Busting Your Hunger Without Busting Your Budget
One of the most expensive purchases that we make is the food that we buy to eat. Across the nation, there is a wealth of ways to find different things to eat, giving our culture one of the most varied menus on the planet, but with large selection comes the ability to spend more than you can afford on your food purchases. There are a number of methods that you can use to reduce the amount that you spend on food annually and each method is effective in its own way.
Stop Dining Out
It is estimated that the average family spends nearly 40% of their household income on the food that they eat, with the majority of the money going to restaurants and fast food purchases. People are so conditioned to the ease of eating out that they do not realize that dining out can routinely cost as much as 5 times the amount it would cost to cook the same meal at home. Even if you factor in the cost of purchasing the raw ingredients, cookware to use, and some cookbooks to help you get started on cooking for yourself, you will still save money over dining out on a regular basis.
Shop By Unit Price
Many grocery stores list the price per unit on the sales tags of their products, typically in small numbers so that it doesn’t overshadow the larger product price that they would like for you to pay attention to. Looking at the unit price while shopping will help you make a more accurate comparison between brands and product sizes, because they will typically all use the same unit of measure for the unit price. A smaller price per unit equals a better deal at the checkout counter for the consumer.
Look For Specials
Many grocery stores will regularly have sales on staple items that you can stock up on and keep for the rest of the year. For example, during the week before the Labor Day holiday, many grocery store offer sales on the items that people typically purchase for their Labor Day celebration, such as meats that are good for grilling, barbeque sauce, baked beans, and condiments. Because the meats can be frozen in the freezer and the other items can be stored, you can stock up on the items when they are on special and avoid paying the higher prices for the items later in the year.
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