Thursday, December 17, 2009

Tips To Save On Your Food Budget

By Jack Snow

With an economy in disarray, there are many ways to save some pennies. Your food budget, for example, is a good place to start saving.

First, eating out is draining on the wallet. Restaurants will almost always be more costly than cooking at home. If, however, eating out is not something you can give out, keep your eyes peeled for restaurant coupons. The best places to find them are in the newspaper and on the back of grocery receipts. You could also simply reduce the number of times each week that you eat in restaurants.

Most cities have grocery outlets and bulk grocery stores. While all of your favorite brands may not be available, these are good places to save money on your grocery shopping.

Once you are in the super market, but sure to compare prices of different products. Taking time to do this will ensure that you find the best prices on your needs. You will often find that store brands are lower priced without skimping on quality. You should also take time to use coupons, which can usually be used in conjunction with store sales.

Coupons can often apply to multiple purchases so be sure to check with a store clerk. Newspapers, magazines and the back of old super market receipts are a good resource.

A great way to save and pick up a new hobby is to start a garden. By growing your own fruits and vegetables you will save on what are often quite expensive in super markets. This can also encourage healthier eating and replace the high costs of unhealthy snacks.

If you shop when you are hungry, you are more likely to buy more than necessary. For this reason, do not shop on an empty stomach. Instead, go after you had a meal.

When making meals, it is often difficult to cook for just one. In order to prevent waste, you can save your leftovers for future meals. This, along with the aforementioned tips above, will help you save a little bit at a time. Hopefully, after a short while you will begin to notice significant savings in your budget.

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