Zach and I have decided that, with the big 3-0 looming right ahead of us, it is high time we buy a house. This is extremely exciting and I get giddy just thinking about it, especially when I get sucked into pinterest planning out things like our yard and kitchen. Oh goodness. Having some heart palpitations (the good kind!).
But, it turns out, in order to buy a house, you need money. And lots of it. And so, we have set out on the ambitious quest to save one of our whole salaries for the next year in order to reach our down payment goal.
In going through our goals and budget, we thought long and hard about what was important to us, and what we could cut. Cable TV? Cut. Extra data on our phones? Cut. Eating healthy, real food? Absolutely NOT cut.
So, how do you do this on a budget? The benefits of eating real food far outweigh the one and only con: it is more expensive. With an emphasis on eating organic produce, choosing grass fed, high quality meats, and eating fresh ingredients, the costs can add up. But, with a few organizational tips, it is absolutely possible to stick to a low budget and still eat clean, unprocessed meals. The five ways we keep tabs on our grocery budget are:
- We make well-planned grocery lists in two columns: one for meals, and one for ingredients. We try to overlap ingredients into multiple meals as much as possible.
- We have stopped shopping at Whole Foods (goodbye, delicious samples of cheese) and have started shopping at Market Basket, choosing our picks and reading labels very carefully.
- We do not buy 100% organic. When it comes to produce, we stick to buying organic for the “dirty dozen” and conventional for the “clean fifteen.”
- We cook a lot of pantry items from scratch. Peanut butter, marinara sauce, pizza dough… all things that can be made in bulk on the weekends, frozen, and used in many, many meals to come.
- We stay organized, know how much money we have to spend, and under no circumstances go over. We use mint.com to organize our monthly budgets and when we shop, we will sometimes use the calculator on our phones to tally up our bill before check-out to help limit our impulse purchases.
Here is my very first, homemade infographic with all the info you need! Do you have any other tips for eating healthy on a budget? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below!
Melissa Bryan
Hey Elizabeth! I happened across your site while looking for recipes for my new Dutch Oven. Turns out – we are sort of neighbors. I am in Houston! I really like Tip 1 – I will be using that one for sure. Did you ever buy your home? I love Austin. I am also a mortgage lender :). I can help you buy or refinance and would be honored to do so. I am bookmarking your site because you have so many great recipes that are perfect for busy people like me who still want to eat mostly whole, clean foods. Thank you for this!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hi sort-of neighbor! :-) We did end up buying in Driftwood, just outside of Austin, so we are all set, but thanks for the offer! Hope you find some good recipes on Bowl of Delicious :-)
Ana
Love this. Thanks! Everytime I try to encourage my husband to eat clean with me…. to “start” with me. He always says it’s too expensive. With these tips, I know I can and should just ease into it without him realizing that our food selections are cleaner and we didn’t break the bank. We too are saving to buy a house. Looking to cut cut cut expenses all around!
Elizabeth
I’m so glad this was helpful for you! Since this post was written, we’ve bought our house and are happy as can be :-) Totally worth the sacrificing and budgeting. Good luck!
Brittany
Hi Elizabeth,
I know it’s tempting to say to avoid Whole Foods entirely, but I have to respectfully disagree. I always encourage people to compare prices everywhere, including Whole Foods. While, yes, I agree that many items there are pretty inflated price-wise, some items are quite literally the best price around. I buy all my organic frozen produce there. For example: The price on the 2 lb bag of strawberries and 2 lb blueberries (the 365 brand) is the cheapest per ounce (for frozen organic) that I can find anywhere. That includes Target, Walmart, Earthfare, Publix, Winn Dixie, and our local organic grocer. It is, however, a tie with the price at Aldi. (Yay Aldi!! So many great organic items for fab prices!) So, don’t automatically disregard Whole Foods – some things can be worth it! We don’t shop there weekly, but we go about once a month for those specific items and stock up. :)
Elizabeth
Thanks so much Brittany for this awesome information! It’s actually on my to-do list to revamp this post with tips like these, so this is SUPER helpful.
Rachel
Thanks for the post :) We have been doing a lot of these same things! The biggest difference for us is eating less meat (usually 1-2 times a week). We’ve learned to get protein in other ways, and spend the extra money on good produce/ other things we need. Keep up the good work- budgeting is hard! The house will be SO worth it :)
Elizabeth
Thanks, Rachel! The not eating meat one is HUGE (not to mention awesome for the environment as well). Hopefully see y’all soon! :-)
Patch the Giraffe
Great info, I have recently went to an all clean diet! It can be both overwhelming and expensive. I need a dirty dozen picture for my phone I always forget when shopping. Good luck on the house savings :)
Caroline @ shrinkingsingle
Great post. I always find my grocery bill is so much lower when I plan to eat vegetarian meals and shop at our local fruit and vegetable markets. Not only are the prices lower but the vegetables are fresher and last longer. As they last longer I need to go to the shops less reducing impulse chocolate buys…
Elizabeth
Thank you, Caroline! And yes… vegetarian is SO much cheaper than eating meat. And, way better for you! Impulse chocolate buys are difficult to avoid… I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Trader Joe’s around the holidays but Zach and I usually come back with at least 5 different kinds of chocolate and/or cookies. This is why sticking to a strict list is helpful… it helps at least a teeny bit in avoiding the temptation :-)
Caroline @ Shrinking Single
No trader joe’s in Australia but the supermarkets here are just as bad. I do like that they are now offering checkouts with no tempting items for children (and me!). I saw a great show the other day about the cost of ready cooked foods like the pre cooked rice you can get here now. The difference in price between that and just ordinary rice per kilogram was phenomenal. And just to save 10 or so minutes cooking time.
Lisa Lindemann
Excellent post! You did a great job explaining how to eat healthy on a budget. I would also suggest buying produce in season, and locally grown. Both cheaper, and healthier. And avoid purchasing “ready-to-go” items, such as already grated cheese, salads in a bag, etc. You pay for the “convenience.” You have inspired me to do better, both at the grocery store, and in my kitchen. Thanks! Mom L.
Elizabeth
Thanks so much, Lisa!! And thank you for the additional suggestions! I may have to do a “part two” of this post at some point and add these things in. Also, did you know that already grated cheese also has an extra ingredient in it to prevent caking? Glad you liked the post :-)