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.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carSticking to a budget can be difficult, but with so... Read More
Creating a budget can be a very difficult task. Although... Read More
It is possible to eat a healthy, balanced diet without... Read More
Super-mumsIt seems that the proof of maternal efforts is no... Read More
Does it feel like you have to be Sherlock Holmes... Read More
I have to admit, I do it too. I complain.... Read More
Here are ten steps you can follow to help improve... Read More
1. Lighting & Light Bulbs Install low energy light... Read More
Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the... Read More
With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be... Read More
There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America... Read More
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More
Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the... Read More
On the other hand, there are those people who are... Read More
As a parent you are bound to face a few... Read More
If you were to ask 100 women "What would you... Read More
Recently, many of these loyalty rewards programs have come to... Read More
For me, the most terrible time of each month is... Read More
Have you ever thought about what you are going to... Read More
When you received an energy (heating) bill last winter, were... Read More
I've been sharing the following idea with people for a... Read More
It is crucial as an individual who is striving for... Read More
Now that we are in the month of June I... Read More
Well, dang! From what I've heard and read, it looks... Read More
Many people graduate from college owing thousands of dollars in... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Car donations and used car donations are the way many... Read More
It is crucial as an individual who is striving for... Read More
Would you know what to do if you suspect that... Read More
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More
Well, dang! From what I've heard and read, it looks... Read More
You should thoroughly consider your business needs when selecting a... Read More
Developing and living by a household budget is by far... Read More
Do you struggle from week to week trying to make... Read More
Everyone needs to maintain their lives. What I mean by... Read More
It doesn't take much for you to get behind on... Read More
You've decided you want a bigger, better and more desirable... Read More
Future financial success is not a guarantee that any one... Read More
What is it about being frugal, why do it at... Read More
I've been sharing the following idea with people for a... Read More
Recently, many of these loyalty rewards programs have come to... Read More
Commonly referred to as the first of the three major... Read More
It is estimated that we, as consumers, waste an average... Read More
Reducing the clothing budget was a serious challenge for me.... Read More
I've been going through and interesting growth period lately that... Read More
We have heard a lot about consumers' personal information getting... Read More
Did you know that 43% of all married couples argue... Read More
Do you have a 401(k) retirement account? Are you vested... Read More
Would you be interested in freeing up 10% to 15%... Read More
Are you interested in saving money off your grocery bills?... Read More
You've analyzed your past expenses, put them into spreadsheets, loaded... Read More
Personal Finance |