Remember the good old days when $80 would cover a heaping cart full of groceries? Today most of us are looking at, at least, $150 - $200 to purchase the same amount of food and a constant challenge to try and cut costs. Add to that the burden of trying to incorporate organics and superfoods into our diets in order to protect ourselves from pesticides and carcinogens. 

But what if you are doing all the right things - making lists, shopping only on the outer perimeter of the store, clipping coupons - and still your grocery bill is too high? 

1: Shop Close-out Retailers 

These types of stores often sell limited quantities of certain items in addition to their base product lines. This can be a bit of a treasure hunt as new products are rotated in. The trick to saving money here is not to overbuy just because the price is reduced. Also, take care not to load up on the junk. Check out these healthy bargains from a recent shopping trip to Big Lots:

• 15oz cans of Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes: $0.80 versus $2.99 at the grocery store.
• 8oz bags of chia seeds: $3.50 versus $5.99 for a 6oz bag at other retailers.
• Half gallons of Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk: $2.95 versus $3.99 elsewhere.
• Kashi Go Lean and Autumn Wheat Cereals: $2.80 versus $3.99 and up at other stores.
• Krave Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky: $2.50 versus $7.99 at other locations.
• Freeze Dried Peaches: $1.25 versus $3.49 - $5.99 or more at other retailers.

2: Don't Discount Perishables

Slightly overripe or stale perishables are a gold mine for budgets. Grocery chains with an in-store bakery might offer a 50% reduction on a variety of day old whole grain breads, which when refrigerated or frozen can be kept for weeks. The same is true for fruits and vegetables, many of which can be preserved by cooking, canning, drying and freezing. Below are a few ideas:

• Stale or Day-Old Bread: refrigerate any portion that can be used that week. Freeze the rest. When ready to use, thaw and toast for the best texture and flavor.
• Brown Bananas: peel, cut into chunks and freeze for later use in banana bread, smoothies or ice cream.
• Citrus: juice, then refrigerate or freeze.
• Other Fruits: freeze, make into fruit leather, use a food dehydrator to make dried fruit.
• Zucchini: spiralize into noodles, grate it for bread, or dice for use in stir-frying. Then blanch and freeze.
• Tomatoes: blanch, remove the skins and seeds, crush, then can or freeze for sauce.
• Eggplant: peel, slice, salt and rinse. Then blend into a dip or layer into lasagna.
• Green Beans: blanch and freeze.

3. Set Aside Money For Spontaneous Purchases

This tip is key for staying within a grocery budget. And more effective than shopping the perimeter of the store where strategically placed impulse items abound. When writing up a list of what needs to be bought, include as a line item a dollar amount that you are willing to spend on items not on the list. Then below that, write out the reason you are limiting yourself to this amount. It might look something like this:

1. apples
2. pasta
3. chicken
4. broccoli
5. crackers
6. $10 limit for impulse purchases
7. Do not spend more than $10 - must save! Yearly retirement goal not met!!

4. Know What Food Should Cost

Sales can be confusing to the consumer. A lot of people pay little attention to what food costs versus what it should. For example, the everyday low price in one store might be quite a bit lower than the sale price another store is heavily advertising. Sales circulars can be misleading. A person who is knowledgeable about seasonal rates will know that a 2 for $7 advertisement on ice cream is not a great deal. Rather they will wait for the seasonal push when prices drop to $1.99 each. Likewise, a pint of non-dairy ice cream for $4.99 is really not a good deal. During a sale, the cost might drop as low as the regular price of dairy ice cream. But is that a good enough bargain? A person has to weigh the benefits against their budget and decide what they are willing to spend.

A box of cereal labeled $3.99 should not necessarily cost that much. Consider how many ounces are in the package. How many meals or snacks you will get out of it. Which stores might sell it for less. Whether current gas prices justify the cost. How it compares to the generic store brand. And most importantly, what are you willing to pay for it?

There are many new and interesting snacks on the market. Chia bars are just 100 calories each and surprisingly filling, but are they worth paying $1.50-$1.99 each? Beanitos chips are also delicious with a number of nutritional benefits. They might retail for $2.99, or drop to $2.49 during a sale, but maybe you have a cap of $2 that you are willing spend on any bag of chips. As it happens, a bag of vitamin-A packed sweet potato chips falls within your budget, so you pick that up instead. Having this information will arm you against overspending. 

Shown Above: Whole grain raisin toast with fig jam, whole grain toast with scrambled egg, sliced tomato and cilantro, side of papaya with blueberries, cappuccino with unsweetened almond milk and honey.

With social media, "eating clean" has become the current trendy term for how a person wanting to get fit should eat. Women new to this style of eating feel confusion about how to plan and structure their meals. Should they count calories, when and what should they eat, does it matter if they have a tiny bowl of ice cream? They come to regard it as a boring, hard-to-follow restriction on the variety of foods they're allowed. Most try to stick to a basic healthy diet, with "cheat meals" or even cheat days built into each week for sanity. Often, these junk laden cheat meals cause bloating and lethargy, followed by a rapid decline in motivation and good exercise habits. This leads to stress and feelings of guilt, causing the person to give up before they have the chance to achieve results. Whereas, people who are successful regard it as a healthy, flexible lifestyle change. Excitement drives them to search out and try fun, healthy recipes. Community support from others on social media with the same goals drive them to succeed. They don't fail nearly as often because they see women online posting motivating photos, propping others up when they find the journey difficult, or getting themselves back on track after a holiday, illness or weak moment.

Getting to the Fun Part

Choosing high quality foods the majority of the time is the basic concept of clean eating. It does involve some restrictive measures. Processed foods and alcohol are discouraged, but not necessarily eliminated. Quality foods to consider include fruits, vegetables, lean meats (white meat poultry, 85-90% lean beef, fish), legumes, and whole grains (brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa). Minimally processed items with few ingredients such as yogurt or certain breads are also included. If coffee and tea are dietary staples, one need not give them up. However, consider swapping out brown and white sugar for low glycemic sweeteners such as honey or agave nectar. Cream or whole milk can be replaced by skim, almond, coconut or soy milk. Craving a mocha latte? Try making one with chocolate almond milk.

Creativity is another component of clean eating. It has to be, otherwise no one would stick with it. This is where social media sites such as Pinterest or Instagram can again be helpful. Every day thousands of people proudly post photos from their kitchens. Many include links to their blogs. These people are passionate about food, and their recipes often rival the best celebrity chefs in taste and simplicity. For example, ice cream lovers are blending frozen bananas with cacao powder, coffee or other fruits and topping them with dark chocolate chips or nuts for a sweet treat. Cheesecake connoisseurs have figured out how to combine cashews and coconut butter for a creamy confection. How about protein pancakes, overnight oats with raspberries, baked omelet muffins or a strawberry smoothie bowl topped with chia seeds for breakfast? One of my favorite new discoveries is a pasta salad using avocado in place of mayonnaise. When you find recipes you truly enjoy, make those part of your main rotation.

Don't complicate it. A recipe that includes twenty ingredients can often be adapted to whatever you have in your pantry. Simplify by searching out chutneys, pestos, vegetable based spreads and sauces. These versatile products can be used with almost anything. If you have a plan and ingredients on hand, it isn't necessary to set aside an entire day for meal prep. Having staple foods available in sufficient quanitites will allow for small batch cooking. For example, if you know you're going to bake chicken one night, plan to make enough for several future meals. Since the oven is already on, bake sweet potatoes for quick healthy snacks or breakfast sides. The same can be done with brown rice, shrimp, mixed vegetables or any other basic ingredient you choose. 

Snack wisely. This is where many people struggle the most. We use snacks to satisfy cravings, reduce boredom or find comfort. Craving sweets? Try yogurt topped with berries, nuts or dark chocolate chips. Salty and sweet? Try prosciutto wrapped dates. Savory? Heat a bowl of broth, any protein/vegetable combo you like and top with parmesan cheese. Bottomless pit? Try a mini meal such as a nut butter & jelly sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of fruit, or quinoa pasta tossed with peas and pesto. 

Make breakfast your blueprint for the day. When you start the day well, you tend to want to keep the momentum going. It also gives you some breathing room to weave a couple of treats into your daily meal pattern without creating feelings of guilt. Eating clean doesn't have to be a painful experience. Approach it with the intention of having fun, and it will be.