3 Things that May be Busting Your Grocery Budget

It may seem like it costs far too much to eat healthier, that’s often because people fall into patterns that raise their expenses. Usually, there’s more to why food costs are high. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make small changes that help. Here are three things that may be busting your budget and what you can do to offset them. 

1. Buying for Convenience
2. Where you shop and how often
3. Eating out and grabbing take out

Let’s take a deeper look-

Buying for convenience costs more- Any time you access foods that have been pre-chopped, pre-seasoned, or in any way done-for-you, they are going to cost more. It’s easy to grab-n-go when the store offers ready-to-cook healthy food options for dinner or pre-peeled apple slices for your little one’s snack, but these foods cost far more than necessary.

For every step someone else takes to prep food for consumption, you absorb the cost. The easiest way to reduce costs for healthy foods is to prep them yourself. It may be tempting to grab a beautifully displayed package of pre-sliced Brussel’s sprouts seasoned with dill and chopped white onion, but you may pay up to three times as much when you do. Learning to prep your foods yourself will help significantly reduce your costs.

Do this instead: Learn what seasonings you and your family love and keep them on hand. Try meal prepping and clean, chop and store healthy foods you need for the week so they are ready to go. Pay attention to what foods you tend to eat regularly and make a point of finding the most affordable ways to keep them accessible and ready for you and your family so you aren’t in a crunch. For example, a block of cheese is far less expensive than shredded or cubed cheese. Buy in bulk and shred or cube your cheese at home.

Where you shop and how often impacts your budget- Different stores offer different experiences. Fancy stores have all the bells and whistles that make shopping a delightful treat for the senses. From what you see and hear, to what you smell can be exciting. It can feel like there’s no better place to buy a head of lettuce when you can also grab a latte and scone to go with it. Where you shop is going to impact what the prices are. Choosing markets that have the balance between ambiance and affordability makes a big difference.

Also, how often you shop can impact your budget. Impulse buying rises with each trip to the store. You may go into the store for a ripe avocado and come home with some craft beer and ice cream for dessert if you aren’t focused.

Do this instead: Shop stores for their benefits. Many stores have incredible prices on staple items like canned and dry goods, while others have superior produce. Choose the store based on what items you need most. In many cases, the high-end stores don’t offer higher quality than other stores, it just seems that way because of how things are marketed. Don’t get hypnotized by the ambiance, focus on what stores offer the best products for the price point.

Create a master list and shop less often. Meal planning and a consistent shopping schedule can help you avoid stopping by the market for one or two items and making impulse purchases.

Eating out costs thousands of dollars per year- The average American eats out 5.9 times per week which averages to spending almost $300.00 weekly. From coffee in the morning, to lunch with friends, ending with dinner out or through the drive thru window, eating out can rack up food costs. Eating out can also lead to food waste when foods in the home aren’t consumed before they expire.

Do this instead: Be mindful about eating out. Make adjustments to your schedule and your habits. Try creating your favorite beverage at home to enjoy on your way to work. Commit to taking your lunch to work three days per week and make date-night special by eating out once per week for dinner. 

Your habits may be making a bigger impact on your budget than the actual price of healthy eating. Some tweaking may be all you need to reduce spending and make healthy foods an affordable part of your budget