One of the easiest ways to put extra money into savings every month is to trim your regular expenditures, like the weekly grocery bill, and stash away the cash.
Many people will admit that the amount they spend on groceries every month (or even every week) is higher than they would like, but most people don't see a simple way to cut back on their grocery spending.
Here are a few tips that can cut grocery expenses in half without making a big difference in your diet:
- Figure out your budget. Take into account all major and minor shopping trips - including the mid-week run to the store for milk. Saving grocery receipts for the week and adding them up will give a good idea of your typical weekly food expenses.
- Next, take stock of your pantry. Figure out what you don't need to buy more of for a while. Things like canned goods, boxed pastas, sauces, and condiments can be great to buy several of when they are on sale, but they can start piling up if you don't go through them very quickly. Write down a list of the items you already have that you can use in the near future. Vow not to buy any of the items you have in the pantry until there are none left.
- Now, take a look at the weekly circular for your grocery store. Plan your weekly menu around whatever is on sale. It is entirely possible to eat a nice variety of fruits and vegetables every week without ever spending over a dollar per pound on them, so limit yourself to the cheaper produce. Chances are, the cheapest will taste the best anyway because they will be in season. A similar concept applies to meat; opt for cheaper cuts or frozen meats to cut back on costs.
- Plan your fresh purchases around items you already have, such as those frozen chicken breasts, unused boxed rice dishes, or that ten-pack of canned green beans. If done carefully, it's entirely possible to compliment your stored food so that you only have to buy one fresh item for each day of the week.
- Avoid the mid-week grocery supplements. If you run out of milk, make do with juice for a few days, start using up some tea bags, or mix some of the powdered lemonade you have in the pantry. This will not only force you to make use of what you already have while saving money, but it will also get you better acquainted with what your weekly grocery needs are so that you can figure out where you buy too much or too little.
- Make good use of leftovers, and don't waste food. Pack last night's leftover dinner as today's lunch on a regular basis if you can - it will keep you from buying overpriced restaurant lunches and it will make sure that leftovers don't go to waste. Also, take careful notice of perishable items that don't get used up quickly enough, so you can freeze them or plan not to buy as much of them in the future.
The copyright of the article Spend Less Money on Groceries in Food Trends is owned by Katherine Brind'Amour. Permission to republish Spend Less Money on Groceries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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