​Get all the benefits of the keto diet without breaking the bank. You can lose weight fast with ketogenics, but following this meal plan can be expensive without careful budgeting. Discover quick and easy ways to cut the cost of your keto diet shopping list whilst keeping your weight -loss campaign on track.

Keto on a Budget

The ketogenic diet has taken the world by storm in recent years, and people are seeing amazing results from sticking closely to the program. So it’s a great option for losing weight that can really make a difference to how you look and feel.

But there is a downside as far as your bank balance is concerned. If you are on a tight budget, then you may find that the demands of the keto diet eat through your dollars at an alarming rate. All that meat and high-fat, high-protein food costs serious money. And you can’t save money by bulking up on cheap carbs like bread, rice and pasta - that’s really going to break all the keto rules.

So should you give up on keto and try something else instead. No, not at all. It’s perfectly possible to eat a great keto diet without spending a fortune. You just need to plan ahead and think carefully about what you are going to eat. So here are 10 great tips to cut your keto diet shopping list down to size.

1. Stick to a Shopping List

Impulse buys are the greatest budget killers, so be sure to prepare a shopping list in advance and stick to it rigidly. That means thinking in advance about the kind of meals you intend to eat in the week ahead, and buying accordingly.

When you buy pretty much the same things week in, week out, you get to know how much they should cost. That makes it easier to look out for deals and special offers. But only go for specials if they items are on your list. You don’t want to end up buying lots of additional item just because they are on discount.

Remember not to go shopping when you are hungry, or you will be tempted to stray off your list with delicious goodies you can’t resist. Stick to the plan!

2. Buy in Bulk

It might be convenient to shop at your local grocery store, but you are unlikely to get the best deals there. Go for the wholesale stores that offer discounts in return for bulk purchases.

This plan works best for food that can be stored easily. If you buy perishable items such as meat or fish, make sure they go straight into your freezer. There is no point in buying food in bulk and then finding it goes off before you get around to eating it. That’s not saving you money...it’s costing you money!

3. Cook in Bulk

The best way to deal with all that food you just bought is to prepare meals and freeze them right away. That way you make the best use of all the food, and you have meals ready to eat whenever you need them.

It’s a good idea to put aside one day of the week when you do all your meal prepping and cooking. For most people, that will be a Saturday or Sunday, but it can be any day that suits your schedule. You might decide to do your keto shopping in the morning, and your meal prep and cooking in the afternoon.

Prepare your meals and put them in suitable containers in the fridge or freezer. Then you have lots of quick and easy meals to grab throughout the week. Better still, you will find it easy to stick to the keto plan because your meals are all prepared and ready to go. What could be simpler?

4. Shop Online and Save

You won’t be able to get everything you need from the wholesale stores, so shopping online is a good way to get what you need whilst saving dollars.

Amazon is a great place to buy items that store well, such as nuts, coconut flour, almond flour, chia or flax seeds and spices. Even with shipping costs, you can often get these at a cheaper price than you can buy locally.

Compare online prices with what you would pay in your supermarket or wholesale store. You can often find yourself a bargain that drives down costs and keeps your budget under control.

5. Shop at ALDI

If you have an ALDI or LIDL store near you, you are in luck. These cut-price chains offers prices that are typically around 40% less than you would pay at Walmart. Yet they don’t compromise on product quality. They work hard at keeping product quality high, while cutting other operating costs to the bone.

For you, that means a great opportunity to slash your grocery budget while still buying tasty and nutritious food. The choice of product is deliberately limited to keep costs down, but you get what you need at a bargain basement price.

You might be surprised to find that you have an ALDI store near you in disguise. All Trader Joe stores are owned by ALDI, so you get the ALDI shopping experience there, too. And as LIDL have blatantly copied the ALDI concept, that’s another route you can take to save money.

6. Stick to Cheap Veggies

While there are lots of interesting and exotic vegetables you can include in your keto diet recipes, some of them are expensive. Generally speaking, the less popular an item is, the more it is going to cost you.

So go for common vegetables that sell at low prices. Broccoli and spinach are good choices, and they are a good fit with all kinds of keto recipes. It’s always a good idea to buy vegetables when they are in season, so that you get the best quality product without paying a fortune.

7. Use a Grocery Rebate App

There are many mobile phone apps you can use to save on your grocery shopping costs, and they really make a difference. Rebates add up over time, and they make a significant difference to the overall cost of your shopping.

The best place to start might be with Ibotta. This is one of the most popular grocery rebate apps, and works with over 150,000 different stores. You simply tap for the reate you want, complete the associated simple activity (such as sharing on social media), then you are ready to redeem your savings.

8. User a FoodSaver

On a keto diet, you need lots of fresh food. So it makes sense to ensure that the food you buy lasts as long as possible. That way you can reduce waste to a minimum and get the best value from the food you buy.

One easy way to do this is to use a FoodSaver. This device vacuum seals your food, ensuring that it stays fresh for the maximum amount of time possible. Not only that, it helps you pack everything into the freezer more efficiently, so can can squeeze in more of your bulk food purchases.

9. Cut Out Expensive Drinks

Still drinking soda? It’s not only really bad for you, it’s a waste of money. The same goes for drinks based on alcohol and caffeine. If you can give up the red wine and coffee, you will be feel much healthier, and cut some expensive items out of your budget, too.

And if you are regularly buying drinks at Starbucks or similar coffee shops, shame on you! As well as paying a very high price for your caffeine fix, you are taking on board lots of sugar and other junk. Try to at least limit your visits to an occasional treat, and switch to a healthier option instead. Remember that water is not only free, it’s really good for you!

10. Make Your Own Extras

Why pay high prices for packaged foods when you can make the same thing at half the cost? It’s easy and fun to make your own soups, salads, dips, dressings, flours, salsa and other items.

So when you see these on the supermarket shelf, don’t be tempted to top up. Make your own and you will enjoy multiple benefits. You will certainly save money, of course. But you will also know exactly what has gone into your food - no worries about excessive sugar or salt being added.

Eat Well, Save Money

Going keto doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. But it does mean that you have think more carefully about how you spend your money.

With the help of these simple ideas, you can cut your grocery costs down to size, whilst still enjoying a healthy keto diet - and losing all those unwanted extra pounds. So a few months from now, you could see more in your bank account and less on the scales.

Enjoy!