How to Save Money This Winter if You Live in a Food Desert

If you live in one of Missouri’s 100 food deserts, it can be a hard place to shop for groceries. But there are ways to bring fresh food home without breaking the bank.

A food desert is a neighborhood or county with no local option for affordable, fresh groceries. Missouri House Bill 1411, a measure aimed to improve access to food, defines food deserts as areas where you have to travel at least a mile to get to a grocery store in a city or 10 miles in rural areas.

Coupled with out-of-season produce and rising inflation, these barriers can prevent you from filling your cart with healthy and affordable food.

The Biggest Sign You’re Spending Too Much on Groceries

Living in a food desert automatically means you’re paying more to put food on the table, so it’s something you’ll have to budget for with every trip to the store.

But there’s a sign you’re paying too much on food, even by desert standards.

Emptying your savings account to cover your groceries is a financial faux-pas. This cash should be sidelined for emergency expenses, so you have some cash if something comes up between paychecks.

Without an emergency fund, you’re vulnerable to any surprise expense until you manage to refill your account.

If you’re facing an emergency before you rebuild savings, you can find personal loans online in Missouri that might help. Go online to learn more about these options, including installment loans and lines of credit. A little research can help you decide if they’re the right option for your emergency.

But even the best personal loan Missouri has to offer applies interest, which you’ll have to add to the cost of your loan. Savings, on the other hand, come at zero cost, which makes them the ideal approach to emergencies.

How to Find Nutritious Food on a Budget

If you live in a food desert, all the usual tricks to save money, like buying in bulk, stocking up on canned produce, and using coupons, might not be enough. For serious cost savings on your next bill, you’ll want to adopt these changes to how and where you shop.

Join a Community Supported Agriculture Cropshare

Look for a Missouri-based Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) partnership connecting local farmers with consumers. It’s a subscription that lets you collect fresh produce from local farms.

WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Benefits

If you’re an expecting or recent mother, you may be able to collect FMNP benefits. This government program provides coupons or electronic benefits to low-income women so that you can buy fresh produce from authorized farmers.

Establish a Community Garden

A community garden is a big undertaking that promises enormous rewards of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not sure how to get started? Check out the University of Missouri’s guide on gardens here before exploring the Government of Missouri’s toolkit here.

Find a Food Co-Op

A food co-op is a grocery store owned and operated by the people who shop from its shelves. Generally speaking, food co-ops partner with local businesses and farmers to provide higher quality foods at better prices. Some food co-ops also provide nutrition and cooking classes to help you make healthier food choices.

Bottom Line

A balanced budget and diet aren’t mutually exclusive ideas. But you have to be crafty and look for alternatives to the usual grocery store to achieve both in a food desert.