How to Eat Healthy While on a Budget ...

Most people struggle to eat healthy while on a budget. Luckily, eating healthy doesn't always have to be expensive. Below are some tips to help your family eat healthy and still stay on budget.

1.Step 1

Fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive, and one of the hardest ways to eat healthy when on a budget. Save money by buying fruits in bulk, like the bags of apples and oranges. So you don't get bored, just buy fruits and vegetables that are on sale for the week. And buying canned and frozen fruits and vegetables is a good idea. Most people don't realize it, but foods are frozen at their peak, so you still get most of the nutrients that you would with fresh fruits and vegetables.

2.Step 2

Buying in bulk is usually a good idea. But always be mindful of products you don't think you'll be able to use in time before they expire. Many families will end up throwing away milk and bread weekly because of this simple error.

3.Step 3

Local farmers markets and farmstands are a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. Go for the smaller, lesser known, places to help avoid places that charge high prices due to an expensive storefront.

4.Step 4

For produce, going to stores that sell food in bulk can save you quite a bit of money. Buy foods you know you can freeze and use in the near future. For those that don't want to pay for the store fees, there are also online sites that sell food in bulk. I would suggest the Amazon Grocery section, the link can be found under Resources.

Family Budget Management Tips ...
Family budget management is critical to know where your money goes and how you spend it. Family budget management defines necessary expenses, discretionary spending and savings. Family budget management allows you to define your monetary goals and meet them.

Write it Down
1. The most important management tool for your family budget is to write it down. This can be in a spiral notebook by hand or with a fancy software program, but you must write it down. You must also update it daily if you want the budget to work for you. By keeping records, you learn where you spend your money as you are spending it, and you become aware of poor spending choices as soon as they happen. This makes it easier to correct these poor choices in a timely fashion. Download a budget worksheet online (see References) so you do not forget any income categories, expense categories or other categories.

Daily Tracking
2. Keeping track of every dollar you spend can be a time-consuming task, but it is a necessary one. If you do not update your budget daily, you run the risk of forgetting where you spent money, how much you spent and how you used the item. Set aside at least 15 minutes every day at the same time of day for updating your family budget for best management results.

Discretionary Spending
3. When you plan your family budget, make sure you allow some money for fun, or you run the risk of blowing your entire budget by splurging on something you don't need but think you want. Some ways to manage this part of your budget include renting movies at home instead of a night out at the movies or joining a movies club. Instead of having fun out with the kids once a week, do it once every other week or once a month. The important thing to remember is to allow for this expense so it is part of the budget. Then, you won't feel guilty about spending bill money on something you really don't need.

Savings
4. Do not forget to allow for savings in your family budget. Most people think they cannot save, but the trick is to take out the saving amount first---before you pay any bills. Even if it is only $5 out of every paycheck, put this amount or whatever you can afford into a savings account that you open just for savings. You will be surprised at how fast even this meager amount accumulates.

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