Top 10 Eat cheap and healthy tips

This tip only applies to my American readers. Virtually every country on the planet has a single payer healthcare system. In the U.S. getting sick is a major crisis that requires work on your part at your lowest moment of health. Serious savings can be had by comparing your options. If your employer offers health insurance be sure to review what is and is not covered. Be sure to review the health reimbursement features if your employer offers one. For everyone else, you need to review the Affordable Care Act options, private insurance and medical health sharing. I personally settled on the Christian health sharing options. It was the best value. My worry was it would not deliver if claims were made. A serious illness in my family has put those concerns to rest. You can start your health sharing research here. And here is a medical health sharing option.

As soon as you get to the store, make a beeline for the produce section to load up on the most nutritious items first. Then shop the perimeter, where whole foods like dairy, eggs, meat and fish, and fresh herbs are usually stocked. You might find you don’t even need to spend time aimlessly perusing the middle aisles, which are often a danger-zone filled with processed foods. (And remember, you can get any healthy perishable item you need on the cheap from Thrive Market!)

I was casually looking at the dollar store freezer, where there's usually just boxed meals stuffed with sodium and fat when I found something different: frozen berries. I grabbed the package to see because I immediately assumed it would be full of conservatives and chemicals. Turns out it's purely berries. No added sugar, HFCS, nothing. For $1, it seems like a good deal. I bought a bunch of them to eat with oatmeal and/or ricotta cheese for breakfast. Fresh blueberries at my local grocer were $5 for a small box, so for me that was a great finding.

Are you the last person on the planet to cut the cord? Cable is so 1990s. And expensive! You do know that the local networks broadcast over the airwaves 30 or so channels now? You can watch about as much for free from broadcasts as you can with cable and at no cost. Then you have YouTube and Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime and many more. YouTube is mostly free. Netflix is still pretty cheap. If you have Amazon Prime you already have a streaming service at no additional cost. You can also check out the library tip above for even more free programming, including the expensive stuff on HBO, etc. Yes, your library has many of these programs, available at no cost to you. Check it out.

Cell phone service can be out-of-this-world expensive. I (my whole family) switched to Visible Wireless a few years back. You get unlimited data, messages and minutes. Visible Wireless is owned by Verizon. All this for $25 a month! Since I live in the boondocks I have few options for internet. I use my Visible phone as my internet as well. They even have 5G in areas where available. I am writing this post over my Visible Wireless data using the hotspot. Visible Wireless is the best deal for cell service I could find. Be aware the link in this tip is an affiliate link. Also know that I went to check to see if they had an affiliate program if I refer them. They did and I signed up just now because, well, I may as well get paid for my referral if I was going to make the referral anyway.

When a food item goes on sale it is time to stock up. . . . . . if you have the space. A freezer can cut 20% or more off your food bill. A meat special can be maximized. You can prepare larger quantities for later consumption. For the best meat quality and price, check your local butcher shop. Many sell the whole animal (already in the familiar cuts) for significantly less than buying piecemeal over time. A freezer is required is such a situation. A freezer is a must if you have your own garden or fruit trees. Nature produces more than you can consume before it spoils. A freezer pays for itself quickly.

Canning is a lost art. It used to be that folks in the backwoods canned their food. I only know of one other person that cans their own food now. That is a shame since it is such a money saver. Mrs. Accountant cans and dehydrates like crazy. Fruits and vegetables fill our cellar. When a semi brings fresh Georgia peaches to Wisconsin, we stock up. A lot. We eat peaches until we have our fill and can the rest for later. The wholesale trucks are hard to find so keep your eyes and ears open. The prices are super low! A box of peaches can run a few dollar at most. And they are better than we can find in the grocery store. Consider canning as a hobby. One that pays you in more than one way. As long as you are at it, you should consider dehydrating food, as well. This is easier than canning. And your food will taste incredible.