It can be tough to cut important bills out of your household budget but when money is tight or you are saving for something important, controlling your budget is a must. For many people, the food portion of the budget is a section that can be easily reduced by applying some changes to it.
Here are some 12 top tips that you can use to save on your food bill
* Set a Food Budget – The first step in getting control of your budget is to know what you spend. Calculate a few months worth of costs and be prepared to look for areas where it can be reduced. Set a reasonable budget that you can work with on a weekly basis.
* Reduce Dining Out – Eating out is very expensive, even just a trip through the drive thru can put a big dent in your food budget. While it is okay to eat out once in a while, make sure to plan for it and put a limited amount of money into your budget for special occasions.
* Plan Your Meals – Planning for your meals will make it not only easier to shop each week, but easier to cook ahead and be prepared for each meal too. This will save unnecessary trips to the store or grabbing takeout on the way home from work.
* Make Grocery Lists – Use your weekly menu to plan out a master grocery list that you can use to shop. It will help keep extra items out of your cart that may not be needed.
* Track the Ads – Circulars are a big pain but they are great for knowing what is on sale at the grocery stores. Shop the ads for good savings at area stores and make sure to use your list.
* Work The Coupons – If you do not already use coupons, start. They do add up. Also, don’t forget online coupon sites where you can print off the coupons to redeem and add points for more savings.
* Use Store Discount Cards – Sign up for the store discount card if available. There is usually additional savings associated with them that make it worthwhile.
* Shop Store Brands – Some store labels are worth the additional savings, some are not. By tasting and learning which brands and items are worth the savings, the price difference can be significant.
* Buy in Bulk – There are certain items that are worth buying in bulk. Meats and canned goods are easy to store and worth the effort and savings.
* Shop Farmers Markets – During summer months, shop fresh from the farmer for better savings and delicious taste.
* Plant a Garden – If you have room and the ability, planting your own garden will help you save big on your food bill. Freeze extras and…
* Learn to Can – Capture all of the goodness of your garden and carry some through for the winter. It is easy to can things like tomato sauce, jams, jellies and more. Freezer canning works too and it is pretty simple.
Using tips like these can help reduce your food bill and free up some additional cash or add to your savings. What are some of your top tips your use to reduce your bill?
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Sadly, I’ve found that the farmer’s markets around here are way more expensive than the grocery stores. I don’t even bother going any more, because they’re out of my price range.
Another way I’ve been able to save a little money is by signing up at Saving Star. It’s tied to the store cards, and for stores without cards (like Target), a picture of the receipt fills in. They offer online coupons, a weekly discount on a fresh produce item, and a weekly freebie, too. When $5 is accumulated in my account, I get an Amazon code.
I know the price of food is up, but how many of us realize the farmers prices are also up. Grain is up, machinery is thru the roof. They do a lot of work for what they get. I live in a farming community, and it is tough for them. A lot of them have sold out. We are looking at how we can have a garden. We do not have a yard, well a foot or so, but we are looking at attaching one to the building, growing a garden in pots. We eat a lot of soups, and crock pot meals. I make a big batch and freeze 1/2 to 2/3 of it for meals later. We like tuna melts, or hot sandwiches a few times a week. Soup and a half a sandwich. We buy our eggs from the farmer and save, they same thing for produce. We go to the Amish, they are clean, and great prices. Now they carry cocoa, oats, maple syrup, and honey. Now they carry tomato egg noodles, wonderful cooked and top with some butter, parsley and grated cheese. It saves a lot from the store prices. When I make bacon for BLT’s, I fry up the whole pound, and they freeze the remaining. I always have cooked bacon for scrambled eggs or a casserole. I try to buy green peppers when they are cheapest, cut them up and freeze a large bag or two to last thru the winter. I freeze berries, again buy them when they are cheapest, wash them, and freeze them. We can have smoothies or muffins all winter. We need to buy smarter, and cook smarter.
I would love to start canning more. I try and save money when I can. I do make a list and I try to stick to it as closely as I can. I use coupons whenever possible!
Watching the ads and making coupons work for you are very important. My daughter goes through the ads each week and writes down anything that might interest us. We then search for coupons from the newspaper and online to see what really is a good deal. Then, we mark out and make a final list so we know exactly what we are going for. It’s even better if you can arrange your list by store and how you shop it. What are you going to get first, second…. This way you are in and out without back tracking or a lot of looking around.
I cannot believe how the price of foods keeps going up and up! I have got to start doing better with coupons and shopping in bulk more! Thanks for the reminders!
I only eat out if I have a gift card. I shop with a list.
These are great advice! I love getting good deals at farmer’s markets!
Yes under Track the Ads, I would ad that I find plenty of produce that is on sale that week and stick with that. Every Thursday I grab the sale carrots at my fave store. Around here the sale produce day is usually Wednesday though and usually great savings.
Great ideas! And slow cooking is also a money saver !