Welcome to Season 5 of the podcast! It’s only February so maybe you’re still working on your new year’s resolutions, but with inflation and the high cost of food, it’s not easy to eat healthy and feed your family on a budget. The good news is that there are quick and easy ways to save money at the grocery store—as much as $30 a week!   In this episode, I sat down with Erin Chase, founder of 5DollarDinners.com. Erin’s mission is to help busy, overwhelmed people spend less money on groceries and get organized in the kitchen. In addition to saving money, she teaches people how to enjoy cooking again and feel less stressed and overwhelmed with feeding their families every single night. Erin lets us in on the sneaky ways you can spend too much at the grocery store, her favorite budget-friendly foods, and where to shop to get the best deals. She also talks about meal planning, apps, and how to eat healthy on a budget.  Welcome 1:58 Let’s talk about your story! 3:05 Why are food prices so high and should we expect they will keep increasing? 5:13 What are some surprising ways you can unintentionally spend extra money? 9:50 How can we eat healthy and still save money? 10:02 How do we determine the unit price of food and save money on groceries? 15:00 What are your favorite budget-friendly foods? 16:25 Can buying frozen fruits and vegetables help you save money? 19:29 Is online grocery shopping a good way to save money? 22:40 Are there better retailers than others where you can save money? 25:13 What about the local butcher or farmers’ market? 26:24 Writing a grocery list or using a grocery shopping list app is simple so how can it help you to save money? 27:26 What’s the easiest way to do meal planning? 31:00 Is Wednesday the best day of the week to save money? 31:58 Do you have a favorite cashback or discount app? LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW Julie mentions that she interviewed Erin for FIRST for Women magazine. Julie mentions this recent study which found food prices are up 6.4% over the past year. Erin mentions Sprouts stores. Erin mentions the Flipp app and Julie mentions the Fetch Rewards app. Learn more about Erin on 5DollarDinners.com and follow her on Instagram.  FROM OUR PARTNERS Kids Cook Real Food eCourse The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, created by a mom of 4 and a former elementary school teacher, is designed to build connection, confidence, and creativity in the kitchen. The course includes 30 basic cooking skills, 45 videos including several bonuses, printable supply and grocery shopping lists, and kid-friendly recipes. The course is designed for all kids ages 2 to teen and has three different skill levels. More than 18,000 families have taken the course and The Wall Street Journal named it the #1 cooking class for kids. Sign up now for the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse and get a free lesson for being a “Food Issues” listener.