Six Ways to Save Money on Food by Planning Ahead

Good Morning! I'm enjoying a quiet house, as our second house of girls went home last night and our third house doesn't arrive until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll be gathering together what I need for a speaking engagement with some pre-school moms this evening.

Now for saving some money!

Six Ways to Save Money on Food by Planning Ahead

With the economic woes we're experiencing, I'm motivated to save wherever I can, what about you? With a little planning ahead you can save some serious money, according to Lisa Smith's article in Biz.Yahoo.com on fighting rising food costs. Here are a few of her suggestions:

"1. Eat at Home.

Dining out is an expensive proposition. Just about any nutritious meal that you buy in a formal restaurant can be made at home for a fraction of the price. Even good coffee is cheaper to make if you do it yourself. Fast food is excluded from the category, as high-calorie, low-quality food can be had a bargain price, but the impact on your long-term health overrides the benefit of short-term savings.

2. Shop With a Plan

If you stumble around the grocery store and fill your cart with everything that catches your eye, chances are you will spend a lot more money that you needed to spend. To minimize your cash outlay, prepare a shopping list before you leave home. Plan your meals for the week ahead, and make careful note of what you need to buy in order to prepare those meals. Once the list is made, purchase only the items on the list, and avoid impulse buys.

3. Put on Blinders.

Grocery stores are designed to make you go through a maze to get to the most basic items you need in the hope that you will make a few impulse buys along the way. If you keep to your planned list of needed foods, you won't be tempted when you get forced down the junk food aisle to get at the milk. Because most necessities and basic cooking items are found along the outside perimeter of the store, start there and work your way around the edge of the store, only stepping into the maze to grab any leftover items on your list.

4. Eat Before You Shop.

When you are hungry and you walk into a building full of food, there's a high likelihood that you are going to fill you cart with unnecessary and expensive purchases that appeal to your taste buds. To keep your costs down, eat first and shop on a full stomach.

5. Avoid Prepared Foods.

Our fast-paced society encourages convenience, and the grocery store has capitalized on this trend. Ready-made meals are easy to buy, but come with a premium price tag. Instead of putting that rotisserie chicken and macaroni salad in you cart, buy the ingredients and prepare the meal yourself. The same concept applies to frozen entrées, baked goods and any other food that has been prepared in some way for added convenience.

6. Skip the Bottled Water.

If you don't like the water that comes out of the tap, buy a water filter. The per-gallon cost is significantly less than the cost of bottled water - and without all the plastic bottles to discard, it's a lot easier on the environment."

How do you plan ahead to save money on food? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


If you are bored or overwhelmed with planning dinner, grab some ideas from Three Steps to Planning Dinner or Hassle Free Dinners.