In today's economy, everyone is looking for methods to reduce costs and practice frugal living. One of the easiest ways is by cutting your food budget. You can plan frugal meals each week by following a few simple guidelines. The result will be more money in your pocket and more healthful meals on your table.
Study Store Fliers
Plan meals around what is on sale each week at your local store. Study the store flier found on line or in your local paper. Not all sales are created equal, so it's important to know the regular prices of items. You can keep your own list of the prices of products you buy frequently, or you can use a free online resource such as CouponMom.com. This website tracks weekly sales and calculates what percentage has been taken off the regular price of each item.
Clip Coupons
Use coupons for items that help you create healthful, budget friendly meals. Each week look for coupons on staples such as rice, beans, meat, frozen vegetables and dairy products. You can collect coupons from your Sunday paper, but many coupons are offered via the Internet through websites such as Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. Check the website of your favorite grocery store. Coupons can be found there as well. For an even greater savings, match coupons with products already on sale. Often, this makes it possible for you to get items for more than half off the regular price.
Buy Store Brands
According to the October 2009 edition of "Consumer Reports," buying store brand rather than name brand foods is a "painless way to cut your grocery bill." Not only will generic brands save you money but, according to the article, you don't have to sacrifice taste and quality. Try a few and see if you notice a difference. You definitely will notice a difference in your pocketbook. If you find you still prefer the name brand option, wait until it goes on sale and use a coupon at the same time.
Double Up Your Cooking
The next time you cook, make a double batch of the meal and freeze the leftovers. Doubling the recipe takes minimal extra time and effort, and you have created a ready-to-go meal that you can simply heat and eat. This trick prevents you from resorting to fattening takeout food or a pricey restaurant on those nights when you don't feel like cooking.
Do It Yourself
While prepackaged food is convenient, doing things yourself helps keep your meals frugal. Try something as simple as chopping a head of lettuce for a salad rather than buying a bag of prepared greens. It's significantly cheaper. Grate your own cheese. This saves money over buying a bag of the pre-shredded stuff. Challenge yourself to bake a batch of brownies from scratch or make homemade cornbread. You will end up with a better and cheaper result than if you use a boxed mix.
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