Grocery costs are noticeably higher than they were just a few short years ago. So what do we do? I know! We just eat out every meal right?! WRONG! The first step to getting your food budget under control is to take stock of where you stand today. How much are you spending on groceries, takeout, coffee runs, gas station snacks, and restaurants every month? You might think it’s not that bad, or it’s a ‘normal’ amount, but you won’t know until you do the math. You might just assume in your head you spend $500/month. But will you be shocked if it’s $1500 instead? If you don’t have a budget, YOU NEED ONE. Taming your food costs might just be what gets you started.
The fastest way to lower your food costs is to cut the outside spending and eat at home. DUH! Yes, it is pretty obvious. We all know that. The biggest issue I see is that most people don’t spend any time planning their meals. You have to sit down at least once a week and do an inventory of what’s in your home, create a meal plan, and then shop for the missing ingredients. This is not the time to become a gourmet chef or experiment with meals that require saffron. We are trying to save money. That means keeping it simple. A protein, a carb, and a veggie can’t get any easier. Usually, the most expensive component of your meal will be the protein (if you eat meat). So pick your proteins based on what is on sale. Check the frozen section vs fresh, you may get more bang for your buck frozen, and bonus points, no need to prep it to go in the freezer at home. If you don’t enjoy cooking, cook enough for two nights at once that way you can skip a day. Or pack your leftovers for lunch. You can also make one protein stretch for multiple meals. Maybe a rotisserie chicken starts as chicken enchiladas, then chopped up in a salad, and lastly in soup. You have to work smarter, not harder.
Another big waste of money is drinks and snacks. If you are buying soda, juice, energy drinks, kombucha, iced tea, etc add up how much you are spending on drinks alone. I have filtered water and we buy some carbonated water, but that’s it. Do you really need all the chips, ice cream, candy, and pop-tarts? Think about how your waistline or your blood sugar may benefit from cutting all that extra junk. Food for thought…. (pun intended)
If you are a novice cook, watch cooking shows. I can’t tell you how much I learned from OG Rachel Ray when I first started. Our parents may have only exposed us to one style of cooking. There is so much more out there if you just watch a few shows or google some recipes. Recruit help! Ask your mom or your uncle to come over and show you their best dishes. I guarantee they will love to spend time with you and show off their skills. Make meal prepping a group activity and cook with your friends. Or everyone makes one big dish and shares it. Get creative. You can do it, put your back into it.
There are lots of staples that are super inexpensive. Potatoes, rice, oatmeal, pasta..try to incorporate these into your plan. Also, give the store brands a shot. They are not all ‘nasty’. I prefer a lot of Aldi’s generic items. Some even taste better than the name brand. And on that note, find your discount grocery store. You are not gonna make it shopping at Whole Foods and Weggman’s.
If you are hopeless, or just refuse to cook, fine. Buy a few frozen or pre-packaged meals. Maybe a meal service like Hello Fresh might be cheaper than what you are spending right now. Baby steps. At least make breakfast at home and pack a simple lunch. Those $15 Starbucks runs are killing your wallet, you hear me. Unlike rent or child care, you can make a big dent in your savings just by tweaking your meals. It’s worth the time and effort. Get started this week!
