10 tips to help you lose weight on a TIGHT budget
Okay. So you are ready to lose weight. You are motivated to get moving. You have read up on everything you need to know about meal prep.
Thereโs just one thing left on your mind. BUDGET. More specifically, howย much will it REALLY cost to eat healthily, see awesome weight loss results, and grocery shop.
The good news is โ with help from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย โ you can lose weight, tone up, grocery shop for the entire family and actually SAVE MONEY.
To get you started, here areย TENย easy tips to follow to ensure you can enjoy budget friendly, healthy meals.ย
10 tips to help you lose weight on a tight budget
1. Limit yourย options
Just because your meal plan offers different meals and a variety of snacks each and every day,ย that doesnโt mean that you have to cook them ALL!
For instance, on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย we provide our mums with a new meal plan each week loaded with different snack ideas and main meals for every day of the week. This is because we want to give our mums aย variety of options to suit tastes, seasons and budgets (while seeing awesome weight loss results).
But if you want to cook something for dinner and then have it the next day for lunch, that will save you time and money. Try some of these slow cooked dinner recipes that make insanely good leftovers.
2. Cook in bulk
If you know youโre going to cook up something like Bolognese or Chilli con Carne from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, plan ahead to make a big batch and reuse it.
For instance you could make it into nachos, a pie or a wrap for the next nightโs meal. Same goes with sides like quinoa โ serve it with your dinner and then use leftovers to make porridge in the morning.
3. Plan your snacks
Donโt go making a new morning and afternoon tea each day. Choose a couple of options to make on Sunday to enjoy for the rest of the week.
For instance you might make some bliss balls, some dip to enjoy with chopped carrots, and some healthy slice. There are HUNDREDS of recipes on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
4. Check the calendar
Itโs important not to overextend yourself on days or weeks that you know youโll be busy. So if you have to work late or the kids have activities on a Tuesday afternoon, factor that in so that you have a pre-prepped meal or something easy for dinner that night.
5. Avoid buying snacks out and about
A cafรฉ style muffin or bliss ball seems like a quick option when youโre getting your caffeine fix, but crunch the numbers. It adds up very quickly. Compare that to the cost per serve of making 12 muffins at home and there’s no competition (plus being homemade means theyโre a LOT healthier). Like the look of these Raspberry Muffins from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge?
6. Buy on sale and store
We all have items we buy all the time, so look out for special offers. For instance if your family love blueberries you can stock up when theyโre on offer and pop them in the freezer to use later (they thaw very quickly, or can be used frozen in a smoothie or muffin recipe). If you have pantry space, stock up on things like tinned tomatoes or legumes when theyโre at a good price to make meals like this.
7. Switch it up
Just because your meal plan calls for fresh prawns, doesnโt mean you canโt use something else. Swap them for some chicken breast or thinly diced beef if you prefer (or if itโs cheaper). Same goes for things like fruit or nuts, most of our recipes on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย are very adaptable to suit other options.
8. Use cheaper options
If you want to save your pennies you might want to avoid certain ingredients and use alternatives instead. For instance you might use dried basil instead of fresh in a marinade, or tinned tomatoes instead of fresh in a pasta sauce. Frozen fruit is often a lot cheaper than fresh too (think raspberries and mangoes especially for your smoothie – frozen fruit makes it creamier!).
9. Grow your own
If you have the space (even one pot!) try growing some fresh herbs and salad leaves at home. Parsley is really easy to grow, and when you buy a bunch at the supermarket you could be paying way over the odds for it compared to the cost of a packet of seeds. You could also try growing cherry tomatoes, chives, rocket and chillis โ these work even in small spaces.
10. Take a list (not your appetite)
As part of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย youโll be able to download your own customised shopping list to take to the supermarket with you.
Take this along and remember the golden rule NEVER SHOP WHEN HUNGRY and youโll be well on your way to filling your trolley with healthy goodies to help you lose weight. Read these tips from mums to save pennies on your shopping.
Are you ready to kick-start your weight loss?
Want to shift your baby weight but feel like you have NO TIME in your day to exercise and eat healthily? Thatโs where the Healthy Mummyโsย 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย can help.
Our Challenge entails:ย
- 28 days of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) โ with video instruction
- Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans
- Time-efficient exercises for busy mums โ under 30 mins
- Challenge combines Pilates exercises with interval and circuit training (HIIT)
- Suitable for basic to advanced fitness levels.
- Home to thousands of EASY-TO-MAKE recipes.
To find out more about joining theย 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge for ยฃ1 click here.
PLUS โ connect with THOUSANDS of other mums on theย 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย by joining ourย free support community here.