Food Budget Tips

Being able to eat is one of the greatest things in life, no question about it. You are surrounded by so much food and within it is its culture and history. The world is full of flavors and more is being created all the time. But what about money? Unfortunately, pretty much everything costs money, even food. How do you budget your money while also eating your guilty pleasures? Well it's tough, but totally possible. 

In my experience, it is really hard to be honest with yourself at a grocery store without a list. You see, with a list, you put on whatever you need rather than what you want. The necessities. Sure, it is perfectly fine if you grab a thing or two of your favorite things that you want but do not fill your list with things you only want. In between each grocery cycle, however long that may be, pay attention when you notice that you are missing something that you absolutely need (or your family, friends, etc.) and write it down on a piece of paper and make a list out of it. 

You can meal-prep to help you save money and use the most out of your food. This can range from anything in between a saran wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a fully loaded container with chicken and potatoes with vegetables. In doing so, you save your money and it may not seem like a lot but it all adds up, like it does when you spend money on fast food.

Speaking of fast food, just do not go. If you are driving home and you pass by a McDonald's or a Taco Bell just RESIST. This goes hand in hand with my first point. You don't need fast food so just save it as a weekly thing or even every few weeks. If you do happen to submit to the heaven sent food items from McDonalds, or anywhere else, try to order from a value menu if they have one. And if they don't, the get out of there. I know it sounds hard but having no money is even harder. 

Buy stuff in bulk. You can go to Costco or Winco and you can buy pretty much everything you need in bulk rather than individual items. If you buy your food in bulk, then you save your money in the long run, and maximize the amount of food you have. If you buy food individually at Walgreens or any place like that, you are paying more for something you could get cheaper and higher in quantity somewhere else. Buying in bulk= one stop shop.

Eat your leftovers. This was the most effective strategy I used way back when. We used the meal from the night before and ate it as is or even used it to make something else. This is a great example of using the most of the food you buy. We did this all the time, especially when it was a major  holiday such a thanksgiving or Christmas. Using the leftover turkey and stuffing and turning it into sandwiches with some cranberry sauce.