A phrase I hear often: “Gluten free food is so expensive. There is no way I could afford to eat that way.” I get it, many gluten free foods are more expensive than their gluten-filled counterparts. BUT after over 10 years of eating this way, I have found that it can be done. A gluten free diet can be affordable and you can save money. I will show you the 8 ways to save $$$ without compromising taste!
- Online Discount Retailer
First things first- I have to mention my favorite online retailer with LOADS of gluten free products– Thrive Market. I have been using its for years and it has been an staple in my gluten free lifestyle. “Thrive Market is an online, membership-based market making the highest quality, healthy and sustainable products available for every budget, lifestyle, and geography.” Pretty great right? It gets better!
For as little as $5/month, you can get 25%-50% off retail prices on thousands of products you find at you local grocery store
You can shop by your dietary preferences: Need gluten free and dairy free? Are you trying out paleo? No problem, all products can be filtered by your preference.
When you spend a certain amount in each order, you will receive free gifts (these are usually full size product(s) and samples!
They offer a 30-day risk-free trial– so if its not for you, cancel any time!
Lastly Thrive Market gives back– for each membership purchased, Thrive will gift a membership to a family in need. So if you can’t pay for the membership, see if you qualify. And if you can afford to join, you will be helping out a family obtain healthy, gluten free food from anywhere in the U.S.
To get started click on this link or the banner below and receive $20 credit after purchasing a membership.
- Coupon and Cashback Apps
Prefer to shop in the grocery store? There are also some great apps that offer CASH BACK on some of your favorite gluten free and household items. My favorite is Ibotta. Ibotta allows you to get cashback on a TON of gluten free products along with many of you daily household items. You can watch this video on how Ibotta works:
You can click here to join and get a $20 Welcome Bonus. Here are a few screenshots from my Ibotta app where you can see just a few examples of all the great gluten free brands you cans save on:
On top of using Ibotta, you can also find a bunch of apps for your local grocery stores. I personally use the Target Cartwheel app and the Sprouts app all of the time. Both apps give you the opportunity to browse through the various deals the store has that week and clip coupons for extra savings! Most local grocery chains will have some type of savings app, so browse the app store and see what you can find!
- Take advantage of the new customer deals!
Y’all. There are SO MANY meal delivery services and meal kits out there now that are completely gluten free or have a gluten free option. And how can you save money using one of these services? First, almost every single meal delivery service has some type of deal for new customers, making the first purchase (or first few purchases) a true steal! So take advantage of these deal. Try one… or maybe a few! You can always cancel your subscription or skip weeks if they do not fit your needs. Here are a few of gluten free meal delivery services with new customer promos:
- Daily Harvest– No longer is it just smoothies, Daily Harvest now offers delicious soups, oat bowls, harvest bowls, chia bowls, lattes, and snacks. I have been using Daily Harvest lately and all of their options take no longer than 5 minutes to make. So along with saving money, you will be saving money, while eating nutritious, healthy food. Use code PEACEOFGFCAKE for $25 of your first box.
- Sun Basket– Along with their Gluten Free meal plan, they have several other lifestyle based plans such as Paleo, Clean & Lean, Mediterranean, Vegetarian, Diabetes-Friendly, Quick and Easy (20 minutes or less) and more! Check them all out and get $35 off your first purchase.
- Freshly– The menu is ENTIRELY gluten free and peanut free! Another benefit of Freshly– it is all pre-made meals. No prep, just head up in the microwave or oven and you have a full meal ready in minutes. You can get $60 off your first four orders ($15 off each order) with code LAUNCH60.
- HelloFresh– This was one of the first meal kits that I tried. They have a wide range of tasty gluten free recipes, provide a convenient step-by -step recipes, and offer flexibility with delivery and scheduling. You can get $40 off your first delivery!
- Splendid Spoon– Another plant-based meal service ! All pre-made smoothies, bowls, and soups are vegan, gluten free, soy free, and low in sugar. Plus your first box is $10 off!
- Snap Kitchen-Last, but definitely not least! I have been eating Snap Kitchen meals since they came to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and quickly fell love with this company. All meals are gluten free, giving me peace of mind when I want to pick up a quick meal. Beyond gluten free, they also have a completely customizable meal subscription service where you can pick from one of their lifestyle plans: low carb, paleo, keto, Whole 30, vegetarian, and balance. If you are not located near one of the many Snap Kitchens, they also offer a direct ship option for more than half the country (check this map to see if they deliver to your area!) You can save $20 on your first lifestyle plan.
If you are wanting to avoid grocery shopping all together, using a meal delivery service could end up being cheaper than buying groceries monthly. The national average grocery bill for a household of two people is $553/month! And that’s not even taking into account people who have to shop for a dietary restriction. So if one of these services work for you, they could help you save money and take the stress out of meal planning and prepping.
- Grocery Pick-Up Services
Who else goes into a grocery store and ends up with a basket full of things you didn’t have on your list? Yeah me too… That’s why grocery pick-up services have become convenient and a true money saver. Even though some of the stores may have a fee, it’s minimal and cost less than all the extra stuff you would have bought on an impulse! When you have your meal ideas ready for the week, make a list, find the products online or through the store’s app, select, and pick up! Browsing the store’s website is another great way to find what is on sale that week. There are several grocery stores that offer drive-up grocery pick-up: Walmart, HEB/Central Market, and Kroger just to name a few.
- Eating in Season and/or Frozen Produce and Reducing Food Waste
Eating in season can instantly save you money on your grocery bill!
“When you buy what’s in season, you buy food that’s at the peak of its supply, and costs less to farmers and distribution companies to harvest and get to your grocery store. “
lifehaker.com
That makes total sense to me… but definitely wasn’t something I always considered when shopping. So check whats in season currently and head to your local farmers market, grocery store, or CSA. I like to use Imperfect Foods (previously known as Imperfect Produce) to purchase my seasonal produce. Imperfect Foods buys “imperfect” or surplus produce that would not make it to a traditional grocery store and ships them straight to your door. When you shop with Imperfect Foods, you are also fighting against food waste– can’t beat that! Plus you can get $10 off your first box.
My second tip for saving money on produce AND also eliminating food waste is to freeze your produce and to buy frozen fruits and veggies. While fresh produce is always delicious, they can spoil quickly, which wastes both our money and the delicious produce! Frozen produce lasts for a substantially longer time and is great to have on hand for smoothies or side dishes.
- Buy in bulk
Costco… Sam’s Club… you know the drill. When you buy in bulk, most items are less $$$ per serving than if you were to buy smaller portions.
- Search the Web
There are several gluten free brands out there that offer discounts on their website, sales throughout the year, and print-out coupons. If you don’t want to scour the internet, you can use my discount codes for some gluten free essentials or have a look at a few of the brands I have found that offers discounts:
- Kinnikinnick – Also top 8 allergen free! Cookies, breads, pizza crusts, and more! Sign up for the newsletter for 10% off
- Canyon Bakehouse– The honey white bread is the BEST!
- Enjoy Life– also great products for those who have multiple food allergies
- Gluten Free Food Pantries
I have heard from many people in the gluten free community that it is still a struggle when it comes to buying foods that are safe for them to eat. There are some amazing organizations out there to help those with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance:
- National Celiac Association
- The Rachel Way- Virtual Food Pantry
- SAFE Food Pantry
- Food Equality Initiative
* Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too!
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