There is no denying it – eating a more healthy diet costs more than eating a less wholesome diet filled with packaged and processed, convenience foods. Spending extra money on fresh whole foods, however, is an investment in your health. In this article I will share 8 Ways to Save Money on Groceries for the Lyme Inflammation Diet®.

Here are some strategies on how to save money on groceries:

• Track prices. The fluctuation in price from one store to another can be huge. There are five different stores I will frequent when grocery shopping and over time I have come to discover which stores have the best prices on products I buy most often. I have certain lists for certain stores and just work a trip in after a day of work and stock up on the items with the best prices so I can make infrequent trips.
• Don’t rule out chain grocery stores. There is a Market Basket near my work, which is in a city location. When I first started shopping there, I was shocked to find the great selection of organic food – foods that aren’t offered at the smaller rural branches of the same store. The selection in the meat department is vast and the prices are incredible. One visit, I bought a whole organic chicken at a savings of $10 over a chicken (same size) I had bought a few weeks earlier at a health food store – and it was the same brand! I find that grocery stores are best for eggs, butter, milk, poultry and meat, unless you have a local farm you can buy from.
• Shop online. Products like raw honey, nuts, baking products and other non-perishable items can be found online for prices that are often far less than in a brick and mortar store. Amazon, generally thought of for books or DVDs, has great deals on many organic food items. Other favorites of mine are vitacost.com, luckyvitamin.com, and pureformulas.com, which all have great prices on food items, vitamins and products like toothpaste and soap. I wait until I have a big order so I can stock up and also be eligible for free shipping.
• Holiday sales. Once you purchase from an online storefront (see number 3, above) you’ll be on their email list. They have frequent sales, especially around holidays. I’ve been holding off on my next vitacost order because I feel confident that I’ll be receiving a Fourth of July promotion email with great bargains. Be sure to join the mailing list of your favorite site(s), so you don’t miss out on great sales!
• Farmer’s markets, PYO, CSAs and gardens. The best savings for local, fresh, organic fruit, vegetables and herbs is to shop in season at a farmer’s market or going to a PYO (pick your own) farm. Farmer’s will discount fruit when you pick your own because you are doing the labor.  You can also join a CSA (community supported agriculture) where you’ll receive a weekly crop of in-season vegetables, herbs and some fruit. Some CSA’s even have winter shares and offer eggs, milk or meat shares! If you have a green thumb, though, growing a garden or even just a few potted herbs is the most economical way to fill your fridge with fresh produce and herbs.
• Check the circulars. This may seem obvious, but it’s new to me over the past few years. My favorite health food stores often run sales for 25% or more off some of my favorite products. When they do, I stock up!
• Make menus around your sale items. Very often stores will have a few items priced very low. It’s a marketing strategy to get buyers in the door. All the stores I shop at have their circulars online. I look them over prior to shopping and make a list of the sale items that I’ll be buying. Sometimes the products are pretty random, so I’ll plan a menu using the ingredients I am about to buy.
• Big savings with bulk. All the natural food stores that I go to have fantastic bulk sections. Grains and nuts store very well if you refrigerate or freeze them. When the items we enjoy most are on sale, I load up. When there’s a remarkable sale, I’ve been known to buy pounds of nuts!

Implementing new eating habits is good for your health, while changing the way you shop can be good for your pocket book. Check out page 46-47 of our book for more tips on how to save!