How to Save Money on Food?

With food prices rising every time you go to the grocery store, it’s imperative to find ways to save money on food. Here are some ideas to help you save money on the grocery store.

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11 Ways to Save Money on Food

With food prices soaring, saving money on groceries should be on your priority list. Many people complain that there is no way to buy healthy food on a tight budget. The truth is, you can eat a nutritious diet while keeping your grocery budget low. Here are some of the things you can do to save money on food.

1. Buy at a Local Farmer’s Market

There is no middleman when you buy at your local farmer’s market which is why the prices are cheaper thus helping you save money on vegetables and dairy products. On top of that, the products that you will buy are fresh and often organic. In addition, you are also helping your local economy and reducing your carbon footprint. A win for everyone!

2. Reduce Your Meat Consumption

Did you know that meat probably eats the biggest chunk of your grocery budget?

So it is then an obvious move to reduce your meat consumption if you are trying to save money on your grocery bills.

Of course, you will still need to eat enough else you will go hungry. What you can do is to have more beans and/or rice in your diet. To be honest, beans and rice are not that cheap either, but it’s still cheaper than the same amount of meat, and it’s very filling. You may want to consider eating brown rice if you are concerned about your carbs. It is slightly more expensive than white rice, but it is still much cheaper than meat and is known to be a healthier choice because it provides some of the whole grains needed for a healthy diet. Beans offer a large amount of protein and fiber, all of which are essential for a healthy diet.

Eggs are also a good alternative to meat. Although the price of eggs has risen recently, it is still much cheaper than meat yet it can still provide a high amount of protein.

Finally, be sure to increase the portion of your fruits and vegetables per meal! Their fiber will surely make you feel full for longer time.

Side Note: Pork and beef meat is known to increase your chance of having cancer and other cardiovascular diseases, so reducing your consumption of it not only saves you money, but it will also extend your life and will save you thousands of dollars of medical bills.

3. Buy Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables that are in season are often at a reduced price because there is a lot of supply with the same demand. It is wise to buy seasonal fruits to save money. If you really want to have a certain fruit all year round, you can then buy them when they are in season then turn them into a jam for later use.

4. Grow Your Own Food

Starting a backyard garden will definitely going to help you cut down your grocery bills by a lot!

Other benefits of gardening includes fresh harvest, exercise, and improved mental health.

If you don’t have a backyard, you can still grow a garden indoor. There are a couple of farming/gardening techniques that will allow you to do this. Hydroponics and aquaponics are the most popular way to accomplish this feat. Both techniques don’t use soil, so I can assure you that your house will stay clean. Also, both system are easy to make, but if you don’t have time or don’t want to DIY it, you can also easily buy a commercial-grade hydroponics system.

5. Plan Your Grocery Ahead of Time

Writing down what you need every week is very important to try to save money on food. Planning meals in advance is a great way to save money on food. By creating a meal plan for each of the three daily meals, it is possible to determine which foods to buy and their quantities. Planning meals around what’s for sale can cut your grocery bills, mainly if you use coupons as well. The Sunday newspapers are filled with coupons and sales flyers to help you get started.

6. Bring Cash When Doing Your Groceries

Okay, this one might be an old school for some, and a bit dirty/ unsafe especially during COVID-19 but using cash instead of credit or debit card can help you lower your food bill.

This step works well if you have a grocery list with you because bringing an exact amount will force you to buy only what’s on the list. Be sure to determine the total price of your grocery list before doing your groceries to know how much you the money you will bring.

This technique is so effective that you will never overbuy. Even if you do, you will still have to return some of the items since you have no extra money to buy it.

7. Buy Store Brand Items

Store brands are less expensive than branded products because stores earn a higher profit margin on products and can offer them at lower prices than branded products. In the past few years, I’ve noticed that they’re of comparable quality to brand names. Brand and pharmaceutical brands are almost always cheaper and are usually as good in quality as famous brands. A large percentage of retail prices for branded products is spent on packaging and advertising, which has nothing to do with quality.

8. Buy in Bulk

Bulk products are usually cheaper because manufacturers spend less on the packaging. It is good practice then to buy things in bulk. Just make sure to divide them into smaller portions once you get home else you will get tempted to consume it indiscriminately.

9. Pack Your Lunch and Coffee

True, buying your lunch is convenient and fast, but if you are trying to save money on foods, then packing your lunch and coffee will be of a great help.

Try to cook your food over the weekends and do a meal prep. Also, get your cup of coffee ready to be brewed so you just add hot water in the morning.

10. Don’t Buy Junk Foods

Junk foods are not only bad, but it also cost money!

If you skip junk foods, not only you save money now, you will also save future medical bills.

11. Limit Your Eat-Out

Eating out is fun and delicious. We usually do it to socialize as well, so I won’t say don’t do it. instead, I would encourage you to limit your eat-out.

If you will eat out, do it only if you have something to celebrate or if you need to socialize. Also, try to limit it to 2 to 3 times a week!

BTW, one great way to socialize without spending too much on food is to invite your friends to come over, but tell them that to bring food to share!

Recap

Here are the things you can do to save money on food:

1. Buy at a local farmer’s market
2. Reduce your meat consumption
3. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables
4. Grow your own food
5. Plan your grocery ahead of time
6. Bring cash when doing your groceries
7. Buy store brand items
8. Buy in bulk

Final Words

Grocery is one area where we have a lot of power to save or spend money as we see fit. There are many options (stores, brands, sales, etc.) so we can prioritize our spending pretty quickly. Grocery businesses are smart. They want us to make impulse purchases and buy more groceries and possibly unnecessary ones. Grocery is essential because, through grocery shopping, one can buy food, which can be prepared at home, and have necessary supplies for home maintenance or even entertainment. This is why groceries can quickly eat up a budget because food and supplies are essential for everyday living.

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