Do you spend too much money on food? Take a look at our top ten tips to learn how you and your family can save on food each week.
Are you spending too much money on food? It’s a common problem, but it doesn’t have to be something you’re dealing with.
The Bureau of Labor Statistic reports that households spend over $7,000 a year on food at home, with another $4,000 plus on food away from home. There are plenty of ways you can reduce this number - it just takes a little bit of effort on your part.
Ahead, we’ll take a look at our top 10 money-saving tips you can use to save on food. Hopefully, they’ll translate to thousands of dollars in savings throughout the year.
Become a Coupon Clipper
This is our first tip because it’s the biggest money saving opportunity on our list. Of course, paying attention to deals and getting the most out of coupons means a substantial time commitment.
Some people will spend 10 hours or more per week clipping coupons, but this strategy can lead to paying almost nothing for your weekly groceries.
You can find coupons for grocery stores almost anywhere. The newspaper, the internet, magazines, and store-specific coupon catalogs will all offer you coupons you can use to save on food.
There are also quite a few apps that can show you where you can save. Some of the big-name stores have them, and there are other options that show you all the deals out there.
Buying in Bulk
Buying in bulk is one of the best ways to save on food, especially when you’re buying items that don’t expire for a long time. Dried foods like pasta, beans, and other similar products will last a very long time, so there’s no need to stop at the store every week for these things.
Buying for a family means you often have to purchase large quantities of items. There are likely several surplus stores in your area that require subscriptions. These stores let you buy in bulk and save money over time.
Buying in bulk can be a double-edged sword, however. You might lose some money on food waste if you buy perishables that you don’t end up eating. Don’t overbuy at these stores, but use them for items that you and your family frequently eat or food that won’t expire for a long time.
Stop Ordering Out
Most of our tips will revolve around shopping and cooking, so it’s worth telling you that you shouldn’t be ordering out if you’re trying to save on food. Ordering food from a restaurant is always going to be more expensive than making it yourself - that’s just a fact.
We know how convenient it is to order food. No one wants to come home from a long day and cook a meal before they can sit down and relax. Ordering food is always an attractive option, but it’s a massive waste of money if you order out multiple times per week.
Cooking is a life skill that will serve you well. Start with simple recipes and easy dishes and work your way up from there. Those who haven’t cooked much might be intimidated by the prospect of cooking every night, but you shouldn’t be. Cooking is much easier than it may seem, and you can get the hang of it with a little bit of practice.
Use Your Freezer
The freezer is one of the best tools in your kitchen if you’re trying to save on food. This tip goes hand in hand with buying in bulk, as you can freeze any excess meat you don’t use and cook it later.
You can also choose to cook larger meals and freeze the leftovers to eat later. This will save you time going to the store and cooking along with saving you money on food purchases. Always keep your freezer stocked to avoid throwing food away and wasting money.
Don’t Overspend for Brands
A lot of people tend to think brand-name items are going to be better than store brand food. This isn’t the case, and food items aren’t alone here. All you have to do is take a look at the ingredients list for painkillers, antihistamines, and other items in the store. The name brands will cost more than the no-name brands and will have an identical ingredients list.
The same can be said for the food you buy at the store. There’s no reason to spend more money on brands you’ve heard of before - especially when it comes to canned, boxed, and dried food.
Even items like chips can be just as good when you save some money. Some of the food might not be exactly to your liking, but buying store brands will almost always save you money.
Buy Produce In Season
Your local grocery store will likely have their shelves stocked with produce all year round. Still, certain fruits and vegetables only grow in certain climates. This means that the peaches you buy in the summer will be far cheaper than those in the winter.
Imported fruit usually isn’t as tasty as its locally grown counterparts as well, so you’ll always have better fruit when the vendors can get it from local farms.
Make a List
Going to the store without a list of what you need to buy is one of the biggest ways to waste both money and time. First of all, there’s a high chance that you’ll forget something you need and have to go back. This can make you spend more money on impulse items than you should, which is only one of the ways not bringing a list will cause you to waste money on food.
Additionally, aimlessly walking around the grocery store is like asking them to take your money. You might buy four boxes of cereal you don’t need, spices you’ll never use, and other items that don’t offer value. Make a list and stick to it, so you’re not spending more than you need to.
Utilize Price Match
Enhanced competition in the marketplace has led to a lot of stores offering a price match guarantee. This tip often works better on items than it does on food, but you can still find a good deal if you know where to look.
Price match is more common with national chains than it is with local supermarkets, but you can still find some good prices and price match options if you look hard enough. Stores like WalMart that sell a lot of items along with food will always match the prices you find at other stores.
Buy A Water Filter
There are several ways you can save on your drink selections. First, you should choose water over soda, juice, and other bottled drinks. Water is free and healthy for you, while juices and sodas are packed with sugar. Choosing water over other drinks will not only save you money, but it will also improve your health.
Now that you’ve decided to make the switch to water, it’s time to talk about saving money on it. It can be attractive to buy bottled water regularly. It’s convenient and easy, but it’s far from the most cost-effective way to drink.
Buying a Brita filter - or another kind of pitcher filter - will allow you to purify your tap water and have a cold beverage all of the time. Sure, there’s a bit of an upfront cost involved with a Brita filter, and the filters will cost you a bit more. Still, these filters last quite a while and will cost far less than drinking bottled water will. It’s also far more environmentally conscious.
The Vegetarian Option
We included this tip last because it isn’t as feasible as some of the others. Going vegetarian is a substantial life change, and not everyone is willing to make such a shift - especially those who are cooking for a family.
Still, vegetarian meals are often cheaper and healthier than their non-vegetarian counterparts. You can still receive the same level of protein and nutritional value with vegetarian dishes, so you won’t be losing any nutrients once you make the switch.
We’ll be the first to admit that going vegetarian is easier said than done. Still, if you’re looking for one of the best ways to eat healthier and save on food, choosing vegetarian dishes presents one of the better suggestions you can take.
Saving On Food
Food is one of the expenses that we all have and need. We can’t eliminate food cost, but there are several things you can do to help limit the amount of money you spend on groceries each week.
Hopefully, these tips presented some ideas that you hadn’t thought of yourself. Utilizing some or all of these strategies will almost certainly limit your spending on food every week, and free up more money for other bills or savings.
Do you have any tips of your own that will help people save on food? We’re always looking for some new ideas to add to the list. Let us know what you do to save on food in the comments!
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