If you’re feeling ready and determined to lose weight but worried about the REAL cost to eating healthily, then fear not! Weight loss is achievable on a tight budget!
Just ask these amazing mammas, with their incredible stories below, who have all been able to do just that!
With help from The Healthy Mummy – you can lose weight, tone up, grocery shop for the entire family and actually SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.
Here’s how these mums lost weight on a super tight budget
Cassie Ralis has lost 30kg and kept it off for almost 2 years
Mum-of-two Cassie says when she first started following The Healthy Mummy plans she made slow changes.
“There were a lot of different ingredients involved in the recipes that I didn’t normally buy,” she says.
“To avoid blowing out our weekly shopping budget I looked for recipes on The Healthy Mummy app that used the same or very similar ingredients.
“Also, another money saver is to workout at home. The app workouts are amazing. You can use bottled water or cans of soup as weights or do lots of walking.”
Even three years later, Cassie still sticks to a budget.
“I will make two or three snacks for the week, and I make meals that use similar ingredients. My freezer has also become my best friend,” she says.
“I stock up on things like fruit and vegetables, meat and wraps when they are on special. I will also make double batches of pasta sauces and have them in the freezer ready to go.”
What’s more, she has also started growing things in her veggie garden, things that she uses a lot like onions, garlic, rocket, carrots and spinach.
“I will also adjust recipes some recipes to save money. If chicken thighs are cheaper then I will use them instead of breast,” she says.
“If you have time, shop around. It’s all about making it work for you and your family. I LOVE the Healthy Mummy and app – it has saved me money and helped me lose the weight!”
Cassie’s top tips
- Make The Healthy Mummy app meals with items you already have in your pantry
- Grow your own veggies
- Workout at home
- Double up on meals
- Invest in a large freezer
- Shop around for bargains
Cassie Krawczyk has lost 43kg
Cassie is a mum-of-three and she says she didn’t have money for gym membership, so would walk every day and use The Healthy Mummy app workouts.
“This then turned into running until eventually I was running 5-10km day. I would also make big batches of meals and freeze whole meals ready for the family the following week,” she says.
“I would also change up The Healthy Mummy meals to suit our budget. For example, if it called for beans I would change to peas because it was a cheaper alternative.”
Cassie’s top tips for living healthier on a budget
- Prep your meals.
- At the end of the week spend the day before food shopping going through the stuff you have and use up everything on your last couple of meals.
- I would also go through my pantry to see what I already had so I didn’t buy food I didn’t need for the next week. This is the best thing about the shopping list on the app.
- The Healthy Mummy meals are so adaptable so to make it affordable to substitute certain foods for cheaper options.
Kirsty Whitehead has lost 48kg
Kirsty is a mum-of-five based in South Australia and she says, I was pretty strapped for cash and my hubby wasn’t keen on spending heaps of money on weight loss ideas and I am so glad I found The Healthy Mummy
Kirsty’s top tips for losing weight on a budget
- Use fruit and vegetables that are in season
- Bulk up meals for hungry teenagers with rice and pasta
- If the Healthy Mummy meal plan calls from a recipe you don’t have many ingredients for… swap it for one that you do
- Add to your staple pantry little by little.
- Buy bulk meals and use recipes that have the same ingredient or again substitute.
- Shop specials and create a meal plan according to the specials.
- Weigh ingredients, often our eyes are bigger than our belly and we over portion using more food than we need too.
- Freeze leftovers.
- Bake kids school treats rather than buying processed recesses.
- Exercise can be free, at home workouts, if you don’t have the app there’s plenty on you tube and walking is amazing.
- Check the fridge, any fresh produce that is on the verge, chop it up and pop them in the freezer. Less wastage and saving money.
“One of the biggest ways we have saved money as a family is simply stop buying take out and coffees.”
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. There’s just one thing left on your mind. BUDGET.
More specifically, how much will it REALLY cost to eat healthily, see awesome weight loss results and grocery shop.The good news is – with help from The Healthy Mummy – you can lose weight, tone up, grocery shop for the entire family and actually SAVE DOLLARS (Need proof?
Read up on how this mum lost 30kg and saved $100 a week on groceries).To get you started, here are TEN easy tips to follow to ensure you can enjoy budget-friendly, healthy meals. 
10 tips to help you lose weight on a tight budget
1. Limit your options
Just because your meal plan offers different meals and a variety of snacks each and every day, that doesn’t mean that you have to cook them ALL!
For instance, on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge 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 a 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.
2. Cook in bulk
If you know you’re going to cook up something like Bolognese or Chilli con Carne, 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 night’s meal. Same goes with sides like quinoa – serve it with your dinner and then use leftovers to make porridge in the morning.
3. Plan your snacks
Don’t 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.
Here are 4 delicious bliss ball recipes you should totally check out.
4. Check the calendar
It’s important not to overextend yourself on days or weeks that you know you’ll 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 café style muffin or bliss ball seems like a quick option when you’re getting your caffeine fix, but crunch the numbers. It’s probably around $3-4 for a muffin and maybe $3 for a bliss ball.
Check out the ‘cost per serve’ information on all of our budget recipes and you’ll soon see how much more you’ll have in your wallet at the end of the month (plus being homemade means they’re a LOT healthier).
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 they’re on offer and pop them in the freezer to use later (they thaw very quickly, or can be used frozen in a smoothie). If you have pantry space, stock up on things like tinned tomatoes or legumes when they’re at a good price.
7. Switch it up
Just because your meal plan calls for fresh prawns, doesn’t mean you can’t use something else. Swap them for some chicken breast or thinly diced beef if you prefer (or if it’s cheaper). Same goes for things like fruit or nuts, most of our recipes are very adaptable to suit most 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).
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 around $14 per kilo. You could also try growing cherry tomatoes, chives, rocket and chillis – these work even in small spaces.
10. Take a list (not your appetite)
As part of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge you’ll 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 you’ll be well on your way to filling your trolley with healthy goodies to help you lose weight.
To help you SAVE MONEY – we’ve also pulled together EVERY single money saving tip we can get our hands on for saving, food shopping and lifestyle. Check it out here.
To learn more about The Healthy Mummy’s 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, weekly meal plans, recipes and exercises DESIGNED to help busy mums lose weight – click here.
Are you ready to join the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and get access to this INCREDIBLE APP??
If you are wanting to lose weight and improve your energy – not to mention – help improve your overall health and wellbeing – our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is an awesome program to check out.
Our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge includes:
- 28 days of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) – with video instruction
- Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans (including 7 Day Cleanse)
- Time-efficient exercises for busy mums – 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 learn more about our28 DAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE CLICK HEREor purchase our Smoothies.