Tips for Saving Money on Food (Part 1)

There are so many things I want to talk about. It’s hard to decide where to start. I’ll try to ease in since not everyone is going to be ready for a full-fledged budgeting process right out of the chute. Food is something that we all have in common. We all have to eat, but you would be shocked at the amount of money that most people spend on food each month. Your food costs are entirely controllable, yet for most people, they are completely out of control.

“The USDA uses national food intake data and grocery price information to calculate different costs for a healthy diet at home. The latest numbers (from 2013) for a family of four are:

• a thrifty food plan, $146 a week
• a low-cost food plan, $191 a week
• a moderate-cost plan, $239 a week
• a liberal plan, $289 a week.”

Even if you were able to go from a moderate-cost plan ($239/week) to a low-cost plan ($191/week), you would be saving $2,500/ year. You could use that savings to pay down debt or even take a vacation.

On average, Mike and I spend $50/week on groceries; however, keep in mind, we are only shopping for two.

I want to share a few tips that Mike and I use every week to keep our food costs down.

1. Eat at home rather than eating out.

Mike and I rarely eat out. Although money is a huge factor in this decision, we also enjoy controlling what we put in our bodies. Typically eating at home is much healthier than eating out. The food at restaurants tastes so good because the food is cooked with a lot of fat, grease, oil, and salt. It is very difficult to maintain or lose weight if you are eating out frequently. I’d love to challenge everyone to not eat out for the next month. I guarantee that you will feel better physically and financially.

We also bring our own lunches to work every day rather than going to the cafeteria or a deli down the street. Every Sunday, Mike and I prepare our lunches for the week. This may not work for everyone, but we make a big batch of a favorite dish and have it for 3 to 4 days (each). Sometimes we make two smaller dishes to have a bit more variety. We save a ridiculous amount of money doing this. Our lunches average $1.25/serving. Compare that to spending $7 to $10 when you go out for lunch, and you get the picture. We are talking about a lot of money (about $3,800/year for two people).

2. Know your food costs.

We love Food Network! Anyone who has ever seen one of those restaurant makeover shows, like Restaurant Impossible, knows that the owners are always asked what their food costs are, and very rarely do they have any clue. Mike and I took this to heart and began calculating our food costs as well. We try to keep our breakfast under $1.00/serving, lunch between $1.00 and $1.50/serving, and dinner between $1.50 and $2.00/serving. It may seem very low, but it’s not actually as hard to accomplish as you might think. I will be sharing a lot of recipes that meet these criteria.

I know it’s a lot to take in, but remember to breathe, and take small steps. We are working our way toward financial stability and better health. It may not always be easy, but your wallet will thank you for it. I hope you will join me on this journey.