Nobody wants to starve, but who wants to subsist on rice and pasta? With a weak economy, it’s often difficult to feed the family nutritious meals without breaking the bank. Although the following suggestions may take some time and planning, once these new habits are formed it will be a breeze to consistently spend less on food while perhaps eating healthier than ever before.
Shop Wisely to Reduce Food Costs
Check out the ads from local supermarkets, make a grocery list, and buy only foods that are at deep discounts. Almost every major supermarket has their loss leaders that are sold below wholesale. Most of these items are often half price or less. Stock up whenever possible and plan meals around these foods.
Although some people enjoy using food coupons, oftentimes the savings don't outweigh the cost of the product. Searching online for printable grocery coupons, or buying a newspaper and clipping coupons that way can also be a big time waster. Use coupons with caution.
Shop at local dollar stores. Some people tend to look down on these stores feeling that the products are somehow low quality or are expired. This isn’t the case though. These dollar stores often carry name-brand items they purchased simply because the company or supermarket had too much in stock. Be certain to choose true dollar stores since some of them are a dollar and up. A few good places are Dollar Tree and 99c Only Stores.
Plan Meals in Advance
For busy people this may seem impossible to do. It’s so much easier to grab fast food on the way home from work or when shopping to toss a lot of prepackaged, convenience foods into the cart. By planning meals in advance, and shopping after eating a full meal, it's easier to stick to a budget, avoid impulse buying, and will actually feel less stressed when dinner time comes around.
Good meal ideas are one-pot dishes and casseroles that combine half vegetables, one-fourth meat or other protein, and one-fourth grains or legumes. Not only is preparation and cleanup easy, but they’re also cheaper and more nutritious than most frozen or restaurant meals. Also, recipe books that focus on four ingredients or less are very fast and easy to prepare.
Other Ways to Slash Grocery Bills
Buy a cheap coffeepot, many are under $15, and start brewing at home rather than going to Starbucks or other coffee shops. This one tip alone can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Avoid overeating and between meal snacking, especially where kids are concerned. Opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, or other low-cal, high-nutrition foods as snacks. Cutting back on groceries, especially junk foods, will not only save money in the long run, but it can help keep kids and adults lean and healthy.
Shop once a week, at most. Again, this comes back to meal planning. Menus don’t need to be strict, but a loose idea of what dinner will be prepared each day of the week will help reduce extra trips to the store.
Use up leftovers or prepare only enough for one meal. Foods that get left in the refrigerator to grow mold and get tossed out is another big money waster. As soon as dinner is over, put single servings into ziploc sandwich bags and store in the freezer for future lunches or quick dinner preparation. If it’s too difficult to remember to use the leftovers, get into the habit of making just enough for one meal. This is beneficial in two ways: It saves money and reduces the lure of having seconds or thirds.
After years of buying the same foods and shopping at the same supermarkets, it may be a bit difficult to do things differently. It’s worth the effort though since it can add up to big savings over the course of a year and has many healthy benefits.
Resources
Bill Eater, "Save Hundreds of Dollars on Your Grocery Bills." (accessed February 17, 2010)
Budget101, "How to Feed a Family of Four for $200 a Month." (accessed February 17, 2010)
Kelly Wallace - Kelly is a seasoned freelance writer, multi-published author, radio show host, teacher, speaker and highly acclaimed intuitive ...
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