Inflation peaked in 2022. Yet Americans still grapple with money anxiety. This is because prices have not come down far enough for people to feel financially secure. A staggering 80 percent of Americans say that the cost of living is their most significant stressor, with inflation a close second at 73 percent, according to a personal finance poll from Clever Real Estate.

As costs rise, incomes do not—or at least not at a level that keeps consumers’ heads above water. Wages are a challenge, with salaries remaining the same despite soaring costs of basic needs. And making ends meet is getting harder: 56 percent of Americans report being underpaid.

Cutting back on spending is an obvious tactic to try to mitigate these challenges. But this is easier said than done. When consumers have no purchases besides essentials, cutting back can mean denying necessities like food, medical care and housing. 44 percent of Americans admit to skipping meals to be able to pay a bill. These needs are often the first areas cut when consumers cannot afford the basics.

The grocery store is where we shop for life’s essentials—the food we need to feed ourselves and our families. If you have noticed that you are still paying more than before for the same amount of groceries, you are not alone. Despite inflation easing, grocery prices are still high—up 21 percent on average since inflation started to surge more than three years ago.

“When inflation rises, it reduces people’s ability to afford groceries by increasing the overall cost of goods,” said Cassandra Happe, analyst for WalletHub.

Unlike other budget items, you cannot just stop buying groceries when they are pricey, and there is nothing you can do about inflation. But you can find ways to save on groceries so they do not heavily affect your wallet.

One of the challenges with cutting back on grocery spending is that it becomes easy to cut corners on our health.

When money is tight, we may be tempted to rely on cheap, heavily processed snacks or even skip the grocery store entirely, favoring fast-food. These foods are filling and provide a certain immediate gratification of “comfort food” ingredients—high levels of fat, sugar and sodium.

The New York Times reported, “No country has embraced the movement toward commercialized, prepackaged food as much as the United States. Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries.”

Yet it is a mistake to assume that fast-food is the cheapest option. Prices have been rising there as well. And while there are healthier options at some fast-food restaurants, it is still better for us to cook at home. When we shortchange our health, we pay for it in the long run.

Even in the face of financial difficulties, you can avoid convenient, empty nutrition for a diet that will keep you healthy but not break the bank. Here are seven money-saving tips that will help you stretch your dollar and support good health.

(1) Basic Planning

Making a budget is a key to keeping grocery spending under control, and the first step is to track how much you are already spending. Start by reviewing how much you have spent on your last few grocery shopping trips, recommended David Brindley, deputy editor for AARP Bulletin.

If you do not keep receipts from past grocery runs, try looking at your bank account statement and adding up the grocery charges. Once you know how much you spend, set a goal. This could involve staying within a specific budget for a pay period or reducing your spending by a certain amount.

Before you head to the store, take a moment to look around. Ensure you know what you currently have in your fridge and your pantry. Sarah Schweisthal, personal finance expert and social media manager at budgeting app YNAB, recommends taking everything out and making an inventory so you do not buy duplicates of things you already have on hand.

Mr. Brindley also recommends planning to cook multiple meals with similar ingredients, which saves money and cuts down on food waste.

For example, you may wish to get a large container of spinach and use it for salads with lunch for the first few days and then spice it up and cook it with chicken for dinner on the fourth day. There are many different options.

Once you have tracked your spending and inventoried what you already have, the next step is to make a plan. Write down or capture in a document on your computer or smartphone the items you are looking to buy and your estimated cost, making sure you stay on budget. Meal planning for the week or month can be a good way to stay on top of your spending, Ms. Schweisthal said. It does not need to be complicated.

When you do make it to the store, going up and down the aisles can sometimes make you crave things that you have not planned for, like a snack or a new dish. If you foresee that it will be hard for you to stick to your list, include some flexibility in your plan, such as allotting a specific dollar amount for snacks or even a random item that catches your eye at the checkout line.

“I think having flexibility in a plan actually helps you stick to it more,” Ms. Schweisthal stated.

You can use a simple paper shopping list, or apps like OneNote or Google Keep. You can also try shopping list apps like OurGroceries or Listonic. There are also various apps to specifically help you with meal planning such as AnyList or Mealime. Proper planning will help you buy what you need once you are at the store and reduce impulse spending.

Be sure to compare prices of different brands. Since buying in bulk can be very cost-effective, you could team up with a friend or a family member to buy specific items in large quantities and split them, sharing the discount. If you are in charge of buying groceries for your entire family, it can be beneficial to include them in your grocery budgeting routine. Also, avoid shopping when you are hungry. Go to the store after a meal or a light snack.

Slowing down and taking time to plan can feel difficult at first, especially if you are working more than one job or facing other serious time demands. But it pays dividends!

(2) Try Coupons

Kiersten Torok started using coupons back when she was in high school, after her parents lost their jobs during the 2008 recession. She began relying on them even more in 2020, when she lost her own job during the pandemic. Now she is using her social media platform to help others learn how to save.

“When times like these come up, coupons are a necessity for so many Americans,” said Ms. Torok, known on Instagram and TikTok as Torok Coupon Hunter.

Many might think that using coupons means cutting them out of a magazine. While you can certainly still do that, there are now easier ways to get the discounts. Many stores, like Walmart and Target, have coupons available on their apps.

“All you have to do is scan an item in a store, the coupons pop up on your app and then they automatically apply in the register,” Ms. Torok said. “It’s become much more streamlined.”

One of Ms. Torok’s coupon golden rules is: Never pay big for toothpaste—there is always a combination of coupons and offers available. For anyone who wants to try couponing, Ms. Torok recommends that you first start using them at your favorite store and never buy things you do not need, even if there is a big discount.

However, even when couponing, be diligent to read labels of unfamiliar products. Many discounted and advertised products are not nutritious. Remember, your health is at stake!

Apps like Flipp, which lets you browse for coupons from major grocery stores, and Ibotta, an app that gives you cash back for using coupons, can make your couponing journey easier.

(3) Shop Online

If you tend to wander off your grocery list because every time you go to the store you buy things you do not need, shopping online and picking up curbside is a good workaround.

“I 100% recommend sitting down Sunday morning and just looking at the stores and comparing the items you need for the week, especially with things you can get for curbside pickup,” Ms. Torok said.

If you buy your groceries from multiple stores because each has better prices on some items, ordering ahead of time can also save time.

You can also save money by using food-sharing apps such as Olio, which connects people around a community to share extra grocery items, and Too Good to Go, where you can buy surplus food at a discount.

(4) Opt for Nutrient-dense Items

Our first few tips have focused on how you shop. The next several tips deal with what you should shop for.

Nutrient-dense food is filling and promotes satiety, the feeling of being satisfied after eating. Cutting down on how much you eat will aid any grocery budget.

According to an article by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Dark green leafy vegetables are great sources of nutrition. Salad greens, kale and spinach are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, and broccoli, bok choy and mustard are also rich in many of the B-vitamins. These vegetables also contain an abundance of carotenoids—antioxidants that protect cells and play roles in blocking the early stages of cancer. They also contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Furthermore, greens have very little carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol.”

The organization later stated: “Perhaps one of the most appealing benefits of dark green leafy vegetables is their low calorie and carbohydrate contents and their low glycemic index. These features make them an ideal food to facilitate achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Adding more green vegetables to a balanced diet increases the intake of dietary fiber which, in turn, regulates the digestive system and aids in bowel health and weight management.”

Compare this to a popular alternative—items filled with corn syrup or sugar, devoid of nutrition—so-called foodless foods. The value you gain in your health and energy from buying healthy foods will be worth it.

Try to avoid items that contain bleached flour or empty carbohydrates. And be aware that even whole wheat has changed after decades of hybridization, prompting some to avoid it in favor of other grains such as quinoa and brown rice.

Minimize consumption of packaged meals. A rule of thumb: If it is boxed, bagged or canned, it has likely spent extended time on a shelf and ideally should not be a large part of your diet.

Buy fresh produce. While this concept may go against conventional wisdom for those on a tight budget since fresh food has a shorter shelf life, the health benefits you reap outweigh the fact that a given product cannot sit in your refrigerator for very long.

One fresh produce strategy is to buy items that can be eaten raw or cooked later. For example, kale can be eaten fresh in a salad and sauteed later if it starts to wilt slightly. This also applies to tomatoes, peppers and green beans, among others.

Even though eating fresh produce sooner is best, it is versatile. It can be used in a salad, cut up and frozen, added to a soup, roasted and so on. Once vegetables are cooked, they often last longer. Roasted vegetables, for example, can last up to a week.

In addition, buying fresh produce grown locally has a number of benefits. When this is unavailable, frozen produce can be your next best option.

(5) Forget Soda, Drink Water

While water is not food, it will help you feel full and keep your body running well. Some sources recommend drinking one ounce per two pounds of body weight daily.

“Water serves as a lubricant,” a New York Times Health Guide explained. “It makes up saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Water regulates the body temperature through perspiration. It also helps prevent and relieve constipation by moving food through the intestines.”

In many places, water is still free, though you may need to purchase a water filter. By contrast, soda or other soft drinks are increasingly expensive and can be detrimental to good health given their high levels of sugar and salt. According to USA Today, Americans drink an average of 44 gallons of soda per person per year. Think of the health benefits and cost savings that would result if these drinks were replaced with water.

(6) Skip Sauces and Use Spices

Most premade sauces contain synthetic additives or unnecessary sweeteners. To save money and help your health, try creating your own blend of flavor using spices and herbs. “‘Technically, spices are vegetables in concentrated form,’” registered dietitian Wendy Bazilian told Fitness magazine. “‘Like veggies, they contain thousands of healthy phytonutrient compounds, including antioxidants.’”

“‘I think of dried oregano leaves as miniature salad greens,’ Bazilian says. One teaspoon contains not only six micrograms of bone-building vitamin K but also the same amount of antioxidants as three cups of spinach. And preliminary research indicates that oregano can help fend off stomach flu. ‘Bacteria often hitch a ride on the food we eat, and oregano may keep them from multiplying and making us sick,’ Bazilian says.”

Skip sugar-filled barbecue sauce for your chicken and opt instead for a flavorful marinade of olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Also, try mixing a few pinches of dried basil into some olive oil with salt, pepper and a trace of lemon to create an easy Italian dressing. This is a welcome alternative to the substances found in most store-bought salad dressings such as polysorbate 60 (an emulsifier that conjoins ingredients) or “caramel color” (which can contain toxic contaminants).

There are endless additional options and ideas on the internet for you to discover.

(7) Buy Items to Use in a Crockpot

Using a crockpot can help you eat a more wholesome diet while also saving time. For example, you can toss a bunch of vegetables into water with a little bit of salt and pepper or vegetable stock before you leave for work in the morning and by the time you come home, a delicious meal will be ready.

One of the most popular crockpot meals is pot roast, which consists of a cut of beef, potatoes, carrots and onions. All of these ingredients can be simmered in a crockpot for more than 10 hours.

Another option for a hectic schedule is to slow cook frozen vegetables while you are away. But be sure to check out the ingredients: many frozen vegetables have added preservatives and chemicals that should be avoided.

Collard greens are an example of a vegetable that is easy to make in a crockpot. Just add a little water, olive oil, salt and pepper and set on low for several hours. Then enjoy all the healthy nutrients once you arrive home.

If you do not have a crockpot or the funds to buy one, visit a used-goods shop, where they can be found for as low as 10 percent of the original price. It is a worthwhile investment and the health benefits that you reap from your homemade food beat a microwave dinner any day.

More than Food

This article has briefly addressed some ways to stretch your budget while building your health. Realizing the full benefits of these strategies will require more research. Various resources that can help you are available online and at the library.

Yet there is another source for managing our health and our money that many do not consider: the Bible.

We offer two free booklets that examine health and finance principles from Scripture: God’s Principles of Healthful Living and End All Your Financial Worries. Thousands have put them into practice and are already living healthful lives with more vigor and vibrancy than they ever thought possible. They are also receiving financial blessings as they follow what God instructs in His Word. You can achieve these benefits too.

It takes time to improve your spending and eating habits. But the benefits you reap in the long run will be well worth it!

This article contains information from The Associated Press.