Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth is that going to the grocery store without a plan is a BIG budget breaker. And sadly all that cash ends up vanishing into our stomachs and then...well, you know what comes next.
But if you only had $300 a month to spend on groceries for a family of four, could you do it? What sort of food would make the list and what would stay tauntingly on the store's shelves?
Could you save $25 a month on groceries? How about $50 or $100? Possibly you could cut your bill by almost 50% if you consider some of the following suggestions:
First you must divide the budget you have into three categories; weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. Once you have the totals fixed, try to find a way to make it work. If you budgeted too tight, only then consider how much more you really need to spend.
Second, identify your WEEKLY needs; milk, bread, fruits. These will be your saving graces when the troops are hungry. You can load up every week and always have a healthy snack available. Think about $15/week.
Third, identify your BI-WEEKLY needs; eggs, cheese, vegetables, meat and cheese for sandwiches etc. These items have a slightly longer shelf life but you will watch how much you use when you know there's still four days until your next purchase. Try $20 every two weeks.
Fourth, get the remainder of your groceries in one place. Use cash to pay (to avoid temptation of over spending) and work out your shopping list ahead of time. You only need to do this once as many of the items (Cereal, meat etc.) will need to be repurchased each time. Other items (sugar, flour etc.) may be substituted every other month. In this example you have $200 left.
Fifth, have a schedule of meals that you can rotate. Cheap, healthy meals like stir fry can be inexpensive as they use less meat than full pieces of chicken or beef for dinner. Plan to have a meat meal offset by a simpler dish like pasta every other night. This way your family will not go through 'feast-and-famine' when they eat like kings the first week and are eating canned chili every night for the last week.
Always determine your meals based on what you really plan to cook. If you have easy weeknight staples, try to find the cheapest method of preparing them, or make do with less pre- packaged affair on other nights when you have more time. Using items like frozen vegetables can make eating cheap also healthy and convenient.
Clearly the $300 suggestion will depend on your family, the age of your children and how much your budget really allows. Whatever your budget, taking the time to draw up a plan and think about your choices will guarantee that you keep more cash in your wallet for other important things.
Shirley Bullington, the operator of http://www.femeat.com has extensive nutritional knowledge and is an expert on advising families on their financial matters.
Please visit her site at http://www.femeat.com for more information on meat and other nutritional subjects.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Women have a love/hate relationship with money. Most of us... Read More
Debt levels are at an all time high in the... Read More
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More
Australians, in general, constitute some of the worst savers in... Read More
Car donations and used car donations are the way many... Read More
It doesn't take much for you to get behind on... Read More
Ever wonder where address labels come from? Avery? is perhaps... Read More
Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth... Read More
Would you know what to do if you suspect that... Read More
With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be... Read More
Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval table. Forms... Read More
While 40% to 50% of us make New Year's resolutions... Read More
Your food budget is the most flexible area of your... Read More
Of course, these don't have to be done in any... Read More
Do you struggle from week to week trying to make... Read More
1. If you have your haircut every 3 weeks, try... Read More
What is finance and what do you need to know?... Read More
Doesn't it seem like the only impressive numbers we've seen... Read More
You've decided you want a bigger, better and more desirable... Read More
The gas that we fill our tanks with every week... Read More
Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself... Read More
**If it's Spam, it's a Scam!- If it sounds too... Read More
Now that we are in the month of June I... Read More
With a traditional Investment Retirement Account (IRA) you pay taxes... Read More
Budgeting. It's a word we're all familiar with. Everyone knows... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Ever wonder where address labels come from? Avery? is perhaps... Read More
Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself... Read More
Saving may seem easier if you were saving for a... Read More
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to... Read More
For months, we were trigger-swipe happy, putting our groceries, clothes,... Read More
It's the little things in life that make it interesting.... Read More
Things are so expensive these days. We seem to be... Read More
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More
There is a new bill that is being passes, it... Read More
Of course, these don't have to be done in any... Read More
We live in a crazy world. Someone ought to sell... Read More
In this age of information, keeping track of your finances... Read More
We all know that money doesn't grow on trees, but... Read More
Did you have a piggy bank when you were a... Read More
If you've developed a household budget to get your spending... Read More
Creating a budget can be a very difficult task. Although... Read More
Do you have a 401(k) retirement account? Are you vested... Read More
The lists of bank and savings accounts that are available... Read More
Your boss has just informed you that your department is... Read More
One of the simplest ways to improve your professional image... Read More
People haven't always written checks to buy goods and services.... Read More
The Prudential has dubbed those who refuse to leave home... Read More
ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is... Read More
Doesn't it seem like the only impressive numbers we've seen... Read More
With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can... Read More
Personal Finance |