You can save a lot of money every month just by eating at home more often. When you meal prep and have your dinners at home you free up your budget for other important things. There is so much freedom with eating at home and making your own simple, uncomplicated, but tasty meals, that you can save even more with the right shopping tactics! You could reduce your food bill by half if you follow these simple steps.
Find Deals
If you aren't already doing it, look into all of the deals available to you. If you have a nearby store that offers better deals, you should use that store more often. Quality is important, so you should not always look just for the lowest price point. However, most of the time you will find brands that are comparable in ingredients, although one will have the better price. Use coupons whenever you can and if they are for practical food items, find a way to incorporate them into your meal plans.
Start Cheap
Some things are just always super cheap. Pasta and rice are very inexpensive, have a long shelf life and serve as the basis for many potential meals. Produce is also usually very cheap if you buy in season, and again you'll find savings in weekly deals.
Make a List
This is an oldie but a goodie. Like never shopping hungry, which is really good advice. Making a list and sticking to it, whether you are hungry or not is a tried and true way to avoid impulsive spending.
Your shopping list should include only items you intend to use for the week. Sometimes a good deal will come along that allowed you to stock up. Sometimes this is a great opportunity to save a lot of money on food you know will get used just make sure you add that quantity to the list.
Another thing to do with your list is take it to the clearance section of your grocery store. don't just buy anything. You should still stick to the list, but if you find a match, that is a really big score for you!
Avoid Spending Traps
On the topic of deals, it's important to identify the opportunities to save and the traps that masquerade as savings. Some food deals will cost you money rather than saving any, because if you buy something just because it's on sale, but never use it, you've only thrown your money away. Here are some other examples of spending traps to watch out for.
Endcaps
Attention getting endocarps may make you think the promoted items are on sale, when in actuality, they are most likely marked up. In general, the easiest to spot items are going to cost you more, so if you catch your gaze fixation on anything at eye level, try looking around in higher or lower places for cheaper alternatives.
Bulk Value
Don't fall for the fallacy that the price per unit is all that counts. It is an important factor, but if you are not careful, you could end up spending more money than you need to. You may find a deal on peanut butter, or jelly that offers twice as much volume at a lower cost per ounce. This is really great if you make a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, but if you don't, you really only paid more to use the same amount and the rest will get tossed, eventually.
Convenience
It's always better to make your own food at home than to buy frozen prepared food; especially when the frozen food still requires you to follow more than five instructions. As long as your going to cook, why not cook fresh and save a bunch of money in the process. one skillet meals, slow cooker recipes and bakes make cooking for a whole family easy and really cheap.
Buy From Bulk
Even though it is often a mistake to buy the value sized items, this is obviously not 100% true across the board. The important thing is to know how much you need. Buying from the bulk section– if you have one– is often the best way to save on certain ingredients regardless of how much you purchase. You can save yourself from buying a container too big, or you can buy a whole lot of something at a good price.
Use What You Buy
Using what you buy is so important to saving money on your food spending. It touches on so many disciplines, such as compiling your shopping list and avoiding spending traps. When you use what you buy, there is less you will need to buy. Also, your purchases will be more thoughtful when you have a direct plan for everything you purchase at the store.
The best way to save money on your food spending is to know what to take and what to put back. Studying your pantry and cleaning out your fridge will give you some good insights into what food items to avoid
Drink More Water
Beverages are expensive, except water. Even bottled water is cheaper than other options like soda, juice, or alcohol. Water is good for you and you can have it a number of ways. Whether you drink it from the tap or buy it by the gallon, it will save you a considerable amount of money by the end of the month. The awesome thing about these tips is that they will also help you buy healthier ingredients and feel better, all while saving money on your food spending.
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