Are you looking for a few ways to cut back on expenses? Here are 30 ways to stretch your food budget in 30 days, cutting back on cost and finding new ways to save on food!
30 Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget in 30 Days
One of the easiest, but often challenging ways to cut back expenses in your household is the food. Lately, with three growing teenagers, it seems my food grocery bill is constantly rising. And while I use coupons, digital offers, mPerk coupons and taking advantage of sales, it still seems to grow. I’m sharing some of the best ways to stretch your food budget with frugal tips and hacks you should give a try.
1. Smaller portion sizes. Everyone doesn’t need to eat like a king. Smaller portion sizes for the family is more than okay.
2. Only buy what you will use. Sometimes we go to the store and overbuy, only leaving food waste behind.
3. Eat the same thing for lunch and dinner. Often times, we make too much and have leftovers, but don’t eat those leftovers.
4. Cook meat ahead and then freeze it. Pull it out when you need it. This produces zero waste and helps you stay ahead of the cooking game.
5. Cook with filling foods. Although we all want to eat healthy, eating with filling foods is truly the way to stretch our budgets. Pasta, rice, and beans are all great “filler” foods.
6. Cook large batches and freeze. Cooking takes up a lot of time, but that time can be salvaged by cooking in large batches. Freeze meals and pull them out on those really busy days where you just want to eat out.
7. Limit eating out. When you eat out, it usually dips into your food budget. Eating out should be a treat and not the norm.
8. Challenge your regular menu. Are there cheaper meals you could be feeding your family?
9. Hunting for your own food. Hey, we live in a day and age where people still hunt for their own food. If you’re looking to stretch your food budget, this could be a great way to get your meat.
10. Ask for leftover produce from friends. Let’s face it; some friends have a harvest that is just too big! Let your produce producing friends that you’ll take any leftover produce they don’t want.
11. Set a grocery limit. It’s so easy to go to the store and spend whatever you want. Give yourself a grocery budget!
12. Keep breakfasts and lunches simple. Your kids don’t need fancy lunches and dinners to survive. Keep everything simple, and your food will go further.
13. Fall in love with peanut butter again. Who are we kidding? Peanut butter is one of the best things you can buy when your family is on a budget!
14. Skip the sweet stuff. I’ll admit that I’m a dessert lover, but it’s not always the most budget-friendly thing to add to the menu.
15. Buy the marked down ugly fruit. If you need fruits and veggies, but don’t want to spend the extra money, buy the ugly marked down fruit.
16. Try your local grocery delivery for free. If you’ve never had your groceries delivered for free, give it a try. You can pick and choose what you buy, so you’re not tempted by other foods.
17. Homemade soup is a genius idea! You can make soup out of almost anything, and it can feed a lot of people for cheap.
18. Bake your bread. Baking bread is one of the cheapest things you can do. It may take a while to master, but it is budget friendly.
19. Eat rice and beans. I know you love this tip, but it’s such a good one. We don’t eat enough rice and beans in 2018.
20. Accept dinner reservations more often. We get invited to dinners often, but we can’t always make it. As weird as it sounds, this is one less meal you have to worry about cooking.
21. Make your bone broth. If you’re grossed out by making your own bone broth, don’t be. Remember that people for hundreds of years did this before companies started packaging their own.
22. Learn to make more stuff from scratch. The truth is that our grocery budgets don’t go as far these days because everything is bought out of convenience. Start learning to make things yourself!
23. Clean out your pantry. How much food do you have hiding in your pantry and fridge? Eat it up!
Read: 50+ Things Every Well-Stocked Pantry Should Have
24. Sell something to make extra money for food. We all have something sitting around. Sell it to help you make extra money for food! One item could help provide groceries for a week.
25. Use up those veggies. Don’t let the veggies in your life go to waste. Challenge yourself to use them up.
26. Make a list of everything you have in stock. Know what you have, so you’re not wasting money buying things you already have.
27. Do without the sides. You don’t need fancy sides to go with your dinner. Having the main course and no sides can help your budget more than you thought possible.
28. Be thankful. A way to stretch your food budget and start seeing things a little different is by being thankful. Be thankful you have food to eat and a budget you can stretch.
29. Don’t be wasteful. Let’s be honest; we waste food because we can. If we were in a different position, we might not be as wasteful without food.
30. Eat more eggs. Although some people say eggs are expensive, they’re still one of the cheapest things out there!
These tips may be simple, but they work. You can get more tips on ways to save on your food budget by checking out these articles: 52 Money Save Ways: Week 19: Watch Food Waste
52 Money Save Ways: Week 27: Store Food Properly
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