Best Ways To Save Money On Food
Sunday, Aug 16, 2020, 4:34 pm
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1.Shop Alone
No two people have the same grocery shopping routine. And while it's nice to have company when you shop, it can take a toll on your pockets. When you're on a budget, it's best to shop alone. If you go shopping with other people you'll wind up with more items in your cart than you originally wanted. This is especially the case for parents who go shopping with their kids. One minute you have five items in your cart and the next you're buying a bunch of kid-related items just because they look cool.
2.Create a Budget
Before venturing to the supermarket, set a budget for yourself and stick to it. Once you get to the check-out counter, inform the cashier to let you know when you have hit your budget; this way you won't go over budget and you'll focus on buying the items you need. If you don't want to rely on the cashier, try bringing a calculator with you. As you drop items into your chart, record their price so you know exactly how much money you're spending.
3.Don't Shop When You're Hungry
When humans see food, they want to eat it. It's because of this why it's never a good idea to go shopping when you're hungry. If you step into a store when you're hungry, you will be tempted to impulse buy, which will lead you to buying items you don't need. Chances are you might even buy higher priced items because you just want to feed your hunger. Start a shopping routine and choose one day out of the week to do all of your shopping.
4.Plant Your Own Produce
Planting your own produce can save you loads of money. If you don't have the space, for a full-on garden, try growing items like tomatoes, which can growwell even in containers. Once your garden starts to bloom, begin freezing some of the items so you can have them all year long.A bagged salad costs the same amount of a packet of seeds for mixed salad greens. The major difference is the packets have 500 seeds and can plant a 30-foot long row of greens.
5.Buy Generic Food
Name brand foods may have colorful labels and expensive advertising, but it doesn't taste any better than generic food. For every name brand item in the supermarket, there's always a much cheaper generic item right next to it. When you're on a budget, food is food and there's no time to be picky.
6.Buy Canned Foods
Fresh food is always the No. 1 go-to choice, but when you're trying to save money, purchasing canned goods is the way to go. Some people turn up their noses at canned foods, but with a few spices and herbs, they are just as good as buying fresh food. Customers can get a can of peas, corn, or beans for as low as $1.89. Canned foods also have a long shelf life, so even if you don't use them right away, you don't have to worry about it going bad.
7.Pay with Cash
Debit and credit cards give consumers the freedom to spend now and worry about it later. Grocery shopping is an expensive task, so to cut down on the amount of money you spend; only bring enough cash to purchase the things you need. This means you'll have to pry the credit and debit cards out of your hands and leave them at home.
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8.Stop Eating Fast Food
Fast food is a convenient way to pick up a meal and be on your way. And as appetizing some of these meals can be, they are not cheap. Americans spend more than $110 billion on fast food every year. It is much cheaper to buy groceries and cook your own meals. Cooking at home can be tedious, and some people may not have the time to fix extravagant meals, but at the end of the day your pockets will thank you.
9.Buy A Whole Chicken
Chicken is a pricey meat. Some people spend hundreds of dollars of pieces of chicken every month. To save money on chicken, try purchasing a whole chicken. A whole chicken may seem like a lot, but once you cut it up into pieces, you can simply freeze the pieces you don't plan on cooking. Chicken can be used to make soups, salads, broths, stock and so much more. Before you think about throwing out the gizzards, back, or neck; try finding creative ways to use them in your dishes.
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10.Buy Items On Sale
You can never have too much of an item. Some consumers go into a supermarket with their minds set on certain items and disregard everything else. As a result, these consumersmiss out on deals and sales that could prove beneficial to them later on. The best way to approach grocery shopping is to buy anything you typically use; even if you already five bottles of ketchup at home, it can't hurt to have one more.
11.Buy Bulk Items
Warehouses like Costco Wholesale, PACE Wholesale Club and Sam's Club sell grocery items for a fraction of the price of the items sold in regular supermarkets. These warehouses have a membership-only policy, but the price you pay for membership, is worth it in the long run when you discover how much money you save on food. Purchasing items in bulk will always give consumers a better deal. Always compare the price per weight for bulk items to those in standard packages.
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12.Coupons
Clipping and using coupons is one of the best ways to save money. If you use your coupons at the right time, you can get an item that typically costs $3.00 for half the price. In recent years, extreme couponing has become increasingly popular. This method of couponing allows consumers to use multiple coupons at once in order to save more.
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