Continuing on with ways to eat well and save money…
Tip #7 Show some farmer love. Purchasing food directly from the farmer is better in sooo many ways. In terms of cost, local, freshly picked produce will last longer before spoilage, thereby preventing wasted money. Also, talking directly with farmers may bring about other ways to save on costs. Find out from them what is in season and therefore not as costly. Perhaps they would be willing to barter something in exchange for produce. And, don’t be afraid to be the farmer yourself! Growing vegetables doesn’t have to require a large garden. Many vegetables, such as tomatoes and potatoes, can be grown simply in a container or even bag of dirt.
Tip #8 Plan ahead and avoid impulse buying. Set aside time on Sunday – yes, this may not be the most exciting thing to do – to figure out a meal plan for the week. Are there creative ways you can save time or money? For example, knowing ahead of time that you will need black beans for Wednesday’s dinner, allows you to buy dried beans which are less expensive and soak them Tuesday night. Plan out a way to use leftover beans on Thursday, such as breakfast burritos or chili. Create a list for the grocery store and stick to it. Impulse buying tends to be fueled more by emotional hunger and often results in the purchasing of foods with higher cost and lower nutritional value.