Exactly how to save money on food costs!
Cutting back on spending, or doing a Spending Fast relies on not buying things you don’t need. Buy separating what we buy into needs and wants, we can easily identify where we are able to save money and reduce debt. However, that needs category can have some complications to it. We all need food, but do we need to spend the way that we do on what we eat. The truth is, that most likely you spend too much on food and you are probably not buying the right kind of food. That fact calls for further distinction in the needs category so we can identify what food expenses are holding us back. If you need to take a good look at how you spend on your meals, consider these simple and creative ways to save money on food.
Here are Creative and Easy Ways to Save Money on Food:
- Buy less food
- Pack your lunch
- Buy in bulk
- Cutdown to zero
- Use it up
Keep reading for the details on exactly how to do it…
Buy Less Food
That sounds simple enough. Buying less is a surefire way to avoid spending more. But what does that mean exactly. You have to eat a certain amount of food, right? I’m not suggesting you go hungry. What I am suggesting is that you avoid overspending on big values. Those 50% more deals that give you a lower cost per unit are often a bad deal. You wind up paying more out of pocket and taking home product from the grocery store that you are not going to use. It is essential to become aware of your eating habits and how much you consume. Make educated decisions based on how much you eat every two weeks so that you know how much to buy. Don’t buy more than you will use. Even if the price technically shows savings, You spend more money and ultimately the extra product goes to waste.
Pack a Lunch
One way that it is way too easy to spend too much on food delivery apps. Fast Food is bad enough. You can easily pay $10-$15 per person on fast food restaurants alone. Tack on the service fees and tips that come with the delivery apps you use and you are spending way too much money on a single meal. If you are at work and you often head to a nearby diner, or fast food chain, that is costly, too. Instead of relying on these restaurants and services pack yourself a convenient lunch. It’s really fun to break down the cost of your ingredients to find out how much a single lunch costs. Compared with what you spend on one fast food meal, the price of a sack lunch is excessively low. It is also most likely better for you and will leave you feeling better as well.
Buy Bulk to Save Money on Food
Buying Bulk is not necessarily the same as going for those high quantity deals mentioned above. on the contrary, food in the bulk section can be purchased at any quantity you prefer. That is a very helpful advantage if you need specific quantities of an item but don’t want to pay for the product you will not use. Another reason to buy bulk is to save money on large quantities that you will use. Buying less food is not a useful money-saving tool across the board. Stocking up on canned goods, bulk rice, and pasta are three ways you can save money long term and keep your cost per meal down. They are cheap ingredients to begin with and they have a high shelf life
Countdown to Zero
Having a meal plan and writing down a shopping list are effective and important aspects of shopping. Another creative way to save money on food is to estimate how much you want to spend on your shopping trip. include coupons and everything when you arrive at your grocery budget. Start with that number and subtract the price from everything you buy. Don’t let the number go below zero. Once you reach the bottom, you are done. don’t spend a penny more.
Use it Up
Throwing out food is wasteful and so is going out and buying food while you have resources at home. Your pantry and refrigerator likely have some odds and ends that can be thrown together to make a sustainable meal. You can even use leftover ingredients as inspiration for your next shopping trip so that you are building on what you already have and spending less money on a meal. Unless you have a very strict meal plan, which is the best way to budget your grocery bill, you definitely have neglected food items in storage that are perfectly acceptable to eat. If you find certain items just don’t make the cut, create a “do not buy” list, so you can continue to save money on food and avoid waste.
Got tips to add? Tell us below! Like this post? Please share it with your friends.