Spring is here and there is that push to get healthy, but your bank account just laughs. WTF, right? You know eating healthy will clear your head, make you feel better, and better abled to deal with all your everyday crazy. How can you do it and pay the bills? There are ways-you just have to think out of the box and be a bit creative.
- Plant and regrow some of your vegetables: green onions, lettuces, ginger, garlic. Take the ends of store bought veggies and just plant them. That’s it! You will keep getting more as long as you care for them.
- Fruit and veggie crop share with friends. My house has 5 fruit trees in the front yard, so I am completley set with enough fruit for meTrader and the neighboring counties! What do I do? Facebook, my friend. I offer to trade my fruit for whatever anyone else has bulk crops of in a few of my facebook groups and I can find others in the same predicament!
- Trader Joes..a single parents salvation in the winter! They have such good prices on fresh organic and frozen fruit and vegetables. I have cut my grocery bill in half shopping at Trader Joe’s. You have to read some labels, but for the most part, huge, HUGE godsend in my house to have one near me.
- Local CSA farmers: I have wanted to do a weekly CSA with a local farm but I felt I couldn’t for a couple of reasons. First, how can me and Mina eat all those vegetables in a week? Second, the upfront cost was prohibitive for me, or so i thought! This year, I was commited to finding a way. After searching through the various CSA’s out there, I found one who did half orders. I reached out and asked if they would do a monthly payment plan. Guess what? They said yes!
- Cook in bulk but make it fun! Because many recipes can be made in bulk and frozen, invite friends over to have cook and freeze party. Maybe it’s a slow cooker party: everyone brings a slow cooker over for a different dish, set the timers, and divide up the dishes among everyone! Now you have a variety of dishes that are healthy and you had fun doing it.
These are just a few ways to get creative with eating healthy while having a strict budget. I would love to hear anyone else’s ideas! post a comment and lets all learn something new!