This social media creator’s grocery hacks can help you balance your health, diet, and budget

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been spending time planning and preparing meals. Experts say that planning, budgeting and preparing meals can save a lot of money, despite being an overwhelming task at times. There are plenty of influencers who share tips online to make it easier for you. One of those creators is Kristy, who shared how she goes grocery shopping and gave away some practical hacks for people to use.

In the TikTok video, which has now been viewed more than 121,000 times, Kristy shows how she goes grocery shopping on a weekly budget of $45. She regularly shares such videos on her page, but this time she was shopping for two people. While Kristy didn’t exactly share any hacks, her shopping style certainly reveals them. Here are the four crucial hacks TikToker shares while grocery shopping on a budget.

1. Make a shopping list in advance

In the video, Kristy explains that she set her nutrition goals ahead of time and this week she focused on getting more protein. She planned to limit carbs and eat more protein because it would keep her full longer. She then talks about the importance of shopping with a pre-arranged meal plan. She says it ensures she knows exactly what she needs when shopping, and further reduces the chance of her making ‘unnecessary purchases’.

2. Take inventory of items already in the house

At the beginning of the video, Kritsty says she wasn’t shopping for a few essentials like bread, eggs and more because she already had them at home from her previous grocery trip. This hack can help people avoid overspending on items or buying items they don’t need. This allows customers to save money or even purchase new items that they may want, such as Kristy purchasing new things such as melons, fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. Prepare and buy a balanced diet

Adding up the benefits of protein, Kristy says she wants to better manage her weight, for which she has already planned meals. Not only that, Kristy was also shopping for items needed for her planned meals, which again is efficient. Her list included minced meat and lettuce for wraps and ready-made salads. She also added frozen and fresh fruits to make refreshing smoothies. She also packs cantaloupe, white rice and potatoes for controlled carbohydrate intake.

4. Practice portion control

Even though rice isn’t the healthiest food choice, Kristy picks it up as she enjoys it. However, she endorses portion control as an alternative to completely eliminating rice from her diet. This way she continues to enjoy her favorite foods while sticking to her health and nutrition goals. Kristy’s video shows how she balances buying the foods she loves and her health, all while staying on a relatively low budget of $45. This works out to about $22.50, which is very cost-effective and nutritious at the same time. Even her viewers appreciated her content and one user (@eilene195) who was on a budget due to financial reasons said they loved her content.

Follow Kristy (@asap.kristy) on TikTok for more budgeting, finance, health and lifestyle content.