How To Cut Your Food Budget In Half
One of the biggest expenses in the average family budget is the food portion. Since eating is not something we can eliminate, we often have to find ways to adapt and adjust to make room for this expense. We have some great tips for How To Cut Your Food Budget In Half that are sure to help you make room for other wants or needs financially. Not only are these tips easy to implement, you may find yourself eating healthier and cooking more!
Use Sales & Coupons: This one is an obvious choice that works well for most people. With tons of coupons available to match with great sales prices you can easily begin slicing your food budget quickly. Keep in mind that the bulk of food coupons are for processed pantry staple items. Only buy what you know your family can and will use.
Buy In Bulk: While not everything in bulk bins is a cheaper price, there are a lot of products where buying in bulk makes a big difference. Always check the price per unit or weight to make sure it really is the best overall price. We recommend buying bulk dry beans, some canned goods, rice and drink mixes. When you can find a great price on fresh produce, don’t hesitate to buy extra and can or freeze it for future use.
Go Meatless: This shows up on nearly every food budget list, but it can’t be overlooked. With meat prices some of the largest expenses in your food budget, it is wise to create hearty vegetarian meals a few times a week. Roasted vegetables, soups and hearty dishes with quinoa or beans (both great sources of protein) are excellent choices.
Stop Buying Processed Foods: It is easy to fall victim to the deals on things like meal kits, boxed macaroni and even things like granola and trail mix. Instead of buying these already prepared, make them from scratch. Cooking dry beans instead of using canned saves a ton of money. Buying a carton of quick oats with a few bags of dried fruits and nuts can make huge batches of granola, trail mix and granola bars at a fraction of the cost of the ready made products.
Stick To Your Menu Plan: Don’t fall victim to the shopping on your way home habit. Create a simple weekly and monthly menu plan and stick with it. That doesn’t mean you have to eat exact meals on exact days, but it does mean your grocery trips will include those items so you will never have a night of, “I have nothing to cook” when you get home from work.
Use Your Freezer: Stock up on sale priced meats and vegetables and separate into portion sizes and freeze. This saves a significant amount of money later on. Grab ground meats and steaks around popular “grilling holidays” at the lowest prices. From November through December you can find hams as well as turkeys and turkey breasts at their lowest prices of the year. Stock up for future use.
Applying these simple tips to cut your food budget in half can lighten a lot of your financial burdens. When you plan ahead and use what you have on hand, you’ll be surprised at how much money you can save in just a short time.
