Thursday: Health Issues and ideas

Spending less on healthy food may be easier than you think!  Here is how we do it:

• Stock up on pantry staples.  We buy loads of shelf stable pantry staples such as rice, whole wheat, flour, oats, pasta, sugar, and an assortment of beans.
• Use coupons for packaged items such as spices, cereals, soups, and any paper goods you buy.
• Stock up on sale items.  We buy canned fruit by the case load when they are on sale.  We also buy large quantities of canned tomato sauce, frozen fruit, nuts, and chicken breasts as they go on sale.
• Keep a list of best food prices. This is one I started for myself, while it definitely needs to be updated, its a good start.
• With your pantry completely stocked once each month with low cost foods, the rest of your food budget should be spent on weekly produce.   Even $25 – $30 per week for fruits and vegetables can get you a good amount of in season produce.
• Don’t forget my stand by rule:  Snacks should never cost more than $0.20 per snack.  Whether you are buying granola bars or goldfish, if its not under twenty cents, I don’t buy it.

What are your strategies for saving money on healthy food?