Buying REAL, HEALTHY Food Does Not Have To Be Expensive...

Hello everyone! I've been thinking lately about how a lot of people think that eating healthy is expensive. Yes, some things are more expensive than other things, but over all, it really isn't "expensive," if you really think about it. Usually the people who think its expensive, are spending massive amounts of money on cell phones, entertainment, etc, so I thought, 'I wonder how much the average American spends on entertainment.' I wasn't shocked by the numbers, but it gives me some leverage when trying to prove my point. HAHA I found this amazing chart that lays out how much each financial group spends a year on the different areas of entertainment. The chart is from 2013, but it is the most recent one I could find. Here is the page: http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/consumer-spending-on-entertainment-by-household-income-in-2013.htm

I'm going to talk about the Third 20 Percent because that's the middle class, and probably where more people will fall who are reading this.

The Third 20 Percent of People spent $1,997 a year on entertainment. The highest expenditure of this $1,997 was Audio and visual equipment and services. So, basically, watching TV and having a TV. The average person spent $885 a year to watch TV. That's roughly $74 a month. $74 is a lot of money that could be spent on real and healthy food like, more fresh produce, an organic alternative to what you already buy, etc! Now, I'm not saying get rid of your TV! But, I am saying, cut down on your service, or get a new one all together.  A lot of people are using Netflix, now, and why not? Its cheap, and you can watch a lot of stuff! For a streaming plan through Netflix (you have an account, and watch shows/movies through the internet), it is only $8.99/month! Another positive is, you don't have to worry about recording anything because you can watch it anytime you want, anyway! With this service, you can only use it on one device, but for $4 more you can use up to four more devices simultaneously. If you and a few friends want to save some dough, I suggest this! You can just divide the cost, and then it would be $3.25 a month to watch the shows you want to watch! That's a lot less than the $74 a month I mentioned earlier!

This is just one area of life where you can cut back, while still having a life, but start living a healthier one!

Before you go any further, please read my article on How To Save Money On Organic Produce!

I hope this was informative!

Thank you for reading.

Allyson

How to Save Money on Organic Produce in Nashville, TN - 6 Tips For Saving Money

A lot of people think that eating organic fruits and vegetables is expensive. Well, it doesn't have to be, if you play your cards right. This week I am talking about how to save money on organic produce in Nashville, TN.

I live in Nashville, so I can't speak for any other cities or states, but I'm sure if you look around, you'll be able to find some of the things that I will talk about.

 

 

How to Save Money on Organic Produce in Nashville, TN

1. Shop According to the Weekly Ad

   Most health food stores, and regular grocery stores have weekly ads. Sprouts, a new grocery store here, has a lot of Organic Produce, and some of it is the same price, or cheaper than conventional produce, when they put it on sale. For example: this week they have a 5lb bag of organic russet potatoes for $1.98! That's just about $0.40 a pound (before tax)! I've never seen potatoes that cheap! Here, on my blog, I have a page dedicated to the weekly ads of all health food and grocery stores, here and around Nashville, TN. If you would like an easy source to see all the sales on Organic Produce, please click here. 

2. Buy In Season

   Have you ever started buying a fruit or vegetable that you really started to like, and then one day when you went to the store, it wasn't there, or its price shot up? Just FYI, it changed seasons, and the fruit or vegetable stopped producing. That means they can't get as much of it, if any, as they did in the previous season. What you need to do to not be disappointed, or forced to pay a pretty penny is learn the seasons of your favorite fruits and vegetables. You probably already know that Pumpkins come out in the Fall, and Watermelons in Summer, but what about strawberries? Cauliflower? Learn the seasonal fruits and veggies, so you don't spend your whole paycheck!

3.  Buy In Bulk, If You Can

   Some stores will give you a deal if you buy a case of a certain fruit or vegetable. If you are the only one in your household, this may not be the best option for you, unless you know you will eat it all. If you buy in bulk, but there is a lot of waste, you didn't save any money. Costco and Sam's Club are also great places to look for organic produce! If you don't have a Costco or Sam's Club membership, never fear, you probably have a friend or family member who does, and would gladly take you shopping with them!
   

4.  Look For Closeouts

   Most grocery stores have a section where they put produce that is ripening too much, and they reduce the price of it. They also might do Manager's Specials if they have too much of something, and they're getting a shipment in of the same product soon. Look out for these! These can be very useful! For example, Kroger sometimes has Organic bananas that have ripened too much for $0.49 per pound. Even if you don't think you'll eat that many bananas, you can buy them, freeze them, and use them for smoothies, and such. Then, for a few weeks at least, you won't have to buy any bananas for smoothies! See how this works?

5.  Shop Locally

   At some grocery stores shopping locally can be expensive, but get out to the Farmer's Market! Sure, in the Winter time you won't find many vendors there, but that's no excuse now! Its Spring! The time for blooming flowers and fruition! Get out there, and you'll see some grt prices from some even greater people! The best thing? You get to meet the people growing the fruits and vegetables you will be eating. How great is that?
   

6.  Buy Frozen, It's Okay

   Don't worry about buying fresh all the time. Sometimes things just won't be in the budget, and that's okay. Frozen is the next best, and its great for making smoothies, or a Raw Ice Cream! in some cases Frozen might even have more nutrients than fresh because it is going straight from the farm to a freezer. Its not traveling all that way. Just always make sure its organic, and it really is cheaper than Fresh. Also, if you think you can't afford the fresh, look in your cart and see if you can give something up that might not be as healthy as that fresh fruit or veggie. Sometimes you just have to cut back on your comforts to be able to eat healthier.
   
   See? Eating organically doesn't have to be expensive. you just have to know how to look for deals, and play the seasons.
   
   Thank you so much for reading, and I hope this was helpful!
   
   Allyson
   
   P.S. Happy April Fool's Day, but this wasn't a prank! :p