How to save on your grocery bill

I've been a health coach for 8 years.

I've seen people completely transform their lives and see major change in their bodies and in their health. Sadly, I've also seen people not move forward on goals I know are incredibly important to them. Goals to have more energy, be more present with their families, feel confident, and live longer lives.

Why does this happen to well intentioned people? One culprit I see that keeps people stuck is MONEY.

Eating healthy costs more. Sadly, the flip side costs us more. When we don't invest time and energy into our health, we lose sleep, feel lethargic, and we are more apt to be sick both now and in the long run.

I want to help shift your mindset.

Below, I list 6 simple tweaks to help you save money on groceries and free up space in your budget to buy QUALITY foods instead of only cheap and packaged convenient foods.

when you get healthy body and soul, you become the mom and human you are meant to be.

I pulled some of these ideas from a Blog post I saw on Dave Ramsey's site (which I highly recommend!)

**Americans waste a ton of food. Like one in four bags of groceries, according to Consumer Reports. ESHH!

What’s more surprising is how much money we’re losing on all that food waste: For a family of four, it adds up to about $1,500 a year! That’s basically a week on the beach or a whole lot of fun shopping at Target!

So if you find yourself tossing out more wilted celery (that you SWORE you would eat this week!) or way-past-the-expiration-date greek yogurt than you’d like, here are six steps to saving more food and more money.

1. Write down what’s spoiling. At the end of each week, write down everything you tossed out. Then put a best-guess dollar amount next to each item—half a bag of lettuce $2, three oranges $3, two avocados $2, etc. How much did you waste? Ten bucks’ worth of food? Twenty? It helps to think of that unused arugula and applesauce in terms of their cash value. And you could take that $10 and invest in yourself with something like my "Body Love" Ebook!

2. Study your calendar. Your schedule is an important piece of your money-saving puzzle. If you’re having a date night Thursday, don’t buy a pot roast for that evening. And if you’re having lunch with friends on Friday, don’t buy as much deli turkey for your brown-bag sandwiches. Each shopping trip will be different based on what’s going on (or not going on) that week.

We often overbuy in hopes of eating healthy. We get #alltheveggies and don't have a plan, so we end up tossing them and being pissed about "eating healthy."

3. Shop your fridge and pantry first. This isn’t exactly a new idea, but it’s a smart one all the same. Evaluate what you have in your house already, like spices, pasta and frozen veggies. Then base at least one meal a week around something you already have, or can easily beef up with a small purchase. This will cut down on food waste and money waste! Also check out my blog post on doing a "pantry week" to save money.

4. Make a detailed meal plan. Your goal is to use everything you buy before it goes bad. Since most fruits and veggies spoil after a week, it makes the most sense to plan out what you will be eating. That may sound restrictive, but it’s actually a life-saver because it removes all the stress of thinking up meals at the last minute. And as you’re writing your list, don’t forget about breakfasts, lunches and snacks! Try not to rely on your instincts at the store—write it down and stick with it.

Use my free printable weekly meal planner!

5. Preserve the food you buy. The longer your food lasts, the more time you have to use it—and the less of it you’ll end up trashing! So when you get home from shopping, take a few extra minutes to store your food properly. Wrap your lettuce in a damp paper towel to keep it crisp. Don’t wash fruit until you’re ready to eat it. And put ripe avocados in the fridge so they don’t spoil. Simple but savvy. Totally #MOMBOD style!

6. Freeze any leftovers. Inevitably there’s something you still haven’t used by the week’s end. We get it. That’s okay! If you have a few bell peppers that are about to go bad, chop them up and freeze them for another meal. If you have leftovers from pepperoncini beef night, freeze them for a quick supper next week. Same with bananas! If they start to go brown, pop them in the freezer for smoothies.

You’ve Got This!

As the amount of food you save each week increases, the cost of your grocery budget each month will decrease. Leaving more freedom in your budget to buy healthy options or save for something special! So start these six steps today and you’ll be a food-saving mamma machine in no time!

Any "aha!" moments or anything you would like to add? Comment below! I would love to hear from you :)