The Gourmet Mama

photo by Mike Licht

With the economy in a downward turn, people are looking for ways to save money on food. We all still have to eat, but that doesn`t mean food has to be your biggest expense! Here are 17 ways to save money on your food bill.

1. Use coupons. If you have an aversion to coupons, too bad. Get over it. This is still one of the best ways to save, particularly if you do your research and look for stores that offer double coupon day or accept coupons on top of a sale. Sometimes you can even get stuff for free!

2. Pick 1-3 nights a week to eat “poor”. You don`t need to nibble on dry crusts of bread all the time, but having a few nights each week when dinner is nice and simple (and cheap!), will help save money. Try things like rice and beans, meatless burritos, etc.

3. Extend what you have. You can make more expensive foods, like meat last longer by stretching them out. With hamburger meat, add some re-hydrated textured vegetable protein before cooking. It will pick up the taste and is considerably cheaper.

4. Stick to in-season foods. It`s expensive for a reason to get strawberries in December . . . they require a lot of resources to grow or ship in. For this reason, you`re better off buying fruit and vegetables that are in season in your area.

photo by Sbocaj

5. Order online. Often you can get better deals online because the virtual supermarkets don`t have to pay the costs of having a public front or store clerks. Look for places like Amazon Groceries that offer free shipping.

6. Buy in bulk. Certain foods, like beans, rice and canned goods, are worth buying in bulk, particularly if you eat them often. As long as you will use it up within 2-3 months and have the space to store it, you can buy food by the case and save money.

7. Go with a lesser known brand name. Most things like oatmeal, flour and sugar are not really going to change if you switch brands. Try the store brand or the no-name brand and see if anyone notices the difference. If not . . . there`s a great way to save a few dollars on each purchase.

8. Make a list and stick to it. Often we get distracted in the grocery store and end up buying a whole basket of items when we only needed milk. Make a list and stick to it and you`ll save a lot of money.

9. Make it from scratch. While it might seem more convenient to buy cake mixes, it`s usually only a question of an extra minute or two if you make it yourself, but you`ll save a lot of money. Here`s an article on making your own mixes to save time and money (scroll down a bit).

10. Cook larger amounts at a time. If you make soup, make enough for 3-5 meals and freeze the rest. Then you`ll have something for dinner on those days when you just don`t have time to cook.

11. Buy on sale. Scout out the sales at your local supermarkets and plan to buy enough to last for a few months. Having a roomy freezer will help a lot when it comes to stocking up on things like chicken and meat. You can also freeze cheese if it`s on sale.

12. Re-use leftovers, don`t toss them. Throwing food out is a waste of money and resources. Designate one night a week as “buffet night” and let everyone choose what they want from the leftovers in your fridge. Figure out new ways to use things, a great way to get rid of not-so-appealing food is to make Clean the Fridge soup, a basic stock with chunks of everything you happen to have in your fridge.

13. Skip the middle of the supermarket. Did you know that the edges of the store usually have what is more basic food, things like vegetables, dairy and meats? The aisles often contain mixes, candies and all sorts of useless food. By avoiding these aisles, you`ll avoid a lot of temptation.

photo by Simon Shek

14. Make your own juice. Buying frozen 100% juice concentrate will end up being far cheaper than buying dozens of juice boxes for your kids. Invest in a nice water bottle or thermos for each kid and put their juice in there, instead.

15. Cut drinking costs. How much do you spend each week on sodas and other liquid refreshments? What if you were to cut those in half? It`s often too difficult to completely quit sodas and drinks, but by lowering the amount you buy, you could save hundreds of dollars, not to mention it will be better for you!

How do you save money on food?

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