Savings Mom: How to Eat Healthy and Save Money

Oct. 6, 2005 — -- "Savings Mom" Stephanie Nelson answers questions submitted by readers of her column and by "Good Morning America" viewers.

Question: I once was an avid coupon shopper. Now that my sons and I are eating healthier, I rarely find coupons I can use. Where can I find coupons for healthy foods (for example, salmon, brown rice, and other foods that do not contain hydrogenated oils)?   — Gloria Lawson, Linwood, Calif.

Savings Mom Says: You raise a very interesting question, which is why my mantra is, "Saving money on groceries is not about changing the way you eat, but changing the way you buy the food that you like." It sounds like you would like to save money on your groceries without compromising the quality of the food your family prefers. By using Strategic Shopping tips, believe me, you can save money and eat healthy, too.

The three points of Strategic Shopping are: 1) Know prices of your preferred food items; 2) Know your store's savings programs; and 3) Know coupons.

In your family's case, you may not find as many coupons for your groceries as you did in the past. However, you can still reduce your spending by knowing the price ranges for your preferred items so you can recognize their lowest price and stock up when they hit their lowest price.

Check the Virtual Coupon Organizer on www.couponmom.com for your state (or a nearby state) to see if coupons for your preferred items are available in the Sunday newspaper coupon circulars. There are many coupons for healthy items like yogurt, some organic products, diet products, low-sugar products, special varieties of margarines, cheese and snacks with no hydrogenated oils, and more. As consumers' preferences change, food manufacturers' products and coupons tend to follow our trends so we can expect to see more coupons for healthier food items in the future.