How I save money on groceries and still eat healthy with Thrive Market

It's painfully obvious to me now that grocery prices aren't going to stop rising anytime soon. That doesn't mean I haven't been able to find ways to save money on groceries and still eat healthy, however. It's just means I need to be smarter about how – and where – I get the most for my money.

One way I've been able to stick to my budget was by giving  Thrive Market a try. An online only grocery delivery service that primarily features organic foods and goods, the products available for purchase include gluten-free breads, all natural supplements, pasture raised meats, you name it.

The even better part is that many of the products Thrive Market carries are upwards of 20% off. Aside from getting $80 in free groceries when you sign up, with a sharp eye for savings there are a few ways you can take advantage of Thrive Market's grocery sales to shave just a bit more off your grocery bill.

From bulk buying to finding alternative options, here are just a few ways I use Thrive Market to save money on groceries and still eat healthy.

Shop Thrive Market deals

Thrive Market has an impressive selection if you're an organic shopper, with over 5,000 products to purchase from the start. That includes a pretty good offering of packaged goods such as snacks, baking ingredients and more.

What really makes Thrive Market worth it has to be the grocery sales and deals they offer, which is an entire section dedicated to offering even more savings on what they do have. It includes a great mix of brand specific offers that are constantly changing, but features offers like 15% off OM mushroom blends and powders alongside larger grocery sales like 25% off select Thrive Market goods.

This deals section can offer some decent alternative options to your daily basics like coffee, pastry mixes, and other essentials at super cheap prices. Food, wine, pet supplies and a slew of other products can be found here, all with discounts of up to 35% off or more. It's been a great way to trim the grocery bill down a bit while still getting what I need, even if it means trying out different brands.

Buy in bulk

While many of the products you'll find at Thrive Market are already on sale, some will even feature additional savings when they are bought in bulk. This can be an additional 5% or more each product in some cases, and is pretty useful if you can build it into your budget.

I've been able to find the snacks I enjoy the most on Thrive Market for as much as 20% cheaper than in stores. A personal favorite of mine is a whole $1.30 cheaper at Thrive Market than it is at Whole Foods. Ordering through Thrive Market, I save about $12 per month which to some may not sound like much but to others, adds up quickly.

Also, any order of at least $49 includes free shipping. So if there are any pantry essentials you like to keep on hand, this is the place you'll want to buy them from.

Be strict with my shopping list

If you're anything like me, you love to snack throughout the day. While I try to buy groceries accordingly, it has been easy for me in the past to reach for the pantry throughout the day.

Without a good mindset to budget your meals (and your money), it's easy to run out of both before you know it. Some of the best diet tips out there point out that you should be mindful of snacking, and that's exactly what it took for me to save money on groceries.

One way I did that was by restricting what I'd buy on a weekly basis down to just the absolute necessities. Not only did it save money from the start, it reduced what was available in the house.

Now the good part about Thrive Market is that you can buy products strictly based on diet plans, so if you are sticking to certain foods it's even easier to do. But challenging myself to make one pack of granola last instead of two each week helped me save money as well as stick to my diet better.

Pay annually instead of monthly

Thrive Market does have a subscription fee if you wish to sign up, but the good news it there's a plan that offers a really good value for the price. While you can sign up for monthly payments of $12.99/month, the yearly plan drops the price down to just $5/month.

That means an entire year of organic grocery delivery for just $60/year. Go with a monthly plan and you'll end up paying closer to $160/year. For $100 cheaper, the yearly plan offers a value that'll pay for itself within your first few orders.

This is also a great tip if you're looking on how to save money on Netflix or any other streaming service. Annual plans tend to provide a cheaper monthly price at a higher up-front costs, while monthly plans may be more cheaper up front but their total costs can easily be double of the yearly plans up front cost.

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