Tag Archives: budget

Budgeting For Better, Healthier Meals

By Ashley Watson

Budgeting for meals can be easier than you think if you remember that saving money will also encourage healthier eating habits. You already know that whole foods are more healthful than processed foods, but did you realize they were cheaper, as well?

Here are some tips to remember when creating your grocery budget and shopping lists:

Plan Your Meals

Planning your meals for the week may feel a little too ambitious, but it will save time and money in the end. Think about how long it takes to decide what you want to eat after a long day at work when you are already tired and hungry. You don’t have to sit down and write a detailed menu for every night of the week, but it’s a good idea to have a general sense of which meals you want to prepare.

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Posted on August 10, 2023 by Health Buzz

Cost of Eating Healthy Should not Cost You Your Health

As the economic times seem to get leaner, it’s getting more difficult to afford the groceries we need to keep up with the nutritional guidelines. Whether the cost of food has gone up or the income of the average American has dropped, shopping for optimal health isn’t as simple as it once was. There are options and ways to avoid throwing in the towel in the battle for better health.

The numbers were crunched and the cost of meeting the recommended daily requirements of “My Plate,” the new U.S. nutritional guideline, will cost an extra $7.28 a week. This dollar amount is factoring in that “My Plate” calls for more consumption of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D, and calcium rich foods.

Most of these nutrients can be obtained from healthy foods that tend to cost more at the grocery store. Let us help with some easy cost-cutting suggestions that do not cut the quality of your food.

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Posted on August 9, 2023 by Lacy

Pay with Cash to Stick to a Healthy Grocery List

For years, we’ve heard that the way to stick to a budget at the grocery store is to avoid paying with credit and go to a cash only system. Now, a new study has shown that paying for groceries with cash may be good for the waistline as well.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research,  found that shoppers were more likely to buy items considered “unhealthy” when they paid with credit or debit cards than if they paid with cash. You might think that a person who paid with a debit card would be as conscious of spending as a person with cash, due to the fact that a debit card drafts money from your account immediately. The study showed the opposite, even when the subjects completed their shopping in a computer simulated task.

When you are trying to eat healthy, sticking to a budget and a well planned out grocery list can be one of your greatest tools. Grocery stores are designed to part you from your money, and the areas that are on eye level are often full of the foods that are the least diet-friendly. Companies often pay extra for the “prime real estate” and they place the foods with the greatest income potential in those sections.

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Posted on July 12, 2023 by Carmen

Learn How to Coupon to Save on Healthy Groceries

Turn on the television or pick up a magazine and you can’t avoid seeing the latest craze – Extreme Couponing. It’s a full time job for many women and it’s become the next big thing. TV shows spotlight shoppers who pay next to nothing for cart after cart of merchandise, and cameras focus on closets of toothpaste and basements full of toilet paper. You can’t help but be interested; after all, who among us hasn’t fantasized about being paid to shop and bring home food for free?

Having a larger than normal size family, I’m always interested in trying to cut my large food bill. The most I’ve ever been able to save is about $25, and although I’m happy to accomplish at least that much of a savings, I’d love to do better. I’ve thought for quite a while about trying to use coupons more successfully, but having spent some time cutting coupons from my local paper I’ve noticed that there’s just one small problem: The vast majority of the coupons I’ve seen have been for heavily processed, high fat or high calorie foods that my family just doesn’t eat. Is it just the reality of extreme couponing that you will have to sacrifice eating healthy in order to save money?

Stephanie Nelson, the Coupon Mom, has a philosophy she refers to as strategic shopping to help save money at the grocery store. “Strategic shopping is not changing the way you eat, it is about changing the way you buy the food that you like. If you are working on losing weight, improving your health, improving your family’s health or all of the above, it is possible to do that while saving money on groceries when you know how to be a Strategic Shopper.” (more…)

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Carmen

Buying Organic Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank

Teri Gault, CEO and founder of TheGroceryGame.com, wife and mother of two, began The Grocery Game as a home-based business in February 2000. As an avid saver and coupon-clipper, Teri decided to use her skills to create a list to help identify when to use coupons, based on categorical sales trends, to achieve maximum savings at her local supermarket. Since 2000 The Grocery Game has expanded to over 50 states and continues to expand globally. Today the average family of four saves up to 67% a month in groceries, totaling about over $500 a month in savings, by playing The Grocery Game and following Teri’s Tips to shopping.

You WILL pay more for organic than conventionally produced food, BUT you DON’T have to pay full price! Plus there’s some money saving alternatives you may want to consider.

First of all, “organic” or “natural”? In the US, to bear the name “organic”, it must be USDA certified organic, which is costly to food producers. But, more and more “natural” food manufacturers are doing almost the same things as considerable alternatives. The catch is that there are no government standards for what “natural” may mean. Your best bet is to visit the manufacturer’s website and read what “natural” means to them. You just might find, for instance, a chicken grower who pledges to use no hormones and no antibiotics. If that takes care of your main concerns, you just cut your poultry bill by about 75%!

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Posted on January 30, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Healthy Budget Eating with Rachael Ray on the Dr. Oz Show

Tune in this Thursday, January 27 to the Dr. Oz Show when superstar cook and talk-show host, Rachael Ray stops by to show you how to eat healthy on a budget.

On the show, Rachael gives you all the tools, tricks and recipes  you need to stretch your dollar but now your waistline. From the healthiest and cheapest foods to low calorie supermarket steals, even Dr. Oz will be blown away by Rachael’s savvy and economical healthy eating tips. (more…)

Posted on January 24, 2024 by heather

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Steel Cut Oats

When you are having trouble getting out the door in the morning it can be tough to think about a healthy and wholesome breakfast. I recommend you plan ahead it will save you time and money! Watch now to see why I use steel cut oats, and how I prepare them.

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Posted on November 23, 2023 by Shay

Bento Lunches are Healthy Meals in a Box

The word “bento” or “obento” is Japanese for a meal served in a box. If you’ve noticed the compact lunch boxes popping up on cafeteria tables near you, than you’d likely agree that the bento trend has officially reached Western culture.

According to Deb Hamilton’s popular bento blog Lunch in a Box, a bento lunch is a “compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box.” Hamilton, who lived in Japan for nine years and speaks fluent Japanese, began creating bento boxes as a creative meal option when her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Maris

Save Money and Calories On Your Next Grocery Trip

In 2024 the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the average American family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries. That’s a lot of trips to the market and probably a lot of empty calories purchased each week.

While some people can afford to splurge on premium ingredients and brand names, the grocery store is also one of the most common places where people overspend.

“Take your grocery list to the store when you shop,” said Teri Gault, CEO of TheGroceryGame.com “Don’t buy groceries that you don’t need. If you have a list of everything you’ll need for the next few weeks, you’ll gather all the ingredients you need while saving money and avoiding the panic of the last minute rush.”

Follow some of our tips to keep your grocery budget to a minimum – and your grocery list full of healthy food.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Maris

Jillian Michaels on The Doctors

Tune in this Tuesday, November 9 to The Doctors when Jillian Michaels shows you how to get in shape without spending a dime.

This episode of The Doctors is all about improving your health for free. And what better fitness expert to enlist the budget-friendly support of than Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels? (more…)

Posted on November 8, 2023 by heather

Eating Healthy on a Dime: Homemade Yogurt

Making your own yogurt – sounds difficult, right? What is yogurt anyway? Well, that’s beside the point. Today I wanted to show you that homemade yogurt is not as difficult as it sounds!

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Posted on October 31, 2023 by Shay