Grocery Shopping

(http://www.edibleportland.com/images/grocery-aisle.JPG)
The grocery store can be both your worst enemy and best friend. Getting caught up in all the different types of food can not only raise your bill, but by making the wrong choices you can raise your weight as well. Some easy tips to follow to keep both your budget and pant size small are:

1. Go with a list- Pre-plan a few meals that you can get the ingredients for, as well as listing other snacks, and ingredients you will need in the near future.

2. Only buy what you'll need- by buying extra food, you will either binge eat in order to eat it before it goes bad, or you'll end up throwing it out. One not being good for your waist line, and the other not being good for your wallet.

3. Frozen vegetables and fruits- although they may not be as jam-packed with vitamins and minerals as the fresh version, they are still healthier than many other options, and extremely cheap. The best deal in the frozen vegetable department hands down is spinach. You can use it in pasta, with potatoes, or on the side of a chicken or turkey entree. Sooooo much spinach needs to be cooked down to get one container of frozen spinach, and it's only about a dollar something.

4. Coupons and card members- everyone may tease the coupon collectors, but the truth is, you can save big when they add up. By clipping coupons or joining the club programs at your local grocery store, you can save on a wide variety of foods and other ingredients by as much as 50-75%.

They may not seem like huge changes, or like you'll actually end up saving money and making healthier choices for yourself. Also, by only having healthier food options in your dorm or apartment, you won't be tempted to make poor eating choices late at night.