Living a Better Life
(featured column... from the Editor's Desk)

Save Hundreds on Your Food Bill Every Month, without Using Coupons!

by Michelle Jones

There are many ways to trim the household budget each month but often the easiest area to cut back is the monthly food bill.  This includes dining out, take out, pizza delivery, workday lunches, fast food, coffee, sodas, school snacks and the most expensive of all… groceries!  More...

Over the last twenty years our family has experienced a wide range of food budgets, spending as little as $30 a week to as much as... well, let's just say a lot more than it should be, even for a family of 6!  We’ve also had times when we diligently used grocery coupons and others when we barely had time to get the newspaper off the driveway.  (And if any of our neighbors are reading this right now they know the later is currently in effect!)

In my free ebook, Dealing with Debt, I wrote a detailed chapter about saving money on groceries without the use of coupons.  Though I still feel that not using grocery coupons is much like throwing away cold hard cash, I do realize that many people do not have access to coupons--especially our readers outside of the U.S., and many simply do not have time to work with them. 

That’s why, along with the free ebook, we also have an entire Web site dedicated to saving money on groceries at GrocerySavingTips.com.  

And here’s just a few basic guidelines for anyone who might need to trim their monthly food bill…

Have a Food Budget

Decide how much money you can afford to spend on food each month and do your best to stick to it.  Review your budget every few months to see if it’s working and if it’s not, adjust it. 

Save on Dining Out, Takeout, Pizza Delivery, Lunches & Fast Food

If you’re in the habit of eating out a lot, add up your receipts for the month and decide if you’d like to continue spending that amount or start putting some of that cash towards something else that might be even more important to you and your family, like building an emergency savings account, paying off debts, traveling around the world, or even helping others in need.

Plan Your Meals

You really can save a lot of money by preparing meals at home and skipping restaurants as often as possible, we’ve got some great frugal recipes in our collection here on the site to get you started!  

If you need help planning your weekly meals you can print out one of our helpful menu planners and use it as a gentle reminder that you’re saving a fortune by eating at home each week. 

Save Money at the Grocery Store

#1  Make a list of the grocery items you need each week and don’t buy anything extra.  Don’t shop when you’re hungry and don’t shop with your children (unless they’ve passed the age of the ‘gimmies’).

#2  Work sale items into your menu plan each week.  If you like to have a particular food often (like boneless chicken breasts) then buy extra when it goes on sale and store properly in the freezer for use throughout the month.  By the time you run out it will probably go on sale again.

#3  Stay away from prepackaged foods and junk food!  Even when these items are on sale they can still wreck havoc on a food budget.

#4  Use food staples such as eggs, in-season fruits and vegetables, bread, rice, beans, potatoes, soup and pasta to stretch your meals throughout the week.

#5  Use up the food that’s already in your freezer and pantry, this alone could save you a hundred dollars or more the first month.  (This is also a great tip for creating emergency cash.)

#6  Don’t be fooled by thinking one store has all the lowest prices, there just isn’t any such place.  If you have the time to shop at a couple of stores each week you can take advantage of some huge savings.  Most stores will also price match but I find it easier and less time consuming to just stop by the additional stores when they’re on my way and pick up whatever items they have on sale.

Save Money on Coffee and Snack Breaks

Bring inexpensive snacks from home and drink free water instead of expensive coffees or sodas at work or school.  Some people could save $100 or more with this effort alone, and it’s much healthier too.

All of these ideas will help you save money on your food bill each month, but don’t be so rigid with your budget that you never splurge a little.  For example, if you’re used to eating lunches out every day you might want to bring lunch from home 3 times a week and eat out on the other two days, or if you normally dine out every night (and yes, there really are people who do this) you’ll still save quite a bit by cooking dinner at home several times each week.  Just try to work on eating food from home as often as possible throughout the month and you'll be amazed at how much money you can save.

When it comes to saving money it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, but every dollar adds up quickly… whether you spend it or save it.

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Copyright © 2005 by Michelle Jones.  All rights reserved.

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