Now, if you are a lover of the gastronomic arts it very easy to go to the supermarket at the beginning of the month and get a little carried away. Yes, you can end up with some seriously delicious treats, but if it means you have blown your entire grocery budget, as well as the money you were planning on using for other fun things, it’s not the best choice. Luckily, there are some simple ways you can restrict your spending and still get some delicious food, read on to find out what they are.
Plan your meals
The thing about meal planning is that it has double benefits. The first is that you can make healthy choices and get all your prep for the week done at the weekend, something that makes the weeks way easier.
Secondly, by meal planning, you can save an absolute fortune and still eat well. The reason you can do this is that you end up buying only what you need. This means you spend less in the first place, especially if you plan your meals around what is on offer and in season. It also means that there is less waste which will save you money in the long run as well.
Track your spending
Next, you can cut down the amount you spend on food shopping by tracking your spending over time. This can work well because it allows you to see exactly what percentage of your money is being spent on food each month, and whether that is a reasonable amount or if it’s becoming excessive.
Before you do this you will need to decide on a way to track your spending, so check out this personal capital or mint tracker comparison post. Then you can find a free tracker that can help you keep on top of your food expenses while still being able to do other values activities in your life.
Order online
It can also be helpful to order your groceries online and get them delivered if you are looking to save money on your food shopping bill. This can work because if you are not in the store, you cannot get drawn in by offers on items that you don’t need.
In fact, as such offers are usually on sugar filled and calorie-laden snacks like cookies, chips, and chocolate, ordering online is a great way not only to save more money but to keep up those healthy food choices as well. Something that means you can legitimately treat yourself to the odd brunch or sticky dessert when you do eat out without feeling too much guilt. Not to mention the fact that you will have enough in your bank account to settle the bill in the restaurant without having to resort to washing dishes!
Coupons
Finally, don’t forget that while extreme couponing may taking things a little far, you can save a great deal of money by clipping and using coupons to their best effect. In fact, you can even get some tips on how to do this from the couponers in the video below that will help you save as much money as possible on your regular food shop.
