I’m a Frugal Shopper: How My Family Eats Healthy on $240 a Month
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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Eating healthy on a tight budget may seem like an oxymoron, but it is possible. In fact, cooking from scratch with affordable ingredients can be better for both your health and your wallet.
To help us get in a frugal shopping mindset, we talked to two healthy shopping experts: Dr. Joan Salge Blake, nutrition professor at Boston University, and Blanca Garcia, RDN, nutrition specialist at HealthCanal.
“We definitely have a goal of keeping a tight budget; we manage to spend between $50-$60 dollars a week on food,” said Garcia, who has to feed a family of four on a budget. “That means we have to be savvy and make some sacrifices when it comes to shopping for food.”
Eat Mostly Vegetarian
Meat can be one of the priciest items in the grocery store, so cutting back drastically helps shrink your food budget. That doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of boring salads, though. You can create hearty, healthy dishes that satisfy even dedicated meat-eaters.
“Although we are a fan of chicken and [other] meat, we limit it to once a week or once every two weeks,” said Garcia. “Meat is quite expensive and can eat up a chunk of our budget if we buy it daily. Instead we rely heavily on beans, lentils, soy products, chickpeas, mushrooms, cheese and peanut butter for our sources of protein. Most are plant-based proteins and don’t have cholesterol which is healthier and more cost-effective.”
Start by adopting a “flexitarian” approach, enjoying vegetarian meals most days. By cooking creatively with meatless ingredients you can discover new family favorites.
“Consider adjusting your plate and recipes to downsize the more expensive meat and poultry items,” said Blake. “For example, when making chili, use 50% less ground turkey or beef but load up the crock pot with more beans along with extra canned corn. The result: a produce-forward chili that will feed an army but with less meat and costly ingredients. Freeze leftovers for another meal.”
No Highly Processed Foods
Heavily processed foods may seem like they cost less, but in general, they’re less nutritious.
“We avoid sodas, juices and prepacked sweets,” said Garcia. “Although these foods are cheap, they are often of low-value nutrients, and you are essentially eating food that does not contribute to health. You waste money and still need to buy food to fulfill your needs.”
Home cooking with fresh ingredients may take a little more effort, but the savings add up fast. And your family will avoid excess sodium, sugars, unhealthy fats and chemical preservatives.
Always Buy Staples on Sale
A well-stocked pantry is the key to healthy, frugal meals. Keep an eye out for rock-bottom prices on versatile staples like rice, oats, pasta and canned beans. Stocking up during sales and using these ingredients creatively helps you pull together nutritious meals from inexpensive basics.
“Every household has its staple foods,” said Garcia. “Ours are eggs, butter, milk, cheese, tortillas and bread. These foods are always in our refrigerator, no matter what. They are often also on sale, and when they are, I buy more than we usually consume and freeze them. The only item we don’t freeze is milk, since it’s so bulky and we can handle a few days without milk if it’s not on sale.”
These shelf-stable foods also have the advantage of lasting for months, reducing food waste. You’ll always have the makings for healthy meals.
Use Your Freezer
Frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh and can be considerably cheaper. Keep an eye out for sales on frozen staples like bags of mixed veggies, berries and more. Also buy fresh seasonal produce and staples when prices are low and freeze what you won’t use immediately.
“Use your freezer for more than just ice cubes,” said Blake. “Start stocking up on sale items now in your freezer and use them later when they aren’t on sale.”
Maintaining a well-stocked freezer is a great way to reduce waste while stashing away ingredients for healthy, frugal meals.
Use Your Grocery Store App
Grocery store apps make it easy to maximize your supermarket savings by highlighting weekly digital deals, offering coupons and tracking your loyalty points. Some even offer cash-back rewards for certain purchases.
“Almost all grocery stores have apps. Mine has one and will often feature items on sale or you can collect points for a discount on an item,” said Garcia. “Some actually have a feature where you can make your shopping list based on what is on sale. So I make sure that all my foods are on sale.”
Look for bonus savings on advertised loss leaders — deliberately low-priced staples intended to get you into the store. Stocking up during these sales helps you build a healthy supply of foods that will last you weeks or even months.
“The savviest way to save money at the grocery store is to download the supermarket app and use it to navigate the store’s weekly flyer and sale items,” said Blake. “The front page of the flyer typically contains the best buys. Better known as ‘loss leaders,’ these foods are purposefully put on sale to ‘lead’ you into the store to buy other items such as laundry soap. In fact, these prices could be so low that the store loses money when you buy them.”
Use Your Kitchen Knives
If you buy foods like precut veggies or preshredded cheese, they come at a premium price. You can save money by prepping ingredients at home.
“Don’t pay extra for things you can do yourself,” said Blake. “For example, baby carrots are made from large carrots that come a ready-to-cook size but typically cost more than twice the amount. Dust off your chef’s knife and carve those large carrots into petite-size portions.”
Another example: A head of cauliflower costs a fraction of what you’d pay for the same amount precut into florets. Get in the habit of chopping, shredding, slicing and dicing ingredients yourself for maximum savings on these foods.
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