Smart Ways to Save Money on Keto/Carnivore by Roxana Soetebeer, MPHC, NNP, MHP, PFC
Smart Ways to Save Money on Keto/Carnivore
So, you're on this keto or carnivore journey. And maybe you're thinking, "Wow, this can get pricey." You're not the only one. Many people think eating this way costs a fortune. But you can make it work. It's all about making smart choices and getting into good habits that help both your health and your money. Let's find out some easy tips to save cash while sticking to your healthy eating plan.
The biggest trick to saving money? Being smart about what and where you buy. Think of yourself as a detective looking for the best deals.
Don't Eat Out So Much
This is like the number one rule for saving money. Even a quick coffee or burger adds up fast. When you make your own food and drinks at home, you're in charge, and that means you save a lot of money.
Buy Bigger Packs (Bulk)
- Canned foods: Instead of tiny, single-serving packs of things like tuna, get the big cans. You'll get more food for your money, and that's perfect for when you plan your meals.
- Meat: Look for bigger packages of meat, especially ground beef. It's usually the cheapest meat you can find. Places like Walmart, Costco, or Sam's Club (if you have a membership) often have great deals on larger amounts. Always check the price per pound.
- Yogurt: If you like yogurt, get the big tubs instead of small individual ones. It's the same yogurt, but it costs less per serving.
Pick Cheaper Meat Cuts
- Ground Beef is the best choice: ground beef, especially higher-fat, is usually the cheapest meat and very versatile. Bonus: It's actually really healthy because it has connective tissue, which is a great source of collagen.
- Bone-In Meats: Meat with bones still in it (like chicken thighs with bones or roasts) is often cheaper than the boneless kind. And here's a cool bonus: you can use the bones to make inexpensive, nutrient-rich broth.
- Organ Meats: Things like liver, heart, or kidney might sound a bit different at first, but they're nutrient-dense and usually cost much less than regular muscle meats. Don't be shy to ask your butcher about them.
- "Lower Grade" Meats: Don't just skip meats that say "Select" instead of "Prime" or "Choice." Those labels mostly tell you about the fat in the meat (which makes it tender), not if it's safe or good for you. Cheaper cuts can taste just as good if you cook them right, especially with slow cooking, like in a crock pot.
- Grain-Fed vs. Grass-Fed: If money is tight, picking grain-fed beef instead of grass-fed can save you a lot – sometimes half the price or even more. Sure, grass-fed has some extra good things, but any beef is a strong choice for keto or carnivore if you need to save money.
Mix Up Your Proteins
- Eggs: Eggs are super cheap, full of good stuff, and you can use them in tons of ways for any meal.
- Smaller Fish: Big fish like tuna are more contaminated and should be limited to once a week. Smaller fish, like sardines and anchovies, are safe to eat daily and are a great source of omega 3. Get bone in, skin on, for more nutrients.
- Other Meats: Besides beef, think about cheaper meats like pork (like pork shoulder) and chicken to add variety to your meals and keep your costs down. A whole chicken is cheaper than getting it pre-cut or de-boned.
Watch for Sales
Always keep a close eye on those weekly grocery store flyers and special discounts. Sometimes stores mark down meat that's about to reach its "sell-by" date. It's a great chance to buy it cheaper and then freeze it as soon as you get home.
Buy Straight from Farmers
If you can, buying a quarter or half of a cow directly from a local farmer might seem like a big cost at first. But usually, it ends up being much cheaper per pound in the long run than buying small pieces from the store. Plus, you know exactly where your food comes from. You can even share the cost and the meat with a friends or family members to make it more affordable.
How you get your food ready and your kitchen habits are just as important as where you shop when it comes to saving money.
Cook at Home
This goes hand-in-hand with not eating out. The more you cook at home, the more you save, and you get to control everything that goes into your food. No surprises.
Plan Your Meals (Meal Prep)
Spend some time getting meals or parts of meals ready ahead of time. For example, boil a bunch of eggs, cook a big batch of ground beef, or chop up some veggies for the week. It saves money and time on busy days, making it easy to grab healthy, cheap food when you're in a hurry.
Don't Waste Food
Don't let your food go bad. If you know you won't eat something fresh before it spoils, cook it and freeze it. Freezing is a great way to save things like leftover meals.
Make Your Own Seasonings
Be careful with pre-made seasoning mixes, like taco or lemon-pepper seasoning, because they sometimes have hidden sugars or harmful additives. You can usually make your own simple seasoning mixes at home with basic spices, which saves money and keeps things clean.
Get Creative with Ground Beef
Plain ground beef can get boring quickly. Mix it up by making meatballs, meatloaf, or "taco in a bowl" by adding chopped up cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. These homemade versions are dirt cheap compared to buying them from a restaurant. Shred your own cheese to save money and skip the added fillers like saw dust in pre-shredded packs.
Buying coffee or even water on the go is a huge money drain.
Make Your Own Coffee
Instead of buying expensive coffee from coffee places, brew your own at home. You can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for refreshing cold coffee anytime. This saves you both money and time from those daily coffee runs.
Use Reusable Containers
- Glass is Best: For any purpose, use glass containers like Mason jars or a set of glass containers like these. They are oven safe if used without the provided lids. Plastic can sometimes leak chemicals, with hot liquids, but even at room temperature, so glass is generally safer and lasts longer.
- Reusable Straws: Get yourself some stainless steel or silicone straws. They last a long time, are easy to clean, and are way better for you and the planet than those throwaway plastic or paper ones.
Make Your Own Sparkling Water
If you love fizzy water, think about getting a SodaStream instead of always buying bottled sparkling water. For water on the go, a simple stainless steel water bottle is best. For fizzy water, keep the top open or pressure will build up. For even more savings, you might be able to get a larger CO2 tank (sometimes found at places that sell wine/beer supplies) and an adapter to hook it up to your SodaStream directly or refill the cartridges. It's far cheaper than replacing SodaStream cartridges regularly.
Does the SodaStream system save you money? | How to modify the SodaStream Terra models by 2 krazy Ketos
Beyond just food, there are other ways to save money and even boost your health by cutting down on certain chemicals.
Homemade Electrolytes
If you use unflavoured electrolyte powders, you can often save money by buying the separate ingredients (like salt, potassium, and magnesium) and mixing them yourself. You can find a great recipe here.
Cleaning Products
Some everyday things, like laundry or dishwasher soap, often contain chemicals that strain your liver and health. Think about making your own, or look for stores where you can buy laundry soap from a dispenser, or check out more natural and cheaper options.
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Make Your Own Keto Treats
Those pre-packaged keto snacks and treats are usually super expensive. You can save a lot of money, and know exactly what's in them, by making your own keto-friendly desserts or treats at home. Bonus, you decide the ingredients.
Find a few of my favourite recipes here.
It's time to eat smarter, live better, and show that a healthy, keto life is possible for anyone.
Eat like it matters,
—Coach Roxana
Written by Roxana Soetebeer, MPHC, NNP, MHP, PFC
Published July 26th, 2025
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