What do your monthly expenses look like? Which part of your budget do you spend a big chunk of your money? Next to the utility expenses, food is perhaps where you spend a lot each month. You can actually lower your food expenses without sacrificing the health and well being of your family. There are things that you can do to save some money on your food expenses, but here are just a few of those.
* Did you know that you can re-use coffee grounds several times without affecting its taste? If you use grounded coffee for your morning drink, consider re-using the grounded coffee a couple of more times. Make sure that you use a permanent filter and not the paper filter, though. Store your used coffee grounds in the refrigerator and you can re-use it the next day.
* Day-old bread are much cheaper to buy, so if you’re not that picky with your bread (and after all, bread that was made yesterday is still good to eat), go with the older bread. You can freeze the bread and they’ll be good later on. Just thaw the bread when you need to. You can buy bread in bulk too at grocery stores that often run discounts or two-for-ones on most perishable items.
* Don’t go food shopping without a list. Before your next food shopping trip, make a list of all the food items you need to buy. Prioritize this list — start listing the basic food items first. When you’re at the grocery, compare prices of similar food items on the shelf. Whenever possible, go with store brands than branded products. If hot cereal is a regular food item for your family, go with the store brand (e.g., Wal-Mart’s Great Value) instead of the more expensive branded product. When you’re done food shopping, don’t throw away the receipt. Use this receipt as a guide for both items and prices the next time you do your grocery shopping.
* When eating out, keep in mind that the prices in restaurants are often lower when you go there during lunch hours. Of course, it would be better if you simply eat at home and save dining out for special occasions, when you are traveling or staying in another place where eating out makes practical sense. If you are traveling, stay in a hotel that offers complimentary breakfasts. It also helps to eat where the local eat. These are where you’ll find the best local foods at low prices. If you’re out on a short trip where you’ll only be away for a few hours, bring food with you. This way you won’t need to spend money on fast foods and drive-thrus.
Keep in mind that eating inexpensively doesn’t have to mean that you eat less or eat bad food. On the contrary, eating inexpensively means making wise decisions when you’re shopping for food and planning ahead.
