If we were honest with ourselves, we’d all like to cook more fresh food. It’s good for us, and we all know it. But, when time restrictions get in the way, it’s always easier to buy a jar, or stick a ready meal in the freezer. You’re a busy person! You don’t have time to dedicate hours to cooking.
Besides, eating fresh can often seem like an expense you could do without. When it comes down to it, a ready meal option is often far cheaper than buying ingredients upfront. It’s a backwards fact. And, time aside, it’s the reason many of us fail to jump on the fresh bandwagon.
But, given your health and happiness are at risk, we think it’s past time you found a way to get over that money obstacle. And, we’re going to look at a few of the ways you could do it.
Change where you shop
Different stores are good for different things. You may shop at your current choise because it has decent offers on frozen foods, for instance. But, if you’re shopping with fresh in mind, you should look for stores which do the best deals on fresh foods. Go back to your food shop drawing board. Research using resources like the Coop new catalog, or simply try a few stores in your local area. Over time, you’ll come to gain a decent picture of the shops which offer the best fresh deals. And, like with anything, your efforts here could save you a substantial amount.
Change your buying habits
You might also want to change your shopping habits. Perhaps one of the leading worries about a fresh diet is that of waste. After all, fruit and veg don’t last anywhere near as long as frozen produce. But, by changing your shopping habits, you can ensure you don’t waste any food. Note that a once-monthly shop may not serve anymore. Instead, get into the habit of popping to the store on your way home from work. As you’ll only be buying for one meal, this won’t take long. In fact, these small trips will save you having to make time for a large one. Of course, there is a risk of spending more money on impulse buys. Make sure it doesn’t happen by writing a meal plan at the start of each week. Then, write everything you need each day. By sticking to your lists, you can save unnecessary spending.
Make in bulk
Another fantastic way to save time and money on fresh food is to make things in bulk. You could make batches of foods like granola and keep them in airtight jars. Or, you could batch make curries, chillies, and more, and stick them in the freezer. Just like that, you'll have fresh ready meals. You’ll find that buying ingredients in bulk is sure to save you a fair amount of money over time. And, of course, this adds a level of convenience you might never have thought possible!
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