaper than a similar product at the grocery store because you are cutting out the middle man. If there are no delivery options in your area, get together with a bunch of friends, contact a farmer and arrange to buy organic items or free-range meat in bulk. Then, split the cost. This is a great way to eat well for less.
Rely less on cookbooks. Cookbooks are great, but they often push you to buy items just for a recipe, and then these items tend to go bad. How many bunches of parsley have gone bad in your fridge because you bought them for one dish and never used 80% of the bunch? Waste is costly and you’ll afford more without it. Try to make your own meals with what you have on hand and use up the ingredients you do buy.
Learn to like your freezer. Buy items in bulk when they are on sale or in season and store them for when they are expensive.
Budget for your dining. Keep track of what you spend on groceries and determine how much you can really spend on food. Then, get creative to make that amount go further.