How to eat well on a low budget

When you face a financial crisis, it's quite logical to go into everything that costs less. It's an instinctive behavior. However, it's still possible to eat healthy food at a low price. This is exactly what we're going to prove you today with our tips and tricks for paying less at the grocery store.

#1 Buy only what's on sale

Every week, there are items on sale in almost every department at your favorite grocery store. It's up to you to be more curious and creative to create healthy dishes with the week's bargains.
Another option: go find the lowest price of what you're looking for at competing grocery stores.

#2 Choose seasonal products 

Because of their availability during the season, they are naturally harvested in abundance. Compared to other products, their costs are lower, because the savings are made on key parameters such as transport costs (short distances vs long distances) or the method of cultivation (field cultivation vs greenhouse cultivation).

#3 Buy in bulk

All families know that buying in large quantities is always a good deal !
If you live in a shared apartment, add groceries to your list of things to share.
If you live alone, try bartering food with your neighbors, friends, classmates or in barter groups on social media.

#4 Choosing private label brands

The packaging and/or the name of the brand may not resonate high-end, but keep in mind that what matters is the content... Even if you feel that these products are of inferior quality, remember that appearances are often deceptive.

#5 Buying imperfect foods

Once again, the clothes don't make the man. Fruits or vegetables that are aesthetically less beautiful have the same nutritional values as those that are “normal”. To avoid food waste, producers sell them for less, because they know that without this initiative, no one would be attracted to them ! The same goes for products that are not presented in standard formats or containers (cheese, nut butters,etc.).

#6 Have your grocery basket evaluated by our naturopath

Nowadays, people are used to getting information on the internet and on social media. In such bunch of information, you will find both good and bad information. And there is the rub...
The advantage of having recommendations from a health professional directly at the grocery store is that they are concrete and personalized.. Instantly, you will be able to adopt or change food choices that you thought were healthy, but are not in reality. Learn more about the service.

On a tight budget, normally, you cut unnecessary expenses. If you're not doing this right now, you need to be more organized and less impulsive when buying new stuffs. To work on these two skills when it comes to grocery shopping, we encourage you to :

• take an inventory of your fridge and pantry before going shopping. This will prevent you from buying duplicate products. 
• make a list of everything you are missing and stick to your list. This will prevent you from going out of budget.
• bring your own reusable grocery bags so you won't buy another bag that will end up in the back of your cupboards or that will be thrown away after just one use.
• do not buy pre-cut products (cheese, carrots, etc.). They are more expensive than whole products since manufacturers make it easier for you by cutting them for you !
• do not buy the products near the cash registers. They are mostly sold individually and usually they are expensive.
• don't throw away your leftovers. Warm them up and then simply eat them or incorporate them into other dishes.
• avoid going to convenience stores. You must have realized that in convenience stores, the prices are relatively higher than in conventional stores.

BONUS
There is one last thing we want to share with you. Something you (maybe) never thought of... Cook or juice the parts of food that you are used to put in the compost because you don't that they are edible. For example, there are potato peels, broccoli stems, radish tops, beet leaves, but the list is far from complete. Do your research based on the foods you like !

If you found this article useful, share it to help as many people as possible !