How to Stop Spending so Much Money on Food
Are you wondering how to stop spending so much money on food? With inflation higher than ever before, our grocery bills are rising at rapid rates. There are things you can do to cut back on your food expenses.
I don’t know about you, but a trip to the grocery store can cause my blood pressure to rise. I can get downright stressed when trying to buy food for my family.
Costs of EVERYTHING is going up. And for many expenses it’s hard to lower them. Gas prices continue to rise and yet, we still need to drive to work, school, stores, etc. We can cut back a bit but for the most part we still have to drive. Electricity prices are hard to cut down on. Taxes, interest rates on mortgages, and more are often out of our control.
Now, if the first part of this post depressed you, please don’t lose hope. I’ve got some good news. There are ways to stop spending so much money on food, and I’m going to tell you how to do it.
Because of the way expenses are rising, and the forecast for the coming months of more prices rising, I’m in a “save money on food everywhere I can” mode. I’m pulling out all the stops. And you can too.
HOW TO STOP SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY ON FOOD
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Meal plan according to the sales.
When I grocery shop right now I am taking the weekly flyers and meal planning according to what is on sale. That means if chicken is on sale we are eating chicken that week. If tomato sauce is on sale, it’s pasta. If oranges are on sale, that’s what we are snacking on, and so on.
Try to build your meals around as many sale items as you can. You will definitely notice it affecting your grocery bill, and in a good way.
Stop eating out, or at least cut back.
If you are spending a lot of money on food and you eat out a lot, a very easy and effective way to save money on food is to stop hitting up the drive thru window. If you enjoy eating out consider cutting back to twice a month, or even once a month. It’s much more enjoyable when it’s a treat anyways!
Make more from scratch.
A big pot of homemade soup is cheap and goes a long way. Homemade granola bars are cheaper than packaged granola bars from the grocery store. Oatmeal instead of cereal is easier on the wallet. Consider making more foods from scratch and buying less convenience food to save more money on food.
Grow a garden.
A garden is one of the best ways you can save money on food. It costs a few dollars for a package of seeds and your plant could produce for weeks on end to feed you and your family. You don’t have to go all out to benefit from this. Planting just some tomatoes and lettuce can save you some cash. Start out small and each year from there you can build on it.
Eat less.
If we are really honest with ourselves, many of us eat more than we need. I promise you, I’m calling myself out! We don’t need to snack all day between meals. Sometimes we eat because we are bored, emotional, or just enjoy eating.
But that can get expensive (and isn’t great for our health anyways.) Consider cutting back on the amount of food you eat. Still eat enough that you are full, but listen to your body and make sure you are only eating when you are truly hungry.
Skip the name brands.
Name brand foods are usually more expensive and aren’t always better quality-wise anyways. Start purchasing generic brands and you’ll see a significant difference in your food bill.
Grate your own cheese and cut your own carrots.
Products like shredded cheese or diced up baby carrots are definitely more convenient, but you’ll pay more for it. Buy blocks of cheese and grate your own, or carrots that you have to peel and slice up yourself. It may take a few extra minutes but it will be cheaper.
Make your own coffee at home.
This goes hand in hand with the point above about not eating out, but buying coffee through the drive thru is so common I thought it owned it’s own category. Make your own coffee at home and you can save a lot each month.
If you find yourself rushing out the door in the morning and that’s why you stop to buy your coffee, consider a coffee maker with a timer like this one. You can set it the night before and wake up to a fresh pot of coffee already made. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Keep “fast” food on hand.
No, I don’t meant takeout burgers and fries. I’m talking about things you can cook quite quickly. Things like eggs and toast don’t take too long, or some elbow noodles with some butter and grated cheese on top. You can even make some homemade pizza to store in your freezer.
THINGS TO STOP SPENDING MONEY ON
Another way to help you afford food is to stop spending money in other areas. Here are just a few things you can stop spending money on to help your grocery budget:
- Magazine, newspaper, and online subscriptions
- Multiple streaming services (just to pick one to use)
- Disposable paper towels (make your own napkins with this tutorial.)
- Disposable Menstrual pads (purchase a Diva cup.)
- Haircuts (buy some clippers and scissors and do it at home.)
LOWER YOUR GROCERY AND HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
Any way you can lower your grocery bill and your household expenses is a plus and the more little changes you make the more it will add up to big savings. Small changes may seem insignificant at the time, but if, at the end of the month you look back at your expenses and money saving habits you may see that they snowballed into a good chunk of change that you saved.
