Are you on a budget? 

Finances tight? Don't use this as an excuse to lose sight of your goals and put unnecessary chemicals into your body! Many people think that eating healthy is so much more expensive than the alternative. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be! Can it be? Absolutely. But it definitely does not have to be. Want to know what I do to keep my grocery bill as low as possible? Well it is your lucky day! 

1. Plan out your meals for the week. This keeps you from overspending on unnecessary groceries or swinging through and getting fast food (which can really take a toll on your wallet.) Plan out how much of each ingredient you will need and limit yourself to that. 

2. Take advantage of sales. Before I go grocery shopping, I look at all weekly ads for the local grocery stores and plan out where I will get what. Yes, this does take a little extra time and I could just settle for the more expensive price, but I want to get the most bang for my buck. For example, today while looking at ads, I found that my favorite store had pineapple for 3.99 but another store had them on sale for .99. To me, that is worth making an extra stop to get that sale price. Also, check which stores honor other stores sale prices! 

3. Stock up. If there is anything my mom taught me when it comes to grocery shopping it is never grab the front item and stock up when things are on sale (if they will stay.) For example, when organic black beans go on sale, I stock up. This saves me down the road from overpaying because I need them. 

4. Wash your fruits and vegetables. Washing fruits and vegetables greatly reduces the bacteria which might be found on your produce. This, in turn, increases the length of time your produce will stay fresh.