I Work Hard for the Money-- Part 2: Cutting food costs

Let's face the facts here.


Food prices are up, and I'm pretty sure they aren't going down anytime soon.  Eating is pretty essential, so what can we do to get the most beef for our buck? {I know that was pretty bad}

This is definitely an area that I am continually working on, and I have started using some of these tips. Some.

Hey, I'm trying here.  Isn't that the goal though...you try your best and see what happens.

Make a list. Those little impulse buys just sneak up on a person {especially me} and you can end up spending around 20% more.  When you stick to your list you are throwing less food away too!  There are a ton of templates on Pinterest that you can print off.  Here is a cool one....

Photo Credit: Simplified Mama

Make a menu. Sit down for 30 minutes and make a plan.  Look in the pantry and the fridge, see what you already have on hand that needs to be used up, and make your list from there.  Not much of a cook?  Check out Pinterest or favorite blogs for some recipes.  Another website that is a lifesaver is supercook.com.  You can click on what ingredients you have at your house and they'll pull recipes for you.  Magical!!!!!

Don't shop hungry! I know, I know tale as old as time....but it's TRUE!  Hungry=impulse buys=more money spent.  Just don't.  

 

Photo Credit: Advice Register blog

Check out those labels. Just because it's "on sale" doesn't mean it's the best buy.  It's time to do some math people!  That beautiful unit price box is wonderful.  This is a great tool to use to see if buying in bulk is actually a good deal. those stores are sneaky...for instance buying a block of cheese may be cheaper than buying shredded cheese.  Hey, those nickels and dimes add up!  To see some great examples of this check out this post on Advice Register.  

Ice Ice Baby.  So you bought some {ok, it was actually a lot} of cheese, or meat, or fruit because it was a great sale, now what.  Put it in smaller packages and freeze it for later use!  

Look for markdowns. These finds are my favorite.  Check out the meat department for "manager specials".  You can get some nice cuts of meat for a steal and a half, you just have to cook it right away.  At my local Kroger there is a section set aside for goods that are on special maybe because it is a discontinued product or the package has seen better days...it's still good, and now cheaper! 

These are all tips that will take you very little time and can save you quite a bit of money.  Shop smart. Good luck!