You’ve probably heard something like this plenty of times: losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. While those numbers are just estimates, they’re not far from reality. The truth is, most goals related to health and wellness have a lot to do with what you put in your body. The number of calories you consume will have the biggest impact on whether you lose, maintain or gain weight. The types of calories you consume (not good vs. bad BUT proteins/fats/carbs) will also have a significant influence on how your body transforms, especially when paired with a physical training program.
We’re not here today to talk about your cardio and strength workouts. As you can tell, we want to talk about something else that is a major aspect of your lifestyle. One of the most important chores we do every week is grocery shopping. While everyone has their own way of stocking their home with food and drink, we’ve tried balancing time and money over the years to make sure we have enough time to train every day, get all of our work done and still eat healthy without spending a ton of money.
Even though we live one block away from Ralph’s (common food store chain in LA) we like to shop at other places as well. Why? Buying in bulk can save a ton of money over time, plus, Ralph’s doesn’t carry everything that we enjoy eating. As a result, we try to make it to Costco once a month. The membership fees are quickly offset by the savings in the store. It is the only place that competes with Amazon for supplements such as vitamins/minerals and protein-products such as bars and powders. Since Amazon has a tendency to miss shipments and lose our packages, we prefer Costco.
Costco isn’t good for just food and drink; they also have great prices on non-perishable goods such as cat litter, tissues, toilet paper and flushable wipes. Now, this isn’t a sponsored post by Costco, so we’re not trying to sell you on a membership there. Instead, we’re encouraging you to consider shopping in multiple places in order to be healthier and save money. Alana loves New Zealand white wines, which are $8 a bottle at Costco, as opposed to $14 at Ralph’s. That is a serious savings and since white wine doesn’t spoil, it is an easy decision if you have the space in your home.
Other items that we eat nearly every day (or week) that we buy at Costco, in addition to the ones pictured below include: canned tuna, canned salmon, Morningstar black bean burgers, basmati rice and Kodiak Cakes. We don’t have the family size to justify buying fresh ingredients such as meat and produce (since it is hard for us to get through it so quickly) but if you have children or a family, Costco (or your local bulk store) is something you should really consider.
One trip a month to Costco and one trip a week to your local grocery chain means more free time for workouts or relaxation while saving a significant amount of money. Just make sure you go in with a game-plan and don’t get distracted or you might end up spending more than you wanted. Also, aim for non-peak hours such as the hour before they close on weekdays to avoid lines. You can even use the money you save to go out to a few nice dinners because balancing your lifestyle will keep you hungry and fit!
