Eating Healthy on a Fixed Senior’s Budget!

Eating Healthy on a Fixed Senior’s Budget

If you’re living on a fixed income, it’s important to cut costs where you can. Your grocery bill is the perfect place to start. It’s one of the easiest ways to stretch your budget, and you don’t have to give up on delicious, nutritious food to do it. Here are some cost-saving tips to help you save at the grocery store. 

Cook Your Own Meals

One of the best ways to stay on budget is by cooking your own food. A homemade meal is always less expensive than ready-made food or takeout. 

Cooking can be a penny-pinching hobby even if you live in senior housing, as long as you choose a retirement home that provides independent living suites. 

Learn more about retirement homes in Hamilton that provide incredible independent living suites that support your culinary pursuits. They come equipped with a kitchenette that includes a full-sized fridge with a freezer, making it easier to meal prep large batches and freeze the leftovers.

Make a Meal Plan

A meal plan helps you strategize your shopping before you step foot in a grocery store. To make one, you’ll have to sit down and think about what you’ll want to eat in the week.

Brainstorm recipes that rely on inexpensive ingredients you can use in multiple dishes, so you aren’t blowing your budget on gourmet items you use once. 

Coming equipped with a meal plan will also help you avoid splurging on unnecessary food. Stick with just what you need, and you won’t fill your cart with costly snacks. 

Use Leftovers

It’s easy to forget about an old meal pushed to the back of your fridge, especially if it hides behind exciting new dishes. Weeks later, you’ll unearth this container to find it taken over by mould, but that’s not all — wasted leftovers take a bite out of your budget. The average Canadian household wastes 140 kilograms of food, throwing out $1,100 with it. 

Learn how to incorporate leftovers into your weekly meal plan. This way, you can transform boring, easy-to-forget leftovers into brand new recipes you want to eat. 

Buy Generic Brands

The name on the side of the box, can, or sachet plays an important role in how much you pay at the till. Generic or store-brand items tend to be much cheaper, and you won’t notice the difference in quality. Your cash-savings are even better if you manage to get these generic items in bulk.

Take Advantage of Tech

You could say the only thing you need at the grocery store is a wallet full of cash but consider bringing your phone along for the trip. If you download the right apps, you can cut a significant portion of your costs from your bills, earning cashback as you shop. 

Here are some free apps you should check out:

• Checkout51: Share a picture of your receipt as proof of purchase, and you’ll be credited the money for buying specific items. 

• SnipSnap: This app brings couponing to the 21st century. With coupons on your phone, you’ll never forget to bring a cut-out flyer again.

Just because you’re living on a fixed income doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Groceries are a variable expense that you can control easily by making savvy decisions at the supermarket. See how the savings start to add up simply by incorporating the above tips into your habits.