Hello, Dinks. The amount of money that people spend on food can be quite high. Some folks don’t even have a food budget. They just go to the store and buy what they want. They worry about the cost later. As Dinks, I know that you are focused on doing the right thing with your money. I’m sure you don’t blindly spend when you are shopping for food. If you or your wife or husband do struggle with spending on food, I have a few tips that should help you cut back on this major household expense.
Eat at fewer restaurants
If you’re one that likes to wine and dine your partner by going to restaurants often, you might want to change that habit up a little bit. Cutting back on the times you eat out will save you more in the long run. Think about it like this. Imagine that you spend $40 for a dinner for two at least once a week each month. That’s $160 that you are paying for restaurants each month. I’m not a shopping pro, but I know that if you take that $160 to the grocery store, you can buy enough food for way more than one meal.
Don’t go when hungry
Another way to spend less on food is not to go to the store when you’re hungry. You are setting yourself up for failure when you do that. I know that I’m not alone, but I’ve made the mistake of shopping while hungry before. I had the intention of grabbing a few small items. Twenty minutes later I’m at the register with a full cart. I ended up spending way too much money and purchased things that I would not have bought if I wasn’t hungry. My suggestion is not to go to the store when hungry. If possible eat a snack before you go.
Use coupons
It’s no secret that coupons can save you money when shopping. Couponing takes time, though. Some people including myself don’t take the time to do it each time they shop. Savings are left on the table when you don’t use coupons. Using coupons is something that I’ve been trying to do more of this year. It’s tough trying to find the extra time to do it. There are many coupon websites and phone apps out there to help consumers. You just have to take a little bit of time to find the ones that work best for you.
Stick to list
The last way to spend less money on food is to stick to your shopping list. How many times have you gone shopping and purchased items that weren’t on your list? We’re human. I’m sure that we all have done that once or twice. I know I have. When shopping, we have to be disciplined enough only to purchase things on the list. When you start randomly just putting items in your shopping cart, you run the risk of spending a whole lot more than you bargained for.
Not easy because I like food.
If I really need to cut on food that day, I will drink coffee at office pantry and eat all the food at meetings. – soup kitchen the “posh” way.
Pingback:Save Money Hosting a New Year's Eve Party - Dual Income No Kids | Dual Income No Kids