Clean Eating on a Budget. Tip #1

Tip #1

Know thyself. Make a budget. 

In order to affectively save money for your new healthier lifestyle, you have to know WHERE you are spending money. So first things first- download an app like "good budget" that allows customized categories and get specific. Enter your income and set budgets for what you THINK you are spending in specific categories. I'm not talking "groceries" or "gas" or "utilities"... Make it specific! Look at your daily habits. Weekly habits. Specifically those dealing with your eating and exercise habits.

For me it was looking at "eating lunch out", "gym membership", "convenience store buys" (as in stopping every morning for a water or poweraid), "starbucks addiction" (for me that was dunkin'), "frozen meals", "fast food", "vending machine" etc etc. look at your habits this week and write them all down.

I also added "food waste"- so that any time I tossed a food, I added that up. We will get to why you should know that in a later post...

After you know your habits, get an app like "good budget" and add all of those categories and what you THINK you spend on them. I was SHOCKED at how much I spent on the vending machine at work (serious diet coke habit) and in gas station stops each morning (a granola bar and a diet coke almost every day). I was also shocked at the amount of money I spent eating out for lunch. 5$ foot longs add up. So does 65 cents here and there and 2$ a day in convenience food.

So! Get specific and know your habits. That way you can make room for better habits.

Categories that will help you understand your eating habits and how you can save money and live better:

Gym membership

Other fitness expenses

Impulse buys

Fast food

Breakfasts out

Lunches out

Dinners out

Bar Tabs/alcohol out

Food waste

Vending machines

Coffee shops 

The list can go on and on but LET IT. The more you cater your breakdown to YOU, the easier it is to save money. 

We will keep adding on to this concept to get you and your family just a little greener (in your fridge AND your wallet) ;)

So challenge #1- find a budget app you like and add it all up for 1 week. 

Goodbudget for iPhone. I'll be using this to track. I challenge you to do the same.