Yesterday’s article on eating healthy within your financial means got me thinking. There are so many quick and easy things to do to help stay on budget – while buying healthy foods.
One big change we’ve made is we don’t buy any cleaners….at all. We use vinegar for a lot of stuff, and use a norwex mop and cloths for the rest. Some of it is more expensive to start of course, but just switch over 1 thing when you can. The toilet cleaning system we bought is 56$ and does 150 cleanings…so for us that’s almost 3 years. And if you use any of those kinds of products have a party, earn some free product….we didn’t buy it all at once, but I sure notice a difference in our budget now. And if you have kids or pets it’s always a big bonus not having any chemicals in your house.
As for groceries – watch the flyers! Know what you can cook and what your family likes to eat and keep an eye out. We use our slow cooker all the time, they’re cheap to buy and can last you 10-20 years. Buy cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook them. For veggies and fruit we stock up at Sobey’s during dollar days – buy as many apples and pears as you can fit in your fridge and eat from that for a long time. Having a garden in the summer is great, if you don’t have the room check freecycle for people giving stuff away. Last year I gave away tons of tomatoes and rhubarb – we had way too much. Get creative – shop with a friend and split huge packs of meat, get new cookbooks from the library and plan out your meals. Shop as least often as you can – start slow and fill your pantry with your family’s staples. It doesn’t take long if you use coupons, take advantage of 10% off days etc. Buy your bread at mcgavins, use a coupon and it’s usually around 1$ a loaf for multigrain type breads. We only go about once a month and stock up – it freezes well.
Those are some of my favourites to stay on budget – any other good tips? And if you’re just starting out couponing, or working on a budget, facing some new challenges etc. post up your questions if you need help. Tons of people on here every day with great insight, good advice and lots of good tips on how to stretch your dollar.
we do same thing as you, I started selling norwex and so I haven’t bought any cleaners in a while,going on 6 month, their products last a long time..
also since we bought a freezer I found we save tons by stocking up, I don’t go to the store as often, for bread I like mcgavins but even our iga has clearance on bread often , like 1 day old, they also have a cart for veggies on clearance, I’ve found perfect peppers and mushrooms there…just cause they got a new delivery…they often have in-store manager sales on meat too..
in the summer its even easier, our garden is awesome, we also have raspberries and strawberry bushes…
I don’t know… But our food budget seems to be working for us we are a family of 4 and we spend about no more then $400 a month on food which would include 1 pizza night
Were are a family of four too and we have very big fruit and veggie eaters here – our budget is no more the $600 but that does include lots of organic fruits and veggies. But a big way we have saved money is esting at home so instead of going to a fancy resturant (4 people @ $20) – i can get a lobster (when there on sale $6-9 each) or crab legs ($12 a bag) or frozen shrimp ($12) or some steak and have a great night for 1/2 the price.
We are a family of 3 and probably spend around $400/month. For me to stay on budget is watching the flyers mostly, I try and plan out meals for the week and only buy what I need. I laugh now when I look at my receipts because everything I buy is a sale item. I used to get frusterated because we used to eat the same thing for dinner all the time because they were cheaper items but now that I’ve learned to stock up on certain items and have been using coupons religiously it’s made it a little easier to add variety to our meals. Timing is still an issue for us because we live rurally so I need quick meals, I will definitley have to pull out my slow cooker again.
My boyfriend and I have slowly begun to remove meat from our diets and are eating healthier foods so we do find it costs more, especially for organic and healthy foods. But over time, we’ve learned where to shop and when possible, we buy bulk to lower costs. I know it can be difficult to keep costs low, but if you plan, time and money go a lot farther. Personally, I find this website to be a very useful aid in helping me with shopping, so thank you for all you do.
Thanks Leann! Everyone has to do it their own way, find their own thing. I love when people share their tips because there’s something for everyone. Doesn’t take long implementing a few changes before you see a big difference in the budget! 🙂
We do a lot of the same stuff . . . we also cloth diaper. I love cloth diapering. It has cost us about $400 – 500 to get set up & now with our second child I didn’t need to purchase any diapers! So instead of an approximate $1000 + per child to disposable diaper, we have spent approximately $500 on two children. Otherwise, I could have easily spent $2000+ already. On diapers. That get thrown away. Never mind all the horrific chemicals that are put into disposables . . .
We spend less than $400 per month on groceries for 5 of us. We rarely buy processed foods, and make most things from scratch. Our big splurge is meats – we only buy extra lean ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breasts – but I figure we save enough on other things to balance it out 🙂 Having a stocked pantry and freezer has completely changed our spending habits, and both my husband and I have a great internal “price book” so we know when to stock up. Shopping at McGavins is a big help, as is shopping at Shoppers Drug Mart!
i joined a wholesale company and they are great we used to spend around 800.00 a month for the 7 of us and now we spend 400.00 i love the savings it is such a great company if anyone wants any infor get back to me….they deliver all meats and you get whatever you want..the only thing you buy at a regular store is eggs milk bread any fridge stuff..
Hi sheri. Could you please send me my Stamps you owe me thanks