Health – Eating healthy on a budget

• Write a list of what you need and stick to it. This is needs, not wants! So this means what is nutritionally important, not emotionally important. The psychology of supermarket marketing is a finely tuned system that does all it can to have you spend as much money as possible.
• Know your budget and stick to it. If you are under budget at the end of the shopping then you can save the surplus money or buy treats.
• Keep track as you go by using a calculator or even a pen to add up at the side of your list. This step is extremely critical for sticking to your budget. It helps you as you go through the shopping, to know exactly what you are spending and keeps you focused. It also stops the horror feeling of overspending when you reach the checkout.
• Buy products that you would normally need to buy on special. Make the specials work for you. If the special is really good, stock up on that item if you can.
• A great way to save is to buy fruit and veggies at a fruit shop as this can be more cost effective. If you go to the supermarket first you can get any fruit on special there and get the rest at the fruit shop.
• Buy in bulk when it’s cheaper. In the supermarket today, Agria potatoes were $3/kg but a 10kg bag was $12 (i.e. $1.20 a kilo).
• Check the price per kilo calculations that the supermarket provides on items such as nuts as sometimes buying in bulk isn’t cheaper. I often see some nuts 30 per cent cheaper when I have done a comparison.
• Make meals from scratch instead of buying packaged and processed food. It is much cheaper when you factor in the nutrition, as well as how filling the food is.
• Buy whole foods such as brown rice as they are more nutritious and much more filling.
• Buy cheaper cuts of meat and cook in the crock pot. Mix mince with brown lentils in dishes such as Bolognaise.

It may not seem like much but the savings add up fast, so give it a go!