We all want to be healthy. We all want to live frugally. We all want the best for our families. We all want food to taste good. We all want great deals on groceries. We all want delicious food, special treats, our favorite snacks…and if they could be free, cheap, come with a coupon, or be buy-one-get-one free – that would be fantastic.
Yeah, pretty much, we want it all. Is that too much to ask?
Is it just me, or is it tricky sometimes to balance saving money with healthy eating? Especially as our boys get older, I can not believe how much it costs to feed us well. I believe it would also cost a lot to feed us poorly, simply because we eat so stinkin’ much food at our house all the time, every day, all the time. We can not believe the lie that eating well is too expensive. Eating junk is expensive too. I’ve done the math.
I don’t have any wonderful new tips to share today as we work to keep our real food grocery budgets low. I don’t have any great online grocery deals to share. Instead, I just want to encourage keeping a healthy perspective when it comes to balancing saving money with eating healthy.
There really is great, real food out there that is not expensive. It’s amazing all the wonderful combinations of real food ingredients we can creatively put together to feed our families while staying under budget. We do not need to become discouraged, caving in to buy margarine because it’s cheaper than butter, or buying a cheese substitute because it’s cheaper than real cheese. We do not need to skip the fruits and vegetables because we are afraid of the price tag. They are not more expensive per ounce than a box of empty-calorie crackers. I’ve done the math.
God is going to continue to provide for you and your family. I believe the food on your table is as delicious as your attitude dictates it to be. The health benefits of eating the best you can within your means, while trusting God? Priceless.
Tired of the same old cheap real food meals of beans, rice, bananas, and carrots? Ask God to give you more creative ideas, to provide you with what you need, and to give you a heart of thanksgiving. I can almost guarantee that our little Gladis, over in Honduras, has very little variety in her diet, yet all of what she eats is real food and wholesome. She and her family are simply thankful to have food, and they do the best they can. Praise God for his provision!
Remembering her when I look into my refrigerator and pantry keeps me in check. Gladis gives me perspective and offers me a chance to appreciate anew the abundance we have. From thousands of miles away, she shuts my complaining mouth and calms my heart of discontent when I feel like whining about the price of strawberries. How blessed we are to have access to the luxury of strawberries.
I pray we find balance as we seek to eat healthy while saving money. I pray we look at what we have through the eyes of gratitude.
Let’s all continue to feed our families the best we can, while enjoying the blessing of real food – whatever it might look like on our individual tables.
Hoping to get your budget on track as you work to balance healthy eating with saving money?
Be sure to check out BudgetFocus as a wonderful resource!
Thanks for this reminder to be thankful for what we do have instead of complaining non stop about what we can’t afford. We truly are more blessed than we know.
This article is so true, and so spot on. We are so blessed here in America, and I know I sometimes feel discouraged by the price of organic food, but it is so helpful to keep things in perspective by remembering people in other countries who are happy just to have food at all!
Great post. Great reminder to be grateful for living in the United States and for the blessings of God and how He provides for us each day.
Wow this is so timely! I literally was just driving by Whole Foods wishing that money were no object and I could just go spend $300 a week on geeat food for my family. Thank you for putting things in perspective for me. I need to be grateful for the abundance we do have. We buy the best food we can and our blessed so much!
“are” blessed…
Thank you! Thank you! This is why I love reading your blog – the info I need is there when I need it. Right now I needed to be reminded that variety is not a need, it’s a want. Time to stop complaining and enjoy the healthy food that is good and available in my local store even if there is not much variety.
During the course of our marriage we have downsized from Las Vegas, NV to a town of about 45,000 and now live in a town of 7,000. The grocery store caters to the diet of the local people and they don’t eat like we do. I want to shop local but just can’t get what we need locally. I have been super frustrated and I have to admit whiney about this new shopping situation. Time to stop whining and appreciate what I can get and the many opportunities to shop online or in another larger town that are available to me.
Luckily there are a lot of online options and places to purchase items to be shipped.
This is so true :) For the past several weeks raspberries have been on sale here for a 1.00 a container. At first I wanted to ration them out and then I realized that a bargain sundae from McDonalds is 1.25. For twenty-five cents less my kiddos can inhale an entire box of raspberries and soak in tons of nutrients as opposed to a “bargain” sundae which has NOTHING our bodies need! Once I realized that I started passing entire packages of raspberries out :) We went through 24 packages in 5 days but it was delicious :) Also, one thing that people forget about the cost of “cheaper” processed food is that it will cost you more in health care. We eat a ton of fruits and veggies and sometimes (okay, all the time) our food bill scares me. But, we have not been to the doctor in almost 15 months and no one got sick this entire winter. THAT, is frugal:)
You are a great encourager. I love your blog! You make real food practical and healthy and challenge us all to do the same in a non judgmental way! You have a great blessing God has given you and I’m glad you share it with us!!
It’s true. A meal of hamburger meat, cheese, green beans and watermelon with veggie fixins costs the same as two large heat and serve pizzas. Sure, pizza is easier, but the way you feel afterwards and drink water all night doesn’t serve us in a good way for our bodies. I had a fast food hangover this morning from wrestling with burgers, fries, and nuggets in my gut all night. NOT. WORTH.IT.
This situation is not only affecting families with children. If is affecting everyone. I am a single person who has to balance eating healthy within a tight budget. Being creative is a blessing. Also being content with the means that God gives us is so important.
This is something I struggle with constantly. I have actually become more grateful as the income has decreased because my focus has changed from having the perfect diet to just being thankful that we have food to eat. Just like you, I think of those who are doing without; children who go to bed hungry, and parents who lie awake wondering how to get through the next day. We are so blessed! Thank you for helping us keep the perspective!
Thank you so much for this reminder to be grateful and having a heart of gratitude for the abundance of food we do have available. I find that it is a struggle to meet the budget with all healthy food, but I am enjoying the challenge of making it work! Thankfully there are so many resources available to inspire our creativity!! Have a blessed day.
I’ve been struggling with this lately. I’ve been doubting that using so much of God’s money on food is the right choice. But then I also feel convicted that I should not feed my children garbage. I really am trying to find a balance in this! I am also trying to ward off laziness– I do not have to buy expensive, organic granola bars when I can be proactive and make/freeze a large batch of soft pretzels (or other healthy snack) for much cheaper. It takes a lot of work, that’s for sure. I’m trying to remember that what matters is to be grateful to God for His provisions and to have a joyful attitude through it all.
AMEN, Sister! I think I”ll have my children take turns reading this to our family tonight at dinner. :) Thanks!