Save Money On Food: 7 Useful Tips

Seven valuable tips that can help you to save money on food.

By being a bit more frugal, you can save some of the money you spend on food and use it for other important things.

Here are seven tips to help you get started.

1. Begin a price book
Your price book will give you information about products that you've bought by price, date, size, store, and most importantly unit price (how much you're paying by ounce, pound and so forth).
With this information at your disposal, saving money on groceries will be much easier for you.
All you'll need to do is compare the prices you see in the grocery store to what you have in your price book. Then, take advantage of the great deals you find and pass on the bad ones.

2. Meal plan.
Meal planning can help you to save money on food by reducing trips to fast food and family restaurants.
In order to get started meal planning, simply take some time to decide what dinners you want to cook. Then, purchase the food in advance.
In addition, you could plan out your meals by using what you already have on hand.

3. Brown bag it at work.
Instead of opting to spend money on a quick meal at a fast food restaurant during your lunch break, you could pack deli style sandwiches or hoagies along with a side of salad or fruit.
In addition, you could take a thermos filled with part of a soup and sandwich combination, or you could fill it with your favorite drink.

4. Plant a garden.
Gardening can help you to replace some of the food you typically buy at the grocery store with your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

In addition, gardening can help you get more exercise and reduce some of the stress of everyday life.

5. Eat more vegetable dishes.
Make the meat you purchase at the grocery store last longer by making more vegetable dishes for you and your family.
If you need meat in the dish you're going to prepare, try simply cutting back on how much meat you use.

6. Refrigerate or freeze the bread you buy at the grocery store.
You can also save money by making the bread you buy at grocery store or bakery last longer.
An easy way to do this is to keep the bread you want to eat during the week in the refrigerator.
In addition, you can save money by freezing some of the bread you buy for later use.

7. Stay focused.
Grocery stores choose their layouts with an eye to getting you to spend more money.
A smart way to combat this is to stay focused when you grocery shop. Planning your meals, writing out a shopping list and keeping a price book can help you to do this.
You can also stay focused in the store by knowing where the different sections are, not shopping while you are hungry, and by shopping without your kids if they tend to pressure you into buying things you or they don't really need.