Balling on A Budget

Okay, maybe not 'ballin' per se... More like thriving on a budget.

Morning lovelies!

I'd like to touch on a subject that I know is near and dear to all of us: Money. Yes, the all mighty dollar. When I speak to folks about living a healthy lifestyle and eating properly, A lot of folks tell me they can't afford to eat like I do or maintain a gym membership. Sigh... I will be the FIRST to tell you, this is NOT the cheapest sport/hobby/lifestyle I could have chosen. Sure, I spend a LOT on food, supplements, and training, but it doesn't have to break the bank to be fit and healthy!

One of the biggest expenses, in my opinion is actually food! I spend so much time and money food shopping, it has become a part time job! In my expereince I've gathered a few tips to make your food dollars go futher:

Buy in bulk: Not necessarily by shopping at Costco, BJ's or Sam's Club (those are great places, but they require membership!) I'm speaking of bulk in that when you see a staple of your diet on sale, STOCK UP! Most items can be frozen (meats/veggies) or stored in a pantry (quinoa or Brown rice). For example, I eat a lot of chicken breasts, in and off season. When I see it for a reasonable price (about 1.99/lb around here), I buy as much as I can and store it in the freezer. At least enough to last 2 weeks, if I can.

Shop the Circular: For the supermarkets I frequent, The sales start on Friday morning. That afternoon or Saturday morning, I either have the hard copies of the circular or visit the website, to see what the current sales are and where I can get items cheapest.

Food in Other Places: You don't always have to get food items at the supermarket! I've found great deals on meats, condiments, grains at Family Dollar, Dollar Deals (both are discount stores), Walgreens, Duane Reade and even Target! Target has begun selling fresh produce and meats in some locations for very reasonable prices! Check out the grocery sections in your local 99 cent or discount stores! I've found frozen salmon fillets in Dollar Deals for about 4 bucks! (12 oz, which is approx. $5.30/lb)

Coupons: do I even need to comment?

The Freezer is Your Friend: I freeze a lot of foods: raw and cooked chicken (not together!), beef, cooked rice, veggies.. It's very efficient to cook more than you need on a weekend, then freeze the rest. Also, Instead of purchasing fresh veggies (and in my case, forget they are there and watch them spoil), frozen veggies are JUST as good as fresh. In the grand scheme of things, you still benefit from the veggies and kept a lil extra change in your pocket for...


SUPPLEMENTS! Yes, Supplements. Even a multi-vitamin is a supplement. :-) For those of us heavy into supplementation, this is a serious expense.Aren't too many ways around it, but there are cost saving methods:

Coupons: Yep, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Bodybuilding.com ALL offer coupons. Get on those email lists, visit the website, etc.

"Other" websites: supplement websites like those above aren't the only game in town. Vitacost (free shipping over 50 bucks), drugstore.com, amazon, even ebay! They all sell supplements! Most often for less than the traditional sites.

Be Loyal: Sometimes, one brand is notoriously cheaper than others and offer incentives to those who are members of a site, or like their FB page or follow them on Instagram. Shameless plug: Top Secret Nutrition is offering 40% of all supps on the website plus free shipping on orders over $50 when you become a member of the email list! See what I mean?

What are healthy foods and supplements without a fitness plan? Recently, there has been an boom of lower priced fitness clubs popping up all over the country. Depending on your fitness level and goals, this may be the perfect fit for you, with plans as low as 10 dollars a month. If you really think about it, how much of us spend $10 a month on random crap?

So hit the web and check out Planet Fitness, Retro Fitness, Bally's, Boom Fitness to name a few. Also, take advantage of promotions and free passes. Another way to get fit is home DVD workouts, online resources for cheap, Fitbie (on MSN), and even YouTube (they have pilates and yoga classe, boot camps, flexibility, etc)!  You can Google anything thse days! Groupon, LivingSocial and Lifebooker (NY and LA) often have fitness deals that are dirt cheap!

See how much  I love you guys? I want you all to be healthy and fit, but I don't want you to break your pocket! If there is anything I missed, or you have something to add, PLEASE comment and let me know! I have rent and student loan payments so I'm always looking for a deal! :-)

Until next time, lovelies..

Lynette