Chances are if you’re like me (and so many others right now!), money is probably a little tight. While plenty of us are looking for ways to save during these times, you might be thinking about hitting the pause button on your healthy diet. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to! Check out these tips for ways to eat keto on a budget!
The keto diet is notorious for being expensive, and the truth is it can get pricey. BUT there are things you can do today, to save money and still eat keto!
Once you start implementing these tips and tricks you will be a pro at knowing the best ways to save money on the ketogenic diet in no time!
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Can you really eat healthily on a budget?
The answer is yes! With some strategic planning, and time spent in the kitchen, saving money is totally do-able. Remember the basics: to shop cheap, seasonal produce, sales, markdowns, and skip anything that is super pricey. Depending on your budget, it would probably be smart to skip organic food (if you cannot skip buying organic consider getting a Thrive Market Membership to save on costs). Making your own foods from scratch, rather than buying pre-made food will also help your bill.
Check out the tips below for keto specific budget tips…
1. Avoid expensive pre-made… everything! Save money and eat whole food.
As with any food you eat, premade foods are typically more expensive than cooking from scratch (unless you get poopy junk food, which wouldn’t be good for you anyway)…
The price goes up EVEN MORE when it comes to specialty keto snacks. Companies in the specialty keto business practically charge an arm, and a leg, plus your firstborn child. Let’s just say keto snacks get pricey…
When you do your grocery shopping, skip those “luxuries,” your wallet will thank you. (And most likely your health too!)
Tips to take this one step further and SAVE EVEN MORE:
- Instead of going for that bag of riced cauliflower, shred your own cauliflower rice.
- Instead of getting pre spiralized zucchini (for zucchini noodles) invest in a spiralizer and make your own veggie noodles! Even though spiralizers cost money, if you make veggie noodles on a regular basis, a spiralizer will very quickly pay for itself. One small bag of spiralized zucchini at my local Walmart costs nearly $4 dollars, compare that to buying whole zucchini for about .75 cents! (Plus, I actually get more noodles from a single .75 cent zucchini!) Here is the Amazon link to the “fancy” $25 spiralizer I have. But you can also find them for as little as $10, here!
- Instead of getting pre-ground pork rinds, grind your own using a blender or food processor. (Ground pork rinds are used in place of breading for keto cooking).
2. Meal plan
Meal planning is your not-so-secret KEY to success when it comes to saving money on the keto diet. No joke. Planning out your meals helps you to SEE exactly where your money is going, every single meal.
Not only that, but meal planning also helps you stick with your diet. And when you know exactly what you are making for the week, you actually waste less food! We all know food waste is a huge problem, not only is it bad for our planet, we are literally throwing away money… in the trash!
Figure out the best way to meal prep for you, here: 7 MUST-KNOW TIPS TO MAKE MEAL PLANNING EASY
3. Buy meats, shredded cheeses in bulk & freeze
Bulk meats and cheeses are typically cheaper than smaller portions. In this case, the freezer is your BFF. Fill it up with staples like shredded mozzarella, ground beef, bacon, and various cuts of chicken. Once you are ready to eat it, just defrost and get cooking!
With the keto diet, meat can sometimes become a big expense. Buying in bulk can really help cut down on those costs.
4. Keto pantry items to buy in bulk and save money
Aside from meat & cheese, there are a bunch of pantry items you can buy in bulk too! Buying in bulk really helps to save money on the keto diet. To save even more, stay away from already very expensive keto pantry items like macadamia nuts and avocado oil. Here are a few ideas of keto pantry items that you can buy in bulk to save money:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Low carb flours
- Sauces
- Coconut aminos (aka healthy soy sauce)
- Franks red hot sauce
- Sriracha
- Oils
- Spices
- Bone broth
5. Try Ibotta and get cashback on groceries and more!
I have been an avid user of Ibotta for about 4 years now and I LOVE this app.
Ibotta gives you cashback on everyday purchases such as groceries, clothes, and way more! It is completely free to join, and all you have to do is scan a copy of your receipt through your phone. They also have a feature called “Pay with Ibotta,” this allows you to pay through the app, and get cashback from your ENTIRE purchase. I love that you can even use it with online grocery orders!
I have gotten super awesome discounts on some of my favorite keto foods! Plus, I have even tried some new (and free) keto foods, with their free after offer items. Sign up here, and get up to $20 in bonuses!
6. Shop the frozen fruit and veggie aisle
I love me some fresh veggies, but having them every night when you are on a budget isn’t always realistic. Frozen fruits and veggies are a super affordable (and delicious!) way of getting in that goodness.
The fruits and veggies I most commonly have in my freezer are:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Acai (make sure there is no added sugar!)
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Spinach
There are even more frozen fruits and veggies you can add to your freezer, these are just my personal staples! Get creative!
Bonus tips for more ways to eat keto on a budget
- Shop Grocery Outlet for inexpensive random keto finds. I love Grocery Outlet, they don’t have everything, but they almost always have some great keto finds. I have gotten keto chips, protein shakes, brand name collagen, beef broth, and more. The best part? It is always very discounted compared to any other store! While their product offerings are not reliable in the slightest, you can often find random little keto gems on the cheap.
- Do your grocery shopping online. Most grocery stores now have the option for you to do your grocery shopping online, and pick up in-store or (more usually) in a designated area in the parking lot. Grocery shopping online has helped me to save HUGE. Because: A) I typically tend to stick to my grocery list. AND B) If I happen to be a bit over in the budget, I can simply swap out a more expensive keto meal for a budget-friendly keto meal.
- If you are in the process of losing weight… Why not get paid? Get paid to lose weight with certain apps such as Healthy Wage. (FYI there are other apps out there too.) I honestly do not know if I could get on board with this method if I was really strapped for cash and here is why… The major downside to this is that if you do not lose weight, you could actually lose money (you typically have to place a “bet”). And if you can’t afford to lose the money, that could make this gamble a whole lot more dangerous. But if you can afford to hedge the bet, then this could be a super motivating way to get that cash money & lose weight!
