You all know I'm a big fan of paleo eating. I want to introduce you to a friend from the hcg forum where I hang out: Harmony Grace. She's going to tell you how to save some money while eating paleo.

Colleen tells me that many of her readers are fans of the HCG Diet and the Paleo Diet. Me, too! I’m Harmony Clearwater Grace, the author of HCG Diet Made Simple, The HCG Diet Book of Secrets, and most recently, Paleo on the Cheap.

After finishing the HCG Diet, the next problem most of us encounter is figuring out the best way to eat for the rest of our lives, so that our new slim and trim figures will stick around. Going back to eating the way we did before losing weight is not an option, given that eating that way is exactly how we got unhealthy and overweight to begin with. Usually, that old way of eating was the mainstream low-fat mentality that does not maintain health or even a healthy weight, contrary to current conventional medical wisdom that we hear from doctors, nor does it cause weight reduction as so commonly promoted by TV commercials and other mainstream media. In fact, going back to the way that we ate BEFORE that whole “healthy low-fat” myth was created, is a much better choice. But the best option for many, is to go ALL the way back to eating the way that our ancestors ate before processed food existed.

Unfortunately, however, the next problem that folks run into when switching from processed and refined foods to whole foods such as those eaten on the Paleo Diet, is the cost of real food. Those real, whole foods, especially organically grown produce or pastured eggs or grass-fed meat, often cost more than you might be used to paying for your food. I’ve seen many get discouraged when making the switch, wondering if they can really afford to eat this way. But when you think about the cost of disease and unhealthy conditions caused by eating cheap processed food, not to mention the decreased quality of life from being unhealthy, the real question becomes—can you afford not to?

As for me and my house, we are absolutely certain that eating real whole foods is worth it, given the health improvements that we’ve seen from that one crucial change. And so I set out on a personal mission to find ways for all of us to obtain Paleo foods at better prices, and to find secrets for saving money in other areas so that the extra savings could be used for getting good Paleo food. Being healthy by eating healthy shouldn’t be a budget-breaking way of life, and it turns out that it doesn’t have to be. Little-known strategies and largely unpublicized sources for better and healthier foods at lower and more reasonable costs really do exist. For example, have you ever gone to a local Farmer’s Market just before they are ready to close up shop and head for home? That’s when you can pick up some bargain prices on locally (and probably organically) grown produce, because those farmers don’t want to have to haul that unsold food back home. It’s a win-win for you both! And that fresh produce can stay fresh without spoiling for much longer than you might imagine, just by using some simple , non-toxic, and truly healthy substances to treat them, such as apple cider vinegar diluted in pure water. Simple strategies for storing food differently can make a huge difference in the spoilage rate, too. For instance, did you know that storing apples near your lettuce will make it turn brown much faster? Those are just a few of the surprising tips and tricks I learned while researching my newest book, Paleo on the Cheap. My fondest wish is that it will help you to become healthier and happier, now and forever.

Any tips you've found on eating healthy on a budget?