How to conquer everyone’s biggest budget buster
Inflation is hitting us all, and what better way to soften the blow on your food budget with some real solutions that can be implemented pretty easily.
These will save you money on your food bill, and allow more money for your big goals.
Here’s the best way you can start saving money on food:
Make a written plan.
I’ve seen individuals and families save hundreds of dollars simply by writing down their meals for the week (or two), and buying ingredients according to their list. It sounds simple, and it is! But most people don’t do it.
Shop your pantry before you leave the house.
See what you’ve already got on hand to make your list of meals before you go to the store. That way, you’re not accidentally buying duplicates and can reduce waste.
Add items up on your phone calculator as you shop.
Shopping in person? Keep track on your phone’s calculator each time you throw something in your cart. That way, you’ll know if you’re staying on budget or not. Better yet, shop online and keep track of your running total when you click “add to cart”. Many stores offer pickup & go options where you buy online, then they load your trunk when you arrive at the grocery store.
Buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk can be less expensive. Better yet, buy in bulk and freeze if it’s fresh.
Do a pantry challenge.
Here's how it works:
Goal=create meals from items you already have in hand.
1. Take stock. Open up your pantry, freezer, deep freezer, refrigerator, etc. What dinners could you make with what you've got on hand? List them out.
2. Get creative! Breakfast for dinner? Sure. Leftovers night? Great. Tuna macaroni and cheese? Hey, don't knock it till you try it.
3. Apps like Dinner Spinner and sites like supercook.com will let you input your ingredients and they will spit out what dinners you could make!
4. Try going meatless on Mondays, or more days if everyone's on board!
5. If you need to go to the grocery store, keep it to ONCE per week to get fresh items in order to make your meals. This will help reduce impulse spending too. Keep a couple simple things in rotation for breakfasts & lunches. You may run out of pantry meals and have to resume regular trips, that's okay. Make your on-hand stock last as long as possible.
At the end of the month, we are going to tally up how much each of you saved compared to your last month’s food bill.
