The weight loss industry makes a fortune off of neat packaging and heavenly promises, but you don’t have to break the bank to lose weight. There are a few things I’ve found to be helpful in reducing the costs of making healthier choices.

Fresh is Best

If you can find them and the season is right, grab your vegetables and fruit from farmers markets. Depending on where you live, you may even have access to road side stands that offer a nice supply of tasty choices. The price is often better than the supermarket and you can’t beat the freshness.

Bag It

Those cute lil bags of chips and cookies that are so convenient and make calorie counting easy are anything but easy on the pocketbook. Buy bigger bags of pretzels and low calorie snacks and place them in small zipper bags. If you think this will be a trigger for you to overeat (while counting) have a friend or family member help with the project. Toss the bags into a decorative basket or stash them in a cabinet. Either way, enjoy your savings by bagging the snacks yourself.

Drink It Up

Instead of buying bottled water, choose to install a cost effective tap filter. Alternately, you can purchase water in gallon containers that are much better values. Keep a few clean bottles handy and fill them up ahead of time to make grabbing one on the go easy.

With a little planning and well spent time, you can save money and make positive choices on your way to weight loss success.

* Got a budget friendly tip to share? Take a few minutes to jot it down in a comment. Would love to hear yours.