By Sarah Kaufman, Manilla.com

1. Plan your menus weekly.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost a ton of money, but it does require some planning. At the beginning of each week, think about the meals you’d like to have for breakfast and lunch.  By creating a cost-effective weekly dinner plan, you’ll save both time and money.

2. Make a list.
Once you’ve planned your menu for the week, make a list of the ingredients you’ll need. See where various ingredients overlap (for example, can you use your lunch salad vegetables in a breakfast smoothie or in a dinner menu?). Not only will this save you money because you’ll be able to use one ingredient for various meals, but you’ll avoid wasting any of the fresh food you buy.

3. Try not to stray.
Though it can be tempting buy the magazines, candy bars and gum that are designed to make you overspend at the checkout counter, try to avoid making those purchases. Chances are, you’ll end up spending more than you wanted to on items you don’t really need.

4. Buy in season.
Fruits and vegetables that are in season tend to be cheaper because they don’t come with the travel and shipping costs that are associated with out-of-season produce. To learn what’s most readily available in your area, check out this interactive seasonal ingredients map on Epicurious.com.

5. Buy in bulk.
This doesn’t necessarily have to mean heading to Costco and buying the biggest portions of food items you can find. Rather, it might just mean buying an item that hasn’t been conveniently individually packaged for you. For example, individually packaged oatmeal not only tends to be more expensive (you’re paying for the company to put it into those convenient, little packets), but it’s also much less healthy (instant oats tend to lose much of their nutritional value during the refining process). Instead, try buying a big container of rolled oats, which will give you bigger bang for your buck.

6. Make it qual-Auntie time.
Turn your healthy new lifestyle change into an activity with your nieces and nephews. If you know you have them for a few nights, plan a simple meal you can make together. Not only will this give you something fun to do, but it will also help teach your little ones a new skill — cooking!

7. Revamp leftovers.
Although a huge money saver, eating leftovers isn’t for everyone. Many people shy away from indulging in what they had the night before simply because they’re sick of it. If this sounds like you, consider revamping your leftovers to be something completely different from a previous meal. For example, one night you could eat a rotisserie chicken with some healthy sides, and the next night you could use that leftover chicken to make healthy tacos.

8. Swap frozen veggies for fresh.
Frozen veggies last longer than fresh, which means they’ll never go to waste. Plus, they’re often just as healthy (if not healthier) than their fresh counterparts because they are frozen directly after being picked, which allows them to maintain their vitamins and minerals longer.

9. Ditch prepackaged beverages.
Premade iced tea and flavored water are not only pricey, but they’re often loaded with sugar and other artificial ingredients. Instead, brew your own iced tea and add fresh lemon and mint. Or, try flavoring your own water by taking a pitcher of filtered water and adding fresh fruit, such as lemon and lime.

Sarah Kaufman is the editor-in-chief of The Manilla Folder at Manilla.com, the leading, free and secure service that lets consumers manage all of their bills and accounts in one place online and via mobile apps. She’s a regular contributor to Yahoo! Finance, The Huffington Post, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Motley Fool and other major sites. Sarah has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in English writing, political science and studio arts from the University of Pittsburgh.

Published: March 11, 2014