Ever get the feeling that it’s so expensive to buy healthy products? From food to cleaners to personal care products, everything that seems so cheap usually is unhealthy.
Sometimes – especially for families with tight budgets – it may not even seem financially beneficial to start detoxing your home.
I have fantastic news for you, though … healthy purchases aren’t as expensive as you may imagine. You don’t have to break the bank when buying healthy products! It’s entirely possible to make healthy choices on a budget. I know from experience.
My Top 3 Tips
As a cheapskate, I’ve spent the past eight years searching for ways to buy healthy products and maintain my family’s single income budget.
So how do I do it? I’m ready to share my Top 3 secrets:
1. I know what I need to buy – and what I don’t need to buy.
Because of a busy schedule, I’m not too thrilled with making my own products from scratch.
I know they work. I know they can save a lot of money. But I almost always forget about making them until I’m desperate and buy something at the store.
Some people absolutely love to make their own personal care products, cosmetics and cleaning products. I wish I was so resourceful — because those homemade products are safe and affordable.
Since I have a hard time finding or making effective, natural cleaners, I’ve stopped making them. And I’ve stopped looking for them. (Oh, how I spent years looking ones that were safe and affordable!) I love to clean with Norwex microfiber cloths because they’re safe (you can’t get much safer than cleaning with water!) and they make my cleaning so quick and easy.
I did have to look at my Norwex products as an investment. (And I definitely had sticker shock at first glance!) But once I made my initial purchases, I haven’t had to replace them in two years. My microfiber cloths are still going strong, and I absolutely love how I don’t have to worry about ever buying or making cleaning sprays! In my opinion and experience, they were well worth the cost — and I was a skeptic.
The same is true of my favorite safe personal care products and cosmetics. The price may be more than a cheapy drugstore brand, but they last a long time, and I know exactly what works well.
2. I think about the value of what I’m buying.
I used to think that fresh food was much more expensive than processed food. Then I started doing the math.
I can buy 3 pounds of organic apples for $5. At my overpriced grocery store, I can buy 5 pounds of organic carrots for $5. I could buy non-organic, fresh produce for even less (3 pounds of non-organic apples are about $3.50). There is no way I could buy 5 pounds of potato chips — or candy bars or any other sort of processed snack food — for $5. I know, because I just checked my grocery store’s sales flyer, and I could buy 1 1/2 pounds of Ruffles potato chips for $6. Or, I could buy 1 1/2 pounds of sugary graham crackers for $6, too.
And if you’re thirsty, a gallon of Pepsi costs $4 … a lot more than a gallon of water, a little more than a gallon of non-organic milk, and a couple dollars less than a gallon of organic milk.
Once I figure the real price of food, healthy living isn’t nearly as expensive as it’s often perceived.
This immediate value of healthier choices doesn’t even account for the possibility of much lower medical bills once healthy changes are made.
Image by cohdra
3. I’m willing to shop around.
As a bargain shopper, I may love almost every single item at Whole Foods or Earth Fare (I think I could probably spend a $500 gift card just in their personal care aisles) – but I don’t shop at those stores.
When I know I need a new product or refill, first of all I figure out what I want to buy. I do my research and know the brands I want to look for.
Then I start hunting. I check my favorite scratch-and-dent store. (The amount of organic products I’ve found there at a fraction of the normal cost absolutely amazes me.) If I’m stopping by the grocery store, I scour their closeout carts. For whatever reason, great organic brands of food and personal products are typically marked down to very reasonable prices. The problem with both of these stops is that I never know what I’ll find – so I’m willing to stock up if I find something for a great deal.
After I’ve checked my favorite places to find an amazing bargain, then I’ll look at discount stores. I love a local discount store (Marc’s in Ohio), but I’ll also check Aldi and Walmart.
If I’m not pleased with the selection, then I head online either to Vitacost (they always have what I’m looking for, and most times I can find a great sale), Amazon, or I try to search for a deal with online coupon codes. And I’m just starting to look into prices through Azure Standard.
When shopping for food or personal care products, I know what I’m looking for … and then I look for it. I don’t settle for the first price unless I’m desperate for time or the product.
Typically this shopping process isn’t extensive – I just make it part of my regular shopping routine. Over time I know what brands I prefer and naturally think of them when I’m shopping for groceries.
How have you made healthy choices on a budget? What are your top frugal healthy living tips?
This post is underwritten by Discountrue Deals With Distinction. The opinions and text are all mine.
Original article and pictures take accidentallygreen.com site
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