I Can't Afford This!

http://www.flickr.com/, photo by David Villarreal Fernandez

This blog is not merely about living a healthier life, but also about doing so on a real person's budget. It's very frustrating to know you should buy a certain kind of food, because it's so much better for you, only to feel like you can't afford it. Sometimes I have to make tough choices at the grocery store. I only have a certain amount of money per month to spend, and there are times when I have to say no to the best choices because I can't buy them and still have enough money left for the other things we need.

In some small way, it's like buying a car. You might want the car with the highest safety rating, best performance rating, least amount of repairs, best gas mileage, etc. We all want to keep our families safe and also choose the car that will cost us the least amount of money down the road. The sales people know this, and so they play on our emotions. They tell us things like, "You can't put a dollar amount on safety," hoping we will take out a giant loan and buy the very expensive car that we can't really afford.

Those more expensive cars with the extra safety features are great, but I still can't afford them. On the other hand, I would never choose the back lot special with a hole in the gas tank or a missing steering wheel. At some point, our family has to decide what we can afford and what we refuse to compromise on.

The same is true of clothing. Even if those $200 jeans really will last for 10 years, I still don't have that much money to spend on a pair of jeans. However, I'm also not going to buy the pair that's missing a zipper just because they're a great deal.

Ok, so I think we all get the point. Some foods, as wonderful as they are, might be out of our price range, but that doesn't mean we have to settle for downright harmful foods just so we can save a buck. What you save today at the grocery store you might spend tomorrow at the doctor's office or pharmacy.

That's certainly true for us. Even though our grocery bill has gone up some, our pharmacist's bill has disappeared.

So, if you're going to try to live healthier but must stay within the confines of a strict budget, it will require saying no to some things while at the same time refusing to say yes to others. It may require some creativity.

Here are some small, but helpful steps we've taken to help pare down in some areas so we have enough in others.

1. Herbs and spices. I've got pots of herbs growing so I don't have to spend so much on spices. I've found that cooking my own food requires a lot of those, and the expense can really add up. For herbs and spices I don't grow, I buy them in bulk. Sam's Club sells many spices in extra large quantities, which is a huge money saver. Some grocery stores, like Whole Foods, also offer a bulk section where you can buy herbs, spices, flours, and other dry goods for a much better price.

2. Meat. This can kill my grocery budget faster than anything! We're a meat loving family, but we also try to find meals where we can skip the meat so save a little. Bean burritos instead of beef, taco salad with black beans instead of taco meat, grilled cheese sandwiches, meatless pizza, etc. I also try to pare down how much meat I put in recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for a pound of ground beef, I'll put in maybe 3/4 a pound. You can't really even tell the difference, but if I do it 4 times, I've produced an extra pound of ground beef! The same can happen with chicken or other meats. Just trim down the amount you put in each recipe, and you're giving yourself extra portions for later.

3. Garden. I've started a garden this year, and although you wouldn't want to come to me for gardening advice (I'm not very skilled at it at all!) it's been a huge money saver. The biggest way I've noticed this is with leafy greens. I haven't had to buy any lettuce in over a month, and I've got a lot more growing. The best part? I spent less than $3.00 total.

4. Cut down on energy costs. Turn off lights. Hang your clothes out to dry on the line. Take a shorter shower. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Every little bit adds up.

5. Buy in bulk. For some items, this is a better deal than for others. Compare prices and figure out what's worth stocking up on to save some green. We've found that things like nuts, oils, fruit, vinegar, and butter have given us huge savings. Big box stores like Sam's Club or Costco are one way to get these savings. You can also utilize other options, though, like http://www.somethingbetternaturalfoods.com/. A friend of mine buys some of her more expensive items from them in bulk and saves a ton of money.

6. Shop online. You might be surprised at the things you can find at Amazon or other online stores. We buy vitamins and other supplements, cereal, pizza crust, and whey protein powder all online because the prices are cheaper for the exact same products.

7. Do without. We don't have as many snacks anymore. We rarely have dessert, although I have some great recipes to use for special occasions! We buy certain fruits organic, but if they're not on sale, we just don't get them that week. Sometimes, we just can't have something that's really healthy and tastes great because it just plain costs too much.

8. Make it yourself. There's a big difference between buying all the pre-made healthy choices at the store (many of which really aren't as healthy as you think) and buying healthy ingredients to make foods yourself.

In the end, your family will have to decide what foods to let go (for now!) because you simply don't have enough, and what foods are non-negotiable. Don't feel guilty if you aren't perfect. Continue to strive to give your family the best and healthiest you can, and be thankful for the good choices you can make.