One of the most frequently asked questions we get when people start changing their diet is "how do I eat healthy and not pay a fortune?" In Week 2 of Living Wellness for Growth Groups (LWGG), Ashley discusses the perception that eating healthily is really expensive (p. 100). There is research to suggest that eating whole foods can actually be less expensive in the short-term and the long-term (LWGG, p. 100)!

One area though that you can see an increase in price is if you are wanting to replace your favorite packaged food with another, healthier packaged food. "Healthy" packaged foods can be more expensive because you're not only paying for higher quality ingredients, but you're also paying for someone to make, package, and market them. Now, I will be the first to admit that I love a good bag of organic Kettle brand chips, Simple Mills crackers, Tolerant lentil pasta, or Orgain shake; however, I recognize that if I want to eat foods that nourish my body while also staying within budget, I need to monitor my consumption of foods that come in a package or wrapper. 

I want to share a few basic strategies for managing grocery costs, and then I'll let you in on a super-secret-special way I shop online for pantry and household basics....okay it's not a secret, but many of you may not know about it.