By Alexandra Pettit
Many think when on a budget you can’t eat healthy.Well they are very wrong. As a college student I am on a very limited budget and have found ways to stretch out the dollar and still eat great.
The first thing I have found to be very cost effective is to ditch the traditional grocery stores for produce and head to a local farmers market. Luckily for me I have one very close and lucky for you I have a way for you to find a farmers market close to you as well. Before I go, I always make a list of produce I need for all of my meals as well as produce I would like as well. Most of the time the market is doing some kind of 2 for 1 deal so always keep your eye out. Also remember if a specific produce is in season it will be cheaper.
The must have produce for me would be:
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Apples
- Grapes
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Tomato
These are all things that you would be able to just throw together as a salad or a quick snack.
The next thing I do to keep cost down is always make a meal plan for the week so I know exactly what I will need. For me this helps me keep track of what I actually need and not all of the extra junk that I don’t. I have a basic list that I always start with. These are things that most people need weekly.
- Bread
- Milk
- Juice
- Water
- Cheese
- Chicken breast
Another thing I do is shop online. Most grocery stores offer this service for free all you have to do is show up to pick it up at your designated time. This is one way for me to track my spending as I go. This also gives me the opportunity to save time by not having to go to the store, this also leads to less impulse purchases.
These are just a few of the things that I do and there are many other things you just have to do what will work best with you. Happy Shopping.
For more tips and tricks on shopping check out the fill your plate blog. Looking for some recipes to make to impress the whole family check out the recipe section. Check out our in season produce section, this helps keep food prices economical.