Let’s face it. Gluten free food is expensive, and it’s hard enough grocery shopping in this economy, never mind having a family that eats gluten free. So how do you save money on gluten free groceries? Learn how to spend less on Gluten Free food, and keep more money in your wallet.
Well, recently I was shopping for back-to-school and was overwhelmed after going to 2 grocery stores and realized I’d spent over $300 while I was “just picking up a few things.” The week prior, I stocked up at Costco and Walmart, bringing my grocery bill close to $1000 in less than 2 weeks. So I realized that I needed to have a better plan to save on gluten free groceries.
In this post, I will walk you through 5 ways to spend less money on gluten free food so you can spend more time with your family and less time stressing over gluten free meals.
Step 1: Shop Smart
The most important tip for spending less on gluten free food is to shop smart.
- Buy food on sale and stock up. If you love your favorite treats like Feel Good Mozzarella Sticks buy those when they are on sale, and stock up.
- Buy a deep freezer so you can freeze foods when they go on sale.
- Buy in bulk at Costco, BJ’s, and wholesalers. If you see that almond flour at Costco for $9.99, then buy it because it is $5 for a little bag at Aldi. Costco has a lot of gluten free finds, and when you see them on sale, you need to stock up. I love Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal, but when I buy it at Whole Foods or the grocery store, it’s close to $10 for a little bag. Even when it’s not on sale at Costco, it’s a better deal than most local grocery stores.
- Buy Local: Purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets and farmers.
- Buy in-season vegetables and fruit: Produce tastes better when it’s in season and is usually less expensive.
- Buy Store Brands: Try store brands of gluten-free foods, like Aldi’s liveGfree or Whole Foods 365.
- Shop with a list and stick to it.
Step 2: Meal Prep and Planning
Another great way to save money is to practice meal prep and planning religiously.
- Meal prep Sunday: Pick a day of the week that you meal prep for the week. On Sundays, I like to prepare my lunches and breakfast meals.
- Use a meal planner and write down a few realistic meal ideas for this week. So, I have to admit that I sometimes go off the deep end here, where I like to plan these lavish, extravagant meals, when realistically I don’t have time or energy to prepare them during the week. So, I learned to focus on making more “creative” meals on the weekends, when I have more time, and easy meals for the family during the week.
Step 3: Cook at Home
Cooking at home is a great opportunity for your family to gather around the table and cook together. Honestly, nothing is better than home-cooked food. So focus on making meals at home, and if you do decide to eat out, designate one day a week that you eat out. For us, we do “Pizza Friday.” However, we also spend a lot of money at Dunkin’, so try to find ways to maximize your dollar by creating your own versions of drinks. Recently, I bought plastic cups with straws, cold brew, and started making my own iced coffee at home.
Step 4: Reduce Food Waste
- Take a food inventory of what you actually eat, and what food you throw out. Our family purchases a lot of fruit because my son loves it; however, if we can’t eat it in time, then we have to throw it out. One week I noticed that I threw out close to $20 worth of fruits and vegetables because I either didn’t have time to make the meals, or we didn’t end up eating the fruit before it spoiled.
- Buy fruits and vegetables every 2-3 days so they don’t spoil. Only buy what you can realistically eat in 2-3 days. If this in unrealistic to shop every 2-3 days, and you prefer to shop once a week, then focus on making meals with fresh vegetables and fruit the first part of the week, and utilize frozen or canned alternatives, or produce with a longer shelf-life for the rest of the week.
- Buy local fruits and vegetables on the days when you can eat them. They usually contain less preservatives and can spoil quicker. Freeze whatever you can’t eat, like blueberries.
Step 5: Eat Affordable Foods
- Eat affordable protein sources, like eggs, beans, canned tuna fish or chicken.
- Stay away from processed or packaged foods, which are usually carbohydrates and not healthy for you anyway.
Other Ideas to Help You Spend Less on Gluten Free
- Grow Your Own: If possible, start your own garden to grow your own vegetables and herbs. This can be a fun family activity and a rewarding way to save on groceries.
- Budget-friendly foods: protein, fruits, vegetables, fewer starches, and packaged foods
- Free and reduced lunches: see if you qualify at school. If your child has celiac disease, the school is legally required to provide gluten-free food options.
- The Celiac Disease Foundation also has free resources for families that are struggling with food insecurity here.
Well, I hope you found this post informative and useful. Gluten free food is expensive, but there are ways you can spend less on gluten free food so you can have more time with your family.
