Cheap diet – 7 ideas to save money while losing weight
In today’s economy, people trying to lose weight are especially affected. Special “diet food” can be quite expensive. So what’s a thrifty, health-conscious slimmer to do? Here are some suggestions:
Get all the information. The purpose of dieting is to lose weight, right? If you choose a certain diet plan, you will greatly increase your chances of success by getting all the information you need about that diet before you start. Being well-informed also saves you money while following your chosen diet by preventing you from falling into costly traps that contradict your plan.
don’t guess. So go to the library and check out the book if there is one. Read them! Go online and go to the official website, google your chosen diet, read articles and people’s blogs about diet. The forums, in particular, are very helpful and keep you upbeat and engaged.
Simplify. When choosing a diet for yourself, compare and contrast. Choose simple diets that ask you to eat regular foods. Stay away from diet plans that insist or require you to buy meals, bars, shakes, etc. from them. If you choose a plan that’s based on real food but also promotes convenient pre-packaged snacks, shakes, and bars, then avoid those big-ticket items like the plague. You can lose weight just by eating regular food!
grow your own. Unless you’re on the banana pudding diet, chances are you’re eating fruits and vegetables. If you have a little garden, you can grow a lot of vegetables and fruits yourself. A patio or deck will hold containers for plants, and even a sunny apartment window sill can hold pots of herbs to liven up your diet meals.
Growing your own is soothing to the soul, as well as inexpensive, and a couple of tomato plants, a pot of strawberries, and a handful of potted herbs will help offset grocery costs. And it’s better for you!
buy it in bulk. Yeah I know, it’s a huge pain in the butt to have to split up those huge family packs of meat! I hate it too, but just think about how much money you’re saving. You can re-wrap that 10-pack of chicken breasts into individual servings while you wait for your morning coffee to brew. Not only are you saving cash, but you’ve also made dinner so much easier by having the meal-sized portions ready to go.
make it from scratch. If you’re single and the meal calls for a cup of cooked rice, don’t run to the store and buy those instant rices in individual packets. Cook a cup of dry rice (not hard!) and refrigerate leftovers. You just saved a packet and have now cooked ready-to-microwave rice for another meal. If you’re a busy wife/mom like me with multiple mouths to feed, take a weekend morning to cook up a bunch of casseroles. Cook two or three (depending on the size of your family) and dinner that night, plus at least 2 days worth of quick and easy meals. Many one-dish meals can be refrigerated or frozen and then popped in the oven overnight for dinner. Add a green salad and voila, frugal diet food!
pack it yourself. Ban all fast food and convenience store junk from your life! You will be saving your diet and saving your wallet simultaneously. Pack your lunch every day; make wraps, sandwiches, leftovers, and soups. Pack snacks like cheese sticks, raw vegetables, and boiled eggs. Invest in a good insulated coffee container and brew your own good quality coffee and take it from home.
I invite you to try these frugal diet tips. You’ll be amazed at how these few changes will affect your waistline AND your bag!
