Healthy Eating Doesn't Need to Break the Bank

​One of my favorite things to do is find a bargain.  It may be a genetic trait handed down, or maybe I just love the satisfaction it gives me to get something for less.  Either way, I love being able to save money on just about anything.

And grocery shopping is NO exception.  This is why I do most of my shopping at Aldi. I wasn’t always and Aldi shopper, but over the past few years I have come to love it.  I turned my nose up at first and didn’t like how small the store was.  But one summer while some roads to our main grocery store were closed for road work, I decided to give it another shop.

I’m so glad I did because I honestly have a hard time shopping anywhere else now.  I truly love the size of Aldi now because it takes me a lot less time to shop. And I don’t think I could ever go back to a grocery store bill that’s 40% more expensive. 

There are still things that I have to grab from a Super Target or grocery store that Aldi just doesn’t carry, but for the most part, everything we buy is from Aldi.  

One of the things I love about Aldi is that eating healthy and organic food doesn’t have to be an expensive habit.  

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​HOW TO COMPARE PRICES FROM HOME

​I am a bit of nerd when it comes to saving money and I literally made a spreadsheet of the products I buy every week. Then I made a row across the top of my local grocery store, Aldi, Costco and Target.  You could just do your store and Aldi if you wanted.  It looks like this:

The far left column has my grocery items
The row across the top has each store I might buy something from

Now the fun part.  I used InstaCart and shopped all the items I normally buy and added them into the spreadsheet.  Make sure you’re being consistent with either price per item or price per ounce of each item.  This helped me see which stores I should do the majority of my shopping at and which stores had better prices for individual items.

This doesn’t take into account the fact that there are sales and coupons available for some items. But it does give you a pretty good idea of what to buy and where.

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​MEAL PLAN TO SAVE MONEY

​I shop once a week for my family, and I plan out my meals for the week ahead of time so I know what to buy.  This has been the BEST way for me to both stay on track with healthy eating as well as save money.  Sometimes I base what I’m buying off of sales that I see in a weekly flyer, and sometimes I just plan based on what our weekly schedule is.

I write out a main dish and sides for every night of the week, leaving usually one night for leftovers.  My husband and I also have date nights at home and might have a charcuterie board with wine after the kids go to bed rather than a full family meal.

I try to find meals that might use one or two similar ingredients to make sure nothing goes to waste at the end of the week.  For example, if I buy a bag of potatoes, chances are we won’t eat the whole bag in one night.  I might make a soup with half of the bag and have baked potatoes for a side another night.  

Then I go through my recipes I’ve chosen for the week and write down any ingredients I  need to buy for each meal. 

I don’t generally meal plan for breakfast or lunch, but I have a pretty regular rotation of what my kids and I eat during the week for those meals.  I check in on things like oatmeal packets and granola to see if we need more so we don’t run out halfway through the week.

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​MY ALDI SHOPPING LIST

Dairy:

• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Cage Free or Organic Eggs
• Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
• Goat Cheese
• Grass Fed Cheddar Cheese
• Organic Cheese or Vegan Style Cheese

Meat:

• Grass Fed Beef
• Organic Chicken Breasts or Tenders
• Uncured lunch meats and bacon
• Chicken Sausage

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Frozen:

• Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenders
• Frozen Veggies
• Frozen Fruit Bars

​One of the reasons I love Aldi so much is that they have some really great organic options at a fraction of the cost another grocery store might have.  Below is my regular list of healthy grocery items I buy from Aldi: 

Box/Canned Items

• Organic Almond Butter
• Organic Maple Spice Oatmeal 
• Multigrain Seed Chips
• Raw Honey
• 100% Real Maple Syrup
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• Organic Coconut Oil
• Unsweetened Applesauce Pouches for my Kids
• Organic Black Beans
• Organic Diced Tomatoes
• Gluten Free Tortilla Wraps
• Naan
• Seed Sprouted Bread (We love Seedtastic)
• Free Range Chicken Broth
• Reduced Sodium Organic Vegetable Broth
• Organic Macaroni & Cheese (White Cheddar is AMAZING)
• Organic Brown Rice
• Organic Quinoa
• Organic Spices

Produce:
(Okay, so let’s be honest, most of what I buy is produce, but these prepackaged items are some of my favorites)

• Organic Kale 
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli or Cauliflower
• Carrots or Celery
• Avocado
• Pears
• Berries
• Apples
• Tomatoes

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MAKE AHEAD INSTEAD OF BUYING FROZEN MEALS

​Let’s be honest that frozen is often times SO much more convenient than making from scratch.  We all have times in our lives where we need to make a quick meal with little prep time.  I use my Instant Pot on these days, or I grab something from the freezer that I’ve made in advance.

Buying frozen meals is often more expensive than eating fresh food, and it usually contains more preservatives and unhealthy ingredients.

Making meals ahead doesn’t have to be super complicated, and you don’t even have to fill your whole freezer.  Instead, choose a meal that will freeze well (soups, chilis and baked dishes work well).  Next time your family has this meal on the menu, simple double the recipe and make two pans or put extra in a freezable container.  Simple!  

Another tip is to make sure you write the temperature, length of cooking time and if the meal needs to be thawed or not on your container.

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​TRY FOR ZERO WASTE

​My last tip for reducing your grocery bills is to use EVERYTHING up.  This has been one of the biggest ways for me to save money.  

First is not buying too much.  If you know your family just won’t go through it, don’t buy it.  No matter how good a deal it is. Period. That being said, there are some things that I do buy more of when there’s a good deal and either store for the future or freeze. 

Fruit and veggies that don’t get all used up go in the freezer for smoothies and soups.  Kale and spinach are GREAT things to add to smoothies and soups, and so we freeze it before it gets wilty and goes bad.  

Fruits that start getting a little mush get put in storage containers and added to the freezer.  We drink smoothies for breakfast at least twice a week, so this has been a really great way to use up our fruit.

As for cooked meats, I like to write the date on the leftover container and within 4-5 days if it’s not gone, I will take the meat and chop it up for salads or soups and put it in the freezer.  This has come in handy so many times when I’m just shy of a measurement of meat for a recipe.

What are your best tips for keeping your grocery bill down without sacrificing the quality of your food?