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How To Eat Well and Still Have Money Leftover for Shoes

How To Eat Well and Still Have Money Leftover for Shoes

The personal finance and economic forecasting whizzes at Kiplinger have predicted which foods will see the biggest price hike in 2013.

The top five? Beef, pork, chicken, and eggs, fish, and dairy products.

Meet your diseased chickens

It’s mainly because factory farming costs are going up—so companies are passing the expense on to us.

For broke I-thought-my-degree-would-be-worth-more-than-this young professionals, that can mean tough decisions: Groceries or the new club downtown? Groceries or a new outfit for the new club downtown? Groceries or new shoes to go with the new outfit for the new club downtown?

Fortunately, I’ve figured out how to have both. I already knew that to get a good mix of vitamins and keep my weight in check, I needed to focus my diet around plants (including legumes for protein) instead of on calorie-rich and nutrient-poor meats and dairy products.

But as it turns out, bread, grains, nuts, whole-wheat pastas, and fresh, frozen, or canned produce are not only the healthiest things in the grocery store but also the cheapest.

Making a decent meal requires a little more cooking than, say, throwing a frozen dinner in the microwave (although they do make some great meat-free versions of those, too). But  GirlieGirl Army and all the animal non profits like PETA offer a wealth of easy, quick vegan recipes on their websites.  And anyway, if you invite a date over for a romantic homemade meal, what are you going to serve him? Ramen noodles? No.

Sure, fast-food burgers come cheap, but they also come with a ton of empty calories and fat. I’ll save my weekly dose of empty calories for frosty adult beverages on Saturday night, thankyouverymuch. And that way, I’ll still look good in the new outfit and new shoes at the new club downtown.

Written by Michelle Kretzer

Cover image via SheKnows.com