It’s been a long day in Istanbul, and here you are, going back from work, school, or an anime world portal. In addition, you’re starving and thinking about a couple of things, whether you should go home and make something to eat, or grab something from your favorite döner/pide place around the corner. But then you remember how you usually spend a lot of cash on eating outside or that you’ve been meaning to start some good eating habits, so you’re left with this conundrum on your journey home. Here’s a few tips, so you can hopefully make up your mind before you get off the bus.
1) Meal Prep
One way to make sure you’re set for the week or at least a few days is to meal prep. You choose a day, usually on the weekend, and sacrifice a few hours to cook your week’s food. It’s not that enjoyable but it’s worth it down the road when you see how much money you’re saving and how much better you feel overall when you have your food prepared and everything set. You kind of feel accomplished too.
2) Buy Whole Foods
You always hear this word thrown around or read it on social media, but what does it really mean? Whole foods are foods that has little to no artificial additions or substances that are rather unhealthy. For example, fruits, veggies, beans, legumes, etc. all go into the category of whole foods. So, you can look up any weekly pazar near you, go there and find all the fresh, top quality, affordable veggies, fruits, spices, cheese, etc. So, next time you’re in the grocery store or at the market, do yourself a favor and grab some of those things and see how superhuman you become. No, for real.
3) Buy Generic Brands
A generic brand is a type of a consumer product that doesn’t have a specific packaging type, specific name, and is less expensive than known name brands. It’s like that because it’s not really advertised in any type of way, which in turn makes it that much cheaper. However, that doesn’t mean that the quality is bad, in fact, it might be the same as the famous brand and I daresay better sometimes. Here in Istanbul, you can go to any big market like Carrefour, Migros, Happy Center, BIM and find their store brand products which are cheap and of good quality too. Generic is the way, the more you buy it, the more your wallet says hooray.
4) Buy Groceries in Bulk
It’s pretty well known that buying things in bulk can definitely save a lot of money, as most stores have sections where they stock bulk food. Also, it’s full of organic foods like nuts and other goods. So, next time you’re there, you should try that out and see how it plays out. As I mentioned above, markets like BIM and Happy Center are two of my favorites from which to buy products in bulk.
5) Cut Down On Junk Food
This is a no-brainer, really. I know lokmas, baklava, and other Turkish delights and street foods are on top in the deliciousness department. But you really should try to buy as little junk food as you can, or even better, stop buying it on a regular basis. Cutting it out means having food prepared at your home is a priority and it encourages you to always cook your own food, so whenever you feel hungry or you’re coming back from outside, you don’t find the idea of buying takeaway food that easy.
6) When Shopping, Always Be Full & Stay Hydrated
What?! Yes, be full and stay hydrated. It might surprise you how often we buy unnecessary foods, snacks, products just because we are hungry or thirsty. I’m guilty of this sometimes too, especially that ETI popcorn cookie thing. Moreover, when we’re experiencing these feelings, we tend to find a lot of products mouth-watering and appealing just because of the good-looking packaging or nice logo on it, or how delicious it would taste and how it would satiate the desires of our stomachs.
7) It’s A Mindset
Whether you decide to buy food and cook at your home to eat better, save cash and feel accomplished, or whether you choose to eat out every day or every other day if you feel that it saves you time, effort and give you peace of mind, then so be it. At the end of the day, it’s how you set your mind to go about certain things in life. I’d argue that in the long run, eating out isn’t as productive to your overall health as eating your own home-cooked meals. In addition, it also takes a toll on your wallet and you’ll find that you’d have some money to spend on other things that are of actual benefit or entertainment to you or the people around you. Always think about it from more than just the perspective of buying a quick meal to kill your hunger, because you don’t feel like cooking when you go home. So, hurry up, your stop is almost there!
Any other tips? Let us know in the comments!
