Six Ways to Save on Food

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Hey, we all got to eat, right? But we don’t have to go broke doing it. It is possible to eat healthy, have variety and not break the bank. All it takes is a little planning. Here are six ways to save on food without having to move out to the country and start a farm.

What’s In Store?

Store brands are cheaper than brand names. That’s usually because they lowered the taste when they lowered the price. But for some items this is not the case, so start trying them. Make a note of the ones you like equally, if not better, than the brand name you’re used to buying and start buying the cheaper version from now on.

Bulk Up

We’re talking staples here. You love peanut butter. You eat it every day. It’s on sale at a great price. Don’t buy one jar, buy three or four. Buy a whole case! If it’s something you consume or use around the house on a constant basis, then load up when it’s on sale. Cereal, granola bars, canned soup, crackers… whatever. If you need it and it’s priced to move then stock your pantry with it!

Shop Around

Most cities have free local newspapers you can pick up or have delivered to your door. These are usually stuffed with flyers from the stores in your area. Collect the flyers for the neighborhood grocery stores and go through them, jotting down the best sales on items you need. Saving money and ‘one stop shopping’ do NOT go hand in hand. Save money and fill your pantry by taking advantage of the sales offered in numerous stores. You’ll save a bundle.

Cut and Save!

And when it comes to saving, let’s not forget the good ol’ coupon. A dying breed these days, they can still be found around and you need to have an eye out for them. Some come free in the mail, others in email while others can be found in store. But they are out there and, if you want to save money on your grocery bill, you need to find them and use them. Just make sure they are for items you need and you’re not buying them simply because there is a coupon.

Smell That Home Cooking

Dining out is a pleasure one should never have to pass on. Of course, I’m talking about a sit down meal in a restaurant with tablecloths and silverware. Scarfing down burgers at the local fast food chain is no cheap meal these days. That’s why learning how to make homemade steak, hamburgers, pizza, fried chicken and tacos will save you money while giving you the opportunity to create healthier versions of the traditional junk foods.

Give Prices the Cold Shoulder

Got a freezer? Use it. With proper preparation, you can freeze a wide variety of foods without fear of losing taste or texture. Ask a friend, read up online, but learn how best to freeze the foods you love and you’ll find you’re buying less of them. Entire meals can be sitting in your freezer until needed, saving you that trip to the fast food joint when you don’t have time to prepare a meal from scratch.

This is a guest article by Andrew Salmon. He writes about life insurance for the website LifeCover.ca.

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