How to Spend Less Money on Your Food

When preparing a monthly budget, one of the big unknowns can be the cost of food. Whether you eat in a restaurant, grab a bite on the fly or cook your own food at home, the sky is the limit on how much it can cost. Not everyone can cook, but most people do know how to walk into a grocery store and pick up food to take home. No matter how you prepare your food or where you eat, there are ways that you can spend less.

Starting With the Basics

The first thing to keep in mind is that the health of your body depends on the food you eat. Taking that into account, you can begin to think about where to get the food you need. Take vegetables, for instance. If you are buying your own from a farmers’ market or grocery store, you can prepare them simply at home without a lot of fuss. Many vegetables can be eaten without cooking at all and others might just need a little cooking in water.

That would be the cheapest way to go. But if buying and preparing your own food is not an option, find the cheapest place to buy good quality food out. This can be healthy fast food, such as sandwiches that have vegetables and cheese, or it can even be pizza with vegetables. The more expensive solution would be going into a restaurant and ordering your vegetables. For your daily meals, consider where the best place to fulfill your basic food requirements is.

Learning to Cook

The easiest way to learn to cook is by watching someone else. You can watch cooking shows on television or videos on the internet. Become familiar with basic techniques such as steaming, boiling and baking. Then do a web based search for “easy recipes” or “how to cook eggs” for instance, and learn to do it in a few basic steps. When you learn to cook, you will be able to save a large percentage on your food budget while eating healthy meals.

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Cutting the Cost of Meals

The most expensive way you can get the food you need for yourself and your family is by going into a restaurant. Besides paying for every item you eat, you need to add onto that ten to fifteen percent for a tip. If you are on the road or don’t have access to a kitchen, learn to order wisely. For instance, business lunches that include a choice from each course can be much cheaper than ordering items separately. Most restaurants have lunch menus, which are cheaper than the evening dinner minus. Pay attention to the hour that you go to a restaurant so you can take advantage of the lower priced meals. If it’s more than you can eat, always wrap it and take it home so you can eat it as another meal and get two meals for the price of one.

If cutting back on your food expenses isn’t enough to help you make ends meet, you can always consider taking a loan: car title loans, for instance, enable you to get a large amount of cash just by submitting your vehicle’s title.

Guest Author: Anwar Hossain