To Stretch A Buck On A Meal
3:21 PM Posted In MEALS ON A BUDGET Edit This 0 Comments »
I know it's not always easy planning nice meals on a budget, but living on hot dogs and macaroni and cheese is NOT an option either. -Pack your lunch. Preparing a lunch at home rather than eating fast food is a great way to save money – and it’s generally healthier! Keep it green by using reusable containers.
-Eat at home more often. Meals prepared at home are usually more nutritious and less expensive than restaurant meals.
-Eat breakfast at home – it’s healthy and cheap! And, eating breakfast helps with weight loss.
-Use food you already have on hand. Taking an inventory of the food in your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer is the best way to start your weekly meal planning. You’ve already paid for the food; build your meals around these ingredients!
-Buy fresh produce in season—when it’s cheaper. You’ll pay more for food purchased off-season so choose recipes that use seasonal ingredients.
-Make better use of the food you purchase and reduce spoilage by planning your meals for the week. Food that goes uneaten in your refrigerator is a waste of money. Read food storage tips.
-Make all of your purchases in one trip to the store. Creating your weekly shopping list reduces your trips to the grocery store, which saves time, gas and money.
-Build meals around sale items featured at your grocery store.
-Clip coupons only for foods you buy on a regular basis. Coupons won’t save you money if you buy things that you wouldn’t normally purchase.
-Stock up on your cooking staples when they go on sale. That way you will have healthy food on hand for those nights when you don’t know what to cook.
Don't be afraid to take your leftovers home with you! For many people, dinner portions are more like two meals. Why not eat them both, separately?
Fast food can be a real deal, but don't make it the mainstay of your diet. Your health is your wealth.
Use coupons, but use them wisely. Ask yourself these questions:
-If the product is more expensive than your usual brand, will the coupon still save you money?
-If you have to buy several of an item to use the coupon, will you be able to use it all before it goes bad?
-Will you have to drive out of your way to take advantage of the offer?
-If so, will you save more than you spend on gas?
-Do any of the supermarkets near you have a day when coupons are worth even more?
Online coupon sites make finding coupons easier. Some require registration. Read their privacy policies carefully before entering your personal information:
SmartSource
Cool Savings
EverSave
No registration is required at these sites:
GetLocalDeals
HotCoupons.com
ValPak
Wherever you shop, look for in-store specials. Some stores make their 'sale' tags and 'everyday low price' tags look nearly identical. Don't be fooled.
See if there's a clearance item area in the store. These have the potential to yield excellent deals. Many stores just fill up a shopping cart and put a sign on it.
Make a note of prices on items you buy often by visiting several different stores. Sometimes you'll save more by going to multiple supermarkets. Again, factor in your transportation costs.
Shop close-out and bakery outlet stores like Big Lots, Dollar General, Entenmann's and Mrs. Baird's. If you hit the jackpot, like finding your favorite pasta sauce for half its usual price, fill your cart. Don't do this with untried items.
No matter how good they sound, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Consider buying a water filter. You'll save money over bottled water, and avoid the impurities found in most tap water:
Buy in bulk. This also prepares you for emergencies. You can often get a free membership for wholesale warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club. Only buy what you know you'll use before the expiration date. Those who live alone may have a hard time making this option work for them.
For snacks and sweets for big families, take a look at BulkFoods.com.
If there's an item that you buy a lot, and it can't be found at a warehouse, see if your usual supermarket will give you a discount for buying it by the case. Our experience suggests a standard discount of 10%.
Take a look at Ebay's food section. You'll find bulk lots, coupons and hard-to-find items.
Pros: Few people know about this area, so competition is low.
Cons: Boxes may have cuts and expiration dates need to be confirmed. Like all online auctions, figure shipping costs into what you're willing to bid.
Learn where your local farmers' markets are. Produce there is fresh and sometimes even organic. It may not be marked as such, because the certification process is expensive, but ask the grower if they use chemical pesticides. For those who buy organic produce regularly, this can provide significant savings.
Here's some places to help plan your meals:
Budget Meals
Campbell's Kitchen
Frugal Family Recipes
Slow Cooking
Here are a few thoughts on saving money on vacation meals:
-Take a cooler. If nothing else, pack soft drinks for the road. Watch for Tupperware breadboxes at the next rummage sale you visit. When the kids are little, take a half of a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a knife. (Jelly goes in the cooler.) When the kids have bigger appetites, take a full loaf of bread with cheese, lunchmeat, and condiments in the cooler.
-Organize a picnic pack that includes a caddy or tote that contains plastic dishes, utensils, a can opener, bowls, and glasses, mismatched flatware, a knife, a cutting board, a can opener, a dish brush, hand sanitizer, and a small container of dish soap.
-A lot of hotel rooms have mini-fridges and microwaves. Stop by the grocery store and get dinners to stash in the hotel fridge. Several nights, eat dinner in the hotel room. It is cheaper and actually easier at the end of a full day.
-Outdoor picnic areas offer a lot of scope for imagination. Of course, you can have sandwiches or a pre-packed salad.
So, next time you're discouraged by spending $25 for fast food, think of ways that you could feed your family a healthier and cheaper meal on the road
0 comments:
Post a Comment