How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

How do I eat healthy on a budget?

Is THE MOST common question we get!

Let me start off by being upfront about the fact that eating healthy is something we prioritize so we cut back in all other areas in order to eat the way we want. We don't frivolously buy random things in the grocery store so I really think that we save money by eating this way.

If you do watch your budget, it is possible to eat healthy on a budget. I want you to try something new with your budget though. If you have categories for things like entertainment, personal pampering, shopping, etc. try cutting back on those and spend money on yourself by eating good quality food. You only get ONE body and you will hopefully be living in it for a LONG time. Invest quality time and money into your body.

Below are the ways that we save money while eating healthy. While I know that some of these options may not be available based on where you live, you can still implement a few, even if it isn't at the same stores. We don't live in a big city, we live about an hour outside of Atlanta. The closest Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and other similar stores are at least 45 minutes away. We have a Publix three miles from our house and Sams's and Costco about 20 minutes away.

Even if you think you know all of these, read them all the way through because I really think you'll find a few pointers you may not have thought about before!

>>>> Ever feel like you need to detox your money? Join our detox your money challenge here!

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5 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget

1. Get a membership to a warehouse club.

We started with a Sam's Club membership (this was before we ever started "eating clean") because that was the only thing close by and what my parents had growing up. A few years later we canceled that one and switched to Costco because of the amazing selection of organic produce and other items like liquid egg whites, bison, etc. We actually just got a new membership to Sam's Club again and we have been very impressed with the selection!

I'm going to be sharing more specific information soon on exactly how much money we save with our Costco membership but if you have one near you go check it out! We basically use it as our grocery store every single week (as you will see each week in our weekly updates).

RELATED: Eating Clean at Costco (Shopping List)

2. Utilize online stores.

As I mentioned, we don't have a Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or any other specialty stores that close. For some items, they tend to be more expensive anyway. Ever since we started living a healthy lifestyle we've utilized online stores for bulk items that Costco doesn't carry. Typically, we use Amazon Subscribe & Save for dry goods like oats, oat flour, rice cakes, etc. There are other online stores like Jet and Boxed that you can check out as well.

You can learn more about Amazon Subscribe & Save here.

Below are items that we typically order online:

• Oat Flour (less than $18 for a pack of 4)
• Quick Oats (less than $12 for a pack of 4)
• Steel Cut Oats (less than $12 for a pack of 4)
• Rice Cakes (less than $33 for a pack of 12)

3. Stock up when items are on sale.

If you have the room, buy extra when something is on sale (AS LONG AS YOU WILL USE IT!). Yes, we hate clutter and consider ourselves "minimalist" but we stock up when something is on sale. We do this because we KNOW we will use it. We don't buy random things because they are on sale but we do buy the things we need when they are on sale. I'm not a coupon cutter, although I could probably save even more that way, but if there's a coupon in front of the item I use it. I also make sure to check the sales ad at my local Publix. Every few weeks they will have a coupon for $10 off a $50 gas gift card with the purchase of $50 in groceries. That's like $10 free because we are always buying gas. Keep your eye out for things like this, even if it isn't specifically related to groceries.

Don't cut coupons and buy things you don't need but definitely use sales and coupons to your advantage on things you need.

4. Adopt a minimalist mindset.

Are you surprised by this one?! ;-) I never really put it together until recently, but I think our minimalist mindset definitely helps in our healthy eating journey. We aren't that picky and we don't mind eating the same thing each day for a few days in a row. Life is so much better when things aren't more complicated than they need to be. This also applies to the way you grocery shop and eat. When you make recipes usually the same type of ingredients and buy the same type of groceries each week it definitely makes it easier to watch for sales and to know in advance how much you will be spending. We typically buy the same items each week from the same stores. Grocery shopping is a breeze!

5. Shop only in season items.

Not only is buying in season items (basically talking about produce here) better for your wallet, it's also better for the environment. Don't try to buy strawberries in the middle of winter. If a recipe calls for a particular fruit or vegetable that isn't in season try googling for alternatives or just wait to make that recipe. If you don't eat your fruits or vegetables fast enough, buy them frozen! Our Costco has a huge selection of organic frozen fruits and vegetables! While we would love to buy all organic, we usually don't. We do stick with buying organic on the dirty dozen. Produce with a thick covering (like bananas) are typically okay to buy non-organic if they budget doesn't allow organic.

RELATED: Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen

I hope these tips help you! Take some time to look at your budget and really dive into what is important to you in the long term. Of course, it's easier to spend money shopping for clothes and shoes because you see those items all the time but your body is much more important! Just because you won't have anything to "show off" for it, doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. I would argue that it makes it even more important that way! The way you invest in your health will show.

4 Books That Every Single Person Should Read

As we go into the new year, I wanted to take this time to share with you a few of our favorite books. As you may have noticed over the last year or two, we've moved away from being a website totally focused on clean eating and working out to a website that also incorporates another very important part of our lifestyle which we refer to as minimalism. You can read more about what that means to us here and here. Not all of these books are new books but they are the ones that we personally love. Take our word for it when we say you should read them...they are definitely worth your time!

I've shared these books a few times on Snapchat (hesheeatclean) and Instagram Stories and always get a lot of questions so I wanted to do a "real" post here too. Enjoy! :)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support! 

Here's Rambo in front of the books, not pictured is Better Than Before because I only have the Kindle version of that.

4 Books Every Single Person Should Read

*single: not as in relationship status ;-)

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own - Joshua Becker

If you are new to the concept of minimalism or even just living within your means this is a must-read book. If you already consider yourself a minimalist this is still a must-read book! I was able to get an advanced reading copy before it was released (and it was signed!) and I could not put it down. I finished the book in one day which is almost unheard of for me. The author, Joshua Becker, is a father of two and the creator of BecomingMinimalist.com and one of my favorites because he is so easily relatable. Minimalism doesn't necessarily mean living out of a suitcase, living in a tiny home, only having white furniture, etc. He shares his story and shows you how you can also find the life you want under everything you own!

This book helps you (as seen on the back of the book and I can attest to as well):

• Recognize the life-giving benefits of owning less
• Realize how all the stuff you own keeps you from pursuing your dreams
• Craft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and life
• Experience the joys of generosity
• Learn why the best part of minimalism isn't a clean house, it's a full life

Essentialism - Greg McKeown

I'll admit, this was my favorite book before Joshua Becker released his book The More of Less. Now I can't truly pick a favorite! I know I've mentioned numerous times that I think that the best way to live your life is to not care about what other people think of you and quit being a "people pleaser". I remember reading this book the first time and thinking...I've said that a million times. ;-)

As found in the book, essentialism isn't about getting done in less time. It's about getting only the right things done. If you feel any of the following questions pertain to your life, you definitely need to read this book ASAP!

• Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin?
• Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized?
• Are you often busy but not productive?
• Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people's agendas?

Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits -- to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life - Gretchen Rubin

This book is everything. If you truly want to change your life, you must change your habits. This book will help you learn how to make your habits work for you. Many times, it's best to embrace who you are and how you do things instead of trying to change. This book has made me completely obsessed with learning everything I can about our habits. In order for us to be better parents, sons or daughters, friends, teachers, coaches, etc we must learn how people react to certain things and form habits. We can’t just expect everyone to be like us.

• Do you know those people who train for a half marathon or marathon and then never run again?
• Do you know those people who will do something that someone else wants them to do but nothing they want to do for themselves?
• Can you really wake up early to workout if you are not a morning person?
• Can you even train yourself to be a morning person?
• Why can some people develop habits that others can’t?
• Why do some things seem so easy to some people, yet so difficult to others?

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! - Robert T. Kiyosaki

It has always frustrated me that our schools typically do not teach kids how to manage their money. Kids go all the way through high school maybe taking one or two classes on finances. Then they go to college and unless their major is related, they still do not take any classes on how to manage their money. This HAS to change. I see it all the time where people don't know how to do a budget, they don't know how to balance their bank account, they have no idea that they don't have to live paycheck-to-paycheck. 

Rich Dad Poor Dad will (as listed on the book):

• Explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich
• Challenge the belief that your house is an asset
• Show parents why they can't rely on the school system to teach their kids about money
• Define once and for all an asset and a liability
• Teach you what to teach your kids about money for their future financial success

Chime in and let me know what your favorites books are. Have you read any of these?

3 Simple Fitness Habits That Changed Our Life

Did you catch our post on 3 Simple Eating Habits That Changed Our Life? Not only did we change our eating habits but we also started our fitness journey. Below are a few of the fitness habits we adopted that changed our life.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle 5+ Years

3 Simple Fitness Habits That Changed Our Life

1. Focus on weight training first.

• Most people think that they need to start running or doing some other form of cardio when they start their fitness journey. While you can definitely have running and/or cardio goals, you will do yourself a huge favor by focusing on weight training first and early! Don't wait until you lose XX number of pounds to start lifting.
• The more muscle your body has the more calories it burns, even at rest.
• Our workout plans lay out which exercises you should do, including sets and reps along with recommended intensity levels. The workout plans also include HIIT routines, training logs, our popular grocery lists, a sample daily meal timing schedule and tips for what to eat before and after a workout.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan

2. Find a cardio activity that you enjoy.

• When you do introduce cardio, don't force yourself to do one activity. You can take a cardio based class, incline walk, run, swim, bike, etc. Switch it up so you don't get bored.
• We typically hike on the weekends as our cardio. If we are doing cardio in the gym we stick with sprints on the treadmill or incline walk/running. Scott also loves to use the rowing machine. I enjoy running short distances when the weather is nice. I call myself a "fair weather runner". ;-) Walking is a great form of exercise too!
• You don't need to spend hours upon hours on a piece of cardio equipment. Don't overdo your cardio sessions.

RELATED: 30-Day Walking Challenge

3. Take rest days seriously.

• You NEED at least 1-2 rest days per week. Your body needs time to rest, recover, and grow. When people start on a fitness plan and they are actually excited about working out (maybe for the first time in their life) they start to think that "more is better" and that is definitely not the case here. Stick with your routine/plan and see it through until the end. Read: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan
• This might be the most important reason: You don't need to spend your whole life in the gym/working out.

Don't get overwhelmed. So many people come to us overwhelmed that we even did an entire podcast on the topic! You can find that here. Listen to that and just get started. Don't over-complicate things...Just start moving!