» Write Things Down- Take time each week to write your meals for the week then go shopping to buy what you need for your meals. Even if you only write down dinners for the week, you will have a good plan, save time and stress when you are tired and hungry after a long day. From there you might start onto planning lunches breakfasts and snacks. Planning your meals resources

» Shop the Sales- If you know you buy a product like milk or eggs every week and it is on sale, buy that extra one. This might save you money in the long run and might help you avoid paying those higher prices when you run out of the product and have to make that “emergency” trip to the store. Also, using coupons (online or paper) and planning your shopping will help you become more mindful of buying what you need and not what you want  when you are shopping hungry or with your kiddos. Save More Tips

» Buy the Store Brand- The store you shop at probably has it’s own products labelled with the store name on it. Sometime’s you have to figure out what the store brand is because it might have a cute name but other times it is simple. For example, Wholefoods uses “365” as their brand, Kroger uses dozens of brand names like “Private Selection, Simple Truth, Kroger” and about a dozen others, and Safeway uses “Signature, Organics, and dozens others” These store brands are sometimes positioned lower on the shelves or higher up to leave more expensive brands at eye level. Look up and look down to get the best deals. 

» Make Simple Recipes Work and Make More Than One Meal at a Time – It is easy to find recipes nowadays with the internet. Try some simple recipes with easy ingredients to start with. Involve your family in the process of recipe selection and making the meals. Discuss these recipe ideas at dinners and make it something fun to experiment with when cooking. Let kids mix things and add creative ingredients. This can teach lifelong habits for everyone to be in better control of their choices and owning their mistakes (if they make them). Put on some music and make it a fun event for everyone. More recipes can be found on the Healthy Altitudes Website here

» Save Time (maybe the most important budgeting tool) This is often one of the biggest limiting factors for people trying to eat well. They say “I have no time”. You can budget your time more effectively by using the tips above and also making simple changes like decluttering your kitchen, reorganizing your pantry, and using appliances that save time (like an instant pot or slow cooker). 

Here are some great tips to save time